Early Detection And Intervention For Infants At High Risk Of Motor Impairments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,180.00
Summary
My proposed research program involves several distinct yet related projects addressing i) early detection and ii) early intervention for infants at high risk of movement problems including cerebral palsy. This research will provide the highest quality evidence base that is needed to identify those children most at risk early in development and improve our understanding of which interventions are most effective, so that scare health care resources can be targeted appropriately.
Neuroimaging In Mental Health: The Quest For Clinically Useful Biomarkers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$437,034.00
Summary
To ultimately improve treatment of mental illness, this research program aims to detect robust and reliable neuroimaging markers that are associated with affective disorders by pooling data from many samples across the world. Moreover, this research aims to develop alternative biological-based classifications of mental illness in young people, and evaluate their clinical value by examining their predictive value for treatment response and disease course.
Development And Plasticity Of The Visual Cortex: An Anatomical And Functional Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,872.00
Summary
Much of the human brain is devoted to vision, which requires the integrated activity of many interconnected areas of the cerebral cortex. Damage to these areas is a relatively common complication of preterm delivery and- or perinatal conditions including trauma and infection. The aim of this project is to investigate the way in which the multiple visual areas of the brain develop and become 'wired' together, and determine how the brain can successfully compensate for damage to these areas.
Ontogeny Of Toll (TLR) Function In Normal And Allergic Children: The Impact Of Microbial-rich Environments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
Reduced exposure to bacteria during early life has become a leading candidate to explain the escalating rate of allergic disease. Despite this, the development and maturation of the pathways involved in normal recognition of bacteria in children has not been explored. In this proposal we set out to address this critical shortcoming in both normal and allergic children. Mapping normal maturation of such pathways will help us to identify better early markers of allergic disease.
The Role Of The Zinc Finger Transcriptional Repressor Znf238 During Nerve Cell Maturation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,264.00
Summary
Proper foetal brain assembly is critical for brain function, but the underlying genetic mechanisms remain poorly defined. In this study, I will investigate a family of proteins that “turn on” neural gene expression in combination with another protein that “turns off” their expression during nerve cell development. Understanding this novel on/off mechanism for controlling gene expression in newborn nerve cells will further our understanding of how the brain is assembled.
Nfi Genes Regulate The Switch Between Neurogenesis And Gliogenesis During Cortical Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
Cells within the brain fall into two categories; neurons or glia. Importantly, both derive from a common progenitor population, the radial glia, during development. Early in development radial glia produce neurons, while later they generate glia. The genes which control the switch from neuron production to glia production remain poorly defined. I propose to investigate how this switch is controlled in radial glia, focussing on a family of proteins known to regulate gene transcription.
A Program Of Methodological And Collaborative Research In Biostatistics And Population Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$264,081.00
Summary
Biostatistics is a critical component of health and medical research, especially for studies in population health. However, there is an increasing gap between supply and demand for high-level biostatistical input. This proposal combines novel methodological research into methods for analysing incomplete data, with collaborative research applying new ideas and complex analyses to important health problems. The fellowship will facilitate my development as a future leader in this key area.
Enabling Personalised Risk Assessment For Colorectal Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
Bowel cancer screening will be most effective in disease prevention if it is applied proportionately to individual person's risk. Risk-based screening requires a risk calculator to assess personal risk. By utilising existing large, international datasets, I will identify the risk factors specific for different bowel cancer types and incorporate them to upgrade the prediction model that I have developed. This will achieve more accurate risk prediction to enable personalised risk-based screening.