Most eye diseases have a genetic contribution, whether rare disorders affecting children such as retinoblastoma or congenital cataracts through to common disorders of older people such as myopia, age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma. We will continue our successful research to find genes that cause these diseases and use this to improve patient care and prevent blindness. We will work out how families can use this genetic information to participate in trials to develop new treatments.
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354576
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Spatially Integrated Social Science Research in Australia. Rapid change across society has resulted in shifts to the scope of social science research including the emergence of space and place as an important concept. Across research fields the result has been that a range of innovative and unique techniques, methodologies and theories that are space based are now being developed. While research is progressing rapidly, it is undertaken in parallel by researchers who can not always collaborate. ....Spatially Integrated Social Science Research in Australia. Rapid change across society has resulted in shifts to the scope of social science research including the emergence of space and place as an important concept. Across research fields the result has been that a range of innovative and unique techniques, methodologies and theories that are space based are now being developed. While research is progressing rapidly, it is undertaken in parallel by researchers who can not always collaborate. Recognising these advances, this initiative focuses on harnessing Australia's capacity and potential in the use of spatially based methods and theories and brings researchers together in collaboration across a number of fields. Read moreRead less
ARC Research Network in Spatially Integrated Social Science. The ARC Research Network in Spatially Integrated Social Science (SISS) builds Australia's capacity and capability for innovative, collaborative, cross-disciplinary effort to investigate the impacts of change on the behaviour and well-being of people and the fortunes of places. SISS theories and research tools permit the integration of diverse and complex databases, the generation of new synthetic datasets, the incorporation of spatial ....ARC Research Network in Spatially Integrated Social Science. The ARC Research Network in Spatially Integrated Social Science (SISS) builds Australia's capacity and capability for innovative, collaborative, cross-disciplinary effort to investigate the impacts of change on the behaviour and well-being of people and the fortunes of places. SISS theories and research tools permit the integration of diverse and complex databases, the generation of new synthetic datasets, the incorporation of spatial concepts into statistical analysis and modelling, powerful visualisation of information, and the building spatial decision support systems, to provide an improved evidence base and better informed decision-making to address the significant challenges facing Australia's people and its places.Read moreRead less
Disability and ability: how young people with impairments make the transition to adulthood. Compared to their able-bodied peers, 15-29 year olds with disabilities have an increased risk of negative social, physical and mental health outcomes. By analysing the life histories of 100 young people with physical impairments and tracking their development over four years, this project will explore how to reduce these risks.
Endocrine And Molecular Regulation Of Placental CRH Expression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$466,980.00
Summary
Approximately 70% of infant death is associated with premature birth. Preterm birth occurs in 6-10% of pregnancies, and there has been no reduction in the rates of premature birth in the last 30 years. This is largely because we remain ignorant of how normal and abnormal birth is controlled. Understanding the physiology of human pregnancy is a critical step in the development of ways to detect and prevent preterm birth. Our group has demonstrated a link between production of a hormone (corticotr ....Approximately 70% of infant death is associated with premature birth. Preterm birth occurs in 6-10% of pregnancies, and there has been no reduction in the rates of premature birth in the last 30 years. This is largely because we remain ignorant of how normal and abnormal birth is controlled. Understanding the physiology of human pregnancy is a critical step in the development of ways to detect and prevent preterm birth. Our group has demonstrated a link between production of a hormone (corticotrophin releasing hormone, CRH) in the placenta and the length of time the baby is carried in the mother. In women who will deliver prematurely a rise in CRH occurs earlier in the pregnancy and more rapidly, while in women who deliver late the rise occurs more slowly. This work has given rise to the concept of a biological clock that determines the length of time the fetus will be carried by the mother before birth, and in which production of CRH in the placenta plays a central role. We have been studying how the CRH gene is controlled in placental cells. We have discovered some regions in the DNA of the CRH gene which have important roles in controlling how much CRH is made by the placenta. The experiments described in this research project will determine the molecular mechanisms that control the production of CRH in the human placenta. This will be done in two ways: (1) by examining the DNA sequences involved in controlling expression of the CRH gene and (2) by identifying the proteins that actually perform the regulating functions that result in either increased or decreased amounts of CRH being produced by the placenta. This important information will help us better understand how normal and abnormal birth is controlled, and from that knowledge new ways to detect and prevent premature birth can be invented.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre for Kangaroo Genome. In this Australian-led Kangaroo Genome Project, we will map and characterize the tammar wallaby genome at the molecular level. Marsupial genomes are uniquely valuable because they provide comparisons that reveal new human genes, regulatory sequences and marsupial-specific genes. These will deliver new products and information useful for medicine, industry, agriculture and conservation. We will construct integrated genetic and physical maps of the genome, clone the ....ARC Centre for Kangaroo Genome. In this Australian-led Kangaroo Genome Project, we will map and characterize the tammar wallaby genome at the molecular level. Marsupial genomes are uniquely valuable because they provide comparisons that reveal new human genes, regulatory sequences and marsupial-specific genes. These will deliver new products and information useful for medicine, industry, agriculture and conservation. We will construct integrated genetic and physical maps of the genome, clone the whole genome as large inserts in BAC vectors, and build a "golden path" with minimal overlap. We will construct libraries of expressed genes from tammar tissues and array them for use in analysing gene expression.Read moreRead less
Work, care, retirement and health: ageing agendas. This project will undertake a gendered analysis of how Australians can retire well, taking account of their key resources (such as work, superannuation, the aged pension, and other assets) and key demands (such as to work longer and to care for others in the context of an ageing population and a more feminised workforce).
Australia's Rural Heartlands: Declining Economic Fortune or Dynamic Regional Adjustment? Agriculture in the rural heartlands provides high quality food and fibre for domestic consumption and export making significant contributions to national earnings. The heartlands are the custodians of our natural resources and cultural heritage and farmers play a vital economic and social role in the sustainability of these regions. While there is considerable variability between these places this research ....Australia's Rural Heartlands: Declining Economic Fortune or Dynamic Regional Adjustment? Agriculture in the rural heartlands provides high quality food and fibre for domestic consumption and export making significant contributions to national earnings. The heartlands are the custodians of our natural resources and cultural heritage and farmers play a vital economic and social role in the sustainability of these regions. While there is considerable variability between these places this research will provide a detailed understanding as to why it is that rural places differ in their development. A major benefit will be to present Australian governments, the agricultural industry and rural communities with a more accurate picture of how the rural heartlands now function, and to articulate the public policy implications.Read moreRead less
Left Out and Missing Out: Towards New Indicators of Social Exclusion and Material Deprivation. This ground-breaking project will utilise academic knowledge and practical agency experience built up over decades to produce a new framework for identifying and measuring exclusion and deprivation in contemporary Australian society. It will generate new findings on public attitudes to the 'necessary requirements' needed to participate at all levels in society and the economy. It will examine the popul ....Left Out and Missing Out: Towards New Indicators of Social Exclusion and Material Deprivation. This ground-breaking project will utilise academic knowledge and practical agency experience built up over decades to produce a new framework for identifying and measuring exclusion and deprivation in contemporary Australian society. It will generate new findings on public attitudes to the 'necessary requirements' needed to participate at all levels in society and the economy. It will examine the population profile of the individuals and groups who are denied these opportunities, using both quantitative (survey) and qualitative (focus group) data, and its findings will complement existing data collections.Read moreRead less
Targeted mining for new drugs against parasitic nematodes of animals - a synergy of integrated, frontier technologies and a committed partnership with industry. This project will: develop a quality scientific and technological program in national priority areas, leading to a strong basic research, new concepts and the enhanced international collaborative links; strengthen links between basic and applied research, and academia and industry; develop excellence via pan-Australian collaborations, re ....Targeted mining for new drugs against parasitic nematodes of animals - a synergy of integrated, frontier technologies and a committed partnership with industry. This project will: develop a quality scientific and technological program in national priority areas, leading to a strong basic research, new concepts and the enhanced international collaborative links; strengthen links between basic and applied research, and academia and industry; develop excellence via pan-Australian collaborations, resulting in a more efficient use of resources in a national and international context; enhance the skills-base in biology, biotechnology and bioinformatics; increase global visibility with increased investment in Australian science; improved animal welfare and production via better control of infectious diseases; commercial products with benefits to agricultural producers in regional and rural communities.Read moreRead less