Investigation Of A New Electronic Portal Imaging Device For Radiation Therapy Dose Delivery Verification
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,101.00
Summary
In external beam radiotherapy highly complex radiation fields are used to deliver high doses of radiation to the tumour while sparing normal tissues. Inaccurate treatment could result in poor patient outcome or damage to normal tissues. We aim to investigate a novel imaging device to measure the dose accuracy of these fields. This work has the potential to make a significant and fundamental difference to existing verification techniques for radiotherapy treatments to ensure patient outcomes.
Analysis Of Low Radiation Dose Outside Of The Treatment Field Received By Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$332,384.00
Summary
Every medical intervention is associated with risk. The present proposal aims to quantify the dose from radiation that is delivered outside the actual target region in radiotherapy of breast cancer patients. This information can help the development of better irradiation techniques as well as inform patients and their carers about possible long term side effects. Finally, the research can be used to finetune radiobiological models by comparing clinical outcomes and accurately calculated doses.
Impact Of An Ivermectin Mass Drug Administration Program Against Endemic Scabies And Strongyloidiasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,289,786.00
Summary
Overseas studies suggest sustainable and long term benefits can be obtained through the use of ivermectin in mass drug administration programs to control parasitic infections. Our study will be a critical first step in establishing if such a program can be successful in a remote Indigenous community setting, where the disease burden from scabies and strongyloidiasis (threadworm infections) is very high.
We are able to identify and discriminate objects in the world because of exquisitely detailed and rapid processing of sensory information by neurons in the cortex of the brain. In this project we will examine these operations in neurons in the cortex that receive input from the large face whiskers of the rat. These whiskers are used for fine-grain discrimination and for gauging distance. They are deflected by being actively moved, under muscle control, over objects (active touch) or by being pas ....We are able to identify and discriminate objects in the world because of exquisitely detailed and rapid processing of sensory information by neurons in the cortex of the brain. In this project we will examine these operations in neurons in the cortex that receive input from the large face whiskers of the rat. These whiskers are used for fine-grain discrimination and for gauging distance. They are deflected by being actively moved, under muscle control, over objects (active touch) or by being passively deflected by objects. Deflection results in inputs to the brain that are processed to form the neural basis for very finely detailed perceptual behaviour. In rats, with impoverished visual and auditory senses, the whiskers are the major sensory system for interacting with the world, and are used in navigating the environment and in finding and distinguishing foods. Thus they contribute strongly to the remarkable success of this species. This elegant sensory system has a number of advantages that make it a very good model for the study of brain mechanisms responsible for active fine-grain sensory function. We plan to take advantage of the unique features of this system to define the information processing that occurs in the cortex in this elegantly complex system. This will address an issue relevant to all sensory systems - namely the neural basis of complex fine grain perceptual behaviour. Understanding the mechanisms underlying active tactile perception also has relevance to clinical conditions involving deficits in active touch e.g., in diabetic polyneuropathy (which eventually affects ~50% of diabetics), in leprosy (in which an early sign is damage to active touch). Knowledge of the core brain processes in active touch gained in this study could eventually underpin the ameliorative technologies for such deficits.Read moreRead less