Structural And Drug Discovery Studies Of Medically Important Protein Complexes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$438,577.00
Summary
My research is focused on structural studies of medically important biological systems, where specific protein complex formation contributes to human illnesses. I use X-ray crystallography to visualize the whole complex at atomic resolution as well as to determine whether binding partners have undergone changes in shape upon complex formation. This structural information then helps me in drug design with goals to either disrupt or modulate the complex.
Translating Neuroscience Into Treatments And Public Health Policies For Addictive Behaviours
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,048.00
Summary
Advances from neuroscience promise to revolutionise our ability to treat and prevent addictive disorders such as gambling, overeating and drug addiction. These developments may also have unexpected clinical consequences, undermine individuals’ belief in their control over their behaviour or increase stigma and discrimination. This project will develop clinical guidelines and public health policy recommendations to ensure that we realise the benefits of neuroscience while minimising social harms.
Application Of Next Generation Sequencing To Address Clinical Problems In Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$463,652.00
Summary
Cancer is the cause of 1 in 8 deaths worldwide. Cancer occurs due to errors or mutations in the DNA of normal cells. The mutations may cause the cells to grow incorrectly and become cancer. I will identify the mutations or errors in tumour cells. This will tell us: i) How the tumour started and continued to grow ii) How to treat the tumour cells to kill the cancer The work will involve a variety of cancer types including mesothelioma, melanoma, oesophageal, pancreatic and breast cancer.
Vaccine Discovery For Human Mucosal Pathogens: Identifying Novel Vaccine Antigens That Are Stably Expressed During Host Interactions, Using Analysis Of Cell-contact And Phasevarion Mediated Expression Profiles
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,482.00
Summary
The control of several human pathogens depends on vaccine development due to antibiotic resistance and the devastating outcome of infection. This work aims to identify new vaccine targets for diseases including gonorrhoae, ear infections, meningitis and sepsis, based on proteins required for interaction with human cells. Proteins that are randomly switched on and off in these bacteria will also be studied to better understand disease and to rule out variably expressed genes from new vaccines.
Development Of Statistical Methodologies And Application To Clinical Cancer Studies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$428,065.00
Summary
Integrating different layers of information coming from the recent ‘-omics’ technologies can help improving the treatment and the prevention of complex diseases. In particular, the identification of molecular markers of different types can be used for better diagnostics and prognosis in cancer and immune diseases. This project will develop innovative statistical solutions to handle and make sense of the vast amount of biological data that are routinely generated in the laboratories.
Computational Methods For The Analysis Of Next Generation Sequence Data In Human Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,361.00
Summary
Modern DNA sequencing technologies generate data at an unprecedented rate, providing the opportunity to develop deep insights into human disease. We can now sequence a tumour genome in a matter of weeks, or assay epigenetic marks in the malaria parasite genome, but these data raise new analysis challenges requiring new statistical and computational methods to solve. This fellowship will support the development of such new methods and will contribute to basic discoveries in human disease.
LINEs Of Mutagenesis, Selection And Evolution In Ovarian Cancer And Chemoresistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,048.00
Summary
L1 elements are powerful mutagens encoded within the human genome that becomes active in epithelial tumours. I will define the broad effects of L1 elements on the evolution of chemoresistance, focusing on ovarian cancer as a model system. Ovarian cancer is characterised by a poor 5 year survival rate of ~40% with most tumours developing resistance. Understanding the impacts of L1 on this evolution will inform the development and selection of more effective treatments for ovarian cancer.
A pressure pulse may be felt at the wrist with every heart beat. New technology allows the analysis of this pulse and provides information that may help doctors make decisions about a patients risk related to blood pressure as well as the effect of drug treatment. The research aims to determine the clinical significance of pressure pulse analysis at rest and during light exercise. It is expected that the new technology will improve the way people with high blood pressure are treated.