Predicting Clozapine Treatment Response In Psychotic Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$721,526.00
Summary
Not everyone with a psychotic illness gets better when treated with standard antipsychotic medication. We aim to better understand why some people need a different medicine (clozapine), and to develop methods that will let us identify those people early and monitor how effective the treatment is.
Establishing The Neural Basis Of Auditory-verbal Hallucinations In Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$563,020.00
Summary
Auditory-verbal hallucinations (AVH) - or hearing voices when no one is talking - are characteristic and debilitating symptoms of schizophrenia. AVH have been hypothesized to reflect inner speech being misperceived as external speech. Our research team has developed an objective brain marker of inner speech. We will use this marker to determine whether AVH are caused by abnormal inner speech in people with schizophrenia. Findings will inform treatments for this incapacitating disorder.
Long Noncoding RNA In Space And Time, And The Regulation Of Fear Extinction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,012,245.00
Summary
Most of our genome is made up noncoding RNA; however, nothing is known about why a special class of noncoding RNA would be expressed in synapses, and how this affects learning and memory related to neuropsychiatric disorders. Understanding the fundamental molecular machinery underlying the formation of fear extinction memory will enable the development of new treatment approaches for anxiety-related disorders that are characterised by memory deficits.
Manipulating Antibody Production To Maximise Memory In Vaccine Responses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,084,424.00
Summary
Our immune system provides protection from germs. The secretion of germ-specific proteins (antibodies) is an integral component of this defence and the basis of virtually all vaccines. Pandemics of Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 and failure to develop vaccines against HIV and Malaria remind us that our strategies need urgent improvement. Increasing our understanding of how our body defends us by specifically targeting foreign structures will reveal avenues for successful, rational vaccine development.
Characterisation And Targeting T Cellular Metabolism To Improve Control Of Chronic Viral Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$791,427.00
Summary
CD8+ T cells are the frontline warriors of our immune system that can eliminate infected or cancerous cells. However, diseases caused by overwhelming viral infections are associated with widespread impairments in immunity and cellular metabolism. Here, we propose to examine molecular pathways involved in cellular metabolism that could be utilized to improve therapies against viral infection and cancer.
Intergenerational Impacts Of Paternal Immune Activation On Brain Function And Dysfunction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$997,690.00
Summary
We recently discovered that infection of male mice with a parasite (Toxoplasma gondii) before conception can change the epigenetic information in the sperm and alter behaviour of the offspring. This is the first evidence that pathogenic infection in males can affect the next generation. We will investigate how infection with other major pathogens, including bacteria and the virus causing COVID-19, may affect sperm epigenetics and offspring health, including their brain function and dysfunction.
Autophagy Increases With Age And Obesity To Protect Against Cellular Damage And Age-related Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$594,687.00
Summary
Waste recycling is a normal process through which cells clear unwanted material to maintain good health. There are some conditions that are associated with impaired waste recycling in cells (such as dementia), which make this process relevant to lifelong health. We have developed a new test that will, for the first time, enable accurate measurement of the recycling process 'in action' in humans, and may identify people who have poor cellular health.
Narcolepsy With Cataplexy: A Brain Orexin Replacement Strategy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$810,784.00
Summary
Narcolepsy with cataplexy is a debilitating, life-long sleep-wake disorder, caused by the irreversible loss of the brain peptide 'orexin'. There is no satisfactory and safe treatment. We aim to develop an orexin analogue, delivered directly to the brain of sheep (relevant in size and translatable to patients) by a programmable pump to timely activate the orexin 'wake-up' switch. This innovative precision medicine project will significantly improve the quality of life of narcolepsy patients.
Creating A Phenotypic Catalogue Of Synaptic Vesicle Cycling Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$876,975.00
Summary
Developmental disorders affect 2-5% of children. In order to understand how these mutations will likely affect neurological function in these individuals, and to develop a tailored care and treatment program, we must first understand how these mutations affect neuronal communication. This research program will identify the underlying cause of neurological dysfunction in a subset of these disorders (synaptic vesicle cycle disorders), affecting 1200-3000 children in Australia alone.
The Future In Our Hands: Screening For Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease By Analysing Hand Movements
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$899,782.00
Summary
Alzheimer's disease (AD) starts damaging the brain 10-20 years before memory problems begin. By the time of diagnosis, it is hard to treat because the damage is so severe. We need a way to detect AD much earlier. We will develop a simple new computer test to detect early signs of AD by recording and analysing hand movements. Then people can start prevention earlier and scientists can research better treatments to improve people's quality of life and reduce the number of people with dementia.