Researching Functioning, Disability And Rehabilitation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,469.00
Summary
The research program investigates the causes and treatments that help people overcome disability and improve functioning, particularly in life areas such as home, family, community and work.
Trials of numerous agents to slow the progression of Parkinsons disease have provided ambiguous or negative results despite having good preliminary evidence for their efficacy. The most likely reason is that many nerve cells are already destroyed by the time of diagnosis. Thus effective therapies may be most (and possible only) effective when administered in the presymptomatic stages of disease. This proposal is directed at developing method to detect early presymptomatic Parkinsons disease.
Immunisation is second only to clean water and sanitation as a life-saving activity. Vaccine safety is considered to be very important by the general public, the media and the health professions. With so many diseases controlled and now rare, the safety of vaccines assumes greater importance. Research is needed on new and safer vaccines, using e.g. a needle-free approach, against old foes, like influenza, and new enemies (like MERS) with vaccine safety more important than ever.