The Physiology Of Brown Adipose Tissue In Adult Humans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$620,026.00
Summary
Brown fat, unlike ordinary fat generates heat by burning calories to maintain body temperature. Originally thought to disappear after birth, recent research including our own have shown that brown fat exists in adult humans in varying amounts. Our aim is to find ways of turning on people�s brown fat allowing them to lose weight by burning more calories.
Evaluation Of The Obesity Paradox In Diabetes: A Longitudinal Case-Control Study Of Half A Million Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$344,721.00
Summary
Obesity is a risk factor for developing diabetes. However, recent studies reported increased mortality risk associated with normal body weight in people with incident diabetes compared to overweight or obese patients. This “obesity paradox”, where being overweight appears to be protective, is new in diabetes. The mechanism behind this is not known. Using 20 years of follow-up data on 500,000 diabetes and control patients, this study proposes to find possible explanations behind obesity paradox.
Understanding Early Life Risk Factors For Inflammation In The Rising Predisposition For NCDs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$568,892.00
Summary
In 2011 the UN General Assembly identified the rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as a major global threat, and prioritized preventive strategies against diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, allergy and asthma. Common risk factors for these inflammatory diseases begin early in life, the most logical time for prevention. Our international interdisciplinary network aims to improve health and prevent NCDs by early interventions that reduce inflammation over the life-course.
ADVANCING THE EVIDENCE BASE FOR CARE AND POLICY IN PRIORITY HEALTH AREAS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$11,195,727.00
Summary
This program will improve health care and policy through clinical trials research and better methods for combining trial evidence. The team will tackle priority health areas to reduce death and serious disability: in particular in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and neonatal diseases. The program team includes clinicians, epidemiologists, trialists, biostatisticians, and health economists and collaborative networks of clinical investigators in each disease area.
Impaired Respiratory Tolerance In Obesity - The Link With Asthma?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$667,294.00
Summary
Australia has one of the highest obesity rates in the world, placing a major strain on health budgets. Obesity increases the risk of numerous diseases, including asthma. Asthma is prevented in healthy people by the immune system. This project will investigate whether obesity-related dietary factors and/or gut microbes impair this immune-mediated mechanism. Outcomes will increase understanding of the effects of diet and obesity on asthma development, and lead to novel asthma therapies.
Unravelling The Impact Of An Energy-rich Environment On Susceptibility And Resistance To Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$796,754.00
Summary
Obesity in Australia is at a crisis point. It is clear that energy-rich environments and an individual’s genes leads to excessive weight gain, but what we don’t understand is why some individuals are more prone to this than others. Comprehending this biological regulation is imperative if we are to develop more effective drug or dietary treatments to abate this disease. Thus it is the aim of this grant to dissect the biological/genetic/possible epigenetic perturbations leading to common obesity.
Understanding The Mechanisms For Ameliorating/preventing Antipsychotic-induced Obesity In Early Life
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$576,496.00
Summary
There has been a sharp worldwide increase during the last decade in antipsychotic prescriptions (mostly “off-label”) to paediatric patients. One important issue is that antipsychotic drugs were developed for adult patients and normally have serious side-effects. This project will not only reveal the mechanisms of antipsychotic-induced obesity side-effects in youth, but will also explore intervention strategies for preventing antipsychotic-induced weight gain/obesity in paediatric patients.
My primary research focus is to understand the mechanisms underlying sleep-related breathing disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnoea, and develop better ways to diagnose and treat them. I also investigate physical therapies to improve the lives of people with chronic lung disease. Both sleep disorders and lung disease are extremely common in Australia. Improving the health and quality of life of these individuals has important personal benefit and social and economic benefits.
I am a neurochemist-clinical research scientist investigating the interaction between, in particular, brain monoaminergic activity, autonomic function and physiological responses. My studies are largely focussed on determining the aetiology and consequenc