Unravelling The Mechanism Of MHC Class-I Associated Drug Hypersensitivities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$566,308.00
Summary
Some drugs cause adverse reactions that are life threatening. We think these reactions are mediated by killer T cells as they are genetically controlled by immune response genes that normally guide immunity to microbes. We will study immune reactions to the drug abacavir, used to treat HIV (AIDS); allopurinol used to prevent gout and carbamazepine, used to treat epilepsy. The study may also help devise better treatments for patients who experience severe forms of these reactions.
Developing And Evaluating A Multimodal Antibiotic Allergy Strategy To Improve Antimicrobial Stewardship In High-risk Antibiotic Usage Populations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$303,014.00
Summary
Antibiotic allergies lead to the use of inferior antibiotics and generation of “superbugs”. Antibiotic allergy testing removes up to 90% of allergies, although remains unavailable to many and unreliable in some severe antibiotic reactions. We aim to validate antibiotic allergy bedside tools and programs, and develop laboratory tests that can diagnose and prevent severe antibiotic allergies, to improve appropriate antibiotic prescribing and patient outcomes.
Cancer Risks From Low-dose Ionising Radiation Following Diagnostic Medical Procedures
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$750,579.00
Summary
Our study investigates cancer risk following exposure to low doses of ionising radiation from medical procedures. Our first major paper linked over 800,000 CT exposures to cancer outcomes in a cohort of almost 11 million young Australians, and found that CT exposure predicted an increased incidence of leukaemia and most solid cancers. In our ongoing work we will incorporate nuclear medicine and other diagnostic x-rays, and estimate radiation dose for individual procedures and to specific organs.
Reducing The Greatest Uncertainty In Radiotherapy.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$594,197.00
Summary
The weakest link in radiotherapy is defining treatment volumes (contouring). Lack of accuracy and consistency in clinical trial contouring has been shown to result in reduced patient outcomes. Manual review of contouring is resource intensive, expensive and for advanced treatments unachievable in a timely fashion. We will assess an automated approach to contouring assessment using 4 clinical trial datasets, changing practice for future studies and enabling consistent assessment in the clinic.
Australian Centre For Electromagnetic Bioeffects Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,499,672.00
Summary
Addressing the WHO Radiofrequency (RF) Research Agenda, this CRE brings together Australia’s strongest RF-health researchers to safeguard the Australian community within its ever-burgeoning RF exposure environment. It will determine the potential for RF-induced harm in the community and how best to communicate this knowledge to the community, translate this knowledge to the community via focused strategies, and develop Australia’s RF-health research and communication capability for the future.
Fighting Epidermal Skin Cancers By Targeting Epidermal Clones That Accumulate Mutations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,149,373.00
Summary
Common skin cancers such as basal and squamous cell carcinomas (BCC and SCC) are by far the most frequent cancer worldwide and require over a million interventions per year in Australia. This project will identify the skin cells that are most susceptible to give rise to cancer if excessively exposed to the sun and explores ways to prevent cancer formation. This will inform on new strategies to prevent new skin cancer development.
Antigen Presentation, Recognition And The Immune Response
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$15,780,848.00
Summary
This program focuses on understanding the development of immune response to viruses and other infectious agents using a broad array of techniques to dissect the function of various immune cell types and to explore the relationship between structure and function of important cell surface molecules. These studies will improve our ability to design new generation vaccines for combating infectious diseases, controlling cancer, or limiting autoimmune diseases like diabetes.
Cancer And Low-dose Radiation - Possible Effects Of CT Scans In Childhood
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$476,650.00
Summary
Despite 100 years of research there is uncertainty about effects of low dose radiation from background and medical X-rays. We will measure the incidence of cancer in Australians exposed to CT scans (medical X-rays) as children between 1985 and 2005. Our results, from follow-up to 2009, will show whether there is a small but signicantly increased risk of cancer and guide further improvement in radiation safety standards if these prove to be necessary.
Synchrotron developments of new techniques in X-ray interactions with matter, resolving major discrepancies in Quantum Physics and Chemistry. Synchrotron science is a priority area for Australia, the USA, and most first world countries. Development of new ideas and tools for X-ray investigations is the key to future opportunities and is the subject of this proposal. We will develop new techniques for crystallographic electron-density studies, X-ray Anomalous Fine Structure (XAFS) and Multiple-wa ....Synchrotron developments of new techniques in X-ray interactions with matter, resolving major discrepancies in Quantum Physics and Chemistry. Synchrotron science is a priority area for Australia, the USA, and most first world countries. Development of new ideas and tools for X-ray investigations is the key to future opportunities and is the subject of this proposal. We will develop new techniques for crystallographic electron-density studies, X-ray Anomalous Fine Structure (XAFS) and Multiple-wavelength Anomalous Dispersion (MAD), and provide useful advances for X-ray lithography and radiography. Simultaneous investigation of form factors, absorption coefficients, anomalous dispersion and X-ray scattering will provide new experimental tests of relativistic atomic wavefunction calculations, molecular bonding and solid state coupled cluster theory. Major discrepancies will be resolved.Read moreRead less
Gamma-ray spectra from electron-positron annihilation in molecules. Positrons and molecular electrons interact in new ways as compared to the electrons themselves, thus providing novel chemical possibilities. Australian expertise and the best available elsewhere will be combined to produce important new scientific results in this area and provide major training opportunities for young researchers.