Understanding The Molecular Basis Of Central Nervous System Myelination
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,388.00
Summary
Oligodendrocytes are the cell type in the central nervous system that produce myelin, the insulating layer around nerve cells. Loss of oligodendrocytes and myelin are key features of multiple sclerosis. This project aims to clarify the mechanisms that control the myelination of nerve cells during normal development, allowing the development of strategies to promote myelin repair in human diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis.
The Role Of Long Noncoding RNAs In Parkinson’s Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$692,699.00
Summary
Parkinson's disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder. For 90% of patients there is no known cause and for all patients there is no cure. The development of genome studies and transcriptome sequencing has revealed a class of noncoding RNAs whose regulation or dysregulation may lay at the heart of what goes wrong for PD sufferers. Our laboratory focuses on critical PD genes and their regulation by long noncoding RNAs.
Elucidation Of The Transcriptional Control Of CNS Myelination And Remyelination
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$570,764.00
Summary
Oligodendrocytes are the cell type in the central nervous system that produce myelin, the insulating layer around nerve cells. Loss of oligodendrocytes and myelin are key features of multiple sclerosis. This project aims to characterize how a recently identified gene (Myelin Gene Regulatory Factor) functions to promote myelination and to assess the role of the gene in myelin maintenance and repair in the adult central nervous system.
Integrated Analysis Of Genome, Epigenome, And Transcriptome Data In Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$417,511.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder with a diverse range of symptoms. While the cause is unknown, it is thought to develop from a combination of genetic, epigenetic and environmental risk factors. This study will use genome wide approaches to investigate the relationship between genetic/epigenetic modification of DNA and gene expression in schizophrenia. This study could provide an integrated understanding of the neuropathology of schizophrenia and ultimately lead to better treatment.
Defining Reciprocal Neural Circuits That Regulate Appetite And Memory
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$341,935.00
Summary
How we remember meals influences how much we eat at later time points. This kind of memory likely comes from both the traditional brain areas associated with memory formation, and from areas associated with regulating appetite. How these two brain regions work together to help animals remember what they ate, where they found it, and whether they liked it is not known. This project investigates how these memories are formed and how they are used by animals to make decisions about future meals.
The brain regulates body temperature by a series of mechanisms, including the control of how much blood flows to the skin to lose or retain heat. The project aims to locate the brain temperature receptors and brain pathways that do this, using an animal model, the rat. At present they are not known.
Understanding How The Brain Senses And Encodes Hunger And Satiety
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$473,477.00
Summary
Obesity is the most important health concern in the world today. Despite all the epidemiology evidence and despite the intervention approaches, obesity and type-2 diabetes continues to rise in Australia and worldwide. Clearly, a greater biological understanding of the mechanisms driving increased calorie intake and decreased calorie expenditure. This fellowship explores the different neural circuits in the brain and how they regulate motivation for food and food consumption
Understanding The Contribution Of Iron In Traumatic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$601,263.00
Summary
Our group has discovered a novel role of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in cellular iron balance similar to another protein called ceruloplasmin (CP). Both, prevalently found in the brain, convert a damaging iron variety into the safer form. Disruption in either protein leads to cell death. We aim to establish how failure in APP and CP response may be detrimental to traumatic brain injury recovery. Understanding the iron role of APP and CP will lead to therapeutics to counter traumatic injury.
Which Neurons Maintain Sympathetic Vasomotor Tone?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$567,918.00
Summary
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, a major burden of disease worldwide. High levels of nerve activity that cause the blood vessels to constrict elevating blood pressure are characteristic of hypertension. We do not know which brain cells set and maintain this nerve activity. We will identify these cells, determine how they function and what regulates them. Ultimately we could control these cells treating the cause of hypertension or when clinical need arises.
Neuron To Glia Signalling: Learning How Synaptic Signalling Can Promote CNS Remyelination
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$609,650.00
Summary
An immature cell type in the brain, known as the oligodendrocytes progenitor cell (OPC), receives direct electrical communication from neurons. This communication regulates the behavior of the OPC, affecting its ability to divide and generate new brain cells. This project will identify the signaling molecules that guide the OPC to for this specialized contact with the nerve cell. Understanding this communication has important implications for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.