Mechanisms Of Cortical And Respiratory Degenerations In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$333,900.00
Summary
This study will be the first to chronicle how and when motor neurons (MNs) in the brain and spinal cord degenerate before, during and after ALS symptoms in 2 different mouse models. The MNs studied control breathing muscles and are a key disease progression and mortality indicator in patients. I expect drastic shape and electrical abnormalities, providing information useful to clinicians about how and when brain and spinal cord MNs degenerate, uncovering new therapeutic targets and time-points.
The superior colliculus is a brain centre which uses visual information from the eyes and other sensory information, such as sound, to direct the head and eyes towards objects of interest. This project will use current advancements in optogenetics to activate connections to this brain region in order to understand its role in coordinating head and eye movements. This will advance our understanding of how the brain collects and processes visual information to subserve behavioural functions.
Development Of Specific Modulators Of Voltage-gated Sodium Channels
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$384,479.00
Summary
This project will identify novel modulators of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels, a type of sodium-conducting integral membrane proteins, which play a central role in neuronal, muscular, and cardiac function. These modulators will be characterized in order to understand how they modify channel function and to aid their development as analgesics for the treatment of chronic pain.
Characterising The Mechanisms That Control Blood Cell Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$335,616.00
Summary
Hematopoiesis is a tightly regulated process that provides the body with a constant supply of all the cells of the blood system. My studies aim to characterize the molecular mechanisms that regulate the expansion and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into each cell lineage. These studies will be key to the effective use of cellular transplantation therapeutic strategies and aim to provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms that underpin proliferative disorders such as can ....Hematopoiesis is a tightly regulated process that provides the body with a constant supply of all the cells of the blood system. My studies aim to characterize the molecular mechanisms that regulate the expansion and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into each cell lineage. These studies will be key to the effective use of cellular transplantation therapeutic strategies and aim to provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms that underpin proliferative disorders such as cancer.Read moreRead less
Matching Supply And Demand: How Does Metabolism Fine-tune Signal Transduction?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,449.00
Summary
Insulin controls nutrient traffic and disrupting its actions are linked to many diseases: type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease. Here, I will test a novel hypothesis that our cells’ metabolic rate, defined by the balance between nutrient supply and energy expenditure, controls how cells respond to insulin. These metabolic regulatory nodes would play a major determinant of many essential functions linked to human health, and thus provide novel therapeutic targets for numerous diseases.
Investigating The Delivery Of Cytotoxic T Cell Lytic Granules And The Microenvironment Of The Immunological Synapse
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$355,169.00
Summary
T cells recognise infected or cancer cells and eliminate them from the body. They kill their targets by tightly attaching and releasing toxic proteins, which cause the target to undergo cell suicide. This research will use high resolution imaging to investigate the environment of the synapse between the two cells and understand parameters required for the delivery of a lethal hit. This will provide powerful insights into the working of the cell, and may identify novel intervention targets