UQCCR discoveries receive national funding

UQCCR researchers have received a $2 million boost from the Australian Research Council for 7 projects ranging from studying proteins that protect against oxidative stress and neurodegeneration, to developing systems for detecting fetal movements to better predict outcome for newborn infants.

UQCCR funded Discovery Projects include:


Professor MF Lavin: Characterisation of the novel mitochondrial protein (CABC1/ADCK3) and its role in
protecting against oxidative stress

This is the first detailed characterisation and mechanistic study on a protein that protects against oxidative stress and neurodegeneration. Demonstrating the basis for this oxidative stress and its possible contribution to the cellular phenotype will be of benefit in understanding the disease process and ultimately designing approaches to minimise oxidative stress. An investigation of this protein presents an opportunity for the investigator to work at the forefront in this field adding to Australia's scientific leadership in the area. It also represents an ideal project for post-graduate training and is a collaboration between groups in Brisbane and Melbourne.


Professor MF Lavin; Dr TL Roberts: To investigate the role of the protein kinase SMG-1 in the stress response

This project is included in the designated priority area of research Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and Ageing Well. It represents a mouse model to assist in the study of human disease. It is the first mouse model for SMG-1, a protein kinase that protects against a variety of different forms of stress. The strength of the model is that it can be combined with other mouse models to interrogate and elucidate the events occurring in different pathways for stress. The expectation is that ground-breaking data will be generated with this modelproviding scientific leadership on the role of this protein. It will also assist in establishing new collaborations.


Prof JJ Cooper-White; Prof NM Fisk; Dr L Grondahl; A/Prof EJ Wolvetang: Scalable, high throughput microfluidic platforms for tissue specific biomaterials
development and tissue genesis

The co-development of novel biomaterial platforms and new generation production methods for tissue analogues will provide the necessary stimulus for improved and more relevant methods of enhanced repair or regeneration of diseased or damaged tissues. These outcomes will result in faster time-to-market new generation therapeutic products for Australia and the world. These advances will have a significant impact on our healthcare costs and the quality of life for all Australians.

 

Dr DA Copland; Dr KL McMahon; Prof PA Silburn; A/Prof PJ Nathan: How does dopamine modulate adult new word learning?

Stroke is a chronic disease of increasing prevalence with increasing age. There is a critical need to develop more effective treatments of communication disorders in this population. One way of achieving this is to combine certain
drugs with language therapy. Through studying how these drugs influence language, this research will provide vital knowledge for developing effective forms of pharmacotherapy for adults with language disorders after brain injury. More effective language rehabilitation can have direct positive consequences on the ability to regain and maintain employment and social relationships after stroke or brain injury and will address the large and growing social and economic cost to the nation.

 

Dr M Mesbah; Prof PB Colditz; Dr C East; Dr JE Smeathers; Prof B Boashash: Detection and Quantification of General Fetal Movements from Accelerometer Measurements using Nonstationary Signal Processing Techniques

There are approximately 1,750 fetal deaths per year in Australian with about one-third occurring late in gestation and without an apparent cause. The development of an automated system capable of long-term monitoring of fetal health will result in accurate diagnoses and prediction of future outcome. This will, in turn, allow early intervention by the clinician to reduce fetal deaths and enhance the chances of good outcomes with resultant savings in social and financial costs to the community. The development of such equipment would spawn future research into intervention treatments and contribute to Australia's position as a world leader in computerised health monitoring systems.

 

UQCCR funded Linkage Projects include:

Prof Jane L Hunter, Dr Andreas Zankl: Skeletome - A Curated Online Knowledge Base Integrating Clinical and Biological Information on Skeletal Dysplasias and Related Conditions

Partner Organisations
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital DHS

The skeletal dysplasia knowledge base will:
* establish Australia as a world-leader in skeletal dysplasia research;
* provide researchers with an extensible and comprehensive online knowledge-base related to skeletal dysplasias;
* enhance clinicians' understanding of the diagnosis, treatment and management of skeletal dysplasias;
* facilitate collaborative discussions by patients, clinicians and researchers around specific cases to improve training, management and diagnosis; and
* enhance Australia's research expertise in Semantic Web and social networking technologies.

Prof Paul W Hodges, Prof James A Ashton-Miller, Prof Christos E Constantinou, Prof Robert A Gardiner, Dr Geoff D Coughlin, Mrs Ruth Sapsford: Urinary continence and incontinence in men: New insight through new technologies

Partner Organisations
GE Healthcare, Mungovan, Breckenridge Physiotherapy and Associates

Healthy ageing in men is largely overlooked. Disorders of continence are surprisingly common with increasing age, and are socially debilitating. To understand changes in continence and address healthy ageing it is first necessary to gain an understanding of continence mechanisms in healthy men. Continence in women has received wide attention, but anatomy and function differ, as do the challenges throughout life (childbirth vs. prostate disease). Using novel methods we will test a new hypothesis of male continence with the goal to provide new physiological discoveries, new methods, and baseline data upon which strategies to enhance healthy ageing and reduce the economic burden of disorders of continence can be developed and refined.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Max Lu congratulated UQ's ARC funding recipients, whose achievements have confirmed the University's position as one of Australia's leading research-intensive universities.

"UQ has again been successful in this nationally competitive funding round, with the funded projects representing the breadth and depth of research conducted at the University," Professor Lu said.

"UQ research is not only of the highest academic quality, but also carries significant commercial relevance, as highlighted by our third-place result in both the Discovery Projects and Linkage Projects schemes."

UQ's ARC funding recipients, whose achievements have confirmed the University's position as one of Australia's leading research-intensive universities.

UQ's success rate was above the national average in both schemes.