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Mechanisms of Nerve Growth Factor Receptor Activation.
| Florey Neuroscience Institutes |
Co-supervisor: Prof. Trevor Kilpatrick
Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) was the first identified neurotrophic factor, and now is the best-characterised growth factor in a family of four growth factors known as the neurotrophins. The neurotrophins are absolutely required for normal neuronal development and function, supporting the survival, proliferation and differentiation of multiple neuronal cell types.  View project details
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MICROARRAY-BASED PROTEOMICS:Identifying novel protein changes in neurodegeneration using protein microarrays
Co-Supervisor: Dr Peter Crouch
Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’ disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and prion diseases (e.g. Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD)) are a major public health issue due to the lack of effective treatments and high cost of patient care. The development of therapeutic intervention for these illnesses will depend on obtaining a greater understanding of disease processes and identification of potential drug targets. View project details
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Midbrain neurogenesis
| Florey Neuroscience Institutes |
We have new evidence for neurogenesis in the adult mouse midbrain. Moreover some of these new neurones appear to be dopaminergic (DAergic). Thus we are interested in further studying adult midbrain neurogenesis because it may be a way forward to replace dying neurons in diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Current experiments are aimed at determining: (1) if and how the rate of midbrain neurogenesis, and DAergic neurogenesis in particular, can be upregulated; (2) where these new neurones originate from; and (3) their ontogenesis. View project details
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Mitochondrial death signaling in striatal neurons
| Florey Neuroscience Institutes |
The slow progression of neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's, Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases indicates their neuropathology involves apoptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to apoptosis via oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, altered calcium homeostasis and impaired energetics. View project details
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Model-based Magnetic Resonance Image Processing
| Florey Neuroscience Institutes |
This project concerns the development of model-based image processing methods for Magnet Resonance Imaging (MRI) analyses. Model-based approaches concern the formation of generative models derived from MRI data and tailored to the specific research question, rather than the application of heuristic, non-specific image processing procedures. Model-based techniques, derived via biologically meaningful mechanisms, will provide robust and accurate analysis algorithms to be used in current studies undertaken by the Neuroimaging and Neuroinformatics group, such as translational research in Huntington's disease and Multiple Sclerosis. View project details
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