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Role of Neuronal Sodium Channel Splicing in Health and Disease
| Florey Neuroscience Institutes |
Supervisors:Dr Steven Petrou, Dr Elena Gazina
Neuronal sodium channels are the key arbiters of excitability in the brain and underlie the generation of action potential signalling. In diseases such as epilepsy and neuropathic pain, sodium channels are mutated or differentially expressed. Alternative mRNA splicing generates variants of sodium channels that have also been implicated in disease genesis and remission, yet little is known of the this critical splicing event. In this project the applicant will investigate the physiological role of the sodium channel mRNA splicing in wild-type and knock-in mice, performing functional and molecular studies that depend on the scope of the project (Honors or PhD).  View project details
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Role of oestrogen in schizophrenia
| Dr. Maarten van den Buuse |
| Mental Health Research Institute |
A/Prof Maarten van den Buuse and Dr Andrea Gogos
We use behavioural animal models to study neuropsychopharmacological mechanisms involved in depression, schizophrenia and related psychiatric illnesses. In rats or mice, behavioural tests are combined with central and systemic surgical interventions or specific neuropharmacological approaches. State-of-the-art automated equipment is used for detailed behavioural analysis, including photocell activity meters, video-analysis, prepulse inhibition of startle and models of learning and memory. This in vivo work is complemented with receptor autoradiography, and molecular studies on gene expression. View project details
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Role of oestrogen in the development of schizophrenia
| Dr. Maarten van den Buuse |
| Mental Health Research Institute |
Supervisors: Dr. Rachel Hill, Dr. Andrea Gogos & A/Prof Maarten Van den Buuse
In schizophrenia, there are gender differences in the age of onset, severity, and treatment response between men and women. The reason for this difference is unclear but is often related to a ‘protective’ action of oestrogen and an opposite effect of high levels of testosterone. These effects may be mediated during puberty, when the brain undergoes extensive plastic changes and remodelling. This project will assess the modulatory effect of oestrogen and testosterone during puberty on behaviour in adulthood. The work will include the behavioural and molecular consequences of chronic administration of different clinically-used antipsychotic drugs in male and female rats. Behavioural tests include locomotor hyperactivity, prepulse inhibition, social behaviour and cognition. The studies will focus on indices of the activity of brain dopamine and serotonin, including receptor binding levels, receptor signalling activity, and neuroplasticity factors in relevant brain areas. View project details
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Seizure-related gene 6 and dendritic branching: signalling mechanims and links to disease
| Florey Neuroscience Institutes |
Seizure-related gene 6 is required for normal neuronal connectivity View project details
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Sex hormones, brain, behaviour
| Florey Neuroscience Institutes |
We are interested in studying the effects of sex hormones (eg estrogens and androgens) in the brain and on normal and pathological behavior such as compulsive or autistic behavior. View project details
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