HONOURS CANDIDATES STUDY WITH US: PROJECTS FOR - Study with us: Projects for Honours candidates
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STUDY WITH US: PROJECTS FOR HONOURS CANDIDATES
CONTENTS
3 Introduction to Flinders Health & Medical
Research Institute
4 Research Education and Development Hub
5 Become a FHMRI researcher and join our
vibrant research community
6 Overview of FHMRI research
• Molecular Biosciences
• Clinical Translation
• Healthy Communities
14 Research Supervisors and their projects
• Molecular Biosciences
• Clinical Translation
• Healthy Communities
College of Medicine and Public Health
Introduction to
Flinders Health and
Medical Institute (FHMRI)
Understanding life. Accelerating medical
innovation. Promoting healthy communities.
FHMRI brings together world-leading, 2. Clinical Translation
innovative and inspiring research experts to
Our clinical researchers work to develop and
improve health, prevent disease and combat
implement new methods for the prevention,
health inequities.
diagnosis and treatment of disease to improve
We work with health practitioners and health. This is facilitated by their co-location with
patients to better understand and seek Flinders Medical Centre and private hospital, and
solutions to the most pressing health and strong partnerships with rural and remote
medical needs of Australians, inclusive of communities.
those in rural and remote communities.
Clinicians, researchers and nurses are working
The Institute is comprised of three research themes together to enhance understanding about blinding
and a Research Education and Development Hub, eye conditions, heart and vascular disease, sleep
which bring together diverse research and disorders, and many other diseases.
education strengths. The three thematic areas are:
3. Healthy Communities
1. Molecular Biosciences Living a healthy life means more than just the
To cure disease and improve health, we need to absence of disease – it encompasses our physical,
know more about how the body works and then mental and social wellbeing. While many
understand the molecular basis of what can go Australians enjoy good health, there is still an
wrong. Our researchers are undertaking cutting- unacceptable divide in health inequalities.
edge research to find scientific solutions to clinical
Our research is committed to understanding the
dilemmas.
effects of people’s circumstances on their health,
We are making discoveries across an array of including the impact of living in rural and remote
research programs including defining the complex locations and being Aboriginal and Torres Strait
mechanisms underlying the microbiome-gut-brain Islander peoples. We use health data research to
axis and the nervous system, identifying novel minimise and prevent injury and disease and
molecules and pathways involved in cancer, tackling promote better health, and seek to improve the
immunity and drug resistant bacteria and creating organisation and delivery of health services.
new approaches to providing early disease
detection methods and medical treatments.
Page 3
Research Education and
Development (RED) Hub
Researchers of the Flinders Health and Medical Research
Institute (FHMRI) are supported by the RED Hub, which has
been developed specifically to support and nurture our talented
researchers so that their work can have maximum impact.
FHMRI’s RED Hub provides support, Mentoring
training and professional and
We aim to foster the development of
personal development for our
students through mentoring programs.
researchers.
These programs are designed to facilitate
This includes our Honours and Higher the transfer of the personal and
Degree by Research (HDR) students professional knowledge of an experienced
(e.g. Masters and PhD). person (mentor) to a less experienced staff
member or student (mentee) to assist in the
How does RED Hub support development of the mentee. The Honours
our students? and HDR mentoring program are run in a
group format.
The RED Hub provides an innovative suite
of programs, training workshops, fora and
events to promote excellence in research
and build a vibrant, cohesive,
interdisciplinary community. It provides:
• Mentoring Programs
• Research Seminar Programs
• Student communities of practice (online
networking forums)
• Professional development opportunities
(including CV development, careers
workshops, milestone workshops, grant
writing experience)
• Personal development opportunities
(including leadership opportunities)
College of Medicine and Public Health
Become a FHMRI researcher
and join our vibrant research
community
Whatever your previous degree, there will be a research
training position for you in one of our multidisciplinary
research teams.
We have three overarching research What is the process for 4. Read the information about HDR
themes in FHMRI: Molecular scholarships at the following link:
enrolling in Honours or a
Biosciences, Clinical Translation and flinders.edu.au/study/apply/apply-
Healthy Communities. These include Higher Degree by Research research-degree/scholarships-fees
research in areas from medical (PhD or Masters)? Keep in mind that the major round of
science, clinical science, 1. Contact supervisor(s) of interest via email scholarship applications closes on
epidemiology, psychology and public October 31st
2. Meet with the supervisor(s) to discuss
health, to chemistry, biotechnology,
potential projects and visit the facilities 5. Apply.
pharmacology and more. There is a
where the research will be conducted
project for you within FHMRI.
3. Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria
You will be supervised by leaders in their
for Flinders University (you should
field and work with researchers and/or
discuss this with your potential
clinicians from other disciplines in a truly
supervisor as well). Check eligibility
collaborative, real-world health and medical
requirements as follows: For further information contact:
environment.
Honours candidates: students.flinders. Professor Briony Forbes,
We are committed to educating the medical
edu.au/my-course/course-rules/ Deputy Director, Research Education
researchers of the future; our expert and
undergrad/hbms and Development (RED Hub);
internationally recognised researchers will
mentor you and create tailored PhD & Masters candidates: flinders.edu. briony.forbes@flinders.edu.au
opportunities for your career pathway. au/study/apply/apply-research-degree
This booklet contains projects currently
being offered by FHMRI researchers. Feel
free to contact them to discuss potential
project opportunities for Honours or a
Higher Degree by Research.
Page 5
Overview of FHMRI research
Molecular Biosciences
PROJECTS
CANCER Asbestos Diseases Environmental control of cell
• Establish and characterise mesothelioma growth and cell division
Circular RNAs in Cancer cancer organoids which can be used to • Understanding cancer cell metabolism
• Investigating RNAs; we are interested in predict treatment response
• The impact of cell metabolism on DNA
how they are formed and regulated in
• Molecular features of drug repair and its implications for aging and
cancer, human diseases and across stem
tolerant mesothelioma cell populations cancer
cell differentiation
• Next generation sequencing to • Cancer cells survival under nutrient
Associate Professor Simon Conn
understand the molecular events that stress
cause non-invasive mesothelioma to
Metabolism and Cancer become invasive
Professor Janni Petersen
• Design cancer therapies based on
targeting metabolic and growth pathways Associate Professor Sonja Klebe Prostate Cancer
used by cancer cells • Development of novel therapeutic
Genetics and Epigenetics strategies to target the androgen
• Investigating insulin receptor and IGF-1R
• Identification and confirmation of receptor and cyclin-dependent kinases
signalling in diabetes and cancer
mutations in chronic lymphocytic in lethal prostate cancer
Professor Briony Forbes
leukaemia and similar blood diseases • Cancer cell plasticity as a therapy
• Identification and confirmation of breast resistance mechanism in lethal prostate
Precision Medicines
cancer susceptibility genes cancer
• Our group uses ‘big-data’ to develop
prognostic tools that can present • Long range gene regulation and effects of • Non-coding genomic alterations as
personalised likelihoods of therapeutic repetitive regions on DNA methylation drivers of lethal prostate cancer
and adverse effects to cancer medicines Associate Professor Karen Lower Associate Professor Luke Selth
Dr Ashley Hopkins
Gene Expression Lymphoproliferative Research
• Investigate strategies to improve the use
of targeted therapies in advanced • Study genes that mediate cancer cell – Proteomics and Metabolism
cancers responses to metabolic and epigenetic • The effect of the tumour
disruptors Non-coding RNA involvement microenvironment on CLL cell survival
Dr Madelé van Dyk
in gastrointestinal cancers, characterise
• Assessing proteome changes following
3-dimensional organoid models of
Immunomodulation colorectal cancer
targeted therapies
• Modulation of immune cell activation • Targeting metabolic pathways in CLL as
Associate Professor Michael Michael
during Type 1 diabetes and islet a novel therapeutic strategy
transplant rejection
Pharmacology Dr Lauren Thurgood
• Checkpoint inhibitors as an
• Characterise the structural features of
immunotherapy for cancer
enzymes that bind specific drugs (e.g.
• Investigating the interplay between anti-cancer drugs) and predispose to
vascular and endocrine cell types during interactions between drugs in patients
islet transplantation receiving polypharmacy
Dr Claire Jessup Dr Pramod Nair
College of Medicine and Public Health
Multiple Myeloma Visceral Pain Molecular Dementia and
Translational Research • Potential projects include investigating Memory
• Manipulating endoplasmic reticulum visceral pain mechanisms from the level • Tau and kinase-mediated signal
stress levels in multiple myeloma cells to of the single cell through to intact transduction using different biological
enhance the cytotoxic effects of pathways and clinically relevant models model systems
proteasome inhibitors of visceral pain (including irritable bowel
• Molecular processes encoding
syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease,
• Biomarker and therapeutic roles of mammalian cognitive function and
bladder pain syndrome and
adhesion proteins in multiple myeloma molecular events that control memory
endometriosis)
• Characterising drug efflux transporters and other brain functions
Professor Stuart Brierley
on multiple myeloma cells to enhance Dr Arne Ittner
therapeutic responses • Understating the mechanism by which
• Elucidation of the role a novel iron- sensory neurons detect pelvic pain Molecular and Cellular
dependent cell death mechanism termed associated with endometriosis, and how Physiology
“ferroptosis” plays in the survival of pain is transmitted and processed to/by
• How does the microbiome control our
multiple myeloma cells and how this the central system
metabolism?
biological process contributes to the Dr Joel Castro Kraftchenko
efficacy of drugs used to treat this cancer • How does the food we eat activate gut
• Understanding the mechanisms hormone release?
Dr Craig Wallington-Beddoe responsible for the development of
• How does the gut speak to our brain?
chronic pelvic pain and the development
NEUROSCIENCE of novel and safe pharmacotherapies Professor Damien Keating
Dr Luke Grundy
EMBL Australia Organelle Sensory Cell Biology
Biology and Disease • Characterisation of spinal projection
• Development of a sentinel cell line to
neurons relaying visceral pain into the
• Targeting transport, signalling and detect and differentiate between pain
brain
destruction inside the cancer cells types in serum
• Identifying altered sensitivity of visceral
• Astrocyte stress reactivity networks in • Development of a novel neuron-chip
afferent input and spinal cord dorsal horn
proteotoxic stress and activation in interface that allows growth of different
circuits in models of chronic visceral pain
diseases of the nervous system pain neurons phenotypes
• Sites of central convergence between
• Regulation of ubiquitin signalling and • Detection of human vesicular miRNAs in
visceral organs
membrane organelles in Parkinson’s complex CSF solutions
disease Dr Andrea Harrington
Dr Dusan Matusica
Associate Professor Pirjo Apaja • Characterisation of motor activity and
sensation from the female reproductive Motion vision
Human Neurobiology tract
• Exploration of the neural mechanisms
• Bioengineering human brain tissue in a • Optogenetics to silence pain pathways in underlying motion vision
dish from induced pluripotent stem cells the visceral organs
Professor Karin Nordström
• Modelling sleep/wake cycles in human • Identification of the different types of
neurons in vitro spinal afferent nociceptors Integrative Neuroscience
• Discovering chemotherapies that can • Calcium imaging enteric neural networks • Elucidation of brain mechanisms for
outsmart brain tumour cells underlying intestinal peristalsis autonomic physiological responses to
Professor Nick Spencer emotional stress
• Electrotherapeutics for Parkinson’s
disease Associate Professor Yoichiro Otsuka
• Personalised drug screen for childhood
Childhood Dementia
dementia • Evaluation of a novel, clinically relevant MND& NR Research
therapeutic strategy in an authentic • Motor Neuron Disease; examining urinary
• DNA aging and repair in human brain
mouse model; determining whether biomarkers that may be prognostic or
cells
treatment can a) prevent or b) reverse pharmacodynamic
Associate Professor Cedric Bardy established disease.
Dr Mary-Louise Rogers
• Examining tissues from the mouse and
human central nervous system to better
understand the disease processes
occurring in childhood-onset dementia
and to identify novel therapeutic
intervention points
Associate Professor Kim Hemsley
Page 7
Overview of FHMRI research
Molecular Biosciences
PROJECTS
Learning and neurological Eye & Vision Health • Green extraction process development
for novel bioactives
disease using a nematode • Response of human eye cells to infection
Associate Professor Munish Puri
model with emerging viruses (Dengue virus,
Zika virus, Ebola Virus)
• Investigating how a specific neuropeptide
• Toxoplasma gondii infection of human
Renal
signalling pathway controls both feeding
and mating behaviours eye cells • Particular genes and enzymes are
induced early in the process of
• Assessing the proteomic changes • Migration mechanisms for leucocytes
compensatory kidney growth. The project
associated with memory formation into the human eye
will seek to confirm if these genes are
• Investigating the role of neuronal • Treatment strategy for COVID-19 induced during hypertrophy, the cells
dopamine signalling in pain sensitisation Professor Justine Smith involved and the underlying driving
Dr Yee Lian Chew process
Microbiome and Host Health Professor Jonathan Gleadle
INFECTION & IMMUNITY • Investigations of the complex mediatory
role of the human microbiome in acute Systems Immunology/Biology
Molecular Virology and chronic conditions including acute • The impact of the microbiome on cancer
• Functional analysis of the dengue virus infections in those receiving intensive immunotherapy efficacy and toxicity
NS1 protein through high-throughput care, recurrent urinary tract infections,
• How do vaccines induce memory
mutagenesis, molecular virology and chronic lung disease, cancer, and
responses in the innate immune system?
high-resolution imaging ageing-associated cognitive decline
• Investigating how the microbiota
• Identification and characterisation of Professor Geraint Rogers
regulates immunity in early life
novel antiviral drugs that target the
dengue virus NS1 protein through Chronic Disease • New methods for systems level analyses
high-throughput screening, high of innate immunity and cancer
• Elucidating mucosal barrier function in
resolution imaging and structural analysis autoimmune disease Professor David Lynn
• Identification and development of small • Application of precision medicine
molecule inhibitors of the essential techniques to understand the drivers of
Pregnancy Health and Beyond
interaction between SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 autoimmune disease • Effects of micronutrients on placental
and nsp4 proteins function
Dr Elke Sokoya
Dr Nicholas Eyre • Genetic factors including fetal sex that
OTHER contribute to placental function and
Immunology Autoimmunity pregnancy outcomes at the population,
and COVID-19 Medical Biotechnology cohort and placental transcriptome
levels
• Molecular signatures or barcodes of • Development of single cell oils rich
antibodies in the above diseases are used in omega-3 fatty acids to assist human • Bioinformatic analyses of multi-omic
in the clinical setting as biomarkers of nutrition profiling of the placenta across gestation
blood antibody responses and as • Development of controlled alginate • Role of circRNA in placental development
markers of treatment responses hydrolysis for medical applications and function and pregnancy outcome
Professor Tom Gordon & Dr Jing Wang • Characterisation of the delivery of • Follow-up of STOP women and children
therapeutic proteins to diseased cells aged 3 years old
• Targeting fatty acid Professor Claire Roberts
metabolism for containing obesity
College of Medicine and Public HealthProtein Misfolding and
Inflammation
• Characterising the dual roles of
hypochlorite as an inducer of protein
misfolding and a regulator of
extracellular proteostasis machinery
• Characterising the extracellular
proteostasis network in pregnancy
• Elucidating the role of protein misfolding
in pregnancy-associated complications
• Investigating non-canonical functions of
human alpha-macroglobulins in health
and disease
Dr Amy Wyatt
Centre for Marine Bioproducts
Development
• Food and nutraceutical developments
from marine bioresources
• Marine microbial natural products
development for industry application
• Novel 3D-bioprinting marine-derived
biomaterials and bioinks
• Development of Australian seaweed-
based functional foods and
biodegradable bioplastics
Professor Wei Zhang
Page 9Overview of FHMRI research
Clinical Translation
PROJECTS
Lung Disease • Multiple projects including detailed upper Paediatric, Reproductive
airway physiology studies to advance
• Investigation into the physiological and Perinatal
knowledge on the mechanisms of upper
outcomes and hemodynamic effects of
airway muscle reflexes and how impaired Pharmacoepidemiology
fluid instillation with the creation of a
pharyngeal muscle function contributes • Improving maternal and child health
two-hit acute lung injury model, utilising
to airway collapsibility through to clinical through the development and promotion
ventilator-induced injury or bacterial
trials aimed at delivering one or more of safer, more effective and personalised
stimulated inflammation
targeted therapies to treat sleep apnoea approaches to pharmacotherapy
Associate Professor Shailesh Bihari including new pharmacotherapies Associate Professor Luke Grzeskowiak
• Investigation into the physiological and Professor Danny Eckert
immunological outcomes of bacterial and
• Assessment of the efficiency of breathing Urology
viral induced respiratory inflammation
in health and disease and determining the • Epidemiologic methods including
Associate Professor Dani-Louise Dixon underlying mechanisms of muscle predictive modelling, systematic
• Modulate the proinflammatory response activation in movement control and literature reviews with meta-analysis,
during acute respiratory inflammation by strategies for rehabilitation covering topics ranging from screening
exposure to a low-to-moderate dose of and treatment selection to health-related
Dr Anna Hudson
ionising radiation, thereby reducing the quality of life
• Evaluating the efficacy of personalised
severity of injury to the lung Associate Professor Michael O’Callaghan
treatments for insomnia (including
Dr James McEvoy-May wearable devices) and new models of
care to transform the management of
Heart Health
Sleep Health insomnia and associated mental ill-health • The establishment of a Human Tissue
• Evaluating aspects of a new respiratory- Biobank through collection of biological
Dr Nicole Lovato
mechanics based method for assessing samples from those living with peripheral
• Better understand sleep, insomnia and arterial disease
breathing effort and timing in ICCU or in a
circadian rhythms to create targeted and
Sleep Health context • The application of immunohistochemistry
more effective treatments including
• New methods for assessing noise to interrogate atheromatous tissue will
cognitive behavioural therapy, bright light
impacts on sleep and health outcomes provide insight into the inflammatory
therapy, melatonin
cellular milieu
Associate Professor Shailesh Bihari & Dr Gorica Micic
Professor Peter Catcheside Associate Professor Chris Delaney
• Examine the impact of sleep disorders
• Environmental noise impacts on sleep, • Coronary artery disease, non-ischaemic
and their treatment on gait and falls risk
functioning and health cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic
in older people
cardiomyopathy. The research program
• The use of circadian-system • Use sensor technology to monitor gait uses Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
guided lighting strategies and sleep in the home environment for imaging, Cardiac Computed Tomography
• Improving sleep in patients prolonged periods before and after sleep and echocardiography as mechanistic,
with motorneurone disease using new disorder treatment diagnostic and prognostic tools to
monitoring technology Dr Andrew Vakulin investigate pathophysiology, diagnosis
• Respiratory load sensory mechanisms and outcome of heart disease
• Improved methods for assessing Professor Joseph Selvanayagam
personal protective equipment (PPE)
mask resistance, leak and filtration
performance effectiveness
Professor Peter Catcheside
College of Medicine and Public HealthRheumatology
• Improve understanding of mechanisms
of response, or lack thereof, to biologic
DMARDs
• Improve understanding of RA
pathophysiology by characterising newly
identified macrophage, fibroblast, and
T-cell subsets and analysing their
responses to treatment
• Attempt to identify markers that will
reliably predict RA remission and flare
Associate Professor Jenny Walker &
Associate Professor Mihir D Wechalekar
Liver
• Clinical research into new models of care
for chronic liver failure
• Applying new therapies for hepatocellular
carcinoma
• Investigating new models of liver care for
remotely living Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples
• Investigating heart disease in patients
with cirrhosis
Professor Alan Wigg
Paramedicine
• Paramedic education
• Paramedic culture
• Workplace violence
Mr Brad Mitchell
• Prehospital clinical care
• Paramedic education
• Reporting and clinical practice guidelines
Mr James Pearce
• Mental health care
• Legal and ethical issues in mental health
care and clinical practice guideline
development
Dr Louise Roberts
Page 11Overview of FHMRI research
Healthy Communities
PROJECTS
Personalised Health Health Economics Rural & Remote Health
Informatics • Describing and evaluating patterns of • Rural and remote workforce retention
• Contact tracing and social distancing health care, costs and outcomes for Associate Professor Narelle Campbell
intervention cancer patients
• Dementia care in rural and remote
• Digital tools for mental health • Evaluating the costs and outcomes of Australia
professionals to interact and support multidisciplinary team-based care for
cancer patients • Novel psychosocial and cognitive
patients outside the clinic
markers of suicide behaviours
• Systematic reviews • Capturing patient preferences for
addressing supportive care needs and Dr Vivian Isaac
• Novel health interventions
developing implementation • Qualitative review of the feedback that
• COVID-19 & mental health occurs at present in the medical student
Dr Laura Edney
Associate Professor Niranjan Bidargaddi clinical placement experience, within the
• Assess the performance and validity of Flinders NT Medical Program
using sleep-specific quality of life
Behavioural outcome measures in economic Dr Emma Kennedy
• Smoking and alcohol cessation in rural & evaluation relative to frequently used • Analyse existing data to provide
remote Australia preference measures additional information about the decision
• Designing tobacco control messages for • Assess the economic impact of avoidable making process nursing and allied health
people with mental ill health hospital readmissions due to acute students and recent graduates undertake
coronary syndrome and chest pain when they consider rural and remote
• Examining the tobacco industry
practice
involvement policies of health research Associate Professor Billingsley Kaambwa
societies and associations Dr Chris Rissel & Ms Annie Farthing
• Evaluating options for improving the
• Design and evaluation of a health mobile organisation and delivery of health care • Evaluation of local Aboriginal and Torres
phone app for pregnant Aboriginal in the Emergency Department Strait Islander cultural safety training
mothers and their children under 5 years which is provided to nearly all students
• Designing and evaluating models of care and new employees working in health
• Designing and evaluating youth resilience to reduce inpatient length of stay services in the Northern Territory
strategies for young people in rural and
• Evidence-based co-design of
remote and Aboriginal communities Dr Chris Rissel
interventions to reduce Hospital Acquired
Professor Billie Bonevski Complications
Health, Society and Equity
• Cross-sectional studies focusing on Professor Jonathan Karnon (Southgate)
health risk behaviours, including tobacco
• Substitution of doctors by nurses and • Analyse data on the impact of the
cessation, alcohol consumption, quality of
allied health professionals in hospitals distribution of the social determinants of
life domains, risk attitudes and
and residential aged care health (e.g. employment, education,
motivations, with various populations
• Hospital avoidance programs in acute housing, income) on health equity
Dr Joshua Trigg
care Dr Joanne Flavel
• Patient flow, overcrowding and access
block in hospitals
• Use of health economics to inform
decision making in local health networks
Dr Tim Schultz
College of Medicine and Public Health• Develop a comprehensive history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Women, Alcohol and Breast
community health services in Australia
Islander Public Health Cancer Prevention
(including women’s and Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander health services) • Ear health; development of strategies to • Seek understanding of how women’s
which offer a different model of care to improve ear health screening and the perception of breast cancer risk is
the mainstream medical model treatment pathways relative to the social conditions (gender,
age, social class and cultural/
Professor Fran Baum & Associate • Kidney health; the complex interplay
environmental drivers) that shape
Professor Anna Ziersch between age, gender, socio-economic
women’s reasons and logic for continuing
status, and geography in the development
or modifying alcohol consumption
of chronic disease among Aboriginal and
Gonorrhoea and Tinder
Torres Strait Islander young people Professor Paul Ward
• Examine changes in how Tinder and other
dating apps are represented in the • Infectious disease epidemiology
mainstream media to provide contextual • Consumer decision-making; the role of
information on which to base future children
investigations
Dr Jacqueline Stephens
Dr Emma Miller
• Assessing the role of Aboriginal Liaison
Officers in hospitals
• How to change the way in which nutrition
research and practice is delivered to
Aboriginal people
Dr Annabelle Wilson
Page 13Research Supervisors and their projects
Molecular Biosciences
Supervisor name: 3. Regulation of ubiquitin signalling and Supervisor name:
Associate Professor membrane organelles in Parkinson’s Associate Professor
disease
Pirjo Apaja Cedric Bardy
Skills students will gain:
Supervisor email: Supervisor email:
pirjo.apaja@flinders.edu.au Knowledge of: cedric.bardy@flinders.edu.au
Name of research group: EMBL Australia • proteotoxic stress signalling, protein Name of research group: Laboratory
Organelle Biology and Disease quality control for Human Neurobiology
• membrane protein and organelle function
Description of research area and interests: Description of research area and interests:
• post-translational modifications
Our group is studying faulty membrane We bioengineer live human brain tissue in
transport and signals in cancers such as • protein interactions and networks in vitro. We generate the brain cells from
brain blastomas and diseases of the human diseases human neurosurgical biopsies or induced
nervous system e.g. Parkinson’s disease, Experience in: pluripotent stem cells. Our research
neurodevelopmental disorders. We are program is at the frontier of human cellular
• molecular biology, protein chemistry and
finding targets and discovering ways to neuroscience research and translational
cell biology
support cells to fight against proteotoxic applications that benefit global public
stress. Our cells are constantly moving • advanced fluorescence microscopy health. Our lab has expertise in state-of-the-
materials inside them, and during this • culture of cancer cells and primary art medical research technologies including
process repair or degrade damaged astrocytes and neurons electrophysiology, transcriptomics,
molecules. Sometimes this movement machine learning-based analysis, drug
www.emblaustralia.com
through membrane transport gets jammed, screens and high-content imaging. We focus
causing accumulation of harmful materials, portal.sahmriresearch.org/en/persons/ our research efforts to inventing innovative
faulty cell signalling, aberrant differentiation pirjo-apaja biotechnologies and discovering treatments
or uncontrolled cell division. This can lead to Location: SAHMRI for brain cancer and neurodegenerative
cancer or a neurodevelopmental or disorders.
neurodegenerative disease. Our laboratory Outline of project:
uses multidisciplinary techniques: targeted
proteomics and computational protein • Bioengineering sleep/wake electrical
network studies, biochemical and cell activity in human brain avatars in vitro.
biological assays and advanced light • Developing biotechnologies for modelling
microscopy with relevant human disease live human brain tissues in vitro (e.g.,
models in cells, mice, and Drosophila. Our BrainPhys).
goal is to find drug targets, mechanisms
• Discovering chemotherapies that can
and biological identifiers for early-stage
outsmart brain tumour cells.
causative disease-associated molecular
changes. • Electrotherapeutics to stop Parkinson’s
disease.
Outline of projects:
• Personalised drug screen to cure a rare
1. Targeting transport, signalling and
form of dementia in children.
destruction inside the cancer cells
• DNA aging and repair in human brain
2. Astrocyte stress reactivity networks in
cells.
proteotoxic stress and activation in
diseases of the nervous system
College of Medicine and Public HealthSkills students will gain: Supervisor name: syndrome and endometriosis). We also have
Students will be part of dynamic team and Professor Stuart Brierley samples from these patient cohorts which
allows translation from our pre-clinical
gain research skills and knowledge in Supervisor email:
studies to human tissue.
neuroscience, oncology, stem cells, stuart.brierley@flinders.edu.au
electrophysiology, high-content microscopy, Your project will utilize a wide array of state
Name of research group: Visceral Pain
robotised drug screens, transcriptomics, of the art molecular, genetic,
Research Group
bioinformatics, human tissue culture. pharmacological and functional techniques,
Students interested in neurology, cancer which allows us to determine how our
and bioinformatics (and others) are strongly Description of research area and interests: internal organs communicate with our brain
encouraged to apply. Our research focuses on common forms of to generate the symptoms of chronic pain.
chronic pain that arise from our internal Our lab (& your project) is already funded by
Key staff associated with project: organs. In particular, we focus on the NHMRC, ARC and NIH.
Dr Zarina Greenberg ‘Gut-brain’ axis, which allows processes in
the gut to be detected and felt. This includes Skills students will gain:
Dr Brett Stringer
Ms Alejandra Norena Puerta investigating epithelial cells, afferent • Electrophysiology (afferent, and patch
Mr Michael Zabolocki neurons, spinal cord mechanisms, brain clamp)
Ms Bridget Milky. neurochemistry and pain responses using a
• Microscopy (epifluorescence, confocal,
wide array of state of the art molecular,
www.bardylab.com slide scanning)
genetic, pharmacological and functional
flinders.edu.au/people/cedric.bardy techniques. This is complemented by using • Neuroanatomy (circuit tracing)
Location: SAHMRI clinically relevant models of inflammatory • Molecular approaches
bowel disease (IBD) & irritable bowel (immunohistochemistry, real time PCR)
syndrome (IBS) as well as samples from
• In vitro neurophysiology imaging (calcium
human patients.
imaging)
We also focus on common conditions
• Physiology (whole animal approaches)
affecting other visceral organs, including
bladder pain syndrome and endometriosis, • Data analysis and management
which utilizes similar techniques to those • laboratory small animal handling
described above. We have a track record of
Key staff associated with projects:
publishing in high impact journals including
Nature (PMID: 27281198), Cell (PMID: Dr Joel Castro
28648659), PNAS (PMID: 30012612), Nature Dr Andrea Harrington
Communications (PMID: 24476666), Dr Luke Grundy
Gastroenterology (PMID: 23958540) and JCI Dr Gudrun Schrober
Insight (PMID: 31536477) Dr Sonia Garcia-Caraballo
Dr Mariana Brizuela.
Outline of projects:
researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/persons/
We offer a wide range of potential projects
stuart-brierley-2
on these topics that we’d be delighted to
discuss with you. This includes investigating www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6_jjEPLKe4
visceral pain mechanisms from the level of www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqvjPAR4Xhc
the single cell through to intact pathways
www.youtube.com/
and clinically relevant models of visceral
watch?v=EV9gWyKuI5M&feature=youtu.be
pain (including irritable bowel syndrome,
inflammatory bowel disease, bladder pain Location: SAHMRI
Page 15Research Supervisors and their projects
Molecular Biosciences
Supervisor name: 2. The precise ion channels/receptors Supervisor name:
Dr Joel Castro Kraftchenko expressed within these afferents, which Dr Yee Lian Chew
govern their function.
Supervisor email: Supervisor email:
joel.castrokraftchenko@flinders.edu.au 3. How these sensory neurons are altered in yeelian.chew@flinders.edu.au
endometriosis.
Name of research group: Visceral Pain Name of research group: Chew worm lab
Research Group 4. What changes in ion channel/receptor
expression occur to trigger these alterations Description of research area and interests:
Description of research area and interests: and ultimately generate chronic pelvic pain. In the Chew worm lab, we are interested in
The underlying mechanisms of chronic Our group is currently working to fill this gap investigating the fundamental basis of
pelvic pain associated with endometriosis of knowledge. We offer a wide range of learning and neurological disease using a
are poorly understood, with no efficacious potential projects within these topics that nematode (worm) model. We use the worm
treatment to date. Our research focuses on we’d be delighted to discuss. because it has a compact and
identifying the molecular entities and Skills students will gain: experimentally accessible nervous system
mechanisms responsible for pain detection of only 300 neurons, and it’s transparent!
The student will acquire a series of
and transmission in endometriosis. This will – which makes visualising neuronal
intellectual and practical skills relevant to
provide novel therapeutic strategies and responses and changes really simple and
the research on chronic visceral pain-
ultimately improve the quality of life of can be conducted in real-time in living
associated with endometriosis.
patients with endometriosis. animals. Some of the questions we are
• The design and execution, in a timely interested in include:
We have a wide array of state-of-the-art
manner, of a concrete scientific project
molecular, genetic, imaging, • What genes are required for associative
pharmacological and functional techniques • Experimental techniques ranging from learning responses?
in our lab. We also have access to diverse the molecular/cellular level to the whole
• What are the neuromodulators required
core facilities available at SAHMRI and in organism.
for sensitisation of pain receptor cells?
campus. This is complemented by the use of • Analysis and interpretation of complex
pre-clinical models of endometriosis, as • How are neuropeptides used to switch
data sets.
well as clinical samples from human between behavioural states of feeding
• Development of the student’s scientific and mating?
patients.
writing and oral communicative skills.
Outline of projects: • What are the interactors of disease-
• Working with a dynamic research team, associated genes such as SOD1 in motor
The first step in the pain pathway is the in a real-life, science-related working neuron disease?
sensory neurons that project from environment.
peripheral tissues to the central nervous Outline of projects:
Key staff associated with projects:
system (CNS). How sensory neurons detect/ • Caenorhabditis elegans is a small
transmit pain from pelvic organs affected by Professor Stuart Brierley nematode worm that has a compact
endometriosis is not known, providing a Dr Luke Grundy nervous system of 302 neurons and an
limiting factor for developing treatments for Dr Andrea Harrington unrivalled access to genetics and
endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain. Ms Jessica Maddern. live-animal microscopy. This makes the
There is a fundamental lack of researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/persons/ nematode system a highly effective
understanding of: joel-castro-kraftchenko-2 model for neuroscience studies. The lab
1. The types of sensory neurons innervating is focused on understanding the cellular
Location: SAHMRI
the uterus and the vagina, and how pain is and molecular basis of nervous system
detected from these sites. functions, focussing on the ability to
acquire experience-dependent
behavioural changes.
College of Medicine and Public HealthExamples of projects offered include: underlying sensitisation are not yet well
Investigating how a specific neuropeptide understood. Our research suggests that the
signalling pathway controls both feeding neurochemical dopamine is important for
and mating behaviours: Male worms have sensitisation of critical components of
an intriguing adaptive response in that they pain-sensing neural circuits. This project
will choose to leave a good source of food in will investigate dopamine-dependent
order to search for mates, suggesting that mechanisms on pain sensitisation in C.
there is a control mechanism that switches elegans, using techniques such as advanced
their behaviour from active feeding to active microscopy, CRISPR/Cas9 and high-
mate-searching. We have found that a throughput behavioural analysis.
neuropeptide LURY-1 is found in neurons Skills students will gain:
that control feeding, as well as other
• Nematode handling and maintenance
neurons that regulate male mating
behaviour. This project will seek to test if • Molecular Biology and cloning
LURY-1 contributes to this behavioural • Genetics/genetic crosses
switch in male worms, using established
• Animal behaviour experiments
genetic knockout and transgenic lines that
express the peptide specifically in either • Transferable life skills – writing,
feeding neurons or mating neurons. This organisation, time management, oral
would reveal a previously unknown system presentation skills, teamwork, working
for control of adaptive behaviour in an autonomously
animal model. Key staff associated with projects:
Assessing the proteomic changes PhD students in Chew lab
associated with memory formation:
Collaborators nationally.
Classical conditioning is a form of learning
where animals associate a biologically flinders.edu.au/people/yeelian.chew
potent stimulus (e.g. food or starvation) with chewwormlab.wordpress.com/
a normally innocuous stimulus (e.g. a
Want to know more about worms?
sound/smell/taste). If worms are cultivated
wormbook.org/ or youtube.com/
in a high salt buffer in the absence of food,
watch?v=zjqLwPgLnV0&ab_
they will associate high salt with starvation,
channel=OpenWorm
and will henceforth start to avoid high salt
conditions. This project will use a cutting- Location: Flinders Medical Centre
edge technology called TurboID to analyse
protein-based changes in salt-sensing
neurons in naïve and conditioned animals to
determine what proteomic changes are
associated with new learning behaviours.
Investigating the role of neuronal dopamine
signalling in pain sensitisation:
Sensitisation of pain receptors is a key step
in the development of chronic pain, a
condition that affects up to one-fifth of
Australians. The molecular mechanisms
Page 17Research Supervisors and their projects
Molecular Biosciences
Supervisor name: Skills students will gain: Supervisor name:
Associate Professor • Unparalleled knowledge of molecular Dr Nicholas Eyre
Simon Conn biology – we will award students who are Supervisor email:
proven to be proficient in Molecular nicholas.eyre@flinders.edu.au
Supervisor email:
Biology a certificate of competence which
simon.conn@flinders.edu.au Name of research group: Molecular
can be used in their CV for future
Name of research group: Circular RNAs in Virology Group
employment.
Cancer Laboratory
• Students will improve their critical Description of research area and interests:
thinking about scientific questions and Our research focuses on virus-host
Description of research area and interests:
appropriate experimental design interactions and viral genome replication
Throughout my career, I have loved the
challenges and opportunities of Molecular & Key staff associated with projects: for the related (+)RNA viruses dengue virus
Cellular Biology. Despite DNA sequencing (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV) and hepatitis C
Dr Vanessa Conn
identifying 26,000 genes, next-generation virus (HCV). In particular we apply novel
Dr Marta Gabryelska
sequencing of the RNA transcripts has reporter virus tools, sensitive and minimally
Dr Brett Stringer.
shown, unequivocally, that the canonical invasive high-resolution imaging techniques
flinders.edu.au/people/simon.conn and targeted and random manipulation of
RNAs from these genes are the exception,
rather than the rule. We are the only Location: Flinders Centre for Innovation in viral genomes to better understand the viral
dedicated laboratory in Australia Cancer and host determinants of viral replication
investigating the most contemporary class compartment formation, morphology and
of non-coding RNA transcripts in function and how viral replication
eukaryotes, called circular RNAs. We are complexes interact with viral assembly
interested in how they are formed and platforms. We also apply our novel reporter
regulated in cancer, human diseases and viruses and associated technologies
across stem cell differentiation. These are towards high-throughput screening of novel
my molecular heroes and once you start antiviral drug candidates. It is hoped that
researching them, I guarantee you will not identification of features of viral proteins
be able to stop. and virus-host interactions that are
essential for the viral replication cycle will
Outline of projects:
identify targets for future antiviral drug
All projects in my laboratory are focussed development. Furthermore, through
on the initiation, progression, diagnosis and application of novel reporter virus tools and
treatment of human disease, with a high-throughput screening and imaging we
particular focus on cancers. The common aim to identify and characterise novel small
element to these projects is that students molecule antiviral drug candidates for
possessing a high level of molecular biology further pre-clinical testing and
skills and motivation to make a difference characterisation.
(to even one person) will find the laboratory
an excellent environment for achieving
high-impact outputs.
College of Medicine and Public HealthOutline of projects: Supervisor name: Skills students will gain:
• Functional analysis of the dengue virus Professor Briony Forbes Technical skills gained will include
NS1 protein through high-throughput Supervisor email: molecular biology, protein expression and
mutagenesis, molecular virology and briony.forbes@flinders.edu.au purification, immunoblotting, cell culture, in
high-resolution imaging vitro biological assays (metabolic and cell
Name of research group: Proteins in
growth assays). Broader analytical, critical
• Identification and characterisation of Metabolism and Cancer
thinking and oral and written
novel antiviral drugs that target the
communication skills will be gained. You will
dengue virus NS1 protein through Description of research area and interests: have opportunities to meet and network
high-throughput screening, high The Forbes lab aims to develop novel with exceptional national and international
resolution imaging and structural treatments for diabetes and cancer through researchers in the field. Prior knowledge of
analysis understanding the basic mechanism by cell biology, signalling and protein structure
• Identification and development of small which insulin and insulin-like growth factors and function would be helpful but not
molecule inhibitors of the essential (IGFs) bind and activate their receptors to essential.
interaction between SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 promote metabolic control, cell growth and
survival. Surprisingly we still lack Key staff associated with projects:
and nsp4 proteins
fundamental information as to how insulin Ms Carlie Sawtell
Skills students will gain:
and IGFs interact with their receptors to Ms Allanah Merriman
• Molecular and cell biology (cloning, promote the key conformational changes Mr Andrew Blyth.
mutational approaches, gene expression required to activate the receptor tyrosine
flinders.edu.au/people/briony.forbes
analysis, cell culture, heterologous gene kinase domains and subsequent
expression) downstream signalling pathways. We will Location: Flinders Medical Centre
• Protein-protein interaction assays probe this interaction by making novel
(co-immunoprecipitation, proximity mutants of the ligands and the receptors
ligation assays, luminescence/ and then testing these in cell-based assays
fluorescence-based reporter assays) for their abilities to promote downstream
signalling. This will allow us to understand
• High resolution confocal microscopy and
in detail which interactions between the
live cell imaging
ligands and the receptors are key for
• Automated imaging for high-throughput promoting specific receptor activation
screening outcomes. Ultimately this information will
Key staff associated with projects: allow us to create novel insulins for the
treatment of diabetes and novel IGF
Dr Amanda Aloia
inhibitors for the treatment of cancers that
Associate Professor Jill Carr
are dependent on IGF signalling for growth
Dr Tim Chataway
and survival.
Dr Alex Colella.
Outline of projects:
flinders.edu.au/people/nicholas.eyre
Development of novel treatments for
Location: Flinders Medical Centre
diabetes and cancer through understanding
the basic mechanism by which insulin-like
growth factors (IGFs) and insulin bind and
activate their receptors (the IGF-1R and the
insulin receptor) to promote cell growth,
survival and metabolic control.
Page 19Research Supervisors and their projects
Molecular Biosciences
Supervisor name: Outline of projects: Supervisors’ names:
Professor Jonathan Gleadle The project will follow exciting preliminary Professor Tom Gordon
Supervisor email: evidence that particular genes and enzymes Dr Jing Wang
jonathan.gleadle@flinders.edu.au are induced early in the process of
Supervisors’ emails:
compensatory kidney growth. The project
Name of research group: Renal t.gordon@flinders.edu.au;
will seek to confirm if these genes are
jing.wang@flinders.edu.au
induced during hypertrophy, the cells
Description of research area and interests: involved and the underlying driving process. Name of research group: Department of
Up to a tenth of the world’s population is Immunology Autoimmunity and COVID-19
affected by chronic kidney disease and over Skills students will gain:
Research Program
2 million people are receiving dialysis or A broad array of contemporary molecular
kidney transplantation. Regardless of the and cellular techniques to determine RNA Description of research area and interests:
cause of the kidney disease, most patients and protein expression and regulatory This world class research group uses
exhibit a relentless decline in kidney mechanisms. sophisticated immunochemical, genomic
function, often accompanied by reductions and proteomic techniques to discover
Key staff associated with projects:
in kidney size. There is a pressing need to molecular signatures of autoantibodies in
develop novel therapies that prevent Dr Darling Rojas-Canales
human autoimmune diseases such as lupus
chronic kidney disease development and Mrs Elise Tucker
(in collaboration with the Garvan Institute in
progression. This project will address this Dr Anthony Fedele.
Sydney); and performs molecular profiling
by investigating and capitalising on the flinders.edu.au/people/jonathan.gleadle of protective antibodies in patients with
natural response to loss of kidney mass. acute COVID-19 infection (in collaboration
Location: Flinders Medical Centre
After donation of a kidney from a healthy with the Doherty Institute in Melbourne).
individual or following nephrectomy for
Outline of projects:
kidney cancer, the remaining kidney
undergoes functional improvement and Molecular signatures or barcodes of
growth. The mechanism driving this antibodies in the above diseases are used in
remarkable ability of the remaining kidney the clinical setting as biomarkers of blood
to naturally enlarge and increase its antibody responses and as markers of
function in a healthy and enduring way has treatment responses.
been elusive, though insulin growth factor Skills students will gain:
has been suggested. We are using
contemporary genomic techniques to define Full spectrum of immunological techniques;
responsible mechanisms. bioinformatics; protein sequencing by mass
spectrometry.
Key staff associated with projects:
Dr Tim Chataway
Location: Flinders Medical Centre
College of Medicine and Public HealthSupervisor name: Skills students will gain:
Dr Luke Grundy Students will have the potential to learn a
Supervisor email: range of laboratory skills including in-vivo
luke.grundy@flinders.edu.au cystometry, ex-vivo nerve recordings,
bacterial culture, isolation and cell culture of
Name of research group: Visceral Pain
primary sensory neurons, calcium imaging,
Research Group
quantitative and single PCR, flow cytometry.
Students will also develop animal handling
Description of research area and interests: and surgical skills and gain experience in
Chronic pain is a major, but project planning.
underacknowledged clinical issue affecting
>1.5B people globally. In Australia, chronic Key staff associated with projects:
pain affects 3.2M people and costs $73B per Professor Stuart Brierley
annum. Chronic pelvic pain is a common, Dr Steven Taylor.
debilitating and complex form of chronic flinders.edu.au/people/luke.grundy
pain that derives from our internal organs
youtu.be/EV9gWyKuI5M
and is a key clinical feature of a number of
bladder disorders. The mechanisms Location: SAHMRI
underlying the pathogenesis of chronic
pelvic pain remains unknown and there are
no current clinically efficacious and safe
pharmacological treatments or cures for
chronic pelvic pain. My research program
focuses on understanding the mechanisms
responsible for the development of chronic
pelvic pain and the development of novel
and safe pharmacotherapies.
Outline of projects:
Patients with chronic and/or recurrent
urinary tract infections (UTI’s) are at
increased risk of developing chronic pelvic
pain and functional bladder disorders
associated with altered sensation, including
overactive bladder syndrome and
interstitial cystitis. The underlying
mechanisms responsible for inducing this
protracted state of neuronal
hypersensitivity are unknown. Multiple
projects are available for enthusiastic
Honours and PhD students to investigate
the complex interactions of bacteria, the
toxins that they release, and the
development of inflammation in the
modulation of sensory nerve function.
Page 21Research Supervisors and their projects
Molecular Biosciences
Supervisor name: neurophysiology imaging and whole Supervisor name:
Dr Andrea Harrington animal physiology approaches to Associate Professor
establish the degree of sensitisation
Supervisor email: Kim Hemsley
developed in the central pathways in
andrea.harrington@flinders.edu.au Supervisor email:
various models of chronic visceral pain
Name of research group: Central Pathways and identify the mechanisms involved. kim.hemsley@flinders.edu.au
Projects, Visceral Pain Research Group Name of research group: Childhood
• Sites of central convergence between
visceral organs. These projects will Dementia Research Group
Description of research area and interests: combine neuroanatomical tract tracing
Our research is aimed at characterising the approaches with molecular localisation Description of research area and interests:
neural circuits within the spinal cord and to identify where in the spinal cord and Sanfilippo syndrome (or
brain controlling how painful sensations brain sensory signalling from multiple Mucopolysaccharidosis type III: MPS III) is a
from internal (visceral) organs are visceral organs converge and devastating inherited childhood-onset
processed. We use a range of neural tracing, communicate to establish sites important dementia that affects approximately 1 in
physiological and molecular approaches at to the develop of cross-organ 65,000 children in Australia. It has a variable
the whole animal to single cell levels in sensitisation or referred pain in chronic rate of progression, but generally causes
order to establish the neuroanatomy, visceral pain. death in early adulthood. There is presently
pharmacology and functional connectivity no approved treatment. We use cell, mouse
of these nerve pathways. We then use this Skills students will gain:
and in collaboration, fly models of the
information to identify how these central • molecular approaches disease with the goal of better
circuits may be altered in various models of (immunohistochemistry, real time PCR) understanding what causes degeneration of
chronic visceral pain and mediate cross- the central nervous system in this disorder,
• microscopy (epifluorescence, confocal,
organ sensitisation. We offer a range of developing and testing potential treatments.
slide scanning)
Honours & HDR projects that are focused on
• neuroanatomy (circuit tracing) Outline of projects:
various aspects and can be tailored to
student interests. • in vitro neurophysiology imaging (calcium There are two full-time projects available in
imaging) 2022 that will each evaluate a novel
Outline of projects:
clinically relevant therapeutic strategy in an
• Characterisation of spinal projection • physiology (whole animal approaches)
authentic mouse model of MPS III. We will
neurons relaying visceral pain into the • data analysis and management explore the impact of photobiomodulation
brain. These projects will combine on disease progression in treated animals
• laboratory small animal handling
neuroanatomical tract tracing and compare it to that in sham-treated mice.
approaches with molecular localisation Key staff associated with projects:
The ability of the treatment to prevent or
to identify the types of neurons in the Potential co-supervisors: reverse established disease will be
spinal cord activated by painful visceral Professor Stuart Brierley explored.
stimuli and where they relay this Dr Luke Grundy
The study is funded by a collaborative grant
information into the brain. An extension of Dr Joel Castro
awarded by the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation
these projects is to then identify changes Dr Gudren Schrober
(USA) and Cure Mickey Foundation (USA) to
to the spinal neurons in models of chronic Dr Sonia Garcia-Caraballo.
A/Prof Kim Hemsley, Dr Adeline Lau and our
visceral pain.
flinders.edu.au/fhmri-neuroscience/ collaborators at the University of Sydney (Dr
• Identifying altered sensitivity of visceral our-labs/visceral-pain-research-group Paul Austin and Professor John Mitrofanis).
afferent input and spinal cord dorsal A $5000 scholarship is available for each of
flinders.edu.au/people/andrea.harrington
horn circuits in models of chronic the two Honours Projects. Please contact
visceral pain. These projects will use Location: SAHMRI
Associate Professor Hemsley to discuss the
molecular, neuroanatomical tract tracing, studies further.
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