Honours Project Book - Faculty of Health Sciences - University of ...

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Pregnancy and Development Group Contact Person Associate Professor Vicki Clifton Phone: 8313 8321 vicki.clifton@adelaide.edu.au Supervisors (photograph left to right) Dr Annette Osei-Kumah Dr Michael Stark Associate Professor Vicki Clifton Dr Nicolette Hodyl Location: Medical School If you are interested in why males and females are different and if you wonder about how babies survive when they deliver preterm or are exposed to a stressful pregnancy then come and work with us. Our group conducts human studies on pregnant women and their babies. We are interested in what factors influence the growth of the fetus in utero and how in utero events affect the survival of the neonate and their health and development. We find males and females are different in how they respond to stress during pregnancy and this difference changes their growth and survival. Our work focuses on the mechanisms that confer a difference between male and female babies. PROJECT: (Clinical / Basic) R. O&G. Supervisors Dr Nicki Hodyl Dr Michael Stark Assoc A/Prof Vicki Clifton Project Backgound Although neonatal infections affect 50% of infants born prior to 32 weeks gestation, the factors that contribute to this disturbing statistic are largely unknown. Current treatment regimes and recent RCTs have failed to decrease preterm neonatal infection rates, indicating knowledge gaps in our understanding of neonatal infection. Evidence supports an intrinsic immaturity of the preterm neonatal immune system (including deficits in B cell, T cell and innate immune function). This does not, however, explain sexual dimorphisms in the susceptibility to infectious and inflammatory conditions in the neonatal period and beyond, with a significant male disadvantage. Our animal data indicates in-utero events program neonatal immunity. We hypothesise that immunecompetence in preterm neonates is determined by sex, birth weight and timing of exposure to antenatal betamethasone as well as products of placental inflammation. Understanding the developmental profile of the human innate immune response may lead to interventions that avoid the potential sequelae of infections in the preterm neonate. Placenta and cord blood will be collected from preterm and term deliveries. Cord blood monocytes will be exposed to pathogens and cytokines, and intracellular pathway activation characterised and related to episodes of neonatal infection. Projects may include: 1. Determination of the impact of antenatal steroid exposure on innate immune cell signalling pathways in the placenta and neonatal immune cells 2. Identification of sex-specific pathways in placenta and / or human vascular endothelial cell lines that contribute to aberrant innate immune responses in preterm neonates PROJECT: (Clinical / Basic) R. O&G. Supervisors Dr Nicki Hodyl Dr Michael Stark Assoc A/Prof Vicki Clifton Improved survival rates following preterm birth have not been accompanied by equivalent reduction in the incidence of chronic lung disease (CLD), the major morbidity associated with prematurity. Despite the contribution of perinatal environmental factors in its pathogenesis, antenatal interventions have not decreased the incidence of CLD, while postnatal interventions may be too late to be effective. 37 |
Perinatal inflammatory cytokine exposure and reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic lung disease (CLD). Recent attention has focused on novel therapies that may modulate inflammatory responses and regulate the activation of placental inflammatory pathways and the initiation of patho-physiologic processes associated with preterm birth. These studies will address the role of these modifiable pathways in placental inflammatory cytokine and ROS production and anti-oxidant defence ex-vivo and interrogate sex-specific differences in their regulatory function with respect to the pathogenesis of CLD. Projects may include: 1. The characterisation placental oxidative stress and immune responses to inflammatory stimuli. 2. Identification of sex-specific pathways that control placental anti-inflammatory/anti-oxidant effects in placental explant culture and / or human vascular endothelial cell lines. 38 |
Page 1: SCHOOL OF PAEDIATRICS AND REPRODUCT
Page 4 and 5: Make a difference "The recent Excel
Page 6 and 7: Honours graduate career pathways Ou
Page 8 and 9: Honours Scholarships and Support Sc
Page 10 and 11: Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaec
Page 12 and 13: Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaec
Page 14 and 15: Clinical Studies and Trials The Obe
Page 16 and 17: Cerebral Palsy Research Group The C
Page 18 and 19: products, but also naturally occurr
Page 20 and 21: disruption of either Clock or Bmal1
Page 22 and 23: PROJECT: (Basic) Stem Cells of Ovar
Page 24 and 25: Early Development Group Contact Per
Page 26 and 27: Early Life Programming of Health an
Page 28 and 29: persist long term. There is new evi
Page 30 and 31: PROJECT: (Basic) Behavioural effect
Page 32 and 33: Gamete and Embryo Biology Laborator
Page 34 and 35: improve developmental potential in
Page 36 and 37: PROJECT: (Basic) Factors that regul
Page 40 and 41: Reproductive Biotechnology Group Su
Page 42 and 43: that versican is pivotal in promoti
Page 44 and 45: Reproductive Endocrinology Group Su
Page 46 and 47: Treg fate-determining transcription
Page 48 and 49: PROJECT: (Basic) Viral Recognition
Page 50 and 51: Child Nutrition Research Centre (CN
Page 52 and 53: PROJECT: (Basic) Measurement of vit
Page 54 and 55: Craniofacial Research Group Contact
Page 56 and 57: Lysosomal Biology, Lysosomal Diseas
Page 58 and 59: Matrix Biology Unit Location: Women
Page 60 and 61: Molecular Immunology Cheryl Brown P
Page 62 and 63: Fig 4. Lentiviral delivery of shRNA
Page 64 and 65: the two most common human polyA exp
Page 66 and 67: Paediatrics and Child Health, Flind
Page 68 and 69: Vaccine Safety Research Group Super
Page 70 and 71: introduction of the rotavirus vacci
Page 72: Index Breast Biology and Cancer, 16

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