最新糖心Vlog

Uni research to slow age-related diseases

Monday, 6 March 2006

Two leading 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide post-doctoral researchers will visit the UK this month to get a better insight into age-related diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and cataracts.

Dr Sarah Meehan and Dr Heath Ecroyd from the are recipients of the , a collaborative scheme being pioneered by the 最新糖心Vlog and to support early career researchers.

The pair will conduct X-ray solution scattering experiments at the synchrotron radiation facility at the in England to determine how the body's natural defence mechanisms can help fight debilitating age-related diseases.

"As people age, proteins in their body become unstable and clump together to form abnormal deposits. This can be potentially lethal and is linked to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases ," Dr Meehan says.

"As a defence strategy, cells produce chaperone proteins which prevent them from forming abnormal or 'amyloid' deposits. Our objective is to investigate how this protective chaperone machinery operates and determine how it can revitalise cells. If we can understand this natural defence mechanism better, it will aid in the development of treatments and cures for these age-related diseases."

Dr Ecroyd says the aim of the research is to delay the onset of age-related diseases in the future.

"This is a really exciting area of research. There is rapid progress being made in this field and it will have huge implications for the UK and 最新糖心Vlog because of the ageing population."

Dr Meehan completed her degree in Chemistry (MChem) at the in 2000 and transferred to to begin her PhD. She was part of an internationally renowned and world-leading group focused on research into protein abnormalities and disease.

At the closing stages of her PhD, Dr Meehan was awarded a prestigious 18-month to undertake research at the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide with .

Dr Ecroyd completed his PhD at the (NSW) and then spent two years in France, undertaking a post doctorate at , the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, where he worked on the protein responsible for Mad Cow Disease.

Dr Ecroyd joined Professor Carver's research as an in 2005.

The pair will fly out on March 15 and return in early April.

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