New research program initiative in DAP highlights the need to ‘think big’
The inaugural winners of the Flagship Research Program Initiative – A/Prof Ben Parker and Dr Mike Clark - discuss their collaborative research project and how the funding will help develop proteogenomics capability across the Department and School.
The Flagship Research Program Initiative is a new funding scheme in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology that is looking to bridge research across the Department’s themes - Metabolic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Muscle Biology, Neuroscience and Stem Cell & Developmental Biology - and bring together strategic partners. The program will invest in 1 to 2 internal collaborative projects over the next five years.
The need to ‘think bigger’ in our research efforts was identified when we recently renewed our Department’s strategic plan – and the Flagship program was designed to achieve this aspiration.
Prof Stuart Mazzone, Head of Respiratory Sensory Neuroscience Lab and Capability Leader of Neuroscience Research in DAP
The first 'Flagship' project to be funded is that of A/Prof Ben Parker, Head of the Metabolic Proteomics & Signal Transduction research group and Dr Mike Clark who leads the Transcriptomics and Neurogenetics Lab. The pair have a number of projects focused on proteogenomics: an area of research that combines genomics and proteomics to get a greater understanding of how genetic information is translated into functional proteins within a biological system.
"Our DNA is the underlying code of what makes us unique. Consider a construction site, the DNA is the blueprint and encodes for thousands of proteins which are both the foundations and workers of our cell. Successful construction of the building requires detailed knowledge of both the blueprint and also precise instructions for all the workers. If there is any ambiguity than building of the cells may be disorganized leading to unsound structures and disease," explained Ben Parker.
The support Ben and Mike have received from DAP as part of this Initiative will be staged over 2 to 3 years and in that time their project will aim to develop new computational methods to study both DNA and proteins in a single experiment. The outcome? To track any ambiguity and pinpoint the mechanisms of disease, which may potentially lead to discovering new therapeutic targets.
It’s an absolute honour to be recognised - the support will allow us to expand our capabilities in proteogenomics. The funding will strengthen several existing projects by creating innovative synergies between experts in transcriptomics and proteomics computational biology.
A/Prof Ben Parker & Dr Mike Clark
Recipients of the Flagship Research Program Initiative are expected to build a research program that becomes a defining feature - flagship - of DAP. One that returns external research income for longer term sustainability (namely NHMRC, ARC Centres of Excellence or MRFF schemes) and tackles a significant health problem or biomedical question.
"Through this initiative we want to establish and grow unique, productive, diverse linkages, both internal and external, including inter-department, inter-school, inter-faculty - and beyond. We want to expand and promote the technological capabilities of our researchers and foster training opportunities in innovative and cutting-edge science," said Stuart Mazzone.
Please join us in congratulating Ben & Mike on this significant award.