Expanding the molecular understanding, and advancing personalised therapeutics for KIF1A-Associated Neurological Disorders
- Research Opportunity
- PhD students
- Department / Centre
- Paediatrics
- Location
- Royal Children’s Hospital/Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Primary Supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr Simranpreet Kaur | simran.kaur@mcri.edu.au | 03-83416268 | Personal web page |
Co-supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
---|---|---|---|
Prof John Christodoulou | john.christodoulou@mcri.edu.au | Personal web page | |
A/Prof Wendy Gold | wendy.gold@sydney.edu.au |
Summary Background Kinesin-3 family member 1A (KIF1A) encodes a neuron-specific kinesin motor protein essential for ATP-dependent anterograde axonal transport of synaptic cargos along the microtubule network in brain cells. The N-terminal motor domain of KIF1A forms the “head” that “walks” along the microtubules in a stepwise manner for anterograde transportation of specific cargos docked at the C-terminal “tail” domain using energy from ATP hydrolysis. Variants in the KIF1A gene have been found to result in a complex spectrum of neurodegenerative conditions, collectively referred to as KIF1A-associated neurological disorders (KANDs). In this proposal, we will address a wide gap in our understanding of KIF1A at the molecular and therapeutic level. Success in this project has the scope to accelerate the long-term vision of scientific therapeutics-based research to improve the health of children battling with the progressive KAND disorder and related neurological disorders.
Project Details
Faculty Research Themes
School Research Themes
Neuroscience & Psychiatry, Child Health in Medicine
Research Opportunities
PhD students
Students who are interested in joining this project will need to consider their elegibility as well as other requirements before contacting the supervisor of this research
Key Contact
For further information about this research, please contact a supervisor.
Department / Centre
Research Group / Unit / Centre
Neurodevelopmental Genomics Research
Research Node
Royal Children’s Hospital/Murdoch Childrens Research InstituteMDHS Research library
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