Novel approaches to protecting the newborn brain

Chief Investigators: Colditz P, Bjorkman ST, Chand K

Funding source: Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Research grant (2016-2017) $40,000

Aim: To study the effects of a novel anticonvulsant for the treatment of newborn seizures

The lifelong consequences of perinatal HI brain injury inflict enormous personal and financial burdens on society and affected families. Current treatment strategies are inadequate, with numerous ‘best guess’ strategies having minimal proven benefit. Although hypothermia has been shown to reduce death and disability, more than 40% of hypothermia-treated infants still suffer poor neurological outcome. We will utilize a clinically-relevant animal model of HI established in our laboratory with post-insult hypothermia to identify whether the combination of hypothermia with a novel therapy can afford greater neuroprotection.

Project weblink at the Perinatal Research Centre, UQ.