Projects

ARMI’s world-leading researchers offer exciting projects that discover, develop and translate innovative regenerative medicines and advanced therapies within a broad range of scientific themes and disciplines. Our highly committed researchers and students use cutting-edge techniques and high-quality infrastructure to answer scientific questions to understand regenerative processes and disease, and to develop therapeutics.

Learn more about the project areas available:

Neural regeneration

We work on stimulating regeneration of the mammalian nervous system after damage and degenerative disease using cellular and animal models. We generate neurons, astrocytes and microglia from human pluripotent stem cells, creating advanced 2D and 3D models — including organoids and microtissues — to study the aged human brain in a dish. We also investigate cellular ageing and neuroinflammation using single-cell transcriptomics, inflammatory cytokine profiling and functional assays.

PROJECT AREAS:
  • understand the cellular mechanisms that regulate ageing in the brain and how these processes contribute to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases
  • define how the brain and spinal cord respond after injury and what innate regenerative potential exists in the nervous system
  • generate neural cells from stem cells
  • identify genes needed to make the brain form normally
  • formation of neural stem cell populations
RESEARCH GROUPS:

Saurat Group

Kaslin Group

Stem cells and regeneration

We leverage the knowledge gained from researching highly regenerative tissues and animal models to generate human cells that can treat a range of degenerative diseases and manipulate cell populations to better repair the body. We also use innovative live imaging technologies to visualise animal development, and the formation of human induced pluripotent stem cells.

PROJECT AREAS:
  • unravelling microtubule dynamics at the single cell level using live imaging
  • define how the genome is read and packaged to form a stem cell
  • understand how a stem cell-like state is maintained and regained in induced reprogramming
  • identify what environment cues (niche) and other cell systems (immune) interact to influence stem cell function
  • enhance endogenous stem cell-mediated repair of injured tissues
  • make therapeutically relevant cell types from stem cells to treat disease
RESEARCH GROUPS:

Zenker Group

Polo Group [Affiliate]

Nilsson Group [Affiliate]

Heart and muscle development and regeneration

Our research aims to unlock the regenerative potential of cells and tissues to develop treatments for currently untreatable disorders and to support healthy aging. This theme leads fundamental science, disease modelling and therapeutic development using human induced-pluripotent stem cells, CRISPR gene editing, multi-omics, 3D organoids, cellular and animal models of disease.

PROJECT AREAS:
  • understand heart valve development, disease progression and regeneration
  • study how biomechanical forces generated by heartbeat and blood flow influence heart valve biology
  • understand the role of epigenetics in ageing and exercise
  • understand the role of stem cells during muscle regeneration and repair
  • develop treatments for inherited rare diseases using cellular and animal models
  • activate heart regeneration by understanding and stimulating specific signalling pathways
RESEARCH GROUPS:

Chow Group

Jaffré Group

McGlinn Group

Currie Group

Eynon Group

del Monte-Nieto Group

Ramialison Group [Affiliate]

Organ engineering and synthetic biology

ARMI is exploring a number of innovative techniques to enhance function and form that is lost as a consequence of ageing and degenerative diseases.

These techniques explore various aspects of tissue engineering including organoid and organ on a chip technology, bioactive biomaterials and biointerfaces that simulate the cellular microenvironment at the micro and nanoscale, functional biomaterials and synthetic and biological matrices for tissue engineering and transplant development.

PROJECT AREAS:
  • Characterising the local cell-autonomous and nonautonomous responses to an injury, including the production and role of alarm signal(s) and the response of stem/progenitor cells
  • Exploring the impact of the discovered injury response pathways on the buffering of developmental noise (random perturbations during normal development)
RESEARCH GROUPS:

Roman Group

Roselló-Díez Group [Affiliate]

Immunity and regeneration

We exploit the immune system as a key player in regenerative medicine, which can be manipulated for therapeutic gain. Our research uses genetically modified animal and cellular models as well as bioengineering.

PROJECT AREAS:
  • understand the role of the immune system in scar-free healing
  • determine how immune cells form and are continually replenished
  • define the immune system as a critical component of tissue regeneration
  • understand the difference in immune regulation between the regenerative and non-healing context
  • harness the immune system for delivery of therapeutics to regenerating tissues
RESEARCH GROUPS:

Lieschke Group

Martino Group

Industry-based PhDs

ARMI has enduring links to the Australia and global regenerative medicine industry. Our students drive projects in research and development while immersed within a collaborative network of senior leaders in industry and academia. Students develop valuable skills for their future career and learn about the different aspects of translating new regenerative medicines to the clinic.

Monash-CUHK collaboration

Monash University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) established a PhD exchange programme in 2017. The programme aims to provide our PhD students with opportunities to access research expertise, resources and infrastructure at both institutions.

The programme is administered by the Monash University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (FMNHS) and The CUHK Faculty of Medicine. The faculties share both common and complementary research strengths and capabilities and a strong focus on translational research outcomes.

Visit the Monash-CUHK collaboration page to learn about PhD opportunities within this transnational collaboration.

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