Shaping the future of treatment

Our neurobiology research is dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of complex neurological conditions through cutting-edge research and clinical innovation.

Our multidisciplinary teams address critical health challenges such as Alzheimer’s disease, motor neuron disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. Research in these areas spans:

  • drug development
  • cellular assay platforms
  • mouse models
  • computational modelling.

Leveraging the power of computational neuroimaging and digital neuropathology, we are pioneering innovative approaches to visualise and comprehend complex brain disorders. By combining clinical expertise, research innovation, and technological advancements, neurobiology research at Macquarie Medical School is shaping the future of neurological disease treatment.

Research groups

Our research is made up of three main teams:

The Computational NeuroSurgery (CNS) Lab enables the study of brain diseases of neurosurgical interest, through:

  • the use of computational modelling and Artificial Intelligence for the study of neurological and neurosurgical diseases
  • computational neuroimaging and digital neuropathology
  • translational neurosciences (including cognitive neurosciences)
  • machine vision in biomedical research.

Group lead: Prof. Antonio Di Ieva

The Dementia Research Centre (DRC) brings together international and national leaders in translational dementia research and strengthen the University’s current investment into neuroscience research.

The multidisciplinary team of the DRC strives to accelerate today’s discoveries into tomorrow’s therapies.

The neurosurgery research team at Macquarie University is one of the largest neurosurgery research groups in Australasia. Our research seeks to improve the treatments for:

  • Precision thrombosis for brain vascular malformations
    Blood vessel abnormalities in the brain can be like time bombs – rupture can occur at any time, causing stroke or death. Treatment can be very risky, involving surgery to remove the abnormal blood vessels. We are developing a non-surgical method to defuse these time bombs by stimulating occlusion of the abnormal vessels by blood clots using a combination of highly focused radiation and precision drugs that we have developed.
  • Spinal cyst formation
    The spinal cord is vital for normal limb movement. Cysts can form in the spinal cord and cause paralysis, but the mechanism of cyst formation is not understood and treatment is often ineffective. We are researching the normal flow of fluid in the spinal cord and the impact of conditions such as spinal cord injury on this fluid flow. An improved understanding of spinal fluid physiology will help us develop more effective treatments.

Group lead: Professor Marcus Stoodley

The ophthalmology and vision research team is investigating neurodegeneration in the retina, optic nerve and brain associated with diseases such as glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s, to discover neuroprotective treatments. We study vascular changes in the eye as a marker for systemic disease.

Our research involves:

  • identifying biochemical pathways (proteomics)
  • role of inflammatory changes
  • electrophysiology both clinical and experimental
  • rodent models of neurodegeneration
  • in vivo imaging with advanced techniques.

We have several current projects across:

  • cellular culture
  • knockout models
  • viral vector gene therapy techniques
  • human clinical and genetic studies of glaucoma and myopia.

Group lead: Professor Stuart Graham

The Parkinson's disease research clinic at Macquarie University strives to develop better patient care and family support for people living with Parkinson's disease and related conditions including:

  • dementia with Lewy bodies
  • isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD)
  • progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)
  • multiple system atrophy (MSA).

We are running a number of disease modifying and symptomatic trials. We also have a research program investigating the causes underpinning various symptoms to help develop novel therapeutic approaches.

Group lead: Professor Simon Lewis