News and events
Celosia Therapeutics Secures $16.75 Million in Series A Funding to Advance ALS Gene Therapy
28 Nov 2024
We are thrilled to share the announcement by Celosia Therapeutics of the successful completion of a $16.75 million Series A funding round, led by Uniseed with significant contributions from Mr. Iomar Barrett and UniSuper. This landmark investment will drive the development of CTx1000, a pioneering gene therapy targeting TDP-43, a protein directly linked to the pathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
This groundbreaking progress is a testament to the monumental efforts of Professors Lars Ittner and Yazi Diana Ke, Directors at Macquarie University’s Dementia Research Centre. Their 15 years of dedicated research have laid the foundation for a therapy that not only aims to halt ALS progression but also holds the promise to reverse damage and restore lost functions.
This achievement is supported by an incredible team of dedicated staff, including Annika van Hummel, Jessica Chandra, Julia van der Hoven, Miheer Sabale, Carol Au, Amie Law, Alexandra Daryl Ariawan, and Ole Tietz. Their collective passion and expertise have been integral to advancing this critical work.
For further details, please read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gizEedgJ.
Thank You for Supporting DRC in the 2024 Sydney Marathon
17 Sep 2024
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the Sydney Marathon and to those who generously donated to this year’s Dementia Research Centre (DRC) annual fundraising campaign. Through your combined efforts, we have raised over $2,000, which will contribute toward establishing the PhD scholarship we have been working toward.
A special thanks goes to Julia van der Hoven, who organized the DRC picnic after the run. More than 20 participants joined us in celebrating the marathon’s completion, and we also had the privilege of meeting the Co-Founder of the Dementia Research Community Charity, making it a memorable day for all.
A special mention goes to Ole, our squad leader, who completed the 42k marathon in an impressive 3:38:57, placing him in the top 30% of the 25,000 runners despite battling a knee injury. We’re also incredibly proud of Yuanyuan Deng for completing her first marathon with an outstanding time of 5:50:00—an extraordinary accomplishment for a first-time runner.
This year marks the fifth time that DRC has participated in the Sydney Marathon to raise funds and awareness for dementia research. As dementia continues to emerge as a critical global health priority, the urgency of supporting research has never been greater. There is something each of us can do, even if we’re young and healthy—stay active, maintain a healthy brain, and advocate for dementia research.
If we can’t be scientists working on a cure, we can help accelerate the research by being advocates. We look forward to Sydney Marathon 2025 and invite anyone interested to join us in this vital cause.
Click here to donate.
Thank You for Supporting Dementia Month Events
Act Now for A World Without Dementia
13 Sep 2024
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all who participated in the special events during Dementia Month. On Tuesday, September 10th, the MMS Showcase – Dementia Research was a resounding success, with an impressive turnout from the faculty. The seamless presentations by eight researchers provided an insightful and up-to-date overview of the Dementia Research Centre’s (DRC) work, covering topics such as Models & Mechanisms, Drug Development, and Translation & Clinical Applications. The event concluded with a compelling talk from Prof. Lars Ittner, who shared his vision for the future of dementia research at Macquarie University.
Following this, on Friday, September 13th, we hosted a BBQ generously sponsored by MQ Health. We are incredibly thankful to the hospital for sponsoring this event each year since 2019 to raise dementia awareness. This year, we raised over $600 for the Dementia Research Community, and we are grateful to everyone who contributed to this important cause.
These events were a powerful reminder of the ongoing challenge of finding a cure for dementia, and your participation brings us one step closer to making that a reality. Thank you for your continued support!
For showcase recording, please send request to dementia@mq.edu.au
Award and Recognition -
US$370,000 grant for Epilepsy research
17 June 2024
Dr Janet van Eersel, a Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader from the Dementia Research Centre (DRC), has received a US$370,000 grant from CURE Epilepsy to further her work on excitotoxicity.
Excitotoxicity is a phenomenon closely linked to epilepsy, in which nerve cells in the brain receive too much stimulation, leading to cell damage and ultimately nerve cell death. Dr van Eersel is part of a team at the DRC that discovered the protein tau has a major role to play in enabling excitotoxicity. They also uncovered that the enzyme p38 kinase can modify tau, thereby preventing excitotoxicity. Based on this, the team has developed a gene therapy to boost p38 kinase activity, which they have discovered can reduce abnormal EEG activity and seizure severity in animal models of epilepsy.
The grant will allow Dr van Eersel and her team to refine this gene therapy for use in human patients and prepare it for human clinical trials.
More than a decade in the making from discovery to promising treatment for MND and FTD
16 Feb 2024
We are so proud to share the news of the latest publication in the prestigious journal Neuron "Targeting 14-3-3θ-mediated TDP-43 pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia mice". This is an amazing milestone of Prof Yazi Ke's work since its discovery in her early postdoctoral days. The discovery has lead to CTx1000 one of the main gene therapies championed by Celosia Therapeutics, a Macquarie University spin-out company formed in 2022 to help bring groundbreaking work of the University’s neuroscientists from the lab to patients.
We hope to be able to begin in-human trials of CTx1000 within next few years, bringing hopes to many who are waiting for therapy that will work for their condition.
See special report on the Macquarie University The Lighthouse
For more information about the paper, see Neuron
Grant Success Announced
18 Dec 2023
Congratulations to all the Chief Investigators for their exceptional achievements in national competitive grants this year. With a national success rate of 16% for ARC grants and 13% for NHMRC grants, our researchers have demonstrated unparalleled excellence. We are thrilled to announce the success of four grants, showcasing our researchers' outstanding dedication and prowess
Prof Lars Ittner's FightMND Drug Development Grant (24-26)
Translating a novel gene therapy for MND towards clinical testing. $1,200,000
ARC DP24 (24-26) Prof Lars Ittner & Dr Janet van Eersel: the only ARC DP Grant in Macquarie Medical School this year
Transcriptional and translational regulation of the neuronal protein tau. $732,831
Dr Janet van Eersel's NHMRC Ideas Grant (24-26)
Development of next-generation gene therapy vectors for the treatment of epilepsy. $1,034,448
Prof Lars Ittner's NHMRC Ideas Grant (24-27)
New biological drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease. $1,450,494
Dr. Janet van Eersel's first NHMRC Ideas grant marks a significant milestone, highlighting her commitment to innovative research and adding to Centre's reputation for groundbreaking discoveries. The Dementia Research Centre (DRC), led by Prof Lars Ittner and Dr. Janet van Eersel, secures an impressive 2.5 million dollars—over a third of the total NHMRC grants awarded to Macquarie University, an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects the depth and impact of our research endeavors.
Congratulations to all Chief Investigators for their remarkable contributions. This success serves as inspiration for the entire research community at Macquarie University, encouraging us all to reach for new heights and continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge.
Dementia Month - DRC Annual Fundraising Campaign in Sydney Marathon
17 Sep 2023
Thank you everyone who has either participated in the running event or donated for the DRC annual fundraise campaign. We have raised over $3000 this year to top up the PhD scholarship we were hoping to set up. Although a much smaller group participated in the running events this year, we have runners in every category, and all did well in our age groups wearing the DRC t-shirt proudly. Well done everyone.
Ole Tietz was our champion who ran the full marathon and did it in 3:27:27, an amazing record for his first marathon.
This is the 4th year DRC participated in the Sydney Marathon (previously known as Blackmore Sydney Running Festival) to fundraise for dementia research and raise awareness for dementia. As dementia becomes a global national health priority in recent decades, the need to advocate for dementia research has become more urgent. There is something we can do in the space of dementia even if you are young and healthy. Be active, keep your brain healthy. Be the advocate. If we can’t be a scientist to help finding the cure, let’s help them to accelerate their research by being an advocate. We look forward to Sydney Marathon 2024 and welcome anyone who will join the endeavor.
Click here to donate.
Dementia Action Week - Special Seminar and BBQ
Our Approach Towards Understanding and Treating Dementia
22 Sep 2023
Since 2019, DRC has been participating in the Dementia Action Week, a national initiative by Dementia Australia, to promote dementia awareness with a BBQ event supported by MQ Health. This year we have decided to include an outreach component before the BBQ to improve communication on what we do and why it’s relevant to the national health priority.
The seminar was presented by Prof Thomas Fath, A/Prof Yazi Ke, and Dr Ole Tietz to give the audience a glymps of what we do and where the research heading towards. A meeting recording can be found here if you have missed the seminar.
Causes of protein build-up could help develop dementia treatment
3 Aug 2023
For the first time, a team of researchers from Macquarie University and the University of Toronto have uncovered possible causes for the build-up of tau protein in the brain of patients with a rare neurodegenerative disease – and the discovery could have important implications for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
DRC Research Fellow and lead author Dr Shelley Forrest says the findings of this latest study, published in one of the high impact journal Acta Neuropathologica, are very exciting.
“We focused on the RNA that is translated to the tau protein, and we’ve been the first to demonstrate that tau RNA is expressed in the supporting glial cells as well as in the neurons,” she says.
Read more on the Lighthouse article here.
See publication on PubMed here.
Could fused neurons explain COVID-19’s ‘brain fog’?
8 June 2023
New research has shown that COVID-19 can fuse brain cells together, and could explain brain fog, headaches, loss of taste and smell and other long-term neurological symptoms some patients experience.
A paper from the DRC team in collaboration with University of Queensland has been published today in Science Advances and highlighted in on the Science webpage.
https://www.science.org/content/article/could-fused-neurons-explain-covid-19-s-brain-fog
See also latest article posted on The MQ Lighthouse here:
COVID-19 could cause long-term neuron damage: new study
News on TV:
Congratulations to both Daryl Ariawan and Fiona Bright for the award of Dementia Australia Research Foundation project grants
12 April 2023
Alexandra Daryl Ariawan and Fiona Bright who were both awarded Dementia Australia Research foundation project grants.
Dr Daryl Ariawan
Dr Fiona Bright
We sincerely thank Dementia Australia and the sponsors Bondi2Berry / Dementia Research Community and Navarra Care Foundation Navarra for funding these projects, to continue important research into Dementia.
AU-ARROW Study news on Channel 9
Join the study to identify lifestyle factors to reduce dementia risk
13 March 2023
Macquarie University researchers led by Prof Ralph Martins have recently started recruiting for the AU-ARROW study - a 2-year lifestyle study aimed at reducing the risk of dementia. Simple lifestyle changes have been shown in related studies to improve aspects of cognitive function as well as other health measures, and the AU-ARROW study will combine regular aerobic and resistance exercises, dietary modifications, regular accredited online brain training, and regular medical monitoring (blood tests and blood pressure measures) to provide a comprehensive program.
People aged 60-79 who are not in full-time work are welcome to apply, and we need participants to live in the vicinity (5 km radius) of the gyms of the study, currently including Chatswood, North Ryde, West Ryde and Hornsby, with the likelihood of Castle Hill joining soon. Recruitment is expected to go till at least the end of 2023.
For further information, contact our team by email: au.arrow@mq.edu.au, or please call 03 9850 2774, or 0493 499 035.
BREAKTHROUGH ON TREATMENT OF CHILD EPILEPSY
6 Feb 2023
The recent publication in Science Advances showed that a new gene therapy treatment could prevent seizures. Nicolle Morey the first author of the publication and the team has tested this therapy extensively and is currently conducting more detailed pre-clinical evaluation in preparation for clinical trials. It is showing tremendous promise as a treatment for acute neurological conditions such as for patients with uncontrolled epilepsy.
For more information, please see below links:
Treatment of epilepsy using a targeted p38γ kinase gene therapy
Morey N, Przybyla M, van der Hoven J, Ke YD, Delerue F, van Eersel J, Ittner LM.Sci Adv. 2022 Dec 2;8(48):eadd2577. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.add2577. Epub 2022 Dec 2.
"Gene Therapy Offers Hope for Severe Epilepsy"
by The Lighthouse on 16 December 2022
Breakthrough on Treatment of Child Epilepsy
Interview on the Wire (2Ser) or listen to audio file
Successful grants: Two NHMRC Ideas Grants
16 Dec 2022
Congragutlations to both Dr Shelley Forrest and Prof Lars Ittner for their success in such a competative round of grant applications. Success rate is 11% across the nation, and DRC obtained a third of the total 6.7m awarded to the Macquarie University. We couldn't be prouder.
Dr Shelley Forrest “Understanding neurodegeneration caused by oligodendroglial dysfunction” $1,025,253 (2023-2026)
Prof Lars Ittner “Inhibition failure in Alzheimer’s disease” $1,212,345 (2023-2026)
Winner of the LMA and VIA 2022 Image Competition - Calcium firing in 3D mini-brain model
16 Dec 2022
Congratulations to Dr Ann-Na Cho (Dementia Research Centre) and Dr Arthur Chien (Microscopy Facility) for winning the 1st Prize from 2022 Light Microscopy Australia/Volume Imaging Australia Image Competition in Live cell category. It is an amazing live image recording showing calcium channel activation of human embryonic stem cell 3D brain organoid, demonstrating sophisticated functionality of neurons developed in 3D human brain organoid as humanised laboratory model. Please click here for more information.
19 Sep 2022
Understand more
Show your support
Join the MQ Health BBQ
It’s national Dementia Action Week and this year’s theme is ‘A little support makes a big difference’.
Join us for a BBQ this Wednesday 21st September to raise funds and awareness for dementia, and the pressing need for dementia research.
Dementia impacts close to half a million Australians and almost 1.6 million Australians are involved in their care. Research shows that people living with dementia and carers experience discrimination that can lead to social isolation, loneliness and poor mental health. Discrimination has a big impact on people living with dementia, their families and carers, and a little support from the community and health care professionals can make a big difference.
Date: Wednesday 21 September
Time: 12:00 – 1:30 pm
Venue: Outside Harley’s Café, Macquarie University Hospital
Cost: $3 (exact change is appreciated)
We did it!!
19 Sep 2022
5 Half Marathoners, 7 Bridge Runners, more than 20 Family Fun runners with the oldest at 73 year old and the youngest at 16 months, 3 dedicated team supporter waiting for us at the finishing line with recovery food, and more than 100 people who could not be with us on the day but made the donation. What a glorious day to see all the effort into raising more than $7000 this year.
Strangers came to us to thank us for running for dementia. A 4 year old asked why we are running for dementia. A 7 year old said, "I am running for dementia research and I did it in 21 minutes!" These are the very reasons why we are running to raise awareness for dementia. The need to expand dementia research is more pressing than ever to reverse the climbing statistics of dementia and the cost to the economy. We are truly grateful for everyone who has joined us in the campaign for the awareness and will ensure every dollar goes into funding for research in effective treatment for dementia.
A big thank you to all the participants, young and old, runners, walkers and volunteers, for being in the journey for the campaign. You are the reason that helps us striving for what we believe in finding the cure for dementia.
Let's stay fit and keep running for dementia research. We will do this again in 2023!
MQ Dementia Research Centre Team in the Blackmore Sydney Running Festival 2022
11 Jul 2022
The Dementia Research Centre is an Official Blackmores Sydney Running Festival Charity Partner since 2019. We have continued the participation even during the lockdown in 2020 and 2021 with virtual running. We are excited to announce that the bridge run is back this year.
There is a category for everyone! Walkers, wheelers and serious runners alike. Registration is open till 17 September. Join us to raise dementia awareness in the Dementia Month and fundraise to help us get closer to the realisation of effective treatment for dementia.
Register now at https://bsrf22.grassrootz.com/mq
or make a donation here
Loss of LAMP5 interneurons drives neuronal network dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease
Published: 3 July 2022
Acta Neuropathologica (2022) DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02457-w
MQ Lighthouse article on this paper:
Protein could provide answers to the cause of dementia
'Very optimistic': Research offers hope for MND and Alzheimer's gene treatment
28 April 2022
The latest article published by the Lighthouse showcasing world-changing research news covers significant progress in bringing gene therapy for MND and Alzheimer's to reality. For full article, please see Lighthouse published on 27 April 2022.
Two PhD Scholarships (International or Domestic)
27 Jan 2022
We are excited to announce that two PhD Scholarships are now open for international or domestic students. Do not miss the opportunity to apply for the full scholarship to study with international and national leaders in translational dementia research.
The scholarship is comprised of a Tuition Fee Offset and a Living Allowance Stipend. The value and tenure of the scholarship is a “MQRES” full-time stipend rate of $28,854 per annum (in 2022 tax exempt for up to 4 years - indexed annually).
To apply, click on the project link.
1. Studying post-translational protein modifications in brain function and disease
International students: apply here
Domestic students: apply here
2. Developing novel genetic disease models for dementia
International students: apply here
Domestic students: apply here
Closing date: 30 June 2022
Contact Details
Name: Professor Lars Ittner
Email: Lars.ittner@mq.edu.au
Phone: 02 9850 2642
Miniature brains Offer new directions in dementia research
21 December 2021
The latest MQ Lighthouse article offers a powerful insight to how brilliant ideas have been formed to advance research even though we were facing the most challenging time during the second COVID lockdown. DRC continues to grow despite tremendous pressure and difficulties faced by the Director Prof Lars Ittner and A Prof Yazi Ke. We know if we can survive through the challenges together, we will definitely continue to grow together to achieve goals beyond our imagination.
Click here see full Lighthouse article and YouTube video
NHMRC Ideas Grant Success - Dr Ole Tietz and Dr Mian Bi
4 November 2021
A huge congratulation to Dr Ole Tietz and Dr Mian Bi for the success in NHMRC Ideas Grant announced by the Hon. Greg Hunt on 4 Nov 2021. Among the 248 innovative research projects, Ole's project was one of the six that were specially mentioned in the announcement:
- A study of intraneuronal immunotherapy to treat Alzheimer’s Disease led by Doctor Ole Tietz at Macquarie University, to halt and reverse the course of dementia.
We are specially proud of Ole's achievement within such a short period of time with DRC. Ole is a member of the drug development group and works on developing antibodies for the treatment of dementia. He is our latest appointed Group Leader for Peptide Synthesis group. For more information about Ole, please see Ole's profile here.
The Neuroverse - The Award Winning Image by Esmeralda Paric and Holly Stefen
Congratulations to Esmeralda Paric and Holly Stefen for placing second in the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. The photo selected for this honour was one of 1900 submissions this year from 88 countries. The photo comes from the wonderful world of neuroscience microscopy, which is one of the research techniques utilised by researchers at the Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie University, Australia.
This photo is in fact a composition of 600 photos; as a result there is a significant conservation of detail. It demonstrates a stunning intersection of science and art; exhibiting the outcome of highly technical experiments (7 protocols across 35 days) as a beautiful and mysterious scene that resembles astrophotography. Yet the photo is not a macro image of the larger cosmos, but rather a micro image of the neurons that are the fundamental units of our brains!
Lovingly dubbed “The Neuroverse”, the image reminds us of the frontiers that await exploration. In our role at the Dementia Research Centre, we seek to understand the biomechanisms behind debilitating neurodegenerative diseases that affect many Australians and persons worldwide. Research has yet to produce a comprehensive explanation and cure, and the cost remains high for those afflicted and their loved ones. Neuroscience (the branch of science studying the brain) is still a relatively new field of science. It is one that we hope to see further funded and supported as it promises novel medicines and a novel understanding of the human condition. We’re therefore proud this photo has been celebrated in this internationally renowned competition, and what this photo represents. Esmeralda has always pursued both science and her passion for art. She’s known for her many hobbies, including photography — one of the reasons she was tasked with learning to operate the lab’s many microscopy systems. She worked with her friend and colleague Holly Stefen to conduct the cell experiments behind this image. Both researchers work in the lab of Professor Thomas Fath, whose projects you can further explore here .
Virtual Running Event on 25 September
Well done to all the participants, young and old, runners or walkers!! We thank everyone who has donated generously to support dementia research. We have raised over $1,500 for this event. It was a fantastic day when we can put COVID aside and just focus on the run. Many of us have taken up the challenge and exceeded our personal best performance.
A special mention for Miheer who completed a FULL marathon (42km) in 4 hours and 6 min. It's an incredible feat of physical challenge and endurance.
A special thank you for our Olympian Ole who took the lead and encouraged us to participate. We look forward to the real Blackmore Running festival in 2022.
The event may be over this year but we will continue the fundraise. For more information, please see DRC Get Involved page.
Breakthrough discovery of a mechanism that protects neurons from dementia-causing plaques
19 March 2021
Our latest paper has been published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).
Rapid initiation of cell cycle reentry processes protects neurons from amyloid-β toxicity
This paper throws one of the long-standing theories for how Alzheimer’s disease develops over board and is therefore a major advance in the field.
To read more about the story, see article published on the Lighthouse:
New hope as research collaboration throws Alzheimer’s theory overboard
Congratulations to Our NHMRC Ideas Grant 2021 Recipients
18 Dec 2020
We are overjoyed with the outcomes of the NHMRC Ideas Grant commencing 2021. DRC has performed exceptionally well with two grants awarded to our members.
Professor Thomas Fath (Lead Chief Investigator); Dr Janet Van Eersel and Dr Magdalena Przybyla (Chief Investigators)
$1,252,244 for ‘Unraveling the molecular mechanism of tau spread in Alzheimer’s disease’
Associate Professor Yazi Ke (Lead Chief Investigator); Dr Annika Van Hummel and Dr Alexandra Daryl Ariawan (Chief Investigators)
$687,444 for ‘Targeting pathogenic TAR DNA-binding protein 43 to treat frontotemporal dementia and motor neuron disease’
A/Prof Yazi Ke Awarded with the Betty and John Laidlaw MND Research prize
24 Nov 2020
The most prestigious MND Research Australia grant - the Betty and John Laidlaw MND Research prize for an outstanding mid-career researcher, has been awarded to A/Prof Yazi Ke this year. A big congratulations to Yazi for such an achievement.
ARC Discover Project Grant 2021 Success
16 Nov 2021
We are very proud to announce the success of two ARC DP grants in DRC this year:
Prof Lars Ittner: Single-session Introduction of Mutations in Parallel Lines (SIMPL) $683,341
Dr Fabien Delerue (in collaboration with Professor John Mattick; Dr Timothy Mercer) Functional analysis of long noncoding RNAs expressed in the brain. $649,910
MQ Health Wellness Series - Living Well with Dementia
30 September 2020
Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia, with an estimate of 459,000 Australians living with dementia, and almost 1.6 million involved in the care of someone living with dementia (source: Dementia Australia).
The MQ Health Wellness Series focused on Living Well with Dementia this year to provide a deeper understanding of dementia and what you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones well.
Topics include:
- types of dementia
- early signs of onset
- strategies for prevention
- diagnosis and treatments
- maintaining health and wellness
Facilitated by Dr Heather Knox, GP and Lecturer in the Department of Clinical Medicine at Macquarie University, the webinar was jointly presented by MQ Health clinicians and academics
- Professor Lars Ittner, Research Professor and Director, Dementia Research Centre
- Dr Rowena Mobbs, Neurologist and Senior Lecturer, Department of Clinical Medicine
- Dr Adam Bentvelzen, Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychology Registrar
- Professor Viviana Wuthrich, Research Professor and Director, Centre for Ageing, Cognition and Wellbeing
Visit the event website to view the speaker bios.
Media Release - a ground-breaking treatment
30 July 2020
Australian Alzheimer's therapy breakthrough
We are very excited with the news release today on our ground-breaking treatment that could potentially reverse the impacts of memory loss in people suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In conjunction with the article published on the Lighthouse by Macquarie University and the release of the publication on Acta Neuropathologica, this marks a milestone in the quest for seeking a cure for Alzheimer's Disease at the Dementia Research Centre.
New hope as dementia therapy reverses memory loss
By The Lighthouse published on 30 July 2020
Reduction of advanced tau-mediated memory deficits by the MAP kinase p38γ
Published:
Arne Ittner, Prita Riana Asih, Amanda R. P. Tan, Emmanuel Prikas, Josefine Bertz, Kristie Stefanoska, Yijun Lin, Alexander M. Volkerling, Yazi D. Ke, Fabien Delerue & Lars M. Ittner
Acta Neuropathologica (2020)
EASI-CRISPR AND IGONAD WORKSHOP
by Genome Editing Macquarie (GEM)
Mar 2020
Regrettably, the EASI-CRISPR and IGONAD workshop scheduled in March 2020 by the Genome Editing Macquarie (GEM) has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Should you be interested in any future workshop, please contact Dr Fabien Delerue or refer to Genome Editing Macquarie web page.
Dr Adam Martin awarded in AMP Tomorrow Fund grants
Dec 2019
We are proud to share the news that our own Dr Adam Martin is among 37 amazing Australians set to make a positive impact through AMP’s annual $1 million Tomorrow Fund - an AMP Foundation annual grants program for “amazing Australians doing great things”.
Adam has developed an innovative way to grow neurons in order to discover the origins of Alzheimer’s disease. Until now, these neurons have been notoriously hard to grow in 3D, but the approach taken by Adam and the Dementia Research team may change that.
By growing primary neurons on brain-mimicking 3D scaffolds, Adam aims to provide an insight into Alzheimer’s progression and facilitate the next generation of dementia drug testing. This work may also one day enable doctors to test for dementia many years before it adversely impacts a person.
“It is predicted that by 2050, close to 1 million Australians will be living with dementia,” Adam said. “Currently, there is no effective treatment strategy to combat the progression of any dementia, so improving early diagnosis and the clinical translation of drugs used to treat dementia is vital.”
We thank AMP Foundation for the funding and welcome anyone who is interested in supporting the Dementia Research Centre to realise the vision of curing Alzheimer’s disease.
2019 Tomorrow Fund – Macquarie winners
DRC Special Seminar - Guest Speaker Dr Jean Giacomotto
Nov 2019
Thursday November 7th, 12:00-1:30 pm, FMHS Seminar Room 75 Talavera Road
Title: Innovative genetic and chemical genetics approaches for degenerative disease treatment
Dr Jean Giacomotto started his career in the pharmaceutical industry as an engineer (Sanofi-Aventis, Paris) where he worked at developing in vitro and cellular models of degenerative diseases for drug discovery. In 2011, he joined the Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) in Sydney under the mentoring of Prof Thomas Becker and Prof Max Bennett. At the BMRI, he developed an innovative genetic technology for easing disease modelling and drug discovery in zebrafish. He used this technology to recapitulate, for the first time in zebrafish, the different forms of the degenerative motor neuron disorder, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). In 2015, he joined the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI, Brisbane) where he is still working today at modelling, studying and trying to find treatments against degenerative and neurological disorders. In 2016, Dr Giacomotto received a Lecturer position at the Institute NeuroMyogène (Lyon, France) and has been recently awarded an NHMRC Investigator Fellowship (Emerging Leader).
For more information on his presentation, please see his abstract
Dementia Action Week 2019 will explore discrimination and dementia. Dementia Australia is calling on all Australians
to consider how discrimination impacts people living with dementia, their families and carers. Nobody chooses to have dementia but we can choose how we respond to the people in our lives and in our community who are living with dementia.
Understand more
Show your support
Come to the MQ Health BBQ event on 20 Sep
- Where: Outside Harley's Cafe at Macquarie University Hospital
- When: 12:00-1:30pm Friday 20 September
- Cost: $2 (Exact change is appreciated)
Participate in the nation wide survey
Leading Lights on Sunday Telegraph - Meet the Medicine Women
Sep 2019
Showcasing on the Sunday Telegraph on 16th September, Associate Professor Yazi Ke was among the few women being interviewed for their work on medical breakthroughs. They are the professors, physicians and scientists working on the cutting edge of medicine.
Watch online now at dailytelegraph.com.au "Women leading the way in medical and science research"
Run for Dementia Research
What an amazing finish with friends and families of the Dementia Research Centre!
Sep 2019
The Bridge Run event has given us an opportunity to find our way in campaigning for awareness in dementia research. In total we have 15 fundraisers who did wonderful jobs in raising nearly $6000 in a short period of time. We are truly grateful for everyone who made the donation and will ensure every dollars goes into funding for research in effective treatment for dementia.
We would also like to thank every participants, young and old, runners, walkers and volunteers, for being in the journey for the campaign. You are the reason that helps us continuing with what we believe in finding the cure for dementia.
Let's stay fit and keep running for dementia research. We will do this again in 2020!
Congratulations to Dr Arne Ittner for the $1.2 million NHMRC Investigator Grant awarded
Aug 2019
We congratulate Dr Arne Ittner who has been awarded a prestigious NHMRC Investigator Grant. Without doubt, Dr Arne Ittner's outstanding performance and track record has lead him to securing $1,243,558 in competitive funding for his program.
Arne's research aims to advance Alzheimer’s drug development by exploring the molecular origins of memory, potentially leading to a new therapeutic concept for how we may retain and restore memory in Alzheimer’s Disease. This research will directly contribute to the vision of the Dementia Research Centre to translate today's discoveries into tomorrow's treatments for dementia.
FoxG1 Foundation Cheque Presentation
Aug 2019
On Wednesday the Australian FoxG1 Foundation presented a cheque for $55,000 to the Macquarie Dementia Research Centre (DRC) as a contribution to the PhD scholarship awarded to Daniel Tan for his research on the rare genetic disorder “FoxG1 Syndrome”.
It was a heart-warming event where researchers and members of the Foundation shared their thoughts on the journey of finding a cure for FoxG1 patients. Mr Vivek Singha, father of the affected child voiced his sincere appreciation for the progress that has been made. The lead researcher, Dr Delerue, says the establishment of the DRC at the Macquarie University has made the research progress possible and he can now foresee therapeutic strategies being assessed in a preclinical setting.
Representing the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Associate-Dean Professor Roger Chung concluded by pointing out that we have the unique advantage of having a hospital in the Macquarie University precinct. This unique environment makes the vision of translating discoveries possible. More importantly, we embrace the MQ Health values of care and create hope. We act with deep respect and compassion for the dignity and diversity of our patients, staff, students and community.
The journey of the FoxG1 research is truly an example of advancement of medical research made possible with contributions by all stakeholders: the patients, the communities, the philanthropists, the scientists and the medical support.
We thank everyone who has contributed to the Australian FoxG1 Foundation to make a tangible difference in the life of FoxG1 patients.
DRC Special Seminar - Guest Speaker Dr Gunnar Poplawski
Thursday September 5th, 1:30-2:30 pm, FMHS Seminar Room 75 Talavera Road
Title: Strategies for the utilization of plasma-derived extracellular vesicle content in biomarker discovery for nerodegenerative diseases
Dr Gunnar Poplawski graduated from the University of Hamburg, Germany in 2005, and obtained his PhD in the University of California San Diego in USA. He is currently working in the University of Singapore as Senior Research Fellow.
Dr Poplawski's interest focuses on biomarker discovery in neurodegenerative diseases. His overarching career goals are to make significant contributions to the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration in order to develop novel and reliable diagnostic methods that accurately identify the disease state of individuals suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. Knowledge gained from these approaches will ultimately allow for the design of interventions that slow down the progression of neurodegeneration in humans.
See Dr Poplawski's abstract for more information.
Dementia Action Week 16-22 September - MQ Health BBQ
Theme: "Dementia doesn't discriminate. Do you?"
Joining the Dementia Australia campaign to raise dementia awareness, the Dementia Research Centre is inviting the community to come to the MQ Health BBQ on 20 September and participate in a nation wide survey about discrimination and dementia to gain important insights into this issue.
For more information, see Dementia Action Week Poster
Date & time: Friday September 20th 12:00 - 1:30pm
Location: Macquarie Hospital in front of the cafe
All are welcome!!
Speed Meeting with DRC Scientist at Powerhouse Museum
As a part of Sydney Science Week, DRC group leader Dr Adam Martin will be appearing at the Powerhouse Museum this Sunday the 11th of August from 10 am – 12 noon as a part of the Speed Meet A Scientist event. Be sure to head down to ask Adam about his research, all of the latest research news from within the Dementia Research Centre and just to have a chat in general! The event will feature a wide cross-section of scientists from chemistry to medicine to nuclear physics, so it is sure to have something for everybody. Hope to see you there!
Associate Professor Yazi Ke – Winner of the Young Alumni Achiever Award
As an alumni of the University of Sydney, Associate Prof Yazi Ke has been recognized with the University of Sydney Faculty of Science Young Achiever Award that honours their foremost thinkers and brightest achievers in the Awards Reception on 7 August 2019.
Associate Professor Yazi Ke currently holds a prestigious RD Wright Career Development Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council and is the Deputy Director of the Dementia Research Centre at Macquarie University. Her research focusses on understanding the cellular and molecular pathways leading to neurodegeneration in dementia, motor neuron disease and other related conditions. She has been published her work in top academic journals, including Science, Cell and Nature Communications.
Dementia Research Centre has officially launched
The recent success of the bipartite Dementia Research Centre launch in May has invigorated and propelled the team, full throttle, into its operations. The Dementia Research Centre was officially opened on the 15th May by Professor Patrick McNeil, Macquarie University’s Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The grand opening was curated at the charming Incubator building on Macquarie campus.
The opening of the Dementia Research Centre was endorsed on the night by distinguished guest speakers; Janice Besch, Director of the NHMRC National Institute of Dementia Research and Professor Jillian Kril, an internationally recognised neuropathologist. Professor and Centre Director, Lars Ittner, detailed the Centre’s vision, values and ambition. Team members also greatly valued meeting their patrons and leading collaborators from Australia’s most renowned institutes.
The grand opening was followed the next day by the Scientific Meeting, which drew together a network of more than 80 academics. Presentations were given by 14 prominent Dementia researchers from across Australia. The centre appreciates the reception it has received, and we are grateful for the support, presence and discussion brought by all attendees across both days. Having now settled and celebrated, we direct our attention towards advancing our research, with the end goal of improving patient health.
Dementia Research Centre grand opening
Wed 15 May | 3pm – 6pm | The Incubator, Macquarie University 2113
We are proud to announce the official launch of the Dementia Research Centre of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Macquarie University on Wed 15 May.
We will share the vision of the Dementia Research Centre, and exciting research opportunities dedicated to the development of new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of Dementia.
Read more about the Dementia Research Centre.
Dementia Research Centre scientific meeting
Thur 16 May | 9am – 4pm | MUSE building, Macquarie University 2113
You are warmly invited to the first Dementia Research Centre Scientific Meeting on 16 May to celebrate the launch of our new Dementia Research Centre. The program includes presentations from more than a dozen leading scientists in dementia research in Australia. You will have opportunities to discuss and network with researchers from various institutes.