The Institute is dedicated to fundamental and clinical neuroscience research. Our outstanding medical research initiatives are founded on excellence in research leadership and will accelerate discovery and redefine neuroscience to reduce the global burden of disease. The overall theme is research at the interface between basic and clinical studies. Research programs are in neurological sciences and diseases, an area of strength in Australian medical research. The Institute has an established record of research leadership in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other dementias, stroke, spinal cord and nerve injury, child injury in car accidents, pain mechanisms, vestibular function and falls, especially in the elderly, neural regulation of autonomic function and breathing and macular degeneration and blindness.
The Institute continues to develop new research programs using molecular, cellular and genetic approaches to our existing research strengths in neurological disease, especially in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. We have also undertaken a strategic expansion into research on the major psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.
Ageing & NeurodegenerationNeurodegeneration is the process by which a part, or parts, of the brain die as a result of trauma, such as a brain injury, or as a result of a disease process. |
Brain Function & ImagingThe brain is a secretive organ. It hides deep within the bony plates of the skull and is so intrinsically bound up with the person to whom it belongs that study of the organ itself can be problematic. |
Mental IllnessThere has been a rapid realisation that mental illness is responsible for one of the largest disease burdens in Australia. |
Neural InjuryInjury is the leading cause of death for people under 45 years of age. Injuries to the nervous system, such as brain and spinal cord injuries, are particularly devastating - often leading to lifelong disability. |
Sensation, Movement, Falls & BalanceSensory receptors reside in virtually every part of the body. They are responsive to different stimuli and provide the brain and spinal cord with information about our internal environment and about the world around us. |