The 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.
Non-invasive imaging technology, such as our new 3 Tesla MRI scanner, has made it possible for us to study the brain in situ. We can see live changes in brain activity and blood flow, determine brain chemistry and structure - all while our subject is lying down!
Brain researchers, no less than geographers, need maps and coordinate systems to navigate the brain and communicate their observations to each other. On a map of the brain we can superimpose types of neurons, neurotransmitters, enzymes, and connectivity and functional data. We are continuing to develop and refine brain atlases of humans and experimental animals which are used internationally as the standard guides for scientific work and are also used by neurosurgeons to target small deep lying structures in the brain.
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.
Paxinos Group Brain researchers, no less than geographers, need maps and coordinate systems to navigate the brain and communicate their observations to each other. |
