Macquarie University Motor Neurone Disease Research Centre in Sydney, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Macquarie University Motor Neurone Disease Research Centre

Locality: Sydney, Australia

Address: Macquarie University 2109 Sydney, NSW, Australia

Website:

Likes: 2551

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Non-profit organisation

25.01.2022 Interested in learning more about MND genetics tomorrow night ? Register for MND Australia's State of Play Webinar Series called Genes: causes and treatments for MND, as part of #MNDWeek21. First up, our own Dr Emily McCann will be discussing the history of MND gene discovery and how we identify novel MND genes at the Centre. Following this, Professor Anthony Akkari will talk about how gene discoveries are translated into therapeutic Developments. There will then be a gr...eat chance for you to ask them questions in the Q&A session! Register: https://bit.ly/3nwE3ZF Wednesday, 5 May @ 7pm AEST

24.01.2022 Let us introduce you to Dr. Vanessa Tan, Research Fellow from the Neuroinflammation and Neurotoxicity Group. Working as a research assistant, Vanessa was part of the first cohort of researchers that started at the Centre in 2013, where she first began her learning journey about this devastating disease. Vanessa then committed to dedicate her scientific career to fighting MND from the laboratory, I felt that science knew too little about MND, its causes and the factors tha...t affect it she says. Vanessa is currently investigating biomarkers (measurable biological characteristics such as proteins found in blood) that can help us to determine different disease subtypes of MND and give a clear indication of the rate of disease progression, in the hopes that biomarkers will allow clinicians to have a consistent and more reliable way to measure disease progression. She is also studying the role of environmental factors in MND, such as a neurotoxin named BMAA, which is present in algae commonly found in water sources world-wide. She is working to determine if BMAA contributes to the cause of MND, and the potential mechanisms behind how BMAA causes toxicity that can lead to MND. Vanessa has not only battled MND from the lab bench. She was also involved in establishing the Neurodegenerative Disease Biobank and has had the amazing opportunity to work with patients from Macquarie’s MND Clinic: The clinic and biobank have always been a soft spot for me, as meeting the patients, and chatting to them about our research at the Centre is how it reminds me that our work is important, and how we can make a difference! When not working in the lab or the clinic, Vanessa loves baking. It is her very own lab at home. The most popular requests are her chocolate tart and the carrot cake, even though she’s not a big fan of the latter: I don’t like carrot cake, but everyone else does!. Well, definitely count us in for a slice of carrot cake! Vanessa is determined to make a significant contribution to our knowledge of the disease: The understanding of MND is really behind times, and we should really know more about it!. We know you’re making a big difference Vanessa! You can find out more about Dr. Tan’s work at: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/vanessa-tan-2

23.01.2022 Meet our PhD Candidate and casual academic staff, Hannah Suddull from the Neuro-Improve group. After completion of her Master of Research at Macquarie University in 2016, Hannah first took on the position of Research Assistant within the group. In this new role, Hannah utilised her expertise in proteomics (protein analysis), obtained from her previous Masters work which investigated drug-target interactions within a cancer model in the Department of Science and Engineering at... Macquarie. During this time, the environment and research culture maintained across the Centre for MND Research inspired Hannah to continue her studies and pursue a PhD in MND research. Hannah’s PhD has been generously funded by The Australian Rotary Health, Alaine Davidson PhD Scholarship. Hannah uses exploratory proteomics techniques to identify potential biomarkers found in patient plasma which can be informative for MND diagnosis, prognosis and patient treatment monitoring. Hannah hopes that her research will speed up the diagnostic process for MND patients, allowing for earlier intervention, and improve patient monitoring and outcomes. This will not only benefit patients but their families, practitioners and carers or support workers. In addition to her dedication to her own studies, Hannah is also passionate about training the next generation of researchers in her role as a tutor and demonstrator for undergraduate students. Outside the lab you will always find Hannah with a hot cup of tea. Find out more about Hannah’s research: https://australianrotaryhealth.org.au/hannah-suddull/ https://twitter.com/HSuddull

22.01.2022 The recipient of the prestigious MNDRA Bill Gole Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Dr Jenn Fifita needs no introduction. In 2013, Jenn moved from the ANZAC Research Institute to Macquarie University as one of the inaugural members of our Centre. For over 11 years, Jenn has dedicated the entirety of her research career to working on the genetic aetiology of MND, during which she also completed a PhD in 2017 with the Genetics and Genomics group. She has developed a unique multi...disciplinary approach to identifying novel gene mutations that cause familial MND, and gene variants that can cause or influence sporadic MND. She then models these genetic changes in human cells and in animals to understand how exactly these mutations cause disease. In doing so, Jenn hopes that one day, the complete genetic picture of MND will make personalised medicine a viable option for everyone living with MND. When she’s not trying to solve the puzzle that familial and sporadic MND presents, Jenn, who is a massive fan of musicals, is probably singing her heart out Check out the link below to find out more about what Jenn is currently working on! https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/jenn-fifita

22.01.2022 The wonderful Firies Climb for Motor Neurone Disease team won’t let 2020 get in their way! Join them in the #1504forMND challenge this November to raise awareness and funds for #MND research at our Centre! As always, we send our greatest thanks and gratitude to the Firies team and everyone who gets involved. Your continued support means everything to us!

22.01.2022 This week we’d like you to meet Sandrine Chan Moi Fat, a second year PhD candidate from our Genetics and Genomics group. Sandrine hails from Mauritius, a tiny island boasting beautiful beaches in the middle of the Indian Ocean, to which her grandparents journeyed to all the way from China to escape the war in the early 1900’s. Growing up in Mauritius, Sandrine completed her education speaking Creole and French, and after finishing at the top of her class was awarded the prest...igious State of Mauritius Scholarship, which allowed her to embark on her own adventure and travel to Australia to attend university. Originally having completed a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Psychology, Sandrine made the leap across to science for her Master of Research after hearing a guest lecture in her final year by her now PhD supervisor Professor Ian Blair, which piqued her interest in untangling the genetic basis of MND. After completing a stellar Masters project within the team, Sandrine stayed on to pursue her PhD and continue her research. Sandrine combines innovative computational and laboratory techniques to sift through genomic data from more than 600 Australians affected by MND as part of her search for novel genetic causes of the disease. By identifying and investigating novel MND-linked genes, Sandrine hopes to contribute her piece of the puzzle to the international team effort to one day elucidate all the missing genetic causes of MND. Genetic research like Sandrine’s has historically laid the foundation for improving our understanding of the disease mechanisms underlying MND and also paves the way to identifying effective therapeutic treatments to beat MND. Check out the link below to find out more about Sandrine and her research! https://researchers.mq.edu.au//perso/sandrine-chan-moi-fat

19.01.2022 To show their support of Firies Climb for Motor Neurone Disease, three researchers from our MND Centre, Dr Alison Hogan (zebrafish models of MND, Genetics and Genomics group), Dr Lyndal Henden (bioinformatician, Genomics & Bioinformatics group) and Dr Sarah Furlong (Manager of the Neurodegenerative Diseases biobank) put on their walking shoes to complete the #1504forMND challenge last Friday! Lyndal, Sarah and Alison (pictured from front to back) walked 15.04kms from the Spit bridge to Manly, taking in the beauty of Sydney and enjoying some great weather. The team decided to take up the challenge, on behalf of all of us at the MND Centre, to lend their support to such an important cause and great event! https://1504.firiesclimbformnd.org.au/page/SarahFurlong

19.01.2022 We’d like you to meet Ashley Crook, a Senior Genetic Counsellor at MQ Health Neurology, whilst simultaneously pursuing her PhD studies at the University of Technology Sydney. Ashley began her career working in public hospital genetics clinics where she first met people affected by familial MND, an experience which stoked her interest to specialise in MND. Ashley jumped at the chance to join Professor Dominic Rowe and his team at the multidisciplinary MND clinic at Macquarie i...n 2015 as the team’s very first genetic counsellor. The Centre for MND Research and MQ Health Neurology work closely together to fight MND, linked by the Neurodegenerative Disease Biobank. In this role Ashley has guided countless patients through the process of understanding the genetic underpinnings of their condition by providing the knowledge and support they need to navigate this emotional process. Driven by her passion to improve and streamline patient care, Ashley was awarded the Graham Lang Memorial MND Research Grant in 2017 by MNDRA to embark on her research journey to arm her with the insights required to bring her vision to fruition. Following this success, Ashley commenced a PhD, where she is currently developing and improving models of care in genetic counselling for MND as well as FTD, focusing on both patients and their family members. Genetic testing can raise several issues for the person with MND/FTD and their relatives she says, citing emotional, practical and ethical reasons. As such, Ashley hopes that her research will lead to models that will improve care for those individuals deciding whether to proceed with genetic testing. She is optimistic that these new care models will be extremely beneficial for MND patients and their families, both in Australia and across the globe. While pursuing her research studies, Ashley remains an important member of the clinical team at Macquarie in an advisory role. When not working in the clinic or on her research, Ashley enjoys getting crafty and you can find her sewing, knitting, woodworking or baking bread. You can find out more about Ashley`s work at: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/ashley-crook @Ashley__Crook on Twitter

19.01.2022 Time to meet Postdoctoral research fellow from the Cellular Neurobiology group, Dr. Anna Konopka! Anna comes all the way from Warsaw, Poland where she completed her PhD at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology. Anna’s passion for research shines through in her hard work investigating DNA damage and repair mechanisms involved in motor neuron disease. She hopes that restoring defunct DNA repair mechanisms may be able to halt or even reverse the neurodegeneration that cau...ses MND, the disease that stole her grandmother away from her family. Outside of the lab, you can find Anna carving up the waves on her surfboard (or at least learning to). If you want to learn more about Anna or how she’s accelerating MND research, you can read about her work at https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/anna-konopka https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-konopka-4b635517/

16.01.2022 Check out this study by Dr Pooja Mishra and colleagues from the CERVO Brain Research Centre in Quebec, Canada. It provides comprehensive evidence for transmission of MND by studying patient spinal fluid in an MND mouse model based on TDP-43, a critical MND protein. Researchers have studied fluid that surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord, called cerebrospinal fluid, from MND patients in attempts to discover a biological marker allowing assessment of disease onset ...and progression. This led to the discovery that ALS patient spinal fluid could contain toxic factors that enables the transmission of the disease. Dr Pooja investigated this in a TDP-43 mouse model that does not develop MND-characteristics. After infusing these mice with spinal fluid from sporadic MND patients, the group observed key MND-like characteristics, such as neuron death, abnormalities of the MND critical TDP-43 protein, including clumping and changes to its location within neurons, increased levels of inflammation in brain cells, and motor dysfunction. The group also found that protein and metabolic pathways that are typically dysregulated in MND were also significantly altered in these mice. Interestingly, normal mice infused with CSF from sporadic MND patients developed mild motor dysfunction without significant TDP-43 abnormalities. This suggests two things. Firstly, MND patient spinal fluid can promote transmission of the disease. Secondly, the severity of MND-like characteristics might depend on the existing amount of TDP-43 as these normal mice only produce mouse TDP-43. This unique mouse model can be used to efficiently test a drug’s ability to neutralise the toxicity of spinal fluid from MND patients, enabling more rapid drug development. Note: All animal research is conducted under strict ethical conditions. See more

15.01.2022 Congratulations to Natalie Grima who received the MNDRA PhD Top-Up Scolarship! Natalie has been working as a research assistant at the Centre since 2018, and is now ready to pursue her PhD with the Genomics and Bioinformatics group. We can’t wait to see all the great things she will discover during her studies!

14.01.2022 DNA contains our genetic information, so its integrity is essential to life. However, DNA is constantly under threat from damage, which if not repaired, leads to mutations. DNA repair mechanisms are therefore very important for the cell and defects in this process underlie several human diseases. In the latest study from the Cellular Neurobiology team led by Professor Julie Atkin, Dr Anna Konopka found that one of the most central proteins in MND, TDP-43, performs an essent...ial role in DNA repair. However, in MND, this function is compromised, leading to the accumulation of DNA damage. This study therefore provides new insights into the disease process of MND. https://molecularneurodegeneration.biomedcentral.com//s130

13.01.2022 A big thank you to Kev for your hard work and dedication to the Firies Climb for MND for the past 6 years, we couldn't do what we do without selfless people like yourself! The climb is a tremendous event and we are so grateful to all the firies who make the climb, the generous donors and all the volunteers who get involved in any way whether it be big or small!

10.01.2022 As 2020 draws to a close we want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has supported our centre throughout the year in any way, shape or form. We are tremendously grateful to all the patients who so selflessly participate in our research, our generous donors who have dug deep into their pockets to contribute whatever they can, our fundraisers who have stepped up and gotten involved in various events throughout the year and everyone who has engaged with us on socia...l media through likes, shares and comments! Whether big or small your support does not go unnoticed and we are so grateful to every person in the MND community for rallying behind the work that we do. We wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season, and though things may look a little different this year hopefully we can all enjoy cherished time with loved ones. Watch this space in 2021 to hear about the exciting new research we have in store and meet some more of our amazing researchers working hard to beat MND!

09.01.2022 Registration for #1504forMND this November is open ! Every year, the Firies Climb for Motor Neurone Disease raise awareness and funds for #MND research at our Centre. With everything going on this year the team behind the climb have gotten creative and come up with a new challenge we can all do safely while social distancing, but still embracing our community spirit! This year, you and your mates can participate too by completing your own physical challenge that revolves ar...ound the number 1504. Once again, we are deeply humbled by the continued support and generosity of the Firies team and everyone who gets involved. Thank you! P.S. Get in quick, as only the first 400 registrants in Australia get a free commemorative t-shirt!

08.01.2022 Meet our Master of Research student, Nicholas Kakaroubas, from the Neurodegeneration Treatment group. Nicholas completed his undergraduate degree in Science majoring in Genetics at UNSW. During his degree, Nicholas was a part of the 2018 UNSW iGEM team where they travelled to Boston, USA to present their research, winning gold for their work in synthetic biology. Nicholas’ interest in MND developed as he learnt about the challenges in the field which sparked a desire to us...e his varied skillset to take a multidisciplinary approach to understanding MND. Currently, as part of his Master’s project, Nicholas is creating and validating a zebrafish model to investigate the role of stress granule localisation in MND. These little structures are formed in cells when they are under stress in order to protect important proteins from damage. Stress granules are an important part of MND pathogenesis, yet they still have not been fully characterised. Nicholas hopes that through the creation and validation of new zebrafish models, he can further understand stress granules, and their role in MND. Outside of the lab, you can find Nicholas collecting comics to unwind. You can find out more about Nicholas and his work at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholaskakaroubas/

06.01.2022 #1504forMND has wrapped up, with over $22000 raised!! It’s been great to watch people all over the country getting creative in how they got involved in the event this year, and we’re already looking forward to next year when we can hopefully see another climb in action! All of us here at the Centre want to say a huge heartfelt thank you to Firies Climb for Motor Neurone Disease and everyone who got involved either by taking up the challenge, donating or promoting the cause in any way they were able to. Here is a special message from Prof Dom Rowe, Head of the MND Clinic here at Macquarie University.

06.01.2022 A World Without MND Webinar Join us tomorrow night for a live webinar from Macquarie University's Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research and Clinic on our recent ground-breaking research, findings and successes. The webinar will begin with an update from Professor Dominic Rowe on the Clinic’s two clinical trials, and the new potential drugs in development. You will also hear updates from Professor Gilles Guillemin on the Centre's work into potential environmental factors, ...an update from Dr Angela Laird on the zebrafish work, and an overview from Rosie Fell on the Clinic's work in genetic counselling. It will conclude with a Q&A for an opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Our vision is a world without MND. Our mission is to provide world-class care for people living with MND and to develop new effective treatments for this devastating disease. A World Without MND Webinar Thursday 29 April 2021 7pm - 8:30pm AEDT Register to get the zoom link: https://event.mq.edu.au/mnd-webi/registration/Site/Register

06.01.2022 Introducing Sharlynn Wu, PhD candidate from our Genetics and Genomics group. This avid video game streamer ventured from Singapore to Australia in 2014 to complete her undergraduate studies at The University of Sydney, and then undertook an Honours year investigating neurons in a worm called C. elegans. Sharlynn then joined our Centre in 2018 to complete a Masters project combining her passion for both genetics and neuroscience. Sharlynn has now embarked on a PhD journey, ext...ending this project to investigate the cumulative effects of an MND risk factor gene together with two additional novel gene mutations discovered by the Genetics Team in an Australian family affected by MND. Sharlynn models the effects of these genetic changes using cells in the lab to determine whether they induce cellular anomalies that are indicative of MND. This includes using skin cells donated by an individual affected by MND that have been reprogrammed into neuron cells. Soon, Sharlynn will replicate this work using zebrafish and is also working on a way to wriggle in a C. elegans component to the project. Sharlynn hopes that this research will not only further our understanding of the disease mechanisms underlying MND, but that these discoveries will be translated to the clinic to help individuals and families affected by MND understand the cause of this devastating disease. Check out the links below to find out more about Sharlynn’s research and follow along with her PhD adventures! https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/sharlynn-wu Twitter: @SciencySharlynn

05.01.2022 It’s time for our annual wrap-up! Despite the challenges that 2020 presented, everyone at the Centre persevered and the numbers show it Applying for grants is extremely competitive, so congratulations to all recipients! Of course, grants alone are not enough to fuel our research. Nothing would be possible without contributions from individuals across the MND community including our clinical team, philanthropists, fundraisers and, last but certainly not least, patients and their families. We will continue to do our utmost to put a stop to this terrible disease! Here’s a snapshot of some of our successes:

05.01.2022 Our 3rd Macquarie Neurodegeneration Meeting is on next month. It's an opportunity for neuroscientists to showcase their research and to stimulate conversation. Our aim is to foster collaboration to develop treatments for diseases including motor neuron disease and other degenerative brain disorders. Abstract submission closes this Thursday October 1st. Lots of opportunities for oral and ePoster presentations plus ECR and student prizes up for grabs! Hear from world-leading in...ternational neuroscientists Professors Ammar Al-Chalabi (KCL) and Flaviano Giorgini (UoL) from the UK, and Professor Neil Cashman (UBC) in Canada. You'll also have the chance to learn about groundbreaking neuroscience research going on right here in Australia from Professors Anna King and Colin Masters, Dr Arne Ittner and our own Professor Gilles Guillemin. https://www.mq.edu.au//macquarie-university-cen/conference

04.01.2022 Did someone say genetics? Well then let us introduce you to Dr. Emily McCann, Postdoc at the Genetics and Genomics Group. Emily is the 2020 recipient of the prestigious MNDRA Beryl Bayley Postdoctoral Fellowship, and was just named Rising Star in Research at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University. Go Emily! Proud owner of the the cutest beagle x foxhound puppy named Dexter, Emily has been part of the Macquarie University family for some time now, ...finishing her Bachelor’s in Medical Sciences where she fell in love with everything related to genetics. Inspired by the passion and work of her colleagues at the Genetics and Genomics lab, Emily joined the group to finish her Master of Research and work as a Research assistant before pursuing her PhD at the Macquarie MND Research Centre. Emily defines MND as a "complex puzzle made up of numerous physiological and environmental factors, most of which remain unknown". Her research seeks to fit some of the pieces of that puzzle by searching through the genomes of people affected by MND, to find genetic mutations that cause or increase the risk of developing the disease, as well as other genetic changes that influence the symptoms experienced by each patient. Emily hopes that her research will contribute to the development of genetic profiling strategies that can be used to determine the most effective treatment plans and therapeutic interventions for each person living with MND. Keep up the great work Emily! And please, show us a photo of your puppy You can learn more about Emily’s work in this link: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/emily-mccann, and follow her on Twitter: @emily__mccann

02.01.2022 Meet our PhD candidate, Andrés Vidal-Itriago, from the Neuroimaging & Degeneration group. Andrés is a seasoned globetrotter, having lived in five different countries, including Spain, where he completed his Master’s degree in Translational Medicine at the University of Barcelona. Andrés relocated to Sydney from Amsterdam in 2018 to join our Centre and devote himself to MND research. Andres investigates the role of microglia, the housekeepers of the nervous system and their r...esponse to neurodegeneration. He uses zebrafish, a small transparent fish that allows him to see real-time what is happening inside their brain which has lots of similarities to the human brain. In this way, he can obtain close-up recordings of how microglia interact with neurons undergoing degeneration. Andres hopes that his research will make an important contribution to our understanding of MND, giving insights into the important role of non-neuronal cells during the onset and progression of the disease. You can find out more about Andrés and his work at: https://researchers.mq.edu.au//persons/andres-vidal-itriago Twitter: @vidalitriago Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/avidalitriago

02.01.2022 We loving seeing so many people getting involved in the #1504forMND challenge! It is especially inspiring to see amazing individuals living with MND making the enormous effort to take part themselves. We take our hats off to you Tania thank you for your tremendous support and being such a fantastic ambassador for the cause!

01.01.2022 We’d like you to meet Sina Shadfar, a Research Associate from the Cellular Neurobiology Group. Sina hails from Iran, and completed his Master’s degree in neuropharmacology at the College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University in South Korea, where he began his journey in neurodegeneration research by studying the role of neurotrophic factors in both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Sina then ventured to Sydney to join the Centre in 2017 and undertake his PhD - which he has just... submitted for examination this week! Sina and his team have shown that DNA damage is an emerging and important mechanism triggering pathological features associated with MND. As part of his PhD project, he found that a novel small molecule could protect DNA from undergoing damage that was induced by mutated proteins resulting from ALS gene mutations. Sina hopes that preventing DNA damage might be a promising strategy to halt neurodegeneration in MND. To aid his research, Sina was awarded the competitive Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and International Brain Organization's Young Investigator training award in 2018. When he’s not in the lab, Sina can be found unwinding with a cup of black tea to recharge his batteries. You can learn more about Sina’s work at: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/sina-shadfar.

01.01.2022 Meet our protein expert Dr Albert Lee, leader of the Neuroproteomics team within the Neuro-IMPROVE group and senior lecturer. Albert earned his PhD at Macquarie University in 2011, before travelling to the USA to kick-start his research career. His first position was at the New York University’s School of Medicine, before moving to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore where he worked on promoting the survival of neurons upon stress while undertaking a Nati...onal Institute of Health postdoctoral fellowship. He was then recruited back to Macquarie to join our Centre in 2014 to establish and lead the Neuroproteomics program. Albert uses proteomics (analysis of all the proteins, or proteome, in our cells) to better understand what cellular processes are impaired by different factors contributing to the cause of MND, such as gene mutations or environmental stresses. Albert believes that this holistic approach of analysing the whole proteome will be key to unlocking these specific cellular processes in motor neurons. His ultimate goal is to find proteins and related processes that play a role in motor neuron death, and to understand how these can be used to reduce or prevent motor neuron damage from occurring. Albert and his family have personally been touched by MND, and his passion for his work shines through when describing the motivation behind his research - What some may not know is that MND is presently an incurable disease. With modern medicine, there are still no treatments that can stop or even slow down the progression of MND. From my perspective, this is unacceptable. This fundamental problem is what drives what I do in medical research and pushes me to find the causes of MND and potential therapeutic targets I intend on dedicating my research career to contribute, however big or small, to those living with MND. You can follow Albert and his team on Twitter (@ChungNeuro), or learn more about his work at https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/albert-lee