ForeFront

RESEARCH CENTRE

About us

ForeFront provides a unique combination of clinical and laboratory-based research which together aim to unravel the mechanisms behind frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and motor neurone disease (MND) and help to develop effective treatments.

ForeFront comprises two government funded research groups across four themes:

FTD and MND NHMRC Program grant

Neuropathology
Animal modelling and cellular/molecular biology
Neurological research clinics

Memory node of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders

Cognition and neuroimaging

Who’s involved?

Neuropathology

What regions and cell types are vulnerable? What proteins are affected?

Prof Glenda Halliday and Professor Jillian Kril

Animal modelling and cellular/molecular biology

What proteins are toxic and how do they cause pathogenesis? What cells are vulnerability and how can we prevent this?
Professor Jürgen Götz and Assoc. Professor Lars Ittner

Clinical

How does the disease spread through the brain? How can we develop identification tools and test symptomatic treatments?

Prof John Hodges and Prof Matthew Kiernan

Cognition and neuroimaging

What brain functions are impaired? What brain areas are impaired and which functions do they subserve?

Assoc Professor Olivier Piguet and Dr Michael Hornberger

For more information on the clinical aspects of these disease click here

For more information on the laboratory-based research on these diseases click here

See what’s going on at NeuRA

FEEL THE BUZZ IN THE AIR? US TOO.

The importance of medical research - Professor Peter Schofield AO

On August 11 2019, 54 people took on the City2Surf for Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA). The event is the world’s largest fun run with 80,000 participants taking on the 14km course, which stretches from Hyde Park in central Sydney to the iconic Bondi Beach. NeuRA thanks all of its fundraisers, who raised an incredible $30,903. This funding will further NeuRA’s […]

Gabrielle Hunter

NeuRA BLOG: Team NeuRA at the City2Surf 2019

During three decades on Australian television, two simple words brought us to attention.

‘Hello daaaahling’. Outrageous, flamboyant, iconic – Jeanne Little captivated Australians everywhere with her unique style, cockatoo shrill voice and fashion sense. "Mum wasn't just the life of the party, she was the party.” Katie Little, Jeanne’s daughter remembers. This icon of Australian television brought a smile into Australian homes. Tragically, today Jeanne can't walk, talk or feed herself. She doesn't recognise anyone, with a random sound or laugh the only glimpse of who she truly is. Jeanne Little has Alzheimer's disease. The 1,000 Brains Study NeuRA is very excited to announce the 1,000 Brains Study, a ground-breaking research project to identify the elements in our brains that cause life-changing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other dementias. This study will focus on the key unresolved question: why do some of us develop devastating neurodegenerative diseases, while others retain good brain health? The study will compare the genomes of people who have reached old age with healthy brains against the genomes of those who have died from neurodegenerative diseases, with post mortem examination of brain tissue taking place at NeuRA’s Sydney Brain Bank. More information on the study can be found here. Will you please support dementia research and the 1,000 Brains Study and help drive the future of genetics research in Australia? https://youtu.be/q7fTZIisgAY

NSW Falls Prevention Network Forum 2020

Support Rhonda Burchmore & help NeuRA’s research

Poor sleep, neurovascular injury and cognitive decline

Sleep is a fundamental biological requirement for human health. Poor sleep quality and increased sleep fragmentation increases the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. More specifically, poor sleep quality is considered to be an underlying cause of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), a common feature of the ageing brain that affects the small vessels of the brain. It is a slowly progressing disease that gradually lead to cognitive impairment, physical disabilities and emotion change with ageing. The sleep-related mechanisms promoting CSVD are not yet clear, but it is thought that marked increases in blood pressure and heart rate via activation of the sympathetic nervous system that occurred during sleep arousals in ageing people is a key factor. Because sleep quality decreases with normal ageing, and older adults take longer to fall asleep, have lighter sleep and more frequent arousals that fragment sleep, the primary aim of this project is to determine the role of nocturnal cardiovascular surges in the development of small vessel vasculopathy in CSVD that leads to pre-clinical neurological dysfunction.

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