School of Animal Biology
Futher Information
Other animal biology research areas
Neurological conditions make up one third of global disease burden, yet there are few effective treatments.
We aim to understand brain structure and function with the goal of promoting functional recovery in various neurological conditions including developmental brain disorders, traumatic injury and neurodegenerative diseases.
Research areas
Abnormal brain development
The brain is a highly complex organ and errors that arise while circuits are being formed during development can lead to conditions such as cerebral palsy, schizophrenia, epilepsy, mental retardation, autism and dyslexia.
We aim to understand how abnormal circuits arise and how they can be corrected using noninvasive therapies such as pulsed magnetic fields.
Leaders
Neurotrauma
Traumatic brain and spinal cord injury results in immediate loss of brain tissue and function as well as progressive damage to surrounding intact tissue that escaped the initial injury.
We aim to understand mechanisms underpinning progressive secondary degeneration and to test a variety of therapies to prevent the spread of such damage. Therapies include red light, antioxidants and drugs that prevent abnormal ionic fluxes.
Leaders
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurological condition in Australia, after dementia. It is characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms that significantly reduce quality of life. The underlying pathology is the degeneration of the dopaminergic substantia nigra neurons.
Our research has two interconnecting foci:
- applying developmental biology principles to the development of neuro-protective/restorative treatment approaches (i.e. stem cell replacement therapies)
- defining subtypes of PD by profiling cognitive, affective and motor deficits.
Leaders
Clinical trials for spinal cord injury
Spinal Cord Injury and Physical Activity (SCIPA) is a program involving spinal units in Australia and New Zealand that is running three multicentre randomised controlled trials. We are testing whether exercising the paralysed limbs using innovative technology can help promote neural recovery in surviving neural circuits as well as improve overall health and quality of life.
Leaders