NeuRA (Neuroscience Research Australia)

Falls might be more common as we age – but they aren't inevitable. Recent falls involving celebrity chef Maggie Beer, former Olympian Dawn Fraser, and US politician Nancy Pelosi have made headlines, highlighting a growing concern as fall rates continue to rise. NeuRA Senior Principal Research Scientist and Director of Innovation and Translation at the Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, Professor Kim Delbaere, spoke with The Australian’s Fiona Harari about why falls are on the rise — and, more importantly, how we can reduce our risk. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eZbpVi7F

We are very proud to share that Professor Sylvia Gustin from NeuRA and UNSW Science, together with Associate Professor Dr Matthew A. Brodie from UNSW Engineering and Professor Jane Butler from NeuRA and UNSW Medicine & Health, has been awarded a $2.154 million grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) under its Ideas Grant scheme. This funding will support the development of a novel intervention that combines haptic virtual reality with spinal cord neuromodulation to restore touch perception in people with complete paraplegia. Professor Gustin’s previous research provided the first objective evidence of "dis-complete" spinal cord injury (disc-SCI), revealing that, contrary to prior belief, touch signals can still reach the brain in some individuals with complete SCI. This discovery challenges long-held assumptions that all communication between the body and brain is severed in complete SCI, showing that the brain can still receive sensory signals. It marks a major shift in understanding SCI, demonstrating that even when touch sensation is absent, sensory information from areas like the toes can still reach the brain. The NHMRC’s Ideas Grant scheme supports innovative research projects aimed at addressing specific health questions. The scheme fosters creative research, supports researchers at all career stages, and promotes health and medical research from discovery to implementation.

Are you ready to shape the future of neuroscience? NeuRA's Sensory Bionics and Motor Control Laboratory is seeking highly motivated, talented individuals to join our interdisciplinary team and pursue a PhD in human neurosciences to uncover the neural code. Why join us? You will have the opportunity to train in microneurography, a rare and cutting-edge technique available in only a few laboratories worldwide, enabling single-neuron recordings in human subjects. Our team conducts research investigating sensory encoding, perception, and motor control, with applications extending to hand prostheses, cochlear implants, robotics, high-performance sports, elderly slip prevention, diabetic neuropathy, and more. The successful candidate will receive a scholarship of $43,438 per year, as well as fully funded opportunities to attend international conferences and present research findings. How to apply: For the first round of admissions, please send your CV, Academic Transcript and a cover letter addressing the selection criteria by 15 January 2025. We are looking for suitable candidates throughout 2025, so please contact us to enquire about future opportunities if you plan to apply later in the year! Apply now: https://lnkd.in/gdR8YMmt

We’re so excited to announce that Professor Jane Butler, Senior Principal Research Scientist and Co-Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Research Centre at NeuRA, is the latest guest on the Hearts and Minds Podcast! In this episode, Professor Butler chats with Hearts & Minds CEO, Paul Rayson, about her journey from aspiring pilot to neuroscientist and researcher. She shares her passion for understanding how the brain and nervous system control movement and essential functions like breathing — and how this knowledge is being used to transform the lives of people living with spinal cord injury. During her conversation, Professor Butler also highlights NeuRA's pioneering research initiatives, including the eWalk and Get a Grip trials, both part of Project Spark — a collaboration between NeuRA,  SpinalCure Australia and Spinal Cord Injuries Australia. Watch the full episode here on our YouTube Channel: https://lnkd.in/eDu5sdnY or via Spotify https://lnkd.in/eYTxZ3ce Hearts and Minds Investments Limited (ASX: HM1)

Should age determine how long we can drive? Staying socially connected and maintaining independence is closely tied to the ability to drive — but how old is too old to be behind the wheel? Professor Kaarin Anstey, Senior Principal Research Scientist at NeuRA and Director of the UNSW Ageing Futures Institute, spoke with The Australian Womens Weekly on the latest research on age-related physical and cognitive changes, including how they can impact our ability to drive safely. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gnzc4Xe3

Earlier this week, Australian Olympic legend Dawn Fraser suffered a fall and is now recovering after emergency surgery. Unfortunately, her experience is becoming more common, with falls now the leading cause of injury-related hospitalisations in Australia, costing our health system billions each year. In 2022-23 alone, the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW) reported over half a million injury-related hospitalisations around the country, with falls being a major contributor. In a recent interview with Aged Care Insite, Professor Kim Delbaere, Senior Principal Research Scientist and Director of Innovation and Translation at NeuRA's Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, discussed the key risk factors for falls and what we can do to reduce our risk. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g9XQa8b7

Congratulations to Dr Jun Cao, Research Fellow at NeuRA and a member of the NeuRA Imaging team, for receiving a UNSW Faculty of Medicine and Health Neuroscience, Mental Health & Addiction Theme Collaborative Grant for 2025. This initiative supports early- to mid-career researchers working on collaborative projects that tackle challenges in neurological, mental health, and drug and alcohol disorders. With this grant, Dr Cao will further his research into tissue conductivity imaging. This innovative approach uses MRI to measure tissue electrical conductivity non-invasively and quickly. Preliminary findings suggest this technique may reveal insights into brain metabolic activity, potentially serving as a patient-friendly alternative to PET scans. If successful, this non-invasive MRI method could reduce the reliance on lengthy PET scans, lower radiation exposure and offer valuable diagnostic information that current MRI techniques cannot offer. Find the full list of recipients here: https://lnkd.in/gge6ncSJ National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW

Approximately one in 50 couples have an “increased chance” of having children with one or more of 750 severe genetic conditions. These conditions, caused by abnormalities in DNA, can lead to significant health challenges, impacting quality of life and potentially reducing life expectancy. NeuRA Principal Research Scientist, Associate Professor Tony Roscioli, was among the researchers working on Mackenzie’s Mission, a national research project offering reproductive genetic carrier screening to thousands of Australian couples. Professor Roscioli’s findings were recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Associate Professor Roscioli was part of a large global study which screened 9107 couples across Australia to see if they carried genetic variants linked to 750 severe genetic conditions. “1.9 per cent of couples screened were found to be carriers of a genetic condition and three-quarters of those used that information to inform their decisions about having children,” Prof Roscioli said. “This project set out to find answers to the challenges of setting up a national, government-funded population screening program. Through this, valuable insights were gained into how it best be offered, which genes to include, how laboratories report results, costs, and how couples respond to the testing and results.” Mackenzie’s Mission was named after Mackenzie Casella, daughter of Rachael and Jonathan Casella, who died of spinal muscular atrophy at seven months old. The project was administered by Australian Genomics and funded by the Federal Government’s Genomics Health Futures Mission. You can read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/gEpEyKci

Dementia is one of the leading causes of death in Australia—but research reveals we have more control over our brain health than many of us realise. Professor Matthew Kiernan, CEO and Institute Director of NeuRA, recently spoke with Fiona Harari from The Australian about the fear and mystery surrounding dementia, as well as the latest research and what it means for the community. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eNnWwjFX

NeuRA has welcomed the release of the National Dementia Action Plan 2024-2034 by the Federal Government. NeuRA Chief Executive Officer and Institute Director, Professor Matthew Kiernan, said with more than 400,000 Australians currently living with dementia and this number estimated to double by 2058, the Plan has been released at a critical time. “NeuRA welcomes the release of the National Dementia Action Plan, and we look forward to working with the Government, patients, medical professionals, advocates and other stakeholders to implement this plan,” Prof Kiernan said. “NeuRA’s researchers are already working to improve our understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of dementia. We have put people with dementia at the centre of their care, by developing tools for people to identify their own risk of dementia, and to help clinicians develop personalised risk reduction plans and interventions." Prof Kiernan welcomed the eight actions outlined in the Plan, and looks forward to seeing further details as they are developed and implemented. “The work being done by NeuRA researchers supports many of these actions and we look forward to participating in ongoing discussions about the importance of research and how NeuRA and Australia can contribute to global dementia efforts” Prof Kiernan said. “We look forward to continuing discussions on the critical role of research in this field and through collaboration, exploring how NeuRA can contribute to advancing dementia research, treatment and care.” The National Dementia Action Plan 2024-2034 is available here: https://lnkd.in/gzp3bAsk