The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

22/10/2026

Does Alzheimer’s disease cause an ‘energy traffic jam’ in the brain?

Congratulations to The Florey's Dr Francesca Alves who has been awarded The CASS Foundation's 2026 Daniel Rechtman Research Award to investigate energy failure in the brain and its potential role in Alzheimer’s disease.

One of the earliest and most consistent changes in people with Alzheimer’s disease is evidence of brain regions that are slowly being starved of glucose, the brain’s main source of fuel.

“Understanding what’s causing the glucose-related energy deficit could pave the way for new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, one of the greatest health challenges facing our ageing population," Dr Alves said.

🔗 Learn more about the research: https://bit.ly/3WEV3T7

20/10/2026

What can you do today to protect your brain for tomorrow?

Last Thursday, we hosted our third Florey Talk of 2026 — 'Resilience, Connection and Mental Wellbeing in Later Life' 🧠

It was fantastic to hear from The Florey's Professor Anthony Hannan, Professor Ashley Bush and Dr Francesca Alves, who shared insights into brain health and ageing, as well as the latest advances in diagnosis and treatment for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Thank you to our speakers, to our hosts Professor Andrew Lawrence and Dr Leigh Walker, and to everyone who attended in person and online.

We hope to see you at our next Florey event. In the meantime, you can catch up on last week’s lecture here: https://bit.ly/4yYCacd

19/10/2026

Today is Global Niemann-Pick Disease Awareness Day – a day to recognise and support those affected by this group of rare genetic disorders, including Niemann-Pick Disease Type C (NP-C).

NP-C is a form of dementia that causes children and young people to suffer irreversible and progressive intellectual decline, loss of motor skills, and seizures. Children born with the condition usually do not survive past their teenage years.

At The Florey, a research team led by Dr Ya Hui Hung, supported by the Australian NPC Disease Foundation Inc., is working to develop an innovative mRNA gene therapy to improve the health and wellbeing of those living with NP-C.

We are grateful to the families who so generously share their experiences with our team and whose support is helping to make this research possible 🩶

09/10/2026

Great to see insights from The Florey's Associate Professor Rebecca Nisbet and Professor Scott Ayton in this AFR story about Alzheimer's drugs that have "shifted the needle" — and what's next in dementia research 👇

https://bit.ly/4yffNhn?

Two newly approved drugs in Australia may be able to do what was once thought impossible: slow the rate of cognitive decline in early-stage Alzheimer’s patients.

08/10/2026

Meet the speakers for our upcoming Florey Talk exploring resilience, connection and mental wellbeing in later life 🧠

▶️ Professor Ashley Bush is Head of the Oxidation Biology Group at The Florey. An internationally recognised neuroscientist, he is best known for his pioneering research into the role of metals in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease and schizophrenia. His work has led to the development of new predictive tests for Alzheimer’s disease and innovative approaches to treatment. Professor Bush is also Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and a leader in major national and international brain health research initiatives.

▶️ Dr Francesca Alves is an early-career dementia researcher at The Florey whose work focuses on uncovering new treatment targets for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. She completed her PhD investigating muscle wasting during ageing, developing a strong interest in how age-related changes in physical health, exercise capacity and independence influence health and wellbeing across the lifespan. Her current research uses advanced omic and molecular technologies and patient samples to better understand the biological mechanisms driving dementia progression. Her work has highlighted important links between brain metabolism, cell death pathways and Alzheimer’s disease, helping to identify potential new avenues for treatment.

▶️ Professor Anthony Hannan is Head of the Epigenetics and Neural Plasticity Group at The Florey. An internationally recognised neuroscientist, his research explores how genes, lifestyle and environmental factors shape brain health and influence conditions including dementia, depression, anxiety, autism, schizophrenia and Huntington’s disease. Professor Hannan's groundbreaking work has demonstrated that environmental stimulation can have therapeutic benefits in genetic brain disorders, helping to advance new approaches to prevention, treatment and healthy brain ageing. He is a leader in national and international brain research initiatives and is committed to translating scientific discoveries into better mental and brain health outcomes.

Join us in person or online on Thursday 15 October.

🔗 Register now: https://bit.ly/4i5tElH

06/10/2026

Today in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and other Nine newspapers 📰 The Florey's Associate Professor Rebecca Nisbet shares insights into her team's work on developing a vaccine for Alzheimer's disease.

Using mRNA technology, the researchers are working on a vaccine that can stimulate the immune system to produce protective antibodies that function by clearing amyloid-beta (a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease) and preventing its accumulation in the brain.

"We were able to show all mice that were vaccinated stimulated an immune response against amyloid peptides and had reduced amyloid build-up in the brain," Associate Professor Nisbet said.

Read more about her research and other exciting developments in dementia science: https://bit.ly/4hwJ0j4

01/10/2026

Scientists at The Florey and Monash University have developed a 3D cell model that will help researchers better understand multiple sclerosis and test new drug treatments in near real time.

The 'mini brains’ took more than six years to engineer and represent a significant step forward in MS research.

30/09/2026

The Therapeutic Goods Administration approved the Roche Elecsys pTau217 blood test in July, paving the way for it to become available as a diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease.

Based on decades of Florey research, the biomarker test can help doctors rule in or rule out Alzheimer’s disease — the most common form of dementia.

👉 Learn more: https://florey.edu.au/news/2026/09/florey-lab-first-to-offer-new-alzheimers-blood-test/

29/09/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for Florey Student Open Day!

It was fantastic to welcome so many prospective students to our institute and share what it's like to study at the largest brain research centre in Australia 🧠

🔗 Learn more about student life and studying at The Florey: https://florey.edu.au/careers-and-study/studying-at-the-florey/

24/09/2026

Dr Francesca Alves is dedicated to improving our understanding and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease — and her passion for research began with her grandad 💙

For Dementia Action Week, Dr Alves, a Research Fellow at The Florey, shared her story with the Dementia Australia Research Foundation.

Dr Alves is supported by a Dementia Australia Research Foundation Race Against Dementia Post-Doctoral Fellowship to investigate how impaired energy production contributes to brain cell damage and Alzheimer’s disease progression.

She hopes her research could open new possibilities for how Alzheimer’s disease is detected, monitored and ultimately treated — allowing more people to live healthier, more independent lives for longer.