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NeuRA - Neuroscience Research Australia Transforming lives through medical research

From advances in dementia and mental health to discoveries in chronic pain and falls prevention, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) has been at the forefront of neuroscience for over 30 years. We are an independent, not-for-profit, medical research institute dedicated to improving the lives of people living with brain and nervous system disorders.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, but it is not the only one. NeuRA's Associate Professor Emma De...
20/10/2026

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, but it is not the only one.
NeuRA's Associate Professor Emma Devenney explained to ABC Canberra that dementia is a broad term for progressive, neurodegenerative changes in the brain. "If you have this combination of abnormal pathologies in your brain, then that's how we deem it to be Alzheimer's disease," she says.

Much of what we know about how dementias present comes from people who generously donated their brains after death, such as to the Sydney Brain Bank at NeuRA, allowing researchers to link what happens in the brain with what people experienced in life.

Diagnosis is also changing. Traditionally, a diagnosis relied on memory tests and brain scans, which are around expensive and invasive. Using blood-based biomarkers to measure the proteins amyloid and tau offers a method of diagnosis with far greater accessibility and equity - one of the drivers behind NeuRA's launch of the Asia Pacific Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis.

As Associate Professor Devenney told the ABC, "Blood-based biomarkers are just like going to your GP or pathology centre and having a blood test, which you would have for thyroid or iron."

This makes earlier diagnosis far more accessible. "Knowledge is power, and I'm finding more and more people want to know and they want to have that earlier diagnosis," she said, adding that "the earlier we treat, the better."

A recurring theme in NeuRA’s work this year has been the concept that collaboration is everything in solving some of soc...
19/10/2026

A recurring theme in NeuRA’s work this year has been the concept that collaboration is everything in solving some of society’s most pressing concerns.

The exchange of ideas has been at the heart of events such as our Industry Open Day, but also in understanding how breakthroughs along the dementia pathway can be most effectively implemented.

That requires input from our researchers, from the pharmaceutical industry, from advocates in the policy debate and of course those with lived experience.

That’s why we were delighted to host a symposium recently to hear those viewpoints, including: the Managing Editor of The Australian's Prestige Network, Louise Bryant, whose partner passed away from Alzheimer's disease; CEO of NeuRA, Scientia Professor Dr Matthew Kiernan AM; Executive Director, Services, Engagement and Research at Dementia Australia, Dr Kaele Stokes; and the Managing Director of Roche Diagnostics Australia, Anand Vairavan.

You can watch the resulting discussion here: https://youtu.be/SnTvLNGHckc

Why does dementia affect women more than men? NeuRA's Professor Kaarin Anstey, Senior Principal Research Scientist and D...
16/10/2026

Why does dementia affect women more than men? NeuRA's Professor Kaarin Anstey, Senior Principal Research Scientist and Director of the UNSW Ageing Futures Institute, is part of a global research project working to cut Alzheimer's disease rates among women in half.

With almost $5 million in funding from the Wellcome Leap CARE project, the team is examining how hormonal stages such as a girl's first period, pregnancy, menopause and hormone-based treatments influence brain health.

For decades, hormonal fluctuations were overlooked in brain research. As Professor Anstey explains to news.com.au, "For a long time, researchers saw fluctuations due to hormonal cycles as creating 'noise' in data and they were not a topic of investigation, but now we think the exposure to hormones is extremely important for understanding brain ageing." Recognising the role of hormones is a critical step in addressing a long-standing gap in medical research, where women's health factors have been underrepresented in brain imaging studies.

Understanding these differences could help shape prevention and treatment for women at every stage of life.

You can read the full article here: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/aust-scientists-lead-global-push-to-uncover-why-dementia-hits-women-harder/news-story/c5a023742142c57aa9371fa190accc0f

In the Spring issue of the NeuRA Magazine, we speak to Sydney Brain Bank Director, Associate Professor Claire Shepherd, ...
15/10/2026

In the Spring issue of the NeuRA Magazine, we speak to Sydney Brain Bank Director, Associate Professor Claire Shepherd, on how the brain donations are helping tackle our brain health challenges.

Also, NeuRA's Professor George Paxinos and Dr Steve Kassem propose a 'periodic table' for brain structures, how holistic pain treatments tackle links between pain and wellbeing with Professor Sylvia Gustin, we remember Marc Girod, and Ask a Researcher with NeuRA CEO Scientia Professor Matthew Kiernan AM.

And much more!

Tap the link to read it today: https://neura.edu.au/magazines/the-neura-magazines-spring-2026-edition

Scientia Professor George Paxinos, research lead at NeuRA's brain mapping facility, spoke to ABC Radio National to expla...
13/10/2026

Scientia Professor George Paxinos, research lead at NeuRA's brain mapping facility, spoke to ABC Radio National to explain the remarkable work around lighting up the brain that has earned three scientists the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel won the Prize for discoveries around “light-gated ion channels and optogenetics". That’s the method of controlling nerves signals with light to show how nerve cells can shape memories, feelings and behaviours in the brain.

"If you wish to see what a part of the brain does, you can stimulate it or lesion it,” Professor Paxinos told the ABC. “The crude way up to recently has been to destroy that area, to lesion it or insert an electrode to pass electricity there to activate that area, but that activates everything around, so it is not easily dissecting the function of the different parts of the brain.

“With the light, they are able to activate specific neurons, and this way study the function of those neurons.

"(Optogenetics) allows scientists to study (the) function of the different areas. Let's say one suspects noradrenaline-producing neurons are responsible for depression, that is when they are underactive, then they can activate specifically these neurons and see the outcome of that," said Professor Paxinos.

Gold Logie winner Sonia Kruger has spoken out about the importance of dementia prevention after witnessing the impact of...
09/10/2026

Gold Logie winner Sonia Kruger has spoken out about the importance of dementia prevention after witnessing the impact of the disease on close family members. The former professional dancer and television host is now taking her own brain health seriously, paying close attention to lifestyle changes that can reduce her risk. Through her advocacy for news.com.au and The Australian's Think Again dementia campaign, Kruger is helping to raise awareness that 43 per cent of dementia cases in Australia can be attributed to six modifiable risk factors: being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure in midlife, smoking and impaired kidney function.

Kruger's approach to prevention centres on a Mediterranean diet, regular exercise including strength training, dancing, social connection and cognitive stimulation. She was particularly inspired by a 2003 breakthrough study showing that frequent dancing significantly lowered dementia risk more than other physical activities. NeuRA's Senior Research Scientist Dr Craig Sinclair, explains why dancing is so effective: "When a person is singing along or clapping along or dancing in some way, it does seem to show higher overall activation in the brain and higher connectivity between different brain areas."

Kruger has even tailored her Strictly You fitness program to incorporate the research-backed benefits of dancing as a dementia prevention tool. Her message is clear: simple daily practices like a five or 10-minute piece of choreography at home can help reduce dementia risk, just as cognitive exercises do. By sharing her personal journey and championing campaigns like Think Again, Sonia Kruger is helping Australians understand that preventing dementia starts now, with the lifestyle choices we make today.

NeuRA's CEO, Scientia Professor Matthew Kiernan AM, was invited to share his vision for the future of dementia preventio...
08/10/2026

NeuRA's CEO, Scientia Professor Matthew Kiernan AM, was invited to share his vision for the future of dementia prevention and treatment in The Australian as part of the Think Again campaign. Reflecting on what lies ahead for the next generations, Professor Kiernan expresses optimism that dementia will shift from being a disease we fear to one we proactively prevent.

"A year ago I wrote in these pages of my optimism about the way we understand, diagnose and treat dementia at all ages, and the science of the past 12 months has simply underlined that. Long before my grandchildren’s generation reaches the advanced age where our society currently starts worrying about dementia, I believe a combination of scientific advances and changing behaviour will turn it into something we proactively avoid," says Professor Kiernan.

From newborn screening for rare forms of childhood dementia, dementia vaccines administered alongside routine immunisations, to long-read DNA testing that identifies genetic predispositions, the tools and interventions are within reach.

Professor Kiernan emphasises that society will demand these advances, and that demand will drive the investment and partnerships needed to make them reality. At NeuRA, through initiatives like our Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Diagnosis, we're already building that future. Together, we can tame dementia and transform brain health for generations to come.

This month, our All Staff Meeting had a focus on the myriad internal projects taking place within NeuRA. Chief Research ...
07/10/2026

This month, our All Staff Meeting had a focus on the myriad internal projects taking place within NeuRA. Chief Research Officer Tegan Cox ran through the success of our Industry Open Day last week, which saw researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders coming together to discuss research opportunities and the unmet needs of the community.

Associate Professor Julia Lappin joined us to go over some of her research spotlighting Mental Health, Menopause and Midlife, as well as the launch of the Optimising Brain Health from Midlife Clinic with fellow NeuRA researcher Associate Professor Emma Devenney.
This was followed by Senior Research Scientist Dr Craig Sinclair, who spoke about his work in dementia, supported decision making, and the importance of lived experience.

Finally Executive Director of Philanthropy, Kerry-Ann Virgo, underlined the recent success of the inaugural MRI Giving Day held by AAMRI that included NeuRA, as well as our own Giving Day held earlier this year.

Every year, one in five Australian adults will experience some form of mental illness. Over their lifetimes, it’s one in...
06/10/2026

Every year, one in five Australian adults will experience some form of mental illness. Over their lifetimes, it’s one in three.

But at every level of society, from community to clinical practice, there are advocates and practitioners working to change that.

More than a decade ago, the Australian Mental Health Prize was established to honour Australians who have made outstanding contributions to either the promotion of mental health or the prevention/treatment of mental illness in areas such as advocacy, research or service provision.

For the first time, NeuRA joins UNSW Sydney and the Black Dog Institute to deliver the Prize, and The Hon. Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Su***de Prevention, honoured the winners in Sydney today.
Dr Elizabeth McEntyre, a researcher and social worker advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health
Michael Elwan, a lived experience leader
Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM, a pioneer in women's mental health
Luke Baker, a community mental health advocate.

Scientia Professor Matthew Kiernan AM, CEO of Neuroscience Research Australia, said: “The calibre of award winners once again shows the importance of these awards, and why NeuRA has been proud to become a partner with UNSW Sydney and the Black Dog Institute in hosting them.

“In a strong field of more than 80 nominations, these winners stood out for the dedication they bring to supporting people living with mental health conditions, at all levels of society.”

02/10/2026

It's a simple idea, but one that drives every part of our research. The "unmet need" of a patient or a population is the issue to be tackled, and the catalyst for every new understanding from bench to bedside.

That end goal is what can spark collaborations and relationships. When researchers, clinicians and industry align to resolve an unmet need, questions can be raised and answered - from clinical trial design to who a solution should be for.

Speaking at NeuRA's Industry Open Day this week, Dr Phillip Fromm, Director, Discovery Biology at Teva Pharmaceuticals, explained the power of such an event in bringing together the different stages of scientific breakthrough.

"A day like today I think, really helps to kick-start those partnerships by informing some of the academics, the researchers, the clinicians that are present at NeuRA today on what industry really is looking for in a partnership, what an academic wants out of that relationship, and how to communicate those ideas and really set the scene for what the unmet need is that we're trying to solve together."

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