S+SLAM-TIA is a research project evaluating the effect of translation of an evidence based stroke prevention education and exercise program into the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNE LHD) health service.
moreThe HMRI Brain and Mental Health Program blends the expertise of a unique and diverse group of researchers spanning basic neuroscience, psychology, clinical mental health, neurology and allied health. Our researchers are working to understand the intricate mechanisms underpinning human cognition, brain and nervous system disorders, mental health and wellbeing.
Research within the HMRI Brain and Mental Health Program spans the bench (laboratory based research) to the bedside (clinical practice), and includes cellular studies, modelling, human studies and interventions, clinical studies, translation to policy and practice.
Our researchers are at the forefront of scientific discovery and translation across a broad range of research areas, including stroke, brain injury and rehabilitation, neuroscience, mental and physical health, cognition (psychology), ageing, pain, mood disorders, schizophrenia and community intervention.
The HMRI Brain and Mental Health Program is led by Professor Alan Brichta (representing Brain and Mental Health) and Professor Neil Spratt (representing Stroke and Brain Injury). The Brain and Mental Health Program works in conjunction with two Priority Research Centre’s of the University of Newcastle – the PRC for Stroke and Brain Injury (co-directed by Conjoint Professor Chris Levi) and the Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research (co-directed by Professor Brian Kelly) – to generate world class research promoting scientific discovery, addressing real world problems, and advising optimal prevention, care and intervention to our communities.
Dr Andrew Gardner
S+SLAM-TIA is a research project evaluating the effect of translation of an evidence based stroke prevention education and exercise program into the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNE LHD) health service.
moreNeil Spratt, Dr Damian McLeod
Ischaemic stroke, caused by blood clot blocking an artery to the brain, is a leading cause of death and disability. In around 10% of patients the stroke enlarges in the first 24-48 h (stroke-in-progression). Typically, these are people who arrive with mild or rapidly improving stroke symptoms, but most end up with long-term disability. There is no effective treatment, in part because for the last few decades we have been wrong about the cause for stroke progression, so have been trying to treat the wrong mechanism.
moreThe 470,000 Australians living with stroke are at high risk of developing cognitive deficits and vascular dementia. There are currently no generally accepted therapeutic interventions for improving cognition post-stroke.
moreLauren Poppi
Balance is essential for every aspect of daily life and especially important for activities that people of the Hunter region are known to enjoy, including surfing, cycling, and running. A complete or partial loss of balance, or vestibular dysfunction, can be catastrophic for the individual and community.
moreJoshua Atkins
Special grant for Josh Atkins to travel to France to speak at a conference and then go on to make some important collaborations in both France and UK in bioinformatics and personalised medicine.
moreCatherine Hidson
Co-sponsorship for Dr Terri Armstrong to speak at 11th COGNO Scientific Meeting in Brisbane 7-9 October 2018.
moreChristopher Levi, Prof Michael Nilsson, Prof Mark Parsons, A/Prof Rohan Walker
Stroke Finder Helmet Part 1 - Acute Care of Stroke Patients
moreTo support an Early Career Research Fellowship for 5 years, inclusive of a Research Support Grant, for an affiliated researcher of HMRI in the research area of stroke and intracranial pressure within the HMRI Research Program "Brain & Mental Health".
moreA/Prof Neil Spratt, Dr Damian McLeod
Ischaemic stroke, caused by blood clot blocking an artery to the brain, is a leading cause of death and disability. In around 10% of patients the stroke enlarges in the first 24-48 h (stroke-in-progression). Typically, these are people who arrive with mild or rapidly improving stroke symptoms, but most end up with long-term disability. There is no effective treatment, in part because for the last few decades we have been wrong about the cause for stroke progression, so have been trying to treat the wrong mechanism.
moreA/Prof Frini Karayanidis, Dr Patrick Cooper, Dr Aaron Wong, Dr Andrew Bivard, Prof Chris Levi
Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is clinically defined as a self-limiting neurological event with full functional recovery within 24 hours. However, new evidence indicates that as many as 68% of TIA sufferers show subtle, sustained cognitive impairment that can have direct consequences for daily living. Patient-reported symptoms, such as mental fatigue, anxiety/depression, and difficulty returning to work, point to specific impairment of cognitive control.
moreDr Vicki Maltby, A/Prof Jeannette Lechner-Scott, A/Prof Rodney Lea
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common non-traumatic neurological disorder that affects young adults. MS is a chronic, life-long, disease which has no cure. A recent study from Newcastle describes a doubling of the incidence and prevalence of MS in the last 15 years. In patients with MS, the protective layer that coats the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord (called myelin) is damaged by the body’s own immune system. This damage hinders the ability of the nerve cells to transmit signals. MS is progressive, unpredictable and varies extensively between individuals, resulting in a broad spectrum of symptoms including physical, mental, and psychiatric problems depending on which areas of the brain or spinal cord are affected.
moreDr Michelle Kelly
Family carers of people with dementia take on many complex, often physically and emotionally challenging tasks to support their family member with dementia. These can lead to significant levels of anxiety, depression and stress.
moreThese items will be used jointly by the named investigators to expand current collaborative work in the areas of early child development, impact of maternal chronic illness on early child outcomes and neurodevelopmental disability.
moreDr Lin Kooi Ong, Gary Crowfoot, Heidi Janssen, Di Marsden, Jodie Marquez, Coralie English, Rohan Walker
Stroke patients often find it difficult to do basic thinking, recall memories and solve life’s daily problem. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) is a touchscreen based assessment to objectively measure cognitive function.
moreSomnoSuite Automatic Ventilator (Kent Scientific Corporation, USA): to artificially ventilate models during surgery under anaesthesia.
moreA/Prof Alison Lane, Prof Shelly Lane, Prof Ulrich Schall, Dr Linda Campbell
"Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects learning, social participation and daily function across the lifespan. Approximately 35,000 school-aged Australian children live with ASD; 95% of these experience educational restrictions. ASD has no known cure, and its causes are poorly understood due to the variability in how the disorder emerges and presents. Further, available treatments are only moderately successful and are not effective for all children with ASD. Knowledge about what (intervention) is likely to work for whom is missing from the field.
moreDr Patrick Cooper
Conjoint Professor Adrian Dunlop
Stroke can be devastating - often leaving a person disabled or deceased. This Stroke Finder Helmet is an innovative tool which could have enormous impact for survival and disability rates for stroke victims.
moreA/Prof Suzanne Snodgrass, Mr Rutger de Zoete
Associate Professor Brett Graham, Dr Phil Jobling, Ms Kelly Smith
Changes to the nervous system during chronic pain remain poorly understood. What we do know is that nerve cells in the spinal cord play an important role in pain signalling because the spinal cord is the first site where information from our bodies is processed to ultimately shape sensory experience.
moreAssociate Professor Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Dr Saad Ramadan
Magnetic resonance imaging is not only important in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis but also to monitor therapy. New treatment options are very effective in reducing inflammation in MS and significantly reducing relapse rate.
moreDr Lauren Harms, Emeritus Professor Patricia Michie
Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic mental illness that is debilitating to the individual and ranks among the top 10 causes of disability in developed countries worldwide.
moreConjoint Associate Profosser Michael Pollack, Professor Michael Nilsson, Associate Professor Rohan Walker, Dr Lin Kooi Ong
Patients recovering from stroke often report high and unremitting levels of psychological stress. Clinically, the presence of stress throughout the recovery process is highly significant, as stress hormones, most notably cortisol, are known to impair multiple aspects of brain repair including cortical remodelling, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis.
moreKelly Smith, Associate Professor Brett Graham, Professor Bob Callister
The spinal cord is a key area in pain research as it is the first point in the central nervous system to receive pain signals and is also thought to be a key site for the establishment of chronic pain. In this region, there are many different types of nerve cells that receive pain signals.
moreAmeha Seyoum
Associate Professor Chris Dayas, Associate Professor Brett Graham
The Resilient Brain Initiative through HMRI and the University of Newcastle aims to identify new treatments to slow, stop or reverse declines in brain function caused by stress.
moreAssociate Professor Frederick Rohan Walker
Professor Neil Spratt, Dr Damian McLeod
Ischaemic stroke, caused by blood clot blocking an artery to the brain, is a leading cause of death and disability. In around 10% of patients the stroke enlarges in the first 24-48 h (stroke-in-progression).
moreDr Jamie Flynn, William Palmer, Dr Antony Martin, Dr Craig Gedye
Cancer is an invasive, adaptive process that interacts and adapts to the microenvironment, subjugating the normal tissue around it to optimise growth and survival. Understanding this growth and interaction in three dimensions will add additional insight into the way cancers expand and spread.
moreAssociate Professor Coralie English, Dr Heidi Janssen, Associate Professor Rohan Walker, Professor Neil Spratt, Professor Robin Callister
Sitting for long periods of time each day increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Stroke survivors living at home spend 75% of their waking hours sitting down, which is much higher than healthy people of a similar age, making them at particularly high risk.
moreProfessor Sally Chan, Dr Lyn Ebert, Donovan Jones, Eileen Dowse, Shanna Fealy
Transition to motherhood is a major development in a woman’s life which is marked by dramatic changes in identity, roles and relationships. Although many mothers are able to meet the challenges of parenting, others, especially first time mothers, feel overburdened and some become depressed.
moreDr Jamie Flynn, Dr Antony Martin, William Palmer
Neuropathic pain is a complex, chronic and debilitating pain that often accompanies diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, peripheral nerve injury and stroke. Our understanding of neuropathic pain is poor and as such is difficult to treat.
moreDementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for 70% of age-associated dementia.
moreDementia and cogitive decline are major concerns for our ageing population. Cholesterol is a promminent risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease. If a person has a particular form of the cholesterol carrying protein Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) their chances of developing Alzheimer's Disease rise 15 fold.
moreAdrian Dunlop, Dr Amanda Brown, Dr Chris Dayas, A/Prof Peter Stanwell.
Mr Jamie Flynn, William Palmer, Antony Martin, Craig Gedye
Cancer is an invasive, adaptive process that interacts and adapts to the microenvironment, subjugating the normal tissue around it to optimise growth and survival.
moreConjoint Associate Professor Adrian Dunlop, Dr Amanda Brown, Dr Chris Dayas, Associate Professor Peter Stanwell.
The Greaves Family Early Career Support grant will ensure Dr Andrew Gardner from the Brain and Mental Health can continue to grow his research program in Sports Concusion continue to propel him forward as a nationally and internationally recognised concussion researcher.
moreSuzanne Snodgrass
Completing these projects successfully and on time will enable me to more effectively leverage for project funding in 2016.
moreMyopia (short-sightedness) is at epidemic levels across the world: in parts of Asia over 90% of young people are afflicted and in Australia and the USA the prevalence has doubled in recent years1.
moreDr Melissa Tadros, Professor Robert Callister
Motoneuron disease (MND) is an incurable illness that affects one’s ability to move and interact with the environment.
moreDr Michelle Kelly, Professor Skye McDonald, Dr Tracy Brown, Ms Katryna Harman
There are currently more than 342,000 people living with dementia in Australia, and an estimated 1.2 million people caring for them.
moreDr Rebecca Lim, Professor Alan Brichta, Professor Robert Callister, Dr Doug Smith
Hearing and balance problems arise due to ageing, environmental assaults, medications, disease, and genetic disorders.
moreAssociate Professor Frederick Rohan Walker, Dr Lin Ong, Dr Ming Yang, Associate Professor Sarah Johnson
It has recently been recognised that many stroke patients can experience what is known as ‘chronic phase decline” associated with gradual, but very significant, declines in both motor and cognitive function.
moreDr Saad Ramadan, Associate Professor Jeannette Lechner-Scott
Magnetic resonance imaging is not only important in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis but also to monitor therapy.
moreDr Vicki Maltby, Associate Professor Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Dr Rodney Lea
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common non-traumatic neurological disorder that affects young adults.
moreMs Ashlee Dunn
Dr Jamie Flynn, Anthony Martin, William Palmer
The CLARITY Microscope is a new technology that enables 3D imaging of tissues. It has caught the imagination and attention of one of our major donors who granted $150,000 to build a microscope here at HMRI as a shared service.
moreThe proposed travel will include both a visit to an institution and attendance at a conference.
moreMr Joshua Atkins, Associate Professor Murray Cairns, Dr Chantel Fitzsimmons
Schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders are among the world’s most debilitating brain diseases.
moreAssociate Professor Neil Spratt, Damian McLeod, Lucy Murtha, Daniel Beard
Funding will be used to conduct preliminary studies of the effects of increased brain pressure (intracranial pressure) on blood flow after stroke.
moreC A/Prof Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Katherine Sanders, Rebecca Seeto
MS is a chronic, life-long, disease which has no cure.
moreDr Neil Spratt, Dr Damien McLeod
Ischaemic stroke, caused by blood clot blocking an artery to the brain, is a leading cause of death and disability.
moreMs Katherine Sanders, Conjoint Associate Professor Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Rodney Scott
This project aims to confirm or refute the predicted targets of the deregulated miRNA and determine the functional impact this has on cellular behaviour in the MS brain.
moreMs Rebecca Hood, Dr Neil Spratt
Stroke is a leading cause of death disability in Australia.
moreDr Sally McFadden, Dr Catherine Dunlop
Short sightedness in children is rapidly rising as children spend more time doing “near work” activities such as mobile devices and less time outside.
moreDr Vicki Maltby, Associate Professor Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Dr Rodney Lea
MS is progressive, unpredictable and varies extensively between individuals.
moreWith more than 1,700 new cases in Australia each week, Alzheimer’s Disease continues to be a huge burden on society, families and carers.
moreStroke causes a major global disease burden due to the long lasting disability of survivors.
moreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is the most frequently diagnosed childhood disorder in Australia affecting up to 11% of children and adolescents according to the National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being.
moreDr Christopher Dayas, Dr Simon Keely, Dr Brett Graham, Dr Doug Smith, Professor Nick Talley
Dr Douglas Smith, Associate Professor Rohan Walker
Professor Peter Howe, Dr Rachel Wong, Professor Andrew Scholey
Menopause is a natural transition in every woman’s life, marking the end of fertility. Some women transit with little or no symptoms, while others suffer the onslaught of mood swings, hot flushes, insomnia and ‘brain fog’, which can last for many years.
moreDr Frederick Rohan Walker, Professor Michael Nilsson
To our understanding this will be the first dedicated project assessing the levels of chronic stress using a reliable biometric procedure ever undertaken.
moreThe proposed project is highly significant because it will, for the first time, to accurately map the changes that occur in the brain following stoke and identify patters for good clinical outcomes.
moreMs Erin Campbell, Chris Dayas, Deborah Hodgson
Dr Sally McFadden, Professor Dan Schwartz, Associate Professor Paul Baird, Professor Julia Kornfield
Myopic (short-sighted) eyes are too long for their optical power because of excessive growth.
moreDr Neil Spratt, Dr Damien McLeod
Ischaemic stroke, caused by blood clot blocking an artery to the brain, is a leading cause of death and disability. In around 10% of patients the stroke enlarges in the first 24-48 h (stroke-in-progression).
moreDr Christopher Dayas, Brett Graham
Professor Brian Kelly, Associate Professor Paul Tooney, Professor Rodney Scott, Professor John Attia, Dr Murray Cairns, Prof Vaughan Carr
This project comprises the analysis of DNA samples obtained within the NHRMC funded 5-year longitudinal study of mental health among rural community residents.
morePablo specialises in a cutting edge research field known as "Personalised Information Based Medicine".
moreThe first 6 months have been spent setting up project and applying for further funding.
moreThe proposed study is significant and timely, and examines the important public health issue of postnatal depression, a debilitating disorder that impacts on the individual, the infant and the broader family.
moreHeidi has a strong translational focus in her work and was the first to translate the use of environmental enrichment from the laboratory into the clinical setting for use with patients undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation.
moreDr Frances Kay-Lambkin, Peter Walla, Keith Nesbitt
Making use of gaming technologies to help young people suffering from depression and binge drinking
moreDr Renate Thienel, Frini Karayanidis, Juanita Todd, Peter Stanwell, Mark Parsons, Chris Levi
Mapping networks in the brain
moreDr Ashley Kable, Amanda Baker, Dimity Pond, Alyna Turner, Chris Levi, Carolyn Hullick
Evaluating transitional care - When a stoke patient goes home
moreStroke is common in Australia and the number of people experiencing stroke will increase with the ageing population.
moreIn Australia, Alzheimer’s disease is huge health burden, with one person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease every 6 minutes. Symptoms of dementia are often noticed by family members three years before an official diagnosis.
moreMyopic (short-sighted) eyes are too long for their optical power because of excessive growth.
moreDr Murray Cairns, Rohan Walker, Alan Brichta, Natalie Beveridge
Dr Frederick Rohan Walker
Persistent exposure to stressful events can produce serious and lasting disturbances in cognitive function and mood state.
moreProfessor Christopher Levi, J. Sturmm, Mark Parsons, Neil Spratt, A. Loiselle, B. O'Brien, V. Zenteno, L.Holliday, Rodney Scott, J. Maguire
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in Australia and the second leading cause of death.
moreDr Christopher Dayas, Brett Graham
The environmental enrichment project, ‘Altering the Rehabilitation Environment to Improve Stroke Survivor Activity (AREISSA): A Phase II Trial’
moreAssociate Professor Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Rodney Scott, Rodney Lea
To identify the major lymphocyte-specific epigenetic loci associated with susceptibility to MS
moreThis funding was provided to fund the vanguard phase of two clinical trials in stroke:
moreThe proposed study is significant and timely, and examines the important public health issue of postnatal depression, a debilitating disorder that impacts on the individual, the infant and the broader family.
moreAssociate Professor Phillip Dickson, Emeritus Professor Peter Dunkley, Lin Kooi Ong
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, with 6.3 million people diagnosed worldwide; 80,000 of these are Australian. This means that around one out of every 350 Australians suffers from this life changing debilitating disease. Parkinson’s disease appears more frequently in males than females. The majority of Parkinson’s disease cases are idiopathic- of unknown cause. Parkinson’s disease is characterised by degeneration in the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (a structure in the midbrain). The dopaminergic neurons are nerve cells that make and contain a neurotransmitter known as dopamine. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are thought to be involved in degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons.
more Morgan James, Chris Dayas
Professor Brian Kelly, John Attia, Frances Kay-Lambkin, Terry Lewin, Amanda Baker, Trevor Hazell
Jamie Flynn, Antony Martin, William Palmer
Associate Professor Frini Karayanidis, Pat Michie, Tod Jolly, Pat Cooper, Clevi, Mark Parsons, Peter Scholfield
Dr Mark Parsons, Dr PT Stanwell
Dr Paul Tooney, Ute Vollmer-Conna, Paul Rasser, Pat Michie, Ulrich Schall, Carmel Loughland
Dr Damien McLeod, Dr Neil Spratt, Associate Professor Mark Parsons, Professor Chris Levi
Dr Natalie Beveridge
Daniel Johnstone
Dr Frini Karayanidis, Mark Parsons, Chris Levi, Grant Bateman, Patricia Michie, Peter Schofield & Todd Jolly
Amelia Tomkins
Professor Brian Kelly, John Attia, Frances Kay-Lambkin, Terry Lewin, Amanda Baker, Trevor Hazell
Dr Frini Karayanidis, Mark Parsons, Chris Levi, Grant Bateman, Patricia Michie, Peter Schofield & Todd Jolly
Dr Frederick Rohan Walker, Professor Trevor Day
Dr Phillip Jobling, Brett Graham
Dr Suzanne Snodgrass, Professor Clare Collins, Carole James, Ashley Kable, Maya Guest, Samantha Ashby, Ron Plotnikof, Pat McElduff
Professor John Rostas, Neil Spratt, Kathryn Skelding, Sarah McCann
Jane Maguire
Professor Peter Dunkley, Ann Goodchild
Associate Professor Pablo Moscato, Liz Milward, Martin Gomez Reavetti, Daniel Johnstone, Gillies Guillemin, Regina Barretta
Dr Frini Karayanidis, Mark Parsons, Patricia Michie, Christopher Levi, Sharna Jamadar, Matthew Hughes, Peter Schofield, Dr Grant Bateman
Dr Murray Cairns, Jingqin Wu, Paul Tooney, Rodney Scott
Dr Christopher Dayas, Dr Brett Graham
Associate Professor Christopher Levi, John Attia, Rodney Scott, Michael Seldon, Lisa Lincz, Jon Sturm
Professor Brian Kelly, John Attia, Frances Kay-Lambkin, Terry Lewin, Amanda Baker, Trevor Hazell
Jennifer White
Dr Neil Spratt, Dr Mark Parsons, Dr Damian McLeod; Conjoint Associate Professor Christopher Levi
Ms Isobel Hubbard
Dr Frederick Rohan Walker
Dr Paul Tooney, Professor Pat Michie, Associate Professor Ulrich Schall, Professor Rodney Scott, Dr Helen Stain, Ms Rebbe
Associate Professor Alan Brichta, Professor RJ Callister, Associate Professor PS Bolton, Dr P Jobling, Dr Rebecca Lim
Dr Murray Cairns, Dr Paul Tooney
Dr Alyna Turner
Dr Christopher Dayas, Professor Trevor Day, Dr Douglas Smith
Dr Timothy Budd, Dr Mark Parsons, Dr Chris Levi
Dr Sally McFadden, Prof David V Pow
Mr Brett Graham, Professor RJ Callister
Dr Mark Parsons, Dr Bill Budd, Dr Chris Levi
Dr Christopher Levi, Dr John Attia, Professor Rodney Scott, Dr Amanda Thrift
Dr Christopher Levi, Professor Mike Calford, Dr Mark Parsons
Ms Kerry Inder, Associate Professor Gibberd
Dr Deborah Hodgson, Dr Vicki Clifton
Dr Phillip Jobling
Dr Neva Bull, Associate Professor M Hunter, Chris Levi
Dr Tracy Dudding, Professor Gillian Turner
Dr Phillip Dickson, Professor Peter Dunkley
Prof David Pow, Dr Claudia Diaz
Professor Carl Parsons, Dr Mike Calford
Dr David Pow
Dr Mark Chorlton, Dr Frini Karayanidis, Prof K Nunn
Dr Michelle Adams, Dr MD Lucock, Associate Professor J Stuart
Dr Phillip Dickson
Dr Phillip Dickson
Dr Frini Karayanidis, Professor P Michie, Professor K Nunn, Mr T Passfield, Mr P Johnston
Associate Professor Peter Schofield, Dr Ross Kerridge
Dr Fraser Ross, Dr P Tooney
Professor Gillian Turner, Dr Lynn Banna
Professor John Rostas
Associate Professor Peter Schofield, Dr Ross Kerridge
Dr Fraser Ross, Dr Paul Tooney
Professor Trevor Day
Dr Christopher Levi, Dr J Lowe
Dr Patrick Johnston, Martin Cohen, Ulrich Schall
Dr Timothy Budd, Professor Pat Michie, Dr Juanita & Dr Ulrich Schall
Mr Patrick Johnston, Dr Martin Cohen and Dr Ulrich Schall
Professor Michael Calford, Associate Professor Ei von Eagy Felsobuki
Nikolai Bogduk
Patrick Johnston
Professor Peter Dunkley, Dr Perry Hartfeilf
Dr Frini Karayanidis, Professor Phillip Hazel
Dr Christopher Levi, Dr Julia Lowe
Associate Professor Loris Chahl, Dr Paul Tooney