News - MND Australia

MND-The Inside Track

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:02:07 -1100

A film broadcast in Ireland on 23 January about Irish sports broadcastor Colm Murray's battle with motor neurone disease and his determination to contribute to efforts to find a cure.

Available online until 13 February on the RTE player at: http://www.rte.ie/player/#!v=1132488

Features the presentation of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations Forbes Norris Award to Professor Orla Hardiman at the International ALS/MND Symposium on 30 November 2011 in Sydney.

MND in the news

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -1100

Over the last few months MND has featured on TV, Radio and print media including ABC 7.30 Report, ABC late night news, ABC radio PM, 2GB, Australian Financial Review, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

Thank you to everyone who got involved in talking about MND.

To keep up to date on news and events follow MND Australia on twitter - @mndaust or

facebook -www.facebook.com/mndaustralia

More details here.

Check out the MND Australia research news feed

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -1100

for the latest information on research grants allocated in 2012, the MNDRIA December newsletter Advance and the latest International Research Update - click here for recent posts

Media Release: funding for research in 2012

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -1100

OVER $4 MILLION AWARDED FOR MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIA

For the second year in a row MND Australia has allocated almost $1.4 million to Australian scientists for new research projects into the cause, care, control and cure of motor neurone disease (MND).

Fifteen projects across the country have been awarded grants to commence in 2012. They span areas such as genetics, mouse models, protein aggregation, monitoring disease progression and cognition and behaviour.

All the research funds come from donations to MND associations. Professor Dominic Rowe, Chairman of the MND Research Committee says, “We have been able to allocate almost $1.4 million once again this year which is about ten times the amount awarded seven years ago. This is a huge boost for MND research in Australia”.

“Thanks to the generous support from the community, more researchers are taking up the challenge to make the next leap forward in MND research,” he said.

MND Australia encourages young researchers to pursue motor neurone disease as their dedicated field of interest. The new Bill Gole Postdoctoral MND Research Fellowship has been awarded to Dr Shyuan Ngo from the University of Queensland, Centre for Clinical Research and School of Biomedical Sciences.

MND affects around 1400 people acrossAustralia at any given time and takes the life of more than 12 Australians every week.

“We urgently need to understand the causes and how to better care for people and control the disease whilst researchers worldwide search for a cure,” said Professor Rowe.

MND Australia supports both emerging and established researchers to develop new projects so they can generate results and attract funding for larger projects through sources such as the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

A further $2,665,500 has been provided by NHMRC to new MND projects commencing in 2012, which, with the $1.357 million provided by MND Australia, makes a grand total of $4,022,500 for all new grants for MND projects commencing inAustraliain 2012.

About the MND Australia research grants: MND Australia research grants are allocated in a hotly contested national competition each year at the MND Australia Research Committee Grants Allocation Meeting. This year 15 applicants from NSW,Victoria,Queensland andSouth Australia were successful.

For details of the research grants allocated click here

For further information or to interview Professor Rowe please contact Janet Nash, 0419297413 or Carol Birks 0408461932

www.mndresearch.asn.au

The recipients of the 2012 MND Australia research grants are:

One three-year Postdoctoral Fellowship for 2012 to 2104 awarded to:

Dr Shyuan Ngo

UniversityofQLDCentre for Clinical Research & School of Biomedical Sciences

Investigating the mechanisms underlying defective energy metabolism in motor neuron disease

Bill Gole Postdoctoral Fellowship for MND Research (No.11)

Twelve grants in aid awarded to:

Principal Investigator	Institution	Project title	Grant awarded
Dr Julie Atkin	LaTrobeUniversity, VIC	Failure of ER-Golgi trafficking as a central mechanism of toxicity in MND	Susie Harris Memorial Fund Grant
Dr Ian Blair	ANZAC Research Institute, NSW	Identifying and establishing the role of new MND genes in familial and sporadic cases	Peter Stearne Grant for Familial MND research
Dr Tim Karl	Neuroscience ResearchAustralia, NSW	A novel mouse model for MND	Mick Rodger Benalla MND Research Grant
Dr Pamela McCombe	UniversityofQueensland Centrefor Clinical research, QLD	MND: not a simple disease	Charles & Shirley Graham MND Research Grant
Dr Eneida Mioshi	Neuroscience ResearchAustralia, NSW	Cognitive and behavioural changes in MND: relation to clinical phenotypes and impact on carer burden	MNDVictoriaResearch Grant
Professor Garth Nicholson	ANZAC Research Institute, NSW	Sporadic MND: the contribution of genes, biomarkers & metabolites	Graham Smith MND Research Grant
Dr Mary-Louise Rogers & Prof Robert Rush	FlindersUniversity, SA	Improving targeted down-regulation of SOD1G93A in MND mice	Roth Foundation MND Research Grant
Dr Bradley Turner	Florey Neuroscience Institutes, VIC	Exploring the therapeutic potential of survival motor neuron protein for MND	Mick Rodger MND Research Grant
Assoc Prof Steve Vucic	Institute for Immunology & Allergy Research, Westmead,UniversityofSydney, NSW	T cells: a vehicle for neuroprotection in ALS?	Connie's Step Forward for MND Research Grant
Dr Robyn Wallace	Queensland Brain Institute, QLD	Analysis of TDP-43 target genes in C. elegans	Zo-ee MND Research Grant
Dr Anthony White	University of Melbourne, VIC	Targeting kinases to control TDP-43 and FUS accumulation in motor	Terry Quinn MND Research Grant
Dr Mark Wilson	Biological Sciences,UniversityofWollongong, NSW	Protein aggregation and chaperones: key players in MND	Rosalind Nicholson MND Research Grant

One three-year MNDRIA/NHMRC PhD scholarship for 2012 to 2014 awarded to:

Dr Neil Simon

Neuroscience ResearchAustralia, NSW

The distribution and spread of motor system dysfunction in early motor neurone disease

MNDRIA / NHMRC

co-funded PhD Scholarship

A three-year PhD Top-up grant for 2012-2014 will be announced soon.

View the Ask the Experts and APF online now

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -1100

The best and the brightest researchers were in Sydney to present their research at the 22nd International ALS/MND Symposium from 30 November to 2 December at the Sydney Hilton Hotel.

The international meetings kicked off with the Ask the Experts session on Monday 28 November. Over 250 people attended this session at the Sydney Hilton and more than 100 people tuned into the live streaming website. The interactive Q and A session included questions from the live audience and also the online participants. The session was recorded and is still available for viewing online at:

http://mnda.eventstreaming.tv/

The password is sydney - NB all lower case

Over 250 health professionals attended the Allied Health Professionals Forum on Tuesday 29 November. The presentations were varied and interesting covering a wide range of topics including advance care planning, peer support, withdrawal of NIV, e-solutions, and surgical therapies.

The APF presentations are also available on the event streaming website above.

Over 650 delegates attended the Symposium, the many satallite meetings and the poster session. There was an air of excitement and hope as ALS/MND scientists, researchers and clinicians shared their research and experiences and networked with their national and international peers.

For highlights of the symposium visit the research and care community blog http://reccob.wordpress.com/ and the MND Association blog http://mndresearch.wordpress.com/

For links to media coverage during November and December 2011 click here

Stem cell science - hope, hype and reality

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -1100

Organised by MS Australia and the Coalition of Advancment of Medical Research Australia (CAMRA) this event will be held on Saturday 3 December at the Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour to coincide with the ALP conference.

Program available here.

Annual Review 2011

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -1100

is now available to download. For information on MND Australia care, research, influencing, awareness and information activities during 2010 - 2011 please click here

MND Australia would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported MND Australia over the last 12 months. The Annual Review provides details on the activities that your donation helped to support.

Breakthrough research signals new era for Australians living with motor neurone disease

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -1100

After decades in the shadows, motor neurone disease (MND) has received a major boost with a series of research breakthroughs that give clearer direction for finding a cure to this baffling disease.

Findings in recent studies have shone light on a mistake in the quality control of the recycling process within MND cells. It is the third major MND breakthrough since August and provides further evidence that a common biological mechanism is involved in all forms of motor neurone disease.

‘Scientists are starting to identify the genes involved in this process,’ says Carol Birks, Executive Director at Motor Neurone Disease Australia. ‘Similar problems appear to occur in other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. This should encourage pharmaceutical companies to pursue development of treatments to improve protein processing and hopefully prevent neurones from dying.’

Dr Paul Brock AM has been living with motor neurone disease for 15 years. ‘This still incurable, inevitably terminal disease kills more Australians every year than does AIDS, but so few people have even heard of it. About 10% of people afflicted with MND have inherited the disease from within the family line – this is referred to as the ‘familial’ form of MND. The remaining 90% are said to be afflicted with the ‘sporadic’ form – which, it might be said, is medical jargon for ‘we do not understand the cause’. We desperately need more research into understanding the cause, slowing the progression, and finding a cure for this mongrel disease.’

Carol Birks says, ‘It’s the nature of this disease that people are desperate for information and news of research breakthroughs. Despite being described over 140 years ago, there remains no known cause or cure for this terminal disease that affects 1,400 Australians.’

‘Motor neurone disease touches people’s hearts. In 2011 Australians donated a record $1.4 million for research funded by MND Australia into a cause or causes, control and cure of MND. I think the generosity of donations is a reflection of how much this awful disease affects people,’ says Carol.

Recent MND research grants from the Federal Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to the value of just over $2.6 million have further boosted momentum for research and ensured that Australia continues to play a key role in fighting this disease.

MND is a rapidly progressing, terminal disease in which nerves weaken and waste, causing near-total paralysis of the body. The mind is usually unaffected, leaving people trapped in their body. Average survival time after diagnosis is just 2-3 years.

Australians with MND are gathering in Sydney today to hear about the latest research from leading international experts at the 22nd International ALS/MND symposium.

For more details on these and other scientific breakthroughs, see Motor Neurone Disease Association (UK) research news.

For more information or to interview Dr Paul Brock, contact:
Carol Birks, National Executive Director, MND Australia: carolb@mndaust.asn.au
Anna Dawbin, Communications Manager, MND Australia: annad@mndaust.asn.au

Spread the Word Week - 27 November to 3 December

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -1100

The Federal Government has said that it "wants to see improvements to disability care and support as quickly as possible". Our politicians are listening. But we still need to get out in the community and make sure everyone understands why we need an NDIS.

Will you spread the word from November 27 - December 3?

Click here for more details and to order materials from the Every Australian Counts Campaign website.

The Every Australian Counts campaign is organising an address at the National Press Club in Canberra on the 23rd of November 2011 starting at 11:45am.

Speakers include Dr Paul Brock AM FACE FACEL, the Director of Learning and Development Research in the Office of the Director-General, NSW Department of Education and Communities and Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Sydney. Dr Brock is also an Honorary Research Fellow within the University of New England; and an Honorary Associate in the Centre for Values Ethics and Law in Medicine within the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney. Dr Brock is a Vice Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, NSW

Click link to find out more and to view the film clip of Paul Brock talking about the need for an NDIS: http://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/every-australian-counts-national-press-club-address/

Find out more about the Press Club event and purchase tickets at:

http://www.npc.org.au/speakers/peter-darch-dr-rhonda-galbally-dr.html

New Mother and Daughter Rose raising funds for MND research

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -1100

Melissa King and Rankins Roses have released the 'Mother and Daughter' Rose, a stunning long flowering fragrant yellow rose, which is available from bunnings and garden centres in NSW and Victoria now!

For Media Release - click here.

The Garden Gurus on Channel Nine have been doing a promotion for the rose each week during spring (tune in at 4.30 pm on Saturday's) and there is a story going to air on the 25th October on the Circle on Channel 10.

A portion of each sale will be donated to MND Australia to help fund research.

http://www.melissaking.com.au/about.asp