Menzies Institute for Medical Research

11/12/2025

📢 Our final MS Research Flagship newsletter for 2025 is here!
It’s packed with insights and updates you won’t want to miss:
✅ Multiple sclerosis is costing Australia $3 billion a year – find out what’s driving this and what needs to change.
✅ Global collaborations in action – from Barcelona to Brisbane, see how our researchers are shaping the future of MS treatment and prevention.
✅ Digital innovation spotlight – discover how our InforMS platform is transforming MS care and why it’s gaining national recognition.

Plus awards, community engagement, and a peek into exciting new research on sleep and MS.

👉 Read it in full here: https://bit.ly/4a70zTx

10/12/2025

We recently hosted a symposium, in partnership with Australian Rotary Health to shine a light on Youth Mental Health Awareness and Su***de Prevention in Tasmania.
The event brought together leading experts and our researchers to share insights and listen to local voices about supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young Tasmanians.
Associate Professor Amanda Neil, Principal Research Fellow at Menzies, as she explores the link between language, literacy skills, and mental health in young people.
“Over a lifetime, more Tasmanians experience a mental health disorder than any other state or territory—and we also have the worst rates of literacy,” says A/Prof Neil.
“If you struggle with language or reading, it can be isolating and make daily life very challenging.”
We’re proud to collaborate with Australian Rotary Health, which has supported youth mental health research for decades, including PhD students like Ivan Nugraha at Menzies.

09/12/2025

🧠 Our neuroscience team was proud to host the Cellular and Molecular Advances in Neurodegeneration (CAMAND 2025) meeting at the UTAS Medical Science Precinct — an intensive, focused scientific forum examining the cellular and molecular pathways that drive neurodegenerative diseases.

Discussions explored mechanisms of disease progression, biomarker development, and emerging therapeutic targets across conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease.

CAMAND 2025 was held as an official satellite meeting of the 2025 Australasian Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, which took place in the days prior at the Grand Chancellor Hobart. This premier event brought together hundreds of researchers, clinicians and industry partners to share the latest advances in brain health, genomics, neurotechnology and translational neuroscience.

Together, these events showcased the strength of Tasmania’s research environment and our shared commitment to advancing brain health. Congratulations to the organisers, presenters and participants who made both meetings such a success. 👏

08/12/2025

𝐀 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐒 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐒 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤!

More than 20 of our MS Research Flagship researchers and close community members joined the event, which opened with Professor Bruce Taylor presenting findings from 𝑀𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑆𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑡ℎ 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑎 2025.

This major new report, produced by Menzies in collaboration with MS Australia, revealed that the cost of MS in Australia has surpassed $3 billion annually for the first time, and that almost 38,000 Australians are now living with MS.

Across multiple sessions, our researchers shared their insights on:

➡️The link between EBV and MS
➡️How sleep affects work productivity in Australians with MS
➡️Whether rare genetic variants tied to other brain diseases influence MS risk
➡️How psychosocial changes impact self-concept in MS
➡️Categorising pain types experienced by people with MS
…and much more.

A highlight of the conference was the dinner, where Professor Bruce Taylor received the prestigious 2025 MS Research Award, recognising his collaborative approach, scientific leadership, and unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for people living with MS over more than 25 years. Congratulations, Bruce!

It was an inspiring event bringing together clinicians, allied health professionals, researchers, and the MS community to share global innovation and insights.

(Professor Bruce Taylor photo credit: MS Australia)

04/12/2025

A new report from our MS Research Flagship's health economics group has found that multiple sclerosis (MS) is costing Australians more than $3 billion a year, and the number of people with MS is up 77% since 2010.

𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢 2025, commissioned by MS Australia, found that almost 38,000 Australians are now living with MS. Tasmania continues to have the highest prevalence in the country, with 190 cases per 100,000 people, nearly double the rate in Queensland and Western Australia.

MS is the most common acquired chronic neurological disease affecting young adults, often diagnosed between ages 20–40. It can lead to job loss, financial strain and reduced quality of life. The report highlights the urgent need for investment in support services, early intervention and prevention.

Tasmania’s high MS prevalence is a stark reminder of why our research in this space is critical.

“Our vision is to improve health and wellbeing of Tasmanians through world-class research. We strive to reduce the burden of diseases such as MS to our community, and these findings reinforce that commitment,” said Professor Tracey Dickson, Director of Menzies.

Photo caption: 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 (𝘓-𝘙) 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘳 𝘉𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘳, 𝘋𝘳 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭 (𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳), 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘦𝘪 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘳 𝘎𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘻𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩

Head to the link in the comments to read more about our report 👇

02/12/2025

The Australian Multiple Sclerosis Longitudinal Study (AMSLS) is a collaborative research initiative between Menzies and MS Australia, collecting real-world data from Australians living with MS. The study has been running for over 20 years and its valuable data helps inform policy decisions and guides MS-related medical and support services—driving positive change and improving lives.

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗦? 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝗠𝗦 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
👉 If you're living with MS in Australia and aged 18 or over, you can register at:
🔗 https://www.msaustralia.org.au/amsls

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲?
🔬 Researchers interested in collaborating or using the AMSLS platform can contact:
Professor Ingrid van der Mei
📞 03 6226 7710
📧 ingrid.vandermei@utas.edu.au

01/12/2025

Today we marked the second anniversary of our Cardiovascular Research Flagship by calling on more Tasmanians to take action in the event of a cardiac arrest.

We re-released Shock Verdict, a video featuring the cast of ABC’s Rake, alongside Tasmanian cardiologist Dr Paul MacIntyre and cardiac arrest survivors.

The video shares a dramatic and lifesaving message: ‘Act fast and help people ‘Stay Alive’ when witnessing a cardiac arrest.’

We’re grateful to all our collaborators, including people with lived experience, the Heart Foundation and Ambulance Tasmania, who came together to celebrate and spread the important of bystander intervention.

You can view the video here ➡️

Shock Verdict hopes to inspire Australians to save a life by calling 000, providing lifesaving chest compressions and using an AED.

30/11/2025

Thank you to everyone who reached out to us offering to take part in our community conversation to help shape a better future for osteoarthritis in Tasmania. Places for the event have now been filled, and we look forward to the discussion on 6 December.

We want to sit down with you in a community conversation and hear your story. What you share will help us understand osteoarthritis in Tasmania better. It will shape our research and push for changes in the health system, so people can get the support they need to live well.

26/11/2025

👏 Huge congratulations to Menzies PhD student Jasmine Bacon, who has been awarded a $10,000 Tour de Cure Australia Grant. This funding will help Jasmine, who works in cancer research, share her research on the international stage.

Jasmine's project focuses on identifying drivers of metastatic prostate cancer. Metastasis occurs when the cancer spreads beyond the initial site and is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Prostate cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian men, often spreads to the bone causing chronic pain and severely impacting quality of life.

"By uncovering the mechanisms that drive cancer spread, we hope to identify new biomarkers and treatment targets that could improve early detection of aggressive prostate cancer and guide future treatment development," Jasmine explains.

Ultimately her work seeks to improve outcomes and quality of life for men with advanced prostate cancer.

Learn more about Jasmine's research here 👇

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

24/11/2025

❤ Did you know CPR can save lives—and even has its own beat?

Back in 2016, the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Resuscitation Council teamed up with the University of Tasmania to create Shock Verdict, a short film designed to promote modern CPR practices and boost survival rates after cardiac arrest.

This courtroom drama, featuring familiar faces from the TV series RAKE, uses the iconic Bee Gees track Stayin’ Alive to show the perfect CPR rhythm.

Now, we’re thrilled to bring Shock Verdict back to the stage in Tasmania! 🎭
This relaunch is part of a bigger project proudly funded by the Australian Heart Foundation to improve cardiac arrest survival outcomes.

📅 Event Details
Date: Monday, 1 December 2025
Time: 10.00 - 11.00am
Location: Medical Science Precinct, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart
Light refreshments to follow

📧 Email to register: CVFlagship.menzeis@utas.edu.au

👉 Join us and be part of the movement to save lives!

20/11/2025

Have you heard about our new $8.9M project which will keep Australians safer from pollen storms and thunderstorm asthma?

Climate change is making pollen seasons longer, more intense, and unpredictable—putting millions of Australians with asthma or allergies at risk.

On this day, nine years ago, when tragically 10 people died, and around 8500 patients admitted to hospital in one night and dozens put in intensive care, during a thunderstorm event in Victoria.

This initiative will see new pollen monitors rolled out around the country to help Australians get earlier, more accurate alerts on high-risk days—saving lives and reducing pressure on hospitals.

✅ Why it matters:
Pollen storms can trigger sudden, life-threatening breathing difficulties.

✅ What this project will do:
➡Add new real-time pollen monitors in areas without coverage
➡Upgrade existing sites for multi-species detection
➡Improve AI tools for accurate allergen identification
➡Link forecasts to public health alert systems for early warnings

📱 Want to stay informed?
➡Check pollen levels and download the https://airrater.org/ to manage your risk.
➡Read more www.utas.edu.au/about/news-and-stories/articles/2025/$9.9m-project-to-combat-rising-threat-of-pollen-storms-and-thunderstorm-asthma

The project has been funded by the third round of the Australian Government’s Disaster Ready Fund, and we are excited to bring together the University of Tasmania, AirHealth, state governments, researchers, public health agencies, and environmental monitoring partners across Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia.

20/11/2025

🌏 It’s fantastic to see our researchers sharing their expertise on an international stage.

Representatives from our MS Research Flagship recently had this opportunity at the 17th Pan-Asian Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (PACTRIMS) Congress in Osaka 🇯🇵

➡️Professor Bruce Taylor presented results from TA**US 2, a phase II clinical trial exploring magnetic brain stimulation (rTMS) as a potential treatment for MS. This study, which was run out of Menzies, recruited more than 100 participants across six Australian sites to test its safety and efficacy.
➡️Dr Yi Chao Foong shared his important work that uses real-world MSBase registry data to inform treatment for older people living with multiple sclerosis. Over half of people with MS are aged over 50, so this research is vital.

👏 Thank you both for helping to shine the spotlight on the impactful research coming out of Tasmania