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Telethon supports WA led research to tackle youth mental health issues

A research project to build capacity for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat youth suffering from mental health disorders such as depression has attracted a grant of $77,048 from the Channel 7 Telethon Trust. 

Recent studies identify TMS as a promising intervention for youth experiencing mood disorders and the WA led research will provide insight into its safety, efficacy and suitability during child development.  

Chief Investigators are Associate Professor Jenny Rodger, head of Brain Plasticity Research at the Perron Institute and The University of Western Australia and Dr Jamie Beros, a postdoctoral researcher in this group.  

A/Prof Jenny Rodger receives an MS Australia research grant commencing in 2023

• MS Australia has funded over $3 million towards MS research grants commencing in 2023.
• The twenty-two new projects address MS Australia’s priorities for MS research, including causes and prevention, better treatments and cures via repair and regeneration of cells.

“Associate Professor Rodger and her team have previously shown that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive method that uses a rapidly changing magnetic field to generate small electrical pulses in the brain, can improve the survival of oligodendrocytes in the brain.” Learn more about all the grant recipients here

Dr Jamie Beros Receives a 2023 Brain Foundation Grant

“I’m extremely honoured to be selected for a 2023 Brain Foundation Grant.

“This project could provide important insight into understanding how we can keep brain cells alive following injury to preserve brain function in the short and long term.” Read more here

Alex Tang, from the Brain Plasticity Lab, is Crowned UWA’s 2023 Rising Star

UWA’s early career science researchers showcased their innovative projects at the 2022 Rising Stars competition, where 12 of UWA’s brightest scientific minds presented their research.

This year’s top prize was awarded to Alex Tang, from UWA’s School of Biological Sciences and Perron Institute, who is an expert in neuroscience. You can read more on this story here

Dr Alex Tang is the First Researcher in Western Australia to be Awarded a Young Investigator Grant from the Brain and Behaviour Research Foundation in New York

Congratulations to Dr Alex Tang, who recently recieved a Young Investigator Grant. The grant, worth $100,000 over two years, will fund a project to investigate how magnetic brain stimulation can enhance neural plasticity in the human brain.
Dr Tang said knowledge gained from his project will provide clinicians with an evidence base to reliably predict which neurological symptoms and patients will benefit from repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of depression. Tang also recently recieved a UWA Research Collaboration Award.

PhD Canditate Rebecca Ong is awarded an Australian Rotary Health PhD Scholarship.

The Australian Rotary Health will provide stipend and incidental support for Rebecca’s PhD project ‘Promoting healthy brain ageing with non-invasive brain stimulation’ . Rebecca was also recently accepted into the 2022 Australian BioCommons Workshop in Single Cell RNAseq Analysis in R. You can read more about her project and the scholarship here.

PhD Canditate Emily King is accepted into the Highly competitive Australasian Course in Advanced Neuroscience.

The Australasian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (ACAN) is an intensive three-week course that teaches both advanced theory and hands-on-practice of latest neuroscience techniques. Emily was chosen as one of only twelve participants for an intensive series of workshops in patch-clamp recording, calcium imaging, optogenetics, pharmacogenetics and behavioural manipulation, amongst other techniques.

Associate Prof Jennifer Rodger is the “Researcher in Focus” for International Day of Woman and Girls in Science, at MSWA.

Assoc Professor Jenny Rodgers talks to MSWA about being a women in science and her journey to become Head of Brain Plasticity Research at the Perron Institute. Read more about her inspiring story here.

Congratulations to WA Young Tall Poppy Dr Alex Tang, pictured with the Brain Plasticity Research Team.

Postdoctoral scientist Dr Alex Tang (Perron Institute and UWA) has been recognised in the 2021 WA Young Tall Poppy science awards for his research in the field of neural plasticity.

The Tall Poppy campaign was created in 1998 by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science to recognise and celebrate Australian intellectual and scientific excellence and to encourage younger Australians to follow in the footsteps of our outstanding achievers.