The most important investment in our country, from both a social and economic perspective, is in the well-being of its citizens through health and medical research. Tackling the growing impact of mental illness is imperative, and given our ageing population, the neurodegenerative conditions mean that over 350,000 Australians are living with dementia. This requires a sustained and comprehensive commitment from […]
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Most people find the sight of blood or a hypodermic needle enough to cause some discomfort, but why do some people faint when faced with them? If you’re someone who finds yourself sweating about your upcoming flu jab, you might have your prehistoric ancestors to thank. Phobias are part of the anxiety disorder family. They are thought to arise because […]
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It is well known that dementia causes distress, however, little research has been done to understand caregiver stress and how it differs within the dementias. Prof John Hodges and his team are investigating caregiver distress among people caring for those with dementia and combining it with information from patients, to better understand which aspects of the condition are creating more […]
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The United Nations World Autism Awareness Day is 2ndApril. This year, the agenda is “Inclusion and Neurodiversity”, chosen to highlight the need to make sure individuals with autism are fully included in society, and recognized as members of the great diversity of humankind, with their own unique and important contributions. The notion of diversity brings up the question of how […]
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The Autumn 2016 edition of the NeuRA Magazine is ready to read! This quarter, we discuss with Prof Rhoshel Lenroot how fathers can help future generations in Like Father Like Son. You can also read about Leanne O’Reilly’s participation in the CATS study with the schizophrenia laboratory. And catch up with Dr Claire Shepherd, Manager of the Sydney Brain Bank […]
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Dr James McAuley was recently invited to be part of the expert audience on SBS’s Insight program to provide his view on placebos. The placebo effect is when somebody responds, usually positively, to a treatment that has no active properties. At the end of 2015 a researcher from Insight called me to “pick my brain about placebo effects” as they […]
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To think of thinking seems like a peculiar task. For most of us, thinking occurs constantly despite rarely giving it a thought. However, as Jess Hazelton discusses below, when we take a few moments and evaluate what our brain is capable of, it is truly astounding! Acting as a control centre for our entire body, we can understand our brain […]
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Trinidad Valenzuela has come to NeuRA from Chile to complete her PhD by exploring ways to improve falls prevention exercise programs for older people. This is her story… I believe everyone is surrounded by opportunities. I like to think of it as one of those Christmas snow globes. Imagine you are inside, and all the tiny snowflakes moving around you […]
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Evan ran in the 2015 SMH Half Marathon, raising funds for NeuRA’s research. This year, he’s supporting NeuRA again through a fundraising initiative… “It was neither divine intervention nor lady luck that saved my life. It was a combination of knowledge, skill and the training of a special group of people who dedicate their lives in an endless pursuit to […]
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Greater acceptance of chronic pain is associated with fewer pain-related difficulties, such as distress and disability, and better quality of life. Pragmatically, however, the idea that one might want to be more “accepting” of chronic pain runs contrary to common sense. To help clarify this confusion the McAuley Group, which researches low back pain at NeuRA, is proud to be […]
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