CRC researchers have commenced a new project, using the only two whole body 7-Tesla MRI scanners in the southern hemisphere. The project will use the ultra-high field scanners to investigate metals and proteins in the brain which could be involved in Alzheimer’s disease, with possible extension into other disease areas.

The CRC project involves collaboration with CSIRO, the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Austin Health and the University of Melbourne.

Launching one of the scanners at the University of Melbourne, Senator the Hon Scott Ryan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education) said, “The 7T whole body MRI will provide researchers in Australia with access to world leading imaging technology.   We’re very pleased to be able to count CRC researchers among those using this cutting edge technology.

More information about the 7 Tesla MRI. Senator Ryan’s speech from the launch.

7T MRI, CRC for Mental Health

CRC CFO volunteering as healthy control for 7 T MRI protocol and development

Cogstate Ltd, a commercial enduser participant of the CRC, is increasing its contribution to the CRC by providing an industry PhD scholarship. Edith Drajkopyl will be supported by the scholarship to work on the project “Concussion in sport”.

Professor Paul Maruff, Cogstate’s Chief Scientific Officer, said “Concussions that occur in sports are important health issues;   they have significant consequences for mental health and have even been linked to dementia. However, there has been very little systematic study of this injury. Edith is a talented young scientist and Cogstate has been actively involved in assisting sporting organisations with their concussion management programs. “Our partnership with the CRC for Mental Health now provides an incredible foundation for Edith’s work   to significant contributions to understanding this important issue.”

This scholarship adds to the substantial contribution Cogstate makes to the CRC’s education program, providing students with advice and guidance on cognitive testing, as well as access to the company’s cognitive tests.

For more information about Cogstate, visit cogstate.com

Date: May 2014

Dr Blaine Roberts has been awarded a prestigious international grant for his research into the validation of a developmental blood test for Alzheimer’s disease. The $140,000 Challenge Grant is awarded by the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Initiative at the New York Academy of Sciences in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. Dr Roberts’ will undertake the research at the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, in conjunction with the CRC for Mental Health.

Dr Roberts’ team has identified three plasma proteins with potential application as biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers will test the association of these proteins with amyloid plaques in the brain. They hope to develop a test that could diagnose Alzheimer’s disease 15 to 20 years before the appearance of symptoms. This would significantly reduce the cost of patient recruitment for clinical trials, and help identify potential therapies to treat those individuals who are most likely to progress to disease in the future.

For more information, please see Florey Institute news here.

Date: April 2014

In March 2014, the Australian Government asked the National Mental Health Commission to conduct a national Review of Mental Health Services and programmes. The terms of reference defined programmes and services as including prevention, early detection and treatment of mental illness.

The CRC for Mental Health made a submission emphasising the importance of research into mental illnesses. In particular, the submission reiterated the CRC’s support for the McKeon Review finding that Australia should “embed research in the health system.” We believe “this shared learning between research, clinical practice and services has the potential to improve the effectiveness of how mental illnesses are treated. 

The CRC’s submission also indicated the value of a collaborative approach to research into mental health, especially in “leveraging government investment with private sector investment, as well as embedding end-users in the research process.”

The Commission’s final review report will be provided to the Government by 30 November 2014, and will be available here.

Professor Brian Dean has accepted an appointment as Coordinator of the Psychosis Program for the CRC for Mental Health. Prof Dean has an outstanding record of achievement and leadership in the field of biological psychiatry and a track record of success in the translation of research discoveries into useful innovations in the field of clinical diagnostics. We look forward to the application of his talent and effort in this new role within the CRC.

Date: 31 January 2014

Arcitecta, the company behind Mediaflux – the most flexible and comprehensive metadata management platform for complex, distributed data management – is developing a product to improve the capture and management of data from clinical research worldwide.

Using the Cooperative Research Centre for Mental Health’s real data from volunteers, Arcitecta will develop a new software product that will:

• enable clinicians to capture clinical data at the bedside, and in a form that is easily accessible to them and other non-expert IT users,

• easily import and export new and existing data,

• enable multiple research institutions to collaborate on multiple trials by allowing them to feed data into the repository for this new product, and,

• be open, allowing users to develop additional functions, as and when they need it.

Read more

Coverage in the press:

Capturing biomarker metadata for mental health research, PULSE+IT Magazine, 3 April 2014.

December 2013

The CRC for Mental Health was established to create impact. It commenced life with a bold vision for translating research into products and methods of practice that can drive transformational changes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses.

The CRC has made impressive progress towards these goals. For example, we have made discoveries that may prove to be the basis of a reliable blood test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Importantly, our findings point towards implementation using a relatively simple and robust apporach which could be rolled out in existing diagnostic laboratories. We look forward to reporting similar progress in our pursuit of biomarkers for other types of mental illnesses.

A critical aspect of our research is its use of data and biological materials collected from hundreds of volunteers, both affected and unaffected by mental illness. The CRC has benefited enormously from pre-existing biobanks such as the Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle Study of Ageing (AIBL), the Geelong Health Study and the West Australian Family Study of Schizophrenia. We are developing our own schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease biobanks and working to ensure these resources endure well beyond the remaining five years of the CRC’s initial term of Commonwealth funding.

We have been fortunate to attract a group of very capable PhD students who along with our postdoctoral researchers have opportunities to interact broadly with the scientific community. We have conducted workshops to broaden their perspectives and foster a proactive apporach to career planning. Our research students have also met with people with mental illness and their carers – an interaction which greatly benefitted all parties.

We have continued to engage with our participants, stakeholders and the wider community. We have developed an education program for primary carers in the aged care system to assist them in understanding the causes and consequences of dementia. We have also conducted a number of highly successful community education events, most notably “Science and Dementia” held during National Science Week.

Next year is a critical time for the CRC. In early 2015, our performance will be reviewed by the Commonwealth. We must be able to demonstrate substantial progress towards creating impact from our research. We are on the verge of such success. Next year, we should drive some of our innovative technology into the commercial domain and involve at least one new commercial enduser organisation in our work. We should also expand our educational activities. Most importantly, we should be confident that our current participants can clearly identify the benefits the CRC has brought to them already, and those we will realise in the future.

The CRC’s successes to date are due to a large number of people across organisations, disciplines and geographic areas working collectively. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all those in the CRC community for their hard work and enthusiasm this year.

Dr Ian Cooke, CEO CRC for Mental Health