Queensland Brain Institute 2012 Annual Report
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2012 Annual Report 2012 Queensland Brain Institute Queensland Brain Queensland Brain Institute 2012 Annual Report Cover Image: Neuronal processes isolated from their cell bodies by microfluidic channels were severed along the red line and allowed to regrow to study mechanisms of regeneration. (Image repeated horizontally) Image: Andrew Thompson, Senior Research Technician Queensland Brain Institute Annual Report 2012 TABLE OF ConTenTS UQ President and Vice-Chancellor’s Report ....2 Cunnington Laboratory ....................................... 30 Students ............................................................60 QBI Director’s Report ..............................................3 Eyles Laboratory ..................................................... 31 Student stories and profiles ............................... 62 Goodhill Laboratory .............................................. 32 Master of Neuroscience students ..................... 63 Discovery ............................................................4 GÖtz Laboratory .....................................................33 Hilliard Laboratory ................................................ 34 Nonlinear dendritic integration of sensory Community ................................................... 64 and motor input during an active Jiang Laboratory .................................................... 35 Events ........................................................................66 sensing task .................................................... 6 Lynch Laboratory ................................................... 36 Conferences ............................................................68 Alzheimer’s cure may be a matter of size ........8 Marshall Laboratory ..............................................37 Community Outreach .......................................... 70 MRI gains attention as diagnostic tool for Mattingley Laboratory ......................................... 38 Australian Brain Bee Challenge ..........................71 Alzheimer’s disease detection ...................10 McGrath Laboratory ............................................. 39 Scientists clearer on gene linked to motor Meunier Laboratory .............................................. 40 Recognition .......................................................72 neuron disease ............................................... 12 Mowry Laboratory .................................................41 Mathematical model unlocks key to brain Osborne Laboratory.............................................. 42 Fellowships and Awards ...................................... 74 wiring ...............................................................14 Piper Laboratory .................................................... 43 Commercialisation ............................................... 75 Researchers move closer to delaying Reinhard Laboratory .............................................44 Publications............................................................. 76 dementia ........................................................16 Richards Laboratory ............................................. 45 Grants .......................................................................84 Novel analysis offers clues to schizophrenia Sah Laboratory .......................................................46 Neuroscience Seminars .......................................86 underpinnings ...............................................18 Srinivasan Laboratory .......................................... 47 Professional Service ..............................................88 van Swinderen Laboratory .................................48 Editorial Boards ......................................................89 Research ........................................................... 20 Visscher Laboratory ..............................................49 UQ Appointments .................................................90 Bartlett Laboratory ............................................... 22 Wallace Laboratory ............................................... 50 Staff ...........................................................................91 Bredy Laboratory ....................................................23 Williams Laboratory ..............................................51 In Appreciation .....................................................94 Burne Laboratory .................................................. 24 Wray Laboratory .................................................... 52 Supporting QBI ..................................................... 95 Cheung Laboratory ............................................... 25 Centre for Ageing Dementia Research ............ 54 Claudianos Laboratory ......................................... 26 Science of Learning Centre ................................. 56 Colvin Laboratory ................................................. 27 Joint Sino-Australian Neurogenetics Cooper Laboratory ................................................ 28 Laboratory ...................................................... 57 Coulson Laboratory .............................................. 29 Joint Laboratory of Neuroscience and Cognition ........................................................ 58 QBI ANNUAL REPORT 1 UQ PREsidEnt And VicE-CHAncELLOR'S REPOrt Cognition with the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Biophysics in Beijing, and the Joint Sino-Australian Neurogenetics Laboratory with the Changzheng Hospital at the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai. The formal rela- tionship with the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Germany, is also gaining momentum with a second symposium planned to strengthen initial collaborations. In another international success, Queensland student Teresa Tang was named the first Australian winner of the International Brain Bee (IBB) held in Cape Town, South Africa, after initially winning the Australian Brain Bee Challenge (ABBC). The compe- 2012 marked five years since the opening of the tors, so it is a credit to Oliver to be recognised in this tition for high school students, first established in purpose-built $63 million facility that houses the way. His achievements are made more consider- Australia in 2006 through QBI, is key to developing Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at The Univer- able by the fact only 13 per cent of the Award’s 2100 and encouraging an early interest in neuroscience, sity of Queensland (UQ). applicants were successful. and is testament to the Institute’s commitment to In these five years QBI has significantly increased UQ again received the highest score of 5, or ‘well fostering the neuroscientists of the future. Teresa the number of scientific staff and students, from 10 above world standard’, in the area of Neurosciences will complement her IBB win by undertaking a students, 18 Principal Investigators (PIs) and 89 staff in the 2012 ARC Excellence in Research for Australia research placement at QBI over the 2012 summer in 2007, to 92 students, 33 PIs and 350 staff in 2012. (ERA) initiative. This achievement can to a very working in Professor Jason Mattingley’s Laboratory. large extent be attributed to the outstanding work The Institute’s success in competitive grant I congratulate Perry and his dedicated team on their produced by researchers at QBI. A selection of QBI’s funding has also increased accordingly. Austral- tremendous achievements to date, and thank them key findings for 2012 are outlined in the Discoveries ian Research Council (ARC) support has increased for helping to cement UQ as a leader in neurosci- section of this report and include fascinating new from $2.02 million in 2007 to $5.68 million in 2012, ence research. 2013 is QBI’s 10-year anniversary and insights into treating Alzheimer’s disease, a math- and National Health and Medical Research Council I look forward to celebrating this notable milestone ematical model that underpins brain wiring and (NHMRC) funding has grown from $2.4 million to and all that has been achieved in the past decade. work that has brought us closer to developing a $6.63 million over the same period. therapeutic target for motor neuron disease (MND). Professor Peter Høj Professor Justin Marshall received a prestigious President and Vice-Chancellor In 2012 internationally renowned neuroscien- Discovery Outstanding Researcher Award, as part of tist Professor Jürgen Götz was recruited as the Australia’s largest individual ARC Discovery Project inaugural Director of QBI’s newly established grant. His work investigates the neural processing Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CADR). This that underpins the sophisticated forms of colour Centre brings together research capabilities across and polarisation vision exhibited by octopus, squid the Institute to focus on dementia, one of Austral- and mantis shrimps on the Great Barrier Reef. ia’s most significant health problems, and will be Further, Dr Oliver Baumann was awarded an ARC formally launched in early 2013. Discovery Early Career Researcher Award for his QBI Director Professor Perry Bartlett has promoted research using neuroimaging techniques to probe the Institute’s international partnerships. He has the role of the human cerebellum in perceptual strengthened relations with research colleagues in processes. This new award identifies research excel- China at the Joint Laboratory of Neuroscience and lence and leadership potential in young investiga- 2 QBI ANNUAL REPORT Queensland Brain Institute Annual Report 2012 QBI