Queensland Brain Institute 2014 Annual Report Queensland Brain Institute 2014 Annual Report Cover Image: Garden of Neurons by Gonzalo Almarza We are studying different populations of neurons in the cortex. In this image, subplate neurons (green) extend their processes towards the pial surface during early cortical development. These neurons project through the emerging cortical plate (in red), arborising in the marginal zone (in blue). Queensland Brain Institute Annual Report 2014 UQ Vice-Chancellor and President’s Report ........................1 QBI Director’s Report ...........................................2 Discovery 4 Genome analysis reveals schizophrenia’s secrets ...................6 Halting the damaging effects of stroke ............................8 Revealing the complexity of wiring the brain. .10 Redefining how we plan movement in the brain ....................12 Controlling fear may be possible by controlling DNA ................14 Research 16 Anggono Laboratory ........17 Goodhill Laboratory .........27 Mowry Laboratory ..........37 Srinivasan Laboratory .......43 Bartlett Laboratory ..........18 Götz Laboratory ............28 Osborne Laboratory .........38 van Swinderen Laboratory ...44 Bredy Laboratory ...........19 Hilliard Laboratory ..........29 Piper Laboratory ............39 Visscher Laboratory .........45 Burne Laboratory ...........20 Jiang Laboratory ............30 Reinhard Laboratory ........40 Williams Laboratory .........46 Cheung Laboratory .........21 Lynch Laboratory ...........31 Richards Laboratory .........41 Wray Laboratory ............47 Claudianos Laboratory. .22 Mangelsdorf Laboratory .....32 Sah Laboratory .............42 Yang Laboratory ............48 Cooper Laboratory ..........23 Marshall Laboratory .........33 Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research ..................49 Coulson Laboratory .........24 Mattingley Laboratory .......34 Centre for Neurogenetics and Statistical Genomics .................50 Cunnington Laboratory ......25 McGrath Laboratory .........35 Science of Learning Research Centre ..............................51 Eyles Laboratory ............26 Meunier Laboratory .........36 Joint Research Laboratories ......................................52 Students 54 Postgraduate Students .........................................55 Master of Neuroscience .........................................58 Student Profiles ...............................................56 Community 60 Lectures ......................................................61 Community Outreach ..........................................65 Events .......................................................63 Australian Brain Bee Challenge ...................................66 Recognition 68 Fellowships and Awards .........................................69 Editorial Boards. .89 Commercial Development ......................................70 UQ Appointments .............................................90 Publications ...................................................71 International Collaborations .....................................91 Grants .......................................................83 Staff .........................................................93 Neuroscience Seminars .........................................85 Philanthropy ..................................................97 Professional Services ...........................................87 Acknowledgements ............................................99 UQ Vice-Chancellor and President’s Report I am delighted to share with you a selection of the QBI also hosted 24 Chinese students from Fudan many successes achieved at the Queensland Brain University and Wenzhou Medical College as part Institute (QBI) in 2014. of a six-week engagement at UQ to tighten ties between the institutions. Their positive experiences Under the strong leadership of founding Direc- will produce benefits well into the future for people tor, Professor Perry Bartlett, QBI has progressively of both countries and for the global community. augmented an exemplary record built on collabora- tions, beginning with robust research partnerships Meanwhile, QBI continued to invest in coming at UQ, and extending to global research consorti- generations of Australian knowledge leaders, and ums, philanthropists and companies. welcomed teenagers from more than 60 high schools for the 2014 Queensland Final of the Austral- The continued growth of the Clem Jones Centre for ian Brain Bee Challenge. Queensland has produced Ageing and Dementia Research (CJCADR), led by two of the last three champions of the International Professor Jürgen Götz, is testament to the power Brain Bee—and the Australian component owes its of collaboration. In 2014, CJCADR joined with the existence to QBI’s Professor Linda Richards, who Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Biophys- founded the competition here in 2006. ics to create an Australia-China centre focussed on dementia research. Before finishing, I wish to congratulate Professor Perry Bartlett for being awarded the prestigious Further enhancing this work, the Stafford Fox Med- Distinguished Achievement Award by the Aus- ical Research Foundation gifted $2.5 million for an tralian Neuroscience Society. Perry is a lion of international fellowship to study stroke-induced neuroscience, who during a 40-year career has dementia—the cause of around 40 per cent of been responsible for a series of ground-breaking dementias. Also thanks to philanthropic support, discoveries that will have perpetual positive impact. German postdoctoral researcher and recipient of His global reputation and unflagging commitment the prestigious Peter Hilton Research Fellowship to excellence and outcomes have helped attract in Ageing Dementia Dr Liviu-Gabriel Bodea joined outstanding staff, students and partners to the CJCADR. Dr Bodea’s expertise in neuroimmunology QBI. You will see overviews of some of their work adds significant traction to QBI’s dementia program. in the pages that follow. I congratulate and thank QBI has continued its strong commitment to young each and every one. The best news, perhaps, is scientists, and in 2014 two early career research- that the best is yet to come! ers, Dr Ramesh Narayanan and Dr Roger Marek, Professor Peter Høj received The University of Queensland’s Dean’s Vice-Chancellor and President Award for Research Higher Degree Excellence, for The University of Queensland theses submitted in 2013. Dr Narayanan’s winning work advanced knowledge of the mechanisms behind motor neuron disease; Dr Marek’s thesis focussed on the neuronal circuit that is involved in the acquisition and extinction of fear memory. Both researchers reflect the extreme dedication to research outcomes exhibited across QBI’s faculty. 1 QBI ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Queensland Brain Institute Annual Report 2014 QBI Director’s Report In the world’s largest molecular genetic study into honour, the Harold Spencer-Jones Gold Medal, to and success of QBI. In particular, I wish to acknowl- a psychiatric disorder, using DNA samples from Professor Mandyam Srinivasan. Professor Srin- edge the support delivered by Professor Pankaj 36,989 schizophrenia patients, researchers used ivasan studies insects and birds to understand Sah and his team of Ms Rowan Tweedale and Dr a genome-wide association study to find genetic how animals with small brains navigate complex Sylvie Pichelin, along with the administrative sup- variations between the patients and 113,075 con- environments. He applies that research in the field port provided by Deputy Director (Operations), Mr trol samples. The study uncovered 108 sites, 83 of of robotics to help unmanned aerial vehicles avoid John Kelly, and Institute Manager, Mrs Helen Weir. which were previously unidentified, that form the collisions and safely navigate their environments. I also wish to recognise the role of the QBI Advisory genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia, which is In 2014, Professor Srinivasan was also named an Board, chaired by Dr Sallyanne Atkinson AO ,in an incredible result. inaugural Queensland Government Science Cham- guiding the Institute, and the QBI Development pion and elected into the Australian Academy of Following this, I was delighted to announce the Board, chaired by Mr Jeff Maclean. Your support and Science Council. appointment of Professor Peter Visscher and Profes- generosity has enabled QBI to maintain its leading sor Naomi Wray as Co-Directors of the new Centre QBI laboratory head Professor Peter Visscher position as a hub for neuroscience discovery and for Neurogenetics and Statistical Genomics (CNSG), was identified on the prestigious 2014 Thomson translation, and I look forward to your continued here at QBI. The Centre aims to understand the Reuters Highly Cited Researchers list. The list iden- support and friendship in 2015. genetic basis of a range of brain diseases and to tifies researchers ranked in the top one per cent I extend my personal gratitude to our many donors develop new statistical methodologies and compu- by citation rate during 2002–2012, with Professor and supporters, as this support is paramount to tational tools to aid analysis of the human genome. Visscher appearing in the category of Molecular the success of the Institute. Biology & Genetics. In this year’s Annual Report you will also find fea- Finally, my warmest thanks to Vice-Chancellor and tured the work of QBI Deputy Director (Research) Professor Justin Marshall was awarded the ARC’s President Professor Peter Høj, and Provost and Professor Pankaj Sah on how the brain