The Challenge
Understanding neurodegenerative disorders, mental illness, and normal ageing is essential for developing diagnostic tools, discovering new disorders, and creating effective therapeutic strategies.
What is the Sydney Brain Bank?
Established in 2009, the Sydney Brain Bank (SBB) at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) is a biobanking facility dedicated to collecting, characterising, storing, and distributing human brain and spinal cord tissue for research into brain and mind disorders. The facility is internationally recognised for its excellence in clinicopathological research, equipped with specialised laboratories, and staffed by highly trained experts in neuroanatomy, histology, and neuropathology.
What does the Sydney Brain Bank do?
- Extensive Collection: Over 847 brain tissue samples from donors with diverse neuropathologies.
- Collaborative Partnerships: Partners with 10 brain donor programs to assess neurodegenerative changes and their impact on quality of life.
- Research Distribution: Distributed over 4,038 tissue specimens to 16 research groups globally.
- Scientific Contributions: Facilitated 18 scientific publications using SBB tissue.
Measuring Impact
Hearts and Minds measures its impact across six core categories as developed by the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes. Key highlights include:
Advancing Knowledge
- Significant Publications: 18 scientific papers based on SBB tissue research.
- Research Highlight: Dr. Claire Shepherd published a case series on neurodegenerative pathologies in former elite-level athletes, featured on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald.
- Collaborative Efforts: Partnerships with organisations like the Minderoo Foundation and the University of Queensland to explore the impact of environmental toxins on brain health.
Research Capacity Building
- Training and Expertise: SBB staff produce original research and are skilled in handling, dissecting, and analysing brain tissue.
Health Impacts
- Disease Mechanisms: Enhanced understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and the impact of environmental toxins on brain health.
Economic Impacts
- Cost Savings: Improved diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies can reduce healthcare costs associated with brain disorders.
Social Impacts
- Improved Health Literacy: Increased public awareness of neurodegenerative diseases and brain research.
- Improved Quality of Life: Research monitors neurodegenerative changes and their impact, leading to therapies that enhance daily living and overall wellbeing.
Informing Decisions
- Diagnostics & Treatments: Valuable brain tissue held by SBB offers hope for better diagnostics and treatments.
The SBB plays a crucial role in advancing our understanding of neurodegenerative disorders, mental illness, and normal ageing, contributing significantly to medical science.
Funding support from Hearts and Minds Investments, as nominated by Core Fund Manager, Caledonia.
This content was last updated in July 2024, for further information and updates, visit NeuRA.
