REGROWING YOUR BRAIN
IT was once widely accepted that the adult brain was hard wired: what we had by a certain age was as good as it ever got. But research by Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) Professor Perry Bartlett, at the University of Queensland, turned that conventional wisdom on its head.
When he started researching the brain in the late 1970s, Professor Bartlett made the ground-breaking discovery that the human brain can change and cells can regenerate. When he discovered that stem cells could regrow chains of neurons, it raised hopes that lost functions, particularly the memory collapse accompanying dementia and mood disorders, could be restored. His discovery that there are actually stem cells in the adult brain meant that the brain has the potential to repair itself. The discovery has significant implications for treating people with brain injuries and diseases.
Another cornerstone of Professor Bartlett’s career was the establishment of the QBI in 2003. Since then the Institute has grown from a fledgling operation, with several of the world’s best neuroscientists, to an international research hub with 450 staff dedicated to finding out more about debilitating diseases of the brain. Beyond that, his achievements in neuroscience research and neuroscience leadership have been recognised with several prestigious awards. In 2015, he became just the ninth recipient of the CSL Florey Medal for his breakthrough discoveries in neuroscience. The CSL Florey Medal is one of Australia’s most prestigious scientific awards and recognises a recipient’s significant achievements in biomedical science and/or human health advancement. In recognition of his research career, Professor Bartlett was also named the 2017 Queensland Senior Australian of the Year, and a 2017 Queensland Great. At the beginning of his career, Professor Bartlett was focused on repairing the brain and researchers are now well on the way to doing that. It’s exciting that Professor Bartlett’s initial discoveries nearly 25 years ago are now leading to potential treatments for dementia, and maybe for depression too.