DRC – FTD, Dementia, Animal Models

The Dementia Research Centre (DRC) is based within the Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences in MQ Health. This dementia research group, led by Lars Ittner, has made major contributions to the understanding of fundamental pathomechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. Having identified novel mechanisms underlying neuronal dysfunction and loss in dementia, the research has evolved to translate these findings into novel therapeutic approaches. This new research is based on a portfolio of novel compounds, proprietary tools, drug target and preclinical disease models.

Projects

Preclinical development of specific tau-binding compounds to target underlying disease mechanisms for the treatment of dementia – Janet van Eersel
Defining the spatial and temporal regulation of neurite branching – Thomas Fath
Unravelling the molecular mechanism of tau spread in Alzheimer's disease – Thomas Fath
Neuropathology and clinicopathological correlations in FTD and related disorders, and preclinical models of dementia – Shelley Forrest
Heritability and genetics in frontotemporal tauopathies – Shelley Forrest
Expanding the spectrum of glial-predominant disorders: globular glial tauopathies – Shelley Forrest
Antibody-based therapies for dementia - Ole Tietz
Targeting pathogenic TAR DNA-binding protein 43 to treat frontotemporal dementia and motor neuron disease – Yazi Ke, Daryl Ariawan
Role of the innate immune complement pathway and neuroinflammation underlying neurodegeneration in frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; the quest for specific biomarkers and novel therapeutics – Fiona Bright
Unravelling the molecular mechanism of tau spread in Alzheimer’s disease – Sian Genoud, Magdalena Przybyka
Development of small molecule inhibitors of protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases – Liming Hou
Calcium signalling and excitability changes in Motor Neuron Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia – Gabriella Chan - PhD
The role of excitotoxicity in Alzheimer’s disease – Yuanyuan Deng
Postsynaptic processes regulated by the microtubule associated protein tau – Astrid Feiten - PhD
Investigating the pathomechanism of FOXG1 syndrome – Daniel Tan - PhD
Deciphering the funciton of neuronal cell architecture and nerve cell econnections in the brain and its disruption in Alzheimer's Disease pathology – Tamara Tomanic - PhD
The role of B cells and antibodies in Alzheimer's Disease – Julia van der Hoven - PhD
Exploring The Role Of Tau In Excitotoxic Mechanisms In Epileptic Encephalopathies – Nicole Morey - PhD

Meet our Research Group

Professor Lars Ittner

Director, Dementia Research Centre, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Macquarie University

Medical Doctor
Genetics
Molecular Biology