Brain Foundation

29/01/2026

ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons and typically leads to death within three to five years of diagnosis.

Age is a key risk factor for the disease, yet existing models don’t reflect age-related changes, which has contributed to the failure of more than 98% of clinical trials.

Dr Cutrupi and his team are looking to model these cellular changes to improve clinical trial success and hopefully reveal new therapeutic targets.

Real research, real progress, powered by you.

27/01/2026

If geography is your speciality subject at trivia, today is your lucky day.

For today's Brain Teaser Tuesday, try to guess the country by its shape (we have given you a hint on population and flag to narrow it down).

Put your guesses in the comments!

26/01/2026

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons, the nerve cells controlling muscle movement. It is fatal within an average of just 3-5 years of diagnosis.

By modelling how cells change with age, Dr Cutrupi and his team aim to pinpoint early molecular triggers of ALS—opening the door to new therapeutic targets and improved patient outcomes.

This vital research is made possible through your generous support.

25/01/2026

Calling all of our WA community!

If you are looking for a vibrant night of fun, food & festivities for the whole family, grab a ticket to Leafy's Legacy's Family Fiesta event.

A portion of the night's proceeds will be donated to the Brain Foundation in support of aneurysm research.

What will the night include?
🎨 Face painting
🎶 DJ Pasquale & dance performance
🍽️ Paella dinner
🎯 Games, money board, and piñata
🍦 Ice-cream truck and more!

Tickets available now: https://events.humanitix.com/family-fiesta

Know someone in Perth? Tag them or share this with them and help spread the word.

📍 Alf Faulkner Hall, Eden Hill, WA
⏰ Sat 21st March, 5:30pm start

21/01/2026

Vale Dame Marie Bashir. The Brain Foundation is deeply saddened by the passing of Dame Marie Bashir, a truly remarkable Australian and a long-standing patron of our organisation.

Dame Marie’s interest in brain health and mental wellbeing began early in her career. As a medical student, she was taught by our founder, Professor James Lance, and often credited him with sparking her lifelong passion for brain function, particularly as it related to mental health.

Throughout her distinguished career, Dame Marie remained a committed advocate for neuroscience and a gracious supporter of the Brain Foundation.

She especially valued meeting early-career researchers supported through our fellowships and took a genuine interest in their work and aspirations.

Her leadership, compassion, and deep commitment to public service, including her historic role as the first female Governor of New South Wales, leaves an enduring legacy across medicine, education, and community care.

We are profoundly grateful for her support and belief in our mission. On behalf of the Brain Foundation community, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Dame Marie’s family, friends, and all whose lives she touched.

📸 Pictured: Dame Marie presenting at the 2016 Awards Evening for Brain Foundation Grant Recipients.

20/01/2026

We're wishing Shellharbour Deputy Mayor Kellie Marsh a smooth road to recovery after surviving two ruptured brain aneurysms. A ruptured aneurysm is a medical emergency where every second matters. The Mayor’s quick thinking in calling 000 meant CR Marsh was rushed to the hospital in time to undergo two life-saving surgeries.

The story features the expertise of Dr Jorn Van Der Veken, one of our Brain Foundation grant recipients for 2025.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-20/shellharbour-councillor-kellie-marsh-aneurysm-emergency/106245410

Learn more about aneurysm: https://brainfoundation.org.au/disorders/aneurysm/

A split-second decision may have made all the difference.

Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer answered a call from Deputy Mayor Kellie Marsh just before heading into the surf.

When she became unresponsive, he raised the alarm.

She’s now recovering after emergency surgery for two ruptured aneurysms.

Read on… https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-20/shellharbour-councillor-kellie-marsh-aneurysm-emergency/106245410?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=link

20/01/2026

It's Tuesday! You know what that means 👀

Today’s brain teaser is a crowd favourite. Can you spot the common link between these four images? One-word answer per slide.

Comment your guesses & challenge a friend to try.

16/01/2026

Did you know? Swallowing is a highly complex neuromuscular activity 🧠🥤

Swallowing (or deglutition) requires intricate coordination between the nervous system and muscles to ensure food moves to the stomach without entering the airway.

Difficulty swallowing is called dysphagia.

Because swallowing relies on precise brain–body communication, it can be affected by neurological conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease, which can significantly impact quality of life.

15/01/2026

"Why are we still accepting headaches and disability in migraine?"

Migraine is a chronic and debilitating neurological condition affecting millions of Australians, yet it remains highly stigmatised and underfunded.

A/Prof Lauren Sanders is one of our Brain Foundation research grant recipients for 2025. Her team is looking at finding a reliable way to standardise and accurately detect CGRP in people with migraine.

Migraine & Headache Australia

13/01/2026

Despite many new antiseizure medications becoming available over the past 30 years, rates of drug-resistant epilepsy remain largely unchanged, highlighting the urgent need for new treatments.

Dr Tan's team will investigate the role of inflammation in epilepsy, to identify relevant proteins and potential new targets for treatment.

Congratulations to Dr Tan and her team at Monash University 🎉

Co-Investigators : A/Prof Mastura Monif, Prof Patrick Kwan, Prof Terence O’Brien

12/01/2026

Happy Brain Teaser Tuesday. How fast can you solve this maths brain teaser? 👀📐

Comment a brain 🧠 if you got it!

12/01/2026

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological condition, characterised by recurring, unprovoked seizures.

Despite advances in treatment, around 1 in 3 people with epilepsy don’t respond to current medications, highlighting the need for novel treatments.

With their Brain Foundation grant, Dr Tan and her team will investigate the role of inflammation in epilepsy to identify relevant proteins and potential new targets for treatment.