Menzies Institute for Medical Research

Menzies Institute for Medical Research The Menzies Institute for Medical Research performs internationally significant medical research leading to healthier, longer and better lives.

Watch Shock Verdict: www.utas.edu.au/menzies/shockverdict Menzies is renowned internationally for its innovative research that utilises the unique competitive advantages Tasmania offers, including our island geography, stable population and our extensive genealogical records. We are at the forefront in the fight against disease and intensely committed to this global call for action through ongoing

advances in research excellence. We focus on a range of common diseases within the community including Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, dementia, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, cystic fibrosis, mental health, multiple sclerosis (MS), osteoporosis, mot or neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and renal disease. Menzies is tackling these diseases head on, bringing us one step closer to the vision of a healthier future.

29/04/2026

In part one of our four-part student experience series, hear from some of our current and past students about their time at Menzies, why they chose to study with us and what it means to be a part of a community working together to create better health and better lives for Tasmanians 🎓🧬👩🏾‍🔬

Are you coming to AgFest 7-9 May at Quercus Park?🤚Come say hi to our friendly researchers at our stall in the University...
27/04/2026

Are you coming to AgFest 7-9 May at Quercus Park?
🤚Come say hi to our friendly researchers at our stall in the University Pavilion.
Read more on the UTAS website https://www.utas.edu.au/about/events/agfest

Join Tasmania Parkinson's project on 11th May for an inspiring webinar with Professor David Blacker—neurologist, researc...
24/04/2026

Join Tasmania Parkinson's project on 11th May for an inspiring webinar with Professor David Blacker—neurologist, researcher, and person living with Parkinson’s—as he shares the initiatives he’s leading across WA.

Drawing on clinical expertise and lived experience, Prof Blacker will explore:
🥊 The impact of boxing & yoga
📘 Early support clinics for newly diagnosed people
🔬 Updates on the Probucol study
🤝 Peer support, including Doctors with Parkinson’s
🌏 What he’s learned from Parkinson’s communities across WA

We’ll also hear a short update from Prof Michele Callisaya on Parkinson’s research opportunities in Tasmania.
💬 Live Q&A to finish
📧 Send questions in advance to parkinsons@utas.edu.au

Register via the link in the comments

𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩Menzies, in partnership with MS Australia and MSWA, is running a three-day in-person worksh...
23/04/2026

𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩
Menzies, in partnership with MS Australia and MSWA, is running a three-day in-person workshop on Multi-state Modeling of Changes in Longitudinal Health Outcomes.

Who is it for? This workshop is ideal for students, researchers, clinicians, and at staff with a basic understanding of statistics. While some experience with R is helpful, you are welcome to register and attend even if you do not have prior R programming skills — step-by-step guidance and annotated R codes will be provided throughout.

📅 When: Monday 25 May 9am-3pm, Tuesday 26 May 9am-3pm, and Wednesday 27 May, 9am-3pm
📍 Where: Room 205 MSP1, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, 17 Liverpool St, Hobart
💰 Cost: Free
🧑‍🎓 Certificate of completion: Yes
☕ Morning tea and lunch provided: Yes
📝 Registration required: Yes

Register here 👇
https://forms.office.com/r/V6tKN5HPFa

📧 For more information, email ValeryFuh.Ngwa@utas.edu.au

How fabulous do Clare Reilly and her support crew look in their new Wheelchair Meets Wilderness/Menzies logo team t-shir...
22/04/2026

How fabulous do Clare Reilly and her support crew look in their new Wheelchair Meets Wilderness/Menzies logo team t-shirts? 😍

Clare is now almost two weeks into her extraordinary challenge to complete the 1,000km Munda Biddi Trail in Western Australia using an off‑road wheelchair - and raise funds for MS research in the process.

"The journey has been an incredible mix of challenge and beauty so far. While there have certainly been some tough moments on the trail that tested my resolve, the support from the crew and the stunning landscapes keep me moving forward with a lot of gratitude," said Clare.

Thank you Clare for your courage and dedication, we're so impressed! 🙌

Learn more about Clare's journey and how to donate via the link in the comments 👇

Yesterday, we received an $80,000 donation from The Mind Games following their 2025 fundraising campaign. We are very gr...
21/04/2026

Yesterday, we received an $80,000 donation from The Mind Games following their 2025 fundraising campaign.

We are very grateful for this donation and the ongoing support from The Mind Games, which is contributing to vital workplace mental health research.

Since 2019, The Mind Games has contributed over $380,000 to our research, and we want to thank every business leader, sponsor, ambassador, and participant who has made this incredible outcome possible.

A particular thank you to Gold Sponsor Hazell Bros Group and The Mind Games ambassadors David O'Byrne MP, Stephen Old, and Amanda Castray.

More than 30% of adult cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks are established during childhood, and early prevention is emer...
20/04/2026

More than 30% of adult cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks are established during childhood, and early prevention is emerging as one of the most powerful opportunities to improve long term heart health.
To help improve this trajectory, the Healthy Start for Young Hearts Alliance has been launched, with our Cardiovascular Research Flagship’s Dr Rachel Climie at the helm.
More than 30% of adult cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks are established during childhood, and early prevention is emerging as one of the most powerful opportunities to improve long-term heart health.
“The Alliance advocates for coordinated, multi-sector action targeting the environments, systems and behaviours that shape children’s health—alongside improved clinical pathways for those already at elevated risk,” said Dr Climie.
“Preventing heart disease must start early. We want every Australian child to have the chance to grow into a heart-healthy adult -and significantly reduce future cardiovascular burden.”
You can read about this project and what else the team of leading researchers who make up our Cardiovascular Research Flagship are up to in the most recent edition of the newsletter- find the link in the comments.

In recognition of World MS Day, and in celebration of 10 years of our Multiple Sclerosis Research Flagship, we invite yo...
17/04/2026

In recognition of World MS Day, and in celebration of 10 years of our Multiple Sclerosis Research Flagship, we invite you to join us for Research with Connections on Friday 29th May.

💬 This free event brings together researchers and members of the MS community for a day of presentations, conversations and celebrations.

📌Venue: MyState Bank Arena, Hobart
☕ Lunch and refreshments provided
🅿 Free, accessible parking

Find more details and register via the link in the comments 👇

What’s driving the risk of multiple sclerosis, and could a common virus be a key piece of the puzzle? 🧠🦠Research led by ...
15/04/2026

What’s driving the risk of multiple sclerosis, and could a common virus be a key piece of the puzzle? 🧠🦠

Research led by Dr Yuan Zhou from our MS Research Flagship is shedding new light on the role of the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) in multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological condition affecting more than 37,000 Australians.

Dr Zhou is the lead investigator of a major MRFF‑funded project within the Australian Consortium for EBV Research in MS (ACE‑MS), a national collaboration examining how EBV contributes to MS and how this knowledge could inform future prevention and treatment strategies. His team is also collaborating with research groups internationally, including the Genome Institute of Singapore and partners in the European EBV-MS Consortium.

“Currently, by the time MS is diagnosed, there is already damage occurring in the brain. It is hard to turn back the clock,” says Dr Zhou.
“If we are able to show that MS development is influenced by specific EBV strains, there may be future opportunities to prevent the disease through early or preventative interventions.”

Read more via the link in the comments. 👇

Could chronic musculoskeletal pain be an early sign of multiple sclerosis (MS) years before diagnosis? 🧠🔍Chronic (long-l...
13/04/2026

Could chronic musculoskeletal pain be an early sign of multiple sclerosis (MS) years before diagnosis? 🧠🔍

Chronic (long-lasting) pain is common in people with MS, but its role before MS is diagnosed has not been clear.

In a new study from our musculoskeletal research group (pictured), published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, the team examined whether chronic pain could be an early sign of MS, and whether inflammation in the body may help explain the link.

Using data from over 356,000 UK Biobank participants followed for 13 years, the study found:

📈 Higher risk: People with chronic pain (lasting 3 months or more) had a 26% higher risk of developing MS than those without chronic pain.
📊 More pain sites, higher risk: Risk increased as the number of pain sites increased.
🚨 Widespread pain: People reporting pain “all over the body” had almost a five‑fold higher risk of later developing MS.
🩸 Inflammation matters: Inflammation in the body partly explains the link between chronic pain and MS.

These findings suggest that chronic musculoskeletal pain, especially in multiple areas, may be an early clinical sign of MS. Rather than pain causing MS, both may reflect early changes in the immune and nervous systems.

Photo: The musculoskeletal research group at Menzies, including paper co-authors Dr Fatemah Vazirian, Assoc Prof Dawn Aitken, Prof Graeme Jones and Dr Feng Pan

Link to the full paper and visual explainer in the comments 👇

🎓 What can rare genetic differences tell us about multiple sclerosis? PhD student Himanshu Saraswat is exploring this qu...
13/04/2026

🎓 What can rare genetic differences tell us about multiple sclerosis? PhD student Himanshu Saraswat is exploring this question by studying families where more than one person has MS.

Himanshu’s research looks for rare genetic variants within these families that may contribute to MS. While the exact genetic changes often differ from one family to another, his work has shown that many of the affected genes point to the same underlying biological pathways. He then tested these findings in a much larger MS study group, the Australian and New Zealand MS Genetics Consortium (ANZgene) dataset, to see which genetic signals stood up at a broader population level.

As Himanshu explains, “Studying families can help us to identify the missing heritability in MS and provide biological insights that are difficult to detect when looking at individuals alone.”

By combining family-based research with large-scale genetic data, Himanshu’s PhD is helping build a clearer picture of how MS develops and strengthening the foundations for future MS research 👏

Pictured: Himanshu (right) with his PhD supervisor Dr Nicholas Blackburn

We would like to thank and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of Tasmanian Iconic Walks (TIW), and all who have be...
10/04/2026

We would like to thank and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of Tasmanian Iconic Walks (TIW), and all who have been connected to this grassroots organisation.
The not-for-profit charity closed last month, having raised over $250,000 for Tasmanian stroke medical research at Menzies and Stroke Foundation.
Through a unique approach, they showcased the beauty of lutruwita/Tasmania and created opportunities for people to contribute to something bigger, turning incredible walking experiences into tangible support for our Cardiovascular Research Flagship.
We'd especially like to acknowledge member of the Flagship's Lived Experience Advisory Group, Matt Picone, has been a champion for the charity- along with TIW Director, Jo Cordell, who was the driver of the initiative.
The funds raised over seven walking events have contributed to a free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on stroke prevention, which we will launch later this year, and will be free for anyone to attend, from anywhere in the world. Keep an eye on our social media and website for the official launch date - coming soon!

Address

17 Liverpool Street
Hobart, TAS
7000

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61362267700

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Menzies Institute for Medical Research posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Menzies Institute for Medical Research:

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Our Story

Menzies exists to perform internationally significant medical research leading to healthier, longer and better lives for Tasmanians.

Menzies is renowned internationally for its innovative research that utilises the unique competitive advantages Tasmania offers, including our island geography, stable population and our extensive genealogical records. We are at the forefront in the fight against disease and intensely committed to this global call for action through ongoing advances in research excellence. We focus on a range of common diseases within the community including Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, dementia, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, cystic fibrosis, mental health, multiple sclerosis (MS), osteoporosis, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and renal disease. Menzies is tackling these diseases head on, bringing us one step closer to the vision of a healthier future.