Menzies Institute for Medical Research

09/03/2026

Grab the kids, pack up the pup, and head out to Wobbly Boot Vineyard this Sunday for Wine & Woof Walk! 🐾✨
Enjoy a relaxed stroll through the beautiful vineyard, sip on complimentary wines, and learn all about our important Tasmanian devil research — all while helping raise funds for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal.

📍 Wobbly Boot Vineyard
📅 This Sunday 11am
👇 More details in the comments!

06/03/2026

When we say our cities are “liveable”, what do we mean and for whom?

Maria Hobbs spent her PhD exploring this question, and her findings show that liveability isn’t the same for everyone.

We often hear that things like access to food, public transport, health care, footpaths, green spaces and community spaces make a place more liveable. And they do—but Maria’s research shows it’s much more complex for people with disabilities.

✔️ Lots of streets and intersections usually mean you can get places more directly.
❗ But for people with mobility challenges, that also means more road crossings—more stress, more difficulty.

✔️ Green spaces increase liveability.
❗ But they also drive-up house prices. And because people with disabilities in Australia are more likely to be under‑ or unemployed, they can end up priced out of their own communities.

Overall, Maria found that current liveability frameworks may overestimates accessibility for people with disabilities.

You can explore the framework at the Australian Urban Observatory website.

🎓✨ Congratulations to Maria on completing her PhD and sharing these important findings.

04/03/2026

We’re excited to share that Professor Kaylene Young and her team in the MS Research Flagship at Menzies have secured $397,626 in funding from MS Australia to explore ways of improving blood flow to the brain to slow MS progression.

Using stem cells donated by people with and without MS, the team will study how genes affect the health of brain blood vessels and identify new drug targets that could support brain repair.

With more than 37,700 Australians living with MS, this research could lead to important new approaches to reducing disability and improving quality of life.

Read more on our website 👇

02/03/2026

Generosity of Tasmanians helps us make life-saving discoveries.

⛳Tash Stevens and Professor Mark Nelson recently went to the annual Bothwell Golf Day Fundraiser where golfers and community members raised funds in support of our cardiovascular and multiple sclerosis flagships. ❤️‍🩹

It's proof that great things happen when Tasmanians putt their hearts into it!

A sincere thank you to the event organisers and the Bothwell community for their support. 🙏

27/02/2026

What does good care look like when cure is not possible? Our researchers share their insights on maintaining connection, independence and identity after a life-changing diagnosis in the latest Island of Ideas recording. Watch it here 🔗

For many people living with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia, life continues for many years after diagnosis.This Island of Id...

24/02/2026

We are underway with a major national Parkinson’s care project — addressing the world’s fastest-growing neurological condition. Motivated by her own Parkinson’s diagnosis, Professor Michele Callisaya is leading a multidisciplinary team to adapt the world-renowned 'ParkinsonNet' model for regional communities. You might have heard her discussing her work on Hobart today!

The first phase of the project has begun, with surveys now open until 15 March 2026. Visit the website to get involved, whether you live with Parkinson’s, care for someone who does, or work in allied health: www.parkinsonnet.au

The goal of the ParkinsonNet project? To connect people to the right care, from the right professionals, at the right time — no matter where they live.

Backed by $2.88 million from the Medical Research Future Fund, the project is being codesigned with people living with Parkinson’s, their carers, allied health professionals and service providers across regional Tasmania and Western Victoria.

🎤 This week
Professor Callisaya is speaking this Thursday at the University of Tasmania 's 'Island of Ideas' public talk series, alongside Dr Larissa Bartlett, and colleagues from Dementia Centre. Free to attend — online or in person.
👉 Register here: https://www.utas.edu.au/events/2026/february/beyond-careas.edu.au/events/2026/february/beyond-care

22/02/2026

Collaboration is a critical part of research. Our devil facial tumour group has worked closely with the Transmissible Cancer Group at the University of Cambridge to understand the genetics of facial tumours- a great demonstration of collaboration🐾
Devil facial tumours, or DFTs, are contagious cancers that are passed on when a diseased devil bites the face of another devil- which is common when they fight and mate.
Professor Elizabeth Murchison from the Cambridge group, pictured on the left with Menzies researchers Dr Ruth Pye and Associate Professor Andy Flies, is visiting Hobart and shared their work with Menzies researchers.
There are two types, DFT1 discovered in 1996 and DFT2 discovered in 2014.
DFT1 was first sighted in 1996 and now affect devils across the state; DFT2 has only been detected in southern Tasmania to date.
Unlike most human cancers, which affect only one individual and are unique in each individual, DFTs are largely the same in different devils.
Our goal at Menzies is to develop vaccines for DFT1 and DFT2 to train their immune systems to spot cancer cells and fight them.
Unfortunately, it’s not something that’s possible in most human cancers as every cancer is unique to the person.

19/02/2026

🎙️ Tune into the latest episode of MS Australia’s Raw Nerve podcast which features Menzies MS Research Flagship’s Dr Julie Campbell and Professor Bruce Taylor diving into their major new report: Multiple Sclerosis Prevalence and Health Economic Impact in Australia 2025.
🔎 They unpack what the data tells us, from quality‑of‑life and employment impacts to the factors behind rising MS prevalence, and share key recommendations to improve outcomes for people living with MS. They also highlight why sustained, rigorous MS research and funding is more important than ever.
🎧 Listen here 👇 (🔗 more about the report in the comments)

The Raw Nerve · Episode

17/02/2026

Did you hear Associate Professor Quan Huynh and Professor Tom Marwick, from our Cardiovascular Research Flagship, discussing 'Long Covid' on the Mornings program on ABC Hobart this morning?
Thanks to the Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund, we have new work underway to support Australians living with Long COVID.
Our researchers will be developing and rolling out 'PERCEIVE‑Outreach', a national project focused on creating a new, evidence‑based model of care for people most at risk of physical and heart‑related complications after COVID‑19.
We’re excited to see this important work help more Australians get the care they need on their path to recovery.

16/02/2026

Over 34,000 Tasmanian students are now back at school, and we’re excited that in 2026 the Healthy School Lunch Program will expand to 60 schools across the state! Growing from 45 schools and delivering around 600,000 meals last year, this innovative, Australian-first program is run by School Food Matters with support from the Tasmanian Government’s Department for Education, Children and Young People.
Professor Rebecca Golley, of Flinders University, and Dr Ed Baines, of UCL Institute of Education - London, have been in Tasmania meeting with co‑investigator Professor Verity Cleland and Site Coordinator Dr Kylie Smith, and training seven local research assistants who will be working with eight Tasmanian schools involved in the program. Professor Golley leads the Australian Research Council–funded ‘Thinking Outside the Lunchbox’ project, which is testing a new, equitable approach to school-based health promotion—fuel for learning, opportunities for social connection, and hands‑on food systems education.
“We are all interested in understanding whether the program leads to improvements in nutrition, health, wellbeing, engagement, attendance, academic performance, and social connection,” says Professor Cleland, Lead of our Prevention, health services, wellbeing Theme at Menzies.
This Tasmanian evaluation and research will help drive ongoing improvements and build the evidence base for how nutritious, cooked school lunches can support children’s health and wellbeing—shaping the future of school food in Australia.

12/02/2026

Free course: Ageing Well with MS
Curious about how to stay healthy as you age — or know someone living with multiple sclerosis? Ageing Well with MS is a free online course that explores what 'typical' ageing looks like and how it intersects with MS.

Across three short modules, you’ll learn practical strategies for physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, and gain tools for planning ahead. You’ll also hear from MS clinicians, researchers and people with lived experience.

Developed by the MS Research Flagship at Menzies, together with the MS community.

Key details
📅 Duration: Self-paced
⏱️ Effort: 1.5–2 hours per module
📄 Certificate: Yes
💰 Cost: FREE
👉 Enrol now:

Ageing Well with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a free online course that explores ageing and how it intersects with multiple sclerosis. The course provides strategies for healthy ageing and helps you plan for the future.

10/02/2026

🌍 On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate one of our PhD researchers dedicated to inspiring the next generation.

Kimiya Padidar's path to research started over ten years ago, volunteering in underserved communities and supporting women through basic healthcare and education in Iran. Seeing health inequality up close shaped her commitment to women's heart health.

Now she's at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, investigating why pregnancy complications increase women's risk of heart disease later in life.

"I want young girls to know that they belong in science, even when the path feels challenging. When girls see someone like them in research, it builds confidence and hope." says Kimiya.

Kimiya is a 2026 fellow of the Inspiring Women in STEMM grant. Read more about her story and the other fellows in the link in the comments. 💡👏