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Brain Foundation

The Brain Foundation is dedicated to funding critical Australian research into brain disorders, diseases, and injuries. There is no cure without research.

25/02/2026

🚨 Hot off the press: Brain Awareness Week 2026 webinar topics and expert speakers are now live!

The schedule includes a great lineup of topics, as well as an exciting in-person option on Thursday for those based in Sydney (which will also be livestreamed).

Explore the full program and register now to secure your spot: https://brainfoundation.org.au/brain-awareness-week/

Got questions? Drop them in the comments 👇

24/02/2026

Back by popular demand - rebus puzzles! 🎉🧩

These tricky visual puzzles require you to interpret visual, spatial, and textual clues to decode hidden words or phrases.

Try looking at the placement, direction, size, and colour of the text/images, and saying what you see out loud.

How many can you crack? Drop your guesses in the comments.

21/02/2026

Did you know globally, someone is affected by encephalitis every minute – yet 77% of people don’t know what it is? 🧠

Today is World Encephalitis Day. Encephalitis is a neurological condition where the brain becomes inflamed.

The inflammation is caused either by:
🦠 An infection invading the brain (infectious encephalitis), most frequently as a result of a virus such as Herpes simplex virus, enteroviruses, or mosquito-borne viruses
🧠 Through the immune system attacking the brain in error (post-infectious or autoimmune encephalitis)

Symptoms can be recognised by F.L.A.M.E.S, an acronym recently developed by Encephalitis International...

🔥 Flu-Like symptoms - fever, tiredness, nausea, aches, pains
🔥 Loss of consciousness - becoming drowsy, confused or unresponsive
🔥 Acute headache - head pain different from ordinary headaches, may include dizziness or blurred vision
🔥 Memory problems - forgetting events or struggling to remember things clearly
🔥 Emotional or behavioural changes - acting out of character, hallucinations, unusual fears or suspicions, mood changes
🔥 Seizures - staring blankly, freezing, stiffening of the body, jerking or twitching movements, and falling to the ground

Encephalitis can lead to death, brain injury or other life-changing consequences. However, early recognition can save lives and improve outcomes, which is why awareness is so important.

Today, we encourage you to share information, start a conversation or learn more about encephalitis.

For awareness and education only. Always consult a healthcare professional for personalised advice.

18/02/2026

We are excited to share that our 2022 Grant Recipient, Dr Daniel Beard, has received a prestigious "Game Changer Award" from the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance for his pioneering work in stroke treatment. 👏 🎉

Dr Beard and his team at the University of Newcastle have developed smart nanoparticles capable of increasing blood flow to vulnerable brain tissue during a stroke.

Designed for delivery by paramedics or in hospitals, this is the first therapy to selectively unlock the brain’s hidden plumbing, transforming stroke care from a desperate sprint into a strategy that saves lives and extends treatment windows worldwide.

Incredibly well deserved!

Dr Beard's research was published in Advanced Science in 2025, "Shear Stress Targeted Delivery of Nitroglycerin to Brain Collaterals Improves Ischaemic Stroke Outcome”

17/02/2026

Happy Tuesday everyone! Can you spy the odd one out in this week's brain teaser? 🔎

Comment 🧠 if you got them all!

Answers below...

1. Mercury is not a gas planet
2. Istanbul is not a capital city, Ankara is the capital of Turkey
3. The Snipe is not a fish, it's a bird
4. Glia/glial cells are a type of cell found in the brain, but are not part of a neuron
5. Parallel Lines came out in 1978!

16/02/2026

Dr Van den Bos is researching ways to identify the early "fingerprints" of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease) in the brain. 🧠

If successful, the research will provide new tools to detect ALS sooner, monitor patients more effectively, and support improved clinical trials, ultimately helping accelerate the search for treatments and a cure for this devastating disease.

Real research, real impact, powered by you.

13/02/2026

When we think of love, hearts come to mind, but what about your brain? 🧠

When we feel love and connection, the brain’s reward circuits activate, releasing neurochemicals like dopamine (reward), oxytocin (bonding), and serotonin (mood regulation), creating those feel-good emotions.

Your limbic system (including your amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus) helps process emotions, strengthen meaningful memories, and support attachment.

And those physical sensations, like a racing heart or butterflies in your stomach? That’s your brain communicating with your body through the autonomic nervous system and gut-brain axis.

Send these to your someone who lights up your brain ➡️❤️

11/02/2026

"Stay curious, and don't be afraid to share your thoughts and ideas"

Today, on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate all the incredible women shaping the future of brain research. 🔬 🧠

For 55 years, the Brain Foundation has proudly supported brilliant female clinicians and researchers all around the country, and we remain deeply committed to promoting equal opportunities in science - because innovation and progress depend on it.

Thank you to our 2025 grant recipients, Dr Macdonald-Laurs, Dr Tan and Dr Lin, for contributing their advice and insights.

10/02/2026

Have you been watching the Winter Olympics? It's your turn to go for gold!

Can you get 5/5 on our brain teaser quiz this week?

Questions in the comments 👇

🥉 1–2 correct
🥈 3–4 correct
🥇 5 correct

09/02/2026

Today is the International Day of Epilepsy 🌏

Despite being one of the most common neurological conditions in Australia and around the world, there is still a lot we don't know about the condition.

For example, about 30% of people with epilepsy have drug-resistant epilepsy, meaning current medications do not work to control their seizures.

Dr Sagar, Dr Bryson, and Dr Tan are our Brain Foundation epilepsy grant recipients for 2025. 🔬

With your support, they are driving critical research to improve understanding, treatment, and quality of life for people living with epilepsy.

04/02/2026

Today, on World Cancer Day, we wanted to share a hopeful research update from one of our grant recipients.

Dr Gliddon and her team have uncovered a promising new treatment for glioblastoma (GBM) - a deadly and fast-growing brain cancer.

Previously, they had conducted mouse studies which suggested a certain protein inhibitor (SK2) could be an effective treatment for GBM.

With their Brain Foundation grant, they were able to test the treatment on patient-derived tumour cells (human cells).

They found that the therapy was effective at blocking the growth of the cells, as well as enhancing the potency of TMZ, a type of chemotherapy used for glioblastoma.

The treatment also shows promise in treating recurrent GBM, which is notoriously difficult to treat and has no standard treatments currently.

This research is a crucial step toward clinical trials and signifies meaningful progress in the fight against this devastating disease.

Your ongoing support means real lives can be changed through research like this. Thank you.

Address

815 Pacific Highway
Sydney, NSW
2067

Telephone

1300 886 660

Website

http://www.brainfoundation.org.au/

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