Welcome

Twenty-one of Australia’s best scientists have been elected to the Australian Academy of Science, a rare and esteemed honour, for their outstanding contributions to science. Amongst the 2017 Fellows are Professor Melissa Little, Stem Cells Australia’s Program Leader and Theme Director of Cell Biology at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, and Professor David Gardner, reproductive biologist at the University of Melbourne and a Chief Investigator in our consortium.

Monash researcher Associate Professor Bourne has been awarded a prestigious grant to study how cognitive function is controlled in the brain and how these mechanisms may influence the development of schizophrenia.

Australian and Japanese researchers have discovered a new type of brain cell by studying tropical freshwater zebrafish. These cells, which act as ‘scavengers’ in the brain mopping up potentially damaging cellular waste, are also found in humans and may provide protection against neurological diseases.