ProfessorTracey Dickson

Professor Dickson has a PhD in Neuroscience and is the Director of the Menzies Institute for Medical Research. She has an excellent track record, national and international reputation, and over 20 years experience in the fields of neurodegenerative disease research, particularly MND.

If brain cells become damaged through a trauma or they degenerate and die, as they do in age-related brain diseases, the brain stops functioning as it should. Dementia, Parkinson's disease and Motor neurone disease are the types of conditions that result. What causes certain brain cells to die? Can we slow or stop that degenerative cascade? If not, can we repurpose other uninjured cells in the brain to take on the job previously done by the cells that are damaged?

'This is an enormous challenge. Neurodegenerative diseases are some of the worst diseases on the planet, and for many of them we don't have treatments or a cure. Finding a cure is going to take the expertise of many national and international scientists.'

'I'm trying to find out what mechanisms cause certain brain cells to degenerate, stop functioning and ultimately die. We know that there are similarities happening at the cellular level common to a range of neurodegenerative diseases. Where the cell death occurs in the brain is what determines the symptoms specific to each disease,' said Professor Dickson.

'If we could find those initial mechanisms that initiate brain cell degeneration, then we could potentially solve the riddle of a range of devastating diseases.'

'Ultimately, we want to find out how to stop or slow the progression of brain cell degeneration. But we are also trying to find other ways to regain the functions lost.'

'We want to know if we can increase the capacity of the healthy cells within the brain to pick up the jobs previously done by the damaged cells, perhaps by modifying or changing them in some way. Brain cells also have thousands of connections. There may be a way to rewire these.'

Finding a way to get the brain to respond in a positive way and regain lost function would also help those affected by a head injury.

Professor Dickson said that the Tasmanian community is both her inspiration and a source of innovation.

'We give public talks often. People regularly tell me stories of family members with neurodegenerative disease and say: Thank you for working so hard on this terrible disease; Is there a trial that I can be a part of to help you?'

'Community groups fund innovative research projects that are often in their infancy. Often it is by pursuing the fringe ideas that the best discoveries are made.'

'They don't expect a cure tomorrow. They are proud of the work that we are doing here and want to see internationally important research done that will contribute a piece of the puzzle, which might one day lead to a cure.'

'If we can each uncover one piece of the puzzle, then we will get to a cure much faster.'

Professor Dickson has extensive expertise in performing and analysing multiple label immunohistochemistry in human and transgenic tissue to provide insight into disease mechanism and has advanced primary culture and microscopy skills. She has a track record of successfully leading large scale collaborative research projects.