Research Update - Dr Changyan He

Program member Dr Anna Behler will be presenting at the Noosa Workshop on Brain Functional Organization, Connectivity, & Behavior on Wednesday 25th February. Dr Behler is giving a flash talk on "Metastable coupling between cerebrospinal fluid flow and global brain activity in older adults".

Research Update - Associate Professor Doug Smith

Save the Date! Brain Awareness Week is March 16-22. Join us to celebrate the wonders of the brain and support global brain health awareness. For information on #BrainWeek, visit dana.org/brain-awareness-week. @brainawarenessweek. 🧠 🎉

Introducing | Felicity Simpson Our featured member of the month is a Research Associate with the Systems Neuroscience Group. To learn more about Felicity, head to our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/in/hmri-brain-health-research-program

11 February, International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The HMRI Brain Health Research Program is proud to showcase and celebrate some of our incredible existing and new program members—highlighting the amazing women in STEM across our program.

Research Update - Dr Lizzie Manning

Student member, Aidan Price recently attended the Basal Ganglia Gordon Research Conference.. His talk was "Functional Dissection of a Novel Pathway Through Which Stress Impacts the Basal Ganglia: Hypothalamic Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone Neuron Projections to the Globus Pallidus Externa"

During Tinnitus Awareness Week, we recognise the impact tinnitus can have on wellbeing, productivity, and quality of life. Creating supportive environments—through flexibility, understanding, and access to resources—helps people living with tinnitus feel seen and supported. #TinnitusAwarenessWeek

Research Update!

The Brain Neuromodulation Research Program team would like to wish everyone a happy and safe festive season! We look forward to all that 2026 will bring!

Building on last year’s success, program members Prof Michael Breakspear & Prof Zhiyong Chen have once again earned a place in the 2025 Stanford University/Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists list. For the full story head to www.linkedin.com/in/hmri-brain-neuromodulation-research-program

At the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month we pause to remember and honour the courage, sacrifice, and service of those who fought for our freedom. #LestWeForget #RemembranceDay

A big thank you to those who came to participate in our first OCD Awareness Walk, to our volunteers for giving their time and to the organisers who brought together this important event in record time! Read more here: www.linkedin.com/posts/hmri-b...

It's OCD Awareness Week! #OCDweek is a worldwide event that serves to dispel myths about obsessive compulsive disorder, break the stigma around mental illness, and provide education about the disorder and how to support those affected. #TogetherAgainstOCD #OCDWeek

Program members Dr Caroline Faucher & Dr Katharina Wellstein presented recently at @hmriaustralia.bsky.social as part of the HMRI Research Seminar Series. www.linkedin.com/posts/hmri-b... Thank you to our researchers for their fascinating presentations!

We are thrilled to announce that Program member Dr Lizzie Manning @drlizziemanning.bsky.social has been awarded a 2025 BBRF Young Investigator Grant. Read more here: www.linkedin.com/posts/hmri-b...

The 2025 Kioloa Neuroscience Colloquium - researchers from a range of scientific disciplines came together to explore recent developments in neuroscience through plenary lectures, short talks, and a poster session. Read more here: www.linkedin.com/posts/hmri-b...

Spinning around until you're dizzy? Fun. Spinning without control because of a vestibular disorder? Not so fun. @vestibularveda @hmriaustralia #BalanceAwarenessWeek #BAW2025 #vestibular #vestibulardisorder #BalanceAwareness

Why is the Vestibular System so important? #BalanceAwarenessWeek #BAW2025 #vestibular #vestibulardisorder #BalanceAwareness

Program member Renee Bevege has been awarded funding through the SBSP EMCR Strategic Support Initiative to support her travel to New York 5–19 August. Renee will attend a Proteomics training course at the prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Read more here www.linkedin.com/in/hmri-brai...

Program member Dr Renate Thienel graduated with Master of Professional Psychology (Clinical Foundations) and Master of Clinical Psychology with Distinction last Wednesday, 16th July, as part of the 60 year University of Newcastle anniversary graduation ceremony. www.linkedin.com/posts/hmri-b...

⭐ July NEUROMORSEL! ⭐ #SCS #neuromorsel #science #brainbites @hmriaustralia.bsky.social

July 22 | World Brain Day Coming together to highlight the importance of brain health & its impact on individuals, families & communities worldwide. We asked some of our program members what their #1 tip is for a healthy brain? #WBD2025 #BrainHealthForAllAges Learn more: lnkd.in/gWJNuRTx

Program member Professor Belinda Liddell has been awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant under the Future Fellowships 2025 scheme (FT25) for her project "Understanding how forced separation disrupts wellbeing." Congratulations, Belinda, on this wonderful achievement! lnkd.in/en4m9MkK

Leo Chen kicking off @newybrains.bsky.social Annual Symposium with this thoughtful notion

Last work day in Newy with my amazing team and my boy before my long trip to Europe and another conference day with @newybrains.bsky.social.

⭐ June NEUROMORSEL! ⭐ #VNS #neuromorsel #science #brainbites @uni_newcastle @hmriaustralia

Introducing | Mr Michael Waring Our featured member of the month is a Psychology Honours Student and Behaviour Support Practitioner To learn more about Michael, head to our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/in/hmri-brai...

26 May 2025 marks the 28th anniversary of the tabling of the Bringing them home report in the Australian Parliament in 1997 & commemorates Stolen Generations survivors.  The theme for this year’s National Sorry Day is We cannot wait another generation. Learn more at healingfoundation.org.au

Excited to be selected to join the @hmriaustralia.bsky.social Newcastle Permanent Innovation Accelerator! I’m developing a new tool for hearing assessment alongside an amazing cohort of researchers. Thanks to Newcastle Permanent for backing real-world health innovation. hmri.org.au/news-and-sto...

And stay tuned! We're very excited to soon share more on our pilot study on Dog-assisted interventions before an MRI to reduce scanxiety and reduce movement artefacts. Thanks to @newybrains.bsky.social and the @hmriaustralia.bsky.social Imaging Centre for supporting our work in this area!

Schizophrenia Awareness Week | 18–24 May 2025 2025 Theme: “Rethink the Label: Reclaim the Story” Let’s move beyond stereotypes. Let’s make space for real stories. #SchizophreniaAwarenessWeek #RethinkTheLabel #ReclaimTheStory #LivedExperienceMatters #MentalHealthAwareness

We’re delighted to congratulate program member Dr Ethan Cresswell on his recent appointment as Associate Lecturer. With his expertise in anatomy, Ethan will be making valuable contributions to teaching across several programs. Ethan will be based full-time at the UoN, Gosford Campus.

Tourette Awareness Month was created by Tourettes Action UK to raise awareness of & destigmatise Tourette Syndrome. The theme for this years campaign is #Misunderstood To hear from individuals with lived experience of Tourette syndrome, check out this link. youtu.be/_Y8KOC863bs

Program member Professor Michael Breakspear @drbreaky.bsky.social will be presenting "Modelling the brain as a wave machine" at Pint of Science in Newcastle on May 20, 2025 Follow the link to book your tickets! 👇 pintofscience.com.au/event/brains...

⭐ May NEUROMORSEL! ⭐ #brainbiobanking #neuromorsel #science #brainbites www.sydney.edu.au/medicine-hea...

May 12th is the International Awareness Day for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), and Chronic Immunological & Neurological Diseases (CIND). #MillionsMissing #MECFS

New preprint! (not yet peer reviewed) Intermittent fasting attenuates CNS inflammaging - rebalancing the transposonome Mitchell J Cummins, Ethan T Cresswell, Doug W Smith Read: lnkd.in/gCy_h-3K #Neuroscience #CNS #ageing #neuroinflammation #inflammation #intermittentfasting

Images from work by program member Hannah Drury & colleagues of the University of Newcastle have featured on the Biomedical Picture of the Day website lnkd.in/gPt3ig54 Unbalanced "A study of inner ear tissue from patients with Ménière's disease finds surviving hair cells remain functional"

The @University of Newcastle joins universities across Australia on the first Tuesday in May each year to celebrate University Mental Health Day (UMHD). We would like to recognise the huge effort that many of our researchers put into teaching whilst also juggling their research commitments.

RESEARCH UPDATE Check out what program member Brittany McCarthy who was supported by program funding is currently up to #research #science #researchers #neuroscience #pelvicpain #pain #optogenetics #seedfunding @hmriaustralia.bsky.social

For those who celebrate, the Brain Neuromodulation Research Program team would like to wish you a safe & wonderful Easter break! We hope you enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation with family and friends.

Program members Dr Alexander Thorpe and Professor Michael Breakspear @drbreaky.bsky.social presented today @hmriaustralia.bsky.social as part of the HMRI Weekly Research Seminar Series. Thanks to our researchers for their fascinating presentations! #neuroscience #researcher #neuromodulation #brain

James Parkinson FGS was an English surgeon best known for his 1817 work, 'An Essay on the Shaking Palsy', which contains the first clear clinical description of paralysis agitans, which we now refer to as Parkinson's disease. We mark his birthday every 11 April with #worldparkinsonsday

Our first issue of Neuromodulation News for 2025 is here! Check out this jam-packed issue where we share and celebrate the good research news & achievements of our members & students Happy reading! @hmriaustralia.bsky.social sway.cloud.microsoft/8eN9C4vvIc68...

⭐ April NEUROMORSEL! ⭐ #deepbrainstimulation #DBS #neuromorsel #science #brainbites @hmriaustralia.bsky.social

Following on from Professor Amy Brodtmann's seminar last week at @hmriaustralia.bsky.social here is an interesting article linked to this topic. Women twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as men — but scientists do not know why | Nature Medicine rdcu.be/efUjh

On Friday 28th March, @drbreaky.bsky.social & @newybrains.bsky.social hosted a Research Seminar featuring Professor Amy Brodtmann at @hmriaustralia.bsky.social Professor Brodtmann discussed “Preparing for dementia therapies: establishing a pragmatic multidisciplinary cognitive service.”

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month with World Parkinson’s Day recognised on 11 April yearly. Head to our LinkedIn page to read about how #Neuromodulation relates to this condition www.linkedin.com/in/hmri-brain-neuromodulation-research-program #parkinsonsawarenessmonth #parkinsons