Congratulations to CHIRI’s Dr Mark Hackett (School of Molecular and Life Sciences) who has been awarded Dementia Australia Research Foundation’s Mamutil Project Grant ($50,000) for his project titled “Investigation of age-related alteration to hippocampal elemental and biochemical homeostasis and neuro-vascular function, as a means to identify new therapeutic strategies to minimize or delay dementia onset in the elderly”.

The Chair of the Dementia Australia Research Foundation, Professor Graeme Samuel AC, said the grants provided vital support to early career researchers who were eager to make a difference in the field of dementia research.

“These grants are highly competitive and sought after in the research sector. They directly support Australian researchers who are keen to understand the causes of dementia and develop strategies to reduce dementia risk, provide accurate and timely diagnoses and improve treatment and care options for people who live with this disease,” he said.

Professor Samuel said that it was important to build capacity in the dementia research community by encouraging talented graduates to embark on a career in dementia.

“This funding ensures that new and early career researchers can contribute to our increasing knowledge of dementia. With the number of Australians living with dementia expected to more than double by 2056, an established and committed workforce of dementia researchers is urgently required,” he said. (Source: https://www.dementiaresearchfoundation.org.au).