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Biography
Brain maps reveal disease pathways
There is no cure for genetically inherited conditions, such as Huntington's disease, that cause the brain to degenerate. Neuroscientist Professor Gary Egan is working to change that. He is leading research to map the progress of these diseases using ultra-powerful imaging equipment, with the aim of developing treatments to slow or prevent the onset of brain degeneration.
Conditions such as Huntington's disease and Friedreich's ataxia are genetically inherited neurodegenerative diseases that affect motor coordination and lead to dementia. Part of the problem, Gary says, is that it can take 20 years before clearly identifiable clinical symptoms appear.
'The enormous frustration for neuroscientists is that while it is possible to identify people who will suffer from these diseases using genetic tests, we need to be able to clearly identify what is happening in the brain very early in the course of the disease in order to test potential cures or treatments.'
Gary leads the Monash Biomedical Imaging team using world-class magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment to map the brain changes in those carrying the genes for such diseases. The maps provide a high level of detail, and at an early stage of the disease, before symptoms manifest. This is providing important information that could help develop preventive treatments and a possible cure.
'If we can map the path of the disease well before it starts to take hold then it may allow us to come up with and track the progress of experimental preventive therapies in the future.'
In one study, Gary and his team are using MRI on people carrying Huntington's disease to map its effect on the brain.
'What we are looking for are bio-markers such as high concentrations of metals associated with neurodegenerative diseases. These bio-markers track the death of brain cells and neural pathways as the disease progresses."
In a parallel study, Gary is planning on using ultra-high resolution X-ray imaging available at the Australian Synchrotron to track changes in the brains of mice that have been implanted with a human gene carrying a neurodegenerative disease. Gary says commonalities between the mouse brain and the human brain - especially in the motor function areas that relate to Huntington's disease - make this investigation invaluable.
'As the disease develops in the brain of a mouse it manifests very similar symptoms as it would in a human brain. But because we are able to use ultra-high strength imaging, we can look at cellular changes at a microscopic level allowing far higher resolution than would be possible in human studies.'
This understanding of the progress of the disease in the animal model can then be translated into an understanding of the human brain. Using this same technology, Gary and his team are also tracking the effect on the mice of experimental drugs that are aimed at halting the progress of the disease.
'If those drugs are shown to work, we may be able to initiate early clinical trials on human beings.'
Research area keywords
- Commentary: biomedical imaging and neuroimaging
- Supervision: neuroscience
- imaging sciences
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Projects
ACCS: The Australian Characterisation Commons at Scale
Goscinski, W., Bonnington, P., Quenette, S., Abbott, D., Abramson, D., Ali, R., Andrade, J., Barth, M., Betbeder-Matibet, L., Beves, J., Bond, C., Boyd, B., Bryant, G., Cairney, J., Colmer, T., Egan, G., Etheridge, J., Frazier, J., Galloway, G., Gentle, I., Gilbert, A., Gray, M., Hilder, E., Janke, A., Johnstone, T., Kemp, C., Lay, P., Love, S., Martinez, P. A., Mehnert, A., Moffat, B., Mulvaney, P., Raston, C. L., Thordarson, P., Weyland, M., Oijen, A. V., Sexton, P., Sullivan, R., Ward, N., Warr, G., Wepf, R., Wilson, L., Whisstock, J. & Yen, L.
University of South Australia, Flinders University, Massive, Monash University, National Imaging Facility, Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation Ltd (QCIF), RMIT University, University of New South Wales, University of Queensland , University of Sydney, University of Western Australia, University of Wollongong
7/02/20 → 7/02/23
Project: Research
From simultaneous to synergistic MR-PET: integrative technologies for to image the ageing brain
Egan, G., Jamadar, S., Chen, Z., Premaratne, M., Fornito, A., Schmitt, B., Gaass, T. & Shah, J.
17/01/19 → 17/01/22
Project: Research
Neuroinflammation in Friedreich Ataxia: Mechanism, Biomarker, and Therapeutic Target
Harding, I., Egan, G., Delatycki, M., Corben, L. & Georgiou-Karistianis, N.
1/11/18 → 31/10/20
Project: Research
The pulvinar is instrumental in the development of visual cortical networks
Bourne, J., Leopold, D. & Egan, G.
1/01/18 → 31/12/21
Project: Research
ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function
Egan, G., Arabzadeh, E., Garrido, M., Grunert, U., Ibbotson, M., Lowery, A., Martin, P., Mattingley, J., Paxinos, G., Petrou, S., Robinson, P., Rosa, M., Sah, P., Skafidas, E., Stuart, G., Diamond, M., Hill, S., Jirsa, V., Johnson, G., Leopold, D., Margrie, T., Markram, H., Mitra, P., Movshon, J., Tanaka, K. & Victor, J.
Australian Research Council (ARC), Duke University, Karolinska Institute, Institut national de la sante et de la recherche medicale (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM)), MRC National Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH US), New York University, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Cornell University, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne , Monash University, Australian National University , University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, University of Queensland , University of Sydney, RIKEN, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
25/06/14 → 30/06/21
Project: Research
Research Output
A comprehensive framework to capture the arcana of neuroimaging analysis
Close, T. G., Ward, P. G. D., Sforazzini, F., Goscinski, W., Chen, Z. & Egan, G. F., 2020, In : Neuroinformatics. 18, p. 109-129 21 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Analysis of continuous infusion functional PET (fPET) in the human brain
Li, S., Jamadar, S. D., Ward, P. G. D., Premaratne, M., Egan, G. F. & Chen, Z., Jun 2020, In : NeuroImage. 213, 13 p., 116720.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access
File
Application of compressed sensing using chirp encoded 3D GRE and MPRAGE sequences
Pawar, K., Chen, Z., Zhang, J., Shah, N. J. & Egan, G. F., 2020, (Accepted/In press) In : International Journal of Imaging Systems and Technology. 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Erratum: A Neuroethics Framework for the Australian Brain Initiative (Neuron (2019) 101(3) (365–369), (S0896627319300054), (10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.004))
Australian Brain Alliance, 8 Jan 2020, In : Neuron. 105, 1, 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment / Debate › Other › peer-review
Open Access
File
Erratum: International Brain Initiative: an innovative framework for coordinated global brain research efforts
International Brain Initiative, 4 Mar 2020, In : Neuron. 105, 5, p. 947 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment / Debate › Other › peer-review
Open Access