2021 Investigator Grants for Brain and Mind Sciences

The eight Brain and Mind Centre NHMRC Investigator Grant recipients have been funded a total of $10 million for research that cuts across disciplines and industry sectors to target disorders of the brain and mind. The recipients were among 38 grants awarded to researchers across the University of Sydney and 249 awarded nationally. represented -  an outsanding success rate for this fiercly competive scheme.

Reflecting a national focus on research into ageing and dementia conditions, the 2021 NHMRC Investigator Grants Scheme included increased support for dementia researchers at emerging leadership levels. We were thrilled to see some of our talented early and mid career researchers regognised for their creative and collaborative work in this area.

Brain and Mind Centre co-directors Professor Ian Hickie and Professor Matthew Kiernan congratulated the recipients, and all who applied for the round.

"The outstanding success rate in this round was testament to the quality of the cross-cutting research programs they have developed and the opportunities they have fostered for their research teams. These grants will allow researchers and their programs to continue adding to the depth and breadth of enquiry in their respective fields.

“We also commend all those who applied and were unsuccessful in this round. We are proud of all our researchers’ contributions to basic science, clinical care and health service delivery. Their work reflects the spirit of multidisciplinary investigation."

Of the eight scientists who were funded in this round, four have been past participants in BMC support programs, which are designed to enable researchers to develop a body of work that will lead to major programs such as those enabled by the NHMRC.

Prof Sharon Naismith was awarded a 2020 Partnership Grant for her team's novel digital sleep-cognition tool with Phillips Healthcare and Drs Jacob Crouse, Jonathan Danon, Ramon Landin-Romero ahave been past recipients of Research and Development Grants under the Brain and Mind Centre's support schemes to foster early and mid-career research.

• Dr Jacob Crouse awarded $650,740 for Investigating body clock dysfunction in mood disorders using wearable sensors

• Dr Jonathan Danon was awarded $650,740 for Molecular innovations for imaging microglial contributions to brain disorders

• Dr Elie Matar awarded $250,000 for From dreams to delirium and dementia: Cognitive fluctuations as a window into novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for neurodegeneration

• Dr Ramon Landin-Romero awarded $1.5 million for Bridging the clinico-pathological divide: improving neuroimaging analysis and applications in dementia

• Dr Sudarshini Ramanathan awarded $1.5 million for Defining pathogenic mechanisms to improve diagnosis and treatment of antibody-associated neurological disorders

• Dr Angela D'Rozario awarded $1.5 million for Investigating sleep biomarkers of cognitive impairment and improving cognitive outcomes through targeted sleep interventions in adults at risk for dementia

• Professor Sharon Naismith awarded $2.1 million for Improving dementia outcomes with new targets, trials and national standards 

• Professor Olivier Piguet awarded $2 million for Maximising quality of life in frontotemporal dementia

We are honoured to work with esteemed researchers through our collaborations across the University of Sydney, with institutions and hospitals, and thrilled to congratulate the 2021 NHMRC investigators who work with our teams and contribute to brain and mind research, including Professor Peter Cistulli awarded $2.4 million for A deadly duo: Defining the link between Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and Cardiovascular Disease.