Dr Genevieve Steiner awarded NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development Fellowship

19 October 2015

NICM is proud to announce Dr Genevieve Steiner as a recipient of the prestigious National Health and Medical Research Council and Australian Research Council Dementia Research Development Fellowship (opens in a new window) valued at $574,644.

Dr Steiner is one of 76 researchers who will share in $43 million to support bold and innovative new ideas to not only tackle the impacts of dementia but to find ways of preventing and curing the debilitating disease.

Over the next four years, Dr Steiner's research project aims to increase our understanding of the brain activity that relates to the problems with learning and memory that occur during the early stages of dementia (Mild Cognitive Impairment). This is important for understanding the syndrome and how it works (basic science), as well as for the development of targeted treatments (translational research). The project will also focus on how a new herbal treatment affects the brain and different indicators of the syndrome. Dr Steiner's research project will collaborate with leading dementia experts across the country and within NICM.

Associate Professor Dennis Chang who leads the expert neurocognitive team at NICM said: "This project will build on a broad programme of dementia research underway at NICM and will help to strengthen our critical mass in this important field of research." 

As a recent PhD graduate, Dr Steiner said: "Receiving this fellowship gives me the opportunity to develop my research career, and provides a platform to conduct innovative research for the benefit of people living with dementia and their carers."

Minister for Health Sussan Ley and Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham announced the fellowships as part of the Coalition Government's $200 million election commitment to dementia research and to ensure Australia remained at the forefront of international best practice. 

"While there is currently no cure for dementia, Australia is a world leader in dementia research and the Fellows announced today will no doubt make leaps and bounds in our understanding of how best to prevent, diagnose and treat this disease and how best to support people with dementia and their carers,"said Ms Ley. 

"These fellowships will ensure Australia's highly skilled, innovative research workforce continues to advance knowledge in dementia and how we can better support people with the disease, their carers and the millions of Australians impacted by the disease now and over the coming decades."

Ms Ley said dementia was Australia's second leading cause of death and currently around 1.2 million Australians were involved in the care of someone with the disease.