Welcome to our first newsletter for 2025. Funding success for pioneering research studies and the launch of two new online courses are among the many highlights of the past few months we're excited to share with you. And much more to come!
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Menzies Institute for Medical Research
MS Research Flagship
Newsletter
March 2025
The MS Research Flagship
The MS Research Flagship is a Flagship program of the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, and was established from a long history of multiple sclerosis (MS) research at Menzies. Menzies has proudly been at the forefront of research advancements in MS for more than 30 years.
MAKING HEADLINES
It was a fantastic start to the year for the MS Research Flagship with the announcement this month that six of our researchers had secured a combined $1.2 million in grants for new MS research commencing in 2025.
Supporting our shared vision of reducing the impact of MS on individuals and the community, grant recipients Dr Jessica Fletcher, Dr Nicholas Blackburn, Mr Glen Henson, Dr Valery Fuh-Ngwa, Dr Yi Chao Foong and Dr Julie Campbell are investigating MS across various disciplines including neurobiology, genetics, statistics (or disease modelling) and health economics.
Among the funded projects are pioneering studies on harnessing the brain’s healing power, investigating genetic changes in MS families, and using health economics to improve treatment decisions. These diverse projects are beneficiaries of MS Australia's latest funding round.
About the research
Dr Jessica Fletcher is researching ways to repair damage to the brain in MS by boosting the production of myelin, which protects nerve cells. "Our goal is to develop precise treatments that target myelin-producing cells known as oligodendrocytes," said Dr Fletcher. The study focuses on the molecule Olig2 to stimulate myelin regeneration, potentially leading to safer, more effective therapies.
Dr Nicholas Blackburn is studying families with multiple relatives who have MS to understand genetic influences on MS development. "Our study aims to identify genetic changes that contribute to MS development, understand why MS occurs more frequently in some families, and ultimately why it develops at all, even in people with no family history of MS," Dr Blackburn said.
Mr Glen Henson is using health economics to understand the global impact of MS and improve treatment policies. "Our research aims to enhance quality of life for people with MS by helping doctors make better treatment decisions and supporting government subsidisation of MS therapies," said Mr Henson. The study will also examine the long-term effects of COVID-19 on people with MS to inform future pandemic responses.
Dr Valery Fuh-Ngwa aims to understand disability progression in relapsing MS. Using data from various MS registries, Dr Fuh-Ngwa’s team will analyse the evolution of disability status and compare standard treatments to stem cell treatments. "We seek to develop new methods to analyse health outcomes and improve MS treatment approaches," said Dr Fuh-Ngwa, whose project is also part-funded by MSWA.
Dr Yi Chao Foong is focusing on improving treatments and monitoring for older people with MS. "We aim to understand the balance between therapeutic benefits and risks of disease-modifying therapies in older MS patients, to promote more consistent, evidence-based clinical decision making," Dr Foong said. The study will also identify digital tools for early detection of disease progression.
Dr Julie Campbell is investigating whether women and marginalised groups with MS in Australia earn less than men and exploring the reasons behind this wage disparity. “A double burden of wage discrimination exists where disability and gender collide. The findings from this study will help to raise awareness and provide evidence to advocate for wage equality,” said Dr Campbell.
Clockwise from top left: MS Australia research grant recipients Dr Nicholas Blackburn, Mr Glen Henson, Dr Julie Campbell, Dr Yi Chao Foong, Dr Valery Fuh-Ngwa, Dr Jessica Fletcher
Find out more about MS Australia's grant funding round in its media release.
HOT OFF THE PRESS
We are delighted to share the news that the Flagship has launched two new massive open online courses (MOOCs) for people with MS and the wider MS community.
‘Mental Health and MS’ and ‘Deciding about Disease Modifying Therapies for MS’ have already made a splash attracting more than 3,100 enrolments to date between them. They’ve also been positively reviewed, both achieving a five star rating on Class Central, a leading aggregator of more than 250,000 free courses from universities and other organisations worldwide.
The development of these MOOCs came about following the success of our 'Understanding MS' MOOC, which launched in 2019. Funding was secured from the Medical Research Future Fund to develop four new complementary courses that were shorter and focused on relevant topics addressing the needs and interests of the MS community. A scoping review, feedback from participants of 'Understanding MS' and consultations with members of the MS community and stakeholders all fed into the choice of topics for these new courses.
Following hot on the heels of our two newly launched courses is our ‘Ageing Well with MS’ MOOC which has recently wrapped up piloting, and our ‘Supporting our MS Carers’ MOOC which we hope to pilot later in the year.
About the courses
All of our courses are free and fully online with certificates available on completion. Understanding MS runs for six weeks twice a year, whereas the new short courses are self-paced and open all year round.
Mental Health and MS is a free online course that will increase your understanding of how anxiety, depression and MS interact to affect the lives of people with MS. It also provides practical tips for improving mental health.
Across three course modules you will hear from a range of MS experts, including people living with MS, clinical psychologists and neurologists.
Deciding about Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs) for MS is a free online course that explains what DMTs are and how they work. The course aims to help people communicate clearly about DMTs and help people living with MS make informed decisions about using them.
Across three course modules you will hear from a range of MS experts, including people living with MS, neurologists and an MS nurse.
Understanding MS
- Opens: 10th March 2025
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Closes: 12 May 2025, 5pm (AEST)
- Effort: 2 hours per week
- Completion certificate: Yes
- Cost: FREE
Understanding MS is supported by MS Plus, MS Australia and the Medical Research Future Fund.
More information
- For details of all courses visit our MS MOOC website
- For future course updates and news follow our MS MOOCs on Facebook or Instagram.
IN THE COMMUNITY
Burnie School for Seniors
The Flagship's Professor Kaylene Young had the opportunity to speak at a seminar in February hosted by the Burnie School for Seniors in Tasmania's north west.
Her presentation, titled 'The Menzies Institute and our Multiple Sclerosis research', was extremely well received, as this lovely feedback from seminar organiser Les Naunton demonstrates:
"The work you and your team do, as well as all the other areas of research at the Menzies Institute, is quite humbling. We are indeed fortunate here in Tasmania to have you all here in our midst."
Professor Kaylene Young (second from the right) with Burnie School for Seniors members (L-R) Les Naunton, Trixie Duncan and Helen McLean
COMING SOON
Event for health professionals
On Tuesday 15th April the Flagship's Dr Yi Chao Foong is speaking at a special dinner event for health professionals in Hobart.
Alongside three other quest speakers, Dr Foong will explore the importance of multi-disciplinary approaches to symptom management for people with neurological conditions.
Hosted by MS Plus in partnership with Menzies Institute for Medical Research, Parkinson's Tasmania and the Tasmanian Health Service, this event will enable attendees to gain a deeper understanding of how health professionals can work together to enhance patient care and improve quality of life.
Interested? Get in quick, as numbers for this free event are limited.
Guest speakers
- Dr Yi Chao Foong (Neurologist and Researcher)
- Professor Michele Callisaya (Physiotherapist and Researcher)
- Talita Welmans (Exercise Physiologist)
- Sara Vella (Continence Nurse)
Event details
- When: Tuesday 15 April 2025, 6-8:30pm
- Where: The Old Woolstore, 1 Macquarie St, Hobart, Tasmania
- Cost: Free
CONSUMER & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN RESEARCH
Why consumer involvement?
The different perspectives and lived experiences that consumers bring to research improves its quality, relevance and impact, which is why consumer and community involvement (CCI) underpins every aspect of the MS Research Flagship's strategy, governance, operations and research.
To illustrate this, we've asked consumers and researchers who have embraced CCI to share their experience. This issue we hear from Dr Annie Brennan, Project Manager, InforMS.
“Consumers are at the core of our InforMS research project, which is creating and evaluating a digital one-stop-shop for people with MS to improve their health.
We have consumers involved at all levels of the project, including as members of decision-making committees, brainstorming groups, software experts and product testers. Their contributions have been incredibly valuable – from advice on broad project direction, all the way down to designing the exact colours and shape of the app’s buttons.
I love working with consumers – not only because of the expertise they bring, but also because it's so nice to hear direct ‘from the horses’ mouth’ how our research can make a real difference. Their excitement is heart-warming.”
Find out more about InforMS.
Dr Annie Brennan
RECRUITING NOW
MS Genetics Study (GEMS)
Are you aged 18 to 60? We need your help to advance our understanding of MS in an Australia-wide study, our MS Genetics study (known as GEMS).
We urgently need:
- People diagnosed with MS
- People without MS (YOU can still contribute!)
Why participate?
We’re investigating the connection between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and MS, and your contribution could lead to improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of MS.
Participation is easy!
- Complete a brief questionnaire
- Provide three saliva samples (postal submissions are welcome!)
- Optionally, give a blood sample
Ready to make a difference?
This study is approved by the University of Tasmania Human Research Ethics Committee, H0027273 (H-85821) and funded by the Australian Government, Medical Research Future Fund and National Health and Medical Research Council.
The Australian MS Longitudinal Study
The Australian MS Longitudinal Study (AMSLS) is a survey-based research study that collects real life data from people living with MS. The data is used by policy makers and medical and support services to improve health outcomes for people living with MS.
For the data to have the most impact, the AMSLS needs as many participants as possible. So help create positive change by joining the AMSLS today.
The AMSLS is a partnership between Menzies Institute for Medical Research and MS Australia
MS and the National Disability Insurance Scheme
We're investigating what does and doesn't work with MS and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and would love your help.
Are you:
- Someone who supports or cares for a person with MS who has ever had an NDIS plan?
- A healthcare professional who has worked in a role assisting people with MS develop an NDIS plan?
We invite you to take part in an interview (approximately 45 minutes) and share your experiences.
To participate, or for more information, please contact Rebecca.Banham@utas.edu.au
This study is funded by MS Australia and approved by the University of Tasmania Human Research Ethics Committee (H0031303).
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
In addition to the MS Australia grant recipients mentioned above:
Alastair Fortune was awarded a Menzies postdoctoral fellowship.
Dr Jake Cashion was awarded his PhD.
NEW FACES
Staff
Dr Angad Johar is a postdoctoral research fellow who has joined us in the Genomics group. His project is studying how evolution might affect the genetic causes of MS. During his PhD and postdoctoral years at The Australian National University, The University of Adelaide and Mayo Clinic, Angad has worked in multiple projects involving genetic epidemiology and population genetics. This includes ancient and modern DNA.
Consumer and community
Sarah McGuire joined our consumer and community reference committee (C&CRC) in December 2024. She has a law degree and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in psychology from the University of Tasmania. She worked for the Tasmanian Department of Justice for 10 years before becoming a small business owner on the West Coast of Tasmania. Sarah has a personal connection to MS through her own lived experience with the condition. She is eager to contribute her personal and professional insights to help the C&CRC achieve its goals.
Dr Angad Johar
Sarah McGuire
MS RESEARCH FLAGSHIP IN NUMBERS
Funding for research in 2025
The MS Research Flagship has attracted more than $1.5 million in funding for MS Research commencing in 2025. This includes funding from MS Australia and Menzies philanthropic donations.
SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE
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The success of the MS Research Flagship at Menzies has been made possible thanks to support from people like you. Please give now so that we can continue our world class, consumer driven research that translates to better health outcomes for our community.
