NCRIS Health welcomes Australia’s RNA Blueprint

The NCRIS Health Group warmly welcomes the release of Australia’s RNA Blueprint by the Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

The NCRIS Health Group includes Bioplatforms Australia, EMBL Australia, National Imaging Facility, Phenomics Australia, Population Health Research Network, and Therapeutic Innovation Australia.We are delighted that our advanced translational research infrastructure has been recognised in the RNA Blueprint.

Supported by the Australian Department of Education’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), the NCRIS Health Group facilitates cross-disciplinary health and medical research, providing Australian researchers with access to world-class infrastructure that enhance outcomes across the entire translation cycle for various therapeutic products, including RNA-based therapies.

The blueprint acknowledges that over $160M has been collectively invested by NCRIS Health Group members to establish an RNA Products Capability, enhance and expand synthetic biology capability and provide models for disease studies.

We are committed to leveraging our research infrastructure capabilities to contribute to the blueprint’s identified goals to drive the growth of Australia’s RNA sector, particularly the connection and promotion of the national RNA ecosystem and increasing access to cutting-edge national research infrastructure.

We look forward to collaborating with the Department of Industry, Science and Resources to implement the actions outlined in the blueprint.

Read the RNA Blueprint here

Announcement: Prof Karen Jones appointed to NIF Governing Board

The National Imaging Facility has announced the appointment of Professor Karen Jones to its independent Governing Board.

The independent Governing Board provides oversight and strategic guidance for all NIF activities and investments, supporting NIF’s objective to address Australia’s strategic science and research priorities, benefit Australian industry and help keep Australians healthy.

Prof Jones brings a wealth of expertise in human imaging and nuclear medicine, with a distinguished career marked by pioneering research in the fields of gastric emptying and postprandial hypotension.

Leadership roles, including President of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM) and former Chair of both the ANZSNM Technologist Special Interest Group (TSIG) and Executive Committee of the Australasian Radiopharmaceutical Trials Network (ARTnet), underscore Prof Jones’ advocacy for nuclear medicine technologists and commitment to excellence in the field of nuclear medicine.

NIF Governing Board Chair Professor Margaret Harding congratulated Prof Jones on her appointment.

“Prof Jones’ contributions will greatly enhance our mission to enable significant impacts on national health challenges and accelerate Australian innovation,” Prof Harding said.

Read more about NIF’s independent Governing Board here.

About Professor Karen Jones
Prof Karen Jones is a distinguished leader in medical imaging, with a stellar academic and research background. Prof Jones was the first nuclear medicine technologist in Australia to complete a PhD and is a champion of her field. As President of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM) and former Chair of both the ANZSNM Technologist Special Interest Group (TSIG) and Executive Committee of the Australasian Radiopharmaceutical Trials Network (ARTnet), she has significantly influenced the profession. Her pioneering research on gastric emptying and postprandial hypotension, utilising advanced imaging techniques, has set new standards in the field. Prof Jones’ strategic vision and leadership continue to drive innovation and excellence in nuclear medicine, benefiting both the scientific community and clinical practice.

First in-human images of new hope treatment for poor-prognosis prostate cancer

In a world first, supported by National Imaging Facility, Australian researchers have imaged and measured the uptake of a promising new prostate cancer therapy drug developed by Australian start-up AdvanCell, which was recently administered to its first patient in a clinical trial.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer for men. Around 50% of men diagnosed with local prostate cancer develop metastases, which often leads to a condition with a poor prognosis – metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) – and short survival times (a median of approximately one year or less).

Few treatments currently exist, but a new therapy has doctors very excited: targeted radioligand therapy. The ‘targeted’ therapy specifically seeks out prostate cancer cells (the job of the ‘ligand’), and the attached ‘radio’ isotope causes immense but very localised damage just to the cancer cells.

Currently, ‘beta’ radioisotopes are commonly used, which cause repairable damage to cancer cells, and can reach healthy tissue near the cancer cells. The new therapy uses a more powerful ‘alpha’ isotope that irreparably damages the cancer cells’ DNA and structures – leading to death of the cancer cell without reaching nearby healthy cells.

New isotope lead-212 sidesteps the availability problem of alpha therapies

“Alpha therapies have been used for a number of years now, and show promising results, but aren’t in large-scale clinical trials yet,” says Professor Stephen Rose of AdvanCell, Head of Translational Medicine and Clinical Science.

This is because the doses are very hard to come by. For one of the main isotopes of interest, actinium-225, Prof Rose says there are “currently only about 2000 doses available worldwide, so it’s very hard to do phase II clinical trials, and even more challenging to do larger phase III trials for drug approval.”

However, AdvanCell’s technology has thrown open a door to more hope. They created a small generator that produces clinical doses of the isotope lead-212 daily, which “solves the scalable manufacturing problem”. Because of its shorter half-life (approximately 11 hours) and short path length, lead-212 is potentially also safer for patients.

This theranostic (simultaneous diagnostic + therapy) approach dramatically reduces the side effects people normally associate with chemotherapy.

This April, 75-year-old Gary was the first person in the world to complete the treatment as part of AdvanCell’s TheraPb trial, currently enrolling at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) and Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane.

The cohort of that first trial is now full, with recruitment of the second cohort starting soon. Imaging infrastructure at Herston Imaging Research Facility (HIRF), supported by NIF, is being used to help select and measure tumour response at RBWH.

The trial is the first phase I clinical trial of a lead-212-based prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radioligand therapy for mCRPC using an Australian-produced alpha isotope.

Because ‘seeing’ changes everything: first ever human SPECT/CT images

Monitoring a patient’s treatment is a huge part of any new clinical trials – researchers are looking to confirm that the targeted alpha therapy has reached the tumour sites. For lead-212, they had been in the dark.

When the trial was proposed, there was no imaging available for that isotope. There were many challenges to overcome. “It just wasn’t thought to be possible,” says Associate Professor David Pattison (Deputy Director and Nuclear Medicine Specialist, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Specialised PET Services, RBWH).

But – the medical physics team at RBWH team persisted, and showed the feasibility, clarity and benefit of imaging lead-212. Their groundbreaking work has been acknowledged by the international imaging community, and was published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine this year.

“We showed AdvanCell that lead-212 was able to be imaged with sufficient clarity that they put it into the study,” says Dr Matthew Griffiths, Lead Nuclear Medicine Physicist at RBWH. “We ended up getting to the point of patient imaging in less than two years.”

“It really was a very exciting time to have that basic science discovery leading to inclusion of imaging into the first in-human trial protocol,” says A/Prof Pattison.

The implications of that are very profound, A/Prof Pattison says, because clinicians can directly estimate dosimetry (how much of the drug goes into the tumour and normal organs) instead of just monitoring patients over time after the drug is given.

“That’s the real benefit of theranostics,” he says. “Rather than just being more of a therapy trial, you also get to image where the treatment is going. This really closes the loop.”

Imaging also plays an important role in correctly ‘stratifying’ patients for clinical trials – different people with different presentations of illnesses can then be selected and receive a particular therapy based on their personal imaging data.

NIF provides “best-quality data from patients” for trials

Prof Rose emphasises that NIF’s support has been crucial for helping to acquire high-quality imaging data from the patients in the clinical trial.

“Like for many theranostic trials in Australia, NIF provided state of the art equipment, which is really important, and ensures excellence in the operation of that equipment. It’s one thing having a scanner, but it’s another thing having people who really know how to operate at that scale.”

NIF also supports the skill of the radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, like Q-TRaCE at RBWH who currently manufacture the targeted alpha therapy for the TheraPb trial.

“Once you produce the isotope, it’s decaying. You have to conjugate that to the drug, do all the quality control, so it can safely be injected into a patient,” Prof Rose explains.

“That takes a lot of experience and a subject matter expertise in this space, so we’re very fortunate that NIF supports radiopharmaceutical development and manufacture in Australia, backed up by people who really know what they’re doing.”

Committed cross-disciplinary team key to success

This project has capitalised on the specialised knowledge of many disciplines. “It’s a real team effort to bring something like this to the fore. It highlights Australian innovation in theranostics development through AdvanCell’s property lead-212 isotope production technology and in-depth knowledge of radioligand discovery and development, partnering with experienced clinical trial sites with significant support by NIF,” Prof Rose  emphasises.

NIF has a long history of supporting radiopharmaceutical development, through collaborations across universities, industry, private funding, and the Australian healthcare system. Within each area, people are contributing with a physics background, chemistry backgrounds, nuclear medicine technologists, engineering and medicine.

Over about a year, the team at Q-TRaCE worked with AdvanCell’s production team to ramp up production of the therapeutic radiopharmaceutical to a point of safely administering it to patients, by manufacturing it and validating its safety.

A/Prof Pattison describes the many steps: “As a multidisciplinary team we were meeting and discussing all of our perspectives with AdvanCell. From the medical perspective, this included the feasibility of the trial, the likelihood of patient response, comparisons to other therapies, but our whole team were involved in developing the imaging protocols, timing of the imaging, radiation safety, how to administer it, how to run the infusion safely… it’s such a great example of partnership and teamwork.”

Next steps: scaling and targeting other cancers

Clinicians are very excited about the possibilities from this trial. “We have a huge amount of optimism: we do need to see the results in real patients and we’re not quite there yet, but are very hopeful,” says A/Prof Pattison.

“There’s a huge amount of excitement about lead-212 as an alpha therapy treatment for prostate cancer, but also lead-212 potential relevance to other tumour types,” he says.

A/Prof Pattison says that if the trial results (likely in early 2025) are positive, it is feasible that the technology can be made scalable and applied worldwide.

“It really is potentially groundbreaking. There are a lot of other tumours that can potentially be treated using this technology. Lead-212 could be a key workhorse for all theranostics, because of potential limits to supply of many other theranostic isotopes.”

AdvanCell aims to, as soon as 2025, move next into melanoma and other cancer therapies. “The capabilities and infrastructure within NIF are really critical for moving this technology forward,” Prof Rose says. “We would like to open more clinical trial sites: Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. A lot of those facilities will be supported by NIF.”

National Imaging Facility receives $1.6m NSW Government funding to advance medical research

New South Wales (NSW) Chief Scientist and Engineer, Prof Hugh Durrant-Whyte, has announced $1.6 million will be invested in National Imaging Facility (NIF) capabilities through the NSW NCRIS Support Program.

This State Government funding leverages Australian Government NCRIS and consolidated NIF NSW-based Partner co-investment of $3.5 million each, bringing the total project value to $8.6 million.

NIF’s NSW-based Partners include ANSTO, Macquarie University, the University of Newcastle, University of New South Wales (including Research Imaging NSW and Neuroscience Research Australia), the University of Sydney and Western Sydney University.

The NCRIS Support Program co-invests to enable the delivery of essential research and innovation infrastructure in NSW, funded under the Australian Government Department of Education’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

This funding will accelerate NIF’s translation efforts across research, health, innovation, and industry sectors. Investment in highly skilled imaging research infrastructure specialists is critical for achieving this goal.

The co-investment will also build essential radiochemistry capability in NSW, supporting the development of molecular imaging technologies, and the commercialisation of novel and personalised nuclear medicine products such as theranostics for cancer treatment.

Molecular imaging and radiopharmaceuticals play a key role in drug discovery, providing essential information on metabolism, biodistribution, pharmacokinetics and target engagement which are all essential for drug development.

Prof Michael Kassiou (University of Sydney) is pioneering the translation of drug discovery through to commercialisation for challenging neurological disorders and cardiovascular disease.

“NIF facilities have enabled me to develop new radiopharmaceuticals to probe questions on the relevance of specific drug targets in disease process. This is key in driving discovery into new therapeutics,” Prof Kassiou said.

He also emphasised the value of NCRIS infrastructure for Australian researchers, ensuring international competitiveness while benefiting Australia’s reputation and economy.

Prof Durrant-Whyte said the NCRIS Support Program recognises the vital role NCRIS facilities play in supporting the state’s research and development sector.

“These facilities enable the most advanced research and commercialisation opportunities to happen right here in NSW. These activities are a critical driver for innovation in the state’s economy,” Prof Durant said.

Read the announcement from the NSW Government here.

New brain imaging set to improve and speed epilepsy diagnosis, treatment

Novel imaging methods combined with cognitive, genetic and medical data will use AI to increase the speed and accuracy of diagnoses and treatment for epilepsy patients, according to researchers working collaboratively with NIF.

Advanced MRI imaging methods are helping Australian epilepsy researchers move closer to faster, more accurate, individualised diagnoses and treatment options for patients.

The cause of epilepsy can be different for every person who lives with the condition – and that is nearly 250,000 Australians. Currently, it is extremely difficult for doctors to predict what will happen for people after a seizure, and which treatment is best.

The Australian Epilepsy Project’s neuroimaging lead, NIF Florey Node Co-Director Dr David Vaughan, explains that advanced brain imaging will help guide diagnosis and opportunities for precision treatment. For example, “whether they will have another seizure; which medication is likely to be the most beneficial; and whether any other forms of treatment, such as epilepsy surgery, would be right for them.”

Dr Vaughan is part of the team using advanced human 3T MRI methods to understand network changes in brain disorders like epilepsy. By combining patient images with cognitive and genetic data, and integrating them using AI, the Australian Epilepsy Project (AEP) team is developing predictive tools, spearheading an innovative approach to research-based care, that focuses on expediting diagnoses, enhancing the precision of detection, and improving patient outcomes.

Results captured as part of the AEP testing, not only contribute to future research for predicting health outcomes in epilepsy, but they are also being used by neurologists to support immediate treatment decisions for patients. 

NIF’s national advanced human imaging network is contributing to this initiative through advanced imaging capabilities, computational techniques and informatics.

No two brains are the same

Given the variation in causes and treatment for epilepsy, doctors need a complete ‘picture’ for each patient to improve their diagnosis and treatment. Brain imaging, cognitive testing, genetic screening and questionnaires are all important parts of the puzzle.

“What we can do for people with epilepsy is manage their seizures with medications, surgery and other healthcare strategies,” Dr Vaughan says.

“The better the information we have, the more accurate the diagnosis and the better the outcome for the person being treated.”

When this information is analysed by researchers with the help of AI tools, they can spot potentially hidden patterns in the data. This helps them to provide diagnostic information for predicting patient outcomes, which can then be used to optimise treatment.

Patient stories match new data on epilepsy burden

AEP’s Lived Experience Ambassador and Participant Lead, Amanda Anderson, describes her first experience with seizures at age 23; a time in life when many young people find themselves working and travelling, instead, she was plagued by seizures. “At times, they were occurring daily. I once received third-degree burns from a seizure while cooking,” she says.

Although Amanda was on medication, “it didn’t work, so by age 30, I felt completely isolated.”

A pilot study from the AEP formalises these difficulties, having analysed data from Australians diagnosed with epilepsy. People whose epilepsy is resistant to drug treatments had lower quality of life scores and were less likely to participate in paid employment compared to people with a new diagnosis of epilepsy.

AEP’s Health Economics Lead A/Prof Zanfina Ademi said, “given the current burden of epilepsy in terms of healthcare cost and wellbeing, national investment in health programs such as the AEP will help to classify unprovoked seizure better, provide better and early management for newly diagnosed epilepsy and speed the process of surgery in people with drug resistant epilepsy.”

“This in turn will reduce healthcare costs, improve quality of life and reduce productivity burden on society,” A/Prof Ademi said.

The data also showed that almost one in five people needed care (median 16 hours/week), provided through friends and family, and one in 20 needed formal care (median 20 hours/week). This highlights the immense contribution of carers to our economy for people living with epilepsy.

Eventually, Amanda recounts, she found and accessed advanced MRI testing, similar to what is being offered as part of the AEP, where doctors found scar tissue on her right temporal lobe which may have been caused by encephalitis as a baby.

“I finally had a precise diagnosis, and I could act. Twelve years after surgery I have regained my quality of life,” she says.

Other quality of life takeaways include:

  • Epilepsy itself is not necessarily a barrier to achieving a productive working life, but other socioeconomic variables are also important.
  • People with drug-resistant epilepsy have significantly lower workforce participation. This may be because of reduced educational attainment, sick days due to seizures and seizure-related problems, and time off work to attend medical appointments.
  • Seizure control, adequate treatment of mood disorders, and supporting accessible education are key factors for improving quality of life and employment prospects, and further underscores the need for holistic management.

A national Lived Experience Reference Group ensures that the needs of people with epilepsy and their carers are integrated into the project’s design process.

NIF imaging: accelerating innovation in epilepsy understanding

AEP’s Chief Investigator Professor Graeme Jackson says his life’s work is to have “every Australian living with epilepsy to be free from seizures”. The AEP aims to provide a national network for local access to advanced testing.

The $30 million funding granted by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund, for the five-year study, echoes the importance of this aim.

AEP’s work is supported by NIF’s national network Partners in Brisbane at Herston Imaging Research Facility (HIRF), Newcastle at Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), Melbourne at The Florey and Adelaide at South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).

They also join AEP collaborators from the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Alfred Health, RMIT University and Austin Health. Commercial partners such as Siemens also work closely with the AEP team.

NIF’s advanced human imaging network underpins the project, accelerating innovation and research and enabling translation of research solutions to clinical care.

NIF-affiliated experts that are part of the AEP leadership team are:

  • Associate Professor Heath Pardoe, Science Operations Lead
  • Dr David Vaughan, Imaging Lead
  • Professor David Abbott, Information Lead
  • Dr Eric Pierre, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Advanced MRI Development – Imaging Division
  • Dr Robert Smith, Senior Research Officer – Imaging Division
  • Dr Bahman Tahayori, Senior Research Scientist
For more information about the Australian Epilepsy Project and how you can get involved (either as a person living with epilepsy or as a healthy volunteer), please click here.

Boosting health innovation and commercialisaton: $2m Queensland Government investment in National Imaging Facility

The Queensland Government Department of Environment, Science and Innovation has announced $2m will be awarded to National Imaging Facility (NIF) capabilities in Queensland through the Research Infrastructure Co-Investment Fund (RICF). 

RICF co-invests with universities, research centres and industry to support facilities of national significance, and this grant will contribute to NIF capabilities and operations at the University of Queensland (UQ) Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI) and Herston Imaging Research Facility (HIRF). 

This investment will enhance imaging research infrastructure in Queensland, increasing the leverage of the Australian Government Department of Education’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) funding secured by NIF last year.  

NIF operates Queensland’s most advanced biomedical imaging equipment across CAI and HIRF, and collaborates with research and clinical precinct partners, including QUT, QIMR-Berghofer and Brisbane’s Metro North Hospital and Health Service (MNHHS), bridging the gap between scientific breakthroughs and patient outcomes, to provide a strong research translation pathway. 

NIF HIRF Node Director, Prof Katie McMahon said RICF’s funding will bolster NIF’s Queensland operations to maintain and expand cutting-edge advanced imaging capabilities and expertise, underpinning the translation of research into tangible health discoveries and commercialisation opportunities. 

“NIF’s integrated imaging facilities provide a translational pathway from discovery to preclinical testing through to first-in-human studies and clinical trials,” Prof McMahon said. 

“We’re proud to work with pharmaceutical and biomedical industry partners to accelerate the development of the latest scientific discoveries into better outcomes for patients, including creating new medical products and therapies to treat diseases like dementia, cancer and epilepsy.” 

NIF CEO Prof Wojtek Goscinski said this co-funding would ensure scientists have access to the most advanced translational research infrastructure in Australia. 

“RICF’s co-investment in NIF will help facilitate the procurement of state-of-the-art advanced imaging equipment. Additionally, it will help attract, train and create jobs for the world-class experts critical to driving innovation through this infrastructure.” Prof Goscinski said. 

Read the full media statement from the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation here. 

National Imaging Facility to host showcase session at ANZSNM 2024

National Imaging Facility will host a showcase session at the 2024 ANZSNM Annual Scientific Meeting, ‘Discover the Nucleus’ which will run from 26-28 April 2024 in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Session details:

National Imaging Facility Showcase
Sunday 28 April
1:15pm – 2:00pm
Te Pae Auditorium

Speakers:

Prof Wojtek Goscinski
Introduction to National Imaging Facility

Prof Roslyn Francis
Toward an Australian Human Molecular Imaging Network

Dr Yaser Gholami
The National Imaging Facility PET Fellow Network

Click here for more information about the 2024 ANZSNM Annual Scientific Meeting and registration.

#IWD2024 | Breaking world records and gender barriers

Ultra-high field MRI is unveiling a picture of endurance, and helping to uncover the physical, social and emotional effects of Associate Professor Donna Urquhart’s incredible Antarctic ultramarathon to empower women and girls.

Harnessing physical and mental resilience to finish an Antarctic ultramarathon

Monash University pain and musculoskeletal researcher, A/Prof Donna Urquhart is pushing past physical limitations, unveiling the intricate connection between mind and body, with a crucial mission to empower girls and women in sports.

Donna made international headlines in January, after crossing the finish line of the longest ultramarathon in a polar region in history.

As the first woman to conquer this challenge, she ran 1,402km over the space of 28 days at the Union Glacier Camp in Antarctica – the coldest, windiest and driest desert on earth.

Donna said she wanted her run to be more than a record, using the attempt to launch a mission to empower young girls and women to love and discover what’s possible for them in sport, and break down the barriers to participation.

“The alarming statistics show that girls can find sport stressful, and by the age of 15 only 32% are still playing, leaving so few to benefit from the enormous physical, social and emotional aspects of sport,” Donna said.

It took a team of volunteers and two years of training, but Donna said pushing her physical limitations was only half of the battle, emphasising the crucial role of psychological strength in overcoming challenges – with the start of her run posing the most significant hurdle.

“When I first arrived in Antarctica, it was overwhelming. I didn’t know if I could live in a polar region and ultimately run 1,300km,” Donna said. 

She had set a goal to run 50km per day, but by the third day in, the enormity of this challenge hit hard and suddenly, with Donna forging through minus 20-degree 80km per hour winds and limited visibility.

Donna said the physical risks presented by these conditions such as stumbling and falling, hypothermia, polar thigh, frost bite and knee and foot pain, significantly impacted her confidence at the start of the ultramarathon. 

“That first week was so intense – it was a steep learning curve, and I had the realisation that my own initial lack of confidence mirrored the uphill battle women and girls face in sports,” Donna said.

“By pushing my own physical boundaries in this world-record attempt I want to show young girls and women what’s possible when you harness the power of the body and mind.”

“Confidence and self-belief were two emotions that I struggled with early, but this world record run taught me strategies that helped me push on, and I can’t wait to pass this knowledge onto other young women,” Donna said.

Ultra-high field functional imaging is charting new territories in extreme endurance and physical exercise

[Pictured: The multi-disciplinary imaging research team, including A/Prof Valentina Lorenzetti, Dr Chao Suo, Dr Hannah Thomson, Ethan Murphy, Anastasia Paloubis, and Arush Arun, with the assistance of University of Melbourne Lead MRI Radiographer Rebecca Glarin, are using imaging to examine the neurological and psychological effects on Donna during this exceptional feat.]

A multi-disciplinary research team is using imaging to examine the neurological and psychological effects on Donna as a result of this exceptional feat, led in collaboration between Donna and A/Prof Valentina Lorenzetti, Lead of the Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program and Deputy Director of Australian Catholic University’s Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, and Dr Karyn Richardson, Wilson Foundation-Brain Park Research Fellow from Monash University.

Valentina leads the research team scanning Donna in collaboration with the University of Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit (MBCIU)  on NIF’s ultra-high field Siemens Magnetom 7T MRI.

Donna’s exceptional achievement provides an exclusive opportunity for researchers to examine how her brain has changed pre-to-post polar ultramarathon; the 7T MRI can image brain function at a higher resolution than what could be captured on a traditional MRI scan.

[Pictured: Donna’s brain was scanned with the highest resolution anatomical sequences.]

Donna was scanned twice before the ultramarathon to account for measurement errors, and twice after the ultramarathon (about 2 weeks and 4 weeks), with the highest resolution anatomical sequences, combined with a state-of-the-art functional MRI scan to map the brain networks during rest.

[Pictured: Research imaging team lead A/Prof Valentina Lorenzetti and NIF University of Melbourne Lead MRI Radiographer, Rebecca Glarin]

Valentina said this series of scans can help to provide preliminary evidence on the brain changes that accompany extreme efforts when pushing the body and mind during an ultramarathon in an extreme climate.

“What Donna has done is amazing, and we need examples like this. Everyone knows that exercise is good for you – and now we have the opportunity to showcase the MRI brain images to help convey the message effectively,” Valentina said.

Bridging the mind-body gap: Understanding neurological and psychological insights

Complementary to the imaging study, researcher Dr Karyn Richardson led a mental health and wellbeing assessment to explore how Donna’s mental state changed before and after the event, and how these factors impacted her performance.

Karyn said mental state plays a powerful role in sport, exercise, and endurance and this was a wonderful opportunity to explore these relationships.

Donna completed a variety of questionnaires before and after the ultramarathon to document her general wellbeing, stress and anxiety, coping and confidence.

She also rated a number of factors including pain, confidence, wellbeing, resilience and perceived stress daily in Antarctica, which helped her team to provide additional support during the challenge.

“The data mirrors Donna’s recount of the experience, with a significant period of adjustment over the first week of the run before she acclimatised to the environment and her body adjusted to the daily challenges,” Karyn said.

Karyn said the more confident Donna felt before her run, the quicker she completed the 50km for the day.

“Research has shown that resilience, belief in yourself, and the ability to push through physical challenges are incredibly important for these types of activities, and this is precisely what Donna has done.”

“Donna’s achievement is truly remarkable and her passion to use her experience to inspire young women in sport has blown me away – she is an incredible role model in- and outside of sport,” Karyn said.

Redefining sport for women and girls: Embracing a holistic narrative beyond physicality

The Run Antartica initiative is creating social impact by raising awareness about females’ experience of sport, providing education on a holistic approach to sport, and raising funds for their charity partners, including in disadvantaged communities. Research shows that girls can find sport ‘stressful’ and that 50% stop participating during adolescence (aged 15-19 years). The reasons teenage girls withdraw from sport are multifactorial, however, one of the major contributors is having a lack of confidence.

“This research adds another layer to highlight that sport is about your body, but also about how you train your mind to address the cognitive and emotional components of sport and activity,” Donna said.

“We really see this as a pivotal time in history to evaluate the model we use to look at sport, and change the conversation from focusing on physicality to encompassing a holistic view.”

“We require a comprehensive framework, with a focus on educating young females in the development of cognitive, emotional and social skills in a sporting environment. Our professional athletes are provided with this approach – why aren’t our young people?” she said.

Donna’s mission to empower women and girls in sports aims to disrupt these historical trends which have contributed to dropout rates. In navigating this extraordinary feat, Donna is reshaping the narrative by which we view community-based sport in Australia, empowering the next generation of female athletes to develop a love of sport, and experience the important health and education benefits.

For more information about Donna’s mission or to donate, visit https://www.runantarctica.com/

This research was conducted using NIF expertise and 7T MRI facilities at the Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit at the University of Melbourne.

National Imaging Facility User Experience Survey OPEN NOW

The National Imaging Facility (NIF) 2024 User Experience Survey is now open and will run for two weeks until 3 March 2024.

The survey is open to all users of NIF capabilities, including preclinical and clinical, human and animal imaging, radiochemistry, and imaging data analysis, and only takes 5-10 minutes to complete.

Information collected from this survey is used to communicate the value of NIF capabilities to our stakeholders and is critical to justifying continued investment in NIF.

We appreciate your time and input. All survey responses are anonymous, and your feedback will be used to inform and improve NIF’s service delivery.

On completion of the survey, you will have the option to enter the draw to win one of 5 x $100 gift cards. Please note, to protect your anonymity the contact information received to enter the draw will not be analysed together with your survey responses.

Start the survey now

For more information, please contact us.

Announcement: New appointment to the NIF Governing Board

National Imaging Facility (NIF) has announced the appointment of Anne-Marie Lansdown to its Governing Board.

The independent Governing Board provides oversight and strategic guidance for all NIF activities and investments, supporting NIF’s objective to address Australia’s strategic science and research priorities, benefit Australian industry and help keep Australians healthy.

Ms Lansdown brings a deep understanding of the higher education and research environment through senior appointments in the public service, including as one of the original architects of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). Following her career in the public service she became Deputy Chief Executive of Universities Australia, the peak body for the sector.

NIF Governing Board Chair Prof Margaret Harding extended her congratulations to Ms Lansdown on the appointment.

“Anne-Marie’s impressive background and skills in the Australian research and innovation landscape make her a valuable addition to the NIF Governing Board,” Prof Harding said.

Prof Harding also expressed gratitude for the exemplary service of outgoing Directors, Ms Sue Renkin and Prof Stephen Rose, who completed their three-year terms of appointment to the NIF Governing Board at the end of 2023.

“I offer my thanks to Sue and Stephen for their major contributions to NIF as foundational members of NIF’s independent Governing Board. Both Sue and Stephen have brought a diversity of views and insights to Board discussions and their expertise has been highly valued.”

“These contributions have played a pivotal role in NIF’s achievements, and their legacy leaves us well-positioned future success,” Prof Harding said.

Read more about NIF’s independent Governing Board here.

Anne-Marie Lansdown

Anne-Marie Lansdown is an experienced public service and higher education Senior Executive and was one of the original architects of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). She was Deputy Chief Executive of Universities Australia, leading policy for Australia’s peak university organisation.

She is a Council Member of the University of Canberra, a Director at Collaborative Research Australia, an Advisory Council Member at the ARC Centre for Synthetic Biology, a Board Director for Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), and previously served as Board Director for the Giant Magellan Telescope Organisation.

Anne-Marie has previously held executive positions with the Office of Australia’s Chief Scientist, the Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and the departments of Education and Communications. Her international experience includes the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

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