Monash University provides $1 million to genomics in neuroscience program

In recognition of the importance of genomics to the translation of brain sciences from the laboratory to the clinic, Monash University has provided a $1-million kick-start to the Monash Institute for Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences (MICCN).

At the recent launch of the MICCN, Professor Edwina Cornish, Provost and Senior Vice-President of Monash University announced the funding. According to Professor Cornish, the application of “genomics” to human diseases, disorders and traits including brain structure and function is a rapidly developing area of science, spurred on in large part by technical advances that now allow us to interrogate the human genome at an unprecedented level of precision to interrogate large human databases.
“Monash University is extremely pleased to provide support of $1 million in recognition that the establishment of MICCN will respond to the critical need for industry and clinically relevant research that will improve the health and well-being of millions of Australians who face significant life challenges due to brain disorders,” Professor Edwina Cornish said.
According to Professor Kim Cornish, the Director of the MICCN, genomics will play a key role in deciphering ways to fix the broken brain.
“It has been a strategic decision to use precision medicine via genomics with state-of-the-art, next-generation sequencing capability. In this way we can home in on the molecular signatures of brain development, plasticity and repair,” she said.
“By expanding into genomics the MICCN will leverage off large available biobanks at Monash for ADHD, autism and a range of other complex disorders,” Professor Kim Cornish said.
“The use of sequencing in these patient cohorts will not only shed new light on disease pathways but may also identify causative mutations within druggable targets and offer the hope of personalized medicine approaches to disorders of the brain.”
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