2011 - Mental Health Research Institute

We’re helping to put the pieces together
2011
Annual Report

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Annual report 2011

Contents
4 Vision, Mission and Structure
6 Board of Directors
10 Chair’s Report
13 Executive Director’s Report
14 Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory
16 Molecular Psychopharmacology Laboratory
18 Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory
20 Neuropathology Laboratory
22 Oxidation Biology Laboratory
27 Synaptic Neurobiology Laboratory
28 Clinical Research Group
32 Clinical Discovery Unit
34 Victorian Brain Bank Network
36 Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service
38 The Dax Centre
42 Development and Communications
44 2011 Publications
50 Concise Financial Operating Summary 2011
52 Personnel and Collaborators 2011
62 Donations 2011
70 A Brief History
72 Further Information
“The new building, and the collaboration it
enables, positions the Melbourne Neuroscience
Centre as one of the top five centres for brain
research internationally.”
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Vision
To be a global leader in research that improves the lives of
people affected by mental illness including psychotic illness
(schizophrenia and depression) and neurodegenerative
diseases (dementia and Alzheimer’s disease).
Mission
• To undertake sustainable, high quality, basic scientific,
clinical and public health research
• To promote understanding of, and investment in, research
through advocacy
• To educate clinicians and researchers
• To provide expert commentary on the scientific basis of
mental/psychiatric illness and dementia
Structure
The Institute is governed by a Board which is legally
responsible for ensuring that the Institute’s work is directed
towards its stated objectives. This Board comprises the
Deans from the Medical Faculties of Monash University and
The University of Melbourne, the Institute’s Executive Director,
and up to 12 other voluntary members.
The Institute is affiliated with Monash University, Melbourne
Health and the University of Melbourne in addition to being a
Department of The University of Melbourne (the Department
of Mental Health in Neuroscience).
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Annual report 2011
“Our new premises in the Parkville
precinct provides our researchers with
state-of-the-art laboratories as well as
new core services and equipment.”

Board of Directors
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Annual report 2011
CHAIR – Dr Sandra Hacker AO
MBBS, DPM, FRANZCP, FAICD
Sandra Hacker is a psychiatrist. She works in private practice and as Liaison
Psychiatrist at the Heart/Lung Transplant Unit, Alfred Hospital. She is Chair of the
Australian Health Ethics Committee of the National Health and Medical Research
Council and a Director of the Dax Centre.
Dr Hacker was appointed to the MHRI Board in 2000 and became Chair in 2008.
She is Chair of the Institute’s Nominations Committee and a member of the Audit
and Risk Management Committee.
DEPUTY CHAIRMAN – Mr Trevor Clark OAM
ACIS, FAMI, FAICD, CPM
Trevor Clark is the Director of management consultancy, TM Clark & Associates.
He has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia, recognising his
outstanding contribution to the community.
Mr Clark was appointed to the MHRI Board in 1998 and became Deputy Chair
in 2002. He is Chair of the Institute’s Development Council and a member of the
Nominations Committee.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – Laureate Professor Colin Masters
BMedSc (Hons), MBBS, MD, Hon DLitt WAust, FRCPath,
FRCPA, FAA, FTSE
Colin Masters is a Laureate Professor at The University of Melbourne and a former
Director of Prana Biotechnology. He is one of the world’s best known authorities
on Alzheimer’s disease.
Professor Masters was appointed as the Institute’s Executive Director in 2007.
He is a member of the Institute’s Audit and Risk Management, Nominations,
Intellectual Property and Commercialisation, and Scientific Advisory Committees.

Professor James Angus AO
BSc, PhD, FAA
James Angus is Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at
The University of Melbourne. He is also a Fellow and former Member of Council at
the Australian Academy of Science.
Professor Angus was appointed to the MHRI Board in 2003. He is Chair of the
Institute’s Scientific Advisory Committee and a member of the Nominations Committee.
Mr Rob Gerrand
BA, FAMI, FAICD
Rob Gerrand heads the marketing and communications consultancy Gerrand & Associates
and is Chair of Healthy Parks Healthy People Global Ltd. He is a former General Manager
of Group Public Affairs at ANZ. Previous board appointments include the Financial
Planning Association of Australia, the Koorie Heritage Trust, the Melbourne Convention
and Marketing Bureau, Alfred Hospital and Parks Victoria where he chaired the Board.
He was the Founding President of the Monash Alumni Association, and in 1994 was
appointed Adjunct Professor at Deakin University. He is a published author.
Mr Gerrand was appointed to the MHRI Board in 1995 and is a member of the Audit
and Risk Management Committee. He is a member of the Institute’s Development
Council and represented the MHRI Board on the Project Committee of the Melbourne
Neuroscience Project.
Ms Jennifer Labourne
BBus, FCPA
Jennifer Labourne is the Director of Finance & Business Services at Colac Area
Health. She was previously a partner at Ernst & Young, Deputy Chair of Health
Purchasing Victoria, Director of Parks Victoria and has been involved on various
committees of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants (CPAs).
Ms Labourne was appointed to the MHRI Board in 2007. She is Chair of the
Institute’s Audit and Risk Management Committee.
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Board of Directors
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Annual report 2011
Mr Andrew Stripp
MSc (Clin Psychol), BBSc(Hons)
Andrew Stripp is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Alfred
Health. He chairs the organisation’s Health Services Operations and Leadership
Committee. Previous roles include Director, Strategic Projects, Department of Human
Services (DHS) and Director, Southern Metropolitan Region (DHS).
Mr Stripp was appointed to the MHRI Board in July 2009.
Professor Steve Wesselingh
MBBS, FRACP, PhD (until 30 September 2011)
Steve Wesselingh was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at
Monash University until his appointment as the inaugural Executive Director of the South
Australian Health and Medical Research Institute in October 2011. Previously, Professor
Wesselingh was Director of the Burnet Institute. From 1994 to 1997 he was on the Board
of the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR), acting as President in 1998. He is
recognised internationally as an expert in viruses that affect the human brain.
Professor Wesselingh was appointed to the MHRI Board in 2007 until his resignation
this year as a result of his move to South Australia. He was a member of the Institute’s
Scientific Advisory Committee.
Professor Ingrid Winship
MBChB, MD, FRACP, FACD
Ingrid Winship is Professor of Adult Clinical Genetics at The University of Melbourne and
Executive Director of Research, Melbourne Health. She is a Director at the Walter and Eliza
Hall Institute, Chair of the Victorian Cooperative Oncology Group (VCOG) Committee, Chair of
the Clinical Services Committee and the Cancer Special Interest Group of the Human Genetic
Society of Australasia and a member of the Victorian Cancer Agency, a consultative council for
Victoria for cancer research.
Professor Winship’s previous appointments include Head, Adult and Cancer Genetics, Genetic
Health Services Victoria (2004-2006) and Associate Dean, Research, Faculty of Medical and
Health Sciences, University of Auckland (1999-2004) and Clinical Director, Northern Regional
Genetic Service, Auckland District Health Board (1994-2004).
Professor Winship was appointed to the MHRI Board in June 2009.

Organisational Groups
Development Council
The Institute’s Development Council supports the
Institute’s fundraising activities.
• Chairman, Trevor Clark OAM
• Peter Bennell
• David Dean
• Rob Gerrand
• Doug George AM
• Roger Flynn
• Geoff Marshall
• George McMaster
Scientific Advisory Committee
• Chair, Professor James Angus AO
• Professor Steve Wesselingh
• Professor Sam Berkovic
• Professor John Furness
• Professor Bruce Tonge
• Professor Assen Jablensky
• Professor Tony Burgess
• Professor Colin Masters
Organisational Memberships
• Australian Association of Medical Research Institutes
(AAMRI - includes The Australian Synchrotron)
• Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce
• BioMelbourne Network
• Bio21
• Mental Health Council of Australia
• Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria
• National Neuroscience Facility
• Neurosciences Victoria
• Research Australia
Annual General Meeting
The Mental Health Research Institute’s Annual
General Meeting will be held on 24 May, 2012.
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Chair’s Report: Dr Sandra Hacker AO
After six years of planning and implementation
of the Melbourne Neuroscience Project, one of
this year’s most exciting events for the Mental
Health Research Institute (MHRI) was the much
awaited move to the purpose built Kenneth
Myer Building in Parkville. This move has
provided our scientists with state-of-theart
laboratories and the opportunity to work
alongside other like-minded researchers from
our partner organisations.
The Kenneth Myer Building was officially opened by the
Premier Ted Baillieu and Federal MP Michael Danby in
October 2011. The name of the building recognises the
significant contribution by the Myer Family to both the
building project and to medical research over many years.
Also opening during the year, were two further facilities
developed as part of the Melbourne Neuroscience Project -
the Melbourne Brain Centres at the Austin and Royal
Melbourne Hospitals. These facilities enable our basic
research to be translated into outcomes for the benefit
of those suffering from a mental illness. These combined
facilities will house over 700 scientists. The Mental Health
Research Institute will also retain its Oak Street premises
to continue its vital clinical research work.
This year has also been a year of change for the
Cunningham Dax Collection. First, we have given the
collection independence by establishing it as an incorporated
entity known as ‘The Dax Centre’. The Centre has also
moved into the ground floor of the Kenneth Myer Building
providing further opportunities to promote mental health
through art and educate the general public of people’s
experiences with mental illness. The State Minister for Mental
Health, Ms Mary Wooldridge, opened the new Dax Centre at
an event that showcased the spectacular new public gallery
and was attended by the many supporters of the Collection.
Another highlight for 2011 was the launch of the Cooperative
Research Centre (CRC) for Mental Health. The Institute
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Annual report 2011
played a pivotal role in the establishment of the CRC and
will have an equally important role in the ongoing research
conducted under the umbrella of the CRC. The CRC brings
together twenty research and commercial organisations to
develop tools for the early diagnosis and prevention of mental
health disorders.
The inaugural Culinary Charity Challenge was a great success,
not only raising vital funds but it was also a fantastic and
fun event celebrating and promoting mental health research.
This major event, along with direct mail campaigns, seminars,
and lectures raised a total of $1.12M. Thank you to all our
incredibly generous donors and philanthropic supporters for
your ongoing involvement and support.
I would like to thank the Board for their tireless efforts during
this busy year. Particular thanks goes to Rob Gerrand and
Andrew Stripp who have participated in regular meetings
to assess the merits of a likely amalgamation with the Florey
Neuroscience Institutes. Professor James Angus has acted
as a facilitator for these discussions and as such has stepped
down from his duties as a Director of MHRI whilst negotiations
continue. In addition, Professor Steve Wesselingh resigned
as a Director due to his move to Adelaide to establish the
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.
I would also like to congratulate MHRI’s Executive Director
Colin Masters on being awarded the CSIRO Medal for
Research Achievement for his research efforts in the area of
Alzheimer’s disease and to extend my thanks to him, to the
Chief Operating Officer Lisa Keam and to all staff for their
contribution in a very challenging year.
Our work continues thanks to funding provided by the
Victorian State Government’s Department of Health and the
Department of Business and Innovation who provide recurrent
funding including Operational Infrastructure Support.
Dr Sandra Hacker AO

Tony
Rich
Passionate volunteer
Board Member and the Secretary and
Treasurer for the One in Five Association
“One in Five supports mental
health research. I am a
volunteer Board Member and
the Secretary and Treasurer for
the One in Five Association.
The highlight for me this year
was our Extreme Challenge
that took the form of the
Melbourne Marathon.
Supporting people who
push themselves to the
extreme to support our
cause is a very valuable
and rewarding experience.”
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Derek
Clapton &
Chris Yena
Corporate supporters
“Sailing for Sanity, an annual
event that Warringal Financial
Services have gladly supported
since 2008. Aimed at raising
funds for the Mental Heath
Research Institute (MHRI) this
corporate event provides us the
opportunity to not only support
a very worthwhile cause but to
also participate in an exhilarating
race across Hobsons Bay.”
“As part of the process the awareness
of mental Illness and the research
undertaken in finding a cure has
increased amongst our staff and
our clients many of whom have seen
family members or friends diagnosed
with various forms of mental illness.”
Annual report 2011

Executive Director’s Report:
Professor Colin L. Masters MD
The highlight of 2011 has undoubtedly been
MHRI’s long awaited relocation to the Kenneth
Myer Building in Parkville. In October of this
year, around 80 of our staff members packed
up their offices and laboratories to move to
one of three floors in the six storey building
that was built under the Melbourne
Neuroscience Project.
The Kenneth Myer Building was designed by Lyons
Architects and provides our researchers with state-of-the-art
laboratories as well as new core services and equipment
also purchased under the Project.
The move to the Kenneth Myer Building enables our
researchers to be co-located with neuroscience researchers
from the Florey Neuroscience Institutes and The University
of Melbourne and will facilitate intellectual debate and
collaborations to advance our understandings of many
neurological disorders. Although the majority of MHRI staff
have relocated we will still have staff located at the Alan
Gilbert Building and at our Oak Street site.
As the year drew to a close, we cemented our relationship
with The University of Melbourne by joining with them in
an ‘Enhanced Research Collaboration Agreement’ under
which formed a new Department of Mental Health in
Neuroscience within the Facility of Medicine, Dentistry
and Health Science.
MHRI’s research income has continued to grow steadily over
the last few years. Contributing to this growth in income has
been the successful establishment of the CRC for Mental
Health, which over the next seven years will invest funding
into research conducted at MHRI. MHRI will lead projects to
develop biomarkers for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease
and psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression
and bipolar disorder. The CRC is an excellent vehicle for
building on collaborations with other research organisations
and is encouraging interest from pharmaceutical companies
in developing new tools for the diagnosis and treatment of
neurological disorders.
This year we were very fortunate to have Dr Thomas Insel,
the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (USA),
to give our 19th Annual John Cade Lecture. Tom gave an
insightful presentation as to the problems facing us in relation
to developing new treatments for mental illness.
A number of our researchers received awards for their
outstanding research efforts including:
• Professor Ashley Bush received one of six National Health
and Medical Research Australia Fellowships, which provides
$4 million of research funding over the next five years.
• Dr Olivia Dean was awarded a 2011 Lilly Young Investigator
Fellow in Bipolar Disorder at the International Conference
on Bipolar Disorder.
• Dr Rachel Hill received a travel award from the World
Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry.
• Former Director of MHRI, Professor David Copolov, was
awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia
Day Honours List this year for his service to medical research,
to professional organisations, and to higher education.
To mark the transition from Oak St to the new Parkville precinct
we’ve written a brief history of MHRI which you can find on
page 70.
Colin L. Masters MD
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Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory
Head: Associate Professor Maarten van den Buuse
The Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory
uses behavioural animal models to study
brain neurotransmitter mechanisms involved
in schizophrenia. We use state-of-the-art
automated equipment for in vivo experiments,
including photocell activity meters, automated
video analysis of behaviour, prepulse inhibition
of startle and models of learning and memory
in rodents. This in vivo work is complemented
with human studies, receptor binding
autoradiography, and molecular studies.
Highlights
BDNF and schizophrenia
The ‘two hit’ hypothesis of schizophrenia states that stress
early in development increases vulnerability to later stressful
events, leading to a higher risk of developing psychosis and
other psychiatric illnesses. Previous work in the laboratory
established animal models to study this interaction and
suggested an important role of the neurotrophic factor, BDNF.
Using molecular and neurochemical analysis, Rachel Hill
characterised in mice sex differences in the levels of BDNF
and associated proteins during adolescent and young-adult
development. Particularly in male animals, these changes
were correlated with circulating testosterone levels, an
observation which provides important insight into times
during development when there is increased vulnerability
to environmental stress. Candace Wu and Rachel Hill also
studied the interaction of BDNF and the serotonin-1A
receptor using novel, double-mutant mouse models.
The PhD project of Maren Klug focused on the effects of
neurodevelopmental stress in rats or mice. In these animals,
the long-term effects of additional treatment with stress
hormone or a cannabis-like drug is characterised in a battery
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Annual report 2011
of behavioural tests, including learning and memory. Maren
found significant cognitive changes in the animals after ‘two
hit’ neurodevelopmental stress. Initial molecular analysis
revealed effects on the levels of a key protein in the brain, the
NMDA receptor. Szerenke Kiss von Soly and Rachel Hill are
further characterising molecular changes in the forebrain of
these animals in an attempt to understand the mechanisms
involved in the effects of neurodevelopmental stress.
In contrast, the long-term effects of a cannabis-like treatment
were seen more in tests for anxiety and mood. Natasha
Pracejus commenced a PhD project to continue studying
the role of BDNF in neurodevelopmental stress and the
development of schizophrenia and depression.
Using a similar ‘two hit’ approach, Elizabeth Manning
continued her PhD project looking at chronic treatment
with methamphetamine, which may induce psychosis in
vulnerable individuals. She observed alterations in the longterm
behavioural effects of methamphetamine in male mice
with reduced BDNF levels.
Collectively, these studies provide important new insight into
the brain changes and mechanisms involved in the effect of
one or more developmental ‘hits’ and how these could play
a role in the development of psychiatric illness.
This work is supported by a Project Grant from the National
Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Reelin and behaviour
Another protein involved in brain development is reelin.
Mice with only half the normal reelin levels showed markedly
sex-specific behavioural changes. Previous work in the
laboratory demonstrated that removing the source of sex
steroid hormones could influence the behavioural deficits
seen in these mice, as studied in behavioural tests of
psychosis-like behaviour and of sensory gating (the process
by which the brain responds to external stimuli). Rachel Hill
investigated sex-specific changes in the levels of BDNF and
associated proteins in the brains of these animals. Anand
Gururajan, Laetitia Buret and Sally Martin are currently
assessing the effect of stress hormone treatment in these
reelin-deficient mice.
The work on the role of reelin in schizophrenia is supported
by a project grant from the NHMRC which started in 2011.
Sex steroid hormones and neurodevelopment
Andrea Gogos continued pharmacological studies on how
estrogen and testosterone can modulate behaviour and
central neurotransmitter activity. Prepulse inhibition is a
model of sensory gating that is disrupted in schizophrenia.
Andrea showed that estrogen blocks disruption of prepulse
inhibition by an action on the dopamine system in the brain.
More recently, she extended these observations by showing
additional effects of estrogen on the NMDA receptor. Andrea
Gogos was awarded a prestigious Australian Research
Council, Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (ARC
DECRA) fellowship which will enable her to continue
these studies.
Shane Thwaites used an EEG-based model of sensory
gating in rats to assess the effect of different acute and
chronic treatments relevant to schizophrenia. This novel
methodology will be used to investigate the role of
sex steroids in information processing in the brain
and the effects of neurodevelopmental factors in
schizophrenia-like behaviour.
Staff achievements
Maarten van den Buuse was invited to present at seminars
at the John Curtin School of Medicine, Canberra, NeuRA,
Sydney, the Centre for Cancer Biology, Adelaide, the School
of Psychology, Wellington, NZ, and at the Australasian
Cognitive Neuroscience Conference, Sydney.
Conferences & presentations
Australian Neuroscience Society Meeting
Auckland, New Zealand (January 2011)
World Congress of Biological Psychiatry
Prague, Czech Republic (May/June 2011)
European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Paris, France (September 2011)
First Scientific Meeting of Biological Psychiatry Australia
Melbourne, Australia (November 2011)
Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research
Dunedin, New Zealand (December 2011)
Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference
Sydney (December 2011)
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Molecular Psychopharmacology Laboratory /
Northern Psychiatry Research Centre
Head: Associate Professor Suresh Sundram
The Molecular Psychopharmacology Laboratory
is dedicated to understanding the molecular
pathology of psychotic disorders such as
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major
depression. We aim to develop better and more
effective markers and interventions for these
illnesses. We do this by investigating how
psychotropic medications and drugs interact
with receptors and intracellular signalling
mechanisms in nerve cells (neurons).
The understanding gained from this work can then be tested in
clinical populations through the Northern Psychiatry Research
Centre (NPRC) leading to the development of new treatments
and markers. Moreover, the NPRC can collect clinical material
and biological samples that can be examined in the laboratory
to better understand these disorders.
Highlights
We are continuing our work to reveal how antipsychotic
drugs work; these are the mainstay of treatment for psychotic
disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major
depression. Although these agents have been in use for over
50 years there is still a lot to learn about how they work.
In particular, we continue research into why one antipsychotic
drug, clozapine, is effective in people for whom other
antipsychotic drugs are not. From this we hope to gain
insight into the pathology of psychotic disorders and more
effective ways of treating them.
We have been continuing to investigate our novel findings
about the involvement of a growth factor signalling system
in the brain, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) system, in
the pathology of psychotic disorders.
Avril Pereira and her team have carried on with their work
investigating which proteins are activated in the brain
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Annual report 2011
consequent to clozapine treatment, in collaboration with Peter
Crouch from The University of Melbourne, this work was also
funded by a NHMRC Project Grant (commenced in 2010). Vaidy
Swaminathan, in collaboration with Cyndi Shannon-Weickert
from University of New South Wales, is looking at how these
genes and proteins of the EGF system may be disturbed in the
brains of people with schizophrenia. These data are currently
being published in scientific journals and will be presented
at the International Congress on Neuropsychopharmacology
(CINP) in Stockholm in mid-2012.
In parallel with the laboratory-based aspects of the project,
Sujeevan Sinnatamby and the NPRC, in collaboration with
Michael Berk from Deakin University, have been collecting
clinical data and biological samples from people who are
receiving treatment with clozapine. We are currently using
these samples to determine if there are specific genetic
variants and blood proteins that can predict response to
clozapine treatment. Biological samples are being collected
with the help of funding from the Marian and EH Flack Trust.
The aim of this type of screening test is to help prevent
unnecessary exposure to the toxic effects of clozapine for
many people, and streamline potential responders to earlier
and more effective intervention.
This work will enable us to understand the pathology of
schizophrenia and hopefully develop more effective
interventions. Our preliminary data have demonstrated
results strongly supporting our hypothesis that the EGF system
correlates with symptoms in people with treatment-resistant
schizophrenia treated with clozapine.

Sensory integration in schizophrenia
With the continued collaboration of Olivia Carter and students
from The University of Melbourne, the group is examining
sensory deficits in schizophrenia. Previous research showed
that healthy individuals are both accurate and fast when it
comes to integrating visual information in different areas of
visual space. In contrast, people with schizophrenia tend
to be selectively impaired on tasks that assess visual
integration. This study has demonstrated that integration of
sensory information is affected across a number of psychotic
disorders and shows some correlation with symptoms.
The group have progressed this research and have now
tested this deficit in other sensory modalities and are
currently analysing these data. They have developed an
auditory version of the test in conjunction with Dr Ken
McAnally from Defence Science and Technology Organisation
(DSTO). Such findings will inform us about the changes in
brain function with reference to specific symptoms across
the range of psychotic disorders.
Improved health care delivery
The two major studies examining new treatments for
people with schizophrenia, in particular, a new long acting
medication that may assist many patients intolerant of
current treatments continues with the NPRC, through
Russell D’Souza.
Suresh Sundram and the Northern Clinical Research Centre
have demonstrated that acculturation is a significant
mediator of major depression and anxiety in people with
chronic physical disorders and these data are currently
being prepared for publication. This work is able to continue
thanks to grant funding from beyondblue.
A special thank you
The generous and ongoing support of One in Five continues
to make much of our research possible. The One in Five group
was formed by the friends and family of Matthew Wardlaw
who lost his battle with mental illness on New Years Eve 2001.
An entirely voluntary group and now formally established as
an organisation they provide much needed funds for our work.
Staff achievements
Suresh Sundram continues his work as an external consultant
to the Australian Human Rights Commission on mental
health issues and is currently preparing a report for the
Commission on the mental health problems within
Immigration Detention Centres.
Suresh Sundram was appointed to the Executive of the
World Psychiatric Association Section on Developing
Countries, and was appointed Chair of the Scientific
Committee of the 3rd World Congress of Asian Psychiatry.
Conferences & presentations
IndoGlobal Psychiatry Initiative Annual Meeting
New Delhi, India (January 2011)
Asian Schizophrenia Congress
Seoul, Korea (February 2011)
World Congress of Asian Psychiatry (August 2011)
Biological Psychiatry Australia Meeting
Melbourne, Australia (November 2011)
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Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory
Head: Professor Brian Dean
Overview
The mission of the Molecular Psychiatry
Laboratory is to identify the causes of
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major
depressive disorders as well as how drugs
used to treat these disorders reduce symptom
severity. Understanding the causes of
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major
depressive disorders is the first step in
facilitating the rationale-based drug design
that is needed to develop better treatments
for psychiatric disorders.
Our research to understand how current drugs work is
designed to separate the actions of drugs that reduce
symptoms from those that cause unwanted side-effects,
again as a basis to facilitating the development of improved
drug treatments.
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Annual report 2011
Highlights
Having made the seminal breakthrough of identifying a
subgroup within patients with schizophrenia who have lost
approximately 75% of their cortical muscarinic M1 receptors,
using microarray technology to further investigate both the
group with normal levels of M1 receptors and those with the
deficit, we have shown:
1. There are marked differences in changes to the genes that
are affected in people who have that deficit and those that
do not and,
2. Different molecular pathways in the brain of the two groups
of people with schizophrenia.
In addition, in collaboration with Professor Ian Everall and
his group in the Department of Psychiatry, The University
of Melbourne, we have shown widespread changes in the
expression of selenium binding protein in the brains of
people with schizophrenia, but not in the brains of people
with depression or bipolar disorder.
Finally, we have shown the changes in selenium binding
protein observed in the cortex of people with schizophrenia
are not present in the cortex of rats that have been treated
with antipsychotic drugs. These findings suggest that
selenium binding protein is not a target of current drug
treatments and the changes in expression of this gene in
brain tissue from people with schizophrenia has not resulted
from such treatments.

Pro-inflammatory pathways
and mood disorders
Our group was the first to show increased levels of transmembrane
tumour necrosis factor in the cortex of subjects
with depression. We have now shown that levels of that
protein are not increased in the cortex of subjects with
schizophrenia but are changed in the cortex of people with
bipolar disorder. We now have data that suggests that
changes in transmembrane tumour necrosis factor related
pathways are present in the cortex of people with major
depressive disorders, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia.
What is interesting is that the changes in schizophrenia are in
pathways that increase cell death whilst the changes in major
depressive disorders and bipolar disorders are in pathways
that are neuroprotective.
Staff achievements
A special presentation by Brian Dean at the Australian
Embassy in Washington DC highlighted the important role of
MHRI research supporting the development of drugs which
target the muscarinic M1 receptor to treat schizophrenia.
Professor Jeffrey Conn, from Vanderbilt University, Nashville
also outlined his progress in developing such drugs.
Brian Dean was invited to join the Editorial Boards of Current
Psychopharmacology, Open Neuropsychopharmacology
Journal, World Journal of Psychiatry, World Journal of
Pharmacology and International Review of Psychiatric
Research, and he joined the Board of the Rebecca Cooper
Medical Research Foundation.
Brian Dean and Andrew Gibbons were invited speakers at
national and international conferences.
Myoung Suk Seo was awarded the prize for best abstract
submitted by a student to the 1st Annual Scientific Meeting
Biological Psychiatry Australia.
Nahed Tawadros won a poster prize form the 1st Annual
Scientific Meeting Biological Psychiatry Australia.
Conferences & presentations
5th CINP Pacific-Asia Regional Meeting
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (June 2011)
2nd Asian College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Annual meeting
Seoul, Korea (September, 2011)
Students of Brain Research
Melbourne, Australia (October 2011)
First Annual Scientific Meeting of Biological Psychiatry
Melbourne, Australia (November 2011)
Diplomatic Corps Lecture Series
Australian embassy, Washington DC, USA
World Federation of Biological Psychiatry
Societies Congress
Prague, Czech Republic (May 2011)
ComBio
Melbourne, Australia
19

Neuropathology Laboratory
Head (Group Leader): Professor Colin L. Masters
Characterisation of the toxic principle for
Alzheimer’s disease
This year has been a very productive year in our effort to
understand the principle cause of neurodegeneration that
occurs in Alzheimer’s disease. The main highlights have been
our discovery of how to control the oligomeric status of
amyloid beta (Aß). Amyloid beta is a 42 amino acid peptide
that causes Alzheimer’s disease.
Our discovery of how to modulate the self assembly of this
neurotoxic peptide has allowed us to solve the first ever
solution structure of oligomeric amyloid beta. This is a major
advance in our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and has
provided us with a target to develop therapeutic compounds.
The lab is feverishly screening drugs against our target that
we hope will prove to be effective against the progression
of Alzheimer’s disease. Post-doctoral researchers Blaine
Roberts and Tim Ryan pioneered this work along with
post-doctoral researcher Gawain McColl from the Oxidation
Biology Laboratory.
Metallo-proteomics
Proteins that have iron, copper or zinc bound to them make
up about 40% of all proteins and are vital for a variety of
biological functions including oxygen transport, DNA repair,
metabolism and neurodegenerative processes. Despite the
importance of metal cofactors, techniques to measure metal
status in a proteomic fashion are not available. Thus, we have
been developing tools that will allow the direct measurement
of the metal status of proteins. Using our recently developed
techniques we have discovered that iron is dramatically
changed in both the plasma and brain of Alzheimer’s patients.
The identification of the iron proteins that change in
Alzheimer’s disease may allow the future development of
rapid diagnostic tests and increase our understanding of the
role of iron in Alzheimer’s disease.
20
Annual report 2011
Biomarker discovery for Alzheimer’s disease
As the principle proteomic biomarker group involved in the
Australian Imaging Biomarker Lifestyle Flagship Study of
Ageing (AIBL) we have made great progress towards
identifying candidate biomarkers that may one day be used
as diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease.
The AIBL study is a longitudinal study following 1100 people
(approximately 600 controls, 250 with cognitive impairment,
250 with Alzheimer’s disease) over 5 to 10 years. Currently,
our main focus is to identify a unique protein signature from
people with Alzheimer’s disease that can be used as an
early diagnostic. So far we have succeeded in identifying
17 proteins that are unique to Alzheimer’s disease. We are
currently validating this unique protein signature to determine
if it meets the international criteria for a useful diagnostic test.
The biomarker research is led by Scott Laffoon and Blaine
Roberts in international collaboration with Professor
Edward Dratz from Montana State University.

YeeWen
Candace
Wu
Dedicated staff
PhD Student
“I started my PhD at the MHRI’s Behavioural
Neuroscience Laboratory in 2010. Since then,
I have been studying sex differences in
neurodevelopmental animal models of
schizophrenia and depression. I am passionate
about my research as it will give us more insight
into why sex differences occur in these major
mental disorders and this may ultimately
lead us closer to understanding their cause.’’
21

Oxidation Biology Laboratory
Head: Professor Ashley Bush
Overview
The Oxidation Biology Laboratory conducts
research into Alzheimer’s disease and other
neurodegenerative illnesses including
Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease
Directed by National Health and Medical Research Council
(NHMRC) Australia Fellow Professor Ashley Bush, the
laboratory examines three major themes in order to develop
new therapeutic approaches based on insights gained:
• Oxidative stress in neurological disorders;
• The molecular and cellular basis of neurotoxicity
associated with the deposition of aggregating proteins in
neurodegenerative disorders;
• Understanding the interactions between cellular proteins
and biologically important metals.
Oxidation Biology Laboratory researchers have generated
evidence that the hallmark proteins associated with
Alzheimer’s disease - the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP)
and its cleavage product amyloid beta (Aß) influence the
import and export of the vital nutrient metals - copper, zinc
and iron - within the brain. Even a subtle imbalance in the
normally tight regulation of these metals resulting from age
or disease-related changes can permit these proteins to
interact abnormally with deleterious effects on multiple
cellular pathways.
22
Annual report 2011
Highlights
Senior Research Fellow James Duce has followed up on his
groundbreaking work published in 2010 which identified a
novel role for the Alzheimer’s amyloid precursor protein (APP)
as a ferroxidase involved in regulating iron levels within cells.
This has led to a subsequent discovery describing the role
in iron for tau; another protein heavily involved in Alzheimer’s
disease (AD). Tau appears to be important for the trafficking of
APP to the neuronal cell surface and therefore, mislocalisation
of tau (as evident in a number of neurodegenerative diseases)
leads to an increase in iron. Lead author, PhD student Peng
Lei presented those results in talks at several international
conferences including The Alzheimer’s Association
International Conference and the Annual Meeting of
Neuroscience 2011. This work has culminated in acceptance
for publication in the high impact journal, Nature Medicine,
and continued NHMRC support for a further 3 years.
Peng also co-authored a review entitled ‘GSK-3 in
neurodegenerative diseases’ which was published in the
International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Parallel research in the oxidase role of APP has also led
the team to discover that this function is not restricted to
just iron. Recently published in another high impact journal,
Molecular Psychiatry, we show that APP is able to degrade
catecholamines; a group of monoamines that are required
as neurotransmitters within the nervous system. This has
major implications for neurodegenerative diseases such as
Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, but also the
disorders associated with mood such as schizophrenia and
major depression - where catecholamines are thought to be
misregulated. Through MHRI’s unique collection of research
teams in all fields of mental health, cross-group collaboration
has promoted research on APP, traditionally a protein
associated with neurodegeneration, to diversify into the
mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.
Research in both these areas has led to invitations to present
this data to the scientific community in a number of national
and international arenas throughout the year.

Caroline
Storm
Passionate supporter
“Philanthropists, businesses,
corporations and small donors,
such as I am, are needed to fund
and expand research which
will eventually conquer brain
destruction. That is why
I support the Mental Health
Research Institute...a body
of dedicated people who
work to prevent the ravages
of brain disorders such
as schizophrenia, bipolar,
affective disorders, Alzheimer’s
and Parkinson’s diseases.”
23

Oxidation Biology Laboratory
continued
Ya Hui Hung continued to investigate the interaction of copper
and cholesterol and how these interactions may impact on
the neurodegenerative process. Last year Ya Hui established
a novel line of research for our laboratory into Niemann-Pick
Disease Type C (NP-C or ‘Childhood Alzheimer’s’). This fatal
neurodegenerative disorder shares a number of pathological
features with Alzheimer’s disease. The project now underway
investigates the role of metals in the pathogenesis of NP-C
and related diseases. Preliminary findings showed that,
in parallel to Alzheimer’s disease, there are indeed changes
in metal content in the brain tissue and blood plasma from
human NP-C cases and a mouse model of NP-C.
Translational Medicine Unit
In partnership with Melbourne pharmaceutical company Prana
Biotechnology Ltd, Robert Cherny, David Finkelstein and
Jessica George have continued to oversee a team responsible
for biological evaluation of a novel drug PBT434 for the
treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In 2011 the team’s efforts
were critical in obtaining a highly competitive grant from the
Michael J Fox Parkinson’s Disease Foundation for further
preclinical evaluation of the drug. In collaboration with Paul
Adlard and Kevin Barnham, work continues on studying the
mechanism of action of the Alzheimer’s drug PBT2 which
was developed in this laboratory. Dr Cherny presented animal
data on the beneficial effects of PBT2 in the genetic neurodegenerative
disorder Huntington’s disease (HD) at the World
Huntington’s Disease Congress in Melbourne. These results
were central to the recent decision to undertake a clinical trial
of PBT2 in human HD patients.
24
Annual report 2011
C. elegans Ageing and
Neurodegeneration Unit
Gawain McColl operates our invertebrate laboratory
in which he is developing transgenic models of
neurodegeneration and investigating the underlying role
that metals play in biological ageing. He established a
roundworm ‘C. elegans’ model of Alzheimer’s disease
in which he plans to discover and evaluate new drugs
to treat this neurodegenerative condition. He is also
developing new rapid methods to identify potential
therapeutics to treat Parkinson’s disease. In addition,
through collaboration with CSIRO and the Australian
Synchrotron, he has published the first 3-dimensional,
high-definition map of the location of biological metals
in C. elegans. This pioneering work, published in PLoS
One, is expected to lead to many new insights into how
biological metals contribute to the processes of ageing
and neurodegeneration.
Scott Ayton successfully completed his PhD studies in
which he investigated the causes of iron dysregulation
in Parkinson’s disease. Work undertaken during his
candidature was presented at the AD/PD conference in
Barcelona in 2011 and was recently featured in papers
accepted by the highly ranked journals Molecular
Psychiatry and Nature Medicine. Scott was awarded a
grant from the Bethlehem Griffiths research foundation
to further investigate the role of cell-signalling
molecule, nitric oxide, in causing iron dys-regulation in
Parkinson’s disease. By understanding the pathways
that lead to toxic iron dys-regulation in Parkinson’s
disease, new drug targets might be possible. Indeed,
emerging from Scott’s recent work, a patent was
obtained for a potential new Parkinson’s disease drug.
Future work by Scott will investigate how the brain
manages iron in health, Parkinson’s and other diseases,
to determine new therapeutic opportunities.

Conferences & presentations
Metals in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Master Class in Alzheimer’s disease Brisbane, Australia.
ß-amyloid Metal Interactions in Alzheimer’s disease:
Physiological and Pathological.
Gordon Research Conference on Oxidative Stress
Ventura, CA, USA.
Metals and blood abnormalities in Alzheimer’s disease.
Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA.
The Metals Theory of Alzheimer’s Disease: an update.
Barwon Mental Health, Drug & Alcohol Services 2011
Colloquium, Geelong, Australia.
Current and Future State of Alzheimer’s disease Treatments.
Alfred Hospital Grand Rounds. Melbourne, Australia.
Synaptic Zinc as a Pharmacological Target in
Alzheimer’s disease.World Pharma Congress
Philadelphia, USA.
Iron, Tau and DJ-1: Insights into the Mechanism of Action
of PBT434 in Parkinson’s Disease Mouse Models.
World Pharma Congress, Philadelphia, USA.
Alzheimer’s disease: Is a Cure Possible?
Victorian Division of the Australian Academy of Science
Technology and Engineering. Melbourne, Australia.
Plenary Lecture: APP, tau and presenilin: The metal ion
regulatory proteins of Alzheimer’s disease. International
Conference on Alzheimer’s disease, Paris, France.
Alzheimer’s disease: The search for the cure. Institute of
Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University
of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
Metallostasis in Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.
5th International Conference on Metals and Genetics,
Hyogo, Japan.
Metals and Alzheimer’s disease. National Center of Neurology
and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
Metallostasis in Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.
4th Protein Misfolding and Neurological Disorders Meeting,
Heron Island, Australia.
Metals and Alzheimer’s disease: from bench to clinic. John
Curtin School of Medical Research, Canberra, Australia.
Zinc in Alzheimer’s disease. Minisymposium: The
Neurophysiology and Pathology of Brain Zinc. Annual
Meeting, 41st Annual Meeting of Neuroscience, Washington
DC, USA (November 2011)
Tau-mediated amyloid precursor protein trafficking and iron,
14th International Symposium on Trace Elements in Man and
Animals, Enshi, China (September, 2011)
Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on
Alzheimer’s Disease, Paris, France (July, 2011)
Loss of tau induces age-dependent neurodegeneration”,
41st Annual Meeting of Neuroscience 2011
Washington DC, USA (November 2011)
PBT434, a novel neuroprotective drug for Parkinson’s
Disease. Alzheimer’s Disease/Parkinson’s Disease
conference, Barcelona, Spain (March 2011)
Loss of tau induces age-dependent neurodegeneration”,
Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on
Alzheimer’s Disease 2011, Paris, France (July 2011)
2D-LC-ICP-MS as a confirmation method for LA-ICP-
MS” Agilent-UTS biological laser ablation ICP-MS Workshop.
Sydney, Australia (October 2011)
Purification of Aß ‘dimers’ from human Alzheimer’s disease
brain.” 4th Protein misfolding and neurological disorders
meeting. Heron Island, Australia (November 2011)
Investigating the role of metals and membranes in
Alzheimer’s Disease: Why does amyloid ß have to be
soluble to be toxic?” Montana State University-Bozeman,
MT, USA (November 2011)
Characterising the interaction between tau and metals in
rTg4510 mice. International Conference on Alzheimer’s
Disease Paris, France (July 2011)
25

26
Andrea
Gogos
Dedicated staff
Postdoctoral Scientist
Annual report 2011
“This year I returned to work from
maternity leave and I was successful
in receiving the Australian Research
Council Discovery Early Career
Researcher Award which will provide
funds for me and my research for the
next three years. I am excited about
my research which investigates the
effects of sex hormones on schizophrenia.

Synaptic Neurobiology Laboratory
Heads: Dr Paul Adlard and
Associate Professor David Finkelstein
This laboratory focuses on understanding the
role of metals in both normal and pathological
aging, with a specific focus on understanding
the basic cellular requirements for normal
learning and memory. These studies will help
provide direction for future drug therapy into
conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and
normal age-related cognitive decline.
Work in this Unit is funded by the Joan and Peter Clemenger
Trust, The National Health and Medical Research Council
(NHMRC) and The Alzheimer’s Association (USA).
Highlights
Paul Adlard and David Finkelstein demonstrated that one
of the novel compounds they are examining (PBT2, Prana
Biotechnology) has a profound effect on the brains of
‘Alzheimer’s disease’ mice. The short-ter m treatment of
these mice with PBT2 significantly improved the brain
biochemistry and anatomy, which may help explain the
cognitive benefits of this drug.
Paul Adlard was awarded a Travel Fellowship to attend the
Alzheimer’s Association 2011 International Conference on
Alzheimer’s disease, held in Paris, France. Paul Adlard was
also awarded two NHMRC Project Grants, an ARC Discovery
Project Grant and an Alzheimer’s Association (USA) New
Investigator Grant. These Grants will fund investigations into
the role of metals in both normal and pathological ageing
(such as Alzheimer’s disease).
David Finkelstein co-authored a study that investigates
how the compound CopperII (ATSM) prolongs survival in
an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model (Soon et al,
J Biological Chemistry, 2011) and was awarded a NHMRC
Project Grant on the role of Copper in Parkinson’s disease,
a Bethlehem Griffiths Research award and an ARC
Discovery Project Grant on the role of metals in diseases
of the ageing brain.
Conferences & presentations
Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
Barcelona, Spain (March 2011)
International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease
Paris, France (July 2011)
Society for Neuroscience, Washington DC
USA (November 2011)
Dementia Ageing and Neurodegeneration Diseases Group,
Invited speaker (January 2011)
Australian Neuroscience Soc (Panel chair)
New Zealand (January 2011)
Australia-China Biomedical Research Conference
Invited speaker (April 2011)
27

Clinical Research Group
Head: Dr Kathryn Ellis
Overview
The Clinical Research Group aims to detect
and understand biological, clinical and
cognitive differences between healthy ageing
and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
The group collects, stores and analyses
data from human participants and human
tissue samples.
The multi-disciplinary team includes neuropsychologists,
research nurses, molecular biologists, neuroimagers and
bioinfomaticians. The group is currently involved in the:
• Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL)
Flagship Study of Ageing
• Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN) study
• Rates of Change in Cognition (ROCS) study
• AIBL Active Clinical Trial
• Older Australian Twin Study (OATS)
• AIBL - Women’s Healthy Aging Study (aibl WHAP)
• Dementia Collaborative Research Centre -
Early Risk Diagnosis and Prevention
28
Annual report 2011
Highlights
The AIBL Study
In 2011 the group completed the third time point (36 month)
assessment of all study volunteers and has begun assessment
of the fourth time point (54 month). As the study grows, AIBL
has re-opened the cohort to accept some new volunteers.
The data collected from the three time points have been
analysed and some early results are suggesting promising
areas to explore further. These data and analysis are presented
at multiple international conferences and have been published
as numerous manuscripts in international journals; information
on the AIBL study can be found at the new AIBL website
(www.aibl.csiro.au).
The study has also been granted funding from the Science
and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF) until 2013 which will
assist to fund our operation of the study’s second phase.
AIBL Active Study
This study builds on previous work from AIBL to investigate the
effectiveness of physical activity in delaying the progression
of cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease (as measured
by brain imaging). The group is collaborating with Professor
Nicola Lautenschlager’s team at the National Ageing Research
Institute to carry out neuropsychological assessment,
and sample collection. The group will be continuing this
collaboration throughout 2012.

Justine
Sloane-Lees
Loyal donor
Having studied psychology as my
second major at uni, and being
interested in matters of social
justice are probably why I
decided to become a supporter
of the MHRI. And then there
is the fact that those with
such illnesses don’t just suffer
the effects of the illness
itself but also the stigma
our society still attaches
to it. As someone who is
financially comfortable,
I heed the call the
ethicist Peter Singer makes
in his book, The Life You
Can Save, to do something
to try and help those in
less fortunate circumstances.
29

Clinical Research Group
continued
Rate of Change Study
This study aims to improve future research design, so that
studies are easier for participants and for assessors, as well
as to improve our ability to detect even very small changes
in memory at an earlier time point. The study measured
cognitive function over the short (1-3 months) and long
(18 months) term with repeated assessments conducted at
relatively brief re-test intervals in a sub group of 205 well
characterised patients currently enrolled in the AIBL cohort.
We are in the final stages of this study, which is scheduled
to be complete at the end of November 2012. As the study
nears completion, data from these repeated assessments are
being analysed under the direction of study leader Professor
Paul Maruff.
Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s
Network (DIAN)
Since its inception in 2008 DIAN has enrolled over 200
participants across sites in the USA and the UK, as well as
in Australia, making it the largest study worldwide examining
familial Alzheimer’s disease. Results from the study have
shown that in this population there are measurable changes
in brain chemistry up to 20 years before clinical symptoms
are detectable.
Registration for the DIAN Therapeutic Trials Unit is open and
DIAN was recently the recipient of the largest ever research
grant from the Alzheimer’s Association in America for its
innovative drug and biomarker trials.
The Clinical Research Group at MHRI is leading Melbourne’s
contribution to this important study.
30
Annual report 2011
Internal growth
Due to growth in research activity, the group has now
expanded its office and laboratory area, which has
doubled the capacity to collect and process samples. A new
neuropsychology research assistant has joined the group
to assist with the ongoing assessment of AIBL participants.
The Women’s Healthy Ageing Study (WHAP)
The Clinical Research Group is working with Associate
Professor Cassandra Szoeke’s team at the National Ageing
Research Institute to re-assess the WHAP cohort, including
administration of the AIBL battery. WHAP is an extension of
the Melbourne Women’s Midlife Health Project, undertaken
between 1991-1998, and is an exciting opportunity to
reassess participants 20 years after their first assessments.
Dementia Collaborative Research Centres
The group continues to play a key role in phase two of the
Dementia Collaborative Research Centres (DCRC), and being
a partner of DCRC - Early Risk Diagnosis and Prevention.
We have a number of projects focusing on blood biomarkers
for Alzheimer’s disease, in addition to a study of a brain
imaging compound which may have clinical utility in the coming
years. This exciting work is being conducted in collaboration
with the Australian National University, Austin Health and
Edith Cowan University among other DCRC partners.

Knowledge transfer
The information from the research is disseminated to both
the scientific community and the general public. The Clinical
Research Group has presented its research at numerous
scientific conferences through 2011.
The website AIBL (www.aibl.csiro.au) will further assist with
sharing our research findings with other colleagues and with
the general public.
The group holds a yearly function in conjunction with
Alzheimer’s Australia, Victoria for participants in the AIBL
study. The session includes presentations from leading
scientists and provides a forum for questions and discussion.
Also, participants are updated with regular mail-outs
and newsletters.
Conferences & presentations
Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on
Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD) and Related Disorders
Paris, France (July 2011)
DCRC National Dementia Forum
Sydney, Australia (September 2011)
The 10th International Conference on Alzheimer’s
and Parkinson’s Disease (AD/PD)
Barcelona, Spain (March 2011)
Science of AIBL Day
Melbourne, Australia (November 2011)
31

Clinical Discovery Unit
Head: Professor Michael Berk
The Clinical Discovery Unit aims to further
understand the underlying pathology of mental
illness and to assist in the discovery of better
treatments for people with these illnesses.
Collaboration between Deakin University, Barwon Health
and the Mental Health Research Institute investigates novel
pathways to provide new treatment targets, and to
understand the underlying factors involved in the
development of psychiatric disorders. The current research
focuses on oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial
dysfunction and psychiatric illnesses. At present, the group
is conducting clinical trials investigating adjunctive treatments
for psychiatric illnesses and working together on laboratory
based projects aimed at clarifying the underlying
mechanisms. As part of the Cooperative Research Centre
for Mental Health (CRC), a number of trials developing novel
therapies based on these pathways are pending.
The Unit continues to be involved in a range of trials to test
the benefits of the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) on
the symptoms of disorders including bipolar disorder,
depression and autism. In conjunction with these trials,
magnetic resonance spectroscopy is being used to
investigate changes in biomarkers following NAC treatment.
Highlights
NAC in bipolar depression
In this trial all participants were given NAC for two months,
after which participants were randomised to either continue
NAC treatment or receive a placebo. Participants continued
on the trial for a further six months and regular interviews
were conducted to assess changes in participants’
symptoms. This study has been completed with the
open label phase showing significant improvements in
symptoms, quality of life and functioning. In the maintenance
(randomised) phase, the improvements noted in participants
were maintained, resulting in a lack of differentiation between
NAC and placebo groups.
32
Annual report 2011
NAC in major depression
This clinical trial is using a double blind, randomised design.
As with the bipolar depression trial, participants are maintained
on their usual treatment and in addition were given either NAC
or placebo. Participants took the trial medication for three
months. Four weeks following the end of the trial, a follow-up
visit was conducted to establish how participants’ symptoms
changed following the discontinuation of NAC. The recruitment
for this study exceeded the target of 180 participants with
269 people taking part in the study. This study has been
completed and results are currently being analysed.
NAC in autism
There is a still a lack of evidence clearly exploring the
underlying pathophysiology of autism. This disorder not only
has a debilitating effect on the child diagnosed, but also a large
impact on the families and people who care for these children.
Current treatments continue to be suboptimal and many have
little supporting scientific evidence. There is however, evidence
to suggest alterations in oxidative and inflammatory pathways
in autism that may contribute to the disorder.
This ongoing study is investigating NAC (compared to placebo)
in a small group of children with newly diagnosed autism.
A Simons Foundation grant was obtained to turn the Rotary
funded pilot study into a substantive trial. The trial includes a
six month treatment phase followed by two discontinuation
visits to assess the child’s progress both while on NAC and
after completion of the trial. This project is being undertaken
by PhD student, Kristi Villagonzalo, who has been responsible
for the recruitment of approximately 40 children to date.
Recruitment for this study is ongoing.

Future directions
In addition to our trial in autism, Michael Berk and his team
are planning to explore alternative treatments to depression
and early intervention in mood disorders. A series of projects
examining the biological foundations of both psychiatric
illness and the effect of NAC are planned. These include
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy studies, the investigation
of statins and aspirin as treatments for depression and
investigation of the relationship of biological markers to
changes in symptomatology. Studies of mitochondrialenhancing
agents for bipolar disorder, and analysis of
peripheral markers are planned as part of the Cooperative
Research Centre (CRC).
Staff Achievements
In 2011, the Unit received five National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grants and has also
received funding from the National Health Institute, Simons
Foundation Autism Research Initiative and the Australasian
Society for Bipolar and Depressive Disorders. Dr Dean was
a Lilly Young Investigator Fellow in Bipolar Disorder in 2011
and has been awarded the Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral
Research Fellowship.
In addition to funding success, the unit has had a successful
year in disseminating research findings with several high
impact articles including the Lancet, Molecular Psychiatry
and the American and British Journals of Psychiatry.
Conferences & presentations
Australasian Society for Bipolar and Depressive
Disorders Conference 2011
Sydney, Australia (November 2011)
Biological Psychiatry Congress 2011
Cape Town, South Africa (September 2011)
ISBD Korea Annual Meeting
Seoul, Korea (September 2011)
Geelong Mood Support Group AGM
Geelong, Victoria, Australia (October 2011)
24th ECNP Congress
Paris, France (September 2011)
3rd World Congress of Asian Psychiatry 2011
Melbourne, Australia (July 2011)
FEDERA Meeting 2011 – Chronic Inflammation:
New insights and Challenges
Leiden, The Netherlands (June 2011)
9th International Conference of Bipolar Disorder
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States (June 2011)
INNOPSY 11 (Innovation in Psychiatry)
Milan, Italy (May 2011)
Japan Speaking Tour
Japan (March 2011)
33

Victorian Brain Bank Network
Head: Professor Catriona McLean
Aims
The Victorian Brain Bank Network (VBBN)
collects, processes and stores post-mortem
human brains and related samples from
individuals who have had neurological
diseases (i.e. Alzheimer’s disease, motor
neurone disease and Parkinson’s disease),
psychiatric disorders (i.e. bipolar mood
disorder, depression and schizophrenia) as
well as normal ‘control’ cases.
The VBBN facilitates research into the study of brain
diseases by providing tissue to researchers who, using
current technologies, aim to unlock our understanding of
how brain diseases occur and this will hopefully lead to
improvements in diagnosis, the development of early
diagnostic tests, therapeutic interventions and development
of preventative strategies.
The VBBN also provides a vital neuropathological diagnostic
service and supports continued education of medical and
allied health professionals.
Highlights
Brain and or spinal cord donations
The VBBN has a total of 966 cases available for research,
with 74 new donations received in 2011- that is 28 more
cases than last year. The new donations included cases
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal
dementias, Huntington’s disease, Lewy body disease,
motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s
disease, schizophrenia, and control ‘normal’ cases.
The VBBN collection makes up 42% of the cases that are
available for research within Australia.
34
Annual report 2011
Tissues provided to researchers
During 2011, the VBBN provided tissue to 42 Australian and
international new or continuing research projects, with the main
research focus being Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias,
motor neurone disease, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, and the Oxidation Biology
Laboratory located at MHRI are among the recipients of tissue.
This provision equates to 2,926 diseased and ‘control’ samples
being provided to researchers.
During 2011 research outcomes utilising tissue from the VBBN
has resulted in 23 Australian and international publications
and presentations.
This year the Victorian Brain Bank received grants from
Parkinson’s Victoria $6,000, Motor Neurone Disease Research
Institute of Australia $10,000 and Bethlehem Griffiths Research
Foundation $23,310.
Acknowledgment
The VBBN would like to acknowledge the generosity shown by
the donors and donor families in donating tissue to the VBBN.
It is an act of great foresight and kindness to give at a time of
loss, so that others may be helped in the future. The clinicians
and researchers who benefit from these donations are very
grateful to the donors and their families who support them with
these decisions.

Gawain
McColl
Dedicated staff
Senior Research Officer
“The highlight for me this year
was realising the necessary tools
are now available to start
working out the molecular
details of how ageing and
neurodegenerative diseases
disturb the body’s ability
to maintain biological
metals, like copper
and iron. Using new
synchrotron-based imaging
and mass spectrometry
techniques I believe we will be
making significant medically
relevant discoveries at the
Melbourne Neuroscience Centre.”
35

Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service
Head: Professor Nicholas Keks
The Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service
(PDAS) is an independent source for
information on medicines used to treat mental
illnesses and other drugs that affect the
way we think, feel and behave. Service users
include individuals, medical practitioners,
health care professionals, mental health
care support organisations and their staff,
carers and consumers. Though predominantly
telephone based, the service is also accessed
via email and facsimile.
Professor Nicholas Keks, Deputy Chair of Rehabilitation,
Psychiatry and Pain Clinical Institute, Epworth Hospital,
provides clinical support to pharmacist Christine Culhane
who manages the service. The service responds to
approximately 2000 enquiries each year.
Funding is provided by the Department of Human Services
Victoria, Mental Health Division and is auspiced to the Mental
Health Research Institute.
36
Annual report 2011
Highlights
Each year many people, young and old, are diagnosed with
a mental illness. For some, psychosocial interventions
adequately control their symptoms. Others will require
biological treatments which include medications. Many do
not fully understand the implications of the treatments or
their role in managing their disorder despite the provision
of this information by their prescriber or other healthcare
professionals. Others wonder about what to expect from
their medication: their benefits, side effects and the possibility
of interactions with other medications they may be taking.
This service provides a forum for discussion of prescribed
medication that is timely and tailored to the needs of the
caller. People have the opportunity to talk about their
medication concerns in a confidential setting and receive
current information.
This is also an important service for carers of people with a
mental illness who are concerned about the effects of these
drugs on the person with the illness. The service can answer
the questions of carers regarding the potential benefits
of medications, adverse effects, safety and tolerability and
possible interactions with other medications. Enquiries from the
general public are nearly half of those recorded by the service.
A range of health care professionals also utilise this service:
psychiatrists, other medical practitioners, health care
professionals including nurses, pharmacists, psychologists
and dieticians, as well as researchers. Electronic databases
allow many professionals to research some of their own
queries making their calls to PDAS when the clinical situation
is complex or to gain extra insights when there are new
medications or other complications involved. The provision
of this information to service providers allows them to best
manage the changing needs of their clientele.
This service also provides vital information for practitioners
and consumers who reside or practise in rural or remote
communities as they may not have the immediate resources
to provide this extra information.

Presentations
Presentations to both professional and consumer groups
are also part of the work undertaken by the service.
Presentations have been requested by and provided to
a number of professional and lay audiences. Christine
has ongoing involvement with The Epworth Hospital
Psychopharmacology master classes with Professor Nicholas
Keks and Dr Judy Hope. These forums are held twice each
year to update the knowledge of practising psychiatrists and
trainees. Tutorials and online discussions for undergraduate
and post graduate pharmacists have also been provided.
Christine has also been to a number of carer and consumer
support organisations to provide information on medications
in a patient sensitive forum.
Professional Development
The Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service provides a much
needed source of specialised information to the broader
mental health community in Victoria. Its value is measured by
consistency of enquiry numbers and timeliness of responses.
In order to provide the best available information, professional
development activities are undertaken including the
requirements for continued registration as a pharmacist
as well as attending psychiatry and pharmacy specific
congresses and symposia.
Conferences & presentations
Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia
Victorian Branch Summit
Melbourne, Australia (August 2011)
Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia Annual Meeting
Hobart, Australia (November 2011)
37

The Dax Centre
Director: Dr Eugen Koh
A new identity
2011 marked the first year of The Dax Centre,
a newly incorporated entity that has grown
out of the Cunningham Dax Collection (which
had its beginnings in 1946). The Cunningham
Dax Collection began life as an organisation
within the Mental Health Research Institute
(MHRI) and has continued as such for the past
20 years. While the Cunningham Dax Collection
is now The Dax Centre, an independent
organisation with its own Board of Management,
Mental Health Research Institute will retain its
interest as the majority member.
The relocation to the much more accessible, purpose-built
premises in the Kenneth Myer Building in Parkville was a
success thanks to the dedication of The Dax Centre’s staff, and
the strong support of its Advisory Committee members, the
Board of Management and the Council of Reference.
38
Annual report 2011

The Dax Centre
continued
The Collection
The Cunningham Dax Collection completed the cataloguing
of approximately 2000 works by children who received
psychotherapy at the Royal Children’s Hospital from the early
1950s to the mid-1980s (known as the Margaret Ericksen
Collection), and over 130 works by an artist who painted her
experience of postnatal depression following multiple stillbirths.
We are also most grateful to the staff and students
at the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation at
The University of Melbourne for providing some of the
conservation required for the latter group of works.
The Collection also began the process of acquiring works
by children from Kosovo and East Timor who were brought
to Victoria in 1999 for safe haven from their war-torn
environment, as well as works by children from the Yarra
Valley who survived the 2009 bushfires.
The high standard of The Dax Centre’s curatorial work was
recognised when it successfully gained full accreditation
from Museums Australia.
Education
One of The Dax Centre’s main objectives is education.
The Education Unit, led by Emma Last, continues to
consolidate its position as the major provider of resources
for the teaching of mental health in VCE Psychology. Over
3000 students attended the on-site exhibitions this past year.
The ‘Mindfields’ program has been particularly successful.
This program begins with students being encouraged to
explore mental health issues through the current exhibition,
followed by presentations by a person who has a mental
illness (an advocate from the Mental Illness Fellowship
of Victoria), and a neuroscientist from the Mental Health
Research Institute.
40
Annual report 2011
Public Programs and Professional Development Programs,
coordinated by Penelope Lee are aimed at building on the
exhibition program by exploring related themes and issues
through artist talks, lectures and seminars. The program
consolidated its introductory art therapy sessions for the
general public and professional development workshops for
art therapists. It also successfully trialled the use of film to
explore issues related to the exhibition, this program will be
launched next year.
The ‘Art for Emotional Literacy’ project, led by Margaret
Nixon, a teacher with many years of experience in teaching
art and student wellbeing, aims to use art to enhance the
development of emotional literacy in primary school children.
This is a new model of teaching art in primary schools formed
by a working party consisting of teachers, an art therapist, a
child educational psychologist, child psychotherapists and
psychiatrists. This new model was successfully trialled in four
schools in 2011, and it will be piloted in nine schools in 2012.
The other major project is the ‘Emotional World of the Child’.
Led by Pia Brous, a child psychiatrist, and supported by a
small group of senior child psychotherapists, this project
aims to develop a series of educational resources based on
the Margaret Ericksen Collection.
The Asia-Pacific Art and Mental Health Symposium was
hosted by The Dax Centre in collaboration with Asia Australia
Mental Health, a program of Asialink, in partnership with St
Vincent’s Mental Health and the Department of Psychiatry
at The University of Melbourne. This successful symposium,
which was made possible by a generous grant from the
Sidney Myer Fund, brought together about 40 leaders of
art and mental health from 18 countries from the Asia-
Pacific region.

Exhibitions
Picturing Mother and Child and Melancholia.
Living with Psychosis.
Travelling Exhibitions
Travelling exhibitions visited Geelong and Wodonga.
Funding and support
The Dax Centre wishes to acknowledge the continuing
support of the Victorian government, the William Buckland
Foundation, the Myer Foundation and the Sidney Myer Fund,
and a most generous philanthropist who wishes to remain
anonymous. We also wish to acknowledge the support of
MHRI for the past 20 years in auspicing the Cunningham
Dax Collection and in facilitating the relocation to our new
premises. The Dax Centre would not have been what it is
today without the Mental Health Research Institute’s support.
We are most grateful for the support of the Board of the
Management, led by Associate Professor Elizabeth Dax
AM, and the Council of Reference, led by the Hon Robert
Knowles AO.
Last but not least, we would like to thank the artists who have
donated their works to the Cunningham Dax Collection, and
have contributed to The Dax Centre’s exhibitions. Without
their support The Dax Centre would simply not exist.
With the support of all the above, and that of the general
community, The Dax Centre will be able to achieve its mission
to promote mental health and wellbeing by fostering a greater
understanding of the mind, mental illness and trauma through
art and creativity.
41

Development and Communications
Head: Ross Johnstone
The Development and Communications
Unit works with businesses, individual
donors, community groups and philanthropic
trusts and foundations to ensure vital
research into dementia, Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease,
major depression, bipolar disorder, and
schizophrenia continues.
In 2011 the unit raised over $1.12 million
from fundraising events, appeals, grants,
trusts and bequests.
Donors
Once again our donors have provided fantastic support to
our mission to improve the lives of people suffering from
neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric illnesses.
Everyone at the Mental Health Research Institute is
thankful for the generosity of our supporters.
Research Funding
Mental disorders and neurological disorders together account
for 25% of the disease burden in Australia and account for
nearly 10% of health system costs, and receive approximately
9% of funding from the National Health and Medical Research
Council (NHMRC).
That’s why we rely heavily on help from non-government
sources to fund our research and improve the future for
the one in five Australians who experience a mental illness,
and the families and communities who support them.
The generous support we receive from donations and
philanthropic grants is vital to fund specialised equipment
and to support our scientists.
42
Annual report 2011
Events
A new fundraising event for 2011 was the gala Culinary
Charity Challenge - a black-tie battle for culinary supremacy
at Crown Entertainment Centre, Melbourne. The Culinary
Charity Challenge pitted the best Sydney chefs against
Melbourne’s finest in a battle that raised funds to support
research programs at the Mental Health Research Institute.
The New South Wales team was captained by Matt Moran
of Sydney’s iconic Aria restaurant. Shannon Bennett, of
Melbourne’s fine dining destination Vue Du Monde, was
captain of the Victorian team.
The Masters of Ceremonies Matt Preston and Ann Peacock
guided us smoothly through the evening, while Jacques
Reymond and his expert panel of judges deliberated
over the fantastic dishes. In the end, Team Victoria was
announced the winner. Let’s see what happens next time.
Warringal Financial Services proved that persistence is
rewarded by winning the Mental Health Cup at Sailing for
Sanity. This was the fourth consecutive year that Warringal
Financial Services sponsored the yacht Galaxy to take part
in this annual corporate sailing day raising funds for research.
In 2nd place was Duckmobile, sponsored by Parks Victoria,
followed by Audi Penfold Sport in 3rd place. Guests returned
from the water to enjoy a BBQ lunch and live music on the
deck of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria after the race.

John Cade Lecture
The John Cade lecture was held for the first time at the
new Melbourne Neuroscience Centre and was a resounding
success, with all the seats (and a few extras at the back)
of the new 250 seat theatre taken. This year’s Kearney
Visiting Professor was Dr Thomas Insel (Director of the
National Institute of Mental Health, USA). Dr Insel’s lecture
was very well received; he provided interesting viewpoints
on mental health and challenged everyone to rethink
attitudes to research into mental illnesses, its causes,
and potential cures.
One in Five
Our wonderful supporters, One in Five, are a group of
friends whose lives have been significantly affected by mental
illness. One In Five raises funds to support research into the
cause and treatment of mental illness and passes these funds
on to the Mental Health Research Institute. Through their work
they also raise awareness of the fact that one in five people
will suffer some form of mental illness in their lives. One in Five
has grown from a small group comprised of family and friends
of the late Matthew Wardlaw into a professional organisation
with an independent board supported by a growing number
of volunteers.
This hard working group organise great events including
the ‘Long Lunch’ and ‘Extreme Challenge’ which fund the
One in Five research project at the Institute. Also, since
2006, a group of surfers formed the “Bolt Blowers” and
have got together with One in Five to organise an annual
fun surf event that also supports the work of the Institute.
Dave Dowdle, supported by his wife Karen, cycled from Perth
to Melbourne, within 36 days only taking seven days rest
throughout, and raised over $26,000. At the finish line
Associate Professor Suresh Sundram thanked Dave and
Karen on behalf of the Mental Health Research Institute and
congratulated them on their contribution to mental health
research through One in Five.
Education
Once again the innovative and unique education program
Mindfields, initiated by The Dax Centre, provides a great
opportunity for schools to integrate teachings about art,
mental health and neuroscience for Year 11 and Year 12
students. This popular program for students of psychology
caters for both regional and metropolitan schools.
The program includes a presentation by a Mental Health
Advocate from the Mental Illness Fellowship and a
presentation by a neuroscientist from the Mental Health
Research Institute. The students also tour the current
exhibition at The Dax Centre.
Development Council
The Development Council provides advice, counsel and
direct assistance to the Institute’s fundraising, marketing
and public relations activities. The Council is chaired by the
Institute’s Deputy Chair, Trevor Clark OAM, and includes
fellow Board member, Rob Gerrand, as well as other
volunteer members drawn from the business community.
43

2011 Publications
Acevedo KM, Hung YH, Dalziel AH, Li QX, Laughton K, Wikhe K,
Rembach A, Roberts B, Masters CL, Bush AI, Camakaris J: Copper
promotes the trafficking of the amyloid precursor protein. Journal of
Biological Chemistry 2011, 286(10):8252-8262.
Adams W, van den Buuse M: Hippocampal serotonin depletion
facilitates the enhancement of prepulse inhibition by risperidone:
Possible role of 5-HT(2C) receptors in the dorsal hippocampus.
Neuropharmacology 2011, 61(3):458-467.
Adlard PA, Bica L, White AR, Nurjono M, Filiz G, Crouch PJ, Donnelly
PS, Cappai R, Finkelstein DI, Bush AI: Metal ionophore treatment
restores dendritic spine density and synaptic protein levels in a mouse
model of Alzheimer’s disease. PloS One 2011, 6(3):e17669.
Adlard PA, Bush AI: The plasma membrane redox system in
Alzheimer’s disease. Experimental Neurology 2011, 228(1):9-14.
Adlard PA, Engesser-Cesar C, Cotman CW: Mild stress facilitates
learning and exercise improves retention in aged mice. Experimental
Gerontology 2011, 46(1):53-59.
Ascher DB, Cromer BA, Morton CJ, Volitakis I, Cherny RA, Albiston
AL, Chai SY, Parker MW: Regulation of insulin-regulated membrane
aminopeptidase activity by its c-terminal domain. Biochemistry 2011,
50(13):2611-2622.
Berk L, Jorm AF, Kelly CM, Dodd S, Berk M: Development of
guidelines for caregivers of people with bipolar disorder: a Delphi
expert consensus study. Bipolar Disorders 2011, 13(5-6):556-570.
Berk M, Brnabic A, Dodd S, Kelin K, Tohen M, Malhi GS, Berk L,
Conus P, McGorry PD: Does stage of illness impact treatment
response in bipolar disorder? Empirical treatment data and their
implication for the staging model and early intervention. Bipolar
Disorders 2011, 13(1):87-98.
Berk M, Johansson S, Wray NR, Williams L, Olsson C, Haavik J,
Bjerkeset O: Glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) and self reported
depression: An association study from the HUNT. Journal of Affective
Disorders 2011, 131(1-3):207-213.
Berk M, Kapczinski F, Andreazza AC, Dean OM, Giorlando F, Maes
M, Yucel M, Gama CS, Dodd S, Dean B, Magalhães PV, Amminger P,
McGorry P, Malhi GS: Pathways underlying neuroprogression in bipolar
disorder: Focus on inflammation, oxidative stress and neurotrophic
factors. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 2011, 35(3):804-817.
Berk M, Malhi GS: Should antipsychotics take pole position in mania
treatment? Lancet 2011, 378(9799):1279-1281.
Berk M, Munib A, Dean O, Malhi GS, Kohlmann K, Schapkaitz I,
Jeavons S, Katz F, Anderson-Hunt M, Conus P, Hanna B, Otmar R,
Ng F, Copolov DL, Bush Al: Qualitative methods in early-phase drug
44
Annual report 2011
trials: Broadening the scope of data and methods from an RCT of
N-acetylcysteine in schizophrenia. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2011,
72(7):909-913.
Beyer N, Coulson DTR, Cherny R, Volitakis I, Bush AI, Heggarty S,
Ravid R, Hellemans J, Irvine GB, Johnston JA: Reduced prion protein
expression in Alzheimer’s disease post-mortem human brain may
impair neuronal zinc uptake. Irish Journal of Medical Science 2011,
180:24.
Bica L, Meyerowitz J, Parker SJ, Caragounis A, Du T, Paterson BM,
Barnham KJ, Crouch PJ, White AR, Donnelly PS: Cell cycle arrest in
cultured neuroblastoma cells exposed to a bis(thiosemicarbazonato)
metal complex. Biometals 2011, 24(1):117-133.
Bora E, Yucel M, Pantelis C, Berk M: Meta-analytic review of
neurocognition in bipolar II disorder. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
2011, 123(3):165-174.
Boyd A, Klug G, Masters CL, Collins SJ: Iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease in Australia: time to amend infection control measures for
pituitary hormone recipients? REPLY. Medical Journal of Australia 2011,
194(4):215.
Callaly T, Trauer T, Hyland M, Coombs T, Berk M: An examination of
risk factors for readmission to acute adult mental health services within
28 days of discharge in the Australian setting. Australasian Psychiatry
2011, 19(3):221-225.
Camfield DA, Sarris J, Berk M: Nutraceuticals in the treatment of
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A review of mechanistic and
clinical evidence. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological
Psychiatry 2011, 35(4):887-895.
Chavez C, Gogos A, Hill R, Van Sinderen M, Simpson E, Boon WC,
van den Buuse M: Differential effect of amphetamine on c-fos
expression in female aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice compared to
wildtype controls. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2011, 36(5):761-768.
Chetelat G, Villemagne VL, Pike KE, Ellis KA, Bourgeat P, Jones G,
O’Keefe GJ, Salvado O, Szoeke C, Martins RN, Ames D, Masters CL,
Rowe CC, Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of
Ageing (AIBL) Research Group: Independent contribution of temporal
beta-amyloid deposition to memory decline in the pre-dementia phase
of Alzheimer’s disease. Brain 2011, 134:798-807.
Ciccotosto GD, Tew DJ, Drew SC, Smith DG, Johanssen T, Lal V, Lau
TL, Perez K, Curtain CC, Wade JD, Separovic F, Masters CL, Smith JP,
Barnham KJ, Cappai R: Stereospecific interactions are necessary for
Alzheimer disease amyloid-beta toxicity. Neurobiology of Aging 2011,
32(2):235-248.

Corrigan F, Pham CLL, Vink R, Blumbergs PC, Masters CL, van den
Heuvel C, Cappai R: The neuroprotective domains of the amyloid
precursor protein, in traumatic brain injury, are located in the two
growth factor domains. Brain Research 2011, 1378:137-143.
Crouch PJ, Savva MS, Hung LW, Donnelly PS, Mot AI, Parker SJ,
Greenough MA, Volitakis I, Adlard PA, Cherny RA, Masters CL,
Bush AI, Barnham KJ, White AR: The Alzheimer’s therapeutic PBT2
promotes amyloid-beta degradation and GSK3 phosphorylation via a
metal chaperone activity. Journal of Neurochemistry 2011, 119(1):
220-230.
Darby DG, Brodtmann A, Pietrzak RH, Fredrickson J, Woodward M,
Villemagne VL, Fredrickson A, Maruff P, Rowe C: Episodic memory
decline predicts cortical amyloid status in community-dwelling older
adults. Journal of Alzheimers Disease 2011, 27(3):627-637.
Davison SL, Bell RJ, Gavrilescu M, Searle K, Maruff P, Gogos A,
Rossell SL, Adams J, Egan GF, Davis SR: Testosterone improves
verbal learning and memory in postmenopausal women: Results from
a pilot study. Maturitas 2011, 70(3):307-311.
Dean B: Understanding the role of inflammatory-related pathways in
the pathophysiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders: evidence
from human peripheral studies and CNS studies. International Journal
of Neuropsychopharmacology 2011, 14(7):997-1012.
Dean B, Gibbons A, Scarr E, Thomas EA: In: Handbook of
schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Volume I. Chapter 10: Changes
in gene expression in subjects with schizophrenia associated with
disease progression; 2011, Published by Springer, Editor Michael S.
Ritsner, Dordrecht Heidelberg, London, New York.
Dean B, Tawadros N, Scarr E, Gibbons A: Regionally-specific
changes in levels of tumour necrosis factor in the cortex obtained
postmortem from subjects with mood disorder. Biological Psychiatry
2011, 69(9):129S-129S.
Dean O, Giorlando F, Berk M: N-acetylcysteine in psychiatry: current
therapeutic evidence and potential mechanisms of action. Journal of
Psychiatry & Neuroscience 2011, 36(2):78-86.
Dean OM, van den Buuse M, Berk M, Copolov DL, Mavros C, Bush
AI: N-acetyl cysteine restores brain glutathione loss in combined
2-cyclohexene-1-one and D-amphetamine-treated rats: Relevance
to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Neuroscience Letters 2011,
499(3):149-153.
Dodd S, Malhi GS, Tiller J, Schweitzer I, Hickie I, Khoo JP, Bassett DL,
Lyndon B, Mitchell PB, Parker G, Fitzgerald PB, Udina M, Singh A,
Moylan S, Giorlando F, Doughty C, Davey CG, Theodoros M, Berk M:
A consensus statement for safety monitoring guidelines of treatments
for major depressive disorder. Australian and New Zealand Journal of
Psychiatry 2011, 45(9):712-725.
Drew SC, Barnham KJ: The heterogeneous nature of Cu2+
interactions with Alzheimer’s amyloid-beta peptide.
Accounts of Chemical Research 2011, 44(11):1146-1155.
Drew SC, Haigh CL, Klemm HMJ, Masters CL, Collins SJ, Barnham
KJ, Lawson VA: Optical imaging detects apoptosis in the brain and
peripheral organs of prion-infected mice. Journal of Neuropathology
and Experimental Neurology 2011, 70(2):143-150.
Ellis KA, Rowe CC, Szoeke CEI, Villemagne VL, Ames D, Chetelat G,
Martins RN, Masters CL, Fripp J, Acosta O, Raninga P, Bourgeat PT,
Salvado O: Advances in structural and molecular neuroimaging in
Alzheimer’s disease. Medical Journal of Australia 2011, 194(4):S20-S23.
Faux NG, Ellis KA, Porter L, Fowler CJ, Laws SM, Martins RN, Pertile
KK, Rembach A, Rowe CC, Rumble RL, Szoeke C, Taddei K, Taddei T,
Trounson BO, Villemagne VL, Ward V, Ames D, Masters CL, Bush AI:
Homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folic acid levels in Alzheimer’s disease,
mild cognitive impairment, and healthy elderly: Baseline characteristics
in subjects of the Australian Imaging Biomarkers Lifestyle Study.
Journal of Alzheimers Disease 2011, 27(4):909-922.
Fink G: Stress Controversies: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,
Hippocampal Volume, Gastroduodenal Ulceration. Journal of
Neuroendocrinology 2011, 23(2):107-117.
Fodero-Tavoletti MT, Okamura N, Furumoto S, Mulligan RS, Connor AR,
McLean CA, Cao DN, Rigopoulos A, Cartwright GA, O’Keefe G, Gong
S, Adlard PA, Barnham KJ, Rowe CC, Masters CL, Kudo Y, Cappai R,
Yanai K, Villemagne VL: 18F-THK523: a novel in vivo tau imaging ligand
for Alzheimer’s disease. Brain 2011, 134:1089-1100.
Fodero-Tavoletti MT, Villemagne VL, Rowe CC, Masters CL, Barnham
KJ, Cappai R: Amyloid-beta: The seeds of darkness. International
Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology 2011, 43(9):1247-1251.
Fox JH, Connor T, Stiles M, Kama J, Lu Z, Dorsey K, Liebermann G,
Sapp E, Cherny RA, Banks M, Volitakis I, DiFiglia M, Berezovska O,
Bush AI, Hersch SM: Cysteine oxidation within N-terminal mutant
Huntingtin promotes oligomerization and delays clearance of soluble
protein. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2011, 286(20):18320-18330.
Gerlach M, Bartoszyk GD, Riederer P, Dean O, van den Buuse M: Role
of dopamine D(3) and serotonin 5-HT(1A) receptors in L-DOPA-induced
dyskinesias and effects of sarizotan in the 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned
rat model of Parkinson’s disease. Journal of Neural Transmission 2011,
118(12):1733-1742.
Gerlach M, Beck J, Riederer P, van den Buuse M: Flibanserin
attenuates L-DOPA-sensitized contraversive circling in the unilaterally
6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat model of Parkinson’s disease. Journal
of Neural Transmission 2011, 118(12):1727-1732.
45

2011 Publications
continued
Gibbons AS, Udawela M, Jeon WJ, Seo MS, Brooks L, Dean B:
The neurobiology of APOE in schizophrenia and mood disorders.
Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark 2011, 16:962-979.
Gogos A, Kwek P, van den Buuse M: The role of estrogen and
testosterone in female rats in behavioural models of relevance to
schizophrenia. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2011, 21:
S261-S262.
Greenough MA, Volitakis I, Li QX, Laughton K, Evin G, Ho M, Dalziel
AH, Camakaris J, Bush AI: Presenilins promote the cellular uptake of
copper and zinc and maintain copper chaperone of SOD1-dependent
copper/zinc superoxide dismutase activity. Journal of Biological
Chemistry 2011, 286(11):9776-9786.
Guille V, Gogos A, Nathan PJ, Croft RJ, van den Buuse M: Interaction
of estrogen with central serotonergic mechanisms in human sensory
processing: loudness dependence of the auditory evoked potential
and mismatch negativity. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2011,
25(12):1614-1622.
Gupta VB, Laws SM, Villemagne VL, Ames D, Bush AI, Ellis KA, Lui JK,
Masters C, Rowe CC, Szoeke C, Taddei K, Martins RN and the AIBL
Research Group: Plasma apolipoprotein E and Alzheimer disease risk;
The AIBL study of aging. Neurology 2011, 76(12):1091-1098.
Haigh CL, McGlade AR, Lewis V, Masters CL, Lawson VA, Collins SJ:
Acute exposure to prion infection induces transient oxidative stress
progressing to be cumulatively deleterious with chronic propagation
in vitro. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2011, 51(3):594-608.
Harel BT, Darby D, Pietrzak RH, Ellis KA, Snyder PJ, Maruff P:
Examining the nature of impairment in visual paired associate
learning in amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Neuropsychology
2011, 25(6):752-762.
Hickey JL, Crouch PJ, Mey S, Caragounis A, White JM, White AR,
Donnelly PS: Copper(II) complexes of hybrid hydroxyquinolinethiosemicarbazone
ligands: GSK3 beta inhibition due to intracellular
delivery of copper. Dalton Transactions 2011, 40(6):1338-1347.
Hill RA, Murray SS, Halley PG, Binder MD, Martin SJ, van den Buuse
M: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression is increased in the
hippocampus of 5-HT(2C) receptor knockout mice. Hippocampus
2011, 21(4):434-445.
Hill RA, van den Buuse M: Sex-dependent and region-specific changes
in TrkB signaling in BDNF heterozygous mice. Brain Research 2011,
1384:51-60.
46
Annual report 2011
Ho M, Hoke DE, Chua YJ, Li Q-X, Culvenor JG, Masters CL, White
AR, Evin G: Effect of metal chelators on y-secretase indicates that
calcium and magnesium ions facilitate cleavage of Alzheimer amyloid
precursor substrate. International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 2011,
doi.10.4061/2011/950932.
Jacka FN, Kremer PJ, Berk M, de Silva-Sanigorski AM, Moodie M,
Leslie ER, Pasco JA, Swinburn BA: A prospective study of diet quality
and mental health in adolescents. PloS One 2011, 6(9)e24805.
Jacka FN, Mykletun A, Berk M, Bjelland I, Tell GS: The association
between habitual diet quality and the common mental disorders in
community-dwelling adults: The Hordaland Health Study.
Psychosomatic Medicine 2011, 73(6):483-490.
Jacka FN, Pasco JA, Williams LJ, Leslie ER, Dodd S, Nicholson GC,
Kotowicz MA, Berk M: Lower levels of physical activity in childhood
associated with adult depression. Journal of Science and Medicine in
Sport 2011, 14(3):222-226.
James SA, Volitakis I, Adlard PA, Duce JA, Masters CL, Cherny RA,
Bush AI: Elevated labile Cu is associated with oxidative pathology in
Alzheimer’s disease. Free Radical Biological Medicine 2011,
52(2):298-302.
Karl T, Burne THJ, van den Buuse M, Chesworth R: Do transmembrane
domain neuregulin 1 mutant mice exhibit a reliable sensorimotor gating
deficit? Behavioural Brain Research 2011, 223(2):336-341.
Kenche VB, Barnham KJ: Alzheimer’s disease & metals: therapeutic
opportunities. British Journal of Pharmacology 2011, 163(2):211-219.
Klug GM, Boyd A, McGlade A, Stehmann C, Masters CL, Collins SJ:
Surveillance of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Australia: update to
December 2010. Communicable Diseases Intelligence Quarterly
Reports 2011, 35(2):149-153.
Kusljic S, van den Buuse M. The effect of serotonergic lesions in the
medial prefrontal cortex on psychotomimetic drug-induced locomotor
hyperactivity and prepulse inhibition in rats. Serbian Journal of
Experimental and Clinical Research 2011, 21:11-19.
Lambert JC, Dallongeville J, Ellis KA, Schraen-Maschke S, Lui J, Laws
S, Dumont J, Richard F, Cottel D, Berr C, Ames D, Masters CL, Rowe
CC, Szoeke C, Tzourio C, Dartiques JF, Buée L, Martins R, Amouyel
P: Association of plasma A beta peptides with blood pressure in the
elderly. Plos One 2011, 6(4)e18536.
Lawson VA, Klemm HM, Welton JM, Masters CL, Crouch P, Cappai R,
Ciccotosto GD: Gene knockout of tau expression does not contribute
to the pathogenesis of prion disease. Journal of Neuropathology and
Experimental Neurology 2011, 70(11):1036-1045.

Leyton CE, Villemagne VL, Savage S, Pike KE, Ballard KJ, Piguet O,
Burrell JR, Rowe CC, Hodges JR: Subtypes of progressive aphasia:
application of the international consensus criteria and validation using
beta-amyloid imaging. Brain 2011, 134:3030-3043.
Lim NKH, Villemagne VL, Soon CPW, Laughton KM, Rowe CC,
McLean CA, Masters CL, Evin G, Li QX: Investigation of matrix
metalloproteinases, MMP-2 and MMP-9, in plasma reveals a decrease
of MMP-2 in Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Alzheimers Disease
2011, 26(4):779-786.
Macneil CA, Hasty MK, Berk M, Henry L, Evans M, Redlich C, Daglas
R, McGorry PD, Conus P: Psychological needs of adolescents in the
early phase of bipolar disorder: implications for early intervention.
Early Intervention in Psychiatry 2011, 5(2):100-107.
Maes M, Galecki P, Chang YS, Berk M: A review on the oxidative and
nitrosative stress (O&NS) pathways in major depression and their
possible contribution to the (neuro)degenerative processes in that
illness. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological
Psychiatry 2011, 35(3):676-692.
Maes M, Ruckoanich P, Chang YS, Mahanonda N, Berk M: Multiple
aberrations in shared inflammatory and oxidative & nitrosative stress
(IO&NS) pathways explain the co-association of depression and
cardiovascular disorder (CVD), and the increased risk for CVD
and due mortality in depressed patients. Progress in Neuro-
Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 2011, 35(3):769-783.
Magalhaes PV, Dean OM, Bush AI, Copolov DL, Malhi GS, Kohlmann
K, Jeavons S, Schapkaitz I, Anderson-Hunt M, Berk M: Dimensions of
improvement in a clinical trial of N-acetyl cysteine for bipolar disorder.
Acta Neuropsychiatrica 2011, 23(2):87-88.
Magalhaes PV, Dean OM, Bush AI, Copolov DL, Malhi GS, Kohlmann
K, Jeavons S, Schapkaitz I, Anderson-Hunt M, Berk M: N-acetyl
cysteine add-on treatment for bipolar II disorder: a subgroup analysis
of a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Affective
Disorders 2011, 129(1-3):317-320.
Malhi GS, Berk M: Depolarizing bipolar disorder: both the illness and
our views. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2011,
45(11):909-910.
Manso Y, Adlard PA, Carrasco J, Vasak M, Hidalgo J: Metallothionein
and brain inflammation. Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry
2011, 16(7):1103-1113.
Masters CL. Colin Masters on Seeking the Natural History of
Alzheimer’s Disease Special Topic of Alzheimer’s Disease Interview,
May 2011. www.sciencewatch.com http://sciencewatch.com/ana/st/
alz2/11maySTAlz2Mast/.
Masters CL, Kril JJ, Halliday GM, Pamphlett R, Collins S, Hill AF,
McLean C: Overview and recent advances in neuropathology. Part 2:
Neurodegeneration. Pathology 2011, 43(2):93-102.
Masters CL. Abeta toxicity - Part I and II. In: Hardy, J. (ed.),
Alzheimer’s Disease: The Biomedical & Life Sciences Collection,
Henry Stewart Talks Ltd, London (online at http://hstalks.com/bio).
Masters CL, Beyreuther K. Amyloidβ production. In:
Neurodegeneration: The Molecular Pathology of Dementia and
Movement Disorders. Second edition. Edited by Dickson DW,
Weller RO. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. 2011; Chapter 11, p 92-96.
Mattsson N, Andreason U, Persson S, Arai H, Batish D, Bernardini S,
Bocchio-Chiavetto L, Blankenstein RA, Carrillo MC, Chalbot S, Coart
E, Chiasserini D, Cutler N, Dahlfors G, Duller S, Fagan A, Forlenza O,
Frisoni G, Galasko D, Galimberti D, Hampel H, Handberg A, Heneka
MT, Herskovitz AZ, Herukka S-K, Holtzman DM, Humpel C, Hyman
B, Iqbal K, Jucker M, Kaeser S, Kaiser E, Kapaki E, Kidd D, Klivenyi
P, Knudsen C, Kummer M, Liu J, Lladó A, Lewczuk P, Li Q-X, Martins
R, Masters CL, McAuliffe J, Mercken M, Moghekar A, Molinuevo JL,
Montine T, Nowatzke W, O’Brien R, Otto M, Paraskevas GP, Parnetti L,
Petersen R, Prvulovic D, de Reus HPM, Rissman RA, Scarpini E,
Stefani A, Soininen H, Schroder J, Shaw LM, Skinningsrud A,
Skrogstad B, Spreer A, Talib L, Teunissen C, Trojanowski JQ, Tumani H,
Umek R, Van Broeck B, Vanderstichele H, Vecsei L, Verbeek MM,
Windisch M, Zhang J, Zetterberg H, Blennow K: The Alzheimer’s
Association external quality control program for cerebrospinal fluid
biomarkers. Alzheimer’s and Dementia 2011, 7(4):386-395.
McBride SJ, Szoeke CEI, Good NM, Ames D, Martins RN, Masters CL,
Maruff PT, Rowe CC, Savage G, Ellis KA and the AIBL Research Group:
A web-based normative data tool for assessing cognitive
performance in healthy older Australians. Medical Journal of Australia
2011, 194(4):S12-S14.
Meyerowitz J, Parker SJ, Vella LJ, Ng DCH, Price KA, Liddell JR,
Caragounis A, Li QX, Masters CL, Nonaka T, Haseg: C-Jun N-terminal
kinase controls TDP-43 accumulation in stress granules induced by
oxidative stress. Molecular Neurodegeneration 2011, 6(1):57-78.
Moylan S, Staples J, Ward SA, Rogerson J, Stein DJ, Berk M: The
efficacy and safety of alprazolam versus other benzodiazepines in the
treatment of panic disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
2011, 31(5):647-652.
Pasco JA, Jacka FN, Williams LJ, Brennan SL, Leslie E, Berk M: Don’t
worry, be active: positive affect and habitual physical activity. Australian
and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2011, 45(12):1047-1052.
47

2011 Publications
continued
Pike KE, Ellis KA, Villemagne VL, Good N, Chetelat G, Ames D, Szoeke
C, Laws SM, Verdile G, Martins RN, Masters CL, Rowe CC: Cognition
and beta-amyloid in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease: Data from the
AIBL study. Neuropsychologia 2011, 49(9):2384-2390.
Price KA, Crouch PJ, Lim S, Paterson BM, Liddell JR, Donnelly
PS, White AR: Subcellular localization of a fluorescent derivative of
CuII(atsm) offers insight into the neuroprotective action of CuII(atsm).
Metallomics 2011, 3(12):1280-1290.
Price KA, Crouch PJ, Volitakis I, Paterson BM, Lim S, Donnelly PS,
White AR: Mechanisms controlling the cellular accumulation of
copper Bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes. Inorganic Chemistry
2011, 50(19):9594-9605.
Ray S, Howells C, Eaton ED, Butler CW, Shabala L, Adlard PA, West
AK, Bennett WR, Guillemin GJ, Chung RS: Tg2576 cortical neurons
that express human Ab are susceptible to extracellular A beta-Induced,
K+ efflux dependent neurodegeneration. PloS One 2011, 6(4).
Rogers AN, Chen D, McColl G, Czerwieniec G, Felkey K, Gibson BW,
Hubbard A, Melov S, Lithgow GJ, Kapahi P: Life span extension via
eIF4G inhibition is mediated by posttranscriptional remodeling of
stress response gene expression in C. elegans. Cell Metabolism 2011,
14(1):55-66.
Santosa C, Rasche S, Barakat A, Bellingham SA, Ho M, Tan JL, Hill AF,
Masters CL, McLean C, Evin G: Decreased expression of GGA3
protein in Alzheimer’s disease frontal cortex and increased
co-distribution of BACE with the amyloid precursor protein.
Neurobiology of Disease 2011, 43(1):176-183.
Scarr E, Money TT, Dean B: Decreased mu opioid receptor availability
in subjects with schizophrenia who died by suicide. Biological
Psychiatry 2011, 69(9):158S-158S.
Schnabel J: Little proteins, big clues. [Interviews with C.L. Masters, K
Beyreuther and others]. Nature 2011, 475:(supplement) 512-514.
Sensi SL, Paoletti P, Koh JY, Aizenman E, Bush AI, Hershfinkel M: The
neurophysiology and pathology of brain zinc. Journal of Neuroscience
2011, 31(45):16076-16085.
Singh A, Ng C, Byron K, Berk M, Osborne C, Dean B: Child abuse
and depression severity not genotype predictive of response to
antidepressants. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
2011, 45:A52-A53.
Sittironnarit G, Ames D, Bush AI, Faux N, Flicker L, Foster J, Hilmer S,
Lautenschlager NT, Maruff P, Masters CL, Martins RN, Rowe C, Szoeke
C, Ellis KA and the AIBL Research Group: Effects of anticholinergic
drugs on cognitive function in older Australians: Results from the AIBL
Study. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders 2011, 31(3):
173-178.
48
Annual report 2011
Soon CPW, Donnelly PS, Turner BJ, Hung LW, Crouch PJ, Sherratt NA,
Tan JL, Lim NKH, Lam L, Bica L, Lim SC, Hickey JL, Morizzi J, Powell
A, Finkelstein DI, Culvenor JG, Masters CL, Duce J, White AR,
Barnham KJ, Li QX: Diacetylbis(N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazonato)
Copper(II) (CuII(atsm)) protects against peroxynitrite-induced
nitrosative damage and prolongs survival in amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis mouse model. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2011,
286(51):44035-44044.
Stafford L, Berk M: The use of statins after a cardiac intervention Is
associated with reduced risk of subsequent depression: Proof of
concept for the inflammatory and oxidative hypotheses of
depression? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2011, 72(9):1229-1235.
Streltsov VA, Varghese JN, Masters CL, Nuttall SD: Crystal structure of
the amyloid-β p3 fragment provides a model for oligomer formation in
Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Neuroscience 2011, 31: 1419-1426.
Udawela M, Scarr E, Hannan AJ, Thomas EA, Dean B: Phospholipase
C beta 1 expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from patients
with schizophrenia at different stages of illness. Australian and New
Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2011, 45(2):140-147.
van den Buuse M, Becker T, Kwek P, Martin S, Ruimschotel E,
Risbrough V: Disruption of prepulse inhibition by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA): comparison between male and female
wild-type and 5-HT(1A) receptor knockout mice. International Journal
of Neuropsychopharmacology 2011, 14(6):856-861.
van den Buuse M, Ruimschotel E, Martin S, Risbrough VB, Halberstadt
AL: Enhanced effects of amphetamine but reduced effects of the
hallucinogen, 5-MeO-DMT, on locomotor activity in 5-HT(1A) receptor
knockout mice: Implications for schizophrenia. Neuropharmacology
2011, 61(1-2):209-216.
Villagonzalo KA, Dodd S, Ng F, Mihaly S, Langbein A, Berk M:
The relationship between substance use and posttraumatic stress
disorder in a methadone maintenance treatment program.
Comprehensive Psychiatry 2011, 52(5):562-566.
Villemagne VL, Okamura N, Pejoska S, Drago J, Mulligan RS, Chetelat
G, Ackermann U, O’Keefe G, Jones G, Gong S, Tochon-Danguy H,
Masters CL, Skovronsky DM, Rowe CC: In vivo assessment of vesicular
monoamine transporter type 2 in dementia with lewy bodies and
Alzheimer disease. Archives of Neurology 2011, 68(7):905-912.
Villemagne VL, O’Keefe G, Mulligan RS, Rowe CC: Quantitative
approaches to amyloid imaging. In: Molecular Imaging: Methods and
Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, Volume 680. Edited by Shah
K. Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London: 2011; 201-225.

Villemagne VL, Ong K, Mulligan RS, Holl G, Pejoska S, Jones G,
O’Keefe G, Ackerman U, Tochon-Danguy H, Chan JG, Reininger CB,
Fels L, Putz B, Rohde B, Masters CL, Rowe CC: Amyloid imaging with
18F-florbetaben in Alzheimer disease and other dementias. Journal of
Nuclear Medicine 2011, 52(8):1210-1217.
Villemagne VL, Pike KE, Chetelat G, Ellis KA, Mulligan RS, Bourgeat P,
Ackermann U, Jones G, Szoeke C, Salvado O, Martins R, O’keefe G:
Longitudinal assessment of Aβ and cognition in aging and Alzheimer
disease. Annals of Neurology 2011, 69(1):181-192.
Wang YJ, Wang X, Lu JJ, Li QX, Gao CY, Liu XH, Sun Y, Yang MA,
Lim Y, Evin G, Zhong JH, Masters CL, Zhou XF: p75NTR Regulates
Aβ deposition by increasing Aβ production but inhibiting Aβ
aggregation with its extracellular domain. Journal of Neuroscience
2011, 31(6):2292-2304.
Wang YM, Xiao ZJ, Liu XD, Berk M: Venlafaxine modulates
depression-induced behaviour and the expression of Bax mRNA and
Bcl-xl mRNA in both hippocampus and myocardium. Human
Psychopharmacology-Clinical and Experimental 2011, 26(2):95-101.
Watt AD, Perez KA, Faux NG, Pike KE, Rowe CC, Bourgeat P, Salvado
O, Masters CL, Villemagne VL, Barnham KJ: Increasing the predictive
accuracy of amyloid-β blood-borne biomarkers in Alzheimer’s
disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 2011, 24(1):47-59.
Williams LJ, Bjerkeset O, Langhammer A, Berk M, Pasco JA, Henry
MJ, Schei B, Forsmo S: The association between depressive and
anxiety symptoms and bone mineral density in the general population:
The HUNT Study. Journal of Affective Disorders 2011, 131(1-3):
164-171.
Yates PA, Sirisriro R, Villemagne VL, Farquharson S, Masters CL,
Rowe CC and the AIBL Research Group: Cerebral microhemorrhage
and brain beta-amyloid in aging and Alzheimer disease. Neurology
2011, 77(1):48-54.
49

Concise Financial Operating Summary 2011
ABN 48 101 228 451
STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
FOR THE YEAR 1 JANUARY 2011 TO 31 DECEMBER 2011
Revenue from ordinary activities 13,100,691
Salary and employee benefits (7,616,061)
Scientific consumables (955,479)
Scientific equipment purchases (52,726)
Scientific support (2,497,591)
Infrastructure expenses (1,344,086)
Depreciation (739,967)
Amortisation (131,539)
Net operating surplus/(deficit) after depreciation & amortisation (236,758)
Revenue related to Building Project 25,976,040
Expenses related to Building Project (5,977,363)
Revenue related to Dax Centre Loan 562,467
Expenses related to Dax Centre segregation (525,673)
NET SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR 19,798,713
50
Annual report 2011
Grants
Contract Research Fees
Public Support
Interest
Dividends
Other Revenue
$

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2011
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents 198
Trade and other receivables 2,095
Stock on Hand 23
Financial assets - Term Deposit Funds 5,251
MHRI accommodation relocation account 1,597
Total Current Assets 9,164
Non-Current Assets
Financial assets 157
Property, plant and equipment 13,744
Equipment shared 740
Intangible Asset 21,967
Total Non-Current Assets 36,608
TOTAL ASSETS 45,772
Current Liabilities
Trade and other payables 1,393
Provisions for employee benefits 921
MHRI accommodation relocation account 1,626
Total Current Liabilities 3,940
Non-Current Liabilities
Provisions 172
Total Non-Current Liabilities 172
TOTAL LIABILITIES 4,112
NET ASSETS 41,659
Equity
Research funds 1,165
Capital reserves 37,917
Asset revaluation reserve 2,526
Unrealised gain on investment reserve 50
Accumulated deficit -
TOTAL FUNDS 41,659
NOTES: This is a summary of operating activity for 2011, for a full set of audited financial
statements please contact MHRI on 03 9388 1633 or email accounts@mhri.edu.au.
$’000
51

Personnel and Collaborators 2011
Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory
Head
Associate Professor Maarten van den Buuse BSc (Hons), PhD
Postdoctoral Scientists
Dr Andrea Gogos BSc (Hons), PhD
Dr Rachel Hill BSc (Hons), PhD
Dr Anand Gururajan BSc (Hons), PhD
Dr Laetitia Buret BSc (Hons), PhD
Dr Sue Tye BSc (Hons), PhD
Research Assistant
Sally Martin BSc (Hons)
PhD Students
Maren Klug BSc (Hons)
Shane Thwaites BSc (Hons)
Yee Wen Candace Wu BSc (Hons)
Elizabeth Manning BSc (Hons)
Natasha Pracejus BSc (Hons)
Masters/Honours students
Szerenke Kiss Von Soly
Michael O’Neill
Collaborators
Dr Simon Murray, Centre for Neuroscience, Melbourne
Dr Tony Hannan, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, Melbourne
Dr Olivia Dean, Barwon Health, Geelong
Dr Quenten Schwarz, Centre for Cancer Biology, Adelaide
Dr Tim Karl, NeuRA, Sydney
Dr Adam Halberstadt, Department of Psychiatry, UCSD,
San Diego, USA
Dr Victoria Risbrough, Department of Psychiatry, UCSD,
San Diego, USA
Prof Manfred Gerlach, University of Wurzburg, Germany
52
Annual report 2011
Molecular Psychopharmacology Laboratory
Head
Associate Professor Suresh Sundram MBBS, MMed,
FRANZCP, PhD
Senior Scientist Honorary Professorial Fellow
Professor George Fink MBBS, DPhil, MD, FRCPE, FRSE
Senior Research Officer
Dr Avril Pereira BAppSc, MSc, PhD
Research Assistant
Peter Malcolm BSc (Hons)
PhD Students
Sujeevan Sinnatamby MD, FRANZCP
Vaidy Swaminathan MD, FRANZCP
Advanced Medical Sciences (AMS) Students
Yuanna Zhou
Honam Choi
Postgraduate Student
Hanneke Raaijmakers
Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory
Head of Laboratory / NHMRC Senior Research Fellow
Professor Brian Dean HND ApplBiol, MSc, PhD, Fl Biol
Research Officers
Dr Andrew Gibbons BSc (Hons), PhD
Dr Madhara Udawela BSc (Hons), PhD
Dr Jung Yoon Um BSc, PhD
Dr Jaclyn Neo BSc (Hons), PhD
Graduate Research Assistant
Geoffrey Pavey BSc (Hons)
Doctoral Students
Nahed Tawadros BSc (Hons)
Ajeet Singh (MBBS)
Myoung Suk Seo BSc, MSc
Won Je Jeon BSc, MSc
Natalie Paige Thomas BSc (Hons)

Collaborators
Professor Galila Agam (Ben-Gurion University)
Dr Andrew Aquilina (University of Wollongong)
Professor Robert Belmaker (Ben-Gurion University)
Professor Michael Berk (Barwon Health and The Geelong
Clinic, The University of Melbourne)
Dr. Chad Bousman (Department of Psychiatry, University
of Melbourne).
Dr Vanesa Cropley (Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre,
The University of Melbourne)
Ms Tiffany Cowie (Department of Pathology, University
of Melbourne)
Dr Olivia Dean (Barwon Health and The Geelong Clinic,
The University of Melbourne)
Dr Connie Darmanin (CSIRO)
Professor Ian Everall (Cato Chair of Psychiatry, The University
of Melbourne)
Professor Vahram Haroutunian (Mount Sinai School of
Medicine, New York, NY, USA)
Professor James Meadow-Woodruff (Department of
Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of
Alabama at Birmingham, USA)
Dr Robert McCullumsmith (Department of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at
Birmingham, USA)
Dr Tammie Money (Department of Psychiatry, University
of Melbourne)
Professor Christos Pantelis (Melbourne Neuropsychiatry
Centre, The University of Melbourne)
Northern Psychiatry Research Centre
Head
Associate Professor Suresh Sundram MBBS, MMed,
FRANZCP, PhD
Senior Research Physician
Dr Russell D’Souza MPM, MD
Research Coordinator
Fiona Bole RN
Research Nurse
Sumathy Sathiyamoorthy RN (Div II)
Research Physicians
Dr Rohit Lodhi MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP
Dr Manish Sharma MD
PhD Student
Jody Stanley
Postgraduate Students
Daniel Bennett
Amy Dluzniak
Advanced Medical Sciences (AMS) Student
Zexi Allan
Collaborators
Professor Michael Berk (The University of Melbourne)
Dr Olivia Carter (The University of Melbourne)
Dr Gursh Chana (The University of Melbourne)
Dr Peter Crouch (The University of Melbourne)
Professor Brian Dean (Mental Health Research Institute)
Dr Seetal Dodd (The University of Melbourne)
Professor Ian Everall (The University of Melbourne)
Dr John Farhall (La Trobe University)
Ms Marnie Graeco (Northern Hospital)
Professor Brenda Happell (Central Queensland University)
Ms Alison Harrington (Northern Area Mental Health Service)
Dr Alexander Holmes (The University of Melbourne)
Dr Ana Hutchinson (Northern Clinical Research Centre)
Dr Nigel Jones (The University of Melbourne)
A/Professor Gerard Kennedy (Victoria University)
53

Personnel and Collaborators 2011
continued
Dr Ken McAnally (Defense Science Technology Organization)
Professor Ralph Martins (Edith Cowan University)
Professor Terence O’Brien (The University of Melbourne)
Dr Meaghan O’Donnell (The University of Melbourne)
Dr Elizabeth Scarr (The University of Melbourne)
Dr Elizabeth Thomas (Scripps Institute, USA)
Professor Cyndi Shannon-Weickert (Neurosciences Australia)
Dr Anthony White (The University of Melbourne)
Neuropathology Laboratory
Head (Group Leader)
Professor Colin L. Masters BMedSc (Hons), MBBS, MD,
HonDLitt WAust, FRCPath, FRACPA, FAA, FTSE
Post-doctoral Scientists
Dr. Blaine R. Roberts, BSc, PhD
Dr Tim M. Ryan, BSc, PhD
Dr Scott Laffoon, BSc, PhD
Dr Alan Rembach (Hons), PhD
Dr Qiao-Xin Li, PhD
Research assistant
Monica Lind ChemEng, MBiotech
Student
Katherine Jones-Ganio BSc
Volunteer
Anne Roberts BSc
International Collaborators
Professor Edward A. Dratz
(Montana State University, Bozeman, MT)
Professor Joseph S. Beckman
(Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR)
54
Annual report 2011
Oxidation Biology Laboratory
Head of Laboratory
Professor Ashley Bush MBBS, DPM, PhD, FRANZCP, FTSE
Principal Research Fellow and Deputy Head
Associate Professor Robert Cherny BSc, PhD
Personal & Administrative Assistant
Suzie McNicol Dip Fin Plan
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Paul Adlard BSc (Hons), PhD
Associate Professor David Finkelstein BSc, GradDip,
MSc, PhD
Dr James Duce BSc (Hons), PhD
Research Fellows and Post-doctoral Scientists
Dr Ya Hui Hung BMus, BSc (Hons), PhD
Dr Gawain McColl BSc (Hons), PhD
Dr Alan Rembach BSc (Hons), PhD
Research Officer
Dr Toni Lynch BAppSc, MSc, PhD
Research Assistants
Gulay Filiz BSc (Hons)
Jessica George BSc (Hons), MSc
Lydia Gunawan MappSc
Linh Lam BSc (Hons)
Elysia Robb BMedSc (Hons)
Amelia Sedjahtera BSc (Hons)
Irene Volitakis BSc (Hons)
Technical Assistants
Lisa Bray AssocDipAppSc (AnimTech)
Nicole Critch (DipAnimTech)
Bruce Etherton, Animal Technician
Sarah Evans (DipAnimTech)
Rinola Singh (DipAnimTech)

Postgraduate Students
Scott Ayton BBNSc (Hons)
Yif’at Biran BPharmSci, CertIV BusMgt, BSc (Hons)
Mark Greenough BSc
Adam Gunn BSc (Hons)
Simon James BSc (Hons)
Peng Lei BSc
Rebecca Vaughan BSc (Hons)
National Collaborators
Professor James Camakaris (Department of Genetics,
The University of Melbourne)
Dr Roger Chung (University of Tasmania)
Dr Tracey Dickson (University of Tasmania)
Dr Philip Doble (University of Technology, Sydney)
Dr John Forsythe (Materials Engineering, Monash University)
Professor Brett Garner (Illawarra Health and Medical Research
Institute, University of Wollongong)
Dr Melissa Gresle
(Multiple Sclerosis Group, Howard Florey Institute)
Professor Trevor Kilpatrick
(Centre for Neuroscience/Howard Florey Institute, Melbourne)
Professor Ralph Martins (University of Western Australia)
Professor Julian FB Mercer
(Director, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology,
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Deakin
University, Burwood)
Associate Professor Christina Morganti-Kossmann
(The Alfred, Melbourne)
Dr David Nisbet (Materials Engineering, Monash University)
Dr Melanie Pritchard (Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, Monash University)
Dr Tara Pukala (University of Adelaide)
Professor James Vickers (University of Tasmania)
Professor Adrian West (University of Tasmania)
International Collaborators
United States of America
Professor Julie Anderson
(Buck Institute for Age Research, Novato, CA)
Dr Math Cuajungco (Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA)
Dr M Flint Beal (Cornell University, New York, NY)
Professor Joseph S Beckman
(Linus Pauling Institute, Corvallis, OR)
Professor Edward A Dratz (Montana State University,
Bozeman, MT)
Dr Jane Flinn (George Mason University, Fairfax VA)
Dr Jonathan Fox (Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, MA)
Dr Avi Friedlich (Bedford Veterans Affairs Hospital,
Boston, MA)
Dr Lee Goldstein (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA)
Professor Elizabeth Head
(University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY)
Assistant Professor Xudong Huang (Department of Psychiatry,
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA)
Dr Deepinder Kaur (Buck Institute for Age Research,
Novato, CA)
Dr Mahmoud Kiaei (Weill Medical College of Cornell University,
New York, NY)
Dr Lenore Launer (National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, MD)
Associate Professor Christopher D Link (Institute for
Behavioral Genetics; University of Colorado, Boulder, CO)
Associate Professor Gordon J Lithgow (Buck Institute for Age
Research, Novato, CA)
Associate Professor Simon Melov (Buck Institute for Age
Research, Novato, CA)
Associate Professor Martha Clare Morris (Rush Institute for
Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL)
Dr Dan Ory (Washington University School of Medicine,
St Louis)
Associate Professor Michael Petris (Department of
Biochemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, MO)
Associate Professor Jack Rogers (Psychiatry, Massachusetts
General Hospital, Boston, MA)
55

Personnel and Collaborators 2011
continued
Professor Rudolph Tanzi (Director, Genetics and Aging
Research Unit at Massachusetts General Institute for
Neurodegenerative Disease, Boston, MA)
Assistant Professor Robert Moir (Massachusetts General
Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA)
Professor Dennis Thiele (Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, NC)
Dr Hui Zheng (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas)
United Kingdom
Dr Janet Johnston (Division of Psychiatry and Neuroscience,
Queen’s University, Belfast, Ireland)
Dr Craig W. Ritchie (Royal Free & University College Medical
School, Hampstead)
Professor Robert Evans (School of Health Sciences and Social
Care, Brunel University, West London)
Chile
Professor Nibaldo Inestrosa, (Catholic University of Chile,
Santiago)
Dr Carlos Opazo (University of Concepcion)
Republic of Korea
Professor Jae Koh (University of Ulsan College of Medicine,
Seoul)
Assistant Professor Joo-Yong Lee (University of Ulsan College
of Medicine, Seoul)
Japan
Assistant Professor Yoichi Kato (University of Hyogo)
Dr Seiichi Nagano (Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts
General Hospital)
Spain
Dr Juan Hidalgo (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona)
Hungary
Dr Zsolt Datki (University of Szeged)
Israel
Professor Irit Sagi (The Weizmann Institute of Science,
Rehovot, Israel)
Dr Inna Solomonov (The Weizmann Institute of Science,
Rehovot, Israel)
56
Annual report 2011
Synaptic Neurobiology Laboratory
Heads
Dr Paul Adlard BSc, (Hons), PhD after Adlard
Associate Professor David Finkelstein BSc, GradDip, MSc, PhD
Clinical Research Group
Head
Dr Kathryn Ellis BSc (Hons), PhD
Clinical and Neuropsychology researchers
Adrian Kamer BSc (Hons), Candidate DPsych (ClinNeuropsych)
Carolina Restrepo (Psych)
Fiona Lamb BASc(Psych)(Hons), DPsych(ClinNeuro)
Harriet Downing BA, PGrad Dip Psych, Candidate DPsych
(ClinNeuropsych)
Jo Robertson BA(Psych)(Hons)
Karra Harrington BA
Rachel Buckley BSc(Psych)(Hons)
Stacey Walker
Molecular Biology Researchers
Brett Trounson BSc (Hons) - AIBL Blood Processing
Laboratory Manager
Dr Christopher Fowler BSc (Hons) - PhD
Kelly Pertile BSc (Hons) - Research Assistant
Rebecca Rumble BBioSc (Hons) - Research Assistant
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr Alan Rembach BSc (Hons), PhD - Postdoctoral
Research Fellow
Dr Noel Faux BSc (Hons), Grad Dip Comp Sci, PhD
DIAN Study
Alicia Rooney BSc, BNurs, GCHumanFact
Tabitha Nash BA (Psych)(Hons) DipEd (Secondary)
Research Nurses
Fairlie Hinton RN
Alison Boyd
Susan Dickie RN

Administration
Yumiko Matsumoto
Senior AIBL Study Scientists and Collaborators
Professor David Ames (National Ageing Research Institute)
Professor Kaarin Anstey (Australian National University)
Associate Professor Marc Budge (Australian National
University)
Professor Ashley Bush (Mental Health Research Institute)
Associate Professor David Darby (CogState)
James Doecke (CSIRO Mathematical and Information
Sciences)
Dr Maree Farrow (Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria)
Associate Professor Jonathan Foster (Edith Cowan University)
Norm Good (CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences)
Professor Richard Head (CSIRO)
Professor Peter Hudson (AVIPEP)
Professor Nicola Lautenschlager (The University of Melbourne)
Dr Qiao-Xin Li (The University of Melbourne)
Dr Lance Macaulay (CSIRO)
Simon McBride (The Australian e-Health Research Centre)
Professor Paul Maruff (Mental Health Research Institute)
Professor Ralph Martins (Edith Cowan University)
Professor Colin Masters (Mental Health Research Institute)
Andrew Milner (Neurosciences Victoria)
Lynette Moore (Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria)
Dr Timothy O’Meara (CSIRO)
Glenn Rees (Alzheimer’s Australia)
Professor Chris Rowe (Austin Health)
Olivier Salvado (CSIRO e-Health)
Associate Professor Greg Savage (MACCS)
Jack Sach (Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria)
Dr Wichat Srikusalanukul (Australian National University)
Dr Cassandra Szoeke (National Ageing Research Institute)
Kevin Taddei (Edith Cowan University)
Associate Professor Victor Villemagne (Austin Health)
Associate Professor Michael Woodward (Austin Health)
Associate Professor Olga Yatsrubetskaya (The University
of Melbourne)
Clinical Discovery Unit
Head of Program
Professor Michael Berk MBBCh, MMed, FF(Psych)SA,
FRANZCP, PhD
Co-Investigators
Professor Ashley Bush MBBS, DPM, PhD, FRANZCP, FTSE
Associate Professor Maarten van den Buuse PhD
Professor Gin Malhi BSc Pharmacol (Hons), MBChB, MRC
Psych, FRANZCP, MD
Professor Flavio Kapczinki MD, PhD
Professor Brian Dean HND ApplBiol, MSc, PhD, Fl Biol
Professor Andy Nierenberg MD PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Dr Olivia Dean PhD
Trial Clinicians
Tanya Vick, BA BSc
Dr Sue Jeavons BA Psych (Hons), MPhil (Clinical Psychology),
PhD
Karen Hewitt, RN
Michelle Tanious BmedSci (Hons), GradDipPsych
Postgraduate Students
Kristi-Ann Villagonzalo BSc (Hons)
Collaborators and Visiting Fellows
Dr Tina Andreazza PharmD, PhD
Dr Pedro Magalhaes PhD
Dr Joao Data Franco MD
Dr Sue Cotton PhD
Dr Jerome Sarris PhD
57

Personnel and Collaborators 2011
continued
Victorian Brain Bank Network
Head
Professor Catriona McLean BSc, MBBS, FRCPA, MD
Director
Professor Brian Dean HND ApplBiol, MSc, PhD, Fl Biol
Consultants
Professor Colin Masters BMedSc (Hons), MBBS, MD,
HonDLitt WAust, FRCPath, FRACPA, FAA, FTSE
Associate Professor Suresh Sundram MBBS, MMed,
FRANZCP, PhD
Coordinator
Ms Fairlie Hinton
Research Assistants
Mr Geoff Pavey BSc (Hons)
Ms Leanne Taylor BSc (Hons)
Consultant Histologist
Dr Ian Birchall BAppSc, MSc, PhD
Collaborators
Laboratory Manager and Mortuary Staff, The Alfred Hospital.
Transplant and Family Liaison Coordinators (Donor Tissue
Bank of Victoria).
Forensic Pathologists and Mortuary Technicians (Victorian
Institute of Forensic Medicine).
Visitors
Ms Susan Boyce - Head of Ethical Tissue, University of
Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.
58
Annual report 2011
Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service
Head
Professor Nicholas Keks MBBS, MPM, PhD, FRANZCP
Staff
Christine Culhane BPharm, Grad Dip Hosp Pharm
The Dax Centre
Director
Dr Eugen Koh BSc (Hons), MBBS, MPM, FRACGP,
FRANZCP, Senior Lecturer in Arts & Psychiatry (The University
of Melbourne)
Executive and Research Assistant
Charlotte Adams BA (Hons) (Professional and Creative Writing)
(From November 2011)
Personal Assistant to the Director
Amy Middleton BA (Hons), MA (Arts Management)
Julia Robinson Grad Dip Marketing
Collection Unit
Collection Manager
Charlotte Christie BCA, DML, MA (Art Curatorship)

Curatorial Officer
Georgina Adams BA (Hons) (Art History) MA (Art Curatorship)
MA (History and Culture of Fashion)
Lisa Gluck BA (Art History & Environmental Studies)
Dip Modern Language (French) Postgraduate Dip
(Arts Management) Masters (Art Curatorship)
Curatorial Scholarship Student
Brad Rusbridge BA (Professional Writing & Visual Art)
MA (Art Curatorship)
Curatorial Staff
Alison Langley BSc, BA (Fine Art) (casual)
Zoe Evershed BA (Hons Visual) (casual) (Until June 2011
Exhibitions Unit
Exhibition Manager
Juliette Hanson BA (Art History & Philosophy), MA
(Art Curatorship)
Curatorial Officer
Nikki Anderson BVA, MA (Art Curatorship)
Curatorial Officer
Clare Diamond BA (Art History), Grad Dip (Museum Studies),
MA (Masters in Cultural Heritage)
Education Unit
Education Manager
Emma Last BA, BSW, Grad dip (Family Therapy),
Penelope Lee RN, RPN, BA (Hons), FPV Certificate
Schools Coordinator
Glenda Urquhart Grad Dip (Psychology)
Megan Lee BBNsc, DipEd
Education Officers
Deb Zipper BA Occupational Therapy
Eleni Kyrpigikidis BA Social Work
Public Programs, Partnerships &
Professional Development
Manager
Penelope Lee RN, RPN, BA (Hons), FPV Certificate
Operations and Finance Unit
Operations & Finance Manager
Sherry Paddon BA Fine Art, Post Grad Dip
(Heritage Studies), Grad Dip
Administration Officers
Lisa Gluck BA (Art History & Environmental Studies) Dip.
Modern Language (French) Postgraduate Dip.
(Arts Management) Masters (Art Curatorship)
Clare Diamond BA (Art History), Grad Dip (Museum Studies),
MA (Masters in Cultural Heritage)
Development Unit
Development Manager
Amy Middleton BA(Hons), MA (Arts Management)
Communications Officer
Anna Zagala BA, B Design (Hons), MPhil
Publication & Grants Officer
Jessica Raschke PhD, BA
59

Personnel and Collaborators 2011
continued
Other
Project Managers
Margaret Nixon DipEd DipArts
Pia Brous (Honorary) MBBS, BMedSc, MPM, FRANZCP,
Cert. Child Psychiatry
Jennifer Harrison MBBS, FRANZCP, Specialist Training in
Child Psychiatry
Fundraising Consultant
Stephanie Joseph
Psychoanalyst in Residence
Associate Professor Frances Salo, LlB, MCPP, PhD
Art Therapist
Victoria Schnaedelbach
Consultant
Loretta Shepherd BA (Psychology & Economics), Grad Dip
Communications, Grad Dip Art History, MA (Art Curatorship)
Executive Director’s Office
Executive Director
Professor Colin Masters BMedSc (Hons), MBBS, MD,
HonDLitt WAust, FRCPath, FRCPA, FAA, FTSE
Emily Cuningham BBiomedSci (Hons Sci) - Personal Research
Assistant
Brenda Huckstepp – Secretary
60
Annual report 2011
Administrative Services
Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary
Lisa Keam GradDip IP Law, BSc
Commercialisation and Business Development
Michael Vovos
Development and Communications
Ross Johnstone MFIA – Development and Communications
Manager
Jane Standish MFIA – Marketing and Communications
Anita Gowers - Trusts / Foundations and Bequests
Gemma Turvey - Development Assistant & Donor Liaison
Associate Professor Neil Cole – Consumer Consultant
Finance and Administration
Nick Catton LLB, BMS - Accountant
Brian Fleming BBus(Acc) – Assistant Accountant
Helen Gibbons - Receptionist
Alistair Kittson - Administration Assistant
Human Resources
Rachel Mostacci - HR and Administrative Officer
Information Technology
Rik Casama BSc - IT Manager
Gena Shoykhet BIS - IT Officer
Andrew Crone – IT Officer

Laboratory Services
Anna Sellens BSc (Hons) - Laboratory Facilities Manager
Jason Verde Dip Animal Tech - Animal Facility Manager
Melissa Cameron - Technical Assistant
Elissa Wells Dip Animal Tech – Technical Assistant
Elsa Tsui - Laboratory Assistant
Liam Richardson - Tech Assistant
Megan Haliday - Tech Assistant
Dorian Watts - Technical Assistant
Don Kuruppu, NDT, CGI (London) - Laboratory Assistant
Michael Kent - Property & Maintenance Manager
Governors
Mr Charles Allen AO
Dr Di Bresciani
Mr Richard Buxton
Mr Peter Clemenger AM
Professor David Copolov OAM
Mr Ian Farrington
Professor George Fink
Mr Roger Flynn
Mr Doug George AM
Dr David Greatorex AO
Ms Caroline Hogg
Mr John Kearney AM QC
Dr Ben Lochtenberg
Mr Geoff Marshall
Mr George McMaster
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE
Emeritus Professor Sir Gustav Nossal
Mr Ross Oakley
Mr Andrew Wardlaw
Mrs Liz Wardlaw
Ms Meredith Woods
61

Donations 2011
THANK YOU
We are continually grateful to the many
people, businesses, philanthropic trusts
and foundations who support our work.
We thank you and acknowledge your support.
In Kind Supporters
Mr Alf Caruana
Audi Penfold
Barbecues Plus
Block Arcade
Briner Signs
Coopers
Mr David Seaman
Department of Human Services, Mental
Health Branch
Mr Des Speakman
Dr Di Bresciani
Dulux
Gerrand & Associates
Ms Linda Karafilli
Melbourne Theatre Company
Middletons Lawyers
Monash University
Mutual Ltd
One in Five Association
Mr Ross Oakley
Royal Yacht Club of Victoria
Mr Ryan Wavish
Sanpellegrino
The Age
The Egg
The University of Melbourne
Wardlaw Family
Whybin/TBWA
Woods Family
Yering Station
2011 Culinary Charity Challenge
Adam Gunn
Annabelle Clark
62
Annual report 2011
Anthony Puharich
ARIA Restaurant
Candace Wu
Carlton & United Breweries
Carolina Restrepo
Cedar Hospitality
Cory Campbell
Crown Ltd
Crowne Plaza Gold Coast
Dizzy’s Jazz Club
Disney
Executive Health Management
Fletcher Jones
Four Seasons
George & Therese McMaster
George Calombaris
Graeme Samuel
Guillaume at Bennelong
Guillaume Brahimi
Hare and Grace
Horseland
HV Polo
Jaques Reymond
Judy Davenport
Justin North
Ladelle
Larissa Dubecki
Leanne Taylor
Leigh Smith
Luscious Affairs Cooking School
Mark Best
Marque Restaurant
Matt Moran
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
Miele
Mitchell & Partners
Mona Museum
Montalto
Natalie O’Brien
Neil Perry
Nespresso
Nick Catton
Nobu
Penelope Clark
Peninsula Hot Springs
Petuna
Pinc Pearls
Quarter Twenty One
Quay Restaurant
Radisson Hotels
Raymond Capaldi
Senselle Foods
Shannon Bennett
Southern Star Observation Wheel
Spice Temple
Steve Abbott (Jellis Craig)
Terry Durack
The Australian Ballet
The Good Guys
Three Kings
Tim & Janine Fredman
Tim Hess
Treasury Wine Estates
Vic’s Meat
Victor Churchill - The Family Butcher
Victoria Racing Club
Vue de Monde
Walter Wagner
Werribee Mansion Hotel and Spa
Willie’s World Class Cacao
Wolfgang Grimm AM
$200,000+
One in Five Association Inc
$50,000 - $199,999
Addi & Cassi Foundation
Anonymous
Joan and Peter Clemenger Trust
Mr J F Kearney AM QC & Mrs M A Kearney
Mr Jack Smorgon
$10,000 - $49,999
7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd
Mr & Mrs John & Lorraine Bates
Estate Late Olga Mabel Woolger
G W Vowell Foundation Ltd

Geoff & Helen Handbury Foundation
Mrs Diana E Gibson AO
Mr Pieter Huveneers
Ian Potter Foundation
Isabel & John Gilbertson Charitable Trust
Jessica & Wallace Hore Foundation
Lindsay & Heather Payne Medical Research
Charitable Foundation
Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research
Reece Australia Ltd
Stuart Leslie Foundation
$2,000 - $9,999
AFS Group Limited
Mrs R Andre
Australian Pacific Tours
Berwick Opportunity Shop Incorporated
Bill Kee & Associates
Mr E Bladeni
Bolt Blowers Surf Carnival
Boral Clay Concrete
Ms Lucy Bretherton
Brookfield Multiplex Construction
Mr John Bugg
Carpet Court Australia
Citi Power/Powercor
Costa Exchange
Coventry Group Limited
Ms Kate Cowen
CSR Lightweight Systems
DCWC Management Pty Ltd
Dulux Powder Industrial &
Refinishing Coatings
Energy Power Systems
Mr Andrew Erikson
Mrs Neilma Gantner
Mrs Sylvia Gelman AM MBE
Greatorex Foundation Pty Ltd
Mr Jonathan P Green
Mrs Lesley Griffin
Dr Sandra Hacker AO
Hart Charities Pty Ltd
Health Super
Institute of Health and Biomedical
Innovation, QUT
Jeffrey Thomas & Partners
Mr Gerard Keeghan
Mr A P Kelly
Mrs Diana M Lowe
Ms Regina McInnes
Michael and Andrew Buxton Foundation
Miss M O’Sullevan
Mr R G Pitcher AM
Pratt Family Foundation
Mr & Mrs Robert & Faye Ramsay
Recovery and Recycling Industries P/L
Mr Martin E Ryan
Sanpellegrino Asia Pacifc
Say Family Foundation
Ms Pauline Speedy
Sutton Tools Pty Ltd
The Age
The Ideal Group
Warringal Financial Services Pty Ltd
William Angliss (Victoria) Charitable Fund
Dr Robin Wilson
Wilson Security
Mrs Meredith Woods
$200 - $1,999
Ms Stephanie Aeuckens
Mr Douglas Agnew
Mrs M C Ainsworth
Dr Ken Alexander AM
Ms Nichole Alfreds
Mr Andrew & Michelle Amarant
Ms Elizabeth Angelatos
Professor James Angus AO
Mr & Mrs Ashcroft
Mr D M Aston
Mr Robert Audsley
Mr Rita Avdiev
Dr W J Bailey AO
Mr Paul Bartlett
The Honorable William R Baxter
Dr Josephine Beatson
Mrs & Mr Kerry & James Beer
Mr G R Blair
Mr Michael Blayney
Professor & Mrs Sidney & Felicity Bloch
Dr John P Bomford
Mr John Bowen
Mr & Dr Lino & Di Bresciani
Ms Beth Brown & Mr Tom Bruce AM
Mrs M J Bugg
Mr D M Burke
Mrs Ellen M Burt
Mr Ronald Butlers
Miss E M Butt
Mr Jarrod Byham & Mrs Sally Emerson
C R Kennedy & Company Pty Ltd
Mr Ross Campbell
Mrs Karen Carpentier
Mrs Anne Carroll
Ms M G Cavanagh
The Hon S P & Mrs J J Charles
Mrs Florence Clarridge
Mr & Mrs J L & E S Cleland
Mrs Christine Clough
Mrs E M Coldwell
Mr & Mrs Frank & Dorothy Colwell
Dr & Mrs Geoffrey & Joan Conron
Mr & Mrs B B & S H Cooling
Mrs Heather Coombes
Professor David Copolov & Assoc Professor
Christine McDonald
Mr Kevin J Cosgrave
Mr Frank Cotela
Cotton On
Mrs Anne Cowan
Ms Helen Cowan
Mr L Gordon Darling AC CMG
Mr Ernest F Dawes OBE FTS
Ms Geraldine de Malet
Decor Corporation
Dr & Mrs C M Deeley
Mr Matthew Delasey
Mr & Mrs J & D Dixon
Dixson Trust Pty Ltd
Ms Billie Donaldson
Dr Abe Dorevitch
Mr David Dowdle
Mrs Rose Downer
63

Donations 2011
continued
Eastbeth Services Pty Limited
Mr Carl Elliott
Mr Z Elton & Dr Diana Elton
Mr James O Fairfax AC
Mr Jack Fajgenbaum
The Rooke Family
Mr Nick Farnell
Farrow Wyatt Chartered Accountants
Mr Julian Feller
Finkel Foundation
Mr Roger B Flynn
Mr Clark Forbes
Mr & Mrs Tim & Janine Fredman
Dr A K Fryday
Mrs J A Gabb
Mr Stephen Gatt
Mr James Gear
Glenhuntly Bridge Club
The Hon Alan Goldberg AO QC
Mr R N Gotch
Mrs L M Gourlay OAM
Mrs M R Grady
Mrs J B Guerin
Dr James Guest AM OBE & Mrs Guest
Mr Donald Haig
Ms Olive M Hamilton
Justice H R Hansen
Mr Roy Hardcastle
Miss Joan M Harman
Mrs Lynette Harris
Mr & Mrs Peter & Elaine Harris
Mrs Kathleen Hatch
Mr Ken Hill
Lady Suzanne Holland
Holmes Institute
Mrs I Y Hoolihan
Ms Janet Hornidge
Ms Brenda Huckstepp
Mr Michael Hutchison
Mr Rowan V Ingpen
Interpath Services Pty Ltd
Dr Brian D James
Professor Norman James
Dr Elcahnan H Januszewicz
Ms Carolyn Jarrett
64
Annual report 2011
Mr & Mrs L & R Johnson
Johnstaff Projects
Karingal Bowling Club Inc
Mr & Mrs D & M Kaufmann
Ms Lisa Keam
Mr & Mrs P & J Keller
Mr Graeme Kelly
Bryan & June Keon-Cohen
Mr John Kirkhope
Ms Jodie Koch
Mrs B M Kohane
Professor Paul Korner
Mrs Helen Kosky
Mr N Kuperholz
Ms Jennifer Labourne
Ms Margaret Ladanyl
Landman Foundation
Mr R F Lauwers
Mr Peter Lemon
Leo & Mina Fink Fund
Mr D W & Mrs W I Leslie
Mr & Mrs J B & A Leslie AC
Mr Lewis Lester
Mr Ambrose Linke
Mrs E Linton
Ms Pearl Lubansky
Mr Michael Lukis
Mrs J A Lunt
Ms Rosemary B S Macindoe
Mr Don Maloney
Mrs & Mr Prue & John Matthews
Mr C M Maxwell
Dr Ian W McCay
Ms P T McColl
Mr Andrew McComas
Ms Patricia McKendrick
Dr Ruth McMahon
Mr Ian McNally
Dr & Mrs A P & M S McPhate
McPherson’s Limited
Mrs Marsha Merory
Metro Signs
Mr John Michaux
Mr Nicholas Miller
Mr & Mrs G A & C R Morgan
Kate Morris
Mr & Mrs Tony & Sue Morrison
Mr Richard Moshinsky
Dr Bruce Munro
Next Step Recruitment Company Pty Ltd
Mr & Mrs John & June Nixon-Smith
Mr Barry N Novy
Ms H M Oakes
Mrs Doreen O’Brien
Mrs S Ohl
Mrs Gail O’Reilly
Mr Damien O’Shea
Mr Jeremy Paterson
Mr Guy Pearce
Penfold Motors
Ms Daniella Phillips
Pipers Creek Pty Ltd
Mrs Margaret Poh Kam Chan
Mrs Jean Potter
Mr Helmut Putz
Mr John Ralph AC
Mrs Ann Reid
Mr Ralph Renard
Mr Chris Richardson
Ritchies Expense Company
Mr Mark Robertson
Rock’n Suzies
Mr D W Rogers
Rotary Club of Geelong East Inc
Mrs Patricia D Rowe
Mr & Mrs P & E Ryba
Mr Quin Scalzo
Ms Jane Schmeiszl
Mr Ian Seymour
Dr Garry Sheehan
Mr Andrew Shenton
Mr & Mrs M & J Simmons
Mr Bardie Simpson
Miss P Smart
Mr A W Smith
Dr Sylvia Solinski
Ms Natalie Solopotias
Somerville Lions Club
Mr & Mrs Des & Margie Speakman
Mr & Mrs A W Stephens

Mr Russell Stewart
Mr Robert Stinson
Mrs Fay Strachan
Mr & Mrs Colin & Carolyn Stubbs
Ms R E Swanson
Mr Rowan Tatchell
Mr Robin Taylor
Mr & Mrs Peter & Debbie Thomas
Mr & Mrs J G Thrum
Mrs Marjorie Todd
Dr Diana Tolhurst
Dr Gad Trevaks AM
Dr Kay Tudor
Dr David Tyrwhitt
Mr Roger van Assche
Ms Sally van Doorn
Mr David Vernon
Mr Stan Wallis AC & Mrs Judith Wallis
Mr & Mrs R N Walters
Mr & Mrs Ralph & Barbara Ward-Ambler AM
Mr Geoffrey N Webb
Dr Peter J Webster
Mr Philip Weickhardt
Ms Rachela H West
Mrs Kathleen Westlake
Mr & Mrs John & Robyn Wilkins
Mr Harry Williams
Mrs Lyn Willis AM
Mrs Margaret Wilson
Mr Justin Wilson
Dr Alex Wood
Mr & Mrs L & E Yoannidis
Dr Robin Zeidler
$2 - $199
Mr W J Absalom
Mr & Mrs I D Ada
Mr Peter Adams
Ms Karen Allan
Dr Glenison Alsop
Mr & Mrs P Amato
Ms Angela Anderson
Mr Con Andronis
Mrs Judith Anketell
Ms Betty Appleton
Mrs A M Arbuckle
Mr Daniel Archer
Miss E Arthur
Ms Barbara Ashton
Ms Chrissy Atkins
Australian Productivity Council Pty Ltd
Mrs V Baguley
Mr Peter Baird
Bakers Delight
Mr Clive Baldwin
Mr & Mrs John & Helen Baldwin
Ms Caroline Banhidy
Ms Debbie Banks
Ms Veronica Barcelo
Mr Melvyn Barnett
Mrs Manola P Barrett
Mrs A Barro
Mr G Bartle
Mr J L Bath
Ms Sharon Beaumont
Mrs Doreen Bell
Mrs Diana F Benefield
Miss B R Benjamin
Mr & Mrs Ron & Margaret Benn
Mr David Bennett
Mrs Ruth M Benson
Mr & Mrs L Best
BHP Billiton
Mrs V Bicknell
Ms Margaret Birch
Dr William Birch AM
Dr Ian Birchall
Mrs Annette Bird
Mr & Mrs R D G & M J Birrell
Mr & Mrs G J & S E Birt
Ms Robin S Blair
Mr & Mrs J Blaney-Murphy
Mr Emilio Blasetti
Mr Richard Blaze
Miss Justine Bonello
Ms Youle Bottomley
Ms Margaret Bounader
Ms C Bourke
Mr David Bramley
Mr & Mrs A Brecknell
Mr B M Brennan
Mrs Geni Brewster
Mrs Jaaini Brinckerhoff
Mrs Marietta Brinkley
Mr Alan Brocklebank
Ms Peta Brown
Mr Gary Brown
Mrs Pearl Bruhn
Ms Jacqueline Bryan
Ms Irene Buchanan
Mr J A Buchanan
Ms Mary Budd
Ms Huong Bui
Mr A B Bunnett OAM
Miss R I Byers
Ms Eliza Camera
Mrs B M Campbell
Mr D Capper
Mr C M Carrigan
Mr Dylan Carter
Mrs Susan Carter
Mr Lee Casey
Mrs Tania Cecconato
Mr Anthony E Chaloner
Ms Susan Chapman
Ms Jill Chapman
Ms Amanda Chapman
Mrs P A Chaston
Mr & Mrs M Chatfield
Dr I G Chenoweth
Ms Mary Chester
Mrs L T Christopherson AM
Mr & Mrs R P Churchill
Mr Ski Clark
Mr Brian Clarke
Miss Stacey Clayton
Clayton Bowls Club Inc
Miss Joanna Clements
Mr John Xavier Clifton
Mr James Coady
Mr F J Coates
Mrs Leanne Coburn
Mr Dale Code
Mr & Mrs George & Dot Coffield
65

Donations 2011
continued
Mr Matt Coghlan
Ms S M Cohen
Mr & Mrs M& L Colabattista
Mr & Mrs R & E Colabattsta
Mr & Mrs Mark & Annie Cole
Ms Helen Colla
Mrs Julie Collins
Mr & Mrs A Collins
Mrs Mandy Collins
Mr M.D. deB. Collins Persse
Mr Ross Coniglione
Mrs Augusta Conte
Miss Sarah Cook
Mr Harry Cooper
Ms Noelene Copper
Mrs N Costello
Ms Katrina Cox
Mr James Craven
Ms Mary Crean
Mr & Mrs Louis & Amanda Crema
Mr & Mrs A & J Cresswell
Ms T Cristiano
Mr Andrew Crook
Mrs Pamela Crosthwaite
Dr Wendy Crouch
Mr P Crowe OAM
Mr & Mrs J & C Crutchfield
Ms Bronwyn Culshaw
Mr Peter Cummiskey
Ms Anne Cunningham
Mr Brian Cunningham
Daimz Trading Pty Ltd
Mrs Dall’ Olio
Mr & Mrs G & N Dall ‘Ollio
Ms Pam Dalrymple
Gaylene and Mario D’Antini
Mr Aldo D’Astoli
Mrs Irene E Davidson
Ms Irene Dawson
Mrs R De Grandis
Mrs S Deeves
Mrs Edna Defina
Mrs Pamela Delbridge
Dr Bill Denholm
Mrs Anne Dickinson
66
Annual report 2011
Mrs June Donald
Ms Alison Donovan
Mr David Dowdle
Mrs Rosemary Drenen
Mrs I Duggan
Ms Leonie Dunnachie
Mrs Anne Dunstone
East Devonport Fellowship Group
Mrs Helen Edmonds
Mrs Sandra Edwards
Mr & Mrs F & M Eggleston
Mr Earl Elpers
Ms Sonia Elphick
Mrs P A Fagg
Ms Kaarin Fairfax
Ms P K Falcinella
The Edwards Family
Felice and Maddalena Fattore
Ms Ann Fernando
Ms Fiona Ferrington
Mr Paul Ferronato
Mr & Mrs Mario & Elizabeth Ferronato
Fitzroy Football Club
Ms Tina Forbes
Mrs Nives Forte
Mr & Mrs FRB Forwood
Mr George Fotakis
Mrs Jane Fox
Mrs Lyn Francis
C.N. Fraser
Vera Freidin
Mrs Valmae Freilich
Mr Frank Freschi
Mrs Vera Friedrich
Mr Fred Frohlich
Mr Jordan Gallagher Lyon
Mr & Mrs Sam Galloway
Mr Desmond Gannon
Ms Adriana Garbayo
Ms Bronwyn Gardiner
Garry Martin & Associates Pty Ltd
Mr H Keith Gaze B.E.
Mr R Gehrig
Mr & Mrs D S & V I Gibb
Mr John Gibbs
Miss Belinda Gibson
Mr Raymond Gilbert
Mrs S Gleeson
Glenroy Probus Club
Mr & Mrs R R Goodes
Mrs Doreen Gordon-Kirkby
Ms Anna Gouttmann
Ms Carla Gow
Ms E M Graham
Mrs M L Gray
Ms Wilma Grogan
Mr B J Grogan OAM
Mr Andrew Grondow
Ms Loris L Grote
Mrs H Gulson
H W I Electrical Ltd
Mrs Alice Halasz
Ms Dorothy Hall
Mrs Shirley Hallows
Miss V E Harding
Mrs Faye Hare
Mr & Mrs G B Hargreaves
Mrs E Harman
Ms Elise Harper
Mrs Elizabeth Harrison
Mr & Mrs T Hart
Ms Azura Hashim-Arshad
Mrs June Haughton
Mrs Susan Hawes
Mrs Margaret A Hawksworth
Mr Joshua Haywood
Mrs Anne-Marie Healy
Mrs Rosemary Heide
Ms Elizabeth M Heinze
Mrs Susanna Henry
Dr Ian Hewson
Mr & Ms Graeme & Chris Higgs
Mrs Margaret Higgs
Ms Margaret Hill
Ms W E Hirst
Mr Paul Hitchinson
Mr & Mrs Ian & Joy Hodgson
Mrs Jean Hofmaier
Mrs H Holman
Mr Allan Holoyda

Ms Nanette Home
Mrs J Homewood
Mr John Hopper
Mr Julian Hopper
Mr Peter Houghton
Mr L Hughes
Miss L Hughes
Mr Eric Hunter
Mr B Hurst
Dr Andrew Hutchison
Dr Agim Hymer
Ms Marilyn Imbery
Mr Jave Ivanovski
Mrs H E Jackson
Ms Nola Jackson
Mr & Mrs A S Jackson
Mr & Mrs K A & N J Jackson
Ms Therese James
James Bennett Pty Ltd
Miss Jennifer Jamison
Mr Bassim Jebeili
Mr Philip Jefferies
Ms Dianne Jenkins
Ms Helen Jennings
Mrs S Johnstone
Mr Ross J Johnstone
Ms Eunice Jolliffe
Mrs Delys Jolly
Mrs C L Jones
Mr Roger Jones
Ms Leonie Joynson
Mrs Rachel Kalman OAM
Ms Margaret Kaye
Mrs Peg Keast
Ms Maree Keating
Ms Sue Kelly
Ms Belinda Kelly
Mr Andrew Kelly
Ms Jennifer Kelso
Mrs J Kennedy
Ms Heather Kinang
Mr & Mrs John & Margaret King
Mr & Mrs B & V King
Mr G E King
Mrs Joyce Kirk
Mr A J Kirkh AM
Mr M C Kirkland
Mr David Knight
Mrs Pam Knott
Ms Jan Knox
Mr & Mrs Bill & Dianne Koller
Mr P Kolliner OAM
Mr & Mrs L & M Kovacs
Mr & Mrs Kowalski
Dr Jerzy Krupinski
Ms Jane Kunstler
Mr G Kuran
Mr Don Kuruppu
Ms Kathy Lai
Ms Joyce Laing
Mrs Lamberti
Mrs Bella Lamers
Mr John Landy AC CVO MBE
Mr R Lanini
Mrs Rita Lavale
Mr & Mrs J & B Le Boeuf
Mr Hoe Lee
Mr Stephen Leitch
Mr & Mrs G F Lenton
Mrs Barbara Leorke
Drs P S & N G Lewis
Mrs Penny Lewisohn
Ms Mary Lipshut
Mr & Mrs I Little
Rod & Marg Lowther
Mrs Joan Lucas
Lundbeck
Mrs Doreen Lydeamore
Mrs M Lynch
Mr John MacDermott
Mr & Mrs Lindy & Roger MacRaild
Mr & Mrs Mario & Julie Magaten
Mrs S P Maher
Mrs Joan Mann
Mrs M D March
Mr S Marks OAM
Miss M I Marris
Mrs Joy L Marsh
Mr & Mrs D Marshall
Mrs Dymphna Mason
Mrs Carmel Mastwyk
Mrs F M Matthews
Mr & Mrs R & B Mazzucchelli
Mr & Mrs C G & P V McAleer
Mr Brian McAllister
M McBriar
Mrs E M McCann
Mr Sean McCarthy
Mr & Mrs Gwen & Peter McCarthy
Mrs J McCauley
Mr Ben J McConchie
Lindy & Glynn McConnell
Mr John McCormack
Mr & Mrs D McCullough
Mr B J McDonald
Mr John McEncroe
Ms Marion McEwin
Clare McGee
Ms Peta McIver
Ms Judith Mckenzie
Ms Roslyn McKnight
Mr W G McLean
Mr John McLeish
Mrs Theresa McManus
Mrs Janice Medway
A & N Mezzalira
F Miccoli
Mrs K Mills
Mir Bros Group of Companies
Mrs Franca Moffa
Mr K Moller
M Monty
R Monty
Mr John Moody
Miss Kate Moore
Mrs Alison Morgan
Miss J Morgan
Mr N Moulden
Mrs Penelope Mullner
Mr George Mulvey
Munday Des & Son
Mrs A I Murphy
Ms Catherine Murphy
Ms Natalie Murray
Mrs Kate Murtagh
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Donations 2011
continued
Mr Neetesh Nambiar
Mr Cyrus Nanavati
Mr and Mrs I T & B M Naylor
Ms Alison Nghiem
Mr Gary Nicholls
Mrs Kerry Nicolussi
Mr C A Nilsen
Mr & Mrs RM & D Nossbaum
Ms Jane Novak
Mr Trevor R Nuttall
Mrs Elizabeth Nuzum
Mr Ian T Oakley
Mrs Cynthia O’Brien
Ms Anne O’Brien
Mr Peter O’Brien
R M O’Collins
Mrs R O’Connor
Mr & Mrs Ian & Shirley O’Keefe
Mrs Clarissa O’Meara
Mr L Orback
Mr Gordon Ortmann
Ms Loren Oscari
Mr & Mrs Richard Oxborrow
Mr John S Palmer
Mrs Ella Panes
Mrs Kamala Paramanathan
Mr G Parham
Mrs Jean Parker
Mrs Anne Parker
Mrs F J Parris
Mr Gerald Pascoe
Mrs Greg Paterson
Mr D Patisteas OAM
Mr Peter John Payne
Ms Linda Pearce
Ms Deb Peart
Mrs Mary Pederick
Ms Tanya Penny
Mr S Perelstein
Ms Christine Perkal
Mr Denis Philipatos
Mrs Catherine Philps
Ms Michelle Picker
Miss C A Pickering
Ms Susan Pike
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Annual report 2011
Dr D M Pinkerton
Mr Roland Pless
Alison & Richard Poole
Mr Alan Powell
Mrs Helen Power
Mr J W R Pratt
Mrs J E Preston
Ms Joan Preston
Ms Elaine Price
VJ & SD Price
Mr Thomas Prince
Mrs Marie Proudlock
Mr J T Prowse
Mrs S Pullen
Miss Sue Pyke
Mr Peter Raad
Ms Carmen Rakic
Mrs Judith Raleigh
Mr Alan Ramsay
Miss Vizma Rasa
Ms Judith Raymond
Ms Patricia Re Sanctis
Ms Estelle Redlich
Mr & Ms I & M Rhodes
Ms Marg Rhodes
Mrs Glenda Rice
Mrs Samantha Rickinson
Ms Fiona Rigg
Mrs Cecilia Rigoni
J Rinaldi
Mr N Rippon
Dr Rachel Robbins
Ms S Robertson
Mrs Marie Robertson
Mr & Mrs S Robertson
Mr & Mrs Arthur and Janet Robertson
Mrs Ann Robertson
Mrs Margaret Robson
Mrs Ivy E Roebuck
Ms Betty Rogers
Ms Kitty Rohan
Mrs L Rosa
Mrs Luciana Rossiani
Mrs A Rossiani
Mrs M Rothman
Mr Alan Rotman
Ms & Mr Cynthia & John Rowe
Mrs Margaret Royston
Mr Logan Russell
Russell Family Trust
Mr Vincent W Sabapro
Ms Vardit Sacks-Davis
Miss Pat Sadler
Mr James W Sadler
Ms Gayle Salisbury
Ms Mary Salispas
Mr Michael Same
Mr Matthew Savage
Ms Mary S Schembri
Mr & Mrs D & W Schieven
Mrs Lilli Schieven
Miss Tahira Scott
Miss Megan Setches
Mrs S Seward
SGI Consulting Group
Mrs Jaya Sharman
Sietel Ltd
Mrs Dorothy Simpson
Mrs M A Sincock
Peter & Einat Singer
Ms Lynne Slade
Ms Sandra Sloane
Ms Justine Sloane-Lees
Dr Maurice Slonim
Small Family Charitable Foundation
MRS Stacey Smith
Ms Heather Smith
Ms Kylie Smith
Mr & Mrs Mike & Maria Smith
Mr Andrew Smith
Mrs Valda Smith
Mr Anthony Smith
Mr Mark Smithies
Mr Samuel Smorgon AO
Mr Barry Smyth
Mr Graham Snell
Ms Liz Somerville
Mr F B Sommervelle
Ms Mavis Sorensen
Mrs Rona Soulsby

Mr & Mrs E Sparrius
Ms Wendy Staal
Mrs Patricia Stallwood
Dr Jan Steel
Ms Katherine Steen
Mr & Mrs Phillip & Genny Steer
Dr & Mrs W B Stephens
Dr P Stephenson
Ms Tracee Stevens
Mrs Margaret Stewart
E Stollery
Ms Caroline Storm
Miss Summer Stott
Mr Stephen Stuart
Mr J N Stucki
Mr & Mrs Anthony Sullivan
Mrs Coral Sundblom
Dr Santhi Devi Suresan
Ms Rene Sutton
Mr & Mrs G & L Swan
Ms Denise Sykes
Mr Stephen Szental
Dr Niv Tadmore
Mr P Taranto
Mr Angelo Taranto
Ms Kathryn Taylor
Mrs Georgina G Taylor
Mr John Taylor
Mr Adam Teeuwsen
Ms Patsy Thatcher
Mrs Sue Thomas
Mr Derek Thompson
Ms Karlene Thompson
Mrs L Thomson
Mr & Mrs A & M Thomson
Mr Dougal Thomson
Mr & Mrs B Tieppo
Ms Gina Tieppo
Mrs Paula Tobias
Mrs V Tolliday
Mr Mitchell Toole
Gabrielle Trainor
Mr & Mrs Ron & Jan Trainor
Mrs E Trevena
Mr & Mrs J & E Treverton
Mr & Mrs Andrew Trimble
Mr & Mrs Vince & Angela Tudini
U3A Melbourne City Inc
Ms M Ullin
Ms Sybil M Ungar
Miss Cinnamon Van Reyk
Mrs R Van Riel
Mrs Lubertha C Van Slageren
Ms Jackie Vandeligt
Mrs Patricia Varga
Mr & Mrs G & A Varrato
Mr Luke Vaughan
Mrs D E Vernon
Ms J.R Vroland
Mr Adam Vujic
Mr John Wagstaff
Ms J Waide
Mr & Mrs Barry & Tina Wakelin
Mrs Adrian Wakenshaw
Mrs J R Walker
Ms Liisa Wallace
Ms Helen Walsh
Mr Stephen Ward
Mr J & R Wardlaw
Mrs Dorothy Warren
Mrs Judith A Waters
Mr Tim Watkin
Mr & Ms Nigel & Stella Watson
Ms Sally Watson
Miss A D Watson
Miss Vanessa Watson
Mr Maxwell Watson
Mrs Norma Watt
Mr Stuart Waugh
Mrs Jill Webber
Ms Brigitte Weber
Ms Sara Weis
Mr Justin Welsh
Mr & Mrs David & Carol West
Ms & Mr Jan & Phil West
Mr Neil M Westaway
Mr Graham Westmore
Mrs Joyce Whistance
Mrs C White
Mr James White
Miss Emily Whitelaw
Mr & Mrs K P & M M Wilks
Ms Carol Willenberg
Toni Williamson
Mrs Judy Wilmot
Mr Ian Wilmoth
Ms Beth Wilson
Mr P Wilson
Yvette Wilson
Miss Doris L L Wisniewski
Mrs June Witheford
Mr Arnold Wittner
Mrs Rosyln Wood
Mr Jon Wood
Mr & Mrs T & M Wood
Dr Philip R Wood
Mrs Brenda Woods
Dr John Woodward
Ms Sandra Wurf
E M Wurf
Mr & Mrs Michael & Lou Yates
Ms Tanya Yi
Mr & Mrs Alan & Linda Young
Ms Kirsty Young
Mr Mario Zaltron
Mr & Mrs G F Zambelli
Mr Victor Ziccone
69

A Brief History
The Kennedy Report of January 1950, identified
the need to upgrade the quality and number
of trained personnel in the Victorian Mental
Health Service sector and set in motion
the establishment of the Mental Health
Research Institute.
The Mental Hygiene Act (1950) created the Mental Hygiene
Authority, which became operational in 1952 under the
chairmanship of Dr Eric Cunningham Dax and Deputy
Chairman Dr Charles Brothers. In 1954, Dr Alan Stoller
was appointed as Chief Clinical Officer to the Authority.
Dax, Brothers and Stoller worked together to create the
Mental Health Research Institute (MHRI).
The Mental Health Research Institute was officially opened on
10 May 1956 by Sir Ian Clunies-Ross, Chairman of the CSIRO.
Dr Stoller had been appointed the inaugural Director. MHRI
became a physical reality within the grounds of the Annex of
the Royal Park Receiving House in pre-fabricated ex-army
buildings. This building subsequently became part of the
Parkville Psychiatric Unit. Research was supported by
collaborations with The University of Melbourne and the
Mental Health Donations Trust Fund (jointly administered by
the University, the Authority and ‘lay representation’).
In 1956, the aims of MHRI were to:
a) act as a focus of research into mental illness in Victoria;
b) study and develop aspects of the prevention of mental
ill-health in Victoria; and
c) promote an informed community understanding of
mental health problems.
The Mental Health Central Library was part of the MHRI at
the beginning. In 1960, a statistical epidemiological unit was
incorporated. The Charles Brothers Museum and Archives
became an integral part in 1965. In 1966, The Parkville
Psychiatric Unit was opened following the foundation of the
Cato Chair of Psychiatry at The University of Melbourne.
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Annual report 2011
In 1970, the Institute was renamed the Institute of Mental
Health Research and Postgraduate Training. Dr Richard
Ball became the Chief Clinical Officer of the Mental Health
Authority and also Director of the Research Institute.
The Neuro-psychiatric Centre at Mont Park Hospital was
incorporated into the Institute. In 1974, the Melville Clinic
(an experimental community mental health centre) was
established, and in 1976, a Drug Information Centre was
also established. Both the Clinic and the Drug Information
Centre were associated with the Institute. A Mental Health
Research Council was established in 1977. From 1978 - 1981,
Dr John Grigor was Chief Clinical Officer and Director of the
Institute, followed by Dr Jerzy Krupinski.
The Health Commission of Victoria was formed in 1978 arising
from the Syme/Townsend Report. This marked the end of
the Mental Health Authority. Under the Chairmanship of Dr
Gad Trevaks, the new Health Commission promoted mental
health research with two major initiatives. One was to arrange
for Monash University to establish a Chair in Psychological
Medicine situated at Royal Park and the Alfred Hospital
(Professor Bruce Singh was appointed in 1984). The second
initiative started in 1979 when the Health Commission, under
the leadership of Dr George Lipton, Director of the Mental
Health Division, convened a Working Party (consisting of D.
Penington, P. Korner, G. Schofield, W. Ironside, R. Scotton,
G. Lipton (chair), W. White, J. Cone and J. Grigor). It presented
its findings in September 1984 and recommended that the
MHRI be further developed, incorporated, be affiliated with
one university and have a close relationship with one or more
mental health services of hospitals. Appropriate funding was
recommended for a new building sited at Royal Park Hospital.
The Commission then sought government approval (from then
Minister David White) for the Institute Director position to be
transferred out of the public service and into an independent
entity with academic affiliations.

In September 1985, Professor David Copolov was recruited
as Director of MHRI, to develop independence outside the
structure of the public service. MHRI then relocated to the
grounds of the Royal Park Hospital in February, 1986, with an
initial staff complement of 13 people, and an annual budget
of less than $500K. Professor Copolov, with the assistance
of Dr Trevaks was successful in persuading Mr Richard
Pratt to become the inaugural Chair of the Board of a fully
incorporated ‘MHRI of Victoria’ in March 1987. In 1993/94,
the Board succeeded in raising funds for a new building on
Oak Street partly incorporating an older pre-World War II
kitchen converted into a laboratory. The institute then grew
to a substantial centre which combined clinical research
with neuroscience activity. In November 2000 the Institute
changed to a company limited by guarantee. In 2010 the
‘of Victoria’ was deleted from the company name.
In 2011, the MHRI relocated into new facilities in the
Melbourne Neuroscience Centres in Parkville and
Heidelberg.
Brief History of the Institute prepared by
Professor Colin Masters. May 2011
Directors of MHRI
1956 – 1969 Dr Alan Stoller
1970 – 1977 Dr Richard Ball
1978 – 1981 Dr John Grigor
1981 – 1985 Dr Jerzy Krupinski
1985 – 2004 Prof David Copolov OAM
2004 – 2006 Prof George Fink
2007 – Prof Colin Masters
Chairs of the Board of the independent MHRI
1987 – 1994 Mr Richard Pratt
1994 – 2002 Dr Ben Lochtenberg
2002 – 2009 Mr Bruce Kean AM
2009 – Dr Sandra Hacker AO
Major Donors to the Melbourne
Neuroscience Project
Commonwealth Government of Australia
Greatorex Foundation
Alison and John Kearney
Ian Potter Foundation
Myer Foundation
David Say
State Government of Victoria
71

Further Information
Donations
Individuals and organisations interested in financially
supporting the Institute’s work, or needing to advise a change
of address, should contact Marketing & Communications on
(03) 8344 1828, or via email enquiries@mhri.edu.au
Institute publications
The annual report is the main source of information for
our supporters. Supplementing this publication is a free
bi-annual newsletter which outlines recent developments
at the Institute. Contact Marketing & Communications on
(03) 8344 1824 for placement on the Towards Understanding
or annual report mailing lists, or simply to notify a change
of address.
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Annual report 2011
Volunteers to assist with research trials
The Institute is always looking for people to assist us with
our research. This assistance can take a number of courses.
For example, sometimes we have new drugs to trial for
Alzheimer’s disease, or we may want to compare responses
in a group of people without mental illness with those
who have a mental illness. Please call the Institute on
(03) 9388 1633 if you would like to be directly involved in
our research.
Bequests
The Institute has been able to continue its research and
add strength to its work thanks to the people who have
remembered the organisation’s work in their will. For further
information about how to make a bequest to The Mental
Health Research Institute, please contact the Bequest
Officer or via email enquiries@mhri.edu.au

Why make a Will
Making a Will ensures that your estate is distributed according
to your wishes. After considering the needs of your family
and friends, do think about making a gift in your Will to our
research. Your gift, no matter what the amount, will help
support our efforts to find better treatments for Alzheimer’s
disease, schizophrenia and depressive illnesses. We strongly
recommend you seek the professional advice of a solicitor
when making your Will. However, a general guideline for
wording is as follows:
I Give Devise And Bequeath to the Mental Health
Research Institute Incorporated of 30 Royal
Parade, Parkville, free of all duties the sum
of……………. (or details of real property,
shares or other assets) to be applied by it for its
general purposes and I direct that the receipt
of its Treasurer or other proper officer shall be
full and sufficient discharge to my Executors.
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74
Thanks for
your support
To each of our supporters, thank you for your
important contribution supporting our
researchers in their endeavours to find the
missing pieces of the puzzle which will enable
the detection, prevention and treatment of
mental illness and neurodegenerative disease.
Annual report 2011

Linh
Lam
Dedicated staff
Research Assistant
“In 2011, I was involved in Alzheimer’s disease
research and the oxidation biology of the
Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) associated
with the disease. The highlight for me was
definitely the time where my group discovered
a possible oxidase function of APP which
resulted in a number of high impact peer-
reviewed scientific journal publications. I look
forward to continuing my research at MHRI.”
75

Kenneth Myer Building
30 Royal Parade (corner Genetics Lane)
Parkville VIC 3052
T: +61 3 9388 1633
F: +61 3 9035 8642
E: enquiries@mhri.edu.au
mhri.edu.au ABN 48 101 228 451