A Research Fellow in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Pratishtha works with Professor Ralph Martins AO and other Australian and international pioneers in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

Prathistha and her colleagues recently published a breakthrough paper that suggests a blood test could be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s decades before symptoms appear.

1.  Your journey to Macquarie
I grew up in India. My father was a submariner in the Indian Navy, so I got the opportunity to experience various cities and schools (in Bombay, Delhi, Vizag, Kochi) every couple of years. I then moved to Hyderabad to pursue a Bachelor of Technology degree (in Biotechnology) before I came to Australia for a PhD at the University of Western Australia.

2. Something you’re proud of
Overcoming personal constraints to create an impact, for the betterment of society.

3. Something people usually ask you when they find out what you do for living
“I think I am getting Alzheimer’s – when will you be able to test me?”

4. The first person you go to for advice
My husband, because I trust him.

5. A website or app you can’t live without
Viber/ WhatsApp – I get to see and talk to my parents in India every day!

6. What you like about where you live
I live in Carlingford, which is affordable, quiet, peaceful, and yet close to the University.

7. You’re happiest when…
I get an email from a journal editor which reads something like… “I am pleased to inform you that your article has…. “

8. A personal quality you value in others
An eye for detail and consideration for others.

9. Your definition of success
Achieving a feat which would eventually benefit a sizable cross section of the public.

10. Something you’d like staff to know about
There are so many exciting findings coming up within the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease research space (including our recently published paper in Nature)

You can follow @CoMBAT-AD and @PratishthaChat7 on Twitter to keep up with updates on our research.

The new research has uncovered the ‘secret pathways’ by some aggressive breast cancers to avoid detection, which will likely lead to improved treatments for metastatic breast cancers (those that spread to other parts of the body). Read about this breakthrough in The Lighthouse >>

1) In a nutshell, my job is to…
Work with inspiring colleagues and cancer carers/survivors to look for evidence, like a detective to catch the “culprit” that is causing a dreadful cancer!

2) My definition of success is…
Having a good work-life balance.

3) This year I want to…
…wait, what happened to 2020?

4) The scariest thing I’ve ever done is…
Learn about the evolution of Coronavirus in 2020.

5) As a kid, I was…
Very talkative and always asking questions about many topics around me.

6) My guilty pleasure is…
Netflix!

7) I’m scared of…
Being bored!

8) The most important thing I’ve learned in the last five years is…
Don’t take things for granted, be appreciative of others and always spend time with loved ones.

9) I’m happiest when…
I’m traveling with my wife to explore new cultures and places.

10) If I had the day off today, you would find me…
Buzzing around my garden, planting new plants.

Jacqueline has taken over the reins from outgoing Chair Mariella Herberstein, who has been appointed to the role of interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

Prior to joining Macquarie in 2009, Jacqueline trained as a veterinarian at the University of Sydney and after a couple of years in practice went back and did her PhD at the Australian National University. She also undertook postdoctoral and academic positions in Auckland, New Zealand and Perth.

“My research is in autonomic and sensory neuroscience, focused on how the brain controls the cardiovascular system and how this goes wrong in kidney disease,” Jacqueline explains.

“The goal of my work is to reduce the risk of death for sufferers of kidney disease, and in particular patients with a condition called polycystic kidney disease, by reducing their risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.”

Jacqueline is excited to get cracking in her new role and meet the challenges that COVID-19 has thrown at the higher education industry.

1. In a nutshell, my new job is to…
Lead the Academic Senate to ensure that as a University, we do our best possible job in continually striving for excellence in how we undertake learning, teaching and research.

2. My definition of success is…
That no-one realises how good a job we are doing, because good governance means we don’t end up on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald. And more seriously, that I can effectively engage the members of Academic Senate and the wider University community to achieve both our short-term and long-term goals in assuring the quality of what we do.

3. A person at Macquarie who inspires me is…
Associate Professor Ann Goodchild. Ann was one of the reasons I came to Macquarie and while she has now retired, she has been a mentor for me (probably without knowing it) since I undertook my first postdoctoral job. I was continually inspired by her passion for research, commitment to her work, and her sheer strength of character and personality.

4. This year I want to…
Get to really understand my new role and meet the challenges that COVID-19 has thrown at us in both undergraduate and postgraduate education.

5. The scariest thing I’ve ever done is…
Give birth the first time…and rock climb.

6. As a kid, I was…
Always getting into trouble bringing home stray animals to keep.

7. My guilty pleasure is…
Streets Blue Ribbon ice cream with (lots of) caramel sauce and slivered almonds.

8. I’m scared of…
Not much really – I am worried about the impact of COVID-19 and that we aren’t doing enough to stop the effects of climate change. The bushfires in 2020 and the loss of native wildlife was something I found absolutely devastating.

9. The most important thing I’ve learned in the last five years is…
To trust in my own capabilities and potential.

10. I’m happiest when…
I’m running, cycling or walking my dogs (or maybe it’s when I’m having coffee).

Isabella will be donning her sphygmomanometer for next week’s free blood pressure checks for staff and students, as part of May Measurement Month.

1) In a nutshell, my job is to…
Conduct research relating to blood pressure and stiffness of arteries, measure blood pressure, and assess vascular function.

2) The question I hear most often in my work is…
“How was my blood pressure today?”

3) The thing I find most rewarding in my role is…
Research. I’m constantly being challenged to not just accept the way things are normally done, but instead to really understand the “why” and “how”, then to find out the “where to from here”.

4) The bravest thing I’ve done is…
Giving birth to two children without pain relief.

5) A place that’s special to me is…
Glenelg Beach in Adelaide, SA.

6) My mother/father always told me…
“Life is about making choices.” My father’s speech at my wedding was about just that.

7) My guilty pleasure is…
Watching Japanese anime and reading manga.

8) I’m scared of…
Spiders and cockroaches, and any insect that flies towards me (except butterflies)!!!

9) My hidden talent is…
Touch typing at around 85-90 words per minute (still a long way off from the record holder of 212 words per minute, though!).

10) Something I’ve never done but wanted to try is…
Measure someone’s blood pressure in space (sadly I’m too unfit to ever be able to go into space).

Inspired by the latest scientific discoveries of Professor Martins and his neurobiology team in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Maggie came up with Recipes For Life which contains more than 200 recipes that help provide the nutrients we need for optimum brain health.

More than one million Australians and their families are affected by Alzheimer’s, but research has shown healthy eating, regular aerobic exercise and plenty of mental stimulation can help reduce the risk of developing the disease.

Professor Martins said ‘lifestyle’ diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease increases our chances of developing brain damage in the future. But he said a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, dairy foods, healthy fats and whole grains can help fight cognitive decline.

“You have the power to give yourself the very best chance of a healthy future,” Professor Martins said.

“The good news is that we have begun to identify the factors that can reduce a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s and some other forms of dementia, and slow its progression.”

The proceeds from Recipes For Life will be shared between the Maggie Beer Foundation and the Lions Alzheimer’s Research Foundation.

Maggie, whose Pheasant Farm shop in South Australia’s Barossa Valley is a popular tourist destination, said meals in the new book could have immediate health benefits.

“To have a healthy old age you must act now, whether you are 30 or 50,” she said.

“I have been delighted to work with Professor Ralph Martins and I have learned that if we are to avoid Alzheimer’s and other lifestyle diseases, it is what we eat today that matters.”

Recipes For Life is published by Simon & Schuster and is on sale now for $39.99

MQ Health brings together leading research, clinical care and key partners to improve the lives of Alzheimer’s patients and their communities. MQ Health is working toward becoming one of the leading integrated ageing and dementia research and treatment hubs in the world. We host one of six high-profile, federally funded dementia research teams – which include some of Australia’s leading researchers – and actively participate in other world-class dementia research both in Australia and internationally.

An international study led by Dr Kelly Williams and Associate Professor Ian Blair from the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has linked the cause of two seemingly unrelated diseases: motor neurone disease (MND) and frontotemporal dementia.

The recently-released research was published in Nature Communications, and featured on Channel 10 news and Channel 9 news nationally.

Dr Williams and Associate Professor Blair identified variations in a gene called CCNF in a discovery that has significant implications for further studies into the cause of both conditions as well as research into patient treatments.

The gene variations were initially found in some patients with the inherited form of the diseases, but were also subsequently found in some with the ‘sporadic’ forms, which are those without a family history of these diseases.

While there was an earlier discovery of another gene implicated in causing these diseases, Macquarie’s researchers were able to extend the study by identifying a common pathway by which CCNF mutations seem to cause both diseases.

“A hallmark feature of most MND and frontotemporal dementia patients is the presence of abnormal proteins in the dying nerves. A functioning CCNF gene assists in ridding neurones, or nerves, of abnormal or excess proteins. Our research found that the mutations in the gene appear to disrupt this process causing nerve death,” said Associate Professor Blair.

Gene variations in CCNF were found in patients from across the world including Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain, Japan, the United States and United Kingdom, with implications for global populations and diagnostics around the world.

“While a relatively small number of patients who have MND or frontotemporal dementia have this abnormal gene, this research points to a pathway of nerve death that may be common among many, if not most patients,” said Associate Professor Blair.

This research is an important step that represents another ‘smoking gun’ to help develop and test therapies and add to diagnostic regimes for these diseases and to the bank of knowledge about their biology.

“We can use this research to replicate the disease in a lab environment to explore the occurrence in both ‘inherited’ and sporadic forms, which will assist us in identifying potential treatments to slow disease progression, and further down the line, find cures for both,’ said Dr Williams.