Director’s message

Welcome to the first Bulletin for 2023 and my first as Director of Menzies.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first few months in the role, and I am looking forward to meeting more of you as I continue my involvement in events and engagement activities.

I’m passionate about connecting Menzies even more with the community, and as part of that mission we will be featuring a ‘Spotlight on a Study’ in each Bulletin with additional funding to the tune of $765,000.

MS is the most commonly acquired chronic neurological disease affecting young adults and affects three times more women than men. As yet, there is no cure.

The research projects information about how you can be involved in our research.

Dr Nicholas Blackburn’s research will identify potential MS-associated genes by studying families where multiple members have MS. They will look for changes in genes that may lead to the disease by comparing the genes of family members with MS to those without. After finding these genetic changes, Dr Blackburn aims to identify how they lead to MS development.

Menzies will be increasingly contacting our supporters via email.

If you would like to provide Menzies with your current email address, please email Menzies.Advancement@utas.edu.au or phone 6226 7707. Thank you.

Another way we are increasing the community’s connection to our research is through our consumer involvement program. In this Bulletin, you will meet our wonderful Consumer and Community Involvement Coordinator, Dimitra Papavassiliou, who facilitates inclusion of members of the community in every

Dr Bennet McComish’s research will unravel how MS prevalence has evolved. MS is a genetic disease with a complex risk profile. In addition, it is more common in populations of European ancestry, and more common further from the equator within those populations. It is likely that this pattern has been shaped by natural selection. Dr McComish’s project is designed to identify specific combinations of genetic variants that cause MS and have undergone natural selection and help to understand the mechanisms of disease.

Alice Saul ’s research will focus on the role of pain in MS. While pain is prevalent in MS there is still uncertainty about the nature of MS-related pain, stage of our research, to not only improve what we do, but most importantly to improve health outcomes for Tasmanians

As always, we also feature our latest research findings that may be of interest to you, as well as profiles of our team. I look forward to continuing to further the Menzies mission of better health and better lives for Tasmanians.

Kind regards,

Professor Tracey Dickson Director

how pain fluctuates over time in the short and long-term, and how it relates to other symptoms of MS. Ms Saul’s project may improve our understanding of the different types of MS related pain. The project aims to develop advice on pain management and to design treatment intervention studies for specific types of pain.

Professor Bruce Taylor ’s research will look at the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and if it works well for people living with MS. This will include evaluating the impact of becoming an NDIS participant on quality of life and workforce participation and identifying barriers and facilitators to accessing support.