Have you ever seen a brainbow?

In her investigations, Professor Ponsonby looks into the combined effects of environmental factors, underlying molecular pathways, genetics and the effectiveness of preventative interventions. Her approach transforms research into health outcomes.

Safe sleeping in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

The pioneering research that Professor Ponsonby was a part of in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has lasting impacts today. She was CoPrincipal Investigator of a large birth cohort study of over 10,000 infants which generated new knowledge and guidelines for SIDS, including findings on safe sleeping positions and environments. In 2013, the Australian Bureau of Statistics marked a decline in SIDS incidence rates by 80% following these recommendations between 1990 and 2012.

Vitamin D and sun exposure in Multiple Sclerosis

Professor Ponsonby has contributed to studies building evidence for the association between higher vitamin D levels and reduced risk of subsequent multiple sclerosis. This new key understanding was used to update international guidelines on vitamin D and sun exposure for people with multiple sclerosis or people at risk of developing the disease. Further to this research, clinical trials are in progress pursuing this area of investigation.

Optimising early environment to reduce food allergy

The establishment of research evidence on infant nutrition and food allergy by Professor Ponsonby helped contribute to the update of Australian and international infant feeding guidelines. She is pursuing additional research in infant nutrition aiming to identify healthy gut microbes that may benefit the immune system in pregnant women and infants.

This beautiful tractography image was taken by Dr Thijs Dhollander from the Florey's advanced MRI development group. This technique, combining diffusion MRI and tractography, doesn’t just take pretty pictures. It’s also an important clinical tool for doctors showing nerve fibre pathways throughout the brain to help visualise nerve tracks and avoid damage to important areas of the brain during surgery.