Hilliard

The Hilliard lab is tackling the question: how do neurons stay intact and what happens when they don’t? By uncovering both the intrinsic resilience of neurons and the critical role of their surrounding environment, the team work is helping to redefine what is possible in nerve repair, laying the groundwork for therapies that actively restore connections

Researchers at UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) and the School of Biomedical Sciences have discovered a nanoscale molecular scaffold that helps protect neuronal communication.

QBI researchers have discovered a molecule that protects brain cells from oxidative stress and damage, opening new avenues for possible treatments for brain diseases.

Professor Massimo Hilliard and Dr Ramon Martinez-Marmol have discovered viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 can cause brain cells to fuse, initiating malfunctions that lead to chronic neurological symptoms.

Researchers have identified a molecule essential for regulating the repair of injured nerves, which could help people recover from nerve damage.   

Researchers have revealed if touch-sensing neurons are attached to the surrounding skin correctly, they can avoid breakages and degeneration.

Neural fusion was deemed to be impossible but QBI researchers have made it happen in nematodes and it caused behavioural impairments.

Professors Massimo Hilliard and Geoffrey Goodhill have received NHMRC Investigator grants to continue their research, helping shed light on brain and neurodevelopmental disorders.