Funding grant to help study of MND
Doctor hopes funding from the transport industry will help researchers “tame the beast” of Motor Neurone DiseaseThe recipient of a funding grant for studies into Motor Neurone Disease says he hopes his research will help find answers to “tame the beast that is MND”.
Doctor John Lee at The University of Queensland’s School of Biomedical Sciences will receive a research grant as part of $555,850 raised by Australian logistics insurer NTI and delivered through the MND and Me Foundation.
NTI raised the funds earlier this year through record-breaking ticket sales for an expedition vehicle, featuring a truck and luxury motorhome.
Dr Lee said it was a great privilege to be awarded the NTI MND Research Grant for 2023.
“This grant from NTI will allow me to continue my research on understanding the role of our immune system in driving this fire in the brain and spinal cord of MND patients which leads to motor neurons dying,” Dr Lee said.
“This research grant will help us to understand this process better so we can put this fire out.”
Dr Lee said the funds would have a direct impact on his research.
“The funds from NTI will assist us in hiring a research assistant to undertake the testing of drugs developed by our industry collaborator in mouse models of MND. We will also use the funds to help us examine immune cells from patients with MND,” he said.
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“From this work, we hope to identify potential new treatments to test in people living with MND.”
NTI CEO Tony Clark said the organisation had now raised more than $1.5 million for MND research over four years.
“We’re proud to continue supporting research into MND to help find treatments and ultimately a cure for this difficult disease,” Mr Clark said.
“It’s a cause very close to our hearts with our former CEO Wayne Patterson losing his battle with MND in 2018.”
Ian Fuller of the Blue Mountains was named the winner of the truck raffle in July. He and his wife Margaret have already put the truck through its paces with a trip around Queensland’s Cape York.
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