Virtual reality (VR) is more than just a video game tool — it’s helping advance our understanding of memory. At UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute, cognitive neuroscientist Professor Jason Mattingley, PhD student Richard Ronayne, and research assistant Jayce Rushton are using VR to immerse people in a world they can explore to test their navigational and spatial memory. In part one of this two-part series, our guests discuss:The different types of memory Why traditional memory tests may need refiningRichard’s unique journey from mining sites to neuroscience labsThe inspiration behind using VR to test memory What a VR experiment looks like for participantsRelated papers and resources:What is memory?Types of memory
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The fusion frontier
Professor Massimo Hilliard and Dr Ramon Martinez-Marmol grew up far from Queensland – Massimo in Naples, Italy, and Ramon in Catalonia, Spain. Their passion for biology led them both overseas as postdoctoral researchers: Massimo to the United States, and then Ramon to Australia. In 2015, they met at UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute, where Ramon joined the Meunier lab before moving to the Hilliard lab in 2020 as a Research Fellow. Together, they have been extending the limits of what is known or expected about neuronal fusion. In this fascinating conversation, Massimo and Ramon explore: What happens when neurons fuse How viral infections, like Covid-19, can induce fusion, disrupting neural circuits The surprising role of a tiny, transparent roundworm, C.elegans, in advancing their research How the lab’s discoveries of critical molecular players, like fusogens, may one day revolutionise nerve injury repairAdvice for early-career researchers pursuing discovery scienceRelated resources SARS-CoV-2 infection and viral fusogens cause neuronal and glial fusion that compromises neuronal activityEFF-1-mediated regenerative axonal fusion requires components of the apoptotic pathwayFusogen-mediated neuron−neuron fusion disrupts neural circuit connectivity and alters animal behavior
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Surviving, treating, fighting stroke
In this special World Stroke Day edition, three remarkable women open up about stroke from every angle — surviving it, treating it, and fighting it in the lab. Letishia Living was just 35 when her life changed overnight; today, she’s a powerful voice for young stroke survivors. Tennille Rowland, an occupational therapist on the frontlines of recovery, reveals the strategies behind rebuilding lives and QBI neuroscientist, Dr Matilde Balbi, takes us inside her cutting-edge research searching for new treatments to heal the brain.In this informative podcast, our three guests discuss:Surviving a stroke as a parentAdvice for stroke survivors and the importance of support networksThe challenges for young stroke survivors in the acute recovery phaseStrategies to support young stroke survivorsHow the brain recovers from strokeGamma frequency stimulation's role in stroke recoveryRelated papers and Resources The brief executive language screen: sensitivity and specificity in acute to early sub-acute strokeNew screening tool to help stroke survivorsStroke signs and symptomsQueensland Brain Injury CollaborativeThe Stroke Foundation
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Cracking the MND code
In this episode, Dr Margreet Ridder — whose project was ranked the top FightMND-funded study in 2024 — reflects on her journey to becoming a researcher at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) with her group leader, Professor Pankaj Sah. She shares how her fascination with neuronal communication led her to electrophysiology and ultimately to pursue gene therapy as a potential treatment for motor neurone disease (MND). In this insightful conversation, Pankaj and Margreet discuss: Why hyperactivity in neurons has become an attractive target for MND treatments The science of gene therapy Gene therapy’s potential to treat MND How viruses can be harnessed for good The challenges discovery scientists face Discover how their work is paving the way for future treatments — and why hope for MND starts with discovery. Related resources The story behind Margreet’s pioneering research into MND Motor neurone disease
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Getting inside bipolar
Please note that this episode contains discussions about suicidal ideation, which some listeners may find distressing. If you or someone you know is affected by these kinds of issues, we encourage you to seek support from professional services. Heather Cruickshank was pursuing a lifelong dream to become a medical doctor when bipolar disorder, a complex mental health condition, stopped her in her tracks and forced her to rethink her career. A chance encounter with QBI Associate Professor Susannah Tye, internationally renowned for her research into the biological mechanisms behind mood disorders, encouraged Heather to use her lived experience to pave the way for more effective treatments for bipolar disorder. In this compelling conversation, Sue and Heather explore: · The link between mental and physical health · What it’s like to have bipolar disorder · Why studying the biology of mood disorders matters · The role of melatonin, oxidative stress and dopamine· How lived experience can help shape research
A Grey Matter is for anyone who has ever wondered how we think, feel, reason and move. The Queensland Brain Institute's neuroscience podcast unlocks the wonders of the brain – the complex and mysterious core of who we are and what makes us human. QBI researchers, at The University of Queensland, strive to understand the development, organisation and function of the brain in health and disease. www.qbi.uq.edu.au
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