A neuroscientist at the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, which is an institute of the University of Tasmania, is one of two inaugural winners of a prestigious national award that recognises leadership in stem cell research.

A neuroscientist at the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, which is an institute of the University of Tasmania, is one of two inaugural winners of a prestigious national award that recognises leadership in stem cell research.

Dr Kaylene Young has been named today as a winner of the Metcalf Prize. Dr Young's expertise is in the potential for stem cells in the brain to repair brain injuries and even treat diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's.

She and her colleagues at Menzies have found neural stem cells and related progenitor cells-which feed, protect and assist nerve cells-in the outer part of the brain most prone to damage, known as the cortex.

By understanding the behaviour and function of these cells, they one day hope to use them for treating nervous and brain disorders or damage.

"Our ultimate goal is to harness the regenerative capacity of these cells for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, mental health disorders, and traumatic brain injury," Dr Young said.

The progenitor cells are the only cells, apart from other neurons, with which nerve cells communicate electrically, Dr Young says, and that means there may be an electrical means of controlling them or modifying their behaviour to induce regeneration.

The two $50,000 awards have been given by the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia in recognition of the pioneering stem cell scientist Professor Don Metcalf, who continues to work in the field and will be available to act as a mentor to the prize winners in the year following their award.

Dr Young completed her PhD at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne in 2005 and then undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at University College, London. She came to Menzies in 2011 and set up her own research group at the institute.

Dr Young wants to use the Metcalf Prize money to further her work in several ways, such as purchasing necessary new equipment for her laboratory and conference travel to meet other leading researchers in her field.

The winner of the other inaugural Metcalf Prize is Jose Polo, who is unveiling the details of how stem cells can be produced from adult cells through a process of identity theft and reprogramming. Dr Polo is a Sylvia and Charles Viertel Senior Medical Research Fellow at the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Monash University and the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute.

The National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia (NSCFA) is a health-promotion charity dedicated to promoting the study and responsible use of stem cells to reduce the burden of disease.

Profiles and photos available at www.stemcellfoundation.net.au

Contact details

For an interview with Dr Young contact:

Miranda Harman

Communications and Marketing Manager

Menzies Research Institute Tasmania

03 6226-7751

0427 199 562

Miranda.harman@utas.edu.au

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