2024 GSK Award recognises neurodegeneration researcher

Internationally renowned neuroscientist Professor Matthew Kiernan has received the 2024 GSK Award for Research Excellence — one of the most prestigious and longstanding independent awards open to the Australian medical research community — in recognition of his work in neurodegenerative disease, particularly motor neurone disease (MND) and frontotemporal dementia.

Kiernan, who serves as CEO and Institute Director at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and Scientia Professor of Neuroscience at UNSW, is known for introducing techniques that allow scientists to study how nerve cells communicate with one another. His discoveries have elevated global understanding of the mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease, which has helped scientists to identify new therapeutic targets.

“It’s an exciting time to be working within the field of neuroscience,” said Kiernan, who is hopeful that conditions like dementia will be manageable within the next two decades.

“For a long time, one of the key challenges facing neurologists was understanding how neurodegeneration begins in the brain. Our research has provided key information about the critical functional changes that occur prior to the onset of a neurodegenerative disease.

“We are now able to delineate between the normal function of the brain and the key mechanisms of disease. This new perspective is paving the way for innovative therapies and treatment options for conditions like MND and frontotemporal dementia.”

Dr Bec Sheean, Director of Research and Programs at FightMND, said Kiernan’s research has been particularly critical to understanding more about MND — a condition that affects the nerves in the body controlling movement, eventually leading to complete paralysis.

“Professor Kiernan is one of Australia’s leading MND neurologists and his research is not only helping to advance our understanding of this terrible disease, but also providing hope and opportunities for Australian patients to participate in clinical trials,” Sheean said.

“We congratulate Professor Kiernan on receiving this prestigious award and know his work is making a difference for all people who are impacted by this condition.”

Kiernan’s work has helped define diagnostic criteria for neurodegenerative diseases and established consensus guidelines that have now been adopted by the World Federation of Neurology. Clinical trials of new innovative therapies are also underway across the globe thanks to his research.

Kiernan said he will use the $100,000 grant accompanying the GSK Award for Research Excellence to establish a clinical fellowship to underpin the development of a national clinical trials program. This will improve patient access to new trials and enable more robust assessment of clinical data.

“Further developing our national clinical trials program is a major priority for our team,” Kiernan said. “This grant provides an important opportunity to establish a clinical fellowship focused on translational research and precision medicine approaches for all patients across Australia.”

The accolade was officially presented to Kiernan at Research Australia’s 2024 Health and Medical Research Awards, held on 14 November in Melbourne. Dr Alan Paul, Executive Country Medical Director at GSK Australia, said he was delighted to welcome Kiernan to the distinguished list of GSK Award for Research Excellence alumni members.

“His outstanding work deserves recognition — he really is paving the way when it comes to neurodegeneration research,” Paul said. “We are thrilled to support Matthew and his team as they continue their endeavour to improve health outcomes for patients locally and globally.”

Image caption: Professor Matthew Kiernan has won the 2024 GSK Award for Research Excellence. Image credit: NeuRA.