Category archives: Media Articles

Finally, the Hancock family gets an answer for Ashton

IT has taken five years of genetic detective work to give a name to the condition that has robbed Ashton Hancock of his ability to hear, talk and walk. Doctors suspected he had a syndrome when he was born six years ago, but gene analysis technology was not yet able to complete a full interrogation of his DNA. Last year, through the work of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute’s neurogenetic […]

Australian experts help drive new international brain consortium

A new international consortium for scientists researching disorders of the mid-section of the brain (or corpus callosum) has met for the first time and pledged to work together to not only find its genetic causes but also to track the outcome for people affected with these disorders. The corpus callosum is the largest ‘wiring’ pathway in the brain, connecting the left and right hemispheres and responsible for integrating information. About […]

ABC RN All In The Mind - The mysterious corpus callosum

On Sunday 8th we featured on ABC Radio National’s program All In The Mind.  Listen to the full episode on the RN website below. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/the-mysterious-corpus-callosum/7377346 The corpus callosum links one side of our brain to the other. It’s not essential for survival, but in some people it’s missing or malformed, and this can cause quite mild to extreme disabilities. Some people may not even know of the problem until they have […]

ANS presidency returns to QBI

QBI’s new Deputy Director (Research) Professor Linda Richards assumed the position of President Elect of the Australasian Neuroscience Society at their annual meeting in August 2015 in Cairns, and will become ANS President in 2016. In a year that has also seen her elected as a fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences, Professor Richards is enthusiastic about the opportunities presented by these roles. “I see the ANS presidency as […]

Meet the Perth mum behind one of Australia’s leading brain disorder advocacy groups

It is estimated that just one baby in every 3000 is born with a disorder of the middle part of the brain (corpus callosum) however incredibly two of Kristina Coburn’s three boys have the condition. The corpus callosum has more than 200 million nerve fibres making it the largest wiring pathway in the brain, transmitting information between the left and right hemispheres. In some babies the corpus callosum is completely […]