Tasmanian researcher, Associate Professor James Vickers from the University of Tasmania, will receive $300,000 in Federal funding for research into ageing of the brain.
Announcing the grant today, Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, said Professor Vickers' project would examine brain features associated with 'healthy' ageing, as well as brain changes that heralded the beginning of 'pathological' ageing of the brain leading to Alzheimer's Disease.
"The project will provide important targets for therapeutic interventions to either prevent or slow down Alzheimer's Disease," she said.
"In addition, the researchers will investigate whether a blood test that detects the products of brain degeneration can be useful in identifying individuals in the very earliest stage of the disease."
The Minister said eight research projects across Australia would receive a total of $1.7 million, under the National Health and Medical Research Council's Strategic Healthy Ageing Program.
The other seven projects in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia would each study an aspect of the ageing process to help improve the health outcomes for an ageing Australian population.
"With an ageing population, healthy ageing is very properly a national research priority," Senator Patterson said.
"Each of these projects will, by increasing our knowledge about the processes of ageing, allow us to improve health outcomes for, and the quality of life of, our ageing population or will provide information to help prevent diseases of ageing in the Australian community."