The Brain Matters Podcast

Primary brain cancer affects almost 2000 Australians every year and is sadly incurable. In this episode we’ll hear about how neuroscience might improve outcomes for people with brain cancer. Our guests are Professor Lucy Palmer, head of The Florey’s Neural Network Group. Lucy’s team works with live brain tissue samples donated by generous cancer patients, to better understand the relationship between tumours and the brain. We’ll also hear from Professor Kate Drummond,...

Motor neurone disease was first described in the 1800s, but it’s only in the last two decades that researchers have been able to make serious inroads into understanding this fatal neurodegenerative disease. Treatments remain very limited for patients and a cure is still some way off – but why is MND so challenging for patients, for their doctors and for researchers? Is there hope on the horizon? In this episode, we tackle just that. Joining us is neurologist and Florey researcher, Dr Th...

Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition in the world affecting 50 million people. But the myriad of seizures types, seizure severity, clinical history, genetics and responses to medication can make it increasingly difficult to fully diagnose and treat. Add to this the variability in healthcare systems and infrastructure, the ‘postcode lottery’ of services available – particularly in rural and regional areas – and it’s no wonder that seizure control can feel out of reach for m...

An estimated 400 million people have an alcohol use disorder globally, with millions more experiencing problems with drugs and gambling. But, despite its magnitude, addiction is one of the most misunderstood health conditions. How does the human brain become addicted? Why are addictions so difficult to treat? And what does the future look like for people experiencing these neuropsychological problems? Together with The Florey’s Professor Andy Lawrence, Turning Point’s Professor Dan Lubm...