Physiotherapy department making progress on motor neuron disease research
Professor David Berlowitz, Dr Marnie Graco, and Dr Nicole Sheers participated in an event at Parliament House in Canberra on 24 June to celebrate Global Motor Neuron Disease (MND) Awareness Day and honour 30 leaders in the MND field in recognition of the MND Australia 30th anniversary.
Every day, two Australians are diagnosed with MND, and two die from it. There is no cure for this degenerative disease, and so people with MND typically lose the ability to walk, talk, swallow, and breathe. Whilst there is much to be done, MND Australia’s anniversary and Global MND day served as a recognition of the progress that has been made over the past 30 years.
David was amongst a select group of community activists, clinicians and researchers who were presented with lifetime achievement awards, which recognise significant contributions towards MND in the last 30 years. David was cited for “building a team dedicated to championing research around respiratory support”. Nicole chairs the MND Collective Clinical Care driving team which Marnie and David sit on. Additionally, Marnie sits on the Lived Experience Expert driving team, David on the Discovery Research team, and Nicole is a MND Research Collaborative board member.
