Professor Justin Yerbury, a leading researcher in neuroscience who is living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), has been awarded the 2022 UNSW Eureka Prize for Scientific Research.
According to the organisers of the annual Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, Professor Yerbury’s work has contributed to a paradigm shift in the understanding of the biochemical processes that lead to the loss of motor neurones in MND.
“This new way of thinking about MND has already led to his laboratory developing new therapeutic targets,” it said.
Professor Yerbury leads a research program based at the University of Wollongong’s Molecular Horizons Institute and the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute that has challenged prevailing thought about the pathology of MND.
“Investigations led by Professor Yerbury have demonstrated that protein deposits found in motor [neurones], the hallmark of MND, result from dysfunction in a process known as protein homeostasis. This is a breakthrough discovery that is informing the search for new therapies,” the Eureka Prize organisers said.
Professor Yerbury began his science research career following the diagnosis and deaths of several family members from MND. He completed his PhD in 2008, and was diagnosed with MND in 2016. The condition has left him paralysed, unable to speak, and unable to breathe independently.
Professor Yerbury said, “it is a real honour to receive this recognition from the Eureka prizes.”
“The award, to me, is a recognition of the hard work and sacrifice that my team has made in our quest to improve the lives of Australians living with MND. It is a reflection of the amazing efforts of those that make it all possible, including my wife Rachel, my family, my research team, and all those that have donated to our research.”
According to the University of Wollongong, his work has been accessed over 25,000 times and citations continue to rise indicating the growing impact of his research.
The Yerbury Lab is now seeking funds to translate the research findings into tests and treatments for MND, via the Motor Neurone Disease Fund website.