An idea to bring together experts in the fields of motor neuron disease (MND) has come to fruition, with the official opening of the UQ Centre for MND Research.
At the helm of the Centre are Co-Directors Associate Professor Shyuan Ngo from UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology and Associate Professor Frederik Steyn from UQ’s School of Biomedical Sciences.
Dr Steyn said the Centre is Australia’s largest collective of MND researchers, focused on improving the lives of people living with MND and frontotemporal dementia.
“The Centre operates as a virtual, university-wide hub for MND research collaboration, bringing together more than 100 researchers across 27 groups to tackle the disease from every possible angle,” Dr Steyn said.
“Our mission is to foster teamwork, accelerate discoveries, and ensure people with MND across Queensland, including those in regional and remote areas, can easily engage in research.”
The idea for the Centre was driven by Dr Ngo who championed the idea of a statewide MND research network to bring together experts and break down silos for years.
That vision became a reality in 2022 with the establishment of the MND at UQ Collective. The collective has now expanded to now include the UQ Centre for MND Research which officially opened on Friday 4 July 2025.
Dr Ngo said that at the heart of the centre is the community.
“By working together and creating an environment for researchers to succeed, we can improve outcomes so people can live better lives and potentially avoid a terminal diagnosis,” Dr Ngo said.
“As the Centre gets underway, we are already looking to expand its impact.
“We’re building a statewide neurologist network to help deliver parts of our research remotely,” she explains.
“That means things like blood sample collection can happen closer to home, easing the travel load and the day-to-day burden of disease.”
Read more about the Centre on the School of Biomedical Sciences website and read more about Dr Ngo’s journey from UQ student to Centre Director.