Natural medicine research

Boost for natural medicine research Swinburne’s: Brain Sciences Institutehas been awarded $350,000 to establish the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) Collaborative Centre for Study of Natural Medicines and Neurocognition in Health and Disease.

Swinburne is one of only three universities in Australia to receive funding totalling $1.74 million announced by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Jan McLucas.

The centre will study the effectiveness of natural medicines in improving memory, cognition and brain function. It will also explore brain mechanisms associated with chronic use of natural medicines.

“Brain and cognitive processes change with age and with our ageing population,” said Professor Con Stough, who will lead a team of researchers in the new centre.

“We need to focus on how we can improve brain function as we age, how we can protect brains from ageing and how we can maximise cognitive and intellectual processes as we grow older.”