IncreaseMake a Contribution
Your support is essential to our research effort. All contributions are appreciated. You can donate online below. A receipt will be mailed to you.
DonateThe McCusker Foundation for Alzheimers Disease Research
a world free of
Alzheimer’s disease
184 Hampden Rd,
Nedlands, WA 6009.
Telephone: (08) 9347 4200
Facsimile: (08) 9347 4299
Key Partners / Supporters
The McCusker Foundation for Alzheimer's Disease Research Inc
Vision, mission and objective of the Foundation:
Our vision is for a world in which Alzheimer's disease no longer exists.
Our mission is to support research that makes Alzheimer's disease treatable and preventable.
Our objective is to raise the funds to support the research of Professor Ralph Martins and his team.
Overview
The McCusker Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, established in 2000 to enhance medical research into Alzheimer’s disease in Western Australia. Its aims are the identification, development of an early diagnosis; and prevention and treatments of the condition.
It provides significant support to the research of the internationally recognised researcher, Professor Ralph Martins and his team based at the Sir James McCusker Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit.
The Foundation sources funds from public and private sectors to advance research into Alzheimer’s disease and undertakes to keep the public informed on the research of Professor Martins as well as the progress of research into Alzheimer’s disease occurring elsewhere.
To facilitate the translation of research discoveries into publicly available treatments, the Foundation runs a clinical trials stream and was instrumental in the development of a private biotechnology company, Alzhyme Pty Ltd.
The Foundation has a number of significant partners such as Hollywood Private Hospital and Edith Cowan University, both of whom provide laboratory facilities and other support for the research of Professor Martins. The Foundation was also a founding partner in the development of the Centre for Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Care, of which Professor Martins is the Director of Research.
History of the foundation
Professor Ralph Martins (then a senior lecturer) first established his research laboratory at Hollywood Repatriation General Hospital in the early 1990s.This was made possible with the support of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) which funded his salary through the University of Western Australia and provided laboratory and office accommodation at the hospital.
Sir James McCusker provided funding, through UWA to support student research projects under Professor Martins's supervision. This allowed for significant expansion of Alzheimer's research. (A number of Professor Martins former students stayed on to become postdoctoral research colleagues in the current team). The research unit was subsequently named the Sir James McCusker Alzheimer’s Disease Research Laboratory (the Research Laboratory) in recognition of Sir James McCusker’s support, which is continued by the McCusker family to this day.
Since 1994, with the hospital’s privatisation, Hollywood Private Hospital, as part of the Ramsay Health Care Group has continued and expanded its accommodation and support services of the Research Laboratory.
In 2000, the McCusker Foundation for Alzheimer’s Disease Research Inc was established to broaden the sources of funding for the growing research activity. The primary purpose of the Foundation was to raise funds for research conducted by the research laboratory.
In 2001, Dr Martins was appointed Foundation Professor of Ageing and Alzheimer’s disease at Edith Cowan University (ECU). As DVA was winding up its funding of Hollywood – based academic positions, ECU assumed funding for Professor Martin's position. He does retain an Adjunct Professorship at UWA.
With Professor Martins's ECU appointment, they provided laboratory facilities at Joondalup Campus. The Research Laboratory now spans two sites – Hollywood and Joondalup. Under an agreement between the McCusker Foundation and ECU, the administration of the Research Laboratories at both sites, has been transferred to ECU. The McCusker Foundation funds the Research Laboratory in partnership with ECU.
Around 2001, Dr Roger Clarnette, a geriatrician based at Hollywood Private Hospital who had been conducting drug company sponsored clinical drug trials in AD for some years, joined the McCusker Foundation, forming the Clinical Trials Division. Any of their funding in excess go to the Research Laboratory.
Major Activities of the McCusker Foundation.
One of the goals of the McCusker Foundation is to generate sustainable income that allows the capacity of the research team to be maintained and grow. To achieve this we are also supporting the following activities;
Research -consolidating and building, in partnership with ECU, the research capacity of the Sir James McCusker Research Laboratory, through raising funds from public and private sources;
Public awareness - raising public awareness of the need for research into AD and promoting the work of the Foundation and the Research Laboratory;
Clinical Trials - administering clinical drug trials. Currently these comprise pharmaceutical company multi-centre trials, but in future it could include trials of locally-developed Alzheimer drugs;
Building research capacity through partnerships – developing and maintaining partnerships with significant organisations to enhance the capacity for research.
Research
The Foundation funds the research of the internationally recognised researcher Professor Ralph Martins and his team – the Sir James McCusker Alzheimer’s Disease Research Laboratory.
This Perth – based team are currently at the forefront of international research to discover a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Professor Martins was a collaborator with Professor Colin Masters in the identification of the beta-amyloid protein – now widely accepted as the most significant factor in Alzheimer’s disease. Other significant achievements include: the discovery of the toxic effect of beta amyloid on brain cells; the link between Alzheimer’s disease & genetics; and the role of lifestyle factors such as obesity.
The McCusker Foundation’s fund raising supports the infrastructure costs of the Sir James McCusker Alzheimer’s Disease Research Laboratory in partnership with ECU and Hollywood Private Hospital (HPH). This enables the Sir James McCusker Alzheimer’s Disease Research Laboratory to attract additional funding via research grants.
The infrastructure funded by the Foundation includes:
Human infrastructure - the intellectual capital represented by a group of highly-qualified and experienced scientists who comprise the core of the McCusker Research Team and their technical and administrative support staff.
Their long-term involvement in research, collective experience and expertise makes them a highly productive and dedicated team which is essential for the continuity of the research effort.
Adequate, reliable funding is essential to provide this valuable team (which would be almost impossible to replace) with security and adequacy of remuneration to ensure they are retained.
Physical infrastructure - refers to accommodation, equipment, consumables, maintenance, and animal-breeding requirements. Research grants typically do not cover these or the administrative costs. Basic accommodation is provided by Hollywood Private Hospital and Edith Cowan University, but the Foundation funds most other costs.
The McCusker Foundation’s provision of infrastructure and the capacity for early stage research provides the means essential for accessing and utilising grants in aid of research, from public and private sources, both nationally and internationally.
Maximising the value of donations - The McCusker Foundation funds human and physical infrastructure for research to a point after which government and public sector funding can be leveraged to progress the research.
It bridges the gap between innovative ideas and the securing of project funds through grants in aid of research or corporate partnerships.
Notable grants to date include the United States National Institute of Health, the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the ANZ JO & JR Wickings Trust. These entities provide grants to undertake research, but require that the key research infrastructure should already be in place and provided by other parties.
Collaboration in research - One of the key strengths of Professor Martins and his research team is its collaborative, inclusive and multidisciplinary approach to research.
Research is conducted in collaboration with all major universities in Western Australia, with universities in the eastern states, including Professor Colin Masters (Melbourne University ) and with research institutes in America (including Professor Sam Gandy from the Farber Institute for Neurosciences), and in Canada, Singapore and Indonesia..
Professor Martins’ team plays an essential role in an international collective effort to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. His collaboration with Professor Gandy, the head of the American Alzheimer’s Disease Association, is particularly important. This is regarded as the biggest research program focused on Alzheimer’s disease in the world. The recognition of Professor Martins’ role is evidenced by his invitation to be a part of a major research project led by Professor Gandy and funded by the American National Institute of Health.
Clinical Trials
The McCusker Foundation and research team's shared goal of developing preventative and effective treatments requires discoveries to be translated into community health outcomes. As part of this goal, it runs a clinical trials division.
The Clinical Trials Division (CTD) was established within the Foundation on July 1 2002 to trial the efficacy of drugs as potential treatments for AD on behalf of pharmaceutical companies.
The CTD is under the leadership of Dr Roger Clarnette (Principal Investigator), a geriatrician with considerable experience in conducting clinical trials. He is supported by a Divisional Manager, a study coordinator, a part time assistant, two co-investigators and two psychologists.
The clinical trials are conducted under the ethical codes of both the Foundation and Hollywood Private Hospital and are in accord with strict international standards.
The CTD has built an excellent reputation under the stewardship of Dr Roger Clarnette. In addition there is currently no other trial site in Western Australia that undertakes AD drug trials. It is anticipated that the CTD will remain the only AD trial site in Western Australia in the foreseeable future.
Operation of the CTD has and is expected to continue to bring significant benefits to the Foundation and is an important element in its strategy to develop treatments for AD.
Public Awareness
The Foundation undertakes to raise the awareness of the research occurring in ‘Western Australia and also of research occurring elsewhere. This is done by means of a number of strategies; a quarterly newsletter, by making presentations on invitation, by organising public presentations of the research and by providing information at major public forums.
Building research capacity through partnerships
It is the McCusker Foundation’s strategy to provide the human and physical infrastructure for proof-of-idea research in partnership with Western Australian universities. Investment through such symbiotic relationships leverages additional funding for research. Partnerships developed to date include those with Hollywood Private Hospital, Edith Cowan University and the Centre for Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Care.
The Foundation also aims to develop partnerships to assist in its other functions. It is currently developing a major partnership with Lions Clubs of WA to facilitate greater public awareness and to improve community support for the research effort.
Structure of the foundation:
The Foundation comprises a Board, two part time Executive Officers and a part time Administrative Assistant. It also employs three staff to conduct the clinical trials on behalf of pharmaceutical companies. Research staff are employed by ECU under an agreement with the Foundation whereby ECU administer the research team.
The Board is composed of volunteers who receive no remuneration for their involvement and who are actively involved in the key tasks of fund raising and promotion.
In addition to the Board members, there is a Strategic Fund Raising Committee, comprised of volunteers, who advise on fund raising and promotional strategies and assist in the organising and running of events.
The Foundation is very reliant on the support of volunteers and other organisations such as the Lions Clubs of WA to promote the research and to conduct fund raising events on behalf of the Foundation.
Legal Status of the Foundation
Information being updated
Current Board members
Board Members
Patron, Malcom McCusker AO QC
Mr Malcom McCusker AO QC (chair); Queens Counsel, company director.
Dr Terry Bayliss (Vice chair Hollywood Private Hospital representative); Manager Development Projects and research, Hollywood Private Hospital.
Mr David Roberts AM; Retired Company director/Farmer.
Mr Graham Nixon (treasurer); Farmer.
Professor Ralph Martins (Director of Research); Director of research, SIr James McCusker Alzheimer's disease Research Laboratory.
Assoc Prof David Groth (Representative Scientific Advisory Committee); Biomedical Science Curtin University of Technology.
Mr Enzo Sirna AM;President Italo-Australian Welfare and Cultural Centre.
Dr David MacIntyre;Managing Director MacIntyre Management & Marketing.
Ms Ricky Burgess;Chief Executive Officer, West Australian Local Governement Association.
Mr Tim Doncon; Executive Officer.
Dr Giuseppe Verdile (Alternate director); Deputy Director of Research, Post Doctoral Fellow McCusker for Alzheimer's Disease Research.
Current staff members
Mr Tim Docon, Executive Officer - Management
Ms Gun Dolva, Executive Officer - Fundraising and Communications
Ms Margaret Lewis, Administrative Assistant