University of Sydney
Neuroscience
Around 400,000 Australians live with intractable age-related neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases; this number is expected to double in the next 20 years. At present, we have no effective treatments to prevent these diseases or halt their progression.
Dr Johnstone’s research is pioneering new ways to protect the brain against these diseases, using infrared light and saffron. These treatments are safe, non-invasive, cheap, free from side effects and can be used in a patient’s home. But most importantly of all, his research indicates that they are effective. His goal is to ultimately develop and better understand these new treatments so that they can be made available to patients, significantly improving the lives of thousands of older Australians and their families.
Dan is always keen to communicate his own research and has been featured on ABC radio and local newspapers and patient group newsletters. He has held the Media portfolio within the ASMR since 2013 and the Communications/PR portfolio before this, helping to promote the research of Australian scientists by preparing media releases on their work, convincing local or national media outlets to report on this work and facilitating interviews between scientists and media.