We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and to show you personalised advertising. To find out more, read our privacy policy and cookie policy

Skip to Content
University of Wollongong Australia. Logo. University of Wollongong Australia. Logo. University of Wollongong Australia. Logo.
  • Search
  • Give
  • Library
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • UOW Global
    • Our global presence
    • UOW in Dubai
    • UOW in Hong Kong
    • UOW in Malaysia
  • Menu
  • Study at UOW

    • Courses
    • Apply
    • Scholarships & grants
    • Accommodation
    • High-school students
    • Non-school leavers
    • Postgraduate students
    • International students
    • Moving to Wollongong
    • Study abroad & exchange
    • Global sports programs
    • Campuses
    Study at UOW
  • Engage

    • Future student
    • Alumni
    • Visit UOW
    • Jobs
    • Volunteer
    • The Stand Magazine
    • Community Members
    • Grants and funding
    • Give to UOW
    • Visit the Library
    • Key contacts
    • Educators & school teachers
    Engage with us
  • About UOW

    • Welcome
    • Our people
    • Services
    • Contacts
    • What's on
    • Global presence
    • Media Centre
    • Faculties & schools
    • Our vision & strategy
    • Our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Strategy
    • Our reputation & experience
    • Locations, campuses & partners
    See more about UOW
  • Research

    • Our research
    • Researcher support
    • Research impact
    • Partnership & collaboration
    • Graduate Research School
    • Commercial research
    • Global Challenges
    • Media, news & events
    • Find an expert
    • Our people
    See more about research
  • Industry

    • Generator Lab
    • Advantage SME
    • Success stories
    • Industry research engagement
    • Equipment & Labs
    • Funding opportunities
    • Intellectual property
    • Collaboration for business
    • Collaboration for researchers
    See more about Industry
  • Alumni

    • Benefits
    • Outlook Magazine
    • Events & webinars
    • Volunteer
    • Awards
    • Honorary alumni
    • Testamurs & transcripts
    • Update your details
    • Your career journey
    • Contact us & FAQ
    See more about alumni
  • Quick links

    • Contact directory
    • Staff Intranet
    • Campus maps
    • Transport & parking
    • Key dates
    • Events
    • Password management
    • Jobs
    • Accommodation
    • Policy directory
  • Library
You are here More Pages
  • Home
  • About UOW
  • Media Centre
  • 2018
  • UOW's Motor Neurone Disease appeal on track to meet its goal

Media Quick Links

  • Contact UOW Media
  • Visiting campus
  • Image library
  • UOW key facts
  • Find an expert
  • News Corp subscription
  • Sign up for the latest news from UOW Media

December 13, 2018


Share
Type
General News
Category
Health and Medicine
Tags
HealthAlumniHealth & MedicineIllawarra

UOW in the News

UOW's Motor Neurone Disease appeal on track to meet its goal

Associate Professor Justin Yerbury continues to work to find a treatment for debilitating disease


The response to Associate Professor Justin Yerbury’s appeal to raise money to find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) has been incredible.

Within weeks of the appeal launching in November, the University of Wollongong has received more than $24,000 towards the $30,000 goal to support Professor Yerbury’s vital research.

Despite the challenges of his own battle with the disease, Professor Yerbury is committed to continuing the fight against the debilitating disease in the laboratory.

The molecular biologist at the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) is now confined to a wheelchair but continues to press ahead with work to find a treatment, and one day a cure, for MND.

He featured on ABC’s Australian Story twice in 2018, highlighting his career and his family history with MND, which sparked his interest in research.

It began when several members of his family were diagnosed with MND.

In one six-week period his mother, grandmother and aunt all died from the disease. He has also lost a sister, an uncle, and a cousin to the disease.

To better understand MND, Professor Yerbury undertook a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Wollongong (UOW), graduating with first-class honours in 2004, and going on to receive a PhD from UOW in 2008.

He now leads a team of scientists at IHMRI that is researching neuro-degeneration and MND.

In May 2016, Professor Yerbury was diagnosed with MND.

“What drives me is not the fact that I’ve been diagnosed with this disease – it's trying to wipe this thing off the planet,” he said.

“MND has taken away my ability to walk, talk, move and breathe on my own – but it has not taken away my mind, my passion for research, or my determination to see MND as a treatable condition rather than a death sentence.”

The work of Professor Yerbury and his team focuses on understanding the molecular events that trigger MND. They have found that the way motor neurons handle their protein balance is a key factor in MND.

MND causes progressive degeneration of motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord. People with the disease progressively lose the use of their arms and legs, their ability to speak, swallow and breathe.

Approximately 2,000 Australians are living with MND. From diagnosis, their life expectancy can be counted in years or even months with the fingers on one hand.

In a minority of cases, around 10 per cent, there is a genetic link to the disease with members of the same family contracting it. For most people diagnosed with MND, however, the disease takes hold without warning.

 

Media Contacts for this article

UOW Media Office

You may also be interested in

1 in 4 Australians is lonely. Quality green spaces in our cities offer a solution
Getting more men into nursing means a rethink of gender roles, pay and recognition. But we need them urgently
Health consumer representatives reimagine their role after COVID-19 pandemic
Services & Help
  • Current students
  • Library
  • Information technology
  • Accommodation
  • Security & safety
  • Pool, gym & retail
News, Media & Events
  • Media Centre
  • The Stand
  • Alumni Magazine
  • Research news
  • Events
  • Find an expert
Faculties
  • Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities
  • Business & Law
  • Engineering & Information Sciences
  • Science, Medicine & Health
Administration
  • Graduation
  • Environment
  • Policy directory
  • Learning and teaching
  • Financial Services
  • Access to information
  • Jobs
UOW Entities
  • Innovation Campus
  • UOW College Australia
  • UOW College Hong Kong
  • UOW in Dubai
  • UOW Global Enterprises
  • UOW Malaysia KDU
  • UOW Pulse
Connect with us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Conversation
  • Contact us
  • Feedback
  • Give to UOW

Northfields Ave Wollongong,  NSW 2522  Australia 
Phone: 1300 367 869 
International: +61 2 4221 3218 
Switchboard: +61 2 4221 3555

  • NUW Alliance: Smarter Solutions for NSW
  • University Global Partnership Network (UGPN)
  • Reconciliation Australia
  • AWEI LGBTQ inclusion awards logo

Aboriginal flag Torres Strait Islander flag

On the lands that we study, we walk, and we live, we acknowledge and respect the traditional custodians and cultural knowledge holders of these lands.

Copyright © 2022 University of Wollongong
CRICOS Provider No: 00102E | TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12062 | ABN: 61 060 567 686
Copyright & disclaimer | Privacy & cookie usage | Web accessibility

Close