RESEARCHER PROFILE
Assoc Professor Cedric Bardy, SAHMRI (2023)
Director of The Laboratory for Human Neurophysiology, Genetics & Stem Cells
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) &
Professor, Flinders University
Adelaide, South Australia
Filmed November 2023
Associate Professor Cedric Bardy is the Director of The Laboratory for Human Neurophysiology, Genetics & Stem Cells, located at SAHMRI. South Australia.
His current research uses preclinical, patient-derived cell models to test innovative therapeutic strategies, with a current focus on Parkinson’s disease, brain cancer and childhood dementia (Sanfilippo syndrome).
His work has established a platform to facilitate the discovery and validation of treatments for brain disorders. Their research is at the frontier of human cellular neuroscience research and translational applications that benefit global public health.
In particular, Cedric is the inventor of BrainPhys; a neuronal medium broadly used to culture human neurons in vitro, commercialised by STEMCELL Technologies.
The ability to grow human brain cells in a petri dish opens up new possibilities for research and discovery in neuroscience.
The BrainPhys medium allows human brain cells to function as they would in the adult human brain, revolutionizing research in labs across the world.
Cedric Bardy’s research enables researchers to study human brain disorders in a more physiological context, potentially leading to new treatments for brain cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Sanfilippo Syndrome.
Cedric Bardy’s international journey from France to Canada to Australia and then to the United States showcases the global nature of scientific research and collaboration.
The passion for neuroscience stems from the fact that everything we care about as humans is influenced by brain activity.
Cedric Bardy is passionate about finding ways to treat the brain when things go wrong, showing a deep commitment to neurological research.
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Vaccine effectiveness against infections triggering autoimmune disease
Dr Deborah Burnett is a Scientia Senior Lecturer and Laboratory Head at UNSW, where she leads a multidisciplinary research program spanning mechanistic immunology and translational vaccinology. Her work focuses on understanding how immune responses can protect against challenging infectious threats, including bacterial infections and infections associated with autoimmune disease.
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Post stroke brain recovery targeting blood flow and vessel health
Dr Daniel Beard is a Senior Lecturer and Group Leader of the Neurovascular Research Laboratory at the University of Newcastle, with a distinguished career in stroke research. Dr Beard completed his PhD in Human Physiology in 2015, uncovering the impact of intracranial pressure on collateral vessel failure. He has held prestigious research and teaching roles at the University of Oxford and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, contributing to international collaborations on neurovascular protection. His research has been supported by competitive grants, including an NHMRC Ideas Grant, and he has received numerous awards for innovation, research excellence and teaching excellence.
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Infections and other lung diseases using models of human lung tissue grown from stem cells
Dr Rhiannon Werder is a Team Leader at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute leading a multidisciplinary team, combining expertise in stem cell biology and immunology, to develop new therapies for lung diseases. Her research centres around induced pluripotent stem cells to investigate respiratory diseases, spanning acute respiratory infections to chronic lung diseases. Using stem cells, Dr Werder’s team creates models of human lung tissue. With these models, Dr Werder is investigating how human-specific pathogens infect different regions of the lung, the ensuing immune responses, and how the lung repairs itself after infections, especially in people with preexisting lung diseases.
