- MS Australia is funding four new MS research projects in this year’s first round of Incubator Grants, at a combined value of $99,363.
- Incubator Grants support innovative ideas and help researchers generate preliminary data to develop new concepts and strengthen future applications for larger grants.
- The newly funded projects span diverse areas of MS research, including new ways to repair myelin, genetic influences on the immune response to Epstein-Bar virus, blood flow regulation in the brain, and approaches to monitor sleep quality in people with MS.
MS Australia has announced the recipients of the first Incubator Grant round of 2025. Dr Monokesh Sen (The University of Sydney), Dr David Stacey (University of South Australia), Mr Alistair Fortune (University of Tasmania) and Dr Laura Laslett (University of Tasmania) have been awarded seed funding to investigate innovative and promising research ideas.
Incubator Grants provide funding for the initial stages of innovative new research, supporting the generation of preliminary data needed to pursue larger grants from other funding bodies.
This scheme has a strong track record. For every dollar invested, researchers have historically secured an additional $27 in subsequent funding and significantly accelerating research progress in MS.
2025 Incubator Grants
Dr Monokesh Sen and his team from The University of Sydney, NSW, are investigating whether tiny particles called extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by immune cells support myelin repair. Myelin is the protective layer around nerves in the brain and spinal cord and its damage in MS disrupts nerve signalling. Certain immune cells, such as microglia and macrophages, are thought to support myelin-producing cells, but the mechanisms are unclear.
Dr Sen and his team will extract immune cells from people with progressive MS and people without MS, grow them into macrophages in the lab, and harvest the EVs they release. These EVs will be tested in laboratory models to examine their effects on myelin-producing cells and myelin repair. The results may guide the development of future treatments aimed at myelin repair.
Dr David Stacey and his team at University of South Australia, SA, are investigating how genetics influence immune responses to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which has been linked to MS risk. The team will use an innovative research method called “recall by genotype” to recruit research participants according to their level of genetic risk of developing MS, and examine their EBV, and immune-related factors.
A distinguishing feature of this study is that none of the participants will have MS. This allows the team to explore early biological changes that may contribute to the development of MS, rather than those that result from the disease itself.
This is the first time “recall by genotype” has ever been applied in MS research. Dr Stacey and his team will test how feasible “recall by genotype” is in MS research and lay the groundwork for future large-scale research, potentially informing prevention and early intervention strategies.
Mr Alistair Fortune and his team at the University of Tasmania, TAS, are examining how MS-associated genes can affect pericytes, cells that regulate blood flow in the brain. The team will generate pericytes using induced pluripotent stem cells (immature cells that can produce any cell type in the body and have the genetic material of their donor) from people with and without MS. This will enable them to investigate whether genetic programming influences blood flow regulation.
Altered blood flow has been observed in MS. By studying pericytes, Mr Fortune and his team may uncover new insights into the role of vascular function in the disease.
Dr Laura Laslett and her team from the University of Tasmania, TAS, will investigate the best way to collect reliable sleep data in people with MS using activity monitors and the symptom-tracking app MySymptoMS.
Sleep problems are very common among people living with MS and can significantly impact their health and quality of life, yet traditional research methods often miss day-to-day fluctuations. Dr Laslett and her team’s research will evaluate the feasibility of long-term monitoring and help identify the most effective tools and timeframes for capturing meaningful sleep-related data in future clinical trials.
The high calibre applications reflect the strength of MS research in Australia. Ongoing support through fundraising is crucial to maintain this momentum and drive progress toward a world without MS.
For more information about these grants and other research projects currently funded by MS Australia, please click here.
