Five University of Melbourne researchers recognised in latest MS Australia grant round

L-R: Justin Rubio, Alex Eisner, Winston Dzau, James Hilton, and Bethany Nicol.

Researchers from the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (MDHS) have received a combined $474,556 as part of MS Australia’s 2026 grant funding round.

MS Australia is the nation’s leading not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS).

MS is a progressive autoimmune disease that impacts the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, and can lead to varying levels of disability.

The grant announcement was made at the Parliamentary Friends of MS Research Showcase, held at Parliament House in Canberra on 4 March 2026.

The research projects which have been funded by the scheme, are:

Associate Professor Justin Rubio, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and University of Melbourne: Does inflammation cause faster mutation of cells located in MS lesions?
Dr James Hilton, University of Melbourne: Targeting neuroprotection in progressive multiple sclerosis.
Dr Winston Dzau, University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital Department of Neurology: Biomarkers of multiple sclerosis disease progression and treatment response.
Ms Bethany Nicol, University of Melbourne: Understanding how a key cell pathway supports myelin formation.
Mr Alex Eisner, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and University of Melbourne: How common herpesviruses may influence MS by switching human genes on and off.