About Us

Meet CHeBA's Co-Directors

CHeBA Co-Director Scientia Professor Perminder Sachdev

Scientia Professor Perminder Sachdev
AM, MD, PhD, FRANZCP, FAHMS

  • Clinical Director, Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI), Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia
  • Scientia Professor of Neuropsychiatry, University of New South Wales
CHeBA Co-Director Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty

Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty
AO, MBBS, MD, DSc, FRACP, FRANZCP, FAHMS

  • Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist & Head of the Memory Disorders Clinic, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia
  • Scientia Professor of Ageing & Mental Health, University of New South Wales
  • Centre Director, Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration — Assessment & Better Care (DCRC-ABC)

About CHeBA

The Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) is a premier research institution at UNSW Sydney, investigating brain ageing. CHeBA was established in October 2012 and headed by internationally acclaimed leaders in the field, Professor Henry Brodaty and Professor Perminder Sachdev.

Our Vision

Our vision is to achieve, through research, healthier brain ageing and better clinical care of age-related brain diseases.

Our Purpose

CHeBA is positioned as an international centre of excellence in multidisciplinary research into the ageing brain. Our work extends from molecular work in the genetics and proteomics laboratories, to tissue culture and cell-related work in the Stem Cell Lab, to neuronal systems and networks in the Neuroimaging Lab, to clinical, epidemiological and sociological research, to research on ageing health policy using its strong links with teaching hospitals, aged care providers, state and federal governments and our established ageing cohort studies.  Our work strongly emphasises implementation, capacity building and translational research.

Our Mission

Our mission is to conduct innovative research and provide the empirical basis to prevent and treat dementia and achieve healthy brain ageing for all Australians.

Aims

Our aims are to conduct multidisciplinary research into ageing in health and disease, and be involved in knowledge dissemination and translational research.  In particular, CHeBA’s focus is on the following:

  • Determining the pathway of normal and abnormal brain ageing in the community.
  • Identifying risk and protective factors for abnormal brain ageing.
  • Develop strategies for prevention of cognitive decline with ageing.
  • Promote global collaborations to develop knowledge and further research into brain ageing.
  • Understand the behavioural as well as the cognitive and functional manifestations of brain ageing.
  • Translate relevant research findings into practice.
  • Determining the prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disorders.
  • Identifying biomarkers for brain disorders.
  • Investigating the pathophysiology of brain diseases so that novel treatments can be discovered.
  • Conducting treatment trials of novel drugs and other strategies.
  • Conducting educational activities for a workforce involved in the care of the elderly, especially those with dementia.
  • Designing models of assessment and care using the latest research evidence.
  • Developing research programs in special populations, e.g. young-onset dementia, dementia in intellectual disability.
  • Improving diagnosis, post-diagnostic care and long-term community and residential care.
  • Improving quality of practice for GPs, memory clinics and hospitals through research and through setting up Australian Dementia Network and Registry.

Our Governing Structure

The Centre Steering Committee is the major decision making board for CHeBA. Centre Steering Committee members provide leadership across the Centre, are responsible for developing the Centre's strategy, advise on the Centre's operations and financial position, new partnership and funding opportunities. The founding Co-Directors of CHeBA, Professor Perminder Sachdev and Professor Henry Brodaty, report to the Head of the School of Psychiatry, UNSW and the Dean of Medicine, UNSW. 

Our Funding Sources

  • NHMRC
  • ARC
  • NIH
  • Joint Program for Neurodegenerative Diseases of the European Union
  • Alzheimer's Australia
  • Australian Rotary Health Research Fund
  • Dementia Research Collaborative Centre (DCRC), UNSW
  • UNSW — Various
  • J Holden Family Foundation 
  • Thomas Foundation
  • The Montefiore Home
  • The Sachdev Foundation
  • Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation
  • The Yulgilbar Foundation

For information about making a philanthropic donation to CHeBA please contact h.douglass@unsw.edu.au.