The federal government has launched a cooperative research centre focusing on mental health with an investment of AU$23 million.
The investment will be used by the Cooperative Research Centre for Mental Health, launched on 17 November, to focus on biomarkers for diagnosing the early onset of neurodegenerative diseases—including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases—and psychoses such as schizophrenia.
The CRC programme is a government initiative that has invested more than AU$3.4 billion in 190 centres from a range of sectors.
A CRC is an incorporated or unincorporated organisation formed through collaborative partnerships between publicly funded researchers and end users.
Since the 1991 launch of the programme, 13 CRC selection rounds have been completed, with a 14th underway.