CHeBA awarded major funding to advance nanomedicine for early dementia diagnosis

UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) has received a major funding investment to advance a groundbreaking nanomedicine platform designed to enable early, radiation-free diagnosis of dementia, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the emerging technology of magnetic particle imaging (MPI).

Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, is one of the world’s fastest-growing health crises. Current diagnostic techniques remain expensive, inaccessible and reliant on radioactive tracers - making early detection difficult and limiting their suitability for population-level screening.

With this new funding, CHeBA will accelerate the development of novel magnetic nanoparticles engineered to cross the blood–brain barrier and bind to dementia-relevant biomarkers, offering a transformative alternative to conventional imaging. When paired with MRI and Australia’s first preclinical MPI systems, these nanoparticles aim to deliver highly sensitive, quantitative detection of early-stage pathology without radiation risk.

A transformative investment in next-generation neuroimaging

This funding - totalling $675,000 AUD over five years - will support a full-time senior researcher and critical imaging and experimental resources, enabling CHeBA to advance the technology from laboratory innovation toward clinical and commercial readiness.

Over the past year, the research team has made significant progress, including the successful synthesis and in vivo testing of an amyloid-beta-targeted nanoprobe and identification of optimisation pathways. The next phase will expand pathology targeting, refine nanoparticle design, enhance MRI/MPI quantification and strengthen global commercial partnerships.

Led by an experienced researcher in molecular imaging

The project is spearheaded by Dr. Saeed Shanehsazzadeh, an internationally experienced molecular imaging specialist with more than a decade of research leadership across five countries. Dr. Shanehsazzadeh has contributed over 55 peer-reviewed publications, led more than 50 multidisciplinary research projects, and developed advanced imaging and nanomedicine tools spanning PET, SPECT, MRI, and MPI.

His current work at CHeBA focuses on developing scalable, accessible neuroimaging diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Professor Perminder Sachdev, Co-Director of CHeBA and Scientia Professor of Neuropsychiatry at UNSW Sydney, emphasised the significance of this achievement and its potential impact: “Early diagnosis is absolutely critical if we are to change the trajectory of dementia. This funding enables a bold leap toward safe, cost-effective imaging tools that could be deployed at scale. The integration of nanotechnology with MRI and MPI is an exciting frontier, and we are proud that CHeBA will be leading this innovation. I am delighted to support this project and its potential to meaningfully improve outcomes for individuals and families affected by dementia.”

Positioning Australia as a global leader

Australia is uniquely poised to lead in magnetic particle imaging, with two preclinical MPI systems currently operational - including UNSW’s pioneering platform. The integration of this infrastructure with advanced nanotechnology offers unprecedented potential for:

• Radiation-free, repeatable imaging
• Highly sensitive detection of amyloid, tau, inflammation, and vascular pathology
• Quantitative tracking of nanoparticle biodistribution
• Accelerated development of targeted therapeutics and theranostic systems

A pathway toward earlier, more accessible dementia diagnosis

This successful funding award marks a major milestone in CHeBA’s mission to transform dementia research and care. By advancing nanoparticle-based MRI/MPI diagnostics, the project aims to shift detection from late confirmation to early, actionable identification, opening possibilities for timely intervention, improved quality of life, and reduced healthcare burden.

CHeBA is proud to lead this innovative program and looks forward to sharing further developments as the project progresses.

The 5-year project is generously funded by the Kennards Hire Foundation.