PlatformsAustralian Brain Bank Network (ABBN)
National Neural Tissue Resource Centre (NNTRC)

National Trauma Research Institute

Introduction

The National Trauma Research Institute (NTRI), incorporating the VTF Centre for Trauma Research & Practice (VTF-CTRP) at the Alfred was officially opened in July 2004. The Institute is integrated with the largest clinical trauma service in Australia, enabling laboratory research to be readily transferred into a clinical setting. The institutehas a strong focus on clinical and fundamental research on traumatic brain injury. This is enabled by an iterdisciplinary approach involving various departments of the Alfred, Trauma, Neurosurgery, Intensive Care and Laboratory of Basic Research.

Neurotrauma samples available for research

Studies on patients with severe brain injuries are facilitated through the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid collected via intraventricular catheters used for treatment and monitoring of brain swelling and elevated intracranial pressure. Over the past years, the laboratory headed by Dr Cristina Morganti-Kossmann has collected cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples from approximately 50 patients on consecutive days beginning from the first 24 hours post-trauma. These samples are exclusively analysed for research purposes.

The NTRI would like to stimulate collaborative projects of basic research applied to these samples. The NTRI's experience suggests that the cerebrospinal fluid is an excellent tool to study brain tissue molecular changes triggered by traumatic injury.

The CSF and serum tissue bank has been kindly supported by The Mazda Foundation.

For further information please contact:

Dr Cristina Morganti-Kossmann, PhD
Senior Neuroscientist, Senior Lecturer, Monash University
NTRI Associate Director of Basic Research