Founder of The Perron Institute, Emeritus Professor Byron Kakulas AO, joined Gareth Parker on Friday for West Aussie Greats.

Professor Kakulas trained at Royal Perth Hospital before specialising in clinical neurology.

He told Gareth Parker the field of neurology presents the “greatest challenge” for medicine.

“It’s been in the too hard basket for many years,” he said.

“Conditions like muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease – they’re all terrible conditions.

“They cause a great deal of suffering [and have been] pushed aside by medicine by many years.”

Professor Kakulas shared how the he and the institute discovered how the humble Rottnest quokka showed muscle could regenerate, which would benefit those living with the muscle-wasting condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (formerly the Western Australian Neuroscience Research Institute – WANRI) is WA’s longest established medical research institute. They undertake cutting edge research on conditions including stroke, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, myositis and multiple sclerosis.

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