Professor Ashley Bush
MBBS, DPM, FRANZCP, PhD, FTSE, FAAHMS, FAPA
Group Head
Location
Parkville Campus
30 Royal Parade
Parkville Victoria 3052
Research group
Oxidation Biology Group
Biography
Ashley Bush is the clinical lead for the Mental Health Mission at The Florey, and Head of the Oxidation Biology Group. He has made outstanding contributions to the neuroscience field, most notably his discovery of the importance of metal biology in neurodegenerative brain diseases. The impact of his work has moved the field of neurodegeneration towards an appreciation for an underlying disturbance in brain metal homeostasis, and has provided insights into the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other brain diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases as well as schizophrenia.
His leadership has led to the development of new predictive tests for AD and innovative, potentially disease-modifying strategies based on his research. He is Co-Director for Biomarker Development and on the scientific management committee of The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of Ageing (AIBL). He is a Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, and holds courtesy staff appointments in Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Key collaborators:
- Jurgen Mejan-Fripp, CSIRO
- Chris Rowe, Austin Hospital
- Roland Bammer, Monash University
- Terence O’Brien, Alfred Hospital
- Oskar Hansson, Sweden
- Julie Schneider, Chicago
Career highlights
Current roles
- Clinical Lead, Mental Health Mission, The Florey
- Head, Oxidation Biology Group, The Florey
- Chief Scientific Consultant for Collaborative Medicinal Development P/L
- Ad Hoc Reviewer of >50 journals
- Consultant Psychiatrist, Delmont Private Hospital
Past roles
- Head, Aging Brain Division, The Florey
- Chief Scientific Officer, Cooperative Research Centre for Mental Health
- Founding Scientist of Alterity Ltd
- Founding Scientist of Cogstate Ltd
Other highlights
- Has 29 patents
- Has delivered more than 320 invited lectures, including 210+ international and 30 Plenary
- Professor Bush is one of the most highly cited neuroscientists in Australia
- Ranked in the top 1% of researchers worldwide for high-impact citations in the Web of Science during an 11-year period – Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher, category Cross-Field (http://highlycited.com/)
- Rated as one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds – Category: Neuroscience and Behavior (Thomson Reuters 2014-2015, Clarivate Analytics 2016) and Cross-Field (Clarivate Analytics 2018-2019, 2022)
Awards and achievements
- 2021 — NHMRC L3 Leadership Fellow
- 2016-2020 — NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow
- 2015 — Fellow, Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences
- 2015 — Fellow, American Psychiatric Association
- 2014 — Woodward Medal in Science & Technology, University of Melbourne
- 2014-2016 — The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds (Thomson Reuters)
- 2014 — Victoria Prize for Science & Innovation
- 2013 — NHMRC Australia Fellowship (2011-5); Kenneth Myer Fellow
- 2010 — RANZCP Schering-Plough Senior Research Award
- 2009 — Fellowship, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering
- 2007 — Flagship Fellowship, CSIRO
- 2007 — Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation Award in Neurology
- 2005 — Federation Fellowship, Australian Research Council
- 2004 — Zenith Fellowship, Alzheimer’s Association, USA
- 2000-2003 — Alzheimer Association Senator Mark A. Hatfield Award for Clinical Research in AD, USA
- 1995-1998 — Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholar in Aging
- 1994-1995 — Ellison Scholarship, Massachusetts General Hospital
- 1994 — National Down Syndrome Society Scholars Award, USA
- 1994 — Organon Award for Psychiatric Research
- 1992-1993 — Harkness Fellowship, Commonwealth Fund of New York, USA
- 1989 — Fellow, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
- 1989-1992 — NHMRC Postgraduate Medical Scholarship, Australia
