WA Australian of
the Year 2010
Professor Ralph Martins
Alzheimer's expert
A looming Alzheimer
epidemic to afflict Australians: Challenges and potential
solutions
Professor Ralph Martins is recognised as a world leader of
research into Alzheimer’s disease.
Since the disease’s discovery in 1906, little research work was
done until Professor Martins teamed up with Professor Colin Masters
and a team of German scientists. They made the first significant
discovery showing that the beta amyloid protein that coats the
brain is the foundation of Alzheimer’s.
Later Professor Martins made the critical discovery that the
Alzheimer’s brain is under oxidative stress.
He has now been instrumental in bringing to Perth new technology
that makes it possible to determine if a patient has deposits of
the toxic beta amyloid, and therefore allow early treatment before
the brain has been irreparably damaged.
Perth is one of only two cities in Australia with this
capability.
As head of the Sir James McCusker Unit for Alzheimer’s Disease
Research for over 20 years, and Inaugural Chair for Ageing and
Alzheimer's Disease at Edith Cowan University, Professor Martins is
working to develop an early diagnostic blood test.
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