Mary Overton Fellowship: Worms the key to understanding brains

New research at Flinders is using tiny worms to understand how human brains learn, with hopes of helping those with chronic pain and neurodegenerative disorders.
Dr Yee Lian Chew has been awarded Flinders Foundation’s Mary Overton Senior Research Fellowship in Neuroscience, bringing her expertise from Cambridge UK and The University of Wollongong to establish a new research laboratory at Flinders.
Using Nematodes, one of the smallest worm species measuring just 1mm in length, Dr Chew is seeking to understand how the brain learns in one of the simpler forms of animal life – including both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ learning.
“There are about 100 billion nerve cells in the human brain, but that’s just too big for us to explore in great detail,” Dr Chew explains.
“In contrast, the worm has about 300 neurons, which is few enough that we can name all of them and know exactly how each one is connected to one another.
“Because we know worms can also learn, we know there must be something pretty fundamental in those 300 neurons so we’re trying to solve what that is.”
By labelling the worm’s neurons with a fluorescent protein, Dr Chew can image their brains, visualise changes, and tag neurons with activity sensors. It’s knowledge she hopes will contribute to a greater understanding of neurodegenerative processes and chronic pain management research in humans.
“Chronic pain is something that affects lots of people, but current therapies are really limited to opioid drugs which work in the short-term but are highly addictive and lose their effectiveness over time,” Dr Chew says.
“We’re trying to rethink chronic pain management, so my work really starts at the beginning by looking at the underlying cause of chronic pain which is the sensitisation of pain receptors - a form of ‘bad learning’.
“In worms, we’ve identified a neurochemical that is required for this sensitisation process and we’re now trying to see if we can ‘turn off’ sensitisation so people don’t constantly feel pain, or feel pain when things are actually harmless.
“If we can solve this, then it could lead to finding other strategies to treat chronic pain besides opioids.”
The Mary Overton Fellowship is made possible thanks to a generous gift in Will left by Mary Overton following her passing in 2002. A generous supporter of both the arts and health and medical research, Mary’s generosity has seen four fellowships awarded in her name to bring international neuroscience research experts to Flinders for five-year terms.
Previous fellows – Professor Rainer Haberberger (Germany), Dr Hakan Muyderman (Sweden) and Associate Professor Yoichiro Otsuka (Japan) - have had great success, winning large funding grants and making new discoveries across pain signalling, stroke mechanisms, body temperature regulation and fever responses, and respiratory systems.
Dr Chew, who is also supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Rebecca L Cooper Medical Foundation, said it was an honour to receive the fellowship:
“This generous support will make such a difference for our project as it gives us funding security and allows us to think further into the future to really work on finding something no one else knows,” Dr Chew says.
Professor Damien Keating, Head of the Molecular Biosciences theme within the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) which hosts Dr Chew, said:
“We work side by side with Flinders Foundation and its generous donors with the shared goal of positively impacting the health of others. This level of philanthropic support provides us the opportunity to attract leading mid-career researchers in Australia.
“Dr Chew has already amassed a unique and impressive research record and our goal is to provide a platform for her to continue this here at FHMRI as she emerges as an international leader in her field.”
You too can support research at Flinders by making a donation here Donate Now
More News
Brett’s Hope for Brain Cancer Breakthrough
Three years ago, Dr Brett Stringer arrived at Flinders to work on an idea to help improve survival for patients with the deadliest form of brain cancer – glioblastoma.
Brett’s Hope for Brain Cancer Breakthrough
Three years ago, Dr Brett Stringer arrived at Flinders to work on an idea to help improve survival for patients with the deadliest form of brain cancer – glioblastoma.
The healing sounds of music
Thanks to the generosity of Flinders Foundation supporters and a CommBank Staff Foundation Community Grant, elderly and palliative patients, as well as those undergoing rehabilitation, have been being entertained, soothed and moved by a variety of visiting musicians through a new ‘Music Matters’ program.
The healing sounds of music
Thanks to the generosity of Flinders Foundation supporters and a CommBank Staff Foundation Community Grant, elderly and palliative patients, as well as those undergoing rehabilitation, have been being entertained, soothed and moved by a variety of visiting musicians through a new ‘Music Matters’ program.
Panthers roar with Flinders Foundation
An exciting partnership has been launched between South Adelaide Football Club and Flinders Foundation for the benefit of the Southern Adelaide community.
Panthers roar with Flinders Foundation
An exciting partnership has been launched between South Adelaide Football Club and Flinders Foundation for the benefit of the Southern Adelaide community.
New PET scan hope for ‘tricky’ tumours
“Groundbreaking” work out of Flinders is aiming to help doctors visualise ‘tricky’ tumours not visible on PET scans to help them make important cancer treatment decisions.
New PET scan hope for ‘tricky’ tumours
“Groundbreaking” work out of Flinders is aiming to help doctors visualise ‘tricky’ tumours not visible on PET scans to help them make important cancer treatment decisions.
2023 Flinders Foundation Health Seed Grant Round now open
Flinders Foundation, with support from Flinders University, is proud to open the 2023 Flinders Foundation Health Seed Grant Round supporting health and medical research.
2023 Flinders Foundation Health Seed Grant Round now open
Flinders Foundation, with support from Flinders University, is proud to open the 2023 Flinders Foundation Health Seed Grant Round supporting health and medical research.
A novel blood test which could be used to monitor the treatment of lung cancer
Flinders Medical Centre Senior Consultant, Dr Anand Rose, has received a Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN) Enquiry Grant for research into a novel blood test which could be used to monitor the treatment of lung cancer – the most common cause of cancer-related death in Australia.
A novel blood test which could be used to monitor the treatment of lung cancer
Flinders Medical Centre Senior Consultant, Dr Anand Rose, has received a Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN) Enquiry Grant for research into a novel blood test which could be used to monitor the treatment of lung cancer – the most common cause of cancer-related death in Australia.
Stroke Rehab goes Virtual
Researchers from Flinders University and UniSA are set to develop a new rehabilitation technique for stroke survivors using state-of-the-art Virtual Reality (VR) technology.
Stroke Rehab goes Virtual
Researchers from Flinders University and UniSA are set to develop a new rehabilitation technique for stroke survivors using state-of-the-art Virtual Reality (VR) technology.
New Hope for Pancreatic Cancer
Dr Jean Winter and her Flinders University research team will soon begin trials of a world-first blood biomarker test for patients with pancreatic cancer.
New Hope for Pancreatic Cancer
Dr Jean Winter and her Flinders University research team will soon begin trials of a world-first blood biomarker test for patients with pancreatic cancer.
Help for families in gambling battle
The Southern Adelaide Local Health Network’s (SALHN) Statewide Gambling Therapy Service provides psychological therapies to individuals with gambling addictions.
Help for families in gambling battle
The Southern Adelaide Local Health Network’s (SALHN) Statewide Gambling Therapy Service provides psychological therapies to individuals with gambling addictions.
Rapid access to surgical procedures
Podiatrists at Noarlunga Hospital will trial a new model of care for anxious patients, to help them get rapid access to some minor surgical procedures.
Rapid access to surgical procedures
Podiatrists at Noarlunga Hospital will trial a new model of care for anxious patients, to help them get rapid access to some minor surgical procedures.