Dr Adam Walker’s research program investigates the role of neuroinflammation in psychiatric illness and cognitive function. Adam completed his PhD at the University of Newcastle and undertook a successful postdoctoral fellowship at the prestigious MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA. Now located at Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Adam is invested in novel drug design and repurposing safe available anti-inflammatories and other drugs to combat breast cancer-associated cognitive impairment. As a National Breast Cancer Foundation research fellow, Adam is applying his expertise in neuroinflammation to identify novel mechanisms and treatments for chronic central nervous system (CNS)-related side-effects of cancer and cancer treatment. These mechanisms include neuroinflammation, the IDO-kynurenine pathway and blood-to-brain transport mechanisms. To accomplish this he uses syngenic, orthotpic mouse models of breast cancer metastasis to explore bidirectional communication between the brain and tumour. He has pioneered the repurposing of novel drugs and supplements (aspirin, ketamine and leucine) to treat inflammation and cancer-associated cognitive impairment and depression.
