SEEKING A SOLUTION TO ALZHEIMEKS DISEASE

For distinguished service to medicine in the field ofpsychiatry through leadership in the research into Alzheimer's disease.

of themselves ro odi ers in our con11nunity.'' professor Ralph Martins, an Australian researcher of Indian origin was named in che Australia Day 2013 Honours List recencl)r. He was appointed an Officer .in the Order of Australia for h is research into Alzheimer'.5 disease and the development of ear ly diagnosis and treatment programs. Professor Martins is the Foundation Chair in 1\geing and Alzheimer's disease and Director of rhe Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's disease research and care at Perth. Heis an internationally recognised expert in the field of Alzheimer's research, and has published more than 200 research articles in peer- reviewed publications. He was named Citizen of the Year for Western Australia in 201 1 and Wesrern Australian of the Year .in 201 O.

Speaking from Perth, Dr Martins said, "l am deeply honoured ar receiving this prestigious award and humbled that I have been lm:J...1· enough to be selected, because I know diar rhere are many outstanding Australians who have given so much more more ro give," he said.

Over the past decade, Dr fum e has helped generations of women overcome physical and p sychos o cial iss ues assoc iated wirb inco ntinence. He has recencly copatented a mesh- based surgical kit (Perigee) to help sufferers.

" ln rJ1e developing world , the burning issues we grapple wicl1 are bird1 and se,.."l.rnl trauma, fisrulas and genital muri.l:ition; while in the develo ped world we see prnl.apse, incontinence and now the scourge of females - genitJ!l cosmetic surge r y," he adm itted.

After starting up the department of urogynaecology, he developed awareness -rai$ing initiatives such as die 'Beat the

Dr Martins believes that 2013 is going to be an exciting year for prevention triJ!ls. "My key fumre goals are ro diagnose Alzheimer's disease early, weU before the symptoms are apparent and ro develop and undertake effective prevention programs in collaboration with colleagues in Australia, L1dia, lndones.ia and the USA, with die aim LO keep Alzheimer's disease at bay".

He also expressed gratitude to members of his ream, the research foundation, the University and generous donors who enabled the researd1 efforrs to progress.

For more than 25 years, Dt Martins bas been a dedicated researd1er and world leader in Alzheimer's research, and a part of medical tean1s who have made a nun1ber of internationally recognised discoveries which have contributed nor only to d1e understanding of rhe disease, but aho to tts early detection. His other discoveries include genetic risk factors and lifestyle facrors whid1 contribute to the disease.

Through his leadership. commitment and renacity, Dr Martins has built and continues to grow; a body of substantial and worlc.1-class research. He also conticmes to develop the clinical capacity of Western Austtalia wid1 active links to his international

Bladder B lues' program in a b id to educate thousands o f wom en , particularl y indigen o us women in is o lated communitie s Loo king back at the challeng es Dr Rane faced at the remote community hos pital, he stated mat the main hurdle was the metrocentric approach previously adopted.

''Bue in my opinio n, all hurdles are a great oppormnity to improve. Persistence, genuine passion, humility were tlie core building b locks of my team that totall y changed the scenario. We soon learnt to leave behind our foreign egos and become one wid1 the community,'' he declared Despite ex tensive research and peers who are at the forefront of the battle against Alzheimer's disease.

Dr Martins has coUaborated with specialist colleagues in India at various levels, sharing breakthrough research and projects. One of these is the startup of colJaborative A lzheimer research centres in India in some of d1e major metro cities.

" India is on d1e verge of an Alzheimer's explosion of 100 million people affected by the disease i.n the near future, and there is not enough government funding or awareness of the problem," he said.

Born in 1957 in Bahrain to parents who hailed from Goa .in India, Dr Jvfarri.ns smdied his 'Senior Cambridge' secondary qualifications at a boarding school in Querta, in the Baluchistan region of Pakistan. Interestingl y, ro facilitate his frequent visit.~ home, he was given a Pakistani passport (although he was never considered a -Pakistani citizen). ln]une 1974, aged only 16, Dr Martins came ro Perd1, and d1e rest of his family foUowed three months later. On arriving, they immediately felt completely at home. Dr Martins appreciates me choice, freedom and opportunities that Australia bas given him. He was interested in science and medicine, bur when he couldn't get imo medicine, he enrolled in biochemisrry ac the teach ing commim1 e nrs w ithin

A us tralia, Dr Rane b as als o made it hi s m iss io n to share bis kn ow ledge and e.'l perti se with developing nations wh e re th e s ub- speciality is still in a relatively nascent phase. With this aim, he founded the U roGynaecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surg ical Society o f lnd.ia in 20 05.

Besides initiating a s ubstantial research fellowship for o verseas docrors to train in Australia, he has also established a fistula ward at the renowned Kasmrba Gandhi (Gosha) Hospital in Chennai

Named after his wife Paula, whom he aclmowledged as his pillar of strength, die ward lends support to di.sttaught

U niversity of WA, where he mer bis Burmese-born zoologist/ microbiologist w.ife Georgia, who now also works wim the foundation They married when he was 20.

Dr Martins went on to do research on. rhe action of insulin on diabetics, but it was Georgia's father's very different disease diar ultimately determined bis direction ' 'My failier-in-law had Alzheimer:~, so I changed to neuroscience and started work wiili Colin Nfasrers," be said.

He believes the most.in1portant trair for success is self-belief; when be started off with researcb inro

1\li:dieimer's, mail)Tin Melbourne - then rhe 'Mecca' of meclical research - cried to dissuade him, bm he was determined to go ahead. The success Dr Martins b11s achieved is a testimony ro his determination, self- belief and perseverance A recognised leader of research in Alzheimer's disease, he conri.nues ro work ro develop an early diagnostic b lood test and feels that if me current rate of research is sustained, an early diagnostic rest is just five co six years away.

\Vitb lifestyle a surprisingly large factor in the onset of Alzheimer's disease, Ralph suggests women , both r oung an d old

D r R ane bas als o facilitated c lose bilateral cooperati o n betw een India a nd A ustralia, with local doctors rraveU.ing t o India to research and address di e iss ue.

Equall y passionate about female infanticide and foeticide, Dr Rane bas championed the ttagic caus e 1n 20 10, be co -pro duced Ri/l){ryat a BoUywood film exp loring the is s ues around female foeticide and infanticide some basic warning signs GPs can p ick up in dieir patients to get them onto a preventative course of action Alzheimer's risk facrors include many of the usual suspects: lad, of physical activity, obesity, high choleste.rol, vascularassociated diseases (particularl y type-2 diabetes), high b lood pressure, and poor diet.

"The movie was d1e tesuJt of the combined passion of Sanjay Patole and myse lf. \Y/e read that 40 million girls bave been killed since 1984, a.nd believed we needed co do something via d1e mass media.

He says, "What's good for the heart is good for the brain". He recommends physica l activity of around 30 minutes a day which includes a mi.'l of cardio and weight ttaining. His research has shown fish, turmeric and green tea to be deterrents against Alzheimer's and is collaborating wirb an lnclian herbal product manufacturer to create an "anti.Alzheimer's" pill which can incorpo rate all of these ingredients in a form d1at's easy for the body to absorb.

Dr Martins is also active ly involved in Sr. Vincent de Paul as president of the BenrJey branch, and spend~ several hours a week voltmteering and visiting d1e needy. '1t is more instantly rewarding, the jor of people being bappy, just seeing dieir response, rather than doing research, wbicb is a long road;' he claimed.

Our ai m wa s to h ighlig ht die is sue wiilio ut apportio ning b lame. We go t 14 internatio nal awards and met O m ar Shari~ Richar d Gere and Juliet Binocl1e Sadl y, we flopped in India I think o ur message w em roo clo se ro home Nobod y in the gov ernmem i s interested in adopting die movie. But we just wane to s ave o ne life. If we did that was an effort well word, i t," he concluded.

As welJ, Dr Rane has managed to shake off the inertia and reticence rowards urogynaecological disorders.

·'Fifteen years and a liberal dose of humour later, people and the press are ponring into our forum~," he quipped.

Her phone has notsropped ringing and het inbox is flooded with emails ever since people have found out that Melbourne lndian community's favolllite ~\untyji' bas received the Order of Australia Medal (0AM) Lecently. Krishna Arora has been inundated with