Alison Canty

Associate Professor Alison Canty is affiliated with the University of Tasmania, where she holds a position in the Wicking Dementia Research Education Centre within the College of Health and Medicine. Her research focuses on dementia, Alzheimer's disease, axon degeneration, synaptic plasticity, and microglia dynamics. She has led or contributed to over 80 research outputs, including groundbreaking studies on axon regeneration and the role of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases.

Research Interests: Her work explores cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases, particularly how axonal health and microglia interactions influence disease progression. She advocates for culturally respectful dementia care, especially for Aboriginal communities, and has pioneered educational initiatives to train healthcare providers in this domain.

Grants & Projects: Key funded projects include:

• "Digital Storytelling of dementia for healthcare students" (2024–2026), supported by the Global Brain Health Institute.
• A Medical Research Future Fund initiative (2023–2025) co-creating culturally safe dementia care education with Aboriginal Elders.
• National Health & Medical Research Council grants investigating SARM1 protein's role in axon degeneration (2020–2024) and mechanisms of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (2013–2016).

Advising & Teaching: Supervised six doctoral students, including Catherine Grace Foster (2022), Barbora Fulopova (2021), and Jessica Marie Collins (2016). She also chairs academic sessions, such as at the 2015 ICERI conference.

Labs & Collaborations: Active in the Wicking Dementia Research Education Centre, collaborating across disciplines to advance dementia care through innovative imaging techniques and community-centered approaches.