Odette Leiter

passed the halfway mark :)

Thanks so much for everyone who have already supported us in our challenge and for the generous donations to the Stroke Foundation :) Above a scheme of what we think happens to new neuron generation in the hippocampus following exercise :)

First week of stride4stroke running

Thanks so much for all the donations that have already reached our team :) After one week, we are on track to reach our running goal with more than 100 team km already behind us (out of 400 km). 

stride4stroke and make new neurons in your brain

Hi, I am Dr Odette Leiter and I work in Dr Tara Walker’s team at the Queensland Brain Institute. We are working with neural stem cells from the hippocampus, a brain area which is important for learning and memory. These brain functions are often impaired in conditions like stroke, neurodegeneration and during normal ageing. Fortunately, exercise can promote the formation of new functional neurons from the neural stem cells, which help us retain our hippocampal function. This is a good motivation to run a few extra laps this November and support our Stride4Stroke team.

Our research mission is to study the molecular signals which boost the production of new neurons after exercise. Understanding these cellular activities can potentially support the recovery of hippocampal function through the generation of new neurons in conditions with impaired learning and memory, such as following stroke or neurodegeneration.