Bradley Turner

Dr. Bradley Turner, a researcher at the University of Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute, has been awarded for his inspiring work to stop motor neurone disease.

Named The Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation Young Researcher of the Year, 31-year-old Dr. Turner has been part of a team of researchers working on developing a drug to target the degenerative illness in its early stages.

Although drugs are currently available to treat the fatal disease, Dr. Turner is focused on creating a stress blocker drug that aims to prevent the death of nerve cells, therefore stopping the disease before it advances to its later stages.

Dr. Turner and his team have their sites set on making the new treatment available in clinics, even though it may take up to 20 years for this goal to become a reality.

The cause of motor neurone disease is still unknown, however with top researchers at the Howard Florey Institute like Dr. Turner involved in trying to find a cure, hopefully more light will be shed on the mystery disease in years to come.