Australia opens world's 5th largest brain center in Melbourne

The world's fifth largest brain research center was officially opened in Melbourne, Victoria of Australia on Monday. The 227 million U.S. dollars Melbourne Brain Center will host 700 researchers, who will make use of the center's facilities to investigate a broad range of conditions affecting the brain, including multiple sclerosis, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, trauma, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, epilepsy and motor neuron disease. The center aims to have the critical mass to support world- class laboratories and enable the development of more effective diagnostic tools, treatments and ultimately cures for brain and mind disorders. The center will also play a key role in attracting leading scientists to come to Australia or retaining talented Australian researchers who might have otherwise moved or stayed overseas. Victoria state Premier Ted Baillieu, who opened the center, said he was excited by what the center could achieve. "The brain center here in Melbourne has the potential to greatly reduce the level of suffering and premature death from diseases of the brain and of the nervous system," he told the audience in Melbourne on Monday. The center, which was the fifth largest of its kind in the world, s a collaboration between Melbourne University, Melbourne's Florey Neuroscience Institutes and the Mental Health Research Institute.