This project aims to advance understanding of the associations between environmental chemical exposures and both neurodegenerative diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Despite the protective mechanism of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), designed to shield the brain from harmful substances, emerging evidence suggests that certain chemicals may breach this barrier and accumulate within the brain. This research aims to determine whether chemicals are indeed present in the human brain as well as identify the key physicochemical properties that influence their ability to cross from the bloodstream into the brain.
Another key aim is to investigate the potential role of chemical exposures as a cause of neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on Parkinson’s disease (PD) and motor neurone disease (MND). While the precise causes of PD and MND remain unclear, accumulating evidence indicates that environmental chemical exposures may contribute to their development. In addition to these conditions, which predominantly affect older populations, this project will also examine the impact of prenatal chemical exposures on neurodevelopmental outcomes in children.
This project will shed light on the potential risks posed by environmental chemical exposures to human brain health. This project is supported by the Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and the Minderoo Foundation.
Outcomes
The preliminary data on PFAS concentrations in matched brain and blood samples indicate that individual PFAS compounds exhibit a varying ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Moreover, it has been suggested that the chemicals' ability to dissolve in fats, oils, and lipids (lipophilicity) may play a crucial role in determining the extent to which each PFAS compound penetrates the brain. While factors such as molecular weight and protein binding affinity can influence BBB permeability for substances, our findings suggest that, for PFAS, lipophilicity will be a critical consideration in assessing risks to the brain.
Research Outputs
Media
- 27 February 2025: Research and the Number of Carbons Is a Critical Parameter for Accumulation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Human Brain publication were highlighted in the Sydney Morning Herald.
- 7 March 2025: Co-author Dr Claire Shepherd was interviewed by ABC Radio regarding the Number of Carbons Is a Critical Parameter for Accumulation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Human Brain publication.
Conference Abstracts
Suzuki, M., Nilsson, S., Shepherd, C.E., Zammit, I., Suryana, E., Mueller, N., Halliday, G., Wang, X., Symeonides, C., Dunlop, S. & Mueller, J.F. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the human brain, Plastics2026, Brisbane, Australia, 1-4 March 2026.
