Researchers on the Darling Downs will begin work on cutting-edge techniques to improve the early detection and diagnosis of people with motor neurone disease (MND).

The deadly neurodegenerative disease affects nearly 3,000 Australians at any time, and techniques for the early detection of MND remain limited.

Toowoomba Hospital neurologist Dr Ehsan Shandiz will lead the project, which will test the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) machine.

The project will be supervised by Associate Professor Robert Henderson and Prof Pamela McCombe, elite Australian neurologists and researchers in the field of MND.

Dr Shandiz said while TMS technology had been in use for decades to treat conditions such as depression, the use of the machines for MND diagnostics and research was still new.

“We want to show how TMS can be used to improve how doctors detect and monitor MND by measuring changes in motor neuron function,” he said.

“I believe TMS will give us a more complete picture of how MND affects the nervous system over time.”

Dr Shandiz said his goal was to develop reliable, non-invasive biomarkers that can detect disease changes earlier and track the progression of MND in patients more accurately.

The TMS machine based in Toowoomba will be the first of its kind to be used for neurology research in Queensland.

The purchase of the machine and the two-year research project has been funded by Brisbane-based charity Nerve Connection Foundation thanks to generous donations from local philanthropists including Clive Berghofer, Matt Butler and Amelia Bailey.

Mr Butler was diagnosed with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy 2i, a neuromuscular disease, in 2019.

“Being involved in clinical research myself has shown me how important this work is,” Mr Butler said.

“While my condition is different to MND, all neuromuscular diseases share the same need for better understanding and better treatments.”

“I’m proud to support research like this because it’s about creating hope for future patients.”

The Foundation’s Director and one of Australia’s leading neuromuscular researchers, Associate Professor Robert Henderson said the research would establish Toowoomba as a leading site for functional motor system research.

Patients wanting to be involved can email ehsan.shandiz@health.qld.gov.au.

This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 28 May 2026.