On the evening of July 22 this year, 2,500 people will walk the together, bringing light and hope to thousands of families facing life-threatening diseases by raising $ 1 million.
With each step illuminated by light installations, they’ll show that even in the darkest hours, you are not alone.
The money raised from the BRIGHT Walk will push SAHMRI researchers another step closer to the next life-changing discovery with the potential to cure disease and ultimately save lives.
The funds also boost early and mid-career researchers like BRIGHT Ambassador Dr Andrew Shoubridge. He won the 2022 BRIGHT Accelerator Award, with $100,000 to power his research, funded directly from the proceeds of last year’s fundraising walk.
Andrew’s work centres around finding solutions for age-related chronic diseases, focusing on dementia.
The project hopes to discover more about the mechanisms connecting the gut microbiome and the brain, which could play a significant role in preventing the onset of dementia.
“Studies have shown that a healthy gut microbiome can help prevent inflammation contributing to dementia risk,” Andrew said.
“The development of new therapies targeting gut microbiology is an exciting new frontier in this field of research that I’m thrilled to be involved in.”
Andrew’s delighted to become the inaugural BRIGHT Ambassador, a role in which he’ll promote his research and SAHMRI’s broader mission to the community.
“I’m keen to get my shoes on and be a part of inspiring people to make the 2023 BRIGHT Walk the biggest and best yet,” Andrew said.
“I really encourage everyone to get behind it because it brings much-needed awareness to the fantastic research being done at SAHMRI and ultimately helps us save and improve lives.”
