Dr Magdalena Przybyla is a Dementia Australia Early Career Research Fellow in the Dementia Research Centre at Macquarie University. Her research is dedicated to advancing novel therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on uncovering the mechanisms that drive neuronal dysfunction and the progression to dementia. She further utilises innovative experimental models to identify and validate targeted treatment approaches aimed at slowing or preventing disease progression.

Importantly, her work is designed with strong translational intent, bridging mechanistic discovery with therapeutic development. By identifying modifiable drivers of tau pathology and testing targeted, “on-demand” intervention strategies, her research aims to inform the development of precision-based treatments that could be advanced toward clinical application. Ultimately, this work seeks to shift dementia care from symptomatic management toward mechanism-driven disease modification.

In 2022, she was awarded the prestigious Macquarie University Research Fellowship (MQRF) to investigate the mechanisms underlying tau propagation following traumatic brain injury. She subsequently secured a Dementia Australia Early Career Research Fellowship (2025–2028) to further develop innovative “on-demand” therapeutic strategies for dementia.

Magdalena’s research aims to elucidate the pathomechanistic role of tau in common forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and traumatic brain injury. To address these questions, she employs a multidisciplinary approach incorporating model organisms, AAV-based technologies, molecular biology, histological techniques, and biochemical analyses.