Who is Shu? Meet the AIBN Scientist Shaping the Future of MND Research

Associate Professor Shyuan Ngo, or "Shu" as she is widely known, has been walking the halls of The University of Queensland since 1999. She first arrived as an undergraduate student and is now a group leader at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), where she leads research into motor neurone disease (MND). Today, with the official opening of UQ’s new Centre for MND Research, her vision for collaborative, patient-driven science is coming to life.

For Shu, the reason she’s never left UQ is simple. “Why go anywhere else when UQ has everything you need?” she says with a laugh.

From Myasthenia Gravis to MND

Shu first began her career studying myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular condition that piqued her interest in the interface between nerve and muscle function.

But it was during her first postdoctoral research project at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, working with neurologists Professor Pam McCombe and Associate Professor Rob Henderson, that saw her focus shift toward MND.

Working in a hospital environment gave her a firsthand look at research on the front lines of patient care.

“I loved seeing research integrated into the clinical setting,” she says.

“You could clearly see the benefits, not just for the researchers, but for the patients involved.”

That experience helped shape the kind of researcher she wanted to become.

“I knew I wanted to approach my own research career in a similar way, where science was deeply connected to people’s lives,” she recalls.

Science with a human touch

For Shu, keeping science connected to real life isn’t just an ideal, it’s best practice. She is a strong advocate for embedding the voices of people living with the disease into medical research from the very beginning.

“Researchers are shifting their focus, not just asking big scientific questions, but ones that will have real impact on people’s lives,” she says.

“When we listen to those living with the disease, we’re able to focus our efforts on approaches that are more likely to translate into meaningful outcomes - for them, and for the future of research.”

That philosophy has guided Shu’s path. She has built a research program that bridges fundamental science with lived experience and steps into bold new territory, validating novel techniques to track disease progression and investigating how metabolism might influence the course of MND.

A partnership in science and life

One unique aspect of Shu’s work is that she leads it in partnership with her husband, Associate Professor Frederik “Derik” Steyn from UQ’s School of Biomedical Sciences.

Derik, a fellow MND researcher with a background in biomedical science and neuroendocrinology, complements Shu’s expertise in neuroscience. Together, they have built a joint research team with shared goals and integrated lab spaces.

“It’s great working together because we bring different angles to the same problem, which means we can find potential solutions faster,” she says.

“Our students also benefit from being able to move between our lab spaces, experiencing research across every stage of the translational pipeline.

“It helps them understand the broader impact of their work and gives them a clearer sense of which direction they might want to take their research careers.”

Shu and Derik’s personal story began at UQ as well when they first met on campus in 2008, after Derik moved from New Zealand to start his research career.

Shu recalls the immediate spark of that encounter: “I saw him in the hallway and went straight back to my office to email my friend where I said, ‘It’s on!’” she laughs.

Fuelled by personal loss

Not long after they began working together, both Shu and Derik faced personal tragedy. Shu’s mother was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer before she had finished her PhD, and Derik’s mother developed frontotemporal dementia that progressed to MND. Their mothers passed away within three months of each other.

“Knowing what we went through with disease and loss, we just wanted to make things a little easier for others,” Shu says.

“No one should have to hear, ‘There’s nothing we can do.’”

These deeply personal experiences have shaped Shu’s research and reinforce her commitment to the MND community. She was the inaugural recipient of the Scott Sullivan Fellowship, named after the founder of the MND and Me Foundation, which helped her establish her laboratory at UQ.

Shu has remained closely connected to the MND and Me Foundation ever since, supporting the organization through fundraising and outreach. This includes the upcoming 24-hour Circuit Challenge, an event that will see Shu cycle for four straight hours as part of a team of six.

“We have a responsibility to use the funding we receive in the best way possible, not just ethically, but with heart,” she says.

“It’s about making a difference for real people, right now.”

Building a state-wide MND network

Shu’s patient-centred philosophy now extends to how she leads and collaborates. For years, she championed the idea of a statewide MND research network to bring together experts and break down silos.

In 2022, that vision became reality as the MND at UQ Collective. Now it has expanded even further with the official opening of the UQ Centre for MND Research at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, where Shu and Derik, are serving as Co-Directors.

The Centre – that was officially opened today - operates as a virtual, university-wide hub for MND research collaboration. It brings together more than 100 researchers across 27 groups to tackle the disease from every possible angle.

The Centre’s mission is to foster teamwork, accelerate discoveries, and ensure that people with MND across Queensland, including those in regional and remote areas, can easily engage in research.

“This Centre is for the community,” Shu says. “By working together and creating an environment for researchers to succeed, we can improve outcomes so people can live better lives and potentially avoid a terminal diagnosis.”

As the Centre gets underway, Shu is already looking to expand its impact through a statewide network that brings research closer to patients and reduces the need for travel.

“We’re building a statewide neurologist network to help deliver parts of our research remotely,” she explains.

“That means things like blood sample collection can happen closer to home, easing the travel load and the day-to-day burden of disease.”

Associate Professor Shyuan Ngo’s journey from undergraduate student to Centre leader shows what long-term vision, lived experience, and quiet determination can achieve.

And if you ask her, she’s only begun.

“We’re just getting started,” she says.