Amber's Alert
HER Centre Project - Amber's Alert
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What Amber needed throughout her illness, especially when calling 000 and presenting to ED, was accurate and objective diagnosis of her illness. Many others also suffer needlessly for too long with inaccurate or incorrect diagnoses.
Like any illness, early and accurate diagnosis can lead to much better outcomes. We have funded a research project at the Monash University HER Centre, headed by Prof Jayashri Kulkarni, to develop a world-first diagnostic tool-kit including:
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blood tests for key biomarkers;
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rapid eye movement test;
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EEG (brain wave measurement);
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and a structured research derived questionnaire.
Together the data acquired will assist differential diagnosis of conditions such as Early Psychosis and its prodrome, Schizophrenia, Bi-Polar, Borderline Personality Disorder, complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Affective disorders (e.g. Depression and Anxiety). The overlapping symptoms and complex nature of these conditions make it difficult to provide an accurate diagnosis and determine the most effective treatment strategies.
Read more about Amber's Alert from the Australian Communities Foundation
Total funds donated by AWL to HER Centre
$150,000
An update on the Amber's Alert Project
One year into the project and the dedicated team at the HER Centre have released promising findings from their preliminary research into the eye-tracking data.
View the Amber's Alert 2025 Annual Impact Report to understanding the summary of results and see where the project is heading next.