Barry's research reframes prion disease from a purely protein-misfolding problem into a dynamic neuroimmune disorder, where brain-resident glia and systemic immune signals actively determine disease trajectory. By combining infection models, transgenic systems, and histopathology, his work aims to identify mechanistic targets and time windows for intervention, with implications extending beyond prion diseases to broader neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s as well maintaining brain health during ageing.