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16 Headlines Congratulations to our summer students for 2024. They are: Logan Dennis, University of Otago Logan is aiming to find a genetic diagnosis for two patients who have similar features to a rare genetic disease known as Meier-Gorlin syndrome. By characterising a gene called ORC5, Logan hopes that diagnosis and prognosis for people with Meier-Gorlin syndrome-like features can be improved. Luca Gray, University of Otago Luca will investigate whether metal regulation in brain cells gives protection against Parkinson’s disease (PD). Finding out why some brain cells die while others remain healthy could lead to treatments that can slow or stop the progression of PD. Connor Nicholls, University of Otago One of the challenges in treating Alzheimer’s disease is getting medicine into the brain. Connor will test the ability of gene therapy to increase a beneficial protein in the brain and reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Peter has also received a fellowship from the Auckland Medical Research Foundation, and is currently working on a Neurological Foundation project grant. “Fellowships are a combination of the person and the science. Project funding is more about the science – it’s when you come up with your own research question, and the plan to answer that question. Winning it, that’s quite an achievement. Funding from the Neurological Foundation is highly respected. I was pretty pleased.” He also got a Neurological Foundation travel grant to go to the international basal ganglia society meeting in Stockholm in June. People had not been to a conference since 2019 so it was great to reconnect and build networks, says Peter. “It’s by far the best conference I’ve ever been to.” Life as a researcher can be a juggle. “When you’re at your desk, you always want to do something in the lab. But when you’re in the lab, you know things are building up on your desk,” says Peter. Sharing knowledge with the next generation is one of his favourite things. “I really value teaching. All the teaching I do is strongly connected to research. I also really enjoy doing student supervision. I see it as quite an important responsibility. “I’m trying to mentor them through. During their PhD, even Honours, they are doing research, challenging me. I always want them to do projects that I don’t know the answer to. I enjoy seeing students become independent and really get their teeth into a project.” He recalls a recent experience. “I had a student preparing a poster for presentation. The data was all over the place. Then we started to bring it together, and it began to make sense. All of a sudden it fitted. She presented it at the conference in Berlin, and three or four important researchers from around the world came up and said, this is great work. I’m very proud of her. Now she’s gone on to a prestigious laboratory at Oxford University.” Peter is driven to continue his work. “I love what I do, and I can only do it with the support of the likes of NF supporters. “I see it as a privilege to be able to have an idea, explore it, and work towards understanding the brain and disease processes. Ultimately, I think about cures and helping people. That’s something I get to do and I’m really grateful for it.” Sadly, he recently lost a good friend, Bill, who died with Parkinson’s disease and who makes Peter’s quest personal. “What do I hope? I bring it back to Bill. He was a friend – an intelligent, well-respected guy who people, including me, missed out on because of Parkinson’s disease. My hope would be that somehow through my research the ‘real’ Bill would be around for longer. “You realise that the research has more significance than academic curiosity.” “You realise that the research has more significance than academic curiosity.”