DOCUMENT

10 Headlines Small Project Grants Mr Peter Fermin Dajime, University of Auckland VR-based treadmill gait training program for stroke patients $14,914 This research project will design, develop, and evaluate a low- cost rehabilitation system that could help stroke survivors regain a normal walking pattern. It involves the use of virtual reality to gamify an exercise task that is usually boring and unpleasant for stroke survivors. The VR-based rehabilitation system will decrease cost and allow most outpatient clinics to provide this therapy to their patients. Dr Katharina Robichon, Victoria University of Wellington Analysis of immune cell types to predict clinical response in multiple sclerosis $14,869 How is it that the efficacy of medications is different between multiple sclerosis patients? Most current treatments target the immune system to improve symptoms. Dr Robichon’s research will analyse and compare the immune cells of naïve MS patients (those that haven’t received any treatments) and MS patients on disease- modifying therapies within the blood. With this information she will generate a relationship between treatment and successful treatment response. First Fellowships The quality of applications from early career researchers was exceptional in 2022. For the first time, we were able to fund three First Fellowships to outstanding up-and-coming researchers. Applications for First Fellowships must meet extremely stringent criteria and as such, only one is usually awarded each grant round. Congratulations to the THREE successful First Fellows. Dr Josh McGeown, Matai Medical Research Institute The difference a picture can make: Integrating multimodal neuroimaging to understand differences in clinical outcomes following mild traumatic brain injury $208,513 Mild traumatic brain injury – also known as concussion – is an ‘invisible’ injury because there is no noticeable bruising or swelling and standard medical imaging techniques do not show any abnormalities. Yet, up to 50% of people who suffer a concussion experience reduced quality of life 6-12 months after their injury. This project aims to make this ‘invisible’ injury visible by combining multiple cutting-edge forms of MRI to improve our knowledge of concussion. This work could transform our capability to understand why some people recover slowly after concussion, what treatments they need, and how concussions might contribute to cognitive decline later in life. Dr Taylor Stevenson, University of Auckland Proudly sponsored by the Barker family The effect of α -synuclein on meningeal lymphatic function in Parkinson's disease $214,376 The development and progression of Parkinson’s disease is poorly understood, however, the abnormal build-up of the pathological protein α -synuclein is the leading hypothesis. Alpha-synuclein can be cleared from the brain through various mechanisms but recently, the meningeal lymphatic system has been shown to be involved in this process. The lymphatic system drains brain waste, however, during aging or in Parkinson’s disease, this system becomes ‘clogged’, resulting in the build-up of waste, such as α -synuclein. We will investigate the underlying mechanism for the clogging of these brain drains in Parkinson’s disease and the role that α -synuclein may play in this dysfunction. Dr Kelly Zhou, University of Auckland Does Exendin-4 administration after therapeutic hypothermia reduce neuroinflammation and prevent brain damage after ischemia in near-term fetal sheep? $188,682 In New Zealand, 70 babies a year will develop brain injury due to deprivation of oxygen around birth, leading to death or lifelong disability. The only treatment available is brain cooling, but nearly half of those that are treated still develop disability. Treatments to use alongside brain cooling are urgently needed to improve outcomes. Unresolved inflammation, even after brain cooling, likely contributes to ongoing impairments. I propose targeting inflammation with a drug called Exendin-4 to further reduce brain injury. This research will provide crucial information on how to improve the quality of life for these babies and their families.