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10 YEARS ON Catching up with Philip Wrightson Fellow and expert in swallowing impairment, Dr Phoebe Macrae Understanding how damage to the brain may impact how we swallow is an important area of study in neurology. M any patients who survive a stroke or other neurological damage are unable to eat or drink independently. This is a frequent symptomwhen any part of the brain that controls swallowing is damaged. About 8,200 new patients each year are diagnosed with a swallowing disorder in New Zealand resulting from stroke, Parkinson’s disease or traumatic brain injury. “This doesn’t include a raft of other disorders that cause swallowing impairment. Large numbers of New Zealanders require some type of rehabilitation for swallowing due to a neurological condition,” says Dr Phoebe Macrae of the University of Canterbury, who is an internationally-renowned expert on swallowing dysfunction, also called dysphagia. Dr Macrae (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) was recognised in 2010 as an outstanding young scientist by the Neurological Foundation, receiving the prestigious Philip Wrightson Fellowship. This enabled her to travel to Johns Hopkins University in the USA to learn from global experts in dysphagia. Today, she is Deputy Director of the University of Canterbury Rose Centre for Stroke Recovery and Research, where she continues to explore the complex nature of swallowing with the aim of improving treatment. She brings a kaupapaMāori approach to her research and works on addressing inequities in service provision. It’s vital work, Dr Macrae says, as research shows that as many as a third of the patients with dysphagia will die due to complications related to the condition. For Māori it is even higher. “One of the biggest complications that we are concerned about is when airway closure isn’t effective at preventing food or fluid from entering our lungs. This can cause pneumonia, and increases the risk of death for patients.” The Philip Wrightson Fellowship, which Dr Macrae received as an emerging researcher, was a pivotal start to her career. This Fellowship encourages international research experience for early career neuroscientists (the latest recipient is Dr Molly Swanson – see below). Dr Macrae’s project at Johns Hopkins University looked at whether the brain could be retrained to learn how to swallow again. Hers was amongst the first studies to show that themore automatic parts of swallowing could bemodified by external factors, proving that rehabilitation was worthwhile pursuing. “The fellowship provided an accelerated start that gaveme the time and resources to immersemyself in research at a respected international teaching hospital, helpingme to build a strong and reputable base fromwhich to buildmy research career,” she says. Dr Macrae continues to attract support from leading research-funding bodies. She currently holds a five-year Rutherford Discovery Fellowship and has received support from the Health Research Council. “Getting this latest funding feels like support from a family.” Dr Molly Swanson, from the University of Auckland, is delighted to have been awarded the Philip Wrightson Fellowship along with a small project grant. “I got a Neurological Foundation scholarship for my PhD at the end of 2015 and I’ve been part of the family ever since.” Molly, who also received a First Fellowship and small project grant in 2020, is continuing her research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Read more on page 11. 2023 Philip Wrightson Fellow Molly Swanson to pursue vital MND research 18 Headlines