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Investigating the effects of cognition on airway protective outcomes in people with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease Dr Sarah Perry Mentors: Prof TimAnderson, New Zealand Brain Research Institute; Dr Phoebe Macrae, University of Canterbury Rose Centre for Stroke Recovery and Research $187,243 People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) often develop swallowing and coughing impairments, increasing the risk that food/liquid enters the lungs and becomes infected – known as aspiration pneumonia. Swallowing and coughing often occur when people are distracted, or dual-tasking, yet little is known about how dual-tasking helps, or hinders, swallowing and coughing. Dr Sarah Perry’s goal is to study how dual-tasking differentially affects people with PD with normal cognition, those with PD and mild cognitive impairment, or mild cognitive impairment of Alzheimer’s type. Results will help to identify people at risk for aspiration pneumonia earlier, and design appropriate swallowing/coughing rehabilitations. Summer studentships Hyper-Acute Stroke Service Provision in New Zealand Anne Kim Supervisor: Assoc Prof Anna Ranta, University of Otago, Wellington $6,000 Stroke affects approximately 8000 New Zealanders per year and this number is projected to rise by 40% in the next 10 years. Currently there are effective treatment options for stroke, however patients need to be taken to an appropriate centre and receive treatment without delay. Unfortunately access to stroke treatments are not consistent across New Zealand. Identifying what works well and what needs improvement has thus far contributed to improved rates of stroke treatment. The aim of this project is to review the data from the National Stroke Reperfusion Register to assess progress and identify further areas of improvement. 3D reconstruction of functional and anatomical neural circuits: Combining advanced optogenetic and microscopy techniques Catriona Miller Supervisor: Dr Peter Freestone, University of Auckland $6,000 Funded by C &N Anderson The subthalamic nucleus is a key part of the basal ganglia, playing a critical part in motor control. It is hyperactive in Parkinson’s Disease and is a successful target of deep brain simulation, yet little is known about the organisation of neurons inside the nucleus and how they connect with each other. By combining novel functional and anatomical mapping techniques, we will gain greater knowledge into the nucleus structure and the network of neurons within. This will lead to a better understanding of the subthalamic nucleus role in motor control, and how this relates to Parkinson’s Disease. The effect of early-life adversity on levels of IL-1 receptors in the ventral hippocampus of male and female rats Chanel Sullivan Supervisor: Gina Forster, University of Otago $6,000 This project will determine the effects of early-life stress and gender on levels of inflammatory markers in the brain that contribute to an increase in anxiety in both male and female rats. Early-life stress is a major risk factor for developing mood disorders such as depression or anxiety. Although females have a higher prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders, preclinical studies are usually done with male animals. Therefore, this project will provide much needed information about sex differences in anxiety mechanisms, contributing to the ultimate goal of finding an efficacious treatment for anxiety and mood disorders. Conference and training course grants MND New Zealand Research Conference Dr Claire Reilly, MND Association $11,837 Following four years of hard work by our community raising funds for research, MND New Zealand has set a bold aim to "develop a globally connected comprehensive national MND Research programme". Progress toward this goal is currently impeded by a lack of research personnel, particularly those required to bring clinical trials to New Zealand. MND’s inaugural research conference will create a forum for knowledge exchange and the opportunity to build international alliances to connect New Zealanders to global research initiatives. Promoting this rapidly changing and exciting research environment will help us to build a MND workforce to deliver the therapies that will "care" today and "cure" tomorrow. Centre for Brain Research Postdoctoral Retreat. Dr Reece Roberts, University of Auckland $3,000 The Centre for Brain Research is a cross-faculty University of Auckland research centre consisting of researchers with a range of expertise and research topics. Central to the Centre for Brain Research’s success over the last decade has been the development of early career researchers, who have benefited greatly from the annual “postdoctoral retreat” at the Leigh Marine Laboratory. 18 Headlines