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Headlines 3 Our upcoming events We would love to see you at one of our upcoming events! To register visit our website neurological.org.nz or phone us on 0508 BRAINS (272 467). Tuesday 14 June 1:30pm – Digital Discovery Angela Caughey – A Better Brain for Life Author, Angela Caughey, will discuss her latest book, 'A Better Brain for Life' , as well as content from her other books, from caring for and communicating with someone who has dementia, to preventing the condition itself. Wednesday 22 June – Gisborne Event Understanding Concussion Professor Nick Draper (University of Canterbury) and Associate Professor Sam Holdsworth (Matai Institute) will both present their respective research into concussion and the impacts of traumatic brain injuries. Tuesday 5 July 7pm – Headlines – Digital Event Improving the outcomes of stroke in NZ with Professor Cathy Stinear and Professor Alan Barber Join us for an event discussing the impacts and outcomes of stroke in New Zealand. Hosted by the Neurological Foundation’s Head of Research, Dr Sarah Schonberger. ‘Stroke in New Zealand’ will feature Professor Cathy Stinear and Professor Alan Barber, who will present information on stroke treatment in New Zealand, where it has been, where we are now, and where we are going. Wednesday 27 July – Hutt Valley Event Dr Melanie Connell – details to come. Thursday 28 July – Wellington Event Professor Anne La Flamme – details to come. Tuesday 9 August 7pm – Digital Discovery Dr Victor Dieriks – Parkinson's disease and Multiple System Atrophy with a touch of COVID-19 Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy are neurological disorders affecting over 10 million people worldwide. Central in these conditions is the formation of toxic clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein. Previous research suggests that the building blocks of these clumps are the same but that the 3D structure can vary, giving rise to unique alpha-synuclein 'strains'. Dr Dieriks will discuss some of the underlying causes of Parkinson’s disease, his recent findings and the new outlook the strains offer for developing disease modifying therapies. It made perfect sense when Professor Lynette Sadlier compared me to a piece of fruit. Lynette is a paediatric neurologist and epileptologist. Speaking at a recent digital discovery event hosted by the Neurological Foundation, she compared the multitude of types of epilepsy to a fruit bowl. Each person with epilepsy is different from the next, but they’re all ‘fruit’. Having been recently diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy, it was reassuring to hear. I’m not ‘typical’ in that I was diagnosed in my 40s and have had, thankfully, only one tonic- clonic seizure, i.e. a really big one. Fortunately, I have what Lynette describes as ‘good’ epilepsy – not that it’s good, but it’s more treatable. I’ve heard of others suffering from daily tonic-clonic seizures or even multiple daily seizures. That must be awful, and I’m grateful my condition is not that severe. The hardest challenge I’ve faced so far, apart from convincing others of a mostly invisible disease, is not being able to drive. Fingers crossed I’ll get my driver’s licence back later this year! Along my journey I’ve received fantastic advice and care from my neurologist, Dr Richard Frith, and from Dr Bernard Liem. It has also made my work for the Neurological Foundation that bit more special and worthwhile. A few of us here at the Foundation live with neurological disorders. It’s no surprise when you consider that 1 in 5 New Zealanders have been diagnosed with a neurological condition. Lynette’s talk was one of many speaking events the Foundation hosts to connect our supporters with the researchers that you fund. I find them fascinating and incredibly useful, and I hope you’ve had the chance to jump online for some of these talks too. Hearing directly from one of New Zealand’s most esteemed epilepsy researchers has given me much food for thought. And when it comes to fruit, I like to think of myself as a feijoa: quintessentially kiwi, flourishes in coastal situations, and you either love it or hate it. Ngā mihi Danelle Clayton From the editor