DOCUMENT

Celebrating 50 years of hope 17 PROFESSOR MAURICE CURTIS I began my career as a radiographer and then pursued a master’s degree focused on neuroscience. At this point in my journey I would have returned to my first career had it not been for the support I received from the Neurological Foundation in the form of a Miller Scholarship that allowed me to complete a doctorate in Anatomy and Pharmacology. The learning curve working in science was steep but contributing to the body of knowledge and researching neurological diseases was a driving force for me – I love it. As a doctoral scholar I studied the brain’s ability to replace dying neurons in the Huntington’s disease brain; a phenomenon not thought possible at the time. When I was then awarded a Wrightson Postdoctoral Fellowship I knew the neurological research track was the one for me. With the Wrightson Fellowship I moved to Sweden to work in the laboratory of a renowned scientist and this opened my eyes to working across multiple scientific and clinical disciplines to advance science that will lead to better treatment approaches. My major study was to identify pathways for stem cell migration in the human brain and the most prominent pathway allowed cell replacement to occur in the olfactory bulb (where the sense of smell is located). This work has led to us trying to identify whether we can detect neurological diseases when they start to cause a loss of the sense of smell (a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases). Better treatments for brain diseases is the final frontier and it is a privilege to be working in this area and contributing as much as I can. AS A RESEARCHER, AT THE FRONT OF MY MIND ARE THE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONATED FUNDS SO THAT I COULD BE SUPPORTED TO STUDY NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES AND I AM HUMBLED BY THEIR TRUST IN ME TO DO THIS WORK. HAVING RECEIVED SUCH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM THE FOUNDATION AND HAVING BEEN TRUSTED WITH MANY STORIES FROM INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES LIVING WITH BRAIN DISEASES, I AM ALL THE MORE MOTIVATED TO RESEARCH BETTER TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES. MY HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME, MY TEAM AND THE WORK WE DO. PROFESSOR BRONWEN CONNOR Support from the Neurological Foundation provided the basis on which I built my career. In 1997 I was awarded the first Wrightson Postdoctoral Fellowship to take up a position at Northwestern University in Chicago investigating the potential use of gene therapy to treat Parkinson’s disease. This was a unique and prestigious opportunity which led me to return to New Zealand in 2000 to take up an academic position at the University of Auckland. The Neurological Foundation continued to support me and funded my first project as an independent researcher in 2001 investigating whether the diseased human brain could repair itself. Over the past 20 years, the Neurological Foundation has provided me with funding for 15 research projects. In addition, 10 of my graduate students have received Neurological Foundation Wrightson Fellowships to support them while working as a research fellow. IT IS THE CONTINUED SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT OF THE NEUROLOGICAL FOUNDATION AND THEIR SUPPORTERS ON WHICH I CREDIT MY CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS; IN PARTICULAR I BELIEVE MY APPOINTMENT IN 2018 AS A MEMBER OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT FOR THE TREATMENT OF NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES WAS BASED ON THE ONGOING SUPPORT I HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE FOUNDATION. By providing early career fellowships, as well as research funding, the Neurological Foundation has provided vital support in initiating and driving, not only my career, but the careers of my graduate students. My dream for the future is to see the research supported by the Neurological Foundation reach patients and provide treatments to reduce or halt disease progression. Research is by nature a slow and careful process which requires continual support to flourish and come to fruition. I believe through the ongoing support and belief in research provided by the Neurological Foundation, my dream will eventually come true. Honouring Philip Wrightson