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4 The Neurological Foundation On the pathway to 50 years of research Over 500 scientists, clinicians and students have been funded in their pursuit of science, but it started with one person, Professor Val Chapman of the University of Auckland. Chapman was strongly intent on forming the Neurological Foundation, and with the pursuit of science at its core, he was joined by others. Phillip Wrightson, John Carman, Gavin Glasgow, Barry Cant and many others joined, helping Chapman form what we know today as the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand. From the very beginning, the Neurological Foundation had a profound purpose, to help those living with a neurological condition through a better understanding of the disease via research. Chapman and Wrightson were the driving force behind this very important message, and as the years went by it became evident they were not the only ones who believed in helping the lives of Kiwis through research. Prior to 1970 there was very little offered in New Zealand for scientists and clinicians to conduct research on the brain and neurological conditions. Dr I.M. “Dusty” Allen, a Wellington neurologist, wrote dozens of papers describing the symptoms and signs of neurological disorders. Dr John “Jock” Egerton Caughey, an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Otago, made important contributions in the study of a muscle disorder called myotonic dystrophy, poliomyelitis and other neurological conditions. Dr Murray Falconer, an Associate Professor of neurosurgery in Dunedin kicked off a productive career in neurosurgical research before he left New Zealand; and Dr J.C. “Jack” Eccles was a Professor of Physiology at the University of Otago whose work in Dunedin helped to show that synaptic transmission was by chemical means rather than electrical. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1963 for his work. The commonality among these three individuals was, they all went abroad to pursue a career in research because there was none offered in New Zealand – here is where our story begins. The development of neurology and neurosurgery departments in the main New Zealand hospitals after 1955, the opening of the new medical school in Auckland in 1968, and the expansion of the Otago Medical School, meant there was a greater need for research funding into neurological diseases. However, the initiative to establish an organisation to fund neurological research in New Zealand came not from a medical professional. Chapman, although a professor, was a Professor of Botany, not neurology, at the University of Auckland, and yet he started a legacy of funding neurological research which has, so far, continued for 50 years. Chapman was born in Alcester, Warwickshire in England. He graduated with a Master of Arts in Botany from Cambridge University and was awarded his doctorate for research into the salt marshes of East Anglia. In 1939 he led a research expedition to Jamaica, and it was this experience that triggered a lifelong interest in mangroves about which he became an international authority. He arrived in New Zealand in 1945, after he was appointed as the first Professor of Botany at the Auckland University College (the precursor of the University of Auckland). Chapman and the Professor of Zoology, John Morton, were mainly responsible for setting up the University’s marine laboratory in Leigh. In the 1960’s Chapman also played an important part in planning the new School of Medicine in Auckland. Chapman became interested in neurology when a family member developed epilepsy. Epilepsy was still a socially unacceptable disorder in the community at the time and Chapman realised there was a desperate need for public education and assistance for people with epilepsy. In 1956 he founded the New Zealand Epilepsy Association, and he was its first organisational president. The Epilepsy Association developed into a very successful organisation, which provided education, advocacy, and support services for people with epilepsy and their families. The limited funds available to the Epilepsy Association were used for public education and patient care, leaving nothing for research. Chapman appreciated that research provided the best prospect of understanding the causes of neurological diseases and improving their treatments. The idea of a neurological foundation to fund neuroscience research arose from discussions between Chapman, John ON THE 28 OCTOBER 1971 THE NEUROLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF NEW ZEALAND WAS INCORPORATED AND FROM THERE A LEGACY BEGAN.