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Neurological Foundation of New Zealand She is using her fellowship to study how underlying neurological conditions can result in hearing and balance problems. She is particularly interested in the auditory-vestibular nerve, which relays messages from the ear to the brain. “I’m in the unique position of being able to continue working and having face- to-face contact with patients while also spending time at a university surrounded by incredible researchers and neurologists,” she says. BRIDGING A GAP IN AUDIOLOGY The O’Brien Fellowship supports non-medical health professionals to pursue research. One recent fellow is audiologist ZayMelville, who divides her time between Triton Hearing in Hamilton, and researching at the University of Auckland. “My end goal is to bridge a gap between neurologists and audiologists. I’ve noticed a lack of collaboration between the two fields industry-wide, yet audiology and neurology are very intertwined.” Zay Melville, doctoral student and research and clinical audiologist