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10 Headlines $ 2.2m THE TOTAL AWARDED IN THE 2020B PROJECTS, SMALL PROJECTS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS ROUND IS $2,229,408. Latest research grant round -2020B Project grants Developing new pre-clinical models of genetic DEE (developmental and epileptic encephalopathy) Associate Professor Caroline Beck, University of Otago $182,640 Epilepsy is a neurological disease affecting around 1% of New Zealanders. The most severe epilepsies in children are the developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs). Seizures begin in infancy and are difficult to control, leaving children profoundly disabled and at high risk of sudden death. The majority of DEEs are not inherited, but result from a mutation in one of over 100 different genes. To improve outcomes for these children, Associate Professor Caroline Beck and her team need new treatments that can bring seizures under control. They will reproduce the mutations found in the most severely affected NZ children in tadpoles and use these to test potential therapeutic drugs. Alpha synuclein in Parkinson’s disease. Are ‘strains’ key in finding therapeutics? Dr Victor Dieriks, University of Auckland $68,906 Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing chronic neurological disorder affecting 10 million worldwide. Central in this condition is the formation of toxic clumps of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) protein, and while the building block is the same, the resulting 3D structure can vary, giving rise to unique alpha-syn strains. By exposing cells to different alpha-syn strains, Dr Victor Dieriks will identify the gene changes and evaluate the role of those genes as potential therapeutic targets for Parkinson’s disease. Ultimately the goal is to reduce the burden of alpha-syn in the brain. Novel dopamine pathway as a potential target in treatment of Parkinson’s disease Dr Peter Freestone, University of Auckland $200,945 Dopamine is a chemical controlling diverse brain functions. When dopamine pathways go awry, a range of neurological disorders develop. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of them - a debilitating movement disorder currently affecting about 12,000 New Zealanders. PD is caused by loss of some dopamine-producing cells. Dr Peter Freestone recently discovered a new dopamine pathway in the rat brain. The proposed study will investigate the function of this pathway in detail and, importantly, in a PD animal model. This should greatly increase the understanding of the actions of dopamine in healthy and diseased brain, potentially identifying new therapeutic targets in PD. Artery inflammation suppression and measurement in ischaemic stroke Associate Professor Steven Gieseg, University of Canterbury $116,984 A major cause of stroke is blood clots blocking the arteries of the brain. These clots form when white blood cell-filled plaques in the arterial wall rupture. The plaques are formed through a slow inflammatory process which damages the arterial wall. The damage from this inflammation drives the plaque growth and eventual rupture. Chemicals which control and limit damage within the artery are released during the inflammatory process, but for many patients this system fails. Using actual human plaque tissue taken from stroke patients, Associate Professor Steven Gieseg will examine why the protective mechanisms fail and identify the chemicals which can signal this failure. Characterising VIIIth cranial nerve involvement in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 1A Associate Professor Richard Roxburgh, University of Auckland $90,852 Proudly sponsored in memory of George and Patricia Wilson Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a neurological disorder that affects the way signals are sent along the nerves connecting the arms and legs with the brain. Sometimes the nerves controlling hearing and balance are affected. However, it is unknown how often and to what extent this occurs. This study will use new tests of inner ear function to investigate how the hearing and balance nerves are affected in a large group of patients with the