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12 Headlines Summer Studentships Long-Term Optogenetic Stimulation to the Motor Thalamus for Movement Recovery in Parkinsonian Rats Lily Bentall, University of Otago Supervisor: Associate Professor Louise Parr-Brownlie $6,000 Proudly funded by Neville and Christine Anderson Parkinson’s disease (PD) is incredibly common, although current treatments result in many side effects. Better treatments are needed for millions living with PD. Optogenetic stimulation is a possible treatment, which uses light to rewire pathological brain activity. Optogenetics has been shown to improve movement in rats through stimulation of the motor thalamus using short-duration stimulation. To test if optogenetic stimulation might be a future treatment for PD patients, this project will use long- duration stimulation (continuous for 3 weeks) to the motor thalamus. Hyper-Acute Stroke Service Provision in NZ Natsuko Fushida-Hardy, University of Otago Wellington Supervisor: Associate Professor Anna Ranta $6,000 Stroke affects approximately 9000 New Zealanders every year and this number will rise by 40% over the next decade. Effective treatment options for stroke require patients to be taken to an appropriate centre to receive treatment without delay. Access to stroke treatments is not consistent across New Zealand. Identifying what works well and what needs improvement has improved rates of stroke treatment. The aim of this project is to review data from the National Stroke Reperfusion Register to assess progress, identify further areas for improvement, explore ethnic disparities, and explore the impact of COVID-19 on the availability of stroke reperfusion. Pharmacotherapy to Increase Cognitive Flexibility Emily Harman, Victoria University of Wellington Supervisor: Professor Susan Schenk $6,000 Proudly funded by WD Robins Many disorders are characterised by an inability to adaptively change behaviour according to environmental contingencies. This is referred to as behavioural inflexibility and reflects deficits in brain dopamine receptor mechanisms. Emily Harman will determine the potential of pharmacotherapy that persistently upregulates brain dopamine receptors to increase behavioural flexibility. This pharmacological therapy has the potential to be of immense benefit to a large and wide-ranging number of individuals who suffer from diseases that manifest behavioural inflexibility. These include, but are not limited to, obsessive- compulsive disorder, Parkinson’s disease, autism spectrum disorder, and substance use disorders. The Effect of Early Life Stress on Cytokine Receptor Expression and Activity in Dopamine Neurons of the Brain Amabelle Voice-Powell, University of Otago Supervisor: Dr Mick Watt & Dr Gina Forster* (in memoriam) $6,000 Proudly funded by WD Robins This project is the first to establish the relationship between inflammation, dopamine and mental health. Stress triggers brain inflammation and is a contributing factor to development of anxiety and depression. Amabelle Voice-Powell believes there is a relationship between inflammation caused by stress and the brain’s dopamine system – a system known to be altered in mood disorders. After replicating the effects of early life stress faced by humans in a rodent model, she will investigate this relationship by tracking markers of inflammation in their brain tissue. Consequently, our work will contribute to the development of treatment for mental health disorders. Doctoral Scholarships Perinatal Creatine Supplementation – ‘closing the gap’ to improve brain development following perinatal compromise Alice Freeman, University of Otago Wellington Supervisor: Associate Professor Max Berry $124,214 W&B Miller Scholarship recipient Babies born too early or too small are at a higher risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcomes than their normal- weight peers born at full-term. Although advances in perinatal care have seen many more of these babies survive to adulthood, there is still little that can be done to ameliorate any preterm/intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) -associated brain injury. Using a guinea pig model of preterm birth and IUGR, Alice Freeman aims to assess whether perinatal creatine supplementation can improve later neurological and health outcomes. These results will be the basis of clinical studies designed to help prevent the devastating consequences of preterm birth/IUGR. Deciphering the neural circuitry of postpartum anxiety Mary Hawkes, University of Otago Supervisor: Dr Rosemary Brown $124,100 Proudly sponsored by Peter and Wendy Gillespie Maternal mental health disorders affect 20% of New Zealand women and represent a significant health issue for our families. There are limited diagnostic and treatment options available, with the regulation of maternal mood and behaviour, particularly maternal anxiety, poorly understood.