DOCUMENT

Headlines 13 This project will characterise how maternal anxiety disrupts motivation for interaction with newborns, and how pregnancy-driven changes in gene expression are altered in anxious mothers. They will also test whether stimulation of specific neural circuitry restores normal maternal responses. The long-term goal is to contribute to effective therapies for women suffering from maternal mental health disorders, through studying how maternal mood and behaviour is regulated. Understanding the relationship between the serotonergic system and mitochondrial function in neuropsychiatric disorders Bryony Thorne, Victoria University of Wellington Supervisor: Dr Darren Day $121,518 W&B Miller Scholarship recipient Neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are a complex and poorly understood group of conditions. Serotonergic signaling and mitochondrial dysfunction have been strongly implicated in these disorders, yet the relationship between these two features has not been fully explored. Focussing on known genetic and environmental risk factors for MDD and ASD, this research seeks to elucidate the connections between the serotonergic system and mitochondrial function. With increasing incidence of these disorders and ineffective treatments, an improved understanding of these disorders is necessary to improve outcomes for those affected. VJ Chapman Fellowship Multiple sclerosis mortality outcomes in New Zealand Dr Ruth Leadbetter, New Zealand Brain Research Institute $135,568 Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease with an average life expectancy 6-14 years lower than the general population. A recent study found that New Zealanders with MS had a poorer quality of life and higher morbidity compared to Australians; however there has been no nationwide study of MS mortality in the southern hemisphere in over 50 years. This study will assess MS mortality in New Zealand, providing essential information for treatment funding decisions and other healthcare initiatives needed to improve the survival of New Zealanders with MS. First Fellowships How do brain metastatic cancers invade the Blood- Brain Barrier endothelium? Akshata Anchan, University of Auckland $201,053 Brain metastatic cancers have a devastating prognosis. They are created by cancers that travel into the brain from other anatomical sites. Melanoma has high propensity to travel to the brain. To do this, melanoma cells must interact with the protective blood-brain barrier (BBB), made of cells that defend the brain against blood-borne pathogens. This study aims to investigate this interaction between human melanoma cells and cells that form the BBB, to discover the key components that allow cancer cells to migrate into the brain. The hope is to aid research towards therapy for brain metastases. The contribution of pericytes to blood-brain barrier integrity in neurodegenerative diseases Dr Rebecca Johnson, University of Auckland $208,385 Proudly funded by the Barker Family The symptoms and pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and motor neuron disease (MND) are very different, but there is an overlooked and important similarity: a dysfunctional blood-brain barrier. In healthy people, the brain is protected by this specialised barrier. However when it is dysfunctional, toxic molecules can leak into the brain, causing inflammation and killing brain cells. Using human brain cells Dr Rebecca Johnson will examine molecular dynamics of brain vasculature and how these might promote and drive neurodegeneration. Understanding how the barrier is broken will guide her towards therapies that may slow the progression of these neurodegenerative diseases. Senior Research Fellowship Secreted amyloid precursor protein-alpha: a molecular modulator of astrocyte function Dr Xiao-Wen Yu, University of Otago $183,623 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, but there are no treatments for it. With an ageing population, we must gain new understanding of the disease and ways to treat it. Secreted amyloid precursor protein- alpha (sAPP α ) protects neurons from toxicity and even reverses memory deficits in AD models. This project will examine sAPP α ’s effects on a previously unstudied cell type, astrocytes, whose functions are also impaired in AD. This work will shed new light on mechanisms of AD and test whether a mini version of sAPP α can form the basis for novel therapeutic strategies. *It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of one of our brilliant scientists, mentors and researchers, Dr Gina Forster. We want to thank Dr Forster for her mentorship to multiple summer studentships in Otago, and her work on the anxious brain. She will be remembered throughout our community, and we pass along our deepest condolences to her friends and family.