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14 Headlines Professor Dirk de Ridder: Making strides in understanding tinnitus In 2010 the South Island faced a threat of losing its neurosurgery service following a proposed service restructure. But a combined response from the University of Otago, Southern DHB, Otago Daily Times, the region’s mayors and a remarkable public donation drive, led by the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, raised more than $3 million which ensured the service’s retention. The then named, Neurological Foundation of New Zealand Chair in Neurosurgery — now renamed the Otago and Southland Chair in Neurosurgery - would be the first of its kind and be a beacon of excellence and vital research in the South Island. In late 2012, Belgian neurosurgeon, Professor Dirk de Ridder was appointed for this prestigious position to the Department of Surgical Sciences at the University of Otago, Dunedin. The initial position was to be a full- time, 50/50 split between research and clinical work. Over time, Professor De Ridder moved to focussing on his vital research with Dunedin researchers such as Dr Yiwen Zheng, Professor John Reynolds and Dr Nick Cutfield as well as international colleagues. The research that Dirk has been working on these past seven years has increased our understanding of neurological conditions like tinnitus and Parkinson’s disease and has introduced our researchers to broader, global teams. In his clinical capacity Dirk specialises in skull-based surgery for auditory and pituitary tumours working to relieve compression. His research specialty is neuromodulation (the application of magnetic and electrical stimuli to modify brain function) and he is currently the top-ranked worldwide expert in tinnitus. He has published 37 book chapters, co-edited the Textbook of Tinnitus, has authored or co-authored 270 articles, and is a reviewer for 85 scientific journals. Since 2013 he has presented his research more than 200 times all over the world, with the majority of these being invited lectures or keynote addresses. The impact of Dirk’s research earned him the prestigious Dean's Medal at the 2019 Health Research Excellence Awards, which celebrate the collaboration between the Otago Medical School in Dunedin and the Southern District Health Board.