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Fifty for 50 Challenge Celebrating 50 years – Barry Snow: A Chapman Fellow Remembering Mr Philip Wrightson, a founder Flashes of Brilliance 2020 Latest grant round funding Professor Dirk de Ridder: Making strides in understanding tinnitus Our Brain Awareness Month speakers Kia ora, Te tau hou, wishing you a happy new year! I am thrilled to be welcoming you to 2021 which is our Golden Jubilee year. Everyone at the Foundation is abuzz with the upcoming celebratory year. 50 years of funding ground- breaking research is a huge accomplishment for not only the Neurological Foundation but every single one of our supporters who have been with us along the way. To those of you who were there from the very first Annual Appeal in 1972 to our newest members who joined us at the very end of last year – thank you. Without your help, the Foundation would not have been able to fund research for the last 50 years. You are the backbone of our research community, and you are the reason the scientists and clinicians we fund are working so diligently to unlock the mysteries of neurological diseases and conditions. This year we are not just celebrating the accomplishments of the researchers, but we are celebrating you – our supporters, our community, our whānau. At the end of last year, some of you may have noticed the announcement we made about our new Chair of our governing Council. Dr Barry Snow, has now retired as Chair, handing over the reins to a new leader, Professor Cathy Stinear. Some of you may recognise Cathy’s name as she is one of our funded scientists who is a leader in stroke rehabilitation research at the Auckland City Hospital. Cathy is our first female Chair of the Council, and has been part of the Neurological Foundation community for nearly 10 years. She was the previous Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee for many years, and brings a deep understanding of the importance of neurological research. We are all extremely excited to see this new era of leadership for the Council and Foundation. I would like to personally thank and acknowledge Dr Barry Snow for his guidance, leadership and friendship to myself and the Foundation over the past 23 years. We have a wonderful year ahead of us, with 50 events scheduled including two Brain Days, a mix of online and in- person events, as well as a special series of events that will commemorate the accomplishments of key members of the research community. I hope you enjoy our first edition of Headlines of 2021! There are some wonderful research updates included, as well as our latest grant round. Mā te wā, Rich Easton Contact us Neurological Foundation, PO Box 110022 Auckland Hospital, Auckland 1148 Phone: 09 309 7749 Free call: 0508 BRAINS (0508 272 467) Email: info@neurological.org.nz Website: neurological.org.nz If you are moving, please let us know your new address so that you don’t miss the next issue of Headlines. Donor Relations Contacts Upper North Island Donor Relations Specialist Theresa Liebenberg theresa.liebenberg@neurological.org.nz 027 233 0710 Lower North Island Donor Relations Specialist Margie Carter margie.carter@neurological.org.nz 021 042 8114 South Island Donor Relations Specialist Kellie Bain kellie.bain@neurological.org.nz 027 478 8536 ISSN 2744-3558 Contents Message from our Chief Executive 3 4–5 6–7 8–9 10–13 14–15 16–19 Headlines are printed on paper from responsible resources