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22 Bringing back joy to people’s lives Swallowing is essential for survival, yet we rarely think about it until something goes wrong. Swallowing disorders, or dysphagia, can deeply affect every aspect of someone’s life – from social events and family traditions to taking daily medications. With investment from the Neurological Foundation, researchers are working hard to help identify and treat dysphagia early, preventing severe complications and boosting people’s quality of life. They include PhD student Madeline Mills from the University of Canterbury and researcher Dr Sarah Perry from the University of Otago. Dr Perry, a Neurological Foundation Senior Research Fellow (Barker Fellowship), completed post-doctoral studies in dysphagia in the USA and returned to NZ. With the support of a small project grant, she carried out a study of swallowing problems in 50 peoplewith Parkinson’s disease (PD). Data from this study has contributed to a large, international collaborative study exploring caregiver burden in PD. Meanwhile, MadelineMills received a grant for a new tool that’s being used at the University of Canterbury’s Rose Centre for Stroke Recovery and Research, allowing her to visualise patients’ brain activation during swallowing. This is helpingwith a new approach to rehabilitation, reframing swallowing as a skill that can be relearned. These projects build on work that was started by Distinguished Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabeewith the Foundation’s support back in 2004. Dr PhoebeMacrae (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), a past Neurological Foundation PhilipWrightson Fellow, works closely with Distinguished Professor Huckabee and the Rose Centre team. “I’mexcited about the future, where technology and research will make treatmentmore accessible and effective for everyone.” Dr Sarah Perry, Senior Research Fellow