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Left to right: Associate Professor Jack Flanagan, Professor Susan Stott, Dr Erin Cawston, Their Excellencies Dame Cindy Kiro and Dr Richard Davies, Professor Lynette Tippett, Neurological Foundation CEO Rich Easton Research impact supercharged via $4 million boost New Zealand’s neuroscience community received a major injection of funding in late 2025, with $4 million in new investment accelerating cutting-edge research into Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, cerebral palsy and neuroinflammation. The launch of our inaugural Programmes and Platforms marked a significant step forward at a critical time. This investment was about giving Kiwi researchers the resources they needed to tackle some of the most pressing neurological challenges. “It’s a vote of confidence in the incredible talent we have here in New Zealand, at a time when funding is extremely tight,” says CEO Rich Easton. “We approached the research community and asked what they needed. They told us where the gaps were, and – thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors – we were able to respond.” This new funding was on top of what’s distributed in the Foundation’s six-monthly grant rounds – already more than $5 million per year. Our Head of Research, Dr Sarah Schonberger, added: “This new, longer-term funding of up to five years supports multidisciplinary teams, international collaboration, and engagement with Māori. The research enabled by this funding boost will increase our understanding of neurological diseases in New Zealand, and will help make significant progress towards diagnosis, prevention and treatment.” The funding was celebrated at a special event at Government House in Auckland with Her Excellency The Right Honorable Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand and patron of the Neurological Foundation, where the researchers expressed their gratitude. “This grant comes at a pivotal time, moving us from simply collecting health information to becoming a national research platform.” Professor Susan Stott, cerebral palsy research team “By supporting this programme, the Neurological Foundation is backing research that’s globally relevant and locally impactful, with a clear path to real-world benefits.” Dr Erin Cawston, Alzheimer’s researcher 14 15