DOCUMENT

“Your investment has done more than provide me with a summer studentship – it has allowed me to envision a future in which I am a clinician scientist. Thank you for making this possible.” In the same funding round, Elnathan Chung and Amelia Isac – both medical students from the University of Otago – were awarded $9,000 summer studentships for research into Parkinson’s disease-linked apathy and telestroke care respectively. The Foundation has funded 59 summer studentships across the past 24 years. Although the money invested is modest, the impact has been significant. Many of those researchers have gone on to build stellar careers and contribute to neuroscience breakthroughs in Aotearoa, benefiting countless New Zealanders. Summer studentships: Early investment, life-changing impact While other Kiwis basked in the summer sun, a young medical student at the University of Auckland went on a journey of discovery. Donia Hegazy was awarded a $9,000 summer studentship to research whether a specific drug, Etanercept, could reduce damage and improve brain development in premature babies. Donia has described her lab-based experience, supervised by Dr Ben Lear and Dr Victoria King, as “truly transformative.” “This has shown me what a future of pursuing the intersection of medicine and scientific research could look like,” says Donia. “It has not only expanded my skillset but has also ignited my long-term interest in research and academic medicine that I likely wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.” Donia’s words to our donors sum up the potential impact: “This opportunity has been truly transformative. While my medical training is usually focused on clinical signs and results, this experience has allowed me to dig into the research side of things. It gave me a much deeper understanding of the foundational science that eventually becomes standard care for our patients," she says. “By exploring whether Etanercept can protect all parts of the brain, I believe that I have contributed to finding a new therapy that could significantly improve the long-term health and quality of life for the 5,000 babies born preterm in New Zealand every year.” Donia Hegazy 26 27