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6 Headlines The precious gift of BRAIN TISSUE and how it’s driving research T hese two have collaborated to devise a time- sensitive plan to keep the tissue alive. It involves one of Dr Park’s team arriving at the operating theatre to collect the brain tissue in a pre- prepared vial then running back to the medical school and transferring it to a special medium to ensure this valuable gift doesn’t die. A few minutes of running can provide a month’s critical research. It’s only possible because of the amazing selflessness of patients who have brain cancer. “It’s the most precious gift,” says Dr Correia. “We find a high percentage of patients are keen to help even though they know it won’t benefit them directly. They do it because they want to help others in the future.” Dr Correia’s team is responsible for asking patients for permission to use small amounts of their removed tumour and brain tissue for research. He says it’s not an easy conversation given it happens at a time when these patients are dealing with a devastating diagnosis. It’s made very clear that it’s voluntary, and cultural sensitivities are taken into account. It’s all systems go when Dr Thomas Park’s team gets a call from the Auckland Hospital operating theatre. The call will come from neurosurgeon Dr Jason Correia. Dr Correia will be intensely focused on his work removing a brain tumour but will still make time to alert Dr Park that some incredibly precious tissue is about to be made available for research. "We had to invent how to do this, and it’s exciting because now we’re putting what we found into practice.” Dr Thomas Park