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scientists thought the brain, unlike the rest of the body, didn’t have a lymphatic system. Now they know there are hidden drainage pathways that wash out toxins and keep things running smoothly. Taylor’s research explores how the brain’s waste clearance system fails in Parkinson’s disease and whether targeting immune cells at the brain’s borders can restore function. Using cutting-edge imaging techniques at Washington University, he aims to better understand how these toxic proteins accumulate and whether reducing immune-related damage can help. If successful, his findings could lead to new treatments that enhance brain waste clearance, offering hope for slowing or preventing Parkinson’s disease progression. It’s a promising new field that helped secure Taylor major Neurological Foundation support in the most recent funding round: a project grant to study the brain’s lymphatic pathways at the CBR, and the Wrightson Fellowship to train in cutting- edge research techniques at Washington University in St Louis. His combined funding totals more than $500K. “It's incredibly exciting. It’s like discovering a whole new part of the brain that could play a major role in disease,” Taylor says. Washington University is one of the world’s top neuroscience centres, home to Nobel Prize-winning researchers and some of the most advanced imaging technology anywhere. Its labs use ultra-high-resolution scanners and tracer systems that allow scientists to watch, in real time, how the brain clears waste. “Washington has imaging facilities we just don’t have in New Zealand,” Taylor says. “It’s incredible to see these pathways and how they behave in such fine detail.” During his fellowship, he’ll learn these techniques firsthand – and bring that expertise home. “It’s not just about training overseas,” he says. “It’s about building capability here, so the next generation of New Zealand researchers can keep pushing those boundaries.” Back in Auckland, Taylor’s Neurological Foundation project grant will continue in collaboration with Dr Justin Rustenhoven and Professor Maurice Curtis. The two grants complement each other perfectly: the fellowship gives him access to world-leading imaging tools and analysis techniques, while the project grant enables him to apply those in a laboratory with access to human brain tissue, with the aim of identifying immune pathways and potential therapies that could one day make a real difference for people with Parkinson’s disease. Dr Blake Highet – Philip Wrightson Fellow 2022–2024 As the Neurological Foundation Brain Bank Research Fellow, Dr Blake Highet is pioneering new ways to preserve and study human brain tissue – ensuring today’s discoveries lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Blake’s career was shaped by a Philip Wrightson Fellowship, which took him to the University of Utah to work with world-leading neurobiologist Dr Jason Shepherd. There, he investigated how toxic proteins spread between neurons in Alzheimer’s disease, helping to uncover molecular clues that could one day reveal new therapeutic targets. Now back in Auckland, Blake is applying that experience to strengthen New Zealand’s research capability. By improving how the Brain Bank preserves and analyses tissue, he is helping unlock new insights into neurodegenerative disease, and continuing the Wrightson Fellowship tradition of turning global experience into local impact. Associate Professor Tracy Melzer – Philip Wrightson Fellow 2013–2015 When imaging specialist Dr Tracy Melzer received a Philip Wrightson Fellowship in 2013, precision medicine was still a new idea. Tracy was ahead of his time, designing a project to predict which people with Parkinson’s disease were most likely to develop dementia. Working at the New Zealand Brain Research Institute (NZBRI) and the University of Otago in Christchurch, Tracy used advanced MRI imaging to study subtle changes in the brain’s grey matter. His findings showed that early differences in cortical thickness could predict which patients would go on to develop dementia, and how quickly. By combining imaging data with the Christchurch Longitudinal Parkinson’s Study, he laid the foundation for individualised dementia-risk profiles. These tools help patients and families prepare practically and emotionally for what lies ahead. Today, as Associate Professor at the University of Canterbury and Imaging Research Manager at the NZBRI, Tracy oversees MRI and PET studies across a range of neurological disorders. His career reflects how early investment in innovative, personalised research can lead to long-term clinical impact. “We may not be able to stop Parkinson’s yet,” he says, “but we can give people knowledge and tools to understand what’s ahead and prepare with confidence.” Double success: Dr Taylor Stevenson received a PhilipWrightson Fellowship and a Project Grant in our latest funding round. Headlines 17