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Known as Nate, he was born with diastrophic dysplasia, an extremely rare genetic condition sometimes known as “twisted dwarf syndrome”. He sustained a spinal cord injury during an attempt to stabilise his spine when he was 12 years old. This year, he began a three-year doctoral study at the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research looking at how glial cells can regulate inflammatory response to reduce negative impacts of injury. Receiving a Doctoral Scholarship from the Neurological Foundation was more than just funding for Nate. “Getting it was like, ‘Oh, shoot, I’m actually a researcher.’ It made me feel like my work was valuable.” After overcoming significant challenges to finish high school, let alone attend university, he says the scholarship was validation that he could make a meaningful contribution to improving the lives of others through research. “I can’t always rely on my body, but the one thing I can definitely rely on is my brain. I decided early on that I wanted to train it to do something I’m passionate about.” Although neither of his parents is affected, Nate and one of his sisters inherited the condition, while another sister did not. Their family is believed to be the only one in New Zealand living with diastrophic dysplasia. “It causes cartilage growth issues, hence I have shorter limbs, and my spine is crooked.” Growing up, Nate underwent multiple life-saving spinal surgeries. Message from the Chief Executive Kia ora koutou, As always, I am so excited to share a new issue of Headlines with you. It showcases exciting research happening here in Aotearoa, made possible by wonderful supporters like you. The breadth of research and diversity of neurological conditions in our latest funding round is exceptional. From babies’ brains to dementia, stroke to pain management, chronic traumatic encephalopathy to multiple sclerosis, conditions faced by New Zealanders of all ages are in researchers’ sights. We received 84 funding applications – the most we’ve ever had – and funded 25. This shows that demand is higher than ever before – which is not surprising, as it coincides with less government funding for medical research. With the general election looming, it’s important to think about the health and research policies of each of the parties. You may be interested to know that the Neurological Foundation has joined with the other 19members of the Neurological Alliance to advocate for a national neurological workforce strategy. Despite training about five neurologists annually, retirements limit workforce growth. By 2035, we’re likely to be 50 percent short of the extra neurologists needed to meet demand. In its ‘Train five. Keep five’ campaign, the Alliance is calling for the government to, at a minimum, fund two extra public hospital neurology positions every year, and commit to planning for the future. With neurological conditions on the rise, we need to keep investing today so that we, as a nation, can benefit in years to come. This applies to neurological research as well as medical care. Thank goodness for you, our generous donors. You’re stepping in to support home-grown research that could improve the lives of one in three New Zealanders. Mā te wā, Rich Easton, CEO Contents 3 Nathaniel Singleton: lived experience informing spinal cord injury research 6 A $1MNeurological Foundation grant to transform dementia care 11 A neurologist shares insights into the eyes, dementia and brain health 14 Remembering Professor Alistair Gunn 15 Protecting premature babies’ brains 17 $3.3M awarded in our latest grant round Headlines is a Neurological Foundation publication. Editor Danelle Clayton Design Bigtime Productions ISSN 0114-9768 Your Supporter Care Team Connecting you with the right person to help. If you have any questions, contact or communication preference updates, our friendly teamwould love to hear from you. Phone: 0508 272 467 Email: info@neurological.org.nz Website: www.neurological.org.nz If you are not a current subscriber to Headlines and would like to receive this free publication four times a year, please contact us and we’ll add you to our mailing list. Scan the QR code to read previous Headlines issues on our website. Headlines is printed on paper from responsible resources Neurological Foundation-funded research is required tomeet all NewZealandand international ethical codesand legislation. All animal research requires ethical approval, whichmust beobtainedbefore researchcommences. Formore informationvisit: www.neurological.org.nz/research/research-ethics CharitiesCommissionRegisteredNo. CC 10341 Patron, Her Excellency, theRight Honourable DameCindy Kiro, DNZM, QSO, Governor-General of NewZealand. Breaking down barriers in spinal injury research Nathaniel Singleton is using his own experience of spinal cord injury to drive research that could help others living with the condition. 2 Headlines 3 Headlines