Te Huinga Hinengaro
Centre for Brain Research enews
Haratua 2025 | Kawerongo 4
May 2025 | Issue 4
Nau mai ki te kawerongo tuawha o Te Huinga Hinengaro!
Welcome to the fourth issue of Te Huinga Hinengaro!
He kōrero whakapuaki
Director's address
Tēnā tātou katoa,
Throughout my journey with the CBR, I have always aimed for the top of the mountain, and welcomed the inevitable challenges along the way. Although we may never reach the top, it makes us more determined and our journey even more exciting.
Over the past 15 years, the CBR has grown into something greater than I ever imagined. It has been my great privilege and honour to promote and facilitate this growth.
In fact, our journey stretches back almost 45 years, to when we were first generously gifted brain tissue for research from families living with Huntington’s disease. The families planted the seeds of our human brain research not knowing what would grow - and the result has been extraordinary: more diverse, more beautiful, and more impactful than we ever dreamed.
Our ethos has been critical to this success. And it has been simple: pursue world-class research and do what is right for the people of Aotearoa. If the work supports collaborative science and gives hope to people with brain disease, then we do it.
As I step aside from my role as Director in the coming months, my great hope is that this ethos continues to drive all that we do. I am looking ahead to a new role as an ambassador for the CBR, continuing our vital engagement with our philanthropic supporters and with all the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The next 15 years will bring fresh vision and new endeavours, but our passion and values remain. We will continue to strive for the mountain tops and never ever give up.
Mauri ora,
Richard
Director, Centre for Brain Research
Te Huinga Hinengaro
The University of Auckland
Ngā kōrero whakahira
Highlights
Far North students get first glimpse into brain research
Dr Thomas Park, Kyrone Taraika, Sir Richard Faull, and Anahera Leef-Papani.
It was our honour to host rangatahi and kaiako from Broadwood Area School in the Far North for a guided tour and a glimpse into the world of brain research earlier this month.
The visit was part of the school's programme to encourage Year 9 and 10 Māori and Pasifika students to pursue STEM subjects as they head into NCEA.
It was the first time any of the students had been on a university campus. They were treated to a close-up look at the precious collection of anatomy and pathology specimens in the AMRF Medical Sciences Learning Centre, an inspirational talk by Sir Richard Faull, and a glimpse of real-life brain research in the CBR’s labs.
The group was then hosted overnight at Waipapa Marae, before a morning of activities at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI).
We hope the visit was memorable - and perhaps even future-changing - for these students.
Ngā mihi nui to Dr Thomas Park for organising such an inspiring experience, as well as the volunteers from his lab and ABI, and the staff from the AMRF Learning Centre, who all helped make the visit a success.
It's fun Being Brainy
Budding young brain scientists were kept busy at Botany Library during the school holidays. They took part in a Brain Lab run as part of the CBR’s Being Brainy programme.
It was a chance for them to meet ‘real life’ neuroscientists (Meikyla Mason and Khushi Sehajpal), and to learn about how the brain works through interactive activities like crafting neurons and brain hats, and attempting to draw stars while looking in a mirror.
The Being Brainy initiative, which is also run in schools, is in its 9th year, and is the ‘brainchild’ of the CBR’s Professor Bronwyn Connor, who created the programme to provide teachers with the resources to make neuroscience fun and easy to teach.
Two honours for visionary ophthalmologist
A belated congratulations to Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer, who was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to ophthalmology in the King’s New Year Honours list.
One of New Zealand’s leading eye surgeons, Professor Danesh-Meyer has also been named on the 2025 Power List of the world’s top 50 ophthalmologists, compiled by The Ophthalmologist magazine.
She was the only New Zealander recognised on this list and was featured in the glaucoma category.
A trailblazer in her field, Helen was the first female Professor of Ophthalmology and only the second female Professor in any surgical specialty in New Zealand. As the Sir William and Lady Stevenson Professor of Ophthalmology, she has led pioneering research into eye–brain interactions, helping to advance clinical understanding and treatment of vision-related neurological conditions.
Among her notable achievements is the discovery of a non-invasive imaging biomarker for sight-threatening pituitary tumours, which is now used worldwide.
She was also part of a team that showed that neurons in the retina can be killed by the opening of membrane channels causing neuroinflammation, and rescued by blocking the channels.
Another achievement was identifying that the loss of retinal-nerve fibres can be used as an imaging biomarker to diagnose and stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Ngā mihi mahana ki a koe, e Helen, mō tēnei tohu nui.
(Warmest congratulations to you, Helen, for this great honour).
Ngā Rito - nurturing young Māori researchers
The new rōpū for Māori students has adopted the name Ngā Rito, a name grounded in mātauranga Māori that reflects its purpose and intention.
Ngā Rito translates to "the shoots" or "the young shoots" and refers to the central, tender growth of the harakeke (flax) plant. The harakeke plant symbolizes family, with the rito representing the children, and the surrounding leaves (awhi rito) representing the parents, or in this case, the wraparound support of the CBR community.
This rōpū is open to Māori students from any discipline or faculty with a connection to brain health.
If you are keen to connect, please contact Meikyla Mason at m.mason@auckland.ac.nz or Makarena Dudley at m.dudley@auckland.ac.nz
Nau mai, haere mai!
A decade of involvement in dementia research
Staff from the DPRC celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of the clinic’s first patients – Graeme Newton – pictured in the centre.
A special celebration was held for Graeme Newton, one of the first patients to join the Auckland Dementia Prevention Research Clinic, marking ten years of his involvement in clinical assessments with the team.
Since Graeme enrolled as a study participant, more than 400 patients have taken part in assessments at the clinic.
Graeme has become a passionate advocate for dementia research and its benefits. He says the team’s knowledge has been invaluable as his condition has progressed to dementia.
“They are my go-to people,” Graeme says.
Documentary captures Sir Richard Faull's story
A TVNZ documentary series that shares the stories of Aotearoa’s living legends will air an episode about Sir Richard Faull later this year.
Pathfinders features trailblazing Māori New Zealanders who were raised at a time when Māori culture and language were shunned. The intimate portrayal highlights Richard’s inspirational journey to advance, and break down barriers to Māori participation, in brain research. It scheduled to air on Sunday 27 July at 10am.
Melannie Wong and Glen Chean from the human.Aotearoa/CBR digital wisdom initiative.
Digital wisdom
An exciting project is set to launch later this year to create a CBR ‘digital wisdom’ archive. The series of filmed interviews with neuroscience researchers, and individuals and families affected by neurological disorders, is a collaboration with human.Aotearoa, which is building an enduring digital archive of human biographies, preserving their stories for current and future generations.
An in-depth chat with Prof. Mike Dragunow
Professor Mike Dragunow has made the cover of UniNews, following his recognition with not one but two prestigious medals – the Royal Society Te Apārangi Hercus Medal and the New Zealand Association of Scientists’ Marsden Medal
Read about Mike’s extraordinary journey, from his Greek, Russian and South Dunedin roots, to early breakthroughs in epilepsy research, and his pioneering work in growing human brain cells and advancing drug discovery.
Mike Dragunow: breakthroughs with the brain - The University of Auckland
Come check us out at Fieldays
Some of our researchers are once again volunteering on the Brain Health stand at Fieldays. It’s a valuable chance to connect with the public, particularly our rural communities. A huge thanks to this year’s stand helpers. If you’re at the event come and visit us in the Hauora Taiwhenua Health and Wellbeing Hub – just look for the giant inflatable brain! Fieldays is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event, and is on 11-14 June at Mystery Creek.
Ngā kawepūrongo
In the news
Dangerous new collision sport condemned
Dr Helen Murray, who is an expert in chronic traumatic encephalopathy, spoke to the media last week about the dangers of the new combat sport which recently debuted in New Zealand and has gone viral on social media.
As we were finalising this edition, we learned of the tragic death of a 19-year-old boy from Palmerston North, who suffered a fatal head injury while playing a private version of the tackle game - run it straight - with friends. We extend our deepest condolences to his family.
1news: new run it competition makes nz debut fears over brain injury risk
NZ Herald: neuroscientist condemns new run it straight collision sport after man knocked out
Digital seminar
Helen is presenting a free digital seminar about her research into head injuries and their affect on brain structure. The Neurological Foundation is hosting the seminar, and registrations can be made online:
Head impacts: What's the long-term effect on our brain?
19:00 PM
Tuesday, 03 June 2025
Other news
Why is FND under-diagnosed?
PhD candidate Benjamin Scrivener discusses the history, misunderstandings and misdiagnoses of one of the most common neurological disorders in The Conversation.
Quest to cure spinal injury
The Cure Programme, led by Professor Darren Svirskis, aims to use emerging technology to treat, and one day hopefully cure, spinal cord injury. Its partnership with the Catwalk Trust was profiled for the University news website:
Researchers’ quest to find cure for spinal cord injury
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata
Our people
Graduation celebrations
Ngā mihi nui/congratulations to all of our graduates in the May ceremonies. Nau mai!
Kate Hitpass Romero graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Science with Distinction in Pharmacology, and a Master of Science with First Class Honours in Pharmacology. Her supervisors were Dr Justin Rustenhoven (third from left) and Prof. Mike Dragunow.
Dr Delshad Kalantary gained a PhD in Biomedical Science. Her thesis shed light on the complex interplay between glutamatergic neuronal activity and Alzheimer’s Disease, opening avenues for further exploration and potential therapeutic interventions.
Dr Kyrah Thumbadoo graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology and Dr Sam McCullough graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Science. Both Kyrah and Sam have received fellowships from the Neurological Foundation to continue their research.
Congratulations Dr Laura Marriott who received a PhD in anatomy, supervised by Professor Maurice Curtis and Dr Brigid Ryan.
Heba Mortaja was conferred with a Master of Science with First Class Honours in Psychology. Her supervisor was Professor Paul Corballis.
Whakapā mai
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