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BRAIN FITNESS Our Scientists Demonstrate Brain Health Tips at Brain Day Connections 2012 - Issue Five BRAIN FITNESS Our scientists demonstrate brain health tips at Brain Day Mind Reading? Singing for health Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank On our cover: The theme for Brain Day 2012 was brain fitness, with lectures, workshops and science experiments geared around optimum brain health. Here children make brain hats to learn about brain anatomy. You can read more on page 10. In this issue Connections - The Centre for Brain Research magazine Contents Autumn 2012 Issue Five Letter from the Director 3 The Centre for Brain Research is a unique partnership between scientists, doctors and CBR Directorate 4 the community. Established in 2009, cross- faculty research teams carry out world-class CBR News 5 Funding for drug discovery p5 neuroscience research, alongside clinical collaborations with leading neurologists, Funding success 6 neurosurgeons and physicians in the Auckland region. Freemasons drug discovery 7 Editorial contact details Singing for health 8 Connections is published by the Centre for Brain Research (CBR). Previous issues of Brain Day 10 Connections are available from the CBR. They can also be accessed as PDFs at: Mind Reading 12 www.cbr.auckland.ac.nz Singing for health p8 Stories may be reproduced with prior CBR book reviews 15 consent from the editor. All rights reserved. Introducing 18 Written, edited and designed by Laura Fogg, unless otherwise stated. Human Brain Bank 20 Centre for Brain Research The University of Auckland Myths of the brain 22 Private Bag 92019 Auckland, New Zealand Photography by Jeff Brass, Godfrey Tel: 09 923 1913 Boehnke, Laura Fogg, Aaron Fritz, and Mind Reading p12 Warren Jones. Email: [email protected] 2 | Connections 2012 Centre for Brain Research | 3 Letter from the Director Looking back over our two years of operation, we can reflect with pride on what we have achieved in the Centre for Brain Research to date and look forward with enthusiasm and excitement to the continuing challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The CBR is all about developing partnerships and collaborations across our 3 pillars – Director ProfessorsRichard Faull CBR blog scientists, clinicians and the community. Our mission and goals are ambitious and To keep up to date with CBR news lofty – the Centre aims to harness the combined expertise and strengths across throughout the year, please sign the 3 pillars to ensure that brain research up to our blog: in the University, from basic right through http://centreforbrainresearch. to applied, is of the highest international wordpress.com/ quality and extends to collaborative research interactions with our leading doctors, to help serve the community and families affected by brain disease. That is the vision, the excitement and the challenge for the Centre. CBR to $1.34M over the last year and to a Developments. Peter brings an invaluable Since our last newsletter in October 2011, grand total of $3.25M since the establishment background of strategic planning expertise there have been major developments in the of the CBR. and an outstanding neuroscience research further funding, development and review of Philanthropic funding is critical to our research experience to help guide and direct the our strategic research initiatives and new success at the centre. It is the life blood of ongoing strategic research developments CBR appointments which represent major innovative strategic research developments. It in the centre. With this reshaping of the milestones towards achieving this vision. gives us the flexibility to develop new, exciting Directorate, the Research Advisory Group will On the philanthropic funding front, the research initiatives to help people with brain be reconfigured and take on a more active Freemasons of New Zealand have provided disease and to stimulate blue sky thinking and strategic planning role, working closely with further generous support of $248,000 to creative research. We are so grateful to have the Directorate to advise on the direction of establish a new drug discovery platform for top philanthropic experts working alongside the centre and to provide feedback to the neurodegenerative diseases. This funding us in the community to raise support for constituent groups across the CBR. will stimulate translational collaborative links our research. We give them a special title, With the growth of the Centre to over 50 between key researchers right across the for special people – they are our “CBR research groups across the University and Centre – the world class medicinal chemistry Ambassadors”. I am pleased to announce our the critical importance of the ongoing group led by Professor Margaret Brimble new CBR Ambassadors: David Mace, chair development of collaborative research in the School of Chemical Sciences and our of the Freemasons Roskill Foundation; Dame between researchers and clinicians, I am very leading expert neuropharmacologists in the Rosie Horton, well known for her philanthropy pleased that we have made an exciting new CBR Biobank and Integrative Neuroscience for the Starship Foundation; Dame Jenny appointment of Dr Dean Robinson as the new Facilities – Professor Mike Dragunow and Gibbs, prominent University supporter and CBR Research Manager. As detailed elsewhere Associate Professors Bronwen Connor and arts patron; and Jenny Gill, Chair of the ASB in the newsletter, Dean will play a critical role Michelle Glass. This research grant provides Community Trust. We are so grateful for in facilitating collaborative research across the funds for a Freemasons Postdoctoral Fellow, their guidance, wisdom and support for our CBR and work closely with the Directorate in Dr Amanda Heapy, who will be testing a ongoing philanthropic efforts. implementing our strategic research initiatives. wide range of lead drug compounds using At our recent CBR Strategic Planning Day The Centre is entering a new and exciting state of the art cellular and high throughput in February, there was unanimous support phase in the ongoing development to achieve technology in the Biobank and Integrative to focus and capitalise on our three major our mission and goals. Thank you all for your Neuroscience Facilities. This cutting edge strategic research developments - the Brain commitment and contributions to the CBR. research will fast track the identification of Recovery Clinic, Biobank and Integrative With your help we can realise our dreams by potential new drugs to fight brain diseases. Neuroscience Facilities. Alongside this we working together to push back the frontiers of This is what the CBR is all about – taking need to develop imaging capabilities for the research to fight brain disease. discoveries from the lab to the clinic. Also, Sir future, and grow our mid-career workforce. Graeme Douglas through the Neurological Communication and collaboration across Professor Richard Faull Foundation has provided critical support of the Centre is critical to enable growth of our $325,000 for the appointment of a Senior neuroscience research. Also, our directorate Research Fellow – Dr Henry Waldvogel – and management structure must be to enable the ongoing development and continually reviewed to meet the growth and expansion of the Neurological Foundation challenges of the CBR. Human Brain Bank. This will further enhance I am delighted to announce that with the research across the centre on human agreement of the Research Advisory Group neurodegenerative diseases. These grants I have appointed Professor Peter Thorne as bring the total of philanthropic funding for the the Deputy Director for Science and Strategic 2 | Connections 2012 Centre for Brain Research | 3 CBR Directorate Professor Peter Thorne will join Professors Richard Faull and Alan Barber as a new Deputy Director of the Centre for Brain Research. Professor Peter Thorne will be Professor Peter Thorne CNZM Distinguished Professorships responsible for overseeing science Professors Richard Faull and Margaret and strategic developments in the Brimble have been honoured as ‘Distinguished centre, including the Brain Recovery Professors’ in The University of Auckland. Clinic, Integrative Neuroscience With only 18 professors of this order in the Facilities and Biobank. Professor University, it is a fantastic honour. Ian Kirk is also a member of the Directorate as an Associate Director, Professor Richard Faull was awarded for his looking after Psychology and Imaging distinguished research career and community contributions. He leads a large research research directions. programme investigating neurodegenerative diseases of the human brain and is the Director of the Neurological Foundation of Professor New Zealand Human Brain Bank. Richard is a Professor Thorne is the Deputy Director Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit Richard Faull (Science and Strategic Developments) of (Queen’s Honour) and was the 2010 Supreme ONZM the Centre for Brain Research. His research winner of the World Class New Zealand focuses on mechanisms, diagnosis and Professor Faull is the award. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society treatments for hearing loss incorporating Director of the Centre of New Zealand, and has been awarded biomedical and population health approaches. for Brain Research, New Zealand’s highest scientific award, the He holds appointments in both the Physiology and the Director of the Rutherford Medal. He is the Patron of the and Audiology departments. Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank. Alzheimer’s Foundation (Auckland), Alzheimers He runs the Neurodegenerative Diseases
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