Bridging the gap
The Chair in Clinical Neurology is tasked with taking the latest research into neurological conditions and making improvements in how we treat and care for patients.
Professor Alan Barber, a neurologist and Director of the Auckland Hospital Stroke Service, was appointed as the inaugural Chair in 2008. The following year, he was also appointed as the Deputy Director of the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland, a collaboration of more than 200 researchers all working towards a common goal of finding and developing new treatments for neurological conditions.
Clot treatments
Professor Barber and his team treated the first New Zealand patient with the clot-busting drug Alteplase in the early 2000s and were instrumental in rolling out this therapy around the country. He was also part of the team that showed clot-retrieval, where a catheter is used to remove the clot blocking blood flow to part of the brain, is effective and significantly improves neurological outcomes following stroke.
Looking ahead
The future will see the team investigating further ways they can refine stroke treatment and recovery techniques, while supporting other centres across New Zealand to implement the clot retrieval technique.
You can help
Translating the latest scientific knowledge into clinical treatments for people with neurological conditions is complex and costly. Despite these challenges, world-class brain research taking place in laboratories and hospitals here in New Zealand is saving lives, and Professor Alan Barber is among those leading the way. Help us to continue funding this unique role, which is changing the lives of hundreds of New Zealanders each year.
