The Foundation maintains a pool of expert committee members and selects from this pool to convene the Scientific Advisory Committee and Personal Awards Committee as required to consider applications for funding.
If you would like to be considered for our committee pool, send your NZ MSI CV with a cover letter to research@neurological.org.nz highlighting the following:
- Research expertise and experience
- Previous committee experience
- Research funding awarded as Principal Investigator
- Previous engagement with the Neurological Foundation
Primary function
The primary function of our committees is to consider applications for funding and make recommendations to Council. Council will give due consideration to these recommendations before reaching any decision in the matter of making any grants or allocations of Foundation funding. Committee members may also be invited by Council to provide expert comment on any aspect of the Foundation’s aims and processes
Committee membership is balanced and diverse, considering geography, institution, gender, and career stage. Our pool of experts includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychologists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, and neuroscientists with expertise ranging from basic science to clinical trials and commercialisation of research.
The Personal Awards Committee
The PAC was established in 2019 to consider applications for studentships, scholarships, and fellowships.
The Scientific Advisory Committee
The SAC considers applications for research projects, conferences, and training courses. Prior to 2019, the SAC considered all applications for funding.
Our expert committee members are an integral part of the Foundation, and we’d like you to meet them:
Associate Professor Steven Gieseg
Scientific Advisory Committee Co-Chair
Associate Professor in Biochemistry in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury, Honorary Associate Professor in the department of Radiology at the University of Otago and Head of Artery Imaging and Principal Biochemist for MARS Bioimaging Ltd.
Professor Stephanie Hughes
Scientific Advisory Committee Co-Chair
Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Otago and Director of the Brain Health Research Centre
Dr Christina Buchanan
Personal Awards Committee Co-Chair
Research Genetic Counsellor and Study Co-ordinator in the Neurology Department at Auckland City Hospital.
Dr Simon O’Carroll
Personal Awards Committee Co-Chair
Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging at the University of Auckland, Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Research Facility in the Centre for Brain Research.
Dr Hamid Abbasi
Senior Research Fellow at the University of Auckland’s Auckland Bioengineering Institute, Centre for Brain Research, and Department of Physiology. Hamid leads the Advanced NeuroTech Lab.
Dr Indranil Basak
Research Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Otago, and member of the Brain Health Research Centre and Aotearoa Brain Project.
Professor David Baxter
Emeritus Professor at the University of Otago.
Associate Professor Caroline Beck
Development biologist and Associate Professor (Genetics and Zoology) in the Department of Zoology, University of Otago.
Professor Colin Brown
Professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Otago, member of the Brain Health Research Centre, the Centre for Neuroendocrinology and the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery.
Professor Winston Byblow
Professor in the Department of Exercise Sciences at the University of Auckland, Director of the Movement Neuroscience Laboratory and member of the Centre for Brain Research Advisory Board.
Dr Erin Cawston
Research Fellow in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Auckland, Dementia Prevention Research Clinic Blood Bank Research Fellow, Aotearoa Brain Project.
Dr Andrew Clarkson
Neurorepair and regenerative biology consultant.
Dr James Cleland
Neurologist at Bay of Plenty District Health Board.
Dr Daniel Conole
Senior Research Fellow, Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre at the University of Auckland.
Dr Catherine Crofts
Senior Lecturer (Pharmacology), School of Interprofessional Health Studies, Auckland University of Technology and a NZ registered pharmacist.
Associate Professor Joanne Davidson
Associate Professor, Department of Physiology in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland.
Dr Viswas Dayal
Neurologist at Auckland City Hospital.
Dr Paul Drury
Anaesthetic Registrar at Middlemore Hospital and Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Physiology at the University of Auckland.
Associate Professor Helen Fitzsimons
Associate Professor in Molecular Cell Biology, School of Food Technology and Natural Sciences at Massey University.
Associate Professor Karl Iremonger
Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Otago.
Dr Evan Jolliffe
Consultant neurologist at Wellington Hospital and Riddiford Medical Specialists.
Dr Joanne Lin
Research Fellow in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Auckland and a NZ-registered pharmacist.
Dr Angus Lindsay
HRC Hercus Fellow, School of Biological Sciences in the Faculty of Science and the University of Canterbury.
Dr Phoebe Macrae
Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, Speech and Hearing, School of Psychology in the Faculty of Science at the University of Canterbury.
Dr Susan Mahon
Senior Lecturer Psychology, Programme Leader Rehabilitation Psychology Programme, in the School of Clinical Sciences at Auckland University of Technology, and member of Aotearoa Brain Project.
Associate Professor Tracy Melzer
Associate Professor of Applied Neuroscience in the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury and Imaging Research Manager at the New Zealand Brain Research Institute.
Associate Professor Anna Mitchell
Associate Professor in Behavioural Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury.
Dr Thomas Park
Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Auckland.
Associate Professor Mangor Pedersen
Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Auckland University of Technology and the Associate Head of Research at the AUT School of Clinical Sciences.
Dr Toni Pitcher
Senior Research Fellow at University of Otago, Christchurch; and Research Operations Manager at the New Zealand Brain Research Institute.
Dr Martin Punter
Senior Medical Officer (Neurology) at Capital and Coast District Health Board, Consultant Neurologist at Wellington Regional Hospital and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago, Wellington.
Dr Shakila Rizwan
Senior Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Otago, member of the Brain Health Research Centre and a registered pharmacist.
Professor Bruce Russell
Associate Dean in Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Otago.
Dr Margaret Ryan
Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Anatomy at the University of Otago.
Professor Lynette Sadleir
Paediatric Epileptologist and physician researcher in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Otago, Wellington.
Associate Professor Sam Schwarzkopf
Associate Professor for neuroimaging and psychophysics at the School of Optometry & Vision Science at the University of Auckland.
Associate Professor Emma Scotter
Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Auckland, member of the Centre for Brain Research and Aotearoa Brain Project, head of the Motor Neuron Disease laboratory.
Dr Rebecca Sharp
Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Auckland and a psychologist with ABI Rehabilitation.
Dr Fredrick Sundram
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland and a Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist at North Shore Hospital.
Dr Jennifer Taylor
Neurologist at Capital and Coast District Health Board.
Professor Alice Theadom
Professor in psychology and neuroscience at Auckland University of Technology, Director of the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Network and registered psychologist.
Dr Eloise Watson
Neurologist at Wellington Hospital.
Professor Zimei Wu
Professor in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Auckland.