The Foundation’s CEO, Rich Easton, says, “This investment will benefit a wide range of New Zealanders, from the tiniest babies to our precious senior citizens. We are excited to back brilliant researchers as they seek answers to some of the most urgent questions in healthcare.”
The Foundation received 84 applications – the most ever submitted in a grants round – and funded 25. The conditions being researched include dementia, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), premature babies’ brain bleeds, pain & cognition, and post-surgery delirium.
Easton says, “We note that the number of applications for neuroscience funding has increased, which coincides with less government funding of medical research. Our generous donors are stepping in to support home-grown research that could improve the lives of one in three New Zealanders.
“With neurological conditions on the rise, we need to keep investing today so that we, as a nation, can benefit in years to come.”
Here are the results of the Foundation’s most recent grants round:
AUCKLAND
Project Grant – Stroke
$300,000
Nitrite - a promising new adjunct treatment for stroke
Dr Fiona McBryde, University of Auckland
This project is testing whether a simple, low-cost drug called nitrite can protect the brain during a stroke. The team will use animal models to see if nitrite improves blood flow and reduces damage, even when treatment is delayed. If effective, this approach could reduce long-term disability and help more people access treatment, especially those in rural communities.
Project Grant – Huntington’s disease
$299,956
Purification of directly reprogrammed human induced striatal precursors using microfluidic cell sorting to enhance cell replacement therapy for Huntington’s disease
Professor Bronwen Connor, University of Auckland
This project aims to develop a new treatment for Huntington’s disease by creating healthy brain cells from a person’s own skin cells and making them suitable for cell replacement therapy. An animal model of Huntington’s will be used to test how well the cells survive and if they can repair damaged areas of the brain. This could bring a life-changing treatment closer to reality for people living with this disease.
Project Grant – Dementia
$299,907
Genetic engineering of iPSCs for actionable drug target validation
Dr Daniel Conole and Dr Amy Smith, University of Auckland
This project is using human brain immune cells to study a protein called GPNMB that is found at high levels in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Turning this protein on and off will show how it affects brain inflammation and cell damage. By understanding how GPNMB works, the team aim to uncover new ways to treat dementia.
Project Grant – Brain injury at birth
$127,849
Deferoxamine and IGF-1 for treating preterm intraventricular haemorrhage
Dr Simerdeep Dhillon, University of Auckland
This project focuses on brain injury caused by bleeding in the brains of premature babies. A sheep model that closely mimics human infants will be used to test whether reducing harmful iron and adding growth factors can limit injury and support brain repair. This could improve treatment options and long-term outcomes for these vulnerable babies. Simerdeep has also been awarded a Senior Research Fellowship.
Senior Clinical Research Fellowship – Stroke
$372,457
Physiological and pharmacological neuroprotection in ischaemic stroke
Dr Douglas Campbell, Health NZ Auckland
This fellowship will develop and trial new ways to protect the brain early after stroke. Slowing brain injury before patients are able to receive hospital treatment will improve outcomes, particularly for those in rural and remote communities.
Senior Research Fellowship – Brain injury at birth
$341,924
Iron chelation therapy for preterm intraventricular haemorrhage
Dr Simerdeep Dhillon, University of Auckland
This fellowship will test the potential of a drug called deferoxamine to remove harmful iron from the brain and improve outcomes after a brain bleed, one of the most common and serious complications in babies born prematurely. The findings from this animal study will provide the basis for future clinical trials.
Simerdeep has also been awarded a project grant.
Philip Wrightson Fellowship – Postoperative delirium
$247,845
Pre-strengthening the brain endothelial barrier to prevent postoperative delirium
Dr James Hucklesby, University of Auckland
Up to 40% of patients experience confusion and memory problems after surgery, known as postoperative delirium. This fellowship will use brain blood vessel cells grown in the lab to test how different medications protect them. This could help identify ways to protect the brain during surgery and improve patient outcomes.
First Fellowship – Chronic traumatic encephalopathy and multiple sclerosis
$241,333
Utilising spatial proteomics to investigate glial immunophenotypes in chronic traumatic encephalopathy and multiple sclerosis
Dr Chelsie Osterman, University of Auckland
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and multiple sclerosis (MS) have a younger onset than other neurodegenerative diseases and have some remarkable similarities. This fellowship will use donated human brain tissue to examine whether there are common changes in the brain’s support cells in CTE and MS, potentially finding new ways to slow or prevent these diseases.
Small Project Grant – Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
$20,000
Building a probabilistic CTE lesion atlas: an empirical guide for neuropathological and neuroimaging research
Dr Christi Essex, University of Auckland
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive brain disease linked to repeated head injuries that can currently only be diagnosed after death. This project will use donated human brain tissue to map where CTE damage occurs and identify these patterns using MRI. This will support the development of brain scanning tools that could detect CTE during life.
Small Project Grant – Dementia
$20,000
Resolving the 3D architecture of early neurodegenerative pathology in the intact human olfactory bulb
Dr Blake Highet, University of Auckland
One of the first signs of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease is loss of smell, which can appear years before memory or movement problems. This project will use donated human brain tissue to create detailed 3D images of the olfactory bulb, which is the area of the brain that processes smell. Mapping this area involved in the earliest stages of dementia could help identify new approaches for earlier treatment or prevention.
Small Project Grant – Vascular dementia
$19,980
Preeclampsia, a cause of vascular dementia in women
Professor Larry Chamley, University of Auckland
This project examines why women who experience preeclampsia during pregnancy have a higher risk of vascular dementia later in life. Tiny particles from donated placentas will be tested in cell and animal models to see how they affect brain blood vessels and the blood-brain barrier. Understanding this link could help identify new ways to prevent vascular dementia.
Small Project Grant – Huntington’s disease
$16,974
Neuroprotective effect of LM22A-4 on directly reprogrammed human striatal precursor cells
Miss Linh Nguyen, University of Auckland
Huntington’s disease causes a loss of brain cells due to deficiency of an essential protein called BDNF. A new drug has been designed to copy the protective effects of BDNF. In this project, brain cells will be grown from the skin cells of patients to test if this new drug can protect brain cells in Huntington’s. This could lay the foundation for a new treatment for people living with this disease.
WELLINGTON
Project Grant – Multiple sclerosis
$299,852
Evaluating immune and microglial mechanisms underpinning kappa opioid receptor-mediated remyelination
Associate Professor Bronwyn Kivell, Victoria University of Wellington
This project is developing treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) by testing a new group of drugs that can reduce inflammation and repair damage to the protective coating around nerves. Human cell models and animal models will be used to identify the most promising drugs for slowing the progression of MS and restoring nerve function.
OTAGO
Project Grant – Frontotemporal dementia
$299,320
Opening the door for systemic gene therapy to treat central nervous system disorders
Dr Bruce Mockett, University of Otago
This project is testing a promising new gene therapy for the treatment of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), using a naturally occurring brain protein which helps nerve cells grow, connect and stay healthy. An animal model of FTD will be used to test whether the gene therapy improves memory, brain function and damage. This could lead to new treatments that slow or prevent dementia.
First Fellowship – Pain and cognition
$232,198
Understanding and addressing endometriosis brain
Dr Ashlee Berryman, University of Otago
Endometriosis often causes long-term pelvic pain and can affect thinking, memory and focus. This fellowship will study how pain levels influence brain function and cognitive performance, and test the potential of an electronic wearable device (TENS) to reduce pain and improve cognitive skills. This could provide a safe and effective way to manage pain in endometriosis.
TASMANIA
VJ Chapman Fellowship – Multiple sclerosis
$202,757
Assessing cognition changes as a disease biomarker for patients with multiple sclerosis using the Adapted TAS Test, a computer-based self-assessment tool
Dr Dhara Knight, a New Zealand neurologist who will undertake her research at the University of Tasmania
This fellowship will test a simple, computer-based self-assessment that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can use regularly at home to track changes in brain function. Detecting progression of the disease earlier will support faster treatment decisions and better long-term outcomes for people living with MS.
Events & Training grants
The Foundation is also backing three major events through its Education and Training grants. They are:
International Basal Ganglia Society Conference - $20,000
This conference will bring clinicians and scientists from around the world to New Zealand, to improve understanding of how an area of the brain called the basal ganglia is involved in health and disease, and to share the latest research with the public.
New Zealand Acute Stroke Simulation Course - $19,968
Based at the Wellington Hospital Simulation and Skills Centre, this programme will train New Zealand healthcare teams to deliver efficient and effective care and outcomes for stroke patients, and train clinicians to set up simulation education across the country.
Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research 2026 - $14,993
This conference brings together neuroscience researchers from New Zealand and internationally, to present their work and network with one another, with a focus on supporting students and early career researchers.
Travel Grants
Researchers from the University of Otago, University of Auckland and Massey University have been granted more than $26,000 in total to travel to international conferences, sharing knowledge, making connections, and bringing back vital insights to Aotearoa.