• of funding given
• 0 projects funded
• 3 personal awards
• 0 education and travel

2026 round B grant recipients

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  Shaan Manilal

  University of Auckland

  Summer studentship - $9,500 - Funding Round: 2026 B

  Could our skull hold clues to better recovery after brain injury?

  Shaan Manilal has been awarded a $9,500 Neurological Foundation Summer Studentship.
  
  Working alongside Dr Sam McCullough at the University of Auckland, Shaan will investigate how traumatic brain injury affects tiny channels connecting the skull's bone marrow to the protective layers around the brain.
  
  By exploring how these channels change after injury and influence immune cell movement, his research could help us better understand why symptoms persist and uncover new possibilities for recovery.

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  Brindha Murali Nair

  University of Otago Dunedin

  Summer studentship - $9,500 - Funding Round: 2026 B

  Can exercise help change the course of scoliosis?

  Brindha Murali Nair has been awarded a $9,500 Neurological Foundation Summer Studentship to explore this question.
  
  Under the supervision of Dr Megan Wilson at the University of Otago, Brindha will investigate whether exercise could improve the ability to sense one’s own body position and movement, and how this may inform scoliosis treatments.
  
  Scoliosis is defined as a sideways curvature of the spine. Brindha will be researching a form of scoliosis called Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). AIS is a condition where the spine gradually curves during the teenage years, and there's still so much we don't understand about why it develops.
  
  Brindha’s research could help reveal whether exercise has a role in slowing its progression and improving outcomes.

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  Kate Popham

  University of Otago Dunedin

  Summer studentship - $9,500 - Funding Round: 2026 B

  Why are some families more vulnerable to some of the debilitating neurological conditions following a viral infection?

  University of Otago medical student Kate Popham has received a $9,500 Neurological Foundation Summer Studentship to investigate whether certain genetic variations could help explain why some families are more susceptible to developing these neurological conditions following a viral infection.
  
  She will be looking at Long COVID and ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).
  
  Working with Emeritus Professor Warren Tate, she'll compare genetic information from affected and unaffected family members, while also developing culturally-appropriate approaches to research with Māori whānau.
  
  This research could help us better understand these life-changing conditions and identify those who may be more vulnerable.