Funded projects

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  Dr Hannah Hawley

  Massey University

  First fellowship - $201,014 - Funding Round: 2025 A

  Disrupting nuclear HDAC4 condensates to reduce neuronal degeneration

  This fellowship will explore new ways to treat brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease by targeting a protein called HDAC4, which forms harmful clumps in brain cells. The research project will use an animal model to test genetic and drug-based methods to break up these clumps and reduce their damaging effects. The goal is to help restore brain development and slow down degeneration. Although the work is early-stage, it could lead to future therapies for neurological diseases. The findings may help scientists better understand how brain cells malfunction in conditions linked to aging and memory loss.
  
  Mentors: Dr Helen Fitzsimons and Associate Professor Andrew Sutherland-Smith