We are committed to delivering findings for a better understanding of the brain and developing treatments to fight neurodegeneration and increase wellness.
16/12/2025
As we head into the holiday break, our December e-news reflects a moment of transition at the Centre for Brain Research.
We farewell Sir Richard Faull as Director and welcome Professor Hanneke Hulst; celebrate major new investments in dementia research; and shine a light on the next generation of brain researchers coming through the CBR.
We’re thrilled to have received $1 million in the Neurological Foundation’s new Platform Funding. This investment will expand and deepen the work of our Dementia Prevention Research Clinics and build on Professor Lynette Tippett’s pioneering research into dementia mate wareware. 👇
01/12/2025
Last week we held a special “This Is Your Life” farewell of sorts for Sir Richard Faull, who over the past 15 years has shaped the Centre for Brain Research into a world-leading neuroscience hub.
Richard is an inspirational, visionary leader who leaves a lasting impression on everyone he meets. His passion and enthusiasm for the brain, and for people, is extraordinary. The farewell was a chance for the CBR community to honour and acknowledge Sir Richard. Thank you to the dozens of heartfelt video messages, written tributes, and to everyone for keeping the surprise under wraps until the very last minute!
Sir Richard is ‘stepping aside’ into an ambassadorial role with the CBR, and will continue his service to communities and strengthening Māori involvement in brain health.
As we look ahead, we’re delighted to welcome Professor Hanneke Hulst as our new Director. Hanneke brings expertise, warmth, and a commitment to improving the lives of those affected by neurological conditions.
Ngā mihi nui, Sir Richard, and nau mai, Hanneke – we’re excited for this next phase at the CBR.
29/11/2025
From guiding lifesaving surgery to detecting dementia early, imaging is behind it all.
We were thrilled to be part the biggest showcase of NZ’s best MRI and brain imaging research in Tairāwhiti Gisborne. Thanks to the Mātai Medical Research Institute for leading this inspiring kaupapa.
23/11/2025
The natural head-butting behaviour of rams is giving researchers a unique way to study how repeated head knocks might affect the human brain.
🧠 Led by Dr Helen Murray, the project aims to better understand conditions like CTE, and will take place at the Ngapouri Research Farm Laboratory in South Waikato.
💛 Helen's research is proudly supported by the Dame Rosie Horton Fellowship, established by philanthropist Michael Horton to continue Dame Rosie’s legacy of championing medical research and social causes.
After completing her Neurological Foundation of NZ Senior Research Fellowship, Helen will take up the Dame Rosie Horton Fellowship late next year, continuing this vital work.
Rams, which frequently butt heads, will provide Auckland University's centre for brain research a model population to study.
12/10/2025
Brain Bee 2025 has been a huge success, with dozens of brilliant young minds now (hopefully) hooked on neuroscience as a possible career. “A day in the life of a neuroscientist” internships took place at the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research and the University of Otago’s BrainSTEM. Huge thanks to our supporters, and all the amazing researchers who engaged with the students, for helping inspire the next generation! 🧠
18/09/2025
We were thrilled to join the Neurological Foundation of NZ for the inaugural Dementia Roadshow 🫶. Senior Research Scientist Erin Cawston and PhD student Harriet Spoelstra shared some of the latest advances in dementia research with a packed room of enthusiastic locals.
A few takeaways from Erin and Harriet’s presentations:
🔬 New blood tests – cutting-edge technology now allows measurement of key dementia-related proteins, such as p-tau217, down to a single molecule.
🧪 Building a national blood biobank – Erin is helping create a large-scale resource of blood samples from Dementia Prevention Research Clinic participants to track changes and discover new biomarkers over time.
🧠 Brain imaging breakthroughs – advanced MRI and PET scans are revealing new insights into amyloid and tau buildup in the brain years before symptoms appear.
🌿 Inflammation and vascular changes – Harriet’s PhD research is showing how inflammation and vascular damage contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, and how these blood markers change over time.
Together, their work is moving New Zealand closer to earlier detection and better support for people living with mate wareware/dementia 👏
17/09/2025
As part of our dementia/mate wareware kaupapa, we were warmly welcomed to Huria Marae in Tauranga for an open kōrero about brain health and the support available to whānau. We were blown away by the response. Thank you to everyone who shared stories – your insights help shape our research so it reflects the needs and aspirations of Māori communities.
The visit is part of a nationwide outreach to marae led by Associate Professor Makarena Dudley and Sir Richard Faull, whose goal is to bring kōrero about dementia into Māori spaces. Thank you to the Neurological Foundation of NZ CEO Rich Easton who joined us to share more about the Foundation’s mahi, and to Poutiri Wellness for the awesome photos below.
08/09/2025
If you live in or near Tauranga, this is for you!
Can we Stay One Step Ahead of Dementia?
📍 Trinity Wharf, Tauranga
📅 Wednesday, 10 September
🕕 6:30pm
Dr Erin Cawston and PhD candidate Harriet Spoelstra from the Dementia Prevention Research Clinic in Auckland will share their groundbreaking work on detecting the earliest signs of dementia.
This free in-person event hosted by the Neurological Foundation of NZ is a chance to hear directly from two of New Zealand’s most promising dementia researchers, ask your own questions, and learn how science is helping us understand and prevent dementia earlier than ever before.
See what events we have coming up, and even add your own for consideration.
05/09/2025
Meet the incredible Dr Justin Rustenhoven, who is on a mission to discover a drug that could help people recover from traumatic brain injury.
Justin recently received a $1.2 million Health Research Council grant to drive forward research into this condition, which affects around 35,000 New Zealanders every year.
Finding a drug that will help people recover from brain injuries is front of mind for University of Auckland senior research fellow Dr Justin Rustenhoven.
04/09/2025
🎉 And that’s a wrap on AWCBR 2025!
The biggest neuroscience conference in Australasia took place in Ōtautahi Christchurch this week, bringing together brain researchers from across New Zealand and Australia.
Here’s a snap of some of our early career and post-doc researchers who presented their work - a glimpse of the exciting future of brain research and the talent coming through at the CBR. 🧠✨
01/09/2025
A new clinical trial at the Centre for Brain Research, in collaboration with the Pacific Clinical Research Network, is testing a potential treatment for a rare form of muscular dystrophy. For people living with this condition, it offers something they haven’t had before — hope.
A groundbreaking genetic treatment for a rare form of muscular dystrophy is being trialled at the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research.
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It's estimated that one in five New Zealanders will suffer from brain disease in their lifetimes. Disorders such as stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and deafness affect hundreds of thousands of Kiwis every year. Neurological diseases are among the top five most common causes of death and long-term disability. The cost to families and society, both financially and socially, is enormous.
That's where the combined strengths of our scientific, clinical and community pillars will provide a platform for success. Our combined, complementary expertise and knowledge will be a powerful force to address the challenges of neurological disease.
We comprise over four hundred researchers at the University of Auckland, the leading neurologists, neurosurgeons and physicians from the Auckland regional District Health Boards and community non-governmental organisations.
The University of Auckland is one of the top-ranked universities in the world, and is internationally recognised for its neuroscience research. The Neurology and Neurosurgical Departments in Auckland are amongst the largest in Australasia. Doctors from Auckland District Health Board, working in partnership with other expert clinicians from Auckland and Northland DHBs, provide care for over a third of New Zealand’s population. Local and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) offer a rich network of support groups, rendering invaluable assistance to people and their whānau living with neurological disease.
Understanding the brain is the last frontier of medical research and one of the most challenging areas in medicine. By unlocking the secrets of the brain we learn more about ourselves, who we are and our future. Our discoveries have the potential to change the lives of people living with neurological disease.
