Celebrating 15 Years of the Centre for Brain Research

The Centre for Brain Research recently celebrated its 15th birthday, marking an incredible milestone for neurological research. The Centre has over 400 researchers working across various fields of brain research, including a dedicated team of 10 researchers focusing specifically on motor neurone disease (MND). Led by Dr. Emma Scotter, the team have published over 20 papers in MND to advance understanding in New Zealand and internationally.

A highlight of the evening was a powerful speech from Dr. Natalie Gauld. Natalie is a Pharmacy sector trailblazer and was diagnosed with MND in March 2022. Natalie works part-time with Motor Neurone Disease NZ as Research Advisor and Best Practice Advocate.

Natalie shared her personal experience with MND to the crowd, where her honest and heartfelt message resonated deeply with many across the room.

“While I found it difficult to speak of something so personal – my terminal condition – it was an honour having the opportunity on behalf of MND NZ to be the patient voice on the night, and to highlight the valuable lives and contribution to society of people living with MND, and the ongoing need to support those individuals as well as we can, so they can make the most of the lives they have” says Natalie.

The evening also included a talk by world-leading Kiwi neuroscientist Professor Chris Shaw, who referred to his recent appointment as the inaugural Hugh Green Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroscience at the Centre for Brain Research, as marking the beginning of an exciting leap forward for MND and other neurological research.

“We have fantastic insights into the disease mechanisms. That provides targets for drug discovery,” Shaw explained during his talk.

We thank the Centre for Brain Research for the opportunity for Natalie to share her experience with MND to a room of researchers, donors and patient organisations, helping to highlight the critical need for finding meaningful treatments, the need to bring MND clinical trials to New Zealand, and the importance of funding to enable this research to take place.

A heartfelt thank you to the Centre for Brain Research for their commitment to pioneering brain research.

Pictured: Dr Natalie Gauld presenting to attendees at the Centre for Brain Research 15th Birthday.