Brain Day Wellington
FREE EVENT: NO BOOKINGS REQUIRED
Discover the wonders of the human brain and learn about the latest neuroscience research into brain health and brain disorders.
Lectures by leading neuroscientists and clinical neurology experts.
Displays and talks by community support groups.
Brain Day Wellington is brought to you by the Neurological Foundation and Victoria University of Wellington.
Lectures:
10.30am: Dr Louise Parr-Brownlie, Lecturer, Department of Anatomy, University of Otago
Shedding light on Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that affects approximately 8,000 people in New Zealand. To optimise current therapies and develop new treatments for PD, there is a critical need to fully understand the roles of each component in the brain circuits that control movement. Dr Louise Parr-Brownlie’s research focuses on the processes in the brain that underlie voluntary movements and the movement deficits of PD. Dr Parr-Brownlie’s lecture will introduce an exciting new gene-based technology that her research team is using to investigate brain circuitry dysfunction in PD. This technology holds great hope for many applications, including the treatment of PD.
12.15pm: Associate Professor Anne La Flamme, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington
New approaches to treating Multiple Sclerosis.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that causes nerve degeneration leading to impaired vision and coordination and eventually, paralysis. There is currently no cure, and it affects on in every 1400 New Zealanders. Immune cells are responsible for the damage to the nerves and subsequent clinical features of MS, and while disease-modifying drugs are available, they are often effective in only a percentage of patients.
New Zealand’s leading MS researcher, Associate Professor Anne La Flamme, is focused on finding a cure, and alongside this crucial research, is aiming for a treatment that will benefit the subset of patients with MS that do not respond to existing treatments. In her lecture, Associate Professor La Flamme will outline her recent work, funded by the Neurological Foundation, which is aimed at identifying new therapeutic targets and drugs to treat multiple sclerosis.
2.00pm: Dr Gina Grimshaw, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington
Why so blue? Understanding vulnerability to depression
Why – given the same life circumstances – are some people more likely to become depressed than others? The answer is of course complex, and includes genetic, neurological, cognitive, emotional and social factors. Research in cognitive neuroscience suggests that one factor that is important is an individual’s pattern of brain activty; healthy individuals have greater activity in left than right frontal areas of the brain, but those who are vulnerable to depression show the opposite pattern. Dr Gina Grimshaw will share her recent research into the thought processes that are controlled by these frontal brain areas, and will describe how those processes might give rise to depression.
Seminars:
11.45am: Stroke Foundation
Is it a stroke? Act FAST!
How can you tell if someone is having a stroke? This seminar will teach you the signs and symptoms of stroke that usually come on very suddenly. By learning to recognise the symptoms of stroke you could save a life! Learn the FAST check (Face, Arms, Speech, Time).
1.30pm: Alzheimer’s New Zealand
Caring for the Carer
Caring for someone with dementia can be an intensive, challenging and rewarding experience all at once. It is important you do not try to manage alone – there are services available to help you from health professionals and social services. This seminar will take you through the support options available and provide some key tools to ensure the wellbeing of you, your family, and the person you are caring for.