Tag: brain

Centre for Brain Research

Researcher

Associate Professor Henry Waldvogel

Current Research

Assoc. Prof. Henry Waldvogel has helped develop the Neurological Foundation Douglas Human Brain Bank in the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland. This is where brains with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s,  Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Motor Neuron diseases as well as other brain disorders are specially treated and stored for use in scientific studies into these brain diseases. His specialty is immunohistochemical staining of sections of brain tissue and spinal cord to detect molecules in the brain which are important for identifying different brain cells and markers of neurodegenerative diseases.

Relationship to MND

This brain bank has tissue stored from patients who have died of MND and donated their brains to science.

Future Research

Assoc. Prof. Henry Waldvogel and his team will be working with Dr. Emma Scotter and her group studying the pathological changes in the MND cases that he has stored in the Brain Bank.

Collaborations

Dr. Emma Scotter and her team of researchers and students

Resource Gaps

Having a detailed clinical history for the cases of MND that they receive at the brain bank is very important and currently not available.

The Team

Assoc. Prof. Henry Waldvogel is part of a larger team including; Director – Distinguished Professor Sir Richard Faull, Associate Director – Associate Professor Maurice Curtis, Brain Bank Manager, Marika Eszes and a group of Post doctoral fellows, postgraduate students including doctoral students, Masters and BSc Biomedical honours students who are working on a number of projects on the diseases outlined above.

Contact

Associate Professor Henry Waldvogel Centre for Brain Research and Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences University of Auckland 85 Park Road Grafton 1023 Private Bag 92019 Auckland New Zealand phone 0064 9 3737599 ext 86051 direct 0064 9 9236051

Thoughtwired

ResearThought Wired Teamchers

Thought-Wired, are a multidisciplinary team consisting of:

Dr James Pau – Biomedical Engineer, Co-founder Dr Sarvnaz Taherian – Research Psychologist, Co-founder Dmitry Selitskiy – CEO, Co-founder They are based in Auckland, New Zealand and Melbourne, Australia.

Current Research

The team are conducting ongoing research and development of a brain-computer interface for people with severe physical disabilities, such as Motor Neuron Disease and Cerebral Palsy. The main aim is to create a completely physical free communication and interaction system, that utilises the electrical signals of the brain to control applications on a computer. So far, as part of this research and development they have released a wearable eye blink switch called Nous Blink (www.getnous.app)

They have already done several studies to help understand the design requirements to build this system – including software, hardware and training/support components.

They previously conducted an observational study with Motor Neuron Disease New Zealand that focused on the experience of using the prototype of their technology by people with Motor Neuron Disease. The methodology was user-centered and incorporated both quantitative and qualitative methods. They looked at how their training may help people master the technology (quantitative) and how they perceived using and interacting with the system (qualitative). They do not have a set schedule of studies at the moment, due to the impact of COVID-19 and having to put research studies on hold.

Relationship to MND

Due to the progressive nature of motor neuron disease, people may get to a stage where no existing assistive technology can improve their functional abilities or enable them to communicate. Because brain-computer interfaces only rely on brain activity, it has the potential to assist people who have lost physical function and enable them to continue to participate and communicate later in the stages of the disease.

Future Research

They may continue to test re-iterations of the technology design, as they have noticed that they learn the most when working with the actual customers.

They are also considering conducting an efficacy study of the first product – Nous Blink – a wearable eye blink switch, which is also applicable to users with progressed MND.

Identified Gaps

It would be good to get an understanding of how many people currently live with MND, and what stages of the disease.

The Team

Thoughtwired are a multidisciplinary team who have been developing this technology for the past 8 years. There idea was inspired by the CEO, Dmitry, who has a cousin with severe cerebral palsy. No existing form of assistive technology works for him, but from his interactions, they know that he has a sound mind – he just lacks the physical ability to communicate his thoughts. Dmitry came across a TED talk that discussed this technology, which inspired him to try a create something useful for people who may be in a similar situation to his cousin.

From here, Sarvnaz and James came on board to help develop and test the proof of concept. Both have backgrounds in academia at the University of Auckland, and approached the development through psychological and technical approach. This meant that from the inception, they have been working with the disability community to understand the needs of all the people who would be using and interacting with the technology.

Currently, Dmitry and James are ongoingly involved with Thought-Wired work, while Sarvnaz acts as a consultant alongside her role with ADHB.

Publications

Caregiver and special education staff perspectives of a commercial brain-computer interface as access technology: a qualitative study Sarvnaz Taherian & T. Claire Davies (2018) Caregiver and special education staff perspectives of a commercial brain-computer interface as access technology: a qualitative study, Brain-Computer Interfaces, 5:2-3, 73-87

Contact Details 

e: hello@thought-wired.com w: http://www.thought-wired.com/

Scotter Lab

Researchers

Dr. Emma Scotter, PhD. Senior Lecturer (and the team), School of Biological Sciences, and Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland

Current Research

Dr. Scotter heads the Motor Neuron Disease Lab at the Centre for Brain Research. Her team is focused on understanding the relationship between the deposition of protein aggregates and the death and dysfunction of various brain cells. In particular they are investigating cells of the blood-brain barrier in MND, which show impaired function that contributes to motor neuron damage. The team works with participants and with tissues, including:

  • Volunteers who are unaffected by neurological disease or are living with MND
  • Fixed or fresh human brain and spinal tissue
  • Brain cells grown from post mortem human brain and spinal cord tissue
  • DNA/ RNA/ proteins extracted from blood, cells, and tissues

Scotter Lab uses a range of methodology reflecting their diverse model systems:

  • Magnetic resonance imaging
  • Genomics: DNA sequencing, in situ hybridisation
  • Transcriptomics: Microarray, qRT-PCR
  • Proteomics: Immunohistochemistry, western blotting, immunocytochemistry

Relationship to MND

MND is Dr. Scotter’s primary research focus.

Future Research

Establishing a national MND genomics platform- potential collaborators are welcome to contact Dr. Scotter.

Collaborations

Dr. Scotter collaborates widely nationally and internationally on MND studies. Within the Centre for Brain Research she works with Professors Mike Dragunow and Richard Faull and Associate Professor Maurice Curtis. Dr. Scotter is on the Steering Committee for the NZ MND patient registry driven by Dr. Richard Roxburgh. She also co-leads a national MND genetic screening study with Dr. Richard Roxburgh, collaborating with Canterbury Health Laboratories, Professor Naomi Wray, University of Queensland, and Christopher Shaw, King’s College London.

Resources

Scotter Lab works with banked human MND brain samples collected by the NZ Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank. They also work with human MND brain cells grown by the Hugh Green BioBank and with human MND skin cells which they collect from study participants and grow.

Identified Gaps

Dr Scotter: “Personnel. Funding for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers specifically in MND research is required to build capacity in MND research in NZ. Connections between NZ researchers with any MND research interest are also essential if we are to characterise MND here at home”.

The Team

Dr. Siobhan Kirk, Technician
Research support and coordination of NZ MND Genetics Study

Dr. Molly Swanson, Postdoctoral fellow
Identifying Spatiotemporal Microglial Changes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Charlotte Dunne, PhD Candidate
TDP-43, the ‘smoking gun’ in motor neuron disease: Disposal, uptake and neuroinflammation in pericytes

Serey Naidoo, PhD Candidate
The neglected role of the blood-brain-barrier and the meninges in Motor Neuron Disease

Maize Cao, PhD Candidate
The Role of Motor Neuron Disease Protein TDP-43 in Human Brain Pericytes and Microglia

Kyrah Thumbadoo, PhD Candidate
The role of X-inactivation in the phenotypic expression of the X-linked Motor Neuron Disease gene UBQLN2

Miran Mrkela, PhD Candidate
The Genetics of Motor Neuron Disease in New Zealand

Laura Nementzik, Honours Student
Neuropathology of UBQLN2-linked Motor Neuron Disease gene

Serene Kim, Honours Student 

Dympna Mulroy, Manager of the New Zealand Motor Neuron Disease Research Network

Recent Publications

Blood-spinal cord barrier leakage is independent of motor neuron pathology in ALS

Waters, S., Swanson, M. E., Dieriks, B. V., Zhang, Y. B., Grimsey, N. L., Murray, H. C., … & Scotter, E. (2021). Blood-spinal cord barrier leakage is independent of motor neuron pathology in ALS. Acta neuropathologica communications, 9(1), 1-17. doi.org/10.1186/s40478-021-01244-0

Contact Details

3A Symonds Street,
Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland New Zealand
p: +64 9 3737599 (ext. 81350) +64 9 923 1350 (Direct dial)