The University of Auckland Swallowing Research Laboratory

The Team at The University of Auckland Swallowing Research Laboratory 2017

Researchers

The University of Auckland Swallowing Research Laboratory is currently located at the Grafton Campus in  the Discipline of Speech Science, School of Psychology, Faculty of Science and sits as one of the Clinical  Neuroscience Research Teams in the Centre of Brain Research. 

Dr Anna Miles, PhD, a speech-language therapist leads the Swallowing Research Laboratory in close  collaboration with Dr Jacqui Allen, a Consultant Laryngologist in the Surgical Department of the Faculty of  Medical and Health Sciences.

Current Research

The Swallowing Research Laboratory at The University of Auckland strives to improve the lives of  people with swallowing difficulties through improved assessment, treatment and medical education in the field of dysphagia. The laboratory hopes to reduce the risks of pneumonia and death associated with  swallowing difficulties as well as improve the quality of life of people who struggle with this condition.

Relationship to MND

The team currently collects data on patients referred for swallowing assessment across all aetiologies including motor neuron disease. This allows us to assess the specific effects of motor neuron disease on swallowing in comparison to other diseases and to the healthy population. A number of our treatment studies have potential to be effective for people with motor neuron disease and we are currently seeking doctoral funding to support this work.

Collaborations

The University of Auckland Swallowing Research Laboratory has strong international collaborations with University California, Davis and University of Queensland among others. Internally, it works between Faculty of Medical Health Sciences, Food Science and Psychology.

Resources

The Swallowing Research Laboratory has an increasing database of videofluoroscopic swallowing studies and endoscopic swallowing studies of people with motor neuron disease carefully mapping swallowing physiology across and within patients.

The Team

The Swallowing Research Laboratory is an enthusiastic group of academics, clinicians, doctoral students, medical students and speech-language therapy students.

Contact

Anna Miles PhD
Speech-language Therapist
Vice President / Professional Standards Portfolio Holder, Executive Council, New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association
Expert Advisor to New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association (NZSTA) – Adult Dysphagia    Senior Lecturer, Speech Science, School of Psychology  –  Leading psychological science, scholarship and practice 

Address: Office 507.2066, Building 507
Grafton Campus, Park Road
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 923 8177 Fax: +64 9 373 7902
Email: a.miles@auckland.ac.nz

Website: https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/en/faculty/cbr/our-research/research-teams/clinical-neuroscience/swallowing-research-laboratory.html

 

Centre for Public Health Research

Grace Chen

 

Researchers

Grace Chen, Research Officer, PhD Candidate, Centre for Public Health Research, College of Health, Massey University.

Dr Dave McLean, Principal Investigator and Grace Chen’s supervisor

Professor Jeroen Douwes, Head of Department and Grace Chen’s supervisor

Professors Neil Pearce and Leonard van den Berg – overseas collaborators

Current Research

Grace and the team are conducting a New Zealand population based control study to investigate associations between occupational and environmental exposures and MND.

They have examined associations with occupational exposures to electric shocks, low-frequency magnetic fields, pesticides, other chemicals, and Motor Neurone Disease. They have published papers on their findings to date. See the links to these articles under publications below.

 

 

Relationship to MND

The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between MND and a range of unknown or suspected occupational and environmental exposures in New Zealand.

Future Research

The intention is to do more studies on MND after this study result has been published.

Collaborations

The Motor Neuron Disease Association New Zealand supports the recruitment for MND patients. The study also collaborated with the Centre for Brain Research (Scotter Lab) for the selected markers of the disease process.

Resources

Currently not using any shared resources, will share the database of the bio-markers of the disease process in New Zealand.

Resource Gaps

A formal diagnosis letter on the type of MND will help us to have a complete picture of the disease in New Zealand.

Publications

Sports and trauma as risk factors for Motor Neurone Disease: New Zealand case–control study.

Chen, GX, Douwes, J, van den Berg, LH, Glass, B, McLean, D, ’t Mannetje, AM. Sports and trauma as risk factors for Motor Neurone Disease: New Zealand case–control study. Acta Neurol Scand. 2022; 145: 770– 785. doi:10.1111/ane.13615 

Occupational exposures to pesticides and other chemicals: a New Zealand motor neuron disease case–control study

Chen GX, Douwes J, van den Berg L, et al. Occupational exposures to pesticides and other chemicals: a New Zealand motor neuron disease case–control study. Occupational and Environmental Medicine Published Online First: 22 March 2022. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2021-108056    

Occupational Exposure to Electric Shocks and Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields and Motor Neurone Disease 

Chen, G., McLean, D., Mannetje, A., D’Souza, W., McConnell, M., Kromhout, H., . . . Vermeulen, R. (2016). P203 Occupational exposure to ELF-MF and electric shocks and motor neurone disease. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 73(Suppl 1), A189-A189. doi:10.1136/oemed-2016-103951.519   

 

 

 

Contact Details

Centre for Public Health Research
Massey University
Wellington Campus
PO Box 756
Wellington 6140

e: g.chen1@massey.ac.nz
w: www.publichealth.massey.ac.nz
p: +64 4 801 5799 (63121) or +64  4 9793121