Funding for Massey health researchers
Massey University researchers have been awarded almost $1 million in research funds by the Health Research Council.
Dr Helen Fitzsimons has been awarded $500,000 to study how Alzheimer’s disease and dementia affects long-term memory storage.
She is one of three researchers given a prestigious Sir Charles Hercus Research Fellowship, announced by the council.
Dr Fitzsimons, of the Institute of Molecular BioSciences, will study how long-term memories are formed and stored, and how these processes are disrupted in people with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
About 43,000 New Zealanders have dementia, and Alzheimer’s New Zealand project this will to increase to 74,000 by 2026.
Dr Fitzsimons is focusing on the role of histone acetylation in memory formation, firstly through genetic interaction studies in the fruit fly Drosophila.
“This research aligns with my career objective of building a research team and collaborative network to study how long-term memories are formed and stored, with the ultimate goal of providing new targets to develop treatments for disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.”
The Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellowships are awarded to outstanding emerging health researchers who are committed to a career in health research in New Zealand.
Massey University researchers were also awarded four Māori health research PhD scholarships:
- Monica Koia (Research Centre for Māori Health and Development) received $110,050 to investigate Māori health cancer workforce initiatives.
- Sharon Awatere (School of Māori Studies) was given $109,500 for her study Māori elders' resilience and arthritis: Measuring home health outcomes.
- Teah Carlson (SHORE and Whariki) received $109,500 for her study Kaupapa Māori evaluation of a health literacy-appropriate CVD intervention.
- Felicity Ware (School of Māori Studies) received $108,402 for her study Whanau kopepe: Young Māori parents experiences of raising a family.
Diane Koti of the School of Psychology was awarded a Māori Health Research Summer Scholarship worth $5000.