PhD at Oxford hits close to home
But it is something that occupies a lot of Ronan McNeill's mind.
"I've had four family members in the past 10 years who have passed away with various different dementias.
"Unfortunately, it's quite prominent in my family.
"There's a strong genetic link through many different age disorders, and various dementias aren't an exception of that."
The University of Otago neuroscience, psychology and computer science graduate said seeing his elders "drift away" with dementia was difficult to watch, and he now fears he will have to see it again in his grandmother and his mother in the not-too-distant future.
"In some forms of dementia, the decline is very rapid.
"In others, it's a long drawn-out process, and I saw that in the wisest leaders of my childhood, where they lost their autonomy, their independence.
"And to see them drift away to the point where they don't recognise you any more, it was quite sad.
"For me, it's my mother and my grandmother — the two central figures in my life who've raised me — that I'm really worried about. They could go down a similar path in the future."
While the process was tough, it had also been "formative" and he was now headed for Balliol College at Oxford University, England, to develop advanced neuroimaging tools that could improve clinical monitoring, early detection and the effective treatment of dementia, he said.
The research will be part of his PhD at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences.
"In my opinion, this is one of the leading challenges that the world's going to be facing within the next century, and families all around the world are facing this problem."
His research would focus on microglial cells — the primary immune cells of the central nervous system.
They play a crucial role in maintaining brain health and responding to injury or disease.
In a healthy brain, they contribute to homeostasis, synapse pruning and neuronal support.
However, they can also become activated in response to various stimuli, leading to neuroinflammation which contributes to the progression of neurological disorders.
"Microglial cells are quite unique in the brain, because they have an ability to migrate towards damage or pathogens.
"If we can find a way to use various different types of MRI scans to recognise the fingerprints of these microglial cells, we may be able to identify a person that has early signs of dementia."
His research at Oxford was expected to last up to four years, and was paid for with support from two Universities New Zealand scholarships — the William Georgetti Scholarship and the LB Wood Scholarship.
Not surprisingly, his strong connection to family means he will return to Dunedin once he has finished.
"That's a major drive for why I'm doing this research and wanting to undertake this experience and opportunity for growth.
"I'm looking forward to coming back home and sharing what I've learned with the next generation of New Zealand leaders in this field."
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
21 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
White noise music to brewers' ears
Breweries could make beer quicker if they play white noise to it during the brewing process, new research shows. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Sitting a radio without an aerial next to your fermenting home brew might sound like a silly idea, but noteworthy research has found it can actually make it brew faster without compromising flavour. University of Otago researchers found playing white noise while making beer could reduce the fermentation process by up to 31 hours. Graham Eyres. PHOTO: SUPPLIED White noise is a static-like hissing or shushing sound, similar to the sound of an untuned radio, and is a combination of all the frequencies humans can hear played at equal intensity. Study co-author and food science researcher Associate Prof Graham Eyres said previous research had shown audible sound vibration affected a range of different living organisms — from plants and animals to algae and micro-organisms. It inspired the team to research its impact on yeast. There were a couple of theories about what effect the soundwaves were having on the brewing process, he said. "One theory is that it has a mixing effect. "So, the sound vibration keeps more nutrients and yeast mixed in suspension. "But there's also some evidence that the sound directly impacts on the yeast cells themselves and changes their metabolism." More research would be needed. Parise Adadi. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Study lead author Dr Parise Adadi completed the study as part of his PhD in food science, and said the discovery could enable breweries to increase their output, without compromising quality. In the study, the researchers used a specialised device called linear actuators to deliver the white noise as particle sound energy into the fermenting beer. "The application of sound stimulation increased the yeast growth by maintaining a higher concentration of yeast cells in suspension. "The sound energy also stimulated cellular processes and metabolic pathways, enhancing yeast growth and activity. "This led to faster consumption of wort sugars and subsequent production of alcohol; but importantly it did not significantly alter the flavour composition of the final beer." The findings could pave the way for innovative research directions, benefitting breweries, yeast manufacturers and the broader food industry, Dr Adadi said. "If audible sound stimulation proves scalable, it could revolutionise fermentation technology, sparking innovations across other fermented products such as wine and spirits." The study was part of an MBIE funded Smart Idea project in collaboration with the University of Auckland.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Robertson troubled by 'health issues' in build-up to election
Grant Robertson fought the 2023 election hobbled by chronic back pain and in the wake of a related major health scare, his newly published autobiography reveals. The former deputy prime minister and finance minister — who is now vice-chancellor of the University of Otago — injured his back playing rugby while growing up in Dunedin. In his book, Anything Could Happen , Mr Robertson writes that he re-aggravated the old injury just before the 2022 Labour party conference, and that scans revealed he had a ruptured disc. On the last working day of that year he had scheduled a spinal cortisone injection to give him some pain relief. ''In a one in 10,000 event the anaesthetic that is used as part of the CT-guided injection was put in the wrong place,'' he wrote. ''As I went to stand up after the procedure my legs felt incredibly heavy. I tried to get up and could not. I had lost all the feeling below my waist ... after an awful night the feeling slowly came back and I was discharged.'' The health scare coincided with then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern having confidentially told Mr Robertson that she was contemplating resigning and retiring from politics — as she did early the following year. A ''highly strung'' Mr Robertson was in Dunedin that Christmas and, fearful he would re-aggravate his uninjured back, he started to have anxiety issues. Having been given medication, he made the unwise decision not to take it. ''About 2am I woke up and began shaking uncontrollably. I could not stop ... after what felt like hours, my heart began to slow a bit and the shaking stopped. I had no idea what a panic attack was, but it is clear to me now that this is what it was.'' After returning to Wellington Mr Robertson called then Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall and asked for the name of someone to talk to. ''Contacting them was the best decision I had made in many years in politics. I had conversations with a couple of people and settled on a therapist who would help me through my remaining time in Parliament.'' Mr Robertson writes that his bad back pain persisted through the election campaign and limited how much he — one of Labour's best campaigners — could contribute. ''I flew to Auckland and then down to Queenstown, popping pills all the way, to keep me going. I tried my best but in the final couple of weeks of the campaign the pain of sitting on flights was just too much and I had to pull out of a few events. ''I felt terrible letting colleagues down, but my body was calling time even if my mind was still going.'' Mr Robertson also reveals his misgivings about the party's 2023 tax policy. Having had his preferred option, a capital gains tax rejected, he was obliged to campaign on a policy of removing GST from fruit and vegetables — something he had previously called a ''boondoggle''. ''To be frank, I don't think I was very convincing,'' he said of his announcement speech. In an interview with the Otago Daily Times , Mr Robertson said he had given momentary thought to putting his name forward to replace now Dame Jacinda when she stepped down — although he had previously, and adamantly, said he would never stand for the Labour party leadership again after two previous failed bids for the top job. ''Of course I thought about it,'' he said. ''But I thought about it more in that context of not wanting to let others down, but I couldn't get past the fact that I'd made that decision and I was very comfortable with the role I was playing, and also I just knew what it would take, and not just because of the physical health issues I was facing, but also just where I was in my political career, and it just wasn't there.'' Mr Robertson said that Chris Hipkins had done his best to try to secure a third term for Labour. ''I don't think it mattered who the leader was, we were going to lose that election,'' he said. ''There were things that could have done better, and there is, I guess with Jacinda there's no counterfactual, what she might have been able to pull off, but that was an election where cost of living was just doing us in as a government. ''I continue to believe that we, you know, it might have been a different result in terms of the percentages, but I'm not sure once Jacinda left anyway that there was another result.'' ■ Anything Could Happen is published tomorrow. A full feature interview with Grant Robertson will run in The Weekend Mix on Saturday.
Techday NZ
a day ago
- Techday NZ
OneMRI raises AUD $2.5m to expand preventive MRI scan service
Australian startup OneMRI has raised AUD $2.5 million in seed capital to expand its national service offering preventive whole-body MRI scans for early detection of a wide range of health conditions. Funding round The seed round was oversubscribed, with participation from investors including OIF Ventures, TEN13, Antler, Salus Ventures, AfterWork Ventures, Archangel Ventures, Black Sheep Capital, Prtnr, Larsen Ventures, Tribe Global Ventures, as well as several clinicians and radiologists. The funding aims to support OneMRI's growth across Australia to meet increasing consumer interest in proactive health management. OneMRI was founded in October 2024 by Dr. Vu Tran and Andrew Barnes, known for their work at Go1, alongside entrepreneur Gopi Sara. The company markets itself as Australia's first and only national provider of whole-body MRI scans, designed to enable early detection of over 500 potential health conditions including cancers, metabolic disorders, benign growths, autoimmune conditions such as MS, spinal degeneration, and brain aneurysms. Preventive health model The clinical approach at OneMRI is supported by research and development, with scan reviews by radiologists and consultations with doctors to ensure clinical rigour. The scans are intended to complement, not replace, more targeted diagnostic tests. Gopi Sara, OneMRI Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, described the firm's emphasis on an ethical and patient-focused process. "OneMRI's process is genuinely customer-centric, with a rigorous eligibility and informed consent framework. We have a duty of care to every individual, which is why thoughtful screening is at the core of our approach. Every appointment includes both a pre- and post-scan consultation with qualified clinicians and dedicated care coordinators - ensuring patients fully understand the process, their results and what potential next steps might look like." OneMRI partners with radiology providers such as Scan Medical and Pinnacle Medical Imaging, and collaborates with healthcare professionals and wellness brands including The Banyans, Evergreen Doctors, Melbourne Functional Medicine, and Longev. By partnering with underutilised clinics, the company utilises MRI machines operating below capacity without increasing strain on existing healthcare resources. Sector growth and patient access Dr. Vu Tran, Co-Founder and Head of Medical, OneMRI, highlighted the increasing relevance of preventive health and technology in the sector. "Wellness and preventive health are only going to grow as sectors - and technology will play a critical role in that evolution. Right now, radiology is one of the most underutilised tools in preventive care. The 'health curious' increasingly want autonomy, access, and answers. Individuals should have the agency to take a proactive approach to their health, and whole-body MRI scans are one of the safest ways to do that - offering a multi-system snapshot in a single, radiation-free investigation. Our aim is to increase OneMRI's footprint and accessibility through market growth and product innovation. We've already seen everyday Australians, from schoolteachers to nurses, benefit from our scans, and believe that we have an important part to play as more people take a proactive approach to their long-term health." Early adopters of the service have already identified previously undetected life-threatening conditions. Michelle, 49, a Life Coach from Sydney, commented on her reasons for participating: "I did a preventive MRI not out of fear, but because I believe in being proactive with my health. It gave me peace of mind and reminded me how important it is to listen to our bodies and take care of ourselves before something feels wrong." David Shein, Partner at OIF Ventures, remarked on the investment: "Investing in OneMRI is not only an exceptional opportunity to back a fast-growing sector, but it's also a way for us to support improved and more accessible care for Australians over time. I've been very impressed with what the team has achieved to date, and anticipate strong future growth for the company." Current operations and expansion OneMRI currently provides its services in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, Sydney, Newcastle, and Melbourne, with further locations expected to be added as expansion continues. The company is also preparing to offer its services across the Asia Pacific region in future international growth plans.
