Details
- Close date
- Thursday, 30 November 2023
- Academic background
- Health Sciences, Sciences
- Host campus
- Christchurch
- Qualification
- PhD
- Department
- Medicine (Christchurch)
- Supervisor
- Professor Tim Anderson, Dr Michael MacAskill, Dr Tracy Melzer, Dr Toni Pitcher
Overview
We have some substantial projects underway in Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Huntington's. Our research is conducted at a human behavioural and clinical level.
Our methods include brain imaging (functional, structural, diffusion and perfusion MRI; metabolic and protein deposition PET), movement measurement (eye and hand tracking), and neuropsychological assessment.
Student background
These projects have roles for students from diverse backgrounds, including psychology, neuroscience, physics, mathematics, statistics, and medicine.
Potential topics
- Progression in Parkinson's disease: evidence from serial eye movement, MRI, and cognitive assessment
- Freezing and falling in Parkinson's disease – who, why and what to do
- Multiple sclerosis – epidemiology and mechanisms
- Cerebral haemodynamic function in ageing and dementia
- Saccadic eye movements in health and in neurological disorders
- Adaptation of human saccadic eye movements
- Hand-eye coordination in real-world tasks.
- Mathematical modeling of neurological disease onset, incidence, and progression
- Brain imaging in other populations including very preterm birth, mild traumatic brain injury, etc.
For further information
New Zealand Brain Research Insitute
Department of Medicine (University of Otago, Christchurch)
Clinical neurology
Prof Tim Anderson
Email tim.anderson@cdhb.govt.nz
Professor Anderson's profile (New Zealand Brain Research Institute website)
Movement
Dr Michael MacAskill
Email michael.macaskill@otago.ac.nz
Dr MacAskill's profile (New Zealand Brain Research Institute website)
Brain imaging
Dr Tracy Melzer
Email tracy.melzer@nzbri.org
Dr Melzer's profile (New Zealand Brain Research Institute website)
PD imaging and epidemiology
Dr Toni Pitcher
Email toni.pitcher@otago.ac.nz
Dr Pitcher's profile (New Zealand Brain Research Institute website)