Dr Aline Boer.
The Centre for Neuroendocrinology is delighted to announce that Dr Aline Boer has been awarded an Emerging Researcher First Grant from the New Zealand Health Research Council (HRC) for her groundbreaking project titled "Hypothalamic inhibition of GIPR signalling to increase health during ageing."
The grant, valued at $400,000, will support a 27-month study focused on improving health outcomes during ageing. Dr Boer, in collaboration with Dr Michael Garratt, will investigate the role of the hormone glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) in the ageing process. Using a genetically modified mouse model, the research will inhibit GIP's function in a specific brain region at mid-life to assess its impact on delaying ageing and promoting a healthy lifespan. This study holds the potential to uncover new GIP-based treatments that could offer significant long-term health benefits for New Zealand's ageing population.