Glimpse into future on offer at Mātai Medical Research Institute two-day symposium

Mātai PhD candidates Ben Bristow (left), Katie Blackburne and Jet Wright will talk at the symposium about the opportunities in the fields of brain sciences. Picture supplied

Tairāwhiti health leaders will be appearing alongside some of the finest scientific minds from New Zealand and overseas at the Mātai Medical Research Institute two-day symposium which starts tomorrow.

The free event is open to the public and will feature a wide range of talks and topics from 46 speakers.

It was originally scheduled for February, but had to be cancelled when Cyclone Gabrielle struck

Mātai PhD candidates Jet Wright, Ben Bristow and Katie Blackburne — all Tairāwhiti locals — will talk about the opportunities in fields of brain sciences, here in Gisborne, and the experiences available for local students.

Professor Peter Hunter, founding director of Auckland Bioengineering Institute, will talk about how “digital twins” will revolutionise health by helping the design of personalised therapy.

World experts in neuroimaging, Professor Katie McMahon (Queensland University of Technology deputy director, Herston Medical Imaging Facility) and Assistant Professor Hesam Jahanian (University of Washington) will talk about advanced imaging, like fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), that helps with our understanding of the brain.

fMRI is a brain imaging technique that reveals activity in different regions of the brain by detecting changes in blood flow. This provides insights into brain functions during different mental activities.

A new MRI technology, developed by the Mātai team and collaborators, will be showcased. This is a revolutionary new technique to view inflammation and other subtle changes in the brain. Further technical development of this method and resulting clinical translation could open up better treatment and management of people with a range of neurological diseases.

In brief, tMRI (targeted magnetic resonance imaging) is a non-invasive MRI technique that elucidates and better defines neuroinflammation and could allow earlier and more accurate diagnosis of brain disorders, with the potential to better define treatment approaches earlier and result in improved outcomes. A framework under development at Mātai could revolutionise the way brain inflammation and other disorders are identified in clinical scans, across the world.

The new method enhances visibility of the brain up to 15 times more than the current standard MRI, and could be used for detecting brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), to help tailor treatments.

Mātai technologist Paul Condron will talk about the latest advances in this technique.

Dr Hamid Abassi will showcase innovative AI and real-time data analysis to enhance brain navigation techniques, which will provide precision guidance for neurosurgery.

Dr Vickie Shim (Auckland Bioengineering Institute and Mātai principal investigator) and Mātai Senior Research Fellow Dr Eryn Kwon,will share state-of-the-art MRI images and simulations of mTBI/concussion.

The symposium is at the Gisborne War Memorial Theatre tomorrow and Friday, between 8.30am and 7pm. The event is free and all are welcome.

For detail on speakers and topics, and to register, see matai.org.nz/events