Loredana Podolska-Kint is in her final year as a medical student at the University of Auckland and has launched a project to raise money for the Centre for Brain Research.
Loredana Podolska-Kint is in her final year as a medical student at the University of Auckland and has launched a project to raise money for the Centre for Brain Research.
Loredana Podolska-Kint still thinks about how things may have turned out differently for two “very beloved” family members who suffered strokes, had treatments been developed sooner.
The 23-year-old former Bethlehem College student has launched the Poetical Lobe Project to raise money for the Centre for Brain Research and is calling for “brain-related poetry” submissions from New Zealanders affected by neurological conditions.
Podolska-Kint, now a University of Auckland medical student, said the poetry would be printed in an anthology to be released in early 2024, with all royalties going to the centre.
Podolska-Kint told the Bay of Plenty Times two of her family members suffered strokes, which had a “huge impact” on her family.
“Ever since I got into medical school … that idea of wanting to be involved with brain things and stroke things has been very strong for me and has motivated a lot of my involvement with things like the Centre for Brain Research.
“After seeing the impact it had on my very beloved [family members] and research that has become available since then … it makes you think every little change in brain research will help someone’s family member.
Loredana Podolska-Kint is currently in London on an eight-week medical programme after receiving the Geoffrey and Joan Margaret Flavell Bequest Scholarship.
“There’s always that little thought of, ‘Oh if this research, if these treatments had been developed sooner, how could things have turned out differently?’”
Podolska-Kint said she was inspired to start the project after attending an event at the Centre for Brain Research last year, where its director Professor Sir Richard Faull spoke about its work.
She said his speech made her want to be involved with the organisation, to learn more about the brain and to “give back” to brain research.
Podolska-Kint was running the project because she had seen the impact of brain conditions on people, their families and communities. She also participated in brain research during her studies.
Loredana Podolska-Kint reading some of her educational poetry to children in West Hampstead Library in London.
She said she had received more than 60 submissions and hoped to get more, particularly from rangatahi [young people] and in te reo Māori. She had written a poem for the book, inspired by a patient she met while doing a rotation on the stroke ward at Auckland Hospital.
Podolska-Kint said her project was also about “making poetry accessible as an art form” to people.
She acknowledged the Medical Assurance Society Here For Good scholarship for funding the startup costs of the project.
Centre for Brain Research research engagement manager Suzanne Giddens said the organisation was “thrilled” Podolska-Kint was combining her love for poetry and her future career in medicine to create a platform for “such a meaningful community and people-focused endeavour”.
“Loredana is bringing together people from all walks of life to participate in and contribute to a unique poetry project with purpose – to raise awareness and funding for the world-class brain research being undertaken at the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research.”
