This year, thanks to the generous support of sponsors, Mātai has awarded 17 school leavers' scholarships. The scholarships provide financial assistance to future innovators in medical research and technology, to help support the students' undergraduate studies. 

2025 Supporters: Turanga Health, Dawson Building Co., QUEST Enterprise Trust, Gisborne Host Lions Club, Pinnacle Health, Pultron Composites Ltd, Dr Katharine Holdsworth, Holdsworth-Tilghman Family, Dame Bronwen Holdsworth, anonymous community donor, Paringahau Station, and with thanks to Mangatawa Beale Williams Memorial Trust.

Congratulations Josef McGrath, James Hamblyn, Maxwell Kennedy, Malsha Mahabalage, Ana Jones, Carys Holmes, Nina Botting, Noah Wright, Leo Sung, Yannick Coombe, Louis Wylie, Angus Clarke, Aiden Mill, Thom Caughley, Shelley Rangihuna, Holli MacDonald, and Jaimil Ravla.

We had a wonderful time sharing research and hands on activities for all ages with the community at the Gisborne A&P Show.

Huge thanks to Auckland Bioengineering Institute UoA, Anatomy & Medical Imaging (FMHS) University of Auckland, GE HealthCare, Brain Injury Association Gisborne, Alzheimers Gisborne Tairāwhiti, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, TBI Health, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, MS Gisborne and East Coast, AUT - Auckland University of Technology, Brain Health Research Centre / University of Otago, House of Science, Turanga Health, and of course our Mātai whānau – you all made it such a vibrant hub of learning, connection, and fun!

A special thank you to the Prime Minister, MP Dana Kirkpatrick, and MP Grant McCallum for stopping by to chat with us; and to Turanga Health for helping with the kai!

Mātai proudly celebrates Dr Oka Sanerivi, who has been awarded a New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship as part of the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships announced by the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Funded by MBIE, the Fellowships support outstanding researchers to lead impactful, world-class projects that enhance equity, diversity, and the science and innovation landscape of Aotearoa New Zealand. Based at Mātai, Dr Sanerivi's research explores Māori and Pacific men's perspectives on health and wellbeing, focusing on prostate cancer – the most common cancer affecting men in Aotearoa. His kaupapa seeks to understand men's experiences from diagnosis through to rehabilitation, and to co-design culturally grounded health services that improve outcomes and reduce inequities.

This Fellowship recognises Dr Sanerivi's leadership, courage, and vision, and the collective support that has guided his journey – including his whānau, colleagues at Mātai, University of Otago (Kōhatu Centre for Hauora Māori, Va'a o Tautai: Centre for Pacific Health, and the School of Physiotherapy), Pasifika Medical Association, Turanga Health, his whānau, friends, and many others. Rooted in his Sāmoan and Tongan heritage – Matautu-Uta, Lefaga; Fusi, Safotulafai (Sāmoa) and Ha'ateiho, Tongatapu; Tefisi, Vava'u (Tonga) – Oka's work reflects the values of alofa, tautua, and lototetele that continue to guide his leadership.

Ngā mihi nui, fa'amālō le tauivi, Oka – we are so proud of you!

Dr Vickie Shim, Senior Research Fellow at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute and Mātai Principal Investigator, was awarded a Royal Society Marsden Grant for work: "Unlocking brain biomechanics - AI-driven digital twin modelling for neurodegenerative disease monitoring".

Vickie's research involves developing a new artificial intelligence (AI) approach that could offer fresh insights into brain health using MRI scans. The goal is to create a non-invasive and accessible way to assess changes in brain tissue that may occur in conditions such as injury or diseases of the brain. If successful, this innovation could support improved patient care for several brain diseases, including concussions, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and others – and create opportunities for growth in the health technology sector for New Zealand.

Four years ago, Sergio Dempsey burst onto the scene with passion, skill, and drive - and he's carried that same energy right through to the completion of his PhD through the Auckland Bioengineering Institute! His ease and excellence throughout the journey are a big reflection of his dedication, teamwork, and talent. Sergio explored new ways to look into how blood flows through the brain using MR imaging. 

The techniques he developed have the potential for shedding light on the initiation and development of different types of dementia, ultimately to enable novel treatments for delaying symptoms and enhancing the quality of life of people affected by such.

Under the supervision of Dr Gonzalo Maso Talou, Dr Soroush Safaei, and Assoc. Prof. Samantha Holdsworth, we're so proud to have been part of his journey. Ngā mihi nui and well done, Sergio – such a milestone and achievement. So excited to see you continue to achieve great things in your new role as MRI Clinical Scientist at GE HealthCare based at Mātai.

We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate the wonderful achievement of Dr Susan (Xirui) Zhao, who recently graduated with her PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Auckland under the expert supervision of the wonderful main-supervisor, Professor Justin Fernandez. Susan's PhD, titled "Integrating multimodality MRI: Towards new biomarkers of ADHD," represents an outstanding contribution to the field of neuroimaging and mental health. Her research explored innovative ways to combine different MRI modalities to identify new brain-based biomarkers for ADHD – work that bridges clinical insight with advanced imaging science and holds real promise for improving diagnostic and intervention approaches. Her research bridges engineering, neuroscience, and data science to better understand how brain activity patterns relate to behaviour and cognitive function.

The Mātai whānau are so proud of Dr Itamar Terem (Stanford University), who has just successfully defended his PhD! Itamar's research on quantitative amplified MRI (q-aMRI) – a new way to measure brain motion – is opening doors to better understanding brain pressure disorders, dementia, and other neurological conditions.

Itamar first met Dr Samantha Holdsworth nine years ago at Stanford, where she became his mentor. Since then, he's shown incredible dedication and creativity, leading to major insights and publications in q-aMRI. He has also spent two months with the Mātai team in Gisborne, becoming part of our wider whānau. We're all so proud of his hard work and can't wait to continue collaborating on future discoveries.

Ngā mihi nui, Itamar – we're all celebrating with you!

Ben Bristow, PhD candidate at Mātai Medical Research Institute and University of Auckland (FMHS - supervisors Assoc. Prof. Miriam Scadeng and Dr. Maryam Tayebi), was awarded an Excellent Abstract prize at the University of Auckland, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences' annual HealtheX conference.

His abstract discussed brain structure and cognition differences in early-abstinence methamphetamine users, as part of his work on the Mātai methamphetamine recovery project. 

A huge thank-you to Jonny Hendriksen and his Creative for Good team at Shuttlerock, a NZ based global creative technology company, for kindly donating their time and expertise to help us produce videos showcasing our work — taking complex ideas and turning them into concise stories about our technologies.

This example features amplified MRI (aMRI), a new imaging method that could help identify conditions such as Chiari malformation, hydrocephalus, and other pressure-related disorders.

Congratulations to Karen Whitehead on her incredible journey! Karen has just returned home from an amazing fundraising cycling adventure in Cambodia, raising vital funds for the MS Gisborne Society.

We were thrilled to share the A&P Show tent with her and to continue working together in our mission to find better ways to diagnose and treat multiple sclerosis (MS).

Seen here with Mātai Charge MRI Technologist Paul Condron and Mātai Clinical Lead Dr. Daniel Cornfeld at the A&P Show — Karen continues to do incredible work in our community, supporting patients in Gisborne with MS and other neurological conditions.

Our clinical service is back on track following the installation of a major MRI component last week, thanks to the great support from GE HealthCare. We'd also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Fenns Furniture for their generous discount on our beautiful new furniture for our waiting area — it's transformed the space into a welcoming and comfortable environment for patients and participants.

For more information on how to access the Mātai clinical service, please refer to our MRI Referral Booking Guide

We're proud to launch the next phase of He Haerenga Ki Te Whakaora (Hīkoi), our world-first methamphetamine recovery programme. With new funding from the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, and building on the Fred Lewis Enterprise Foundation's cornerstone support, this phase strengthens scientific and cultural tools to uplift whaiora and whānau through a flexible, Māori-grounded recovery model.

Evolving from Hinga Whitu Ngā Wā, Tū Waru!! and partnerships with Mātai, University of Auckland, Manaaki Moves, the late Tuta Ngarimu, Ngati 4 Life, and NZ P-Pull, Hīkoi blends science with Mātauranga Māori to address addiction. Led by Dr Maryam Tayebi, Wendy Mohi, and Dr Gil Newburn, and Assoc. Prof. Miriam Scadeng, the team will expand MRI research, outreach, care, and prevention education.

We thank our courageous participants and supporters: Fred Lewis Enterprise Foundation, University of Auckland (FMHS), Health Research Council of New Zealand, Neurological Foundation, Turanga Health, Manaaki Moves, Ngati 4 Life, NZ P-Pull, Ngati Porou Oranga, Hugh Green Foundation, The Tuta Ngarimu whānau, John Pittar, and the NZ Drug Foundation.

See more in the Gisborne Herald.

Back row: Taylor Emsden, Dr Gil Newburn, Dr Maryam Tayebi, Paul Condron, Dr Daniel Cornfeld, Jules Dungy, Assoc. Prof. Samantha Holdsworth, Leigh Potter. Middle row: Wendy Mohi, Ngārimu family korowai, John Pittar Front row: Gina Waters, Ben Bristow.

Missing: Assoc. Prof. Miriam Scadeng, Gordon Liu, Dr Patrick McHugh, Dr Eppuje Eryn Kwon, Dr William Schierding, Reweti Ropiha and Turanga Health staff, Aunty June, Mark Gray, Tūmanako (Hope) Jones, Aunty Mez, Rowena Wiki, Dr William Peters, Fred Lewis, Darryle Lewis, Robbie Lewis.

Student contributors: Harry Naske, Ella Arthur, Adam Khaw, Dr Jojo Wang, George Wilcock, Samuel Porter, Christian Saludar.

A team at the Mātai Medical Research Institute, and collaborators, have discovered that a new MRI technique called divided subtracted inversion recovery (dSIR) can detect differences in brain white matter between healthy people and those with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The study found that these differences are linked to a physical phenomenon known as magnetization transfer (MT), a subtle interaction between radio waves and tissue molecules that affects MRI signals.

In healthy white matter, the MT effect reduces signal strength as the number of echoes collected per scan (echo train length) increases. In people with mTBI, this effect is much smaller, likely because tiny structural changes in nerve fibres or their protective myelin layers disrupt the MT process. This difference helps explain the "bright-white" appearance often seen in dSIR images after injury. Understanding these mechanisms could lead to more sensitive MRI methods for detecting even very small changes in the brain following concussion or other injuries.

Image: The change in dSIR signal with ETL at several white matter locations in a healthy control (top) and a patient with mTBI (bottom). The former shows a significant decrease in dSIR signal with ETL, while the latter shows elevated dSIR signal that does not change significantly with ETL.

Paper: The Role of Incidental Magnetization Transfer in Divided Subtracted Inversion Recovery

This work provides the most comprehensive review to date of brain MRI studies in people with methamphetamine use disorder. The review included more than 180 studies with nearly 12,000 participants and examined structural and functional MRI findings. Overall, the evidence shows that methamphetamine use is linked to widespread changes in the brain. These include shrinkage in areas important for emotions and self-control, damage to the brain's communication pathways, and disruptions in networks that support social skills, decision-making, learning, and memory.

The study highlights the value of multimodal MRI approaches for clarifying the neurobiological effects of methamphetamine and for evaluating potential therapeutic interventions in the future. Congratulations to everyone involved in this important contribution to the addiction research field, and in particular, Gordon Lui and Maryam Tayebi.

See the Paper

This figure shows how different studies have found changes in brain size in people with a history of meth use or meth-associated psychosis compared with healthy controls. Each arrow represents a study — pointing up when a brain region was larger, down when it was smaller, or sideways when no difference was found. The coloured arrows indicate results from different study groups. Together, these findings highlight that meth exposure can affect both cortical (outer brain) and subcortical (deeper brain) structures in various ways.

Congratulations to Christian John A. Saludár, an Auckland Bioengineering Institute student working with Mātai, on the publication of his new paper in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. His study, "Application of Machine Learning in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging: A Systematic Review," explores how machine learning can enhance the diagnosis and prognosis of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) – an MRI technique that reveals subtle brain changes. The review highlights the promise of ML algorithms in distinguishing mTBI patients from healthy controls and predicting recovery outcomes, while also identifying key challenges such as the need for larger datasets, consistent imaging protocols, and robust validation methods.

Dr Samantha Holdsworth – Mātai CE/Research Director and Associate Professor at the University of Auckland. spoke to the Royal Society Hawke's Bay Branch on how advanced MRI can help us better understand the brain, among other areas. She shared highlights on how community-led science in Tairāwhiti-Gisborne is inspiring young people, and creating opportunities for regional New Zealand.

We wish to thank the members of the audience for their generous donations on the evening, which were further matched by the Society, to support a local intern for the Mātai Summer Internship Programme! 

A special thank you to Antony Steiner, John and Mary Ellen Warren, Elizabeth Pishief, Moon Chen, Jeremy Kidd, Peter Edmead, Jennifer Hartley, Jenny Dee, and Mazin Bahho for supporting and hosting and supporting the event.

What an incredible day celebrating innovation and collaboration at the Centre for Brain Research Freemasons Neurosurgery Research Unit at the University of Auckland!  Congratulations to Distinguished Professor Sir Richard Faull, Professor Mike Dragunow, Dr Hamid Abbasi, and Dr Jason Correia for hosting a fantastic event showcasing transformative research from the NeuroTech Lab and the wider unit. From AI-driven neurosurgery and real-time brain navigation to advanced imaging and precision diagnostics, the talks highlighted New Zealand's growing impact in global brain research. Mātai is proud to be part of this collaborative community driving the future of neuroscience.

We're delighted to welcome Jordon Lima (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Hauiti) to the Mātai whānau as a Research Assistant on a new 'Lung Health Check-Up' project.

Jordon's Doctoral research in Te Aho Matatū (The Centre for Translational Cancer Research) at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, has helped inform the clinical uses of a cancer-specific blood test for Te Tāirāwhiti communities. Her goal is for innovation in precision medicine to be guided by both kaupapa Māori values and the realities of community health.

In her part-time role before she starts her postdoctoral project, Jordon will help set up lung health checks using MRI in Te Tairāwhiti, while also exploring minimally resourced genetic testing capabilities (such as circulating tumour DNA) to support community-relevant research.

Jordon's expertise and commitment to equitable healthcare will be a tremendous asset to our mahi. Nau mai ki te whānau o Mātai, Jordon – we're excited to have you with us!

We welcome Zara Potter (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata, Rongomaiwahine) for the summer. 

Zara-Leigh has completed a Foundation Year and her first year of Health Sciences at the University of Otago. She has also spent a year working as a dental assistant at Gisborne's Amber Dental, where she developed a strong interest in healthcare and community wellbeing.

Zara-Leigh hopes to study medicine or dentistry, with the goal of returning to rural communities to help make a difference.

As a Mātai summer intern, she contributed to the Tāirāwhiti Study, focused on improving health outcomes for rangatahi in the region.

We (hopefully only temporarily!) farewell and congratulate Dr Sophie Couper, who has been awarded a 2025 Fulbright Science and Innovation Graduate Award to complete a Master of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City. Sophie (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa) hails from Tairāwhiti and Whanganui, and her journey embodies the power of regional pathways leading to world-class research and health leadership. After graduating from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) and a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours, First Class) in 2022, Sophie continued her academic and clinical development through research undertaken through University of Auckland and based in part at Mātai. Her work explored innovative applications of medical imaging to improve fetal and maternal health outcomes, supervised by Prof Peter Thorne, Assoc. Prof Alys Clark, and their team at the University of Auckland, in collaboration with Matai and Gisborne Hospital - an experience that ignited her enduring passion for bridging research, public health, and clinical care.

Since then, Sophie has been working with Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti (Gisborne Hospital) in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. With the Fulbright, she now takes her skills and insights to Columbia University, where she will focus on public health strategies that strengthen health equity in Aotearoa and around the world.

Ka mau te wehi, Sophie! Your Mātai whānau are incredibly proud of your achievements.

Radiologist opportunity in Tairāwhiti – make a real impact

Looking for more than just a job? Join the team in Tairāwhiti, where you can make a meaningful clinical difference while living in one of Aotearoa's most vibrant coastal communities.

✨ Deliver care where it's needed most
✨ Collaborate with Mātai on cutting-edge research
✨ Enjoy a lifestyle rich in culture, nature, and whānau

Contact Christina.Cullen@tdh.org.nz

Please feel free to pass this on to colleagues or friends who may be interested.

1 and 2: TaiTech, The Positive Aging Group, and friends (joined for a tour and presentation and kōrero – with thanks to Polly Crawford, Nona Aston, and Dame Bronwen Holdsworth for organising it!

3. A wonderful visit filled with kōrero and kai alongside Headmasters Mr Tom Cairns (Gisborne Boys' High School), Mr Sam Moore (New Plymouth Boys' High School), Mr Andrew Turner (Tauranga Boys' College), and Mr David Covey (Palmerston North Boys' High School).

4. The Active Brain Group from Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairawhiti.

5. Here with Tauawhi Men's Centre Kaihautu / Co-ordinator Tim Marshall, Tāne Ora Kairautaki / Community Strategist Jeremy Muir, Tāne Ora Kaiarahi / Prevention Manager Willis Tamatea – after a wonderful kōrero with the Mātai Hīkoi (methamphetamine recovery research) team.

6. Christopher & Carly Feltham, Charlie & Annabelle Dowding, with Dame Bronwen Holdsworth, Dr Peter Holdsworth and some of the Mātai team.