Former Scholars
University of Auckland
2004 and 2005 - $4,000 Scholarship awarded to Rana Sobh
The role of possible selves in motivating behaviour; an application to women's concerns with facial wrinkles.
Rana, formerly of Tunisia, was a part-time Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Marketing. Her research focus was on women's motivation and behaviour in relation to signs of facial wrinkles. Rana conducted in-depth interviews with 500 women aged between 25 and 60, and 120 women took part in an experiment to finalise her research into women's self-esteem.
In 2002 she received an award from the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy for the proposal with the greatest contribution to marketing knowledge.
2004 and 2005 - Shared Scholarship awarded to Kathryn Peri.
Promoting independent living
 As a Research Fellow/Lecturer in the School of Nursing, Kathy's research was undertaken in the School of Nursing in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.
The proposed study established the effectiveness of intervention in increasing function in older people living in residential care and ascertained how to construct the milieu of success for increased function for older people living in residential care.
Four to five rest homes were invited to participate in the study, the aim being to have a final sample size of 88 residents.
A Master of Health Science and a PhD student in Nursing, Kathryn was the Gerontology Nurse of the Year in 2002 in recognition of her work with older people. She also received the Primary Health Care Scholarship.
2004 and 2005 - Shared Scholarship awarded to Elizabeth Kiata-Holland
Promoting independence in residential care
 About 5% of older people live in long term residential care facilities but there is little understanding about how older people themselves make sense of their lives when living in long term residential care. The study aimed to redress that gap and promote independence and the interaction of residents and staff.
A Master of Arts, Elizabeth was based in the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. In her research she explored the ways that older people living in residential care facilities in New Zealand live their everyday lives and the way they interact with other residents and staff.
2006 - $4000 Scholarship awarded to Catherine Goodfellow
Role of Astrocytes in Huntington’s Disease.
 Catherine graduated with a BSc followed by a PhD where she worked in the Department of Pharmacology on Huntington ’s Disease. Despite intensive research for over a decade, the pathological mechanisms of the disease remain elusive, resulting in a lack of effective therapies to slow or stop progression of the disease.
Although only a small proportion of New Zealanders suffer from Huntington’s Disease (1 in every 15,000 people),its effects are widely spread among family and friends as loved ones mentally and physically deteriorate. The late onset characteristic of the disease often results in additional trauma to family members due to the hereditary nature of the disease, resulting in a 50%chance of the disease developing in the patient’s offspring.
2006 - $4000 Scholarship awarded to Liz Kiata-Holland
Promoting independence in residential care.
The Foundation supported Liz over a three year period during her PhD research in the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care. During that time she published in two journals and an educational text book and gave presentations at Conferences both in New Zealand and overseas.
Data was collected from 323 participants (residents and employees) based in Auckland and Christchurch, seeking their views about long-term residential care. The goal of the research was to develop, evaluate and implement programmes to safely assist in maintenance of quality of life in residential care. Areas investigated were the ways residents interact with one another and with other people, both inside and outside their residential care facility. About 5% of older people live in long term residential care facilities. Research suggests that these people may be socially isolated but there is little understanding about how older people themselves make sense of their lives when living in long term care.
2006 - $4000 Scholarship awarded to Lisa Stewart.
Evaluation of the extent in which District Health Board’s are meeting the Older Persons’ Health Action Plan
 Lisa has both a BA and postgraduate qualifications in Nursing. She undertook a Master in Science within the School of Nursing and responded to The Foundation ’s invitation to follow up District Health Boards and evaluate the extent to which they are meeting requirements of the Government’s Strategy for the Health of Older People.
The 21 District Health Boards have a deadline of 2010 to ensure that their service delivery will meet the needs of their older people and be in line with the key objectives within the Strategy which was launched by the NZ Government in May 2002.
Lisa contacted all 21 District Health Boards and consulted with Chief Executive Officers, Clinical Directors, service managers and/or nurse managers involved in older people ’s health, along with advocacy support agencies such as the local branch of Age Concern, to obtain their view in relation to how the plan is being carried out within each District Health Board area.
In September 2008, Lisa’s report will be released to the District Health Boards.
 2007 - $4000 Scholarship awarded to Cheryl Murphy
Post-exercise nutrition timing
Cheryl Murphy was a PhD student in the Department of Sport and Exercise Science but her research was carried out at Colorado State University. Cheryl aimed to determine whether the ingestion of protein and carbohydrate supplements immediately after exercise improved exercise endurance of older people better than ingesting carbohydrate alone and better than ingesting both after a delay.
2007 - $4000 Scholarship awarded to Annete Lazonby
 The implications for Home Equity Release programmes
Annette Lazonby was a Masters student in the Department of Economics. Her study looked at the effect on the overall long term well-being of older people who obtain a ‘reverse mortgage’ on their home. What is the likely impact of such schemes on private savings and the economy? How do such private sector schemes affect the government’s responsibility to provide retirees with a reasonable standard of living?
University of Otago
2004 and 2005 - $4,000 Scholarship awarded to Kamali Pugazhenthi
Wound healing
 The research was undertaken in the Wound Healing Research Unit and aimed at discovering new drugs and mechanisms that can enhance wound healing. Wound healing is a challenge to the patient, the health care professional and the health care system. Intensive treatment is required and this imparts an enormous burden on society in terms of lost productivity and health care dollars. It has been stated that approximately 4% of patients with non-healing wounds were responsible for 80% of the total cost of care of all patients.
A PhD student and an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, in the Faculty of Medicine, Kamalavalli was a Lecturer at the University of Madras before coming to New Zealand.
 2006 - $4000 Scholarship awarded to Melissa Ryan
Emotion understanding across the lifespan.
After a BA and PG Dip (Psyc), Melissa did a PhD based in the Department of Psychology to consider the effects of age-related brain changes and the ability to consolidate new information quickly, e.g. how to recognise emotions in faces. Emotion recognition appears to be an important component of successful social interaction but there was a paucity of research investigating how this ability fares with advancing age.
2007 - Scholarship Awarded to Carissa Murrell
 Alterations in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular function with exercise and ageing
Carissa Murrell, PhD student, Department of Physiology compared the effects of prolonged exercise (as for example in a marathon) on the heart function of older and younger people, and on the flow of blood to the brain. She considered whether exercise can be useful in promoting blood flow to the brain and thus protect against the likelihood of a stroke.
Victoria University of Wellington
2004 - $4,000 Scholarship awarded to Kathryn Glasgow.
How will the baby boomer generations act as they reach older age?
 The research sought to explore the defining characteristics of Kiwi baby boomers, including their attitudes and expectations about life in older age, and the implications for future planning and policy development.
Studying for an MA (Appl) Social Science Research, Kathryn undertook her research in the School of Social and Cultural Studies.
In March 2005, just before her report was published, Kathy wrote to the HOPE Foundation:-
"The Scholarship I received in 2004 was extremely helpful, providing me with not just much needed financial support, but equally important giving me the encouragement I needed to return to study and to focus that study on positive ageing research. I commend those involved in establishing the HOPE Foundation and developing and implementing the objectives, and I very much hope that scholarships will continue to be made available to students involved in research. Such awards really can make all the difference. As a mature student with competing family responsibilities and commitments this support was critical. Furthermore the HOPE Foundation successfully sends a message to emerging researchers that positive ageing is a valued area of research and an important area worth pursuing."
 2005 - $4,000 Scholarship awarded to Arnica Wesley-James
What do we mean when we identify a group as "aged”?
Arnica has a BA and was in the School of Social and Cultural Studies. Her emphasis was to gain an understanding of what we mean when we identify a group as "aged" and to develop an insider's knowledge of ageing from the aged themselves.
2007 - Scholarship awarded to William Murdoch
 Baby boomers and housing inheritance
William Murdoch was a Masters student in the School of Social and Cultural Studies and explored the attitudes and expectations of baby boomers towards receiving an inheritance from their parents. He considered the following questions:- Is there an expectation of reciprocity between parental care-giving and the receipt of an inheritance? How does the expectation of an inheritance affect the potential recipient’s retirement planning? Do male and female children have different attitudes towards inheritances?
|
