2026 HOPE Scholars
Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and the work of the Friends of HOPE, the HOPE Foundation for Research on Ageing has granted 13 scholarships for ageing related research in 2026. Of these 13, five are 2025 scholars continuing their work. These are all very worthy recipients, and their work will make a difference to the lives of New Zealanders in the future.
Enjoy reading about their interesting and inspiring projects.
Kushalata Baral
PhD candidate, University of Waikato
Health Science; Main supervisor, Professor Matthew Parsons
When to stop driving? An exploration into driving cessation decision-making among people with cognitive impairment.
Driving cessation is one of the pressing issues for older people with cognitive impairment, as it impacts their independence, social connections and overall quality of life. In a car-dependent society like New Zealand, the decision to stop driving is further complicated by limited public transport options, creating an emotional toll on families.
The first phase of this research involved six focus groups in the Waikato region, involving family members and health professionals. Key themes emerged around: including families in decision-making; managing complex risk; systemic support gaps; the need to normalise the transition; and the critical importance of accessible transport alternatives.
These insights directly inform the currently ongoing nationwide phase: a web-based survey aimed at capturing the perspectives of those who have supported someone with memory loss regarding the decision to stop driving. The goal is to translate lived experience into evidence to advocate for clearer guidelines, better support systems, and dignified transitions.
For me, the renewal of this scholarship is crucial to successfully navigate the final, most demanding phase of this project. It allows me to continue dedicate the focused time and resources required to perform the advanced statistical analysis and high-impact dissemination necessary to ensure this research makes a meaningful contribution to the lives of New Zealanders living with cognitive impairment and their families.
Chunxu Chen
PhD candidate, Auckland University of Technology
Main supervisor, Dr Kay Shannon
Organisational support for older registered nurses’ continuation of practice.
The nursing workforce is ageing, and this demographic shift has significant implications for the healthcare system. Older nurses bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the workforce; however, research conducted internationally and locally suggests workplace ageism can be a significant barrier to the continuation of practice for older nurses. Workplace ageism refers to discriminatory behaviours or attitudes towards older workers, which can negatively affect their employment opportunities, job satisfaction, and well-being. It could also hinder older nurses’ access to organisational support, such as opportunities for professional development, flexible work arrangements, and supportive leadership.
The purpose of my research is to explore older registered nurses' and organisational representatives' perceptions of organisational support for older registered nurses' continuation of practice in inpatient hospital settings. In particular, this study aims to understand how older registered nurses and organisational representatives perceive the level of organisational support provided to older registered nurses and how this support influences older registered nurses’ continuation of practice. Purposive sampling has been used to recruit thirteen older registered nurses who are employed in direct patient care roles and four organisational representatives at Health New Zealand-Te Whatu Ora. I use the interpretive description methodology to develop a rich and contextualised understanding of the topic using two data sources.
This study will contribute to the understanding of organisational support for older registered nurses in their work environment and how it affects their decision to continue practicing in the New Zealand context. Recommendations will be made to Health New Zealand-Te Whatu Ora on strategies for supporting older registered nurses to remain in the workforce and ways to address workplace ageism in their practice settings.
Jessica Kelly
PhD candidate, University of Auckland
Medical and Health Science; Main supervisor, Professor Bronwen Connor
Three-dimensional striatal organoids to model Huntington’s Disease
Researching neurological diseases that occur later in life is complicated for many reasons. Typically, we use either post-mortem tissue, which only captures the end stage of that disease, or we use cells which have been rejuvenated, meaning that they no longer contain ageing signatures accumulated through a person’s life. The Neural Regeneration and Repair lab in the Centre for Brain Research uses a technique called direct cell reprogramming to create cells from donors which capture the actual disease state of the donor individual and maintain the ageing signatures that person has in their cells. This creates a disease model which is far more relevant than other modelling options.
Jess has furthered this technique by developing a method for growing the resulting cells in 3-dimensions, called ‘Organoids’. This means the cells organise themselves in the dish, resulting in the cells more closely resembling cells in the human brain thus having more accurate behaviour and disease states.
To set the lab up for using this model, Jess has been characterising what happens in the model when she uses cells from healthy donors and donors who have a neurological condition called Huntington’s Disease. Jess has optimised a number of analysis methods to do this, which show clear, consistent, and relevant markers of Huntington’s Disease when using diseased donor cells.
Jess is in the final year of her PhD and working to complete this characterisation such that the lab can continue to use this model to investigate how the disease arises, proteins that might be involved in the development of the disease, and therapeutics which might alleviate disease symptoms. This model is also able to be applied to other diseases in the future, opening the door for more relevant disease modelling.
Diwakar Khanal
PhD candidate, University of Canterbury
Main supervisor, Dr Tiina Vares
Perspectives and experiences of migrant care workers in aged residential care in New Zealand
Diwakar Khanal is researching the experiences of Asian migrant care workers in New Zealand’s aged residential care sector. As the demand for aged care workers grows globally, countries like New Zealand increasingly rely on migrant care workers, yet their voices often remain unheard. Asian migrant care workers, particularly women, face systemic challenges, including racism, gender oppression, exploitation, and social marginalization, compounded by cultural differences and language barriers. This study critically examines their perspectives through a migration lens, aiming to promote workforce sustainability, inclusivity, and equity in the aged care sector.
Jacob Mathew
PhD candidate, University of Auckland
Auckland Bioengineering Institute; Main supervisor, Dr Vickie Shim
Decoding brain dynamics – A novel approach for neurodegenerative diseases
Due to the ageing global population, the prevalence of neurodegeneration presents a profound socioeconomic challenge and burden to global health. Early diagnosis of conditions like dementia remains limited, and 75% of cases go undetected. While changes in white matter structure and atrophy have shown promise in identifying diseased patients, these changes are often subtle and occur late in the disease. Therefore, there is a need for reliable and more sensitive biomarkers of neurodegeneration.
An understudied facet of the brain is its mechanical environment, such as tissue stiffness, which is indicative of tissue microstructural integrity making it a promising biomarker for early detection of neurodegeneration. We can measure tissue stiffness using a technique known as magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). Current procedures for MRE require specialised hardware and software, making it inaccessible for clinics, whereas diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans are more accessible. My project focuses on a novel approach to detect neurodegeneration using virtual MRE directly from DTI, without the specialised hardware and extra scan time required. This involves the use of computational modelling of the brain that estimates spatially varying tissue stiffness and damping properties directly from DTI, eliminating the need for mechanical excitation. Our method leverages a digital twin framework that simulates the tissue’s dynamic response under controlled conditions and extracts stiffness-related features using tensor dynamic mode decomposition. This approach enables physics-informed characterization of tissue stiffness while supporting the development of an AI model capable of inferring stiffness maps directly from DTI scans. Such a framework not only streamlines the process of stiffness mapping but also allows retrospective analysis, providing an opportunity to extract biomechanical insights from existing large-scale DTI datasets.
Annie Meates
PhD candidate, University of Auckland
Law; Main supervisor, Professor Mark Henaghan
Advance directives in New Zealand -The law, the lawyer, the user
Jayanthi Nagalingam
PhD candidate, Auckland University of Technology
Main supervisor, Dr Kay Shannon
Healthy ageing and wellbeing: Exploring the perspectives of older Indian Migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand
This study explores how older Indian migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand perceive healthy ageing and wellbeing, considering their diverse social, cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds. Using a qualitative interpretive descriptive approach, the research examines individual, familial, community, and societal factors to identify the key barriers and enablers shaping their experiences of ageing and wellbeing.
Additionally, the study will investigate perspectives from representatives of government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) involved in supporting older Indian migrants. It will evaluate existing policies and strategies aimed at promoting healthy ageing and wellbeing, while identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement. Older Indian migrants will be invited to participate in interviews to share their personal experiences and perceptions related to healthy ageing and wellbeing. They will discuss the barriers and facilitators they encounter and offer insights into how their social, cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds influence their health behaviours and decision-making as they age. Likewise, representatives from government organisations and NGOs will be interviewed to offer their perspectives on policies, strategies, and services that support this community.
Given the growing older Indian population in Aotearoa New Zealand, the insights gained from this study will inform the development of culturally appropriate healthcare and social services tailored to the specific needs of older Indian communities. Ultimately, the study will generate recommendations for developing a culturally responsive migrant-centred framework for healthy ageing and wellbeing within Auckland’s multicultural context.
Melissa Phillips
MSc candidate, University of Canterbury
Psychology; Main supervisor, Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee
Imagined and Observed Swallow Study
Swallowing relies on a complex neural network spanning cortical, subcortical, and brainstem regions. For people with dysphagia—including those with Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or other neurological conditions—these pathways can become weakened through disease, injury, or prolonged disuse. When swallowing becomes unsafe and oral intake is restricted, extended inactivity can further reduce neural responsiveness and muscular strength, making rehabilitation increasingly difficult.
During early recovery, it is often unsafe for patients to resume normal eating and drinking. Prolonged dependence on non-oral feeding can lead to reduced muscle tone and impaired coordination, creating a critical period in which the brain may be prepared to relearn swallowing, but the body is not yet capable of performing it safely. This gap increases the risk of aspiration, choking, and respiratory complications. Rehabilitation, therefore, aims to strengthen vulnerable neural networks, some of which may activate not only during actual swallowing but also during imagined swallowing.
Motor imagery—the mental rehearsal of a movement—offers a promising avenue. Research demonstrates that imagining movement engages many of the same neural circuits as performing it, helping strengthen those pathways. While motor imagery is well supported in limb rehabilitation, research on imagined swallowing remains limited. Its safety, low cost, and suitability for home practice make it a potentially valuable tool, but stronger evidence is needed before clinical adoption.
This study at the University of Canterbury’s Rose Centre for Stroke Recovery and Research investigates whether swallowing precision can improve through imagined swallowing alone or in combination with watching someone else swallow (action observation). By reinforcing neural pathways, this research aims to support healthy ageing and improve the quality of life for older adults with dysphagia.
Mathew Shuen
PhD candidate, University of Otago
Physiology; Main supervisor, Associate Professor Phil Sheard
Age-related changes to nuclear pore complex proteins in human myocardium
As age-related cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide, so understanding how the heart ages is crucial. Our research aims to uncover how changes in nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) —large gateways between the nucleus and cytoplasm, contribute to cardiac ageing and disease. These gateways have been linked to age-related cell death in nerve cells, which like heart muscle cells, lack appreciable replacement throughout life. NPCs play a vital role in gene regulation and cellular health, yet they degrade over time, potentially driving heart dysfunction.
My project aims to analyse NPCs in ageing and dysfunctional heart muscle cells using human heart samples from the HeartOtago tissue bank. Initial findings suggest that while overall levels of NPC proteins do not significantly decline with age, their distribution and function may be altered possibly contributing to cell stress. Currently my project involves analysing how NPC proteins interact with markers of cellular ageing and DNA damage. Insights from this work will shed light on the role of NPCs and their component proteins in heart cell dysfunction during ageing, potentially informing future therapeutic strategies through modulation of NPCs.
Olivia Sutherland
PhD candidate, Massey University
Psychology; Main supervisor, Professor Fiona Alpass
Cognitive functioning and frailty in older New Zealanders
It is important to understand the potentially modifiable risk factors affecting the health and wellbeing of older New Zealanders, given the rapidly ageing population and the high emotional and economic burden that is associated with cognitive decline and physical frailty in older age. Anxiety, cognitive decline, and physical frailty each affect an individual's emotional wellbeing and ability to enjoy their day-to-day life independently. Identifying how these variables influence one another enables future opportunities to identify more effective interventions that could improve the daily lives of older adults, while also reducing the burden on medical systems and caregivers across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The New Zealand Body, Mind and Ageing study explores the cognitive and physical health of older New Zealanders, aged 55 years or more, through in-person interviews. Thousands of interviews are being completed nationwide. Alongside multiple physical and psychological measures, a full cognitive assessment is undertaken. This data will be combined with previous quantitative survey data to understand how the physical and cognitive health of older New Zealanders changes over time.
Previous research has demonstrated a strong link between mental health experiences, cognitive decline, and physical frailty. However, the specific relationship between anxiety and cognitive frailty remains underrepresented in the literature. My research aims to explore the impact of anxiety on cognitive frailty outcomes, and vice versa. This will help to broaden knowledge of the potential interventions that can improve long-term outcomes in older adults.
Xi (Cassie) Wang
PhD candidate, Auckland University of Technology
Public Health; Main supervisor, Dr Cath Conn
Healthy ageing in a smart urban future: Co-designing with Asian older adults in Auckland
I am a PhD researcher in Public Health at Auckland University of Technology, working at the intersection of healthy ageing, smart cities, and inclusive governance. My research explores how older adults, particularly Chinese migrants in Auckland, experience and navigate increasingly digital urban services and participation systems.
As cities move towards digital-first models of service delivery and civic engagement, older adults are often framed as “late adopters” who simply need more training or better tools. My research challenges this assumption by shifting the focus from individual capability to system design. Rather than asking whether older people can keep up with smart city systems, I examine how those systems are structured, whose forms of participation they recognise, and where everyday barriers quietly accumulate. Using a participatory co-design approach, I am developing and testing a method called World Teahouse, a culturally adapted version of the World Café model. Through small, facilitated sessions that combine storytelling, mapping, and collective reflection, older adults and local stakeholders work together to make visible how participation pathways function in practice and how they might be redesigned to better support autonomy, dignity, and social connection. The project treats older adults not as passive service users or consultees, but as legitimate contributors to future urban governance. Its aim is to translate lived experience into practical, governance-relevant insights that can inform more inclusive and future-ready approaches to healthy ageing in Auckland and beyond.
Zehua (Zack) Wang
PhD candidate, University of Auckland
Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology; Main supervisor, Assoc Prof Jacqueline Hannam
Population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling of antibody therapies in Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the leading causes of dementia and has significant, long-term impacts on both patients and their whānau. According to the New Zealand Integrated Data Infrastructure, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease is approximately 2-3% among people aged 60 and over, and 8–10% among those aged 80 and over. On a global scale, the challenge is even greater: approximately 50 million people currently live with Alzheimer's disease, with new cases expected to rise to over 150 million by 2050 and impose an annual economic burden exceeding US$1.3 trillion globally.
The monoclonal antibody therapy donanemab (Kisunla®) is one of the first internationally recognized treatments shown to slow cognitive and functional decline in early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. To fully understand exactly how such breakthrough therapies alter the long-term trajectory of the disease, we use disease progression modelling. This enables us to determine whether medication benefits represent only temporary symptomatic relief during treatment or a durable disease-modifying effect that persists even after treatment stops, as well as supporting decisions around when and how to prescribe treatments. Applying this framework to donanemab, we will use population modelling to interpret the complex interplay between pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and disease progression in the TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 clinical trial. We will also examine how patient-specific factors such as body weight and ApoE ε4 genotype influence drug exposure and response. The resulting model will support the optimisation of personalised dosing regimens for older adults, ultimately helping them maintain their independence and dignity for longer, while alleviating caregiving burden and healthcare system pressure.
Huynh Trieu An (Ann) Tran (Way)
PhD candidate, University of Auckland
Psychology; Main supervisor, Prof Suzanne Purdy
Embodied Identity – Making a connection between dementia prevention and dance movement therapy in Aotearoa, New Zealand
Ann Way is a second-year PhD candidate at the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland. Ann's research examines Dance Movement Therapy as a non-pharmacological approach to providing care and support to individuals living with mild cognitive impairment who are at higher risk of developing dementia-related diseases.
Mild cognitive impairment is a condition where individuals experience greater memory or thinking difficulties than expected for their age. It is considered a transitional stage between normal ageing and dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Most people with mild cognitive impairment remain independent, though those with additional health conditions may need professional support. Although progression to dementia cannot be fully prevented, research shows that addressing modifiable lifestyle factors can reduce risk, delay onset, or slow progression. In some cases, symptoms remain stable or improve with therapy. Family involvement is important for monitoring daily functioning, supporting adherence to interventions, and addressing psychosocial impacts.
Dance Movement Therapy is emerging as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for people with neurodegenerative diseases. My research sits at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, creative arts therapies, and community health. This interdisciplinary approach allows me to examine how embodied experiences, such as rhythm, gesture, posture, and relational movement, contribute to maintaining a sense of self and social connection, both of which are critical protective factors in dementia prevention.
The intended impact of this research is to broaden how dementia prevention is conceptualised in Aotearoa, moving toward holistic, culturally responsive approaches that value lived experience and embodied knowledge. This work aims to inform public health strategies, therapeutic practice, and community-based wellbeing initiatives to strengthen preventive care pathways and enhance the quality of life for middle and older adults.
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