Stroke Burden in NZ and the World: Problems and Solutions

The Prime Minister's Science Prize Secretariat, in conjunction with the Otago Institute and Tūhura Otago Museum, is delighted to offer a talk by Professor Valery Feigin FRSNZ, Director of the multidisciplinary National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences (NISAN) at Auckland University of Technology. NISAN, led by Valery and his team of co-investigators, Professor Rita Krishnamurthi, Dr Alexander Merkin, and Balakrishnan Nair, won Te Pūiaki Putaiao Matua a Te Pirimia Science Prize earlier in the year.

The team has spent more than 40 years uncovering the epidemiology of the stroke and associated conditions and developing highly usable digital tools for patients and clinicians to reduce stroke risk worldwide. Their work has led to the insight that strokes have become the second leading cause of death and disability in the world, with this burden fast increasing over the last two decades.

Compared to other countries, New Zealand has an unexpectedly high level of stroke incidence overall (fourth highest of the OECD countries), particularly in Māori and Pacific people. Hear from Professor Valery about the work being done to raise awareness and reduce the risk of strokes through the development of two world-first and internationally recognised digital tools. He will also reflect on all the aspects of his research journey and what led him to this area of medical research.

Dr Valery Feigin FRSNZ is Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology and the Director of the National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences at Auckland University of Technology and Affiliate Professor at University of Washington, USA. He is also a Visiting Professor of the Capital Medical University of China, a Fellow of Royal Society Te Apārangi, American Academy of Neurology, Editor-in-Chief of the journal Neuroepidemiology, Co-Chair of the Global Policy Committee of the World Stroke Organization, and member of WHO Technical Advisory Group on Non-Communicable Disease-related Research and Innovation.

6pm – 7.30pm, Tuesday 8 August
Hutton Theatre
Free – Koha Appreciated