Auckland
Welcome to the Auckland Dementia Prevention Research Clinic (Auckland Clinic)
The Auckland Clinic, based at the Centre for Brain Research, at the University of Auckland, is the largest of BRNZ’s Dementia Prevention Research Clinics.
Led by Associate Professor Lynette Tippett and Dr Phil Wood, the Auckland Clinic is run collaboratively between expert clinicians and researchers from Brain Research New Zealand.
Research volunteers who join the study, will undergo a series of assessments over time, allowing our researchers to look for improvements in your thinking abilities, or for early indicators of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and to develop innovative ways to detect these diseases at a very early stage. Download our Information Leaflet to find out more about the study.
You may also have the opportunity to be part of future research intervention studies aimed at delaying / preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
How to Find Us
The Auckland clinic is located at The University of Auckland, Grafton Campus, Building 507, 22-30 Park Ave, Grafton. Click here for our full contact details, or find us using the map below.
MEET THE TEAM
NATIONAL DIRECTOR, DEMENTIA PREVENTION RESEARCH CLINICS
Associate Professor Lynette Tippett, PhD, DipClinPsych, MSc(1st), Registered Psychologist University of Auckland
Lynette Tippett is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Auckland. A major focus of her research programme involves clinical and neuropsychological investigations of individuals with neurological disorders, particularly neurodegenerative diseases (Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Motor Neuron Disease and Parkinson’s disease). Central to the success of this research are strong multi-disciplinary research teams, linking bench-top neuroscience with clinical science and patients.
Lynette is the Director of BRNZ’s national network of Dementia Prevention Research Clinics, and co-director of the Auckland clinic alongside geriatrician Dr Phil Wood.
AUCKLAND CLINIC CO-DIRECTOR, GERIATRICIAN
Dr Phil Wood, BMedSci, MBChB, FRACP
Dr Phil Wood is a Geriatrician and Principal Investigator with Brain Research New Zealand. He is the Clinical Director of BRNZ’s Dementia Prevention Research Clinics and Clinical Service Leader of Waikato DHB’s older persons and rehabilitation services. From 2014 onwards Dr Wood was seconded to the Ministry of Health as Chief Advisor, Health of Older Persons from Waikato DHB. He continues to provide clinical leadership to develop services key to the health and wellbeing of older people, and undertakes broad sector engagement. Dr Wood works closely with staff at the Ministry of Health and external agencies such as ACC and the Health Quality & Safety Commission, to help better develop services for older people nationwide.
Dr Wood’s work particularly focuses on areas such as interRAI assessments and other aspects of aged residential care and home and community support services. On top of all that, he also maintains a research and private practice on Auckland’s North Shore and the Memory Clinic at North Shore Hospital.
PSYCHIATRIST
Dr Gary Cheung, FRANZCP MBChB BSc PGCertClinEd University of Auckland
Dr Gary Cheung is a community psycho geriatrician. He is a fellow and an examiner of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. He is a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland. Dr Cheung’s clinical expertise includes the diagnosis and management of early cognitive disorders. He enjoys working with not-for-profit organisation and he is on the National Board of Parkinson’s New Zealand. His academic interests include clinical education, driving and dementia, advance care planning in dementia, outcome measures and rating scales in old age psychiatry.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST
Dr Christina Ilse, PhD, PGDipClinPsych, MNZCCP, MINS University of Auckland
Dr Christina Ilse is a neuropsychologist for the Auckland Clinic. Christina has an extensive background in clinical neuropsychology, both in public and private practice, including eight years working in Mental Health Services for Older Adults at North Shore Hospital, Middlemore Hospital and Auckland District Health Board.
Christina’s role in the clinic is to provide full, expert neuropsychological assessments to study participants attending the Auckland Clinic. This includes a detailed assessment of memory and thinking skills. After Christina has completed her assessments, she writes a report detailing the results, and meets with participants and their families / study partner to explain results.
DEMENTIA PREVENTION RESEARCH CLINIC DRPC TISSUE BANK RESEARCH FELLOW
Dr Erin Cawston, BMLSc, PGDipMLSc, MMLSc PhD University of Auckland
Erin Cawston has an extensive background in medical diagnostics. With a bachelors degree, Post-Graduate Diploma and Masters in Medical Laboratory Science, she has invaluable laboratory skills, a strong appreciation of biomedical science and the use of diagnostic tests in both the diagnosis and treatment of disease. As the BRNZ DPRC Tissue Bank Research Fellow, Erin co-leads the development of the Dementia Prevention Research Clinics’ biobank. She responsible for establishing blood collection and processing controls of the highest standards. She is also in charge of developing new research initiatives and research projects for biomarker studies using samples collected from study participants.
RESEARCH COORDINATOR
Jane Govender, Diploma in General Nursing Science, Post Graduate Diploma Clinical Management, Clinical Research Management Certificate
Jane Govender is a qualified nurse with over twenty years’ nursing experience, and clinical research experience spanning over 10 years. Throughout her career, she has been involved in numerous research studies concerned with cognitive function. More recently, she has also worked with patients with dementia and related cognitive issues at a large Aged Care Hospital in Auckland.
Jane’s primary role is to coordinate clinical research and the conduct of clinical trials related to the Dementia Prevention Research Clinics, including the collection and storage of data. She also functions as a research nurse; helping to recruit potential study participants, taking blood samples as required, and completing clinical and research scales and questionnaires with participants who attend the clinic.
Associate Professor Debbie Young, PhD University of Auckland
With Dr Erin Cawston and Dr Joanna Williams, Debbie is responsible for the development of the Dementia Prevention Research Clinics’ biobank.
NEUROLOGIST
Dr Kiri Brickell, MBChB, FRACP
Dr Kiri Brickell is a neurologist with a special interest and expertise in dementia. In her role in the Auckland clinic, Dr Brickell plays an important part of the diagnostic team.
Professor Ian Kirk, PhD University of Auckland
With Tracy Melzer in Christchurch, Ian is responsible for longitudinal neuroimaging of the DPRC cohort.