News and Events – June 2008
Publications
Doeltgen SH, Witte U, Gumbley F, Huckabee ML (in press). Evaluation of manometric measures during tongue-hold swallows. American Journal of Speech and Language Therapy.
Myall DJ, MacAskill MR, Davidson PR, Anderson TJ, Jones RD (2008). Design of a modular and low-latency virtual-environment platform for applications in motor adaptation research, neurological disorders, and neurorehabilitation. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering. 16(3): 298-309
In addition, a diagram from Myall et al.’s paper was featured on the front cover of IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.
Conferences
Michael Chappell, Leslie Livingstone, Tracy Melzer, Govinda Poudel, Verena Pritchard, Richard Watts, Juliane Wilcke, and Sarah Wright attended the 14th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping Conference in Melbourne, Australia 15-19 June. Two posters were presented:
Poudel GR, Jones RD, Innes CRH, Bones PJ. Characteristics and EEG spectral dynamics of behavioural microsleeps in a Mock-MRI scanner.
Wilcke JC, O’Shea RP, Watts R. Visual awareness during binocular rivalry: Structural connectivity and a truly nonrivalrous comparison condition.
Richard Jones was an invited speaker at the 1st Annual Conference of New Zealand Hospital Scientific Officers’ Association in Christchurch, 20th June.
Jones RD. Neurotechnology Research (Abstract). Proceedings of 1st Annual Conference of New Zealand Hospital Scientific Officers’ Association, Christchurch 2008;1:4.
Tracy Melzer attended the FSL and FreeSurfer Course in Brisbane, Australia 23-27 June 2008. FSL is an analysis program for structural, functional, and DTI MRI data. Freesurfer is an analysis program specifically designed for investigating the cortex. The intensive course covered both the theory and practice of functional and structural brain image analysis. Background concepts and the practicalities of analyses were taught in detailed lectures and these were interleaved with hands-on practical sessions.
Events
The Van der Veer Institute Brain Research Forum was held on the 10th June in the Beaven Lecture Theatre, University of Otago, Christchurch. The guest speaker was Dr Alistair Steyn-Ross from the University of Waikato. Dr Steyn-Ross presented “Modelling phase transitions in single neurons and in neural populations”. On 23 June, the Institute hosted an informal visit (convened by Richard Jones) by 12 members of both the Upper South A and Upper South B Ethics Committees. The visit was at their request and aimed at fulfilling a general interest by the two committees in the various research activities being undertaken at the Institute. Their visit comprised a preliminary overview talk, brief visits to all the labs (including discussions with lead researchers), afternoon tea, and an informal meeting with researchers on ethics-related matters and concerns. They clearly enjoyed their visit and considered it would prove of value in assessing the never-ending stream of ethics applications they receive on Institute-based research.
Appointments
Richard Jones has been appointed an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at University of Canterbury.
Publicity
Tim Anderson, Maggie-Lee Huckabee, Carrie Innes, and Richard Jones were featured on “The Body, The Research and The Professor” on Canterbury TV on 18th June. This was the first in a series of six programmes presented by pathologist, Professor Robin Fraser highlighting Canterbury health research and researchers. Episode 1 was a focus on brain research (Van der Veer Institute) and had 4 screenings on 18, 19, 21, and 22 June.
People at VDVI
Janina Wilmskoetter is visiting the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Lab from Germany for 9 weeks. Janina is a Speech and Language Therapist interested in dysphagia and swallowing rehabilitation research and will be a welcome “helping set of hands” for some of the many studies underway in the lab.