Media archive

On this page you will find media news reports of NISAN's projects that are more than 2 years old. For more recent items please refer to our media page.

World Federation of Neurology / World Brain Day 2020

On 2 July 2020, Valery Feigin was interviewed by the World Federation of Neurology. He explained that neurological disorders have become the leading cause of global disability, strengthening the importance of World Brain Day 2020, which will focus on Parkinson’s Disease.

World Stroke Day 2019

Click here to view the video of the launch of the WSO stroke prevention campaign in New Zealand, 29 October 2019.

The focus of the campaign this year is stroke risk and prevention. The latest analysis of the Global Burden of Disease shows that the lifetime risk of stroke for over-25s has increased and now stands at 1 in 4. The urgent need for action at individual and population level is only matched by the incredible potential for a huge reduction in stroke. While our efforts on World Stroke Day are largely directed towards raising public awareness of the steps we can all take to reduce our risk, the 2019 campaign is a key component of WSO's strategic commitment to 'Cut Stroke in Half'. You can read more about how the campaign and the wider initiative are linked in this Lancet editorial.

January 23, 2019: World-leading stroke research at AUT. Article on AUT news.

COVID-19

June 2020: Article by David Wiebers and Valery Feigin: Wiebers, D. O., & Feigin, V. (2020). What the COVID-19 crisis is telling humanity [editorial]. Neuropepidemiology, 54. doi:10.1159/000508654

Stroke and Stroke Riskometer

• The publication by Feigin, V.L. et. al : GBD 2016 Lifetime Risk of Stroke Collaborators., Feigin, V. L., Nguyen, G., Cercy, K., Johnson, C. O., Alam, T., . . . Roth, G. A. (2018). Global, regional, and country-specific lifetime risks of stroke, 1990 and 2016. New England Journal of Medicine, 379(25), 2429-2437. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1804492 received a lot of media coverage at the beginning of 2019, from (amongst others): TVNZ, Newstalk ZB, TV3 Newshub, RNZ and MAGIC Talk.
• Publication August 2018: Valery Feigin, Bo Norrving, Cathie L.M. Sudlow, Ralph L. Sacco (2018). Updated criteria for population-based stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack incidence studies for the 21st century. Stroke. 49:00-00. DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.022161
• December 19, 2018: Q&A with Professor Valery Feigin, with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Washington, USA, regarding the major findings of a recent lifetime stroke risk paper.
• November 2018: The Global Burden of Disease Brain Summit, hosted by NISAN/AUT in Auckland received a lot of media attention, from (amongst others): NZ Herald,  TVNZ, Radio NZ, Newstalk ZB, Science Media Centre, The Newsroom, The Conversation, Health Central, NZ Doctor, Mindfood Magazine.
• Rita Krishnamurthi was interviewed about stroke awareness and prevention in Maori and Pacific people. Radio Waatea, 5 October 2017.
• Drug of choice. Interview with Valery Feigin and others about a daily dose of aspirin. NZ Listener, 5-11 August 2017.
• Stroke: New Zealand's preventable $3 billion problem. Interview with Prof. Valery Feigin in the Newsroom, 31 May 2017.
• Interview with Prof. Valery Feigin in the newsletter of the European Stroke Organisation, October 2016. In honor of World Stroke Day (27 October), the ESO PR committee interviewed Prof. Valery Feigin, who spoke about global stroke risk factors, education, prevention and the RIBURST study.
• Kiwi-made apps to transform your life. Article in the New Zealand Herald, 11 September 2016
• A link to the Stroke Riskometer has been placed on the website of the European Stroke Organisation, May 2016
• Presentation at the Waitemata District Health Board Health Excellence Awards day, 2016
• Interview on Radio New Zealand 28 March 2016. Sir Jerry Mataparae, Governor General, talks about highlights from his time in office and what is exciting about our universities' work in science and innovation. he mentions the  Stroke Riskometer from all the technologies he reviewed across all universities in NZ
• Western Leader - Stroke Riskometer app could save lives. 16 November 2015
• NZ Doctor - New Zealand scientists launch world's largest health study. 10 June 2015
• NZ Doctor - Riskometer targets patients who have little to learn from CVD risk assessment. 10 June 2015
• Indo-Asian News Service. Smartphone Study Aims to Help Save Lives From Non-Communicable Illnesses. 29 May
• Scoop Independent News. New Zealand scientists launch world's largest health study. 29.05.15
• YouTube - identifying stroke risk
• Capital FM Radio, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Meera Sivasothy talks to Prof. Valery Feigin and Dr Ramesh Sahathevan about the Stroke Riskometer and how it can be applied to Malaysia
• TVNZ One News. New app designed to monitor stroke risk
• Scoop Independent News. New app to detect ticking time bomb in your head
• MindFood. New app hopes to reduce stroke incidence
• Stop Press. App finds out if your time is ticking
• Tech Transfer Central. App developed by NZ researcher tells users risk of having stroke
• Scoop Independent News. Stroke app provides hope in the face of concerning stats.

Traumatic Brain Injury

• Head injury experts call for tougher rules on e-scooters following release of shocking figures. Article featuring Kelly Jones and Valery Feigin. New Zealand Herald, 4 June 2019.
• "Worse than hell" - life behind bars with a traumatic brain injury. Alice Theadom interviewed on News Hub, 6 May 2018.
• Mild concussions can impact daily function up to four years on, new research shows. Article featuring Alice Theadom. Stuff.co.nz, 3 February 2018.
• Traumatic brain injury and dementia. Alice Theadom interviewed on Radio New Zealand, 1 February 2018.
• Heads put together to help 35,000 Kiwi concussion sufferers. NZ Herald, 187 November 2017. Alice Theadom mentioned in an article about the inaugural two-day Brain Storm: Heads Together For Concussion Conference, spearheaded by Geneva Healthcare and ABI Rehabilitation, held in Hastings.
• Head cases. Dominion Post. 17 June 2017
• http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/93684115/concussions-hidden-toll. Article on Stuff.co. 17 June 2017
• Clear link between rugby concussion and cognitive problems. Alice Theadom interview with Jessie Mulligan on New Zealand radio, 26 August 2016
• Clear link between rugby concussion and cognitive problems. Alice Theadom interview on Newstalk ZB, 24 August 2016.
• New neuropsychology study links concussion  to 'cognitive difficulties' for retired rugby players. Article in the New Zealand Herald, 25 August 2016.
• Rugby and the dementia dilemma. Article in the New Zealand Herald, 5 April 2016.
• Māori TV - Media Take on rugby and dementia- 22 March 2016. Dr Alice Theadom and others on brain injuries caused by rugby and rugby league.
• Tagata Pasifika Wesley Lagolago on the panel of Tagata Pasifika discussing the Pasifika findings from the BIONIC study on traumatic brain injury.
• TVNZ Breakfast (live interview). Dr Alice Theadom on traumatic brain injury within Pacific people of New Zealand.
• TVNZ One News (live interview). Dr Alice Theadom on brain injury concern for Pacific Islanders.
• Live News. Scientists to tackle Traumatic Brain Injury
• Māori Health Review.  Latest review in Māori health
• Brain injuries outrate stroke, heart attacks in NZ. International coverage. 22 November 2012.
• TVNZ One News. ACC urged to improve for brain injury victims
• TVNZ. Brain injuries : "silent epidemic"
• Radio Rhema (live interview). Professor Valery Feigin : on brain trauma
• Central News (live interview). Associate Professor Nicola Starkey and Dr Kelly Jones on traumatic brain injury.

Stroke Foundation of New Zealand

Stroke prevention strategy needs overhaul. The case for government intervention and a regulatory approach to reduce the incidence of stroke in New Zealand is urgent, says the Stroke Foundation (November 2015).
Click here to read more.

Brain Research New Zealand

• Brain detectives: 10 amazing Kiwi insights. Article in the New Zealand Herald, 4 September 2016.

The Brain Injury Whānau Action Project

Our expert Senior Research Fellow, Dr Alice Theadom, speaking at The Brain Injury Whānau Action Project (BIWAP) the first ever wānanga, October 2015.
Find out more

Radio New Zealand National

Professor Valery Feigin on the existing stroke prevention strategy in New Zealand. 23 November 2015.
Find out more

Geomagnetic Storms Can Trigger Stroke

• A Podcast - Rick "The Temp" Campanelli talks to Valery Feigin about research into geomagnetic storms and whether they can trigger stroke.
• TVNZ One News. New possible culprit for strokes unearthed.

Global Burden of Disease Study

• "Better diet could prevent 1 in 5 deaths globally: NZ exceeds intake of red meat and sugary drinks". Interview with Valery Feigin re article:  New Zealand Herald, 4 April 2019.
• Interview with Valery Feigin at the World Congress of Neurology about the global burden of nuerological diseases, September, 2017.
• Audio: Global burden of stroke: The Lancet Neurology, June 22, 2016. Professor Valery Feigin discusses an article on the global burden of stroke and risk factors from 1990–2013.
• Stroke and heart attack screenings falling short. TV1 News interview with Valery Feigin, 23 July 2016
• 90% of stroke burden can be avoided. Article in Medscape Neurology, 13 June 2016.
• Air pollution now major contributor to stroke, global study finds. Article in The Guardian (UK), 9 June 2016.
• Exercise raises health risks through pollution. Radio New Zealand article, 13 June 2016.
• Assessing the global stroke burden. A report from The Economist Intelligence Unit, May 2016.
• Special issue of Neuroepidemiology. October 2015. This special issue is dedicated to the 'global burden of stroke'.
• Nurse Magazine and Internet. Stroke increasingly affecting younger people Worldwide
• Screen For Life. Stroke burden on the rise in younger adults
• World Health.net. Global stroke burden update.

Healthy Living

• 3News. Take tax off healthy food
• RadioLive. Interview with Mark Sainsbury on Obesity
• 3News.  Kiwis' expanding waistlines revealed in new study
• NZ Herald. NZ fattest nation in Australasia - study
• Radio New Zealand. Obesity among NZ men grows fastest in world
• NZdoctor.co.nz. The growing problem of obesity - experts respond
• Spasifik Mag. FREE Online Pacific Peoples Health Magazine. Turn your life around

The BIONIC Study

• Brain injuries at epidemic levels.The New Zealand Herald, 11 April 2014.
• New Zealand’s rate of traumatic brain injury has reached “epidemic proportions”3 News, 22 November 2012.
• Professor Valery Feigin: on Brain Trauma
  Rhema Mornings, 23 November 2012.
• ACC urged to improve for brain injury victims.
  TVNZ National News. November 23, 2012.
• Brain injuries "a silent epidemic"- a first of its kind study in New Zealand. Prof. Valery Feigin. TVNZ Breakfast Television, Saturday November 24, 2012
• 'Epidemic' of brain injuries in NZ - study
  By Abby Gillies.  The New Zealand Herald.  Thursday Nov 22, 2012.

The Enzogenol Study

• Pine-bark extract helps brain function By Sarah Harvey
  http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/6000084/Pine-bark-extract-helps-brain-function
• TVNZ Seven Sharp's coverage of pine bark: http://tvnz.co.nz/seven-sharp/2013-05-28-video-5450639

Neurological Disorders

• Development of the standards of reporting of neurological disorders (STROND) checklist: a guideline for the reporting of incidence and prevalence studies in neuroepidemiology. Article in European Journal of Epidemiology, 2015, 30(7), 569-576.