About us

Established in 2009, the centre excels in world-class neuroscience research carried out by cross-faculty research teams, alongside clinical collaborations with leading neurologists, neurosurgeons and physicians in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.

The CBR recognises the unique status of Māori as the tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand and works with the Māori community to promote and achieve equitable outcomes for Māori as guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

It is estimated that one in five New Zealanders will experience brain disease during their lifetime. Neurological diseases are among the top five most common causes of death and long-term disability. The cost to families and society, both financially and socially, is enormous.

The Centre for Brain Research brings together expert scientists, skilled clinicians, students and dedicated community groups. The overall goal of the centre is to find and develop new treatments for brain disease through a complete understanding of every physiological and functional aspect of this organ. Critical to the success of the centre is to generate findings that influence and shape New Zealand’s healthcare model and policy.

At the heart of our centre are 83 research teams and approximately 400 researchers from several faculties and schools across the University of Auckland, one of the top-ranked universities in the world, and is internationally recognised for its neuroscience research. Our synergistic and collaborative approach to research seeks to produce and translate novel findings from the laboratory through to the clinic and the patients.

The combined strengths of our scientific, clinical and community pillars provides a platform for success. The Neurology and Neurosurgical Departments in Auckland are amongst the largest in Australasia. Doctors from Auckland District Health Board, working in partnership with other expert clinicians from Auckland and Northland DHBs, provide care for over a third of New Zealand’s population.

Our centre is very fortunate to receive vital support – in many forms – from our wider community, having established meaningful partnerships within the non-profit, governmental, collegiate and private sectors. We are especially grateful to the donors and their families, whose unyielding generosity facilitates our discoveries. Local and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) offer a rich network of support groups, rendering invaluable assistance to people and their whānau living with neurological conditions.

Scientists, doctors and community specialists work at every level; from the laboratory to the clinic, to whānau and community. By working together, we will provide a brighter future for people and families touched by brain disease.

Understanding the brain is the last frontier of medical research and one of the most challenging areas in medicine. Our discoveries have the potential to change the lives of people living with neurological disease. By unlocking the secrets of the brain, we learn more about ourselves, who we are and our future.