Meet the team

NATIONAL DIRECTOR, DEMENTIA PREVENTION RESEARCH CLINICS

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 the national network of Dementia Prevention Research Clinics, and co-director of the Auckland clinic alongside geriatrician Dr Phil Wood.

AUCKLAND CLINIC CO-DIRECTOR, GERIATRICIAN

BMedSci, MBChB, FRACP

Dr Phil Wood is a Geriatrician and Principal Investigator with Brain Research New Zealand. He is the Clinical Director of the 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

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

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

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 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

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.

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

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.

PhD
University of Auckland

With Tracy Melzer in Christchurch, Ian is responsible for longitudinal neuroimaging of the DPRC cohort.