ALZHEIMERS - Key Persons
Almost7yearsagoAdrienne'spartnerwasdiagnosedwithAlzheimers.Asotherfamilymembersalsohavedementia,andhavinghadacareerinthehealthanddisabilitysector,shehasacommitmenttothedevelopmentofsupportandservicesforpeoplewithdementia.Inparticular,sheisinterestedinhumanrightsissuesthatpeoplewithdementiaoftenexperience.AdriennebeganhercareerasanOccupationalTherapist,practicinginmentalhealthservicesinNZandEngland.OnreturntoNZ,shemovedintomanagementinoccupationaltherapythencommunitymentalhealth,beforechangingtomorecommunity-focusedrolesandthedisabilitysector.Thisincludedregionalandnationalmanagementroles,followedby6yearsindisabilityworkforcedevelopment.Sherecentlyretired,havingeasedintoitbyworkingpart-timecompletingsomecommunitydevelopmentprojects.Adriennehashadexperienceoveranumberofyearsinavarietyofgovernanceroles,allinthenot-for-profitsector.ThiscurrentlyincludesLivingWell(DisabilityInformationService)andpreviouslyCareerforce(Health&WellbeingITO).ShehasalsobeeninvolvedinnationalservicedevelopmentthroughworkinggroupssuchastheinitialdevelopmentoftheHealth&DisabilityStandards
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Office Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Researcher
DrKateThomasisaResearcher&SeniorLecturerinVascularSciencesintheDepartmentofSurgicalSciencesattheUniversityofOtago.KateisalsoaVascularSonographerandhasbeeninvolvedinultrasoundtraininginNZfor8years.KategrewupinZimbabweandobtainedherunder-graduatedegreeattheUniversityofCapeTowninExercisePhysiologybeforemovingtoNZ.Herresearchisfocussedonunderstandinghowthebodyrespondstoexerciseandenvironmentalstressorssuchasheat,coldandhypoxia,andthenapplyingthesestressorsforhealthbenefits,particularlyforthebrainandcardiovascularsystem.Kate'sresearchgoalsaretoidentifyanddevelopeffective,non-pharmaceutical,easy-to-implementlifestyleinterventionstopreventorreducetheimpactofchronichealthconditionssuchasdementia,osteoarthritisandcardiovasculardisease.Kateisalsoanobsessivetrailrunnerandispassionateaboutphysicalactivity.
Job Titles:
- Lecturer
- Member of the Board
Dr.WiebkeFinklerisalecturerintheDepartmentofMarketingattheUniversityofOtago.ShehasabackgroundinMediaandScienceCommunication,Filmmaking,andMarineBiology.Wiebke'sresearchfocusesonhowtousestrategiccommunicationforsustainabledevelopment,conservationandsocialchange.With18-yearsexperienceasafilmmakerincludingproducer/director,cameraoperator,editorandsounddesigner,shealsorunssciencecommunicationandfilmmakingworkshops(bothinNewZealandandinternationally)forgovernmentagencies,tertiarystudents,academics,managers,practitionersandsecondaryschoolstudents.WiebkeleadstheVisualResearchLabattheUniversityofOtagofocusedoncreativemarketingforpositivechangeincludingresearchonhowtousevideocampaignsandimmersive360VRvideosforhealthcommunicationandwellbeing.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Otago School of Medicine
Dr.YoramBarakisanAssociateProfessorofPsychiatryattheOtagoSchoolofMedicine,DunedinandaconsultantpsychogeriatricianattheSDHB.Heistheconvenorfor4th-yearstudentsfortheDepartmentofpsychologicalmedicine.TrainedinmedicineandpsychiatryattheSacklerSchoolofMedicine.In1993hebecameanIsraelMedicalScientificCouncilSpecialistinPsychiatry,andin2004wasawardedaMasterinHealthAdministrationfromBen-GurionUniversity,Beer-Sheva,Israel.DrBarakwasthemedicaldirectorofIsrael'sinpatientpsychiatricservicesforHolocaustsurvivorsfor25years.HeispastpresidentoftheIsraeliAssociationofOld-AgePsychiatryandisontheassociateeditorforAgingPsychiatryoftheFrontiersinPsychiatry.DrBarakservesontheboardoftheFacultyofPsychiatryofOldAgefortheRANZCPsychiatry.Researchinterestsincludeawiderangeofpsychiatricconditionswithspecialemphasisonold-agepsychiatry,andsuicide.Hehaspublishedextensivelyintheseareas,andistheauthororco-authorofover200peer-reviewedjournalarticles.Hisbook"PreventingAlzheimer'sDisease"hasbeenpublishedintheUS.
Job Titles:
- Office Staff Member
- Funding and Communications Officer
Job Titles:
- Activity Coordinator
- Dementia Activity Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor at the University of Otago
KirstenRobertsonisanAssociateProfessorattheUniversityofOtagoandaco-investigatorontheDunedinMultidisciplinaryStudy.ShehasaPhDandMasterofSciencedegreeinPsychology,andaBachelorofArtsdegreeinPsychologyandEducation.Herresearchexplorestheinfluenceofmarketingonwell-being,inparticular,thatofvulnerableindividuals;itraisesethicalandregulatoryconcernsandstressestheneedforbusinessestobeproactiveinprotectingindividualswholackagency.KirstenhasasuccessfulresearchandpublicationhistoryandhasrecentlybegunresearchinginthefieldofDementiaandwell-being.KirstenispassionateaboutwellbeingandhasworkedasafacilitatoratStoppingViolenceDunedin,hastaughtclinicalcommunicationskillstomedicalanddentalstudents,andhasconductedresearchforanumberoforganisations,forinstance,theOtagoCommunityHospiceandtheNewZealandTransportAgency(Dunedin).Kirstenhasalsoactedasamentorforthemarketingmanagerofanothernot-for-profitorganisation.Kirstenispassionateaboutageingwell,andinstillingdementiafriendlycommunities.
MauricehasbeenontheAlzheimersOtagoboardsince2015andforthepastthreeyearshasbeentheboardchair.Hehasastrongbackgroundandconsiderableexperienceofworkinginthehealthanddisabilitysectorandstartedhiscareerasaregisterednurseworkinginmentalhealth.Duringthistimehehasestablishedstrongnetworksatbothalocalandnationallevelandhasbeenonanumberofexpertadvisorygroups.Mauriceisretired,butwastheDirectoroftheEnlivenService,PresbyterianSupportOtagosince1993.Inthisposition,hewasresponsibleforbothresidentialandcommunity-basedservicesforolderpeople.ThepositionhasgivenMauriceaverybroadperspectiveofthekeychallengesandopportunitiesthatfacethewidersectoratalocalandnationallevel.
RexAskerudisemployedatOtagoPolytechnicasaBusinessPartnerintheirPeopleandCultureTeamandbringstotheboardexpertiseinemploymentmattersincludinghealth,safety,andwellbeing.ManyyearsworkingforalargeNotforProfitAgedCareprovidergavehimanappreciationoftheincreasingnumberofpeopleinourcommunitieslivingwithdementia.Havingworkedcloselywithanotherboardmember,whointroducedhimtotheworkofAlzheimer'sOtagoandthemotivationtobeofservice,resultedinRexbeingco-optedontotheboardinearly2021.
RobertistheTreasurerforAlzheimersOtago.HeisretiredanduntilrecentlywasamemberofICANZ.Duringhiscareer,hewasinvolvedinfinancialmanagementwithintheNewZealandPublicService,University,andTelecommunicationssectors.Outsideoftheseorganisations,Roberthasalsoservedinasimilarcapacityonvariouseducational,religious,andsportingcommunityorganisations.
I'vebeenadisabilityadvocatemostofmylife-myyoungerbrotherhadDownSyndromeandIhadpolio-andknowfromexperiencethatevenpeoplewithprofounddisabilitiescanleadrichlives.Aftermyhusband'sdementiadiagnosiseightyearsagoIwasshockedtofindolderpersons'healthyearsbehindboththosedisabilitysectors.Iwanttopartofmakingchange.Surefundingmakesadifference,butsodoesimagination,especiallywhensuper-poweredbynetworkingandbackedbygoodresearch.Myprofessionalbackgroundisinsocialresearch,teaching,journalismandcommunitydevelopment.