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2026 Brain Health Symposium Programme
Comparing the effects of a current and potential medication for Alzheimer’s disease on a novel cognitive task
Presented by Alexander Matthews
Being able to stay focused and mentally engaged is essential for everyday life, from following a conversation to safely crossing the road or navigating a busy shop. In Alzheimer’s disease, this ability often breaks down early, and it can be one of the hardest changes for people with dementia | mate wareware and their whānau to navigate.
Connections in the brain involving the chemical messenger acetylcholine (the cholinergic system) play a central role in supporting attention. These pathways break down during the progression of Alzheimer’s, and drugs that target them are regularly prescribed to people living with the condition. Excitingly, there is growing evidence that these drugs may not only reduce day-to-day symptoms but also slow the underlying disease progression. There are many receptor types within the cholinergic system and different ways we can target them, which opens the door to a wide range of treatment strategies. In our research, we tested how drugs acting on different parts of this system affect attention using a well-established behavioural task.
The talk will present preliminary findings that may point toward new ways to support cognition in people living with Alzheimer’s in the noisy reality of everyday life.
Date: Friday, 20th March
Time: 9am – 10am
Online via Zoom
A webinar recording will be emailed to all registrants the week following the live event.
Ticket Prices:
Carers and whānau – Free
Professionals – $50 (includes Certificate of Attendance)
Speaker profile
Alexander Matthews is a New Zealand researcher who received the 2025 Woolf Fisher Scholarship to pursue his PhD at the University of Cambridge, focusing on the neural mechanisms behind mental and brain health.
Originally from Kirikiriroa Hamilton, Alexander studied Neuroscience and Data Science at the University of Otago. Growing up in Aotearoa, he saw friends and family members affected by mental health and neurological conditions, and how often treatments fell short. That experience drove him to understand what is actually going on in the brain during these struggles compared to more healthy states, with the hope of contributing to treatments that target the root causes.
His current research sits at the intersection of neuroscience, computational modelling, and advanced statistics, focused on understanding how the brain’s underlying networks give rise to behaviour. Beyond the lab, Alexander is an active member of the Cambridge University Modern Pentathlon Club and a keen surfer. In this webinar, he will present some of the work he has done since arriving in Cambridge last October.
How to keep your Brain healthy
Presented by Winifred Henderson
Why is it important to keep our brain healthy, and how do we go about it? Are there things that we can do to potentially prevent, or delay the onset of dementia?
Presented by Winifred Henderson (Senior Educator, Dementia New Zealand), and taking place during International Brain Health Awareness Month, this presentation will explore brain health and provide tips and strategies for maintaining a healthy brain.
Date: Friday, 20th March
Time: 10:30am – 12 noon
Online via Zoom
A webinar recording will be emailed to all registrants the week following the live event.
Ticket Prices:
Carers and whānau – Free
Professionals – $50 (includes Certificate of Attendance)
Speaker profile
Winifred is a Brain Health & Dementia Consultant/Educator. She has completed a Master of Dementia with distinction, which complements her post graduate qualification in Psychology.