We’re delighted to announce that Dr Fiona Imlach, co-founder of Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Otago Wellington, has been awarded a $299,906 project grant from the Neurological Foundation NZ to investigate differences in migraine diagnosis and treatment across the country.
Fiona will lead a team including data analysis experts, Māori and Pacific researchers and clinical advisors to identify which groups are missing out on migraine diagnosis and best-practice care using national health data.
The research comes at a critical time for the estimated 733,000 New Zealanders living with migraine, a debilitating neurological condition that significantly impacts work, family and social participation. The findings are expected to inform improvements in healthcare delivery, reduce hospital admissions, and lay the groundwork for further research into this often-misunderstood condition.
External reviewers said the following about the project:
“This application does a fantastic job of highlighting the potential impact of the research. The problem of migraine management appears to have been largely ignored in scientific investigations, but with the available data, the applicants highlight the potential to improve migraine diagnosis, management and awareness through their programme of research.”
“Before reading the full application, my initial idea was that a project like this was not too relevant or useful, but the authors succeeded to change my mind and convince me that it may be impactful for the population and society, given the notable impact of the disease and the potential effect of the proposed interventions.”
This successful grant application for our co-founder and her research team marks further progress for improving migraine care in New Zealand. Before our charity launched in April 2022 there had been scant population-based migraine research conducted in New Zealand. Research and data are crucial to ensure our migraine community receives the standard-of-care they deserve.
Congratulations Fiona and thank you to the Neurological Foundation NZ for funding migraine research.
