Sir Richard Lewis Maxwell Faull (born 21 October 1945) is a New Zealand

neuroscientist A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist who has specialised knowledge in neuroscience, a branch of biology that deals with the physiology, biochemistry, psychology, anatomy and molecular biology of neurons, neural circuits, and glial ...

and academic who specialises in human neurodegenerative diseases. He is a professor of anatomy and director of the Centre for Brain Research at the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

Biography

Faull grew up with four brothers in

Tikorangi Tikorangi is a settlement in Taranaki, New Zealand. Waitara lies about 6 kilometres to the north-west. The Waitara River flows to the west of the settlement, with the Bertrand Road suspension bridge providing access to the other side. The Manga ...

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth D ...

, where his parents, Phyllis Thelma Faull (née Rogers) and Wilfred Lewis Faull, had a general store. He attended the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

, earning a Bachelor's of Science in 1967 and a Bachelor of Medicine (

MB ChB Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

) in 1970. He followed that with a PhD in

neuroanatomy Neuroanatomy is the study of the structure and organization of the nervous system. In contrast to animals with radial symmetry, whose nervous system consists of a distributed network of cells, animals with bilateral symmetry have segregated, defi ...

(1975) and Doctor of Science (DSc) in

neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...

(1994), both from the

. Faull and his wife, Diana, have five children.

Research

Faull is noted for his research into

brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a ve ...

diseases, particularly Alzheimer's,

Parkinson's Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

and

Huntington's disease Huntington's disease (HD), also known as Huntington's chorea, is a neurodegenerative disease that is mostly inherited. The earliest symptoms are often subtle problems with mood or mental abilities. A general lack of coordination and an uns ...

s. In 2007, his team at the University of Auckland proved that the brain can repair itself by generating new cells, debunking the theory that, once fully formed, the human brain could only degenerate. In 2009, he established the University of Auckland's Centre for Brain Research (CBR), to facilitate interactions among different groups and to promote new treatments for brain disease.

Honours and awards

In 2005, Faull was awarded the

Health Research Council of New Zealand The Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) is a Crown agency of the New Zealand Government. It is responsible for managing the government's investment in health research for the public good. The HRC was established under the Health Resear ...

's Liley Medal and was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ren ...

, for services to medical research, in the 2005 Queen’s Birthday Honours. In 2007, he was awarded the Rutherford Medal by the

Royal Society of New Zealand Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a c ...

. In the

2017 New Year Honours The 2017 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours were awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...

, he was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to medical research.

Notable students

Notable doctoral students include Bronwen Connor and Rita Krishnamurthi.

References

External links

Faculty profile at the University of AucklandRichard Faull: Giving back to the people
{{DEFAULTSORT:Faull, Richard Living people 1945 births People from Taranaki Academic staff of the University of Auckland Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand New Zealand neuroscientists University of Otago alumni University of Auckland alumni People educated at Waitara High School Recipients of the Rutherford Medal