Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland

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 ...

's Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (formerly known as ''The University of Auckland School of Medicine'') was established in 1968 at its present site in Grafton,

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

. Prior to this, 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 u ...

had taught some students from the final years of its medical course in Auckland through a branch faculty of the

Dunedin School of Medicine The Dunedin School of Medicine is the name of the School of Medicine that is based on the Dunedin campus of the University of Otago. All University of Otago medical students who gain entry after the competitive Health Sciences First Year prog ...

Research

The Faculty possesses the only brain bank in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. This brain bank contains over 400 brains bequeathed to the medical school,. These include brains donated by people who died with neurological diseases such as

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 unst ...

and

Parkinson's disease 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 ...

. The University of Auckland welcomed the commitment by New Zealand and Australian prime ministers to fund NZ $3 million over 2 years for a trans-Tasman project to investigate potential vaccines against

Rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful jo ...

Rheumatic fever
is a major health concern in NZ and Australia, particularly in Maori, Pacifica and Aboriginal communities, which have the highest rates in the world. It is a result of an immune reaction to infection by group A streptococcus. This vaccine project complements ongoing public health programs which contribute to high rates of disease in New Zealand and Australia. The University has considerable expertise in both the basic science of group A streptococcus infection and public health approaches required to take high rates of rheumatic fever as per John Fraser, Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health sciences.

References

External links

Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences website

Waikato Clinical School

AUMSA site

New Zealand Medical Students' Association website
{{Authority control Medical and Health Sciences, Faculty of, University of Auckland A, University of Auckland