In this image we can see two balls of neurons (brain cells), forming a pathway between one another, called axonal branches. Incredibly, these neurons where grown from an individual with Charcot-Marie Tooth disease, a form of Motor Neuron Disease (MND). MND results in the breakdown, or degeneration, of specialised motor and sensory neurons in our nervous system, which are responsible for controlling our movements and interpreting the world around us. The diversity in how MND develops, as well as how it presents clinically, provides a unique challenge for the development of screening tools and possible treatments.

Miss Thumbadoo is a researcher at the University of Auckland. By using neurons grown from individuals with MND, Miss Thumbadoo aims to more accurately understand the basic mechanisms responsible for disease, and what factors may be driving their progression. The opportunity to meet with New Zealanders living with MND continues to motivate her research.