2025 HOPE Scholars

Posted by on 4 February 2025

Tags: age-friendly, ageing, caregivers, cognitive impairment, companion animals, decision-making, dementia, digital intervention, driving cessation, e-DIVA, experiences, family support, fostering, health promotion, heart, human-animal bond, human-animal interaction, inclusive, iSupport, migrant care workers, muscle, nuclear pore complexes, older adults, older people, public space, wellbeing

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and the work of the Friends of HOPE, the HOPE Foundation for Research on Ageing has granted eight scholarships for ageing related research in 2025. Of these eight, four are 2024 scholars able to continue their work. These are all very worthy recipients, and their work will make a difference to the lives of New Zealanders in the future.

Enjoy reading about their interesting and inspiring projects. Note, more 2025 Scholars projects to come.

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Kushalata Baral

PhD candidate, University of Waikato

Health Science; Main supervisor, Professor Matthew Parsons

When to stop driving? An exploration into driving cessation decision-making among people with cognitive impairment.

Driving cessation is one of the pressing issues for older people with cognitive impairment, as it impacts their independence, social connections and overall quality of life. In a car-dependent society like New Zealand, the decision to stop driving is further complicated by limited public transport options, creating an emotional toll on families. The first phase of the study involved focus groups with families and health professionals to understand their experiences, while the second phase will expand insights through a national survey to explore how the families can be supported.

This study aims to uncover the determinants of balancing safety concerns with the emotional and practical impacts of taking away a loved one’s driving privileges. Combining qualitative discernment from families and health professionals with quantitative data from a national survey, this research aims to inform strategies that support older people and their families through this transition, fostering acceptance and reframing driving cessation as a natural part of ageing rather than failure.

The findings of the study will guide healthcare providers and community organisations in developing interventions that promote dignity, safety, and social inclusion for older people as they adapt to life beyond the driver’s seat. Health professionals are identified as advocates who can connect older people and families with resources such as transport alternatives, community support services, and driving retirement planning initiatives.

I am deeply grateful for this scholarship, which provides financial backing and confidence to undertake such a socially significant topic. It can potentially improve the lives of older New Zealanders and their families, making New Zealand a better place to live and drive.

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Diwakar Khanal

PhD candidate, University of Canterbury

Main supervisor, Dr Tiina Vares

Perspectives and experiences of migrant care workers in aged residential care in New Zealand

Diwakar Khanal is researching the experiences of Asian migrant care workers in New Zealand’s aged residential care sector. As the demand for aged care workers grows globally, countries like New Zealand increasingly rely on migrant care workers, yet their voices often remain unheard. Asian migrant care workers, particularly women, face systemic challenges, including racism, gender oppression, exploitation, and social marginalization, compounded by cultural differences and language barriers. This study critically examines their perspectives through a migration lens, aiming to promote workforce sustainability, inclusivity, and equity in the aged care sector.

 

 

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Christine Roseveare

PhD candidate, Massey University

Public health; Main supervisor, Dr  Linda Murray

Exploring companion animal fostering as a health promotion initiative for older adults.

Christine returns as a 2025 HOPE scholar, advancing her research into companion animal fostering by older adults. Her work explores how caring relationships between older fosterers and rescue cats may promote health and wellbeing.

While many older adults may benefit from companion animal relationships, barriers like cost, concerns about long-term care, or living situations that restrict pets can make ownership challenging. Research suggests that while fleeting contact with animals may provide limited benefits, regular contact and direct caregiving can be important for health. Fostering offers a way for older people to experience meaningful connections with animals while making a valuable contribution to their communities.

While previous research has viewed fostering primarily as a one-off intervention to reduce loneliness in older adults, Christine plans to take a broader view. Drawing on both health promotion frameworks and indigenous understandings of guardianship (kaitiakitanga), her research will explore the experience of older fosterers who foster regularly. Using interviews with older fosterers that will incorporate photos of their foster cats, she aims to better understand connections that develop through fostering as well as practical aspects of the fostering experience.

Christine hopes her research will identify ways that rescue organisations might usefully reach and support older fosterers, and so benefit animals. This research is particularly timely as New Zealand faces the intersection of an ageing population and increasing demands on animal rescue services.

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Tara Sani

PhD candidate, University of Auckland

Psychological medicine; Main supervisor, Associate Professor Sarah Cullum

Empowering dementia carers with iSupport Virtual Assistant (e-DiVA).

I am a third-year PhD student at the Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland. My research focuses on adapting iSupport for Dementia, a WHO online training programme, for carers in New Zealand. This adaptation is now hosted on the e-DiVA (Empowering Dementia Carers with an iSupport Virtual Assistant) website, developed through a cross-country collaboration with dementia researchers in Australia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Following initial testing and refinement, I am conducting a pilot randomised-controlled trial with carers across New Zealand to assess the website’s usability, acceptability, and impact on carers' stress and well-being. Many participants have shared how e-DiVA would be an invaluable resource for new carers, particularly those feeling overwhelmed when navigating available support. Seeing the potential impact of this work has reinforced my commitment to improving support for carers and older adults.

I am honoured to receive the HOPE Foundation scholarship for the third year. The Foundation’s support has been instrumental in allowing me to continue this research, and being part of its inspiring community reminds me of the collective impact we strive for in improving the lives of older adults and their carers.

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Mathew Shuen

PhD candidate, University of Otago

Physiology; Main supervisor, Associate Professor Phil Sheard

Age-related changes to nuclear pore complex proteins in human myocardium

As age-related cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide, so understanding how the heart ages is crucial. Our research aims to uncover how changes in nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) —large gateways between the nucleus and cytoplasm, contribute to cardiac ageing and disease. These gateways have been linked to age-related cell death in nerve cells, which like heart muscle cells, lack appreciable replacement throughout life. NPCs play a vital role in gene regulation and cellular health, yet they degrade over time, potentially driving heart dysfunction.

My project aims to analyse NPCs in ageing and dysfunctional heart muscle cells using human heart samples from the HeartOtago tissue bank. Initial findings suggest that while overall levels of NPC proteins do not significantly decline with age, their distribution and function may be altered possibly contributing to cell stress. Currently my project involves analysing how NPC proteins interact with markers of cellular ageing and DNA damage. Insights from this work will shed light on the role of NPCs and their component proteins in heart cell dysfunction during ageing, potentially informing future therapeutic strategies through modulation of NPCs.

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Sadiq Younes

PhD candidate, Victoria University of Wellington

Landscape Architecture; Main supervisor, Associate Professor Bruno Marques

Age-friendly public spaces: An exploration of the role of public spaces in the well-being of older adults

Ageing and urbanization are two major global challenges of the twenty-first century. The number of older people is increasing worldwide due to higher life expectancy, declining birth rates, and better healthcare. Furthermore, the majority of older people now live in cities, which is part of the overall trend where more than half of the population resides in urban areas, and this is projected to increase to around two-thirds by 2050.

New Zealand is not exempt from this global trend, and the number of older individuals is increasing exponentially. It is also important to note that New Zealand is a highly urbanized nation, with 87% of its population, including older adults, residing in urban areas. These two factors may contribute to greater pressure on social and healthcare services. Given this, the urban environment, as the immediate living space for older people, is becoming increasingly important and can significantly impact their quality of life. However, the needs of older people in urban space design are often not addressed, due to the paradigm that prioritizes the preferences of the younger generation.

Using a mixed-methods approach, I seek to understand how older individuals use and perceive public spaces, the physical and social barriers and facilitators that impact their daily lives, and the ways in which public spaces can be improved to enhance their quality of life. The findings of the study can guide the development of age-friendly communities in medium-sized cities and have policy implications for promoting autonomy and creating a healthy, and age-friendly environments.

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MORE TO COME ...

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