Women’s health and neuroscience research programme

Who can take part in the study?

You have been invited to take part in this study because you are aged 16 years and older and are either healthy or have recently suffered a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). You will be able to start the study if you meet the inclusion criteria outlined below.

To take part in the study you need to be aged 16 or older, reside in New Zealand, be able to provide informed consent, able to provide a blood sample and (for the mTBI group) have sustained a recent mTBI/concussion.

You can NOT take part in the study is you have a suspected or confirmed neurodegenerative conditions or dementia, including, but not limited to, dementia (Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular, Lewy body, or frontotemporal dementia), Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, motor neurone disease and mild cognitive impairment, and no history of acute neurological events or structural brain abnormalities including TBI, stroke, seizure, epilepsy, chronic headache, and brain tumour and no unstable severe medical conditions for example; cancer, severe coagulopathy, terminal illness, end-stage organ failure, acute kidney dysfunction, chronic kidney dysfunction or renal failure.

If you are a control, you can NOT take part in this study if you have experienced a mTBI within the last 12 months or are experiencing lingering symptoms from a previous mTBI.

Quick facts

Study acronym: Concussion Blood Sampling (CBS)
Study period: Feb 2025 to Dec 2025
HDEC ethics: HDEC #2024 EXP 21888. 2024-2027.  (Approved 14th March 2024 for three years.)
AUTEC ethics: AUTEC 25/138. Approved 1st May 2025 for three years.
Clinical trial registration number: ACTRN12625000260426. Approved 9th April 2025 for three years.

Further information

• Participant information sheet
• Consent form
• Recruitment poster 1
• Recruitment poster 2

Research team members

Co-ordinating Principle Investigator: Professor Patria Hume

Co-Principle Investigators: Dr Ed Maunder, Scott Crawford, Dr Doug King, Dr Beth McQuiston, Dr Chris Puliu’vea, Dr Stephen Kara, Professor Alice Theadom, Assoc Prof Mangor Pedersen, Dr Anja Zoellner.

Co-Associate Investigators: Dr Ryu Yoshida, Dr Helen Danesh-Myer, Dr Mark Fulcher, Dr Swati Pradhan-Bhatt, Katherine Forch, Dr Trevor Clark, Dr Sapi Mukerji, Prof Andrew Kilding, Dr Danielle Yang, Dr Sharon Olsen, Dr Stacy Sims, Dr Brian Russell, Dr Ken Quarrie, Christina Emmerson, Dr Christi Essex, Dr Kuniaki Hirayama, Marguerite Sandleback.

Research students: Nikki Reynolds, Charlotte Bray.

Māori research team members: Dr Doug King (Ngāi Tūhaitara, Ngāi Tūhu), Dr Trevor Clark (Tainui, Ngaati Korokii Kahukura), Dr Stephen Kara.

Pasifica research team members: Dr Chris Puliu’vea, Assoc Prof Mangor Pedersen.

The Problem

This study addresses growing concerns in the community about the long-term impact of repeated concussions/head impacts on brain health, particularly the risk of developing cognitive impairment or dementia later in life. The size of the problem remains unknown and how relative risk of head impacts to other known brain health risk factors, the protective factors and if biomarkers can predict long-term cognitive changes which would help identify people at risk are unclear.

Aims

• To identify the size of the problem (e.g., what proportion of people who are concerned about their brain health after exposure to repeated head impacts are experiencing cognitive difficulties after controlling for age and sex?).
• To identify relevant risk factors (e.g., do the 14 modifiable brain health risk factors identified as predictive of dementia in the general population apply to people who have been exposed to repeated head impacts?)
• To identify the relative importance of repeated head impacts in relation to the other 13 brain health risk factors. This work will enable us to develop proactive detection and prevention strategies to reduce the risk and slow the decline of early cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative brain disease for people at risk.

Participant recruitment

Inclusion criteria:

We will be recruiting people with both high and low levels of exposure to head impacts. We are looking for:

1. Sports players, and people who have experienced domestic violence or served in the military.
2. Aged between 25 and 70 years.
3. Currently resident in NZ.

Exclusion criteria:

1. A severe (life threatening) or unstable medical condition e.g., cancer, psychiatric disorder, cancer, severe coagulopathy, terminal illness, end-stage organ failure, or renal failure.
2. Unable to provide consent due to cognitive impairment or language barriers.
3. Have been diagnosed with a cognitive condition such as learning disability, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Individuals with a history of acute neurological events or structural brain abnormalities including, but not limited to, severe TBI, seizure, epilepsy, stroke, or brain tumour, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and motor neurone disease.
5. Unable to hold and use a pencil to complete the cognitive tests.

Interested individuals can read the Participant Information Sheet to ensure you meet the inclusion criteria, and then provide informed consent by filling in the consent form (download and open in word) and mailing to the research team via brain@aut.ac.nz. You can then book an assessment time.

For all participant enquiries email brain@aut.ac.nz or call 021 968 731.

Quick facts

Study acronym: Brain-WOF
Study period: June 2026 to June 2027
HDEC ethics: HDEC #2026 EXP 21888. 2026-2029.  (Approved 5th May 2026 for three years.)

Further information

• Participant information sheet and consent form
• BrainWOF overview
• Risk factors poster
• Recruitment poster
• Recruitment social media material

Research team members

Co-Principle Investigators: Professor Patria Hume and Professor Alice Theadom

Co-Associate Investigators: Dr Josh McGeown, Dr Helen Murray, Dr Beth McQuiston, Dr Natalie Hardaker, Dr Jason Chua, Dr Ed Maunder, Dr Chris Puliu’vea, Adjunct Professor Doug King, Dr Ken Quarrie, Dr Josh Faulkner, Dr Scott Crawford, Dr Sam Guy, Dr Nusratnaaz Shaikh, Dr Tina Gao, Professor Helen Pilmore.

Community Research Collaborators: Manu Albert (Ngāti Porou), David Rayner, Sharon Kearney, Shawn Stewart (Tainui, Te Ati Awa, and Maniapoto), Ani Cherrington, George Jahnke (Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Porou), Matt Hawkins, Shontayne Hape.

Research Staff: Marguerite Sandleback, Danastri Ramadhani, Nikki Reynolds, Julia Parry, Jordan Boriel, Elena Prandoni, Louise Ramari Ashby (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri), Research officers to be appointed. Postgraduate students to be appointed.

Abbott advisory research staff: Dr Liza Kunz, Dr Randal Schneider, Dr Raj Chandran, Dr Martin Berman.

Māori research team members: Dr Doug King (Ngāi Tūhaitara, Ngāi Tūhu), Dr Trevor Clark (Tainui, Ngaati Korokii Kahukura), Louise Ramari Ashby (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri), Manu Albert (Ngāti Porou), Shawn Stewart (Tainui, Te Ati Awa, and Maniapoto), Ani Cherrington, George Jahnke (Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Porou), Shontayne Hape, Sam Guy (Ngāti Maru).

Postgraduate student researchers who may use data for their theses: Nikki Reynolds, Louise Ramari Ashby (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri).

Data collection complete - results will be available soon

Physical Evolution through Pregnancy

We are currently recruiting for this project.

• Participant information sheet
• Consent form

Project team

• Jie Chen
• Julie Choisne
• Patria Hume
• Hannah Wyatt.

UoA Ethics AH27603 approved to 27/11/2027

For further information contact: Jie Chen jie.chen@aut.ac.nz

A prospective observational pilot case study was conducted between 1 October 2025 and 15 March 2026 by Master’s thesis student Sarniya Moganathas with co-supervisors Prof Patria Hume, Dr Naaz Shaikh and Dr Anja Zoellner. The study included 10 healthy female participants with no history of concussion or musculoskeletal injury, who attended multiple study visits (up to 12 sessions) over a three-month period. Participants completed questionnaires, performed single-task, dual-task, and head-turn walking assessments, and provided blood samples for hormonal analysis. Significant hormonal variations occurred across menstrual phases, particularly in oestradiol, progesterone, luteinising hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and dehydroepiandrosterone. However, no significant differences were identified in gait parameters across menstrual phases, with gait performance remaining stable despite hormonal fluctuations.

Quick facts

Study acronym: WHIP
Study period: 26 Aug 2025 to 26 Aug 2028
HDEC ethics: HDEC #2024 EXP 21888
AUTEC ethics: 25/152

Female specific or sex differences research

• Female RNA concussion (FeRNAC) study: assessing hormone profles and salivary RNA in females with concussion by emergency departments in New Zealand: a study protocol. Natalie Hardaker, Doug King, Patria A. Hume, Tom Stewart, Stacy Sims, Indira Basu , Blair Shilton8 and James Selfe
• Differences in Injury Profiles Between Female and Male Athletes Across the Participant Classification Framework: A Systematic Review and Meta‑Analysis Natalie J. Hardaker, Patria A. Hume, Stacy T. Sims
• Is there a role for menstrual cycle phased resistance training programmes for women post anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction? A scoping review protocol E O’Loughlin, D Reid, S Sims Physical Therapy Reviews, 1-5
• “This is the next frontier of performance”: power and knowledge in coaches “proactive” approaches to sportswomen’s health KL Schofield, H Thorpe, ST Sims Sports Coaching Review, 1-22
• The transdisciplinary health research apparatus: A Baradian account of knowledge boundaries and beyond H Thorpe, M Clark, J Brice, S Sims Health 26 (3), 361-384
• Feminist sociology confluences with sport science: Insights, contradictions, and silences in interviewing elite women athletes about low energy availability KL Schofield, H Thorpe, ST Sims Journal of Sport and Social Issues 46 (3), 223-246
• Discussing the menstrual cycle in the sports medicine clinic: perspectives of orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, athletes and patients E O’Loughlin, D Reid, S Sims Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 1-19

Other research

• Application of a nutrition support protocol to encourage optimisation of nutrient intake in provincial academy rugby union athletes in New Zealand: practical considerations and … C Roberts, N Gill, CM Beaven, L Posthumus, S Sims International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching
• Daily protein distribution patterns in professional and semi-professional male Rugby Union players C Roberts, N Gill, K Darry, L Posthumus, S Sims The Journal of Sport and Exercise Science 6 (1), 31-41

Upcoming

• O'Loughlin, E., Reid, D., & Sim, S. (2022, October). Using focus groups to design and evaluate a rehabilitation programme for women post-anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Sports Medicine New Zealand Annual Conference. Wellington, New Zealand: Sports Medicine New Zealand.
• George, E., Reid, D., & Sheerin, K. (2022, October). Title to be confirmed. Sports Medicine New Zealand Annual Conference. Wellington, New Zealand: Sports Medicine New Zealand.

Past

• O'Loughlin, E., Reid, D., & Sim, S. (2022, May). Discussing the menstrual cycle in the sports medicine clinic: Perspectives of orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, athletes, and patients. Verbal presentation at the British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM) Conference: Positive Health & Performance, Brighton, UK.

• Partnerships critical to delivering community good Scott Crawford (24 September 2025, Medtech-IQ Aotearoa)
• Why is it so hard to get the right help from ACC following a concussion diagnosis? (04 August 2025, The Listener)
• AUT and Abbott launch pioneering female athlete health research initiative (9 July 2025, NZ Herald)
• AUT And Abbott Team Up To Tackle Concussions & Women’s Health (30 April 2025, Scoop)
• Once taboo: A womans cycle helps rebuild from injury Emma O’Loughlin – Newsroom ACL - 06.04.2022
• Hopes menstrual cycle can help in post-surgery recovery/ Emma O’Loughlin - 1News ACL
• Lydia Ko's time of the month comment showed how far sportswomen have come and how much still has to change Lydia Ko – Menstrual cycle comment - 04.05.2022
• Lydia Ko's time of the month comment showed how far sportswomen have come and how much still has to change Lydia Ko – Menstrual cycle comment - 05.05.2022
• Article in Women's Running on Want to Get Fast? Stop Fasting (Subscription needed).
• Special Report by Jade Amies from Leaders In Sport on The Female Lead: The evolution of athlete and coach development in women’s sport.
• Article by Lindsey Tramuta from Fortune on How a femtech app is using A.I. to fill in the gaps for women’s health care.
• Article by Bridie Wilkins from Women's Health on How the contraceptive pill affects training and recovery.
• Article by the editorial team at The Chalkboard on Exposing Women's Fitness Myths: How To Workout Through The 4 Phases Of Your Cycle.
• Interview with Abby Bertics from The Economist on How menstruation affects athletic prowess is poorly understood. (Subscription needed)
• Article by Erin Wood in Women's Health on What Is Cardiovascular Endurance? Experts Explain Training Tips, Benefits, And More.
• Article by Karla Walsh in Runner's World on How an Eating Disorder Can Affect Hormones—and How to Get Them Back on Track.
• Article by Susie Reiner from Tonal on The Three Biggest Myths About Strength Training For Women, Debunked by Science.
• Article by Susie Reiner from Tonal on A Decade-By-Decade Guide on Strength Training for Women.
• Article in Well+Good with Dominique Astorino on Why There’s Such a Big Gap in Women’s Sports Performance Research—And What’s Being Done About It.

Radio interviews

• Pacific and Māori athletes sought for concussion research 01.08.2025 - PMN Tonga - Chris Puli'uvea
• Reasearch into improving female athletes concussion rates 11.07.2025 - RNZ - Alice Theadom
• Menstrual Hormones could be sport advantage 04.05.2022 – RNZ – Stacy Sims
• Episode 192 with Emma O'Loughlin 10.05.2022 - Dirt Church Radio – Emma O’Loughlin
• TV1 Breakfast snippet 03.07.2022 - TV1 Breakfast - Stacy Sims

Podcasts

• Echoes of Impact pocast hosted by Ali Mau featuring WHN principal investigators and former All Black
• Podcast with FastTalk labs https://www.fasttalklabs.com/fast-talk/maximizing-the-physiology-and-performance-of-the-female-athlete-with-dr-stacy-sims/
• Podcast with India Rakusen from the BBC's 28(ish) Days Later series on Day Twenty-Three: Exercycle
• Interview with Equinox for The Strength Collection on Biohacking Hormones for A Training Advantage.
• Podcast with Ashleigh van Houten from Muscle Science for Women on Women Are Not Small Men with Dr. Stacy Sims
• Podcast with Gabby Reece from The Gabby Reece Show on Dr. Stacy Sims: Leading Expert on Female Physiology & Training.
• Podcast by Paige Knapp from Paige Talks Wellness on Why Women do Better Fed with Dr. Stacy Sims.
• Podcast with Dr. Pam Peeke from the HER Podcast on Work WITH your physiology, NOT against it!
• Podcast with Maghalie Rochette from Fever Talk on Contraceptive Methods with Dr. Stacy Sims.
• Podcast with Maghalie Rochette from Fever Talk on What is Normal Menstrual Health.
• Podcast with Nicole Jardim from The Period Fixer on Women Are Not Small Men.

Watch Dr Christi Essex and WHN participant Luke Wolfkamp's interview on 7 Sharp, discussing the experience of concussion and the importance of this blood biomarker programme.

Watch Professor Patria Hume's interview on 7 Sharp with Hillary Barry and Jeremy Wells, discussing concussion risks, symptoms, and our groundbreaking blood biomarker programme.