New Zealand Brain Research Institute

What New Zealand Brain Research Institute does

The New Zealand Brain Research Institute (NZBRI) is a registered charitable research institute (CC20457) operating from Christchurch, New Zealand, and established in 2004 as the country's only independent brain research institute. It operates as a subsidiary of the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation and conducts clinical and translational research on neurological disorders — primarily Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, Huntington's disease, and multiple sclerosis — alongside specialty neurology clinics and community education. Participants are recruited into longitudinal studies and clinical trials; outputs are disseminated through academic publication and via partner institutions (the Universities of Canterbury and Otago and the Canterbury District Health Board).

Name

New Zealand Brain Research Institute

Legal name

New Zealand Brain Research Limited

Website

https://nzbri.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New Zealand Brain Research Institute is Christchurch's only independent brain-research charity, conducting longitudinal, neuroimaging, genetic, and clinical research on Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and multiple sclerosis, while training graduate researchers and operating specialty neurology clinics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Neurological Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Movement Disorders (Parkinson’s, Tremor, Dystonia) (HLAKAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology (Dementia/Memory Disorders) (HLAKAIAH), Neurogenetics & Rare Neurologic Diseases (HLAKAIAO)

Keywords

• Brain disorder research
• Parkinson's research studies
• Dementia research
• Neuroimaging biomarkers
• Longitudinal clinical research

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Grants: The institute relies on research grants for funding, working with organizations such as the Health Research Council (HRC), Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, Brain Research New Zealand, and Lotteries Health New Zealand.
2. Fundraising: Annual fundraising events including Music Meets Art concert and FBI Golf Tournament generate donations from the community.
3. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals, including tax-deductible contributions. Charity Registration Number CC20457.
4. Bequests: Legacy gifts through wills including residual, percentage, pecuniary, or whole estate bequests to support ongoing research.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The New Zealand Brain Research Institute conducts clinical and translational research into brain disorders including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, Huntington's disease, and multiple sclerosis. It runs multi-year longitudinal studies (notably NZP3 and NZPEGS), provides research clinics such as the Dementia Prevention Research Clinic, hosts specialty neurology clinics for movement and cognitive disorders, and supports clinical trials. Its offering combines patient-facing research participation, neuroimaging and eye-tracking lab services, and academic publication of findings, all delivered as an independent registered charity rather than as a commercial product.

Product overview

The New Zealand Brain Research Institute operates as a research institute offering a portfolio of interconnected research programs, clinical services, and educational offerings focused on neurological disorders. The core research programs include NZP3 (longitudinal Parkinson's progression study), NZPEGS (Parkinson's Environment and Genes Study), and the Dementia Prevention Research Clinic. Supporting infrastructure includes dedicated MRI neuroimaging facilities, an Eye Lab for saccadic movement research, and a Neurotechnology Research Programme combining multimodal imaging with machine learning. Clinical services encompass movement disorder neurology clinics and clinical trials management. The institute also provides community education, research participation opportunities, and fundraising events to support its mission. The portfolio functions as an integrated research ecosystem where longitudinal studies generate data for epidemiological analysis, clinical trials test interventions, and neuroimaging facilities support biomarker discovery across Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, and dementia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NZP3 - New Zealand Parkinson's Progression Programme A long-running longitudinal research study tracking progressive cognitive, functional, and motor changes in hundreds of people with Parkinson's disease compared with matched control participants, used for neuroscience research and biomarker development rather than as a clinical care service.
• NZPEGS - Parkinson's Environment and Genes Study A New Zealand-wide study investigating genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors associated with Parkinson's disease through online questionnaires, saliva-based DNA collection, smell tests, and video assessments.
• Dementia Prevention Research Clinic A research clinic within a national network that investigates factors influencing the development and progression of memory problems and Alzheimer's disease in New Zealanders, including those at higher genetic risk of dementia.
• MRI Research Programme Behavioural and physiological neuroimaging research using MRI technology to investigate brain structure and function in neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and dementia.
• Eye Lab - Saccadic Eye Movement Research Dedicated research laboratory investigating saccadic eye movement deficits in Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders using video-based eye tracking technology.
• Neurotechnology Research Programme Behavioural and physiological research programme combining structural, diffusion, and functional MRI, EEG, and stacked machine-learning models to understand human brain function and develop robust neuroimaging-based biomarkers.
• Clinical Trials Management Coordination of clinical trials for neurological disorders including movement disorders, cognitive problems, and Huntington's disease, supporting participant recruitment, data collection, and study delivery.
• Movement Disorder Neurology Clinics Specialised outpatient neurology clinics for movement disorders including Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, as well as for cognitive problems such as dementia and mild cognitive impairment, delivered in partnership with the Canterbury District Health Board.

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of CanterburycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with the University of Canterbury for running high-quality research and offering research opportunities to emerging and established researchers. Students from the university participate in the institute's programs.
• University of OtagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with the University of Otago for conducting research and training researchers. Multiple researchers hold positions at the University of Otago.
• Canterbury District Health BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Canterbury District Health Board for clinical operations and hosting neurology clinics for movement disorders and cognitive problems.
• Canterbury Medical Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe institute is a subsidiary of the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation and operates under its umbrella as a registered charity.
• The George Institute for Global HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Briar McKenzie is a Senior Research Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health and conducts research on diet and brain health as a visiting postdoctoral research fellow at NZBRI.
• DIAN (Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNZBRI coordinates the DIAN study in New Zealand, which is investigating ways to diagnose, treat and prevent inherited and other forms of Alzheimer's disease.
• ENIGMA-Parkinson's StudycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational multicenter collaboration analyzing brain structure across clinical stages of Parkinson's disease, with NZBRI researchers contributing data and analysis.
• Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational initiative tackling Parkinson's disease on a global scale through genetic research, with NZBRI researchers participating as consortium members.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mayo Clinic Department of Neurology: Large US academic medical center running major Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and MS research programs alongside clinical neurology. Comparable as a multi-disease neurology research and clinical operation, though embedded within a much broader healthcare enterprise.

Direct peers

• The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health: Australia's largest brain research center, focused on neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's, dementia, Huntington's, and stroke. Comparable as a translational neuroscience institute combining imaging, clinical trials, and longitudinal cohort research.
• Montreal Neurological Institute (The Neuro): McGill-affiliated neurology/neuroscience research institute running longitudinal studies, neuroimaging, and clinical trials for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, MS, and Huntington's. Comparable in research portfolio mix (movement disorders, dementia, MS) and translational clinical operations.
• Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health: Specialized brain health center combining clinical care, research, and trials for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and MS. Comparable in combining neurology clinics with research programs across the same neurodegenerative disease portfolio.
• Allen Institute for Brain Science: Independent nonprofit research organization producing large-scale open neuroscience datasets and tools. Comparable as an independent (non-university-affiliated) brain research organization with strong data and imaging capabilities.
• Banner Alzheimer's Institute: US nonprofit focused on Alzheimer's prevention research, including the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative and DIAN-style longitudinal studies. Highly comparable in disease specialization and emphasis on early-detection biomarkers.
• Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA): Independent nonprofit medical research institute in Sydney focused on neurological and mental health disorders including Parkinson's, dementia, and Alzheimer's. Highly comparable in mission, scale, funding model (grants/donations), and disease focus to NZBRI.
• Max Planck Institute for Neuroscience: Independent basic neuroscience research institute focused on brain function and neurological disease mechanisms. Comparable as an internationally recognized independent brain research organization with neuroimaging and longitudinal study expertise.
• UK Dementia Research Institute (UKDRI): National UK network of dementia research centers investigating Alzheimer's, frontotemporal dementia, and related disorders. Comparable as a multi-site dementia prevention research consortium of which NZBRI's Dementia Prevention Research Clinic is a smaller analog.
• Van Andel Institute: Independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in Michigan with major programs in Parkinson's disease and dementia. Comparable as a privately-funded research institute with neurodegenerative disease focus and translational mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nzbri
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-zealand-brain-research-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about New Zealand Brain Research Institute