AUT professor joins Stroke Central
Stroke Central has appointed Professor Valery Feigin to its board of governors as Honorary Medical Doctor.
The new role is key to the development of stroke prevention and support services for the central region, including Wellington.
Stroke Central CEO, Lee Pownall says: “Professor Feigin is world renowned for his research and contributions to the prevention and treatment of stroke. He will be a major asset to the stroke community in this region and we are looking forward to working with him to put an infrastructure in place for stroke prevention”.
Around 9,000 people in New Zealand suffer a stroke each year.
By 2028, that number is expected to increase 40 percent, to 12,000 people.
Professor Feigin is the director of the National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). He is also a director and executive committee member of the World Stroke Organisation, and a World Health Organisation expert on stroke. He is currently the most cited scientist in New Zealand with more than 650 publications, including 340 scientific articles.
“Stroke is a devastating but highly preventable disease. Knowing your risk factors and how to control them is the best way to prevent stroke. However, knowing the warning signs of stroke, getting to hospital as soon as the first symptoms appear and getting the appropriate rehabilitation is the best way to reduce the severity of the stroke and improve your recovery,” says Professor Feigin.
It’s estimated that there are 56,000 stroke survivors in New Zealand.
Stroke Central is a not-for-profit, member-based organisation that provides support services for stroke survivors and their whānau in the central region, including a stroke community and field officers that guide those affected through the journey to recovery.
As a member-based organisation, Stroke Central aims to make the voices of stroke survivors heard throughout the health sector and recently joined the Federation of Primary Health Aotearoa.
“We act directly for stroke survivors in the central region, as well as providing support and advice through free services. It’s a big win for us that the voices of our members will now be joined by that of a world-class expert on stroke,” says Pownall.