AUT University Professor receives prestigious World Stroke Organisation award
The World Stroke Organization (WSO) has awarded AUT University’s Professor Valery Feigin with the prestigious WSO President’s Award for Contribution to Clinical Stroke Research, recognising the significant research advances he has driven throughout his career.
The award comes as Professor Feigin is preparing to launch what could become one of the world’s largest studies of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and dementia through the pioneering Stroke RiskometerTM app.
The free Stroke RiskometerTM app enables users to assess their individual stroke risk on a smartphone or tablet. It also facilitates individually tailored self-management of lifestyle risk factors, for the prevention of stroke, cardiovascular disease and dementia.
The app is currently used in more than 70 countries worldwide, and contributed to Professor Feigin receiving the World Stroke Organization (WSO) distinction. Its focus on prevention and its use of far-reaching mobile technologies could have a profound influence on health and wellbeing, and decrease demands on national healthcare systems worldwide.
“Valery is a world-leading stroke neuroepidemiologist, and has made pivotal contributions in his research on regional and global burdens of stroke and many aspects of stroke epidemiology,” says President of the World Stroke Organization, Professor Stephen Davis. “His work underscores the challenge the World faces with the escalating burden of stroke in low and middle-income countries.”
Professor Feigin cites development of the Stroke RiskometerTM as one of his career highlights. “I am truly excited by the Stroke Riskometer. It opens doors to prevention, not just of stroke, but of a number of non-communicable diseases,” he says.
Professor Feigin has now received funding to develop the Stroke RiskometerTM further, and by early next year users of the app will be able to elect to share their data with Professor Feigin’s research team at AUT University. Individuals’ data will remain anonymous, but collectively will provide unprecedented insights into the determinants, distribution and prevention of some of the world’s most widespread non-communicable diseases. The updated app will also be made available in multiple languages.
Professor Feigin began his career as a neurologist, but turned his focus to research after a stroke claimed his father’s life. He has since made a vast contribution to advancing research in the fields of neurology and clinical epidemiology, and is passionate about preventing stroke and safeguarding health and wellbeing.