This issue offers an amazing amount of hope to those affected by Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. We meet three researchers – brothers Dr Arne Ittner and Prof Lars Ittner, and Dr Nic Dzamko – whose work presents us with new information about the early stages of both diseases. Crucially these new realisations have the potential to reveal how we might better treat them. It’s early days yet, but these research paths hold incredible promise. This issue also looks at the benefits that are gained when people who have had a stroke use a Wii-based rehabilitation therapy, and we touch base with some of our young researchers working in the areas of back pain and injury prevention in children.