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Articles on Biomedical research

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Monaco and Japan have some of the highest life expectancies in the world. But calculating an individual’s life expectancy will require taking data analysis several steps further. SHUTTERSTOCK

Don’t die wondering: apps may soon be able to predict your life expectancy, but do you want to know?

Predicting life expectancy remains in the realm of science fiction, but it may soon be possible. Are we prepared for such information? And who else would benefit from this knowledge?
A few woefully underfunded academic health sciences centres are responsible for providing complex care to patients with life-threatening illnesses as well as training future doctors and testing the latest in new surgical techniques. (Shutterstock)

Why we need academic health science centres

Canada’s systems of health funding, medical training and physician compensation need an overhaul – to support vital centres of medical research and complex care.
It takes time to see which finding might be a golden egg. Neamov/Shutterstock.com

Funding basic research plays the long game for future payoffs

Basic research can be easy to mock as pointless and wasteful of resources. But it’s very often the foundation for future innovation – even in ways the original scientists couldn’t have imagined.
It may take time for a tiny step forward to show its worth. ellissharp/Shutterstock.com

Novelty in science – real necessity or distracting obsession?

Scientists are rewarded with funding and publications when they come up with innovative findings. But in the midst of a ‘reproducibility crisis,’ being new isn’t the only thing to value about research.
Kaylee Wedderburn-Pugh, a SPURS student, working to help find answers to Huntington’s disease. Author provided.

How affirmative action could cure cancer and heart disease

Affirmative action programs at universities are under threat by the Trump administration. That could be especially damaging to medical education. Who knows who holds the idea for the next great cure?
More is less in the world of research publications. Desktop image via www.shutterstock.com.

Peer review is in crisis, but should be fixed, not abolished

The traditional mode of publishing scientific research faces much criticism – primarily for being too slow and sometimes shoddily done. Maybe fewer publications of higher quality is the way forward.
Who are the winners and losers from recent medical research funding announcements? from www.shutterstock.com

Is the NHMRC funding process fair?

The recent NHMRC funding announcement has renewed criticism about how medical research is funded in Australia. Is the system fair? Or is it stacked against some researchers?
Will China be the first to genetically enhance future generations? Jianan Yu/Reuters

The future of genetic enhancement is not in the West

Regulations, funding and public opinion around genetically enhancing future generations vary from country to country. Here’s why China may be poised to be the pioneer.
Biomedical science has made our lives immeasurably better, but it’s time to accept that too much medicine can be as harmful as too little. Kathea Pinto/Flickr

We’re overdosing on medicine – it’s time to embrace life’s uncertainty

By forgetting that medicine postpones death rather than saving lives, we persuade ourselves it might somehow keep extending our life and come to view death as a failure of medicine.
Restraining the growth in costs and providing better treatments and cures needs a healthy national medical research effort. Dave Hunt/AAP

Six challenges facing Australia’s medical research sector

It’s been a great privilege to have been the head of NHMRC for going on a decade. That’s four governments, six health ministers, a funding increase from A$437 million in 2006 to A$859 million today.

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