Last year the federal government asked my colleagues and I to investigate the state of health and medical research in Australia and make recommendations about the strategic direction of the sector. After…
Doctors are expected to be attuned to the latest developments in health care.
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Most doctors shudder at the sight of the growing mountain of unread medical journals gathering dust on their desks over months, if not years. They need not despair though, as there are less time-consuming…
Dementia has become Australia’s latest national health priority.
John/Flickr
The size and growing magnitude of the dementia epidemic has forced a welcome decision by health ministers to name the disorder as Australia’s latest national health priority area. Yet for researchers searching…
Benefits and risks have to be assessed when looking for medical uses of drugs.
Harsh Vardhan
Should governments make it easier to perform human research to discover medical uses of illicit drugs such as cannabis, ecstasy (MDMA) and LSD? Professor David Nutt of Imperial College London argued recently…
Ovarian cancer is a significant cause of illness and death in Australia.
Flickr Lindsey G (modchik)
Cancer has been a National Health Priority Area since 1996 because of the burden it places on the Australian community. Of course, cancer isn’t just a health and economic burden – it takes an enormous…
Chron’s disease causes the wall of the intestine to become inflamed.
Flickr/Rob Wiltshire
Scientific and medical articles, and websites by Crohn’s disease associations give similar definitions of the illness: “Crohn’s disease is a chronic, inflammatory disorder which may involve any part of…
Around one in every 1,000 patients will recall sounds or senstations while under general anaesthetic.
nanda uforians
Awareness during general anaesthesia is very uncommon, but when it occurs it’s distressing for patients and their carers. Our understanding of this phenomenon has grown over the past decade but we’re still…
Cognitive training is one way to keep your brain healthy.
Regenerative Neuroscience Group
Australian medical research is undergoing its most important and comprehensive review in more than ten years. Led by the 2011 Australian of Year, the McKeon Review couldn’t have happened soon enough because…
Hypnosis in one form or another has been around for thousands of years, but until recently, evidence to support its biological and clinically powerful effects have been lacking. Today hypnosis is used…
This week’s release of the NSW Health and Medical Research Strategic Review identifies many opportunities to strengthen research and ensure the community extracts the maximum possible benefit from its…
Imagine that a soft touch or brush of the skin was enough to evoke excruciating pain. This experience is common among people who suffer with chronic pain from nerve damage. The causes are varied and include…
Director, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute & Professor of Medical Biology, and an honorary principal fellow in the Department of Zoology at the University of Melbourne, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)