BodyLab

QIMR Berghofer researchers have found that declining melanoma rates among young Australians have been influenced by the country's increasingly diverse population and more varied skin tones.

New research from Professor David Whiteman has found almost 30% of young Australians now have a low to moderate risk of melanoma because of their ancestry and darker skin tones. 

While public health campaigns like the "Slip! Slop! Slap!" ads of the 1980s have been credited with reducing melanoma rates, the study led by Professor Whiteman, who has spent the past 30 years researching skin cancer, suggests that demographic changes have also been a significant factor.

Dr Nathan Stevenson and Dr Kartik Iyer have developed a tool to accurately pinpoint the brain age of babies and children, helping clinicians spot neurodevelopmental delays earlier. This exciting development could lead to more effective therapeutic intervention and management, at a time when babies and children need all the support they can get. The doctors tell us how the tool came about and the exciting possibilities of implementing into clinical care.

Professor Louisa Collins fears the long term effects of vaping will be more devastating than smoking.

Her new research tabled in parliament estimates the high cost of addiction on our struggling health system.

Twins are a gift to medical research but it’s non-identical twins providing insights into identifying fertility issues earlier.

Professor Nick Martin wasn’t expecting big surprises after studying twins for 50 years, making these findings even more exciting. Nick shares the phone calls that inspired this path, the possibilities for early diagnosis and the need for lots more twin mothers to join is survey.

It’s one of the world’s most neglected and dangerous tropical diseases, endemic in remote Indigenous communities across Australia. 

Now, thanks to a new NHMRC grant, QIMR Berghofer researchers are leading an effort to eliminate strongyloidiasis, a potentially fatal disease caused by a parasitic worm.

Project-lead Professor Darren Gray and team member Dr Catherine Gordon discuss their new project tackling the condition, which has a devastating impact on some of Australia’s most vulnerable people.

Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Australian women and its incidence is rising. But treatment options are limited, with a hysterectomy often the first line of defence.

Associate Professors Tracy O’Mara and Dylan Glubb are conducting advanced genetic analyses in an effort to find better options for women. And their results are so impressive that the US Department of Defense has backed their mission to unearth new treatments for endometrial cancer. 

It's known as the “silent thief of sight” - sneakily stealing the sight in one eye as the other covers for it. 300,000 Australians have glaucoma, around half don’t know it yet. Professor Stuart MacGregor explains the incredible genetic discoveries that could help prevent irreversible vision loss. 

Imagine living a life free of asthma. Throw away puffers and medications and never have to worry about not being able to breathe again. The Anti-Inflammatory Protein 2 (AIP2) could be a game-changer that transforms the lives of millions of people affected by asthma, and even potentially cure this cruel disease. Associate Professor Severine Navarro explains how this remarkable story begins with hookworms and their interactions with their human hosts. 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, but a team of scientists at QIMR Berghofer is on a mission to find ways to repair damaged heart tissue.  To help achieve this ultimate goal, they're growing tiny living and beating models of human heart muscle in the lab. These cardiac organoids are no bigger than a chia seed, but closely mimic the real organ so the researchers can study the heart's biology and test new therapeutics.  Professor James Hudson explains how the team's latest advance introduces a vascular system to the tiny heart models for the first time which has already proved to be a gamechanger for their research.

Researchers have identified RNA molecules that could lead to a simple blood test to detect aggressive cancers like pancreatic and ovarian at an earlier stage. These cancers have low survival rates because they are difficult to diagnose, particularly in the early stages. Associate Professor Jason Lee discusses developing a drug that could stop aggressive cancer cells from growing and spreading to other areas. Right now, he is testing the blood samples of people with severe and early stage pancreatic cancer and those who are healthy to find out how early the disease can be detected. This gives real hope that there could be earlier diagnosis and a novel drug to disarm aggressive tumour cells.