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Science In Public

Science writers, communicators, media, training, and public relations

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Personalised medicine: a young life saved through genomics and systems biology

Symposium: Royal Children’s Hospital, Monday 3 Junehoward_jacob

Professor Howard Jacob is getting genomics out of the research lab and into the clinic.

He’s at the forefront of personalised medicine. He and his colleagues successfully treated a five year old with a life threatening digestive condition in 2010, sequencing the boy’s genome to find a rare mutation.

He says we need to not just talk about how personal genomes will change medicine. It’s time to use it now especially for undiagnosed conditions.

[Read more…] about Personalised medicine: a young life saved through genomics and systems biology

Modelling Darwin Harbour’s extreme tides

$5.6 million upgrade to Arafura Timor Research Facility

Launched by Federal Science and Research Minister Don Farrell

Media call 9.30 am, Friday 24 May 2013, 23 Ellengowan Drive, Brinkin

Darwin Harbour has extreme tidal rises and falls of up to eight-metres. So the ebbing and flowing currents in the channels are strong and fast, all of which makes it difficult for pilots to berth bulk carriers or manoeuvre dredges. [Read more…] about Modelling Darwin Harbour’s extreme tides

Who benefits? A question about the future of health & medical research

Thursday 23rd May 5-7pm – free public forum in Melbourne

The community and governments here and around the world have increasing expectation that publicly funded research will reap benefits more quickly and fully.

Expectation are particularly high for health and medical research because if offers solutions for better health care, restraining costs of providing care, and building national prosperity through innovative industry growth.

This talk will discuss who benefits from health and medical research, including individuals, health consumers, policy makers, practicioners, business, governments and researchers themselves; and how.

[Read more…] about Who benefits? A question about the future of health & medical research

Who benefits? A question about the future of health & medical research

Thursday 23rd May 5-7pm – free public forum in Melbourne

The community and governments here and around the world have increasing expectation that publicly funded research will reap benefits more quickly and fully.

Expectation are particularly high for health and medical research because if offers solutions for better health care, restraining costs of providing care, and building national prosperity through innovative industry growth.

This talk will discuss who benefits from health and medical research, including individuals, health consumers, policy makers, practicioners, business, governments and researchers themselves; and how.

[Read more…] about Who benefits? A question about the future of health & medical research

50% of Australians who oppose vaccination get their information from the Internet

Posted on behalf of Sonya Pemberton/Genepool productions

First ever national survey of Australian attitudes to vaccination

To coincide with the broadcast of Jabbed: Love, Fear and Vaccines (SBS ONE, Sunday 26 May at 8.30pm) the first ever national survey* on Australian attitudes to vaccination reveals surprising statistics including half of Australians opposing immunisation get their information from the net. According to the survey those in favour of vaccination consult their GP. [Read more…] about 50% of Australians who oppose vaccination get their information from the Internet

Using electric fish to prevent blackouts, how galaxies refuel, a new vaccine for Hepatitis C and more at the Vic state final

Today at Scienceworks, 15 of Victoria’s future science leaders were put to the test at the Victorian Fresh Science state final.

In total, 60 state finalists have been chosen competitively for their discovery and for the quality of their research.

Today, they will be trained in how to talk science to journalists, business and the public at a one day media and communication workshop.

We wrapped up the event with an evening reception where we challenged them to excite and inspire over a canapé.

The 2013 Victorian state finalists are:

  • Sara Al-Musawi, Prince Henry’s Institute
  • David Beale, CSIRO
  • Alexe Bojovschi, RMIT University
  • Anthony Chesman, CSIRO
  • Alan Duffy, University of Melbourne
  • Tu Le, CSIRO
  • Laura Mackay, The University of Melbourne
  • Rachel Mann, Department of Primary Industries Victoria / La Trobe University
  • Hossein Mokhtarzadeh, The University of Melbourne
  • Lucille Rankin, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
  • Yaou Smets, La Trobe University
  • Patricia Vietheer, Burnet Institute
  • Jinfeng Wang, Institute of Frontier Materials, Deakin University
  • Meng Wai Woo, Monash University
  • Tamara Yawno, Monash Institute of Medical Research

Using electric fish to prevent blackouts, how galaxies refuel, a new vaccine for Hepatitis C and more at the Vic state final

Today at Scienceworks, 15 of Victoria’s future science leaders were put to the test at the Victorian Fresh Science state final.

In total, 60 state finalists have been chosen competitively for their discovery and for the quality of their research.

Today, they will be trained in how to talk science to journalists, business and the public at a one day media and communication workshop.

We wrapped up the event with an evening reception where we challenged them to excite and inspire over a canapé.

The 2013 Victorian state finalists are:

  • Sara Al-Musawi, Prince Henry’s Institute
  • David Beale, CSIRO
  • Alexe Bojovschi, RMIT University
  • Anthony Chesman, CSIRO
  • Alan Duffy, University of Melbourne
  • Tu Le, CSIRO
  • Laura Mackay, The University of Melbourne
  • Rachel Mann, Department of Primary Industries Victoria / La Trobe University
  • Hossein Mokhtarzadeh, The University of Melbourne
  • Lucille Rankin, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
  • Yaou Smets, La Trobe University
  • Patricia Vietheer, Burnet Institute
  • Jinfeng Wang, Institute of Frontier Materials, Deakin University
  • Meng Wai Woo, Monash University
  • Tamara Yawno, Monash Institute of Medical Research

A new gene to stop leaf rust in barley; human like viruses in coral and more at the Queensland Fresh Science state final

Today, 7 of Queensland and the ACT’s brightest young scientists are in Brisbane participating in the Fresh Science state final.

The 60 state finalists have been chosen competitively for their discovery and for the quality of their research.

Today, they will be trained in how to talk science to journalists, business and the public at a one day media and communication workshop.

And tonight, they’ll join guests for a networking reception, and meet one final challenge – can they excite and inspire over a glass of wine?

The 7 Queensland state finalists participants are:

  • Lee Hickey, The University of Queensland
  • Julie Lovisa, James Cook University
  • Signe Riemer-Sørensen, The University of Queensland
  • Evan Stephens, The University of Queensland
  • Elisha Wood-Charlson, Australian Institute of Marine Science
  • Andrew Bulmer, Griffith University
  • Melissa Ness, Researcher, Australian National University

The Queensland state final is supported by The University of Queensland

Magnetic effects in nuclear particles; how trees cope with thirst and starvation and more at the South Australian Fresh Science state final

Today, 11 of South Australia and Tasmania’s brightest young scientists are in Adelaide participating in the Fresh Science state final.

The 60 state finalists have been chosen competitively for their discovery and for the quality of their research.

Today, they will be trained in how to talk science to journalists, business and the public at a one day media and communication workshop.

And tonight, they’ll join guests for a networking reception, and meet one final challenge – can they excite and inspire over a glass of wine?

The 11 South Australian state finalists participants are:

  • Dragana Calic, Defence Science and Technology Organisation
  • Kylie Ellis, University of Adelaide
  • Jonathan Hall, The University of Adelaide
  • Elizabeth Harford-Wright, Adelaide Centre for Neuroscience Research
  • Wai Khay Leong, The University of Adelaide
  • Monalisa Padhee, University of South Australia
  • Christian Reynolds, University of South Australia
  • Krishna Venkidusamy, Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE)
  • Sasha Wilson, Monash University
  • Pat Mitchell, CSIRO
  • Aliaa Shallan, University of Tasmania

The South Australian final is supported by the Inspiring Australia intiative.

How it feels to be out of this world: chat with an astronaut this week

For the Australian Institute of Physics

Astronaut Paolo Nespoli remembers best the spectacular view of Earth and the amazing feeling of weightlessness from his two visits to the International Space Station (ISS).

“I really felt different. I felt I was very light and I was flying around,” he says. “It took about four or five weeks before I could shed my terrestrial nature. I felt like every day I was discovering something new.”

Mr Nespoli is in Adelaide for a couple of days, and tomorrow night (Wednesday 17 April) will give a free public lecture “Six months out of this world” about his experiences. [Read more…] about How it feels to be out of this world: chat with an astronaut this week