Latest News

1. Education key to 'closing the gap'

   

   Publicly released: Mon 26 Jun 2017 at 0001 AEST / 0201 NZST

   Medical Journal of Australia (MJA)

   2017-06-26 00:01. Australian experts estimate that better education for Indigenous Australians may close the life expectancy gap by up to 12 years. Existing research suggests that better education leads to better health outcomes. The experts are Read more about Education key to 'closing the gap' - Scimex

   Australia; ACTSocial Determinants of Health Alliance; Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service; Public Health Association of Australia; Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia

   • Health / Medical
   • Society / Lifestyle

   SMC Pick

   Note for journalists:

   Name:

   Dr Bret Hart

   Position:

   Chair of the Social Determinants of Health Alliance

   Email:

   bret@hart-solutions. com.au

2. EXPERT REACTION: UNESCO report - Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage Coral Reefs

   

   Publicly released: Sat 24 Jun 2017 at 1045 AEST / 1245 NZST

   2017-06-24 10:45. UNESCO has released its first report into first global scientific assessment of the impacts of climate change on World Heritage Area (WHA) coral reefs. The report finds that unless CO2 emissions are reduced, by the end of the Read more about EXPERT REACTION: UNESCO report - Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage Coral Reefs - Scimex

   AustraliaARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies|Macquarie University|UNESCO

   • Environment / Climate / Energy
   • Rural / Agricultural
   • Business / Politics

   SMC Pick

   Note for journalists:

   Name:

   Lyndal Byford

   Phone:

   +61 7120 8666

   Position:

   Media contact

   Email:

   info@smc.org.au

3. UTS unleashes team to deliver social robot software system

   

   Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 1701 AEST / 1901 NZST

   2017-06-23 17:01. UTS is the only Australian team to qualify for the 2017 RoboCup@Home Social Robot League, a competition that requires teams to design robot behaviours that allow for interaction and collaboration with people in realistic home Read more about UTS unleashes team to deliver social robot software system - Scimex

   Australia; NSWUniversity of Technology Sydney (UTS)

   • Society / Lifestyle
   • Tech / Engineering / Space

   SMC Pick

   Note for journalists:

   Name:

   Grainne Murphy

   Phone:

   +61 427 564 973

   Position:

   Media Manager

4. Hearing aids for babies with mild loss may not help language

   

   Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 1201 AEST / 1401 NZST

   Child: Care, Health and Development

   2017-06-23 12:01. A new study by the Murdoch Children’ s Research Institute (MCRI) has raised questions about the benefits of fitting hearing aids early to babies diagnosed with mild hearing loss. The study, led by MCRI PhD student Peter Carew, Read more about Hearing aids for babies with mild loss may not help language - Scimex

   Australia; VICMurdoch Childrens Research Institute

   • Health / Medical

   SMC Pick

   Note for journalists:

   Name:

   Inga Feitsma

   Phone:

   +61 3 9936 6336

   Position:

   Media contact

   Email:

   inga.feitsma@mcri.edu.au

5. Would people actually use pill testing at festivals?

   

   Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 1130 AEST / 1330 NZST

   Drug and Alcohol Review

   2017-06-23 11:30. Pill testing at festivals or clubs would be used by 94 per cent of drug users, as long as it was done without risk of arrest, according to Australian research. The survey of over 800 Australians who have used drugs such as ecstasy Read more about Would people actually use pill testing at festivals? - Scimex

   Australia; NSW; WA; TASThe University of New South Wales|Curtin University|University of Tasmania

   • Health / Medical
   • Society / Lifestyle
   • Business / Politics

   SMC Pick

   Note for journalists:

   No media release.

   Name:

   Monica Barratt

   Position:

   Author

   Email:

   m.barratt@unsw.edu.au

6. Exercise therapy could help people with chronic fatigue in their own homes

   

   Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 1000 AEST / 1200 NZST

   The Lancet

   2017-06-23 10:00. Some people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) might benefit from a self-help exercise programme, according to a trial by international researchers. The trial of 200 patients found that one in five of people on a graded exercise Read more about Exercise therapy could help people with chronic fatigue in their own homes - Scimex

   InternationalQueen Mary University, UK

   • Health / Medical
   • Society / Lifestyle
   • Sport

   SMC Pick

   Note for journalists:

   Name:

   Seil Collins

   Phone:

   +44 207 424 4949

   Position:

   Media Relations Manager

   Email:

   seil.collins@lancet.com

7. DOC ideas on de-extinction

   

   Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 0900 AEST / 1100 NZST

   Nature Ecology and Evolution

   2017-06-23 09:00. Department of Conservation (DOC) workers seem to be fine with using gene-editing to eradicate invasive pests, but hesitant to 'play God' with natives, a University of Otago study finds. Interviewing almost 150 DOC staff, the Read more about DOC ideas on de-extinction - Scimex

   New ZealandUniversity of Otago

   • Environment / Climate / Energy
   • Society / Lifestyle
   • Tech / Engineering / Space

   SMC Pick

   Note for journalists:

   Name:

   Helen Taylor

   Position:

   Author

   Email:

   helen.taylor@otago.ac.nz

8. Fish provide clues to degenerative diseases

   

   Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 0830 AEST / 1030 NZST

   Current Biology

   2017-06-23 08:30. A discovery by University of Queensland researchers about the evolution of a tiny fish could have implications for sufferers of muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophy. Professor Rob Parton and Dr Tom Hall, from UQ’ s Read more about Fish provide clues to degenerative diseases - Scimex

   Australia; QLDThe University of Queensland

   • Health / Medical

   SMC Pick

   Note for journalists:

   Name:

   Bronwyn Adams

   Phone:

   +61 7 3346 2134

   Position:

   Communications Manager

   Email:

   communications@imb.uq.edu.au

9. Enzyme tech gets biofilms to attack themselves

   

   Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 0800 AEST / 1000 NZST

   PNAS

   2017-06-23 08:00. Slimy, gooey membranes produced by bacteria and fungi — called biofilms — cause havoc on internal medical devices like catheters and artificial hips, but a new tech can get rid of the slime by making it attack itself. Biofilms Read more about Enzyme tech gets biofilms to attack themselves - Scimex

   InternationalMcGill University, Canada

   • Health / Medical
   • Environment / Climate / Energy

   SMC Pick

   Note for journalists:

   Paper available via EurekAlert! Australian newspapers have permission from the journal to run this story in print on the day the embargo lifts, with the strict proviso that nothing can appear online until after the embargo lifts.

   Name:

   Julie Robert

   Phone:

   +1 514 934 1934 ext. 71381

   Position:

   Communications Coordinator

   Email:

   julie.robert@muhc.mcgill.ca

10. Coronary artery disease genes persist because they help in childbearing

    

    Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 0400 AEST / 0600 NZST

    PLOS Genetics

    2017-06-23 04:00. Australian researchers have found that genes for coronary heart disease (CAD) also help us have kids, so in order to reproduce successfully, the nasty effects are an unwelcome necessity. Coronary artery disease - a condition where Read more about Coronary artery disease genes persist because they help in childbearing - Scimex

    Australia; VICThe University of Melbourne

    • Health / Medical
    • Society / Lifestyle

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    Australian newspapers have permission from the journal to run this story in print on the day the embargo lifts, with the strict proviso that nothing can appear online until after the embargo lifts.

    Name:

    Sean Byars

    Position:

    Author

    Email:

    sean.byars@unimelb.edu.au

11. Cracking the mystery of egg shape

    

    Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 0300 AEST / 0500 NZST

    Science

    2017-06-23 03:00. There's a surprising amount of diversity in the egg shapes of birds. Some are spherical, others elliptical and yet more are conical. But why there's such a range has puzzled biologists. A new meta-study from the US on almost 50, Read more about Cracking the mystery of egg shape - Scimex

    InternationalPrinceton University, USA

    • Environment / Climate / Energy

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    Podcast and images available from EurekAlert

    Name:

    Mary Caswell Stoddard

    Position:

    Lead Author

    Email:

    mstoddard@princeton.edu

12. Mum's uterine fluid communicates with very early embryos

    

    Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 0200 AEST / 0400 NZST

    Trends in Molecular Medicine

    2017-06-23 02:00. Uterine fluid — which supports developing embryos in early pregnancy — can communicate aspects of mum's condition to the embryo, according to Chinese researchers. They found genetic markers on the fetus from the mother's Read more about Mum's uterine fluid communicates with very early embryos - Scimex

    InternationalChinese Academy of Sciences, China

    • Health / Medical
    • Environment / Climate / Energy

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    Name:

    En-kui Duan

    Phone:

    +86 10 6480 7308

    Position:

    Author

    Email:

    duane@ioz.ac.cn

13. MRIs could help mammograms catch new breast cancers

    

    Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 0100 AEST / 0300 NZST

    JAMA Oncology

    2017-06-23 01:00. If you're a younger breast cancer survivor who has undergone partial breast removal surgery, adding an MRI or an ultrasound to your mammogram could help detect new cancers, according to a South Korean study. The authors looked at Read more about MRIs could help mammograms catch new breast cancers - Scimex

    InternationalSeoul National University College of Medicine, South Korea

    • Health / Medical

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    For details on obtaining the paper, contact us. Australian newspapers have permission from the journal to run this story in print on the day the embargo lifts, with the strict proviso that nothing can appear online until after the embargo lifts.

    Name:

    Woo Kyung Moon

    Position:

    Author

    Email:

    moonwk1963@gmail.com

14. Shrinking whales signal numbers collapse

    

    Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 0000 AEST / 0200 NZST

    Nature Ecology and Evolution

    2017-06-23 00:00. A global collapse of whale numbers could be predicted by tracking the body size of whales and watching for signs they are getting smaller, according to Australian and European research. Using historic whaling data on four whale Read more about Shrinking whales signal numbers collapse - Scimex

    Australia; TASInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS)|Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC|University of Tasmania

    • Environment / Climate / Energy

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    Australian and New Zealand newspapers have permission from the journal to run this story in print on the day the embargo lifts, with the strict proviso that nothing can appear online until after the embargo lifts.

    Name:

    Christopher Clements

    Phone:

    +41 789 260 609

    Position:

    Author

    Email:

    chrisclementsresearch@gmail.com

15. Oil exploration survey noise killing plankton

    

    Publicly released: Fri 23 Jun 2017 at 0000 AEST / 0200 NZST

    Nature Ecology and Evolution

    2017-06-23 00:00. Acoustic surveys used to explore the seafloor for oil deposits have been linked to a two to three-fold increase in the death of plankton - tiny animals that many marine species feed on - say Aussie scientists. The study was Read more about Oil exploration survey noise killing plankton - Scimex

    Australia; WA; TASCurtin University|Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS)|Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC|University of Tasmania

    • Environment / Climate / Energy

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    Australian and New Zealand newspapers have permission from the journal to run this story in print on the day the embargo lifts, with the strict proviso that nothing can appear online until after the embargo lifts.

    Name:

    Robert McCauley

    Phone:

    +61 428 101 046

    Position:

    Author

    Email:

    R.McCauley@cmst.curtin.edu.au

16. EXPERT REACTION: Paracetamol in pregnancy and male sexual development

    

    Publicly released: Thu 22 Jun 2017 at 1800 AEST / 2000 NZST

    Reproduction

    2017-06-22 18:00. A study in mice looked at how paracetamol taken in pregnancy impacts male sexual development. Male mouse pups that were exposed to paracetamol in the womb were less aggressive and less likely to mate with females. The researchers Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Paracetamol in pregnancy and male sexual development - Scimex

    Australia; International; VICUniversity of Copenhagen, Denmark

    • Health / Medical
    • Society / Lifestyle

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    Name:

    Robin Bisson

    Phone:

    +61 8 7120 8666

    Position:

    Media Officer

    Email:

    info@smc.org.au

17. Changing diet, physical activity, behaviour may reduce childhood obesity

    

    Publicly released: Thu 22 Jun 2017 at 1200 AEST / 1400 NZST

    Cochrane Library

    2017-06-22 12:00. Two Cochrane Reviews published today are the last in a series of related systematic reviews summarising evidence on the effects of different interventions for treating obesity and overweight in childhood and adolescence. The Read more about Changing diet, physical activity, behaviour may reduce childhood obesity - Scimex

    AustraliaCochrane

    • Health / Medical
    • Society / Lifestyle

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    Name:

    Shauna Hurley

    Position:

    Communications and Media Manager

    Email:

    shauna.hurley@monash.edu

18. Australian origin likely for iconic New Zealand tree

    

    Publicly released: Thu 22 Jun 2017 at 1133 AEST / 1333 NZST

    American Journal of Botany

    2017-06-22 11:33. Ancestors of the iconic New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pōhutukawa, may have originated in Australia, new fossil research from the University of Adelaide suggests. The research describes two new fossil species of Metrosideros, the Read more about Australian origin likely for iconic New Zealand tree - Scimex

    Australia; New Zealand; SA; TASThe University of Adelaide

    • Environment / Climate / Energy

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    Images available.

    Name:

    Myall Tarran

    Position:

    Author

    Email:

    myall.tarran@adelaide.edu.au

19. 9 in 10 indoor workers not getting enough vitamin D

    

    Publicly released: Thu 22 Jun 2017 at 1000 AEST / 1200 NZST

    BMC Public Health

    2017-06-22 10:00. The type of work you do could have a big impact on whether or not you're getting enough vitamin D, according to a Canadian study. The authors looked at 71 previous studies of over 50, 000 people and found that four in five shift Read more about 9 in 10 indoor workers not getting enough vitamin D - Scimex

    InternationalUniversity of Alberta, Canada

    • Health / Medical
    • Society / Lifestyle
    • Business / Politics

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    Name:

    Sebastian Straube

    Position:

    Author

    Email:

    straube@ualberta.ca

20. Study settles debate over head position following stroke

    

    Publicly released: Thu 22 Jun 2017 at 0700 AEST / 0900 NZST

    New England Journal of Medicine

    2017-06-22 07:00. A trial involving more than 11, 000 patients has revealed sitting up or lying flat after a stroke makes no difference to their recovery. The research led by The George Institute for Global Health set out to discover if the bed Read more about Study settles debate over head position following stroke - Scimex

    Australia; NSWGeorge Institute for Global Health

    • Health / Medical

    SMC Pick

    Note for journalists:

    Name:

    Julia Timms

    Position:

    Media Manager

    Email:

    jtimms@georgeinstitute.org.au