News & Events
Bionic ear technology used for gene therapy
Researchers at UNSW have for the first time used electrical pulses delivered from a cochlear implant to deliver gene therapy, thereby successfully regrowing auditory nerves.
The research also heralds a possible new way of treating a range of neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, and psychiatric conditions such as depression through this novel way of delivering gene therapy.
The research is published today in the prestigious journal Science Translational Medicine.
Medical research makes an impact
UNSW has performed strongly in the latest analysis by the federal government of the impact of its health and medical research funding.
A study conducted by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) “Measuring Up 2013” found the research it supported significantly outperformed other comparable Australian research in the five-year period 2005-2009.
The analysis showed the NHMRC continued to outperform the world benchmark by 60% in citation rates. Australian research as a whole performed 17% above the world average.
Why we can’t have reliable evidence for herbal therapies
OPINION: Natural products can be a source of useful new medicines when the active ingredient is isolated, identified, standardised and subjected to appropriate clinical studies. But in their “natural” form herbal medicines are so variable from batch to batch and across brands that gathering reliable evidence of effectiveness is unlikely ever to be possible.
Indeed, for almost all herbal therapies, it’s likely there will never be anywhere near the standard of evidence that’s required for prescription medicines.
Standardisation issues
Translational Cancer Research Network Prize awarded
Congratulations to Alan Truong who was awarded the UNSW Translational Cancer Research Network Prize of $200 for the best performance in PATH3208 Cancer Sciences in December. The certificate was awarded by the Translational Cancer Research Network, the University of NSW and the Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick. The official prize giving ceremony is on Thursday 13th March 2014.
Health Check: are saturated fats good or bad?
OPINION: Dietary guidelines cite the fact that saturated fats can increase LDL cholesterol, which is also known as bad cholesterol because it’s a major risk factor for heart disease. Others claim saturated fats are not a problem.
So is saturated fat a saint or sinner? Or could the search for a single culprit miss the inevitable subtleties of a multifactorial problem such as heart disease?
These are complex questions so let’s start with what cholesterol and fats actually are and the different types.
Some reasons why you should avoid sleeping pills
OPINION: We’ve known for a long time that hypnotic drugs are not good to take for more than one to three weeks because they are habit-forming and increase the risk of accidents. And there’s now a growing body of evidence that shows they could be increasing the risk of premature death.
Hypnotics are medicines prescribed specifically to help people suffering from insomnia get a good night’s sleep. This includes people who have difficulty getting to sleep as well as those who struggle to stay asleep.
NSW Cell and Developmental Biology Meeting
Registrations are now open for the annual NSW meeting of the Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology. Hosted by UNSW Medicine's School of Medical Sciences, this year's meeting features plenary speakers Professor Denise Montell from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Professor Freddy Radtke from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland.
UNSW high achievers make an impact
Three UNSW academics are among a group of esteemed health and medical researchers – including Nobel laureates and former Australians of the Year – recognised as having made a significant difference to the lives of people worldwide for their outstanding work.
As part of its 75th anniversary, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has named around 90 researchers past and present on its rollcall of Australian “high achievers” in the field.
On the red carpet
More accustomed to labs and small offices, UNSW’s top early career researchers received the red carpet treatment at the University’s Postdoctoral Academy Awards.
The event – with life-sized images of Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Keith Urban – was hosted by the Faculties of Medicine, Science and Engineering in UNSW’s Lowy Cancer Research Centre.
Cause of ageing that can be reversed
Medical researchers have found a cause of ageing in animals that can be reversed, possibly paving the way for new treatments for age-related diseases including cancer, type 2 diabetes, muscle wasting and inflammatory diseases.
The researchers hope to start human trials late next year.
The study, published today in the journal Cell, relates to mitochondria - our cells’ battery packs - which provide energy to carry out key biological functions.