freelance science journalist and author
From Australian Doctor newspaper, 21 March 2014: In December last year, Melbourne hosted 11,000 diabetes experts for the International Diabetes Federation world congress. Amid the usual hand-wringing about rising rates of the disease and its complications, there was considerable buzz about obesity surgery. Much of the interest revolved around a study that showed nearly three-quarters … Continue reading Surgery for diabetes?
From ABC News in Science, 25 March 2014: A study of major league baseball players’ pitching arms has shown that bone strength in later life is decided by the quality of exercises we do in our youth. The research by US and Australian scientists is published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences … Continue reading Exercise during youth builds strong bones for life
This is the story of The End. I’m sharing it because before I had a book published, I had no idea how the whole process worked and I learned quite a few things the hard way (such as the fact that nothing happens quickly in publishing unless you’re the biographer of a prematurely dead celebrity). … Continue reading Diary of a (non-fiction) book
From ABC News in Science, 10 March 2014: Elephants are able to distinguish between friendly humans and those more likely to pose a threat, based solely on vocal cues, new research shows. The study, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examines the extent to which African elephants use human voice … Continue reading Elephants tell human friend from foe by voice
Sent to the publisher 24 October 2010: The End – The human experience of death by Bianca Nogrady Synopsis We sat around and on the bed, laughing and joking as if this was a typical family gathering. The shrunken form of our dying grandmother lay on the bed, breathing fast and shallow, wispy hair plastered to … Continue reading The original pitch for The End
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 7 March 2014: Toddlers are hard work. As any parent knows, they’re into everything, they have the attention span of a goldfish, the focus of a spinning disco ball, and the exploratory instincts of a spaniel puppy. That’s all well and good when they’re toddlers, but what happens when those … Continue reading Diagnosing ADHD: why is it so challenging?
From ABC News in Science, 5 March 2014: The hairy legs of water striders are artfully designed to strike a balance between the water capillary action and gravity, Chinese researchers have discovered. They found the spacing of the insect’s leg hairs fits a formula that takes into account the contact angle of the hairs and … Continue reading Leg hairs hold secret to walking on water
From Cardiology News, 27 February 2014: Use of tumor necrosis factor–alpha inhibitors was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of coronary artery disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly with longer term use of the drugs, in a retrospective cohort study. The study of 2,101 patients with incident RA diagnosed during 2001-2011 showed … Continue reading TNF inhibitors reduce coronary artery disease risk in rheumatoid arthritis
From Skin and Allergy News, 26 February 2014: A woman undergoing BRAF inhibitor targeted therapy for advanced melanoma has presented with invasive spindle cell squamous carcinoma masquerading as a secondary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, highlighting the importance of histologic evaluation of these lesions. “Secondary cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) are adverse effects of BRAF inhibitor … Continue reading Aggressive secondary squamous carcinoma appeared during BRAF inhibitor targeted therapy
From Clinical Neurology News, 24 February 2014: Drug-resistant epilepsy is associated with a significant increase in mortality that persists for decades after diagnosis, particularly among individuals with a known etiology, according to data from a retrospective, multicenter cohort study. Dr. Brian Callaghan of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his colleagues identified 433 patients … Continue reading Increased mortality persists in drug-resistant epilepsy
Bianca Nogrady 