freelance science journalist and author
From Australian Doctor, April 26, 2007:Questions over the ownership of the H5N1 influenza strain raise wider issues about medical research, individual rights and company profits. WHEN CSL proudly announced in January that it was applying to register its pandemic influenza vaccine, the company could not have foreseen that its supporting dossier would spark a global … Continue reading A question of ownership
A huge pat on the back to the Niall Byrne and his team for putting on a brilliant 5th World Conference of Science Journalists. The debates were thought-provoking, the attendee list impressive and the entertainment (and wine) of excellent quality. The presentations included the ins-and-outs of reporting on public health issues, bias in science journals, … Continue reading 5th World Conference of Science Journalists
From Australian Doctor, 6 April 2007:THE howling, freezing wind scours my chapped face and sucks the air from my lungs as I stagger over the rocky terrain and wonder what the heck I’m doing here. Mount Everest Base Camp in Tibet is as close to hell on Earth as I’ve ever experienced. Read more.
From Australian Doctor, 24 August 2006:More carbs, fewer carbs, hypnotherapy, counselling … obese patients have tried them all. Is bariatric surgery the magic bullet for a growing problem? WHEN it comes to losing weight, surgery beats all other strategies hands down. What other method allows even the most intractably obese patients to shed 30-50% of … Continue reading Putting the squeeze on fat
From Australian Doctor, 28 November 2006:YOU can smell it in the intermingled aromas of steamed dumplings and Chanel No 5, hear it in the voices speaking Cantonese, English, Hindi and myriad other tongues and accents, and see it in the dusty noodle shop jostling for customers alongside Hugo Boss, Cartier and Versace stores. Hong Kong … Continue reading Bubbling with life
I’m currently on 6.5 months leave travelling around the world, so I’m unavailable for freelance work. My partner and I are travelling through China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Europe and South America – our travel blog is at http://hairymountainfolk.blogspot.com.I’ll be back in March 2007.BN
From PathWay, Winter 2006:IT’S a pathologist’s worst nightmare. Somewhere in the steady parade of slides is one bearing the telltale stamp of malignancy, yet as it passes in front of tired, overworked eyes, the warning signs are missed and the sample is labelled normal. A cancer goes undiagnosed and a diagnosis that could save a … Continue reading Countdown to crunch time
From Australian Doctor, 9 August 2006:The lunch break is the ideal time for registrars to feed their appetite and sharpen their skills. FOR many Australian registrars, lunch seems to be a concoction of dubious nutritional value eaten when and where time permits.For some lucky ones it is a stroll along the beach followed by a … Continue reading Food for thought
From CSIRO’s Solve magazine, August 2006:The science of ‘advanced materials’ is fast opening up new industrial frontiers.In the high-speed, low-atmosphere conditions of space travel, even the most minuscule piece of dust or rock can cause serious damage to space vehicles – and repairs are obviously not simply a matter of taking the ship to a … Continue reading Sensory solutions
From Australian Doctor, 3 August 2006:From this month, about one million parcels will be sent to a selection of Australians aged over 55. The enclosed test kits could save their lives.AUSTRALIAN women are used to screening programs — they have undergone regular mammograms and cervical smears for decades. However, the roll-out of an FOBT-based screening … Continue reading The Big Screen
Bianca Nogrady 