freelance science journalist and author
Medical reporting
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 1 May 2014: Talk to many parents and they’ll list a number of foods guaranteed to turn their normally well-behaved offspring into an uncontrollable monster. But speak to those who spend their days working with children who have behavioural problems and you get a very different perspective. Parenting forums, blogs … Continue reading Does diet affect children’s behaviour?
From Medicine Today, April 2014: One in eight individuals who experience ischaemic stroke or intracerebral haemorrhage before the age of 50 years still struggle to function independently 10 years after the event, say researchers. A study of 722 patients aged 18 to 50 years presenting with their first stroke, haemorrhage or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) … Continue reading Young adult stroke leaves one in eight dependent
From Medicine Today, April 2014: Terminally-ill cancer patients receiving palliative chemotherapy in the four months before death are more likely to die in intensive care units, and more likely to have CPR and mechanical ventilation in the last week of life. Analysis of data from a US-based prospective longitudinal study showed that 56% of 386 … Continue reading Dying in ICU more likely with palliative chemotherapy
From ABC News in Science, 11 April 2014: Countless theories on how to beat jet lag abound, but now two mathematicians have crunched the numbers to come up with what they believe is the quickest, most fool-proof method. They have developed a free mobile app based on their calculations and are hoping to use it … Continue reading Phone app trains you to beat jet lag
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 24 March 2o14: With an increasing number of children being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it’s no surprise that we’re also seeing more children being treated for the condition. But concerns are also increasing about ADHD treatments – especially medications. Last year the Therapeutic Goods Administration issued a … Continue reading ADHD treatments: are they meeting children’s needs?
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
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 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
Bianca Nogrady 