freelance science journalist and author
Medical reporting
From Pathway magazine, the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, Winter 2008: Being a baby one hundred years ago was a pretty dicey affair. Up to one in three would not live to see their first birthday, instead falling victim to any one of a long list of diseases including smallpox, diphtheria, measles, tetanus and … Continue reading The vaccine revolution
From The Australian, 10 January 2009: At age two years and seven months, William Long is already an unstoppable chatterbox. “People say ‘oh my goodness, he really doesn’t stop talking’,” says his mother Sandra. Not that this would normally be considered that unusual, except for the fact that William is profoundly deaf, and has been … Continue reading This sound barrier can be broken
From The Australian, 10 May 2008: THEY were just ordinary pork spare ribs, properly cooked and harmless. But they were enough to land Peter Moore in hospital with a severe allergic reaction. “It wasn’t instantaneous,” says Moore, 32. “Maybe a couple of hours later I went to bed and woke up with hives, really big … Continue reading One tick red meat can do without
From Scientific American, December 2007: HIV is devastating because it attacks and destroys the body’s defense system against pathogens, leaving patients fatally exposed. So what would possess scientists to treat HIV-positive patients with drugs that suppress the immune system? Such therapy may in fact offer a new approach in the battle against AIDS. An unexpected … Continue reading T cell turnoff
Bianca Nogrady 