freelance science journalist and author
Medical reporting
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 6 june 2013: What is death? On the surface, this seems like a simple question. After all, if somebody is not breathing, their heart is no longer beating, they are cold, waxy and stiff, then it is possible to say with a fair degree of certainty that they are dead. … Continue reading Defining death: when exactly do we die?
From ABC News in Science, 10 June 2013: There could be some truth in the anecdotal belief that stress can turn your hair grey. The appearance of grey hairs after periods of stress or skin damage could be the result of depletion of stem cells from the base of the hair follicle, according to a … Continue reading Stress may really turn your hair grey
From ABC News in Science, 31 May 2013: It’s not quite the ‘smart gene’ but researchers have identified a small number of genetic markers associated with educational attainment. A genome-wide association study using genetic data from more than 100,000 individuals found three genetic markers that were significantly linked to an individual’s numbers of years of … Continue reading Degrees of learning in the genes
From Oncology Practice, 23 April 2013: Obesity was associated with an increased risk of precursor lesions among men with an initial benign prostate biopsy result, according to a nested study of nearly 500 prostate cancer cases and matched cancer-free controls. Further, obese men also were more likely to have benign findings on initial core needle … Continue reading Obesity linked to prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia
From Clinical Psychiatry News, 23 April 2013: Adherence therapy improves symptoms in patients with schizophrenia but does not appear to affect adherence, treatment attitudes. or functioning, according to results of a randomized controlled trial. “We observed a small effect of AT [adherence therapy] on patient symptoms but not adherence, treatment attitudes, or functioning following an … Continue reading Schizophrenia adherence therapy improves symptoms, not adherence
From Clinical Psychiatry News, 23 April 2013: A review of the causes and impact of hospitalization in schizophrenia has shown that hospitalization is more likely the result of cognitive and functional decline rather than a contributor. “While it is difficult to disentangle the consequence of the reasons for hospitalization from the effects of hospitalization, most … Continue reading Continued engagement with schizophrenia patients can prevent declines
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 28 March 2013: It sounds counter-intuitive, but not being exposed to viruses, bacteria and parasites in your early years could have a negative effect on your health, or at least that’s what the hygiene hypothesis suggests. The idea, which is subject to much debate, suggests our obsession with cleanliness and … Continue reading What is the hygiene hypothesis?
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 24 January 2013: Think ‘dangerous Australian animals’ and images of snakes, spiders, box jellyfish or even crocodiles come to mind. But for a small number of people, the bite or sting of relatively benign insects, such as ants, ticks, wasps or bees can be as deadly as any encounter with … Continue reading Insect allergies: more than a nasty sting
From Monash Magazine, February 2013: “Nature may have come up with a beautiful design in the insulin molecule, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved,” says Associate Professor Andrea Robinson from Monash University’s School of Chemistry. Regular doses of insulin are essential to the health of almost 300 million people around the world who … Continue reading Molecular makeover targets insulin longevity
From ABC News in Science, 4 April 2013: Amyloid proteins may have been wrongfully accused as the culprits behind Alzheimer’s disease, new research in mice suggests. Two studies – one Australian, one from the US – have examined the role amyloid proteins play in the brain with one study suggesting that far from being a … Continue reading Alzheimer’s culprit may be ‘innocent’
Bianca Nogrady 