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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 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

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

From CSIRO’s Process magazine, June 2006:In an age of rising energy costs, technology that can help to reduce power consumption is critical. For Australia’s aluminium producers, whose energy costs account for up to 15 per cent of the nation’s electricity bill, research into ‘designer solvents’ might offer one answer. Read more.

From Australian Doctor, 7 June, 2006.Professor Alan Coates ’ life has revolved around fighting cancer. Now, almost 10 years after heading the Cancer Council Australia, he is returning to his first love – clinical research.Professor Coates is softly spoken, formal and somewhat reserved — until he starts talking about research. When the subject of his … Continue reading Back to his roots: Professor Alan Coates