The National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia supports stem cell science and educates the community about the potential and dangers of stem cell therapies.
Visit the website: stemcellfoundation.net.au
Jessica Mar is analysing stem cells to discover the changes that influence ageing.
We all started life as a stem cell. Throughout our lives, stem cells repair and replace our tissues, but as we age they stop working as well. Understanding how this decline occurs is fundamental to understanding—and influencing—how we age. [continue reading…]
Mark Dawson has helped to build a new drug to fight an aggressive form of blood cancer, discovering the basic science of gene expression in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), developing the drug to block that action, and leading an international clinical trial to test it.
Mark first explored how genes function in leukaemia, then identified molecules that interrupt the key genetic instructions that perpetuate cancer cells. The drug subsequently developed to treat AML is now the subject of more than 50 clinical trials around the world. [continue reading…]
Winners of the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia’s Metcalf Prizes announced
Scientists available for interviews
The National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia supports stem cell science and educates the community about the potential and dangers of stem cell therapies.
The winners of the 2016 Metcalf Prizes for Stem Cell Research are:
Read the media release.
The winners will receive their awards at a breakfast ceremony on Wednesday 27 July in Melbourne. Visit the website: stemcellfoundation.net.au
Tracy Heng wants to make cancer treatment gentler and more effective for elderly patients with blood cancer and other blood disorders.
“Bone marrow transplants have transformed survival rates for blood cancers. They replace a diseased blood system with healthy blood-forming cells, but first, doctors have to wipe out a patient’s immune system, which takes a big toll on elderly patients. My goal is to change that,” says Tracy. [continue reading…]
James Chong has two starters in the race to develop stem cell therapies for heart failure as viable alternatives to heart transplants. His research is exploring both the potential for transplanted stem cells to regenerate new heart tissue and how to repair a patient’s heart by rejuvenating their own heart stem cells.
“In Australia, 54,000 people suffer a heart attack and 20,000 die from chronic heart failure each year. I want to develop stem cell treatments that can save the lives of the thousands of people who miss out on heart transplants,” says James. [continue reading…]
Wednesday 13 May 2015
Scientists available for photos and interviews in their labs.
Professor Ryan Lister of the University of Western Australia and Associate Professor Christine Wells of the University of Queensland have both received $50,000 Metcalf Prizes from the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia in recognition of their leadership in stem cell research. [continue reading…]
AusSMC briefing 11 am Melbourne Convention Centre and online at: www.aussmc.org.au
Free public forums and media interviews in Sydney (25 August), Brisbane
(26 August), Adelaide (28 August), and Melbourne (1 September). [continue reading…]
National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia August newsletter
Welcome to the Foundation’s bulletin on stem cell science and news, and our work in supporting stem cell research in Australia.
Last month we celebrated two emerging stem cell leaders, the inaugural winners of our Metcalf Prizes for Stem Cell Research. The $50,000 awards presented to Kaylene Young and Jose Polo will accelerate their research programs.
This month we’re holding a national tour exploring the potential, reality and dangers of stem cells, with visiting speakers American stem cell pioneers Irv Weissman and Ann Tsukamoto.
Irv is the discoverer of human blood-forming stem cells, while Ann is a leader in the commercial development of stem cell medicine, with a particular interest in neural stem cell research. They will join local experts in each city for a series of public forums that discuss both the potential benefits and risks of stem cell therapies. Read on to find out more about the speaking tour events.
The dangers of and possibilities of treatments have been highlighted in the media in recent weeks. Stem cell tourism and experimental treatments were the topic of two prime time television shows: SBS Insight and ABC Head First. Read on for more about these television shows. Last month also saw the sad news of the passing of an Australian mother-of-two who died while visiting Russia for stem cell treatment. [continue reading…]
National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia June newsletter
Welcome to the Foundation’s bulletin on stem cell science, news and our work in supporting stem cell research in Australia.
Australia is home to some remarkable stem cell researchers. Two of them were recognised today by our inaugural Metcalf Prizes.
Kaylene Young believes she can persuade certain lazy stem cells to repair brain injury. Jose Polo is unveiling the details of how stem cells can be produced from adult cells through a process of identity theft and reprogramming.
We’ve been able to award these prizes thanks to the generous support of our donors. We’re calling for more donations now to ensure we can offer future prizes and conduct other initiatives supporting stem cell research and community education.
One such initiative is the Foundation’s new Snapshot of Australian Stem Cell Science: May 2014, illustrating the depth and diversity of local stem cell research. Read on to find out more about the snapshot. [continue reading…]
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