“The good news is that treatment is now less invasive, of shorter duration, much more effective—and diagnosis doesn’t involve humongous needles,” says Dr Nick Shackel from the Centenary Institute.

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One large steppe for liver research

Driving along the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan at 4000 m above sea level or through the Mongolian desert is a far cry from working on the genetics of hepatitis C in a laboratory in central Sydney.

But that’s the transition Wil d’Avigdor, a PhD student from the Liver Injury and Cancer Laboratory at the Centenary Institute is about to make in the next few weeks. [continue reading…]

Call for citizen scientists to track Humpbacks, the truth behind sci-fi films revealed, Nobel Laureate Dr Brian Schmidt at Border Stargaze and more.

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After “astonishing” preliminary results from new drugs

As the burden of Hepatitis C (HCV) associated liver failure and liver cancer rises  in our community so hepatitis C therapy is undergoing radical and rapid change, says Centenary’s Prof Geoff McCaughan. [continue reading…]

Do you know any exceptional early career researchers with peer reviewed papers and potential to be a media star?

If so, consider nominating them for Fresh Science – a competition where we train them and throw them to the media lions – generating hundreds of stories.

More info on that below, and also:

• Put your science in front of pollies and journos
• 30 travel grants to Europe for PhD students via EMBL Australia
• Never miss a prize deadline – check our science prize calendar
• Forever young – growing old gracefully with science
• ‘The Sound of Breaking Glass’ – women in science news
• Women in Science Parliamentary Friendship Group
• Media training for scientists – Melbourne, Sydney (and maybe Adelaide)

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Australian and Vietnamese medical researchers are meeting in Sydney this week to plan their next move against tuberculosis (TB), a disease that once was Australia’s top killer and still kills 54,000 people each year in Vietnam.

The researchers are coming together in Australia to share their progress and build stronger ties in fighting a disease which threatens Australia through its presence in neighbouring countries.

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And what are the benefits for Australian research?

Today in Washington DC, the Australian Ambassador Kim Beazley will open a four day workshop with more than 60 US defence researchers and 33 Australian nanotechnology scientists.

The meeting, organised by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), will explore opportunities for collaboration in nanotechnology and nano-manufacturing.

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• Time to apply for the 2012 L’Oréal For Women in Science Fellowships – and now New Zealanders are invited to apply too;
• Prof Ingrid Scheffer receives her award at UNESCO HQ in Paris;
• last year’s Fellows – diving on the Great Barrier Reef, studying climate change in France and being recognised in The Age’s top 100   influential people; and
• A Women in Science and Engineering social group and a Women in Science Parliamentary Friendship Group

This is an occasional bulletin about L’Oréal’s For Women in Science program. [continue reading…]

Know a top scientist whose contribution hasn’t been recognised? Or an emerging leader in science? A couple of major science prizes are closing next week:

• the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, including the $300,000 main prize, two $50,000 prizes for early to mid-career scientists and two $50,000 prizes for science teachers
• the L’Oréal Australia & New Zealand For Women in Science Fellowships, worth $25,000 for three early-career women scientists
• next week – EMBL Australia will open a travel grant scheme to send our best young PhD students to an EMBL campus in Europe
• the Eureka Prizes, for research, scientific leadership and communication

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