NHMRC news & events

• How will the NHMRC be involved in the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) consultation process?

  The NHMRC is working with ARC to support the consultation process, in particular around the use of research publications data.

  » Read more

• 

  Death of Associate Professor Christopher Newell AM25 June 2008

  It was with great sadness that I learned today of the death of one of NHMRC’s most passionate and outspoken Council and committee members, Associate Professor Chris Newell.

  Chris, who has died in Hobart, had been a member of NHMRC Council since 2006 and served on several committees including Licensing Committee, the Advisory Committee on Consumer and Community Engagement and, previously, the Australian Health Ethics Committee.

  On Council he represented consumer health issues in his specialty area of disability and disease. Chris was a formidable advocate.

  He showed great compassion for people who, like him, were disabled and he frequently presented to committees and others in the medical community on disability issues.

  He was a leader in research into the bioethics of disability and death and had a passion for the importance of ethics in research.

  Through his many appointments Chris made a wonderful contribution to the endeavours of NHMRC and to the community in general.

  He received an Order of Australia medal in 2001 for services to people with disabilities, to health consumers and the development and practice of ethics.

  I well do remember him for his great sense of humour, even when he was let down by our society’s inability to accommodate the needs of those with disabilities.

  On behalf of the members of Council, our principal committees and the staff of NHMRC, I would like to extend my sympathy to Chris’ wife, Jill, his three daughters, Hannah, Hayley and Christine, and his many colleagues in the research world.

  Professor Warwick Anderson
  Chief Executive Officer
  National Health and Medical Research Council

  » Read more

• Dietary guidelines for children and adolescents24 june 2008

  Some recent media reports have mentioned the effects of caffeine in children’s drinks. The Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia outlines the National Health and Medical Research Council’s recommendation regarding children and consumption of caffeine. The relevant information begins on page 145.
  » Read more (PDF, 1.56MB)

• The Australian Alcohol Guidelines for Low Risk Drinking 200820 June 2008

  The Australian Alcohol Guidelines for Low Risk Drinking 2008 are currently being finalised.

  The revised guidelines are a draft and therefore not a public document as they have not yet been approved by the NHMRC. They are currently being reviewed by international experts before going to NHMRC Council. It is expected they will be finalised in mid July 2008.

  Any discussion about their likely content is speculation at this time.

  All NHMRC guidelines are based on the best and most recent scientific research available. It is NHMRC’s duty to put this evidence before the community, however, it is up to individuals how they want to use the information.

  NHMRC’s guidelines will give Australians the evidence that they need to make informed choices about drinking alcohol and provide them with information on the risks of alcohol-related accidents, injury, illnesses and disease.  That is why their actual title is Australian Alcohol Guidelines for Low Risk Drinking. Scientific evidence shows that, the more a person drinks the greater the risk for alcohol-related injury and illness.

  Binge drinking and low risk drinking

  The guidelines do not use the term 'binge drinking'. However, they do provide guidance on the risks both over a lifetime, and on a single drinking occasion.
  » How does NHMRC develop its guidelines?

• Post-coma unresponsiveness guidelines19 June 2008

  NHMRC has launched two documents targeted at people involved in the care of people in post-coma states. Ethical Guidelines for the Care of People in Post-Coma Unresponsiveness (Vegetative State) or a Minimally Responsive State and A Guide for Families and Carers of People with Profound Brain Damage provide an ethical framework to guide health care professionals, courts and tribunals, and families acting in the best interests of these vulnerable people.
  » See media release
  » Download publications
  » Related publication: Post-coma Unresponsiveness (Vegetative State): A Clinical Framework for Diagnosis

• Congratulations to Professor Michael Good10 June 2008

  Chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Professor Michael Good, has been recognised in the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his service to medical research.
  » Read more about Professor Good's award

• 

  Young, groundbreaking and inspiring6 June 2008

  Outstanding young medical researcher Prof James Whisstock was awarded the 2008 Commonwealth Health Minister's Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research at the ASMR Medical Research Week dinner on Thursday 5 June.
  » Listen to a podcast interview with James

• Stop the clot - reducing blood clot risk for hospital patients28 may 2008

  A new national prevention program to stop potentially lethal blood clots developing in private hospital patients was launched in Canberra today by Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon.
  » See media release

Previous news & events