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Deciding to commit to a research life is brave – so is committing to do the hard research. Professor Cath Chamberlain says with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, in particular, 'we are going to need to take some more risks to do things differently'. 

Guideline impact Determining what measures to use are important, but equally important is to know how to use the data to tell a story.

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus, which is very infectious. Symptoms can include fever, tiredness, stomach pain, loss of appetite and nausea. This is sometimes followed by dark urine and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice). Symptoms can last from 1 week to several months. Children under 3 years old rarely have any symptoms. Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for people at higher risk of being infected.

An evaluation of NHMRC-funded dementia and diabetes research delves into the outputs, outcomes and pathways to impact arising from NHMRC-supported research in the areas of dementia and diabetes by analysing data captured by Scopus-indexed publications. It employs AI-driven analytics and narrative techniques combined with novel bibliometric methods to identify impacts or pathways to impact. The report also benchmarks NHMRC's contributions against major international funders, offering insights from 2000 to 2023.

Measles is a highly infectious and potentially serious disease caused by a virus. The first symptoms include a fever, cough, and sore, red eyes (conjunctivitis). This is followed by a rash of large, lumpy, reddish to purplish blotches that often join up and completely cover the skin. The rash spreads over the entire body but usually disappears within 6 days.Measles often causes very serious complications, including lung infections (pneumonia) and swelling of the brain. Children with measles can be very sick, and adults with measles are usually hospitalised.The number of cases of measles in Australia has fallen dramatically over the past 15 years because of vaccination programs and other public health measures. However, overseas travellers still bring measles into Australia, so people in Australia can still catch the virus.

NHMRC Principal Committees and NHMRC-MRFF Committees announced

Meningococcal infection is a severe but uncommon infection caused by a germ called Neisseria meningitidis, also known as meningococcus. There are several types of meningococcal bacteria that cause disease in humans. Most cases of meningococcal disease worldwide are caused by types A, B, C, W and Y. Vaccination against these types is available under the National Immunisation Program to give extra protection to people who are most at risk of meningococcal disease.Meningococcal infection can cause meningitis (infection of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord). The germ can also infect the blood, joints, eyes, lungs and skin. Symptoms in infants and young children include fever, refusing feeds, fretfulness, vomiting, a rash of reddish- purple spots or bruises, a high-pitched or moaning cry, and pale or blotchy skin. The child may be difficult to wake up.Meningococcal blood infections (septicaemia) can cause shock and death within hours ofsymptoms starting. In Australia, 5–10% of people infected with meningococcus die, even if they are treated promptly. Meningococcal disease can affect anyone; however, those at higher risk include infants, small children, adolescents and young adults.

Shigella is a germ that can cause a severe bowel infection. It is a type of gastroenteritis (or ‘gastro’). Symptoms include diarrhoea (sometimes containing blood or mucus), fever, vomiting and stomach cramps. Some infected people have no symptoms. Even very small numbers of the germs can cause an infection, so strict control measures are needed to stop it spreading.

Giardiasis is a form of gastroenteritis (or 'gastro') caused by a parasite called Giardia lamblia or Giardia duodenalis. This parasite can live in the bowels of people or animals. Untreated water that comes directly from lakes and rivers may also contain Giardia.Symptoms include diarrhoea, foul-smelling faeces (poo), cramping, gas, fatigue, nausea, and sometimes vomiting and weight loss. Fever and bloody faeces are not usually symptoms of Giardia infections. Many infected people have no symptoms.In education and care services, children and staff who have had Giardia may no longer have any symptoms but may still be infected with the parasite. This means their faeces can still infect others. A person with active diarrhoea is more likely to spread the disease than one who does not have diarrhoea, but still has the parasite in their faeces.

This video is to provide Investigator Grants peer reviewers with some tips and tricks for peer review.

Professor Anna Ralph is a practicing medical specialist and leads the Global and Tropical Health division at Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin.

Preterm birth occurs in approximately 1 in 10 infants globally. It causes about three-quarters of near-birth deaths and more than half of newborn deaths.

Norovirus is a common viral cause of gastroenteritis (or ‘gastro’). Vomiting is usually the main initial symptom, and there can be a lot of vomit. Other symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps, fever, headache and muscle aches. Norovirus gastroenteritis can cause dehydration because of the large amount of fluid lost through vomiting and diarrhoea.Outbreaks are common because norovirus spreads very easily and it only takes a small number of virus particles to make someone sick. The disease is more common from late winter to early summer.People who have had norovirus before can be reinfected as new strains of the virus spread around the world every few years.

Salmonella is a bacteria that causes gastroenteritis (or ‘gastro’) and occasionally bloodstream infection. Symptoms include diarrhoea (sometimes with blood or mucus in the faeces), fever, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting. The severity of the symptoms depends on the number of germs swallowed, the person’s age and their general health.Specific types of Salmonella cause typhoid and paratyphoid fever (see separate fact sheet). These can be more severe abdominal and bloodstream infections, but are generally only reported in returned travellers from countries where typhoid is common.

RSV is a common virus affecting the lungs and breathing passages. RSV in children usually causes mild to moderate cold-like symptoms lasting from 8 to 15 days. Symptoms include fever, runny nose, coughing and wheezing.In young children and babies under 12 months old, RSV can cause a chest infection called bronchiolitis. Signs of bronchiolitis include wheezing and difficulty breathing. This may get worse over the first 3 to 4 days before starting to improve. Some children and adults (particularly the elderly) need hospital treatment for their RSV lung infection.

The Privacy Legislation Amendment Act 2006 (Cth) made changes to the Privacy Act 1988(Cth) (the Privacy Act) to allow health practitioners to disclose patient’s genetic information, whether or not they give consent, in circumstances where there is reasonable belief that doing so is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to the life, health or safety of their genetics relative(s).  The amendments do not oblige disclosure of information but provide the framework for this to occur under the appropriate circumstances.