BodyLab QIMR Berghofer

Twins are a gift to medical research but it’s non-identical twins providing insights into identifying fertility issues earlier.
Professor Nick Martin wasn’t expecting big surprises after studying twins for 50 years, making these findings even more exciting. Nick shares the phone calls that inspired this path, the possibilities for early diagnosis and the need for lots more twin mothers to join is survey.

It’s one of the world’s most neglected and dangerous tropical diseases, endemic in remote Indigenous communities across Australia. 
Now, thanks to a new NHMRC grant, QIMR Berghofer researchers are leading an effort to eliminate strongyloidiasis, a potentially fatal disease caused by a parasitic worm.
Project-lead Professor Darren Gray and team member Dr Catherine Gordon discuss their new project tackling the condition, which has a devastating impact on some of Australia’s most vulnerable people.

Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Australian women and its incidence is rising. But treatment options are limited, with a hysterectomy often the first line of defence.
 
Associate Professors Tracy O’Mara and Dylan Glubb are conducting advanced genetic analyses in an effort to find better options for women. And their results are so impressive that the US Department of Defense has backed their mission to unearth new treatments for endometrial cancer. 

It's known as the “silent thief of sight” - sneakily stealing the sight in one eye as the other covers for it. 300,000 Australians have glaucoma, around half don’t know it yet. Professor Stuart MacGregor explains the incredible genetic discoveries that could help prevent irreversible vision loss. 

Imagine living a life free of asthma. Throw away puffers and medications and never have to worry about not being able to breathe again. The Anti-Inflammatory Protein 2 (AIP2) could be a game-changer that transforms the lives of millions of people affected by asthma, and even potentially cure this cruel disease. Associate Professor Severine Navarro explains how this remarkable story begins with hookworms and their interactions with their human hosts. 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, but a team of scientists at QIMR Berghofer is on a mission to find ways to repair damaged heart tissue.  To help achieve this ultimate goal, they're growing tiny living and beating models of human heart muscle in the lab. These cardiac organoids are no bigger than a chia seed, but closely mimic the real organ so the researchers can study the heart's biology and test new therapeutics.  Professor James Hudson explains how the team's latest advance introduces a vascular system to the tiny heart models for the first time which has already proved to be a gamechanger for their research.