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The new weapon against malaria’s drug resistance

June 3, 2022

By Professor Leann Tilley Published on June 3, 2022 So far, the malaria parasite has had an answer to every method of control we have thrown at it. Despite significant advances in the fight against it - including a vaccine roll-out that held promise, but only shows about 30 per cent effectiveness against severe disease - and dozens of drugs – the parasite always makes a comeback. Currently, the recommended treatment for malaria infection is an artemisinin combination therapy, a mix of fast and slower-acting drugs designed to treat malaria infection and prevent transmission.

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Overturning history

June 1, 2022

By Professor Beth Gaze Published on June 1, 2022 Within weeks, the US Supreme Court could remove a right long relied on by American women. The recent leaking of a draft decision in the case of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization confirmed expectations that the country’s highest Court is preparing to overturn the 50-year-old precedent of Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113 (1973)), which established that abortion was a constitutional right in America.

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Twins can face unique risks before and just after birth

June 1, 2022

By Dr Lucas Calais Ferreira Published on June 1, 2022 Twin births are more common than ever. The overall twinning rate has increased by a third globally in the last four decades, driven mostly by Europe and North America. The ever-growing popularity of medically-assisted reproduction (MAR) technology has facilitated this uptrend in multiple births – procedures like stimulating ovaries tend to produce more eggs while in vitro fertilisation (IVF) can sometimes involve transferring more than one embryo to boost the chances of success.

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Australia’s new government must tackle food insecurity

May 31, 2022

By Dr Rachel Carey Published on May 31, 2022 As food prices in Australia continue to rise and the cost-of-living crisis bites, tackling food insecurity should be high on the ‘to do’ list of the country’s newly elected Labor government. Our new research, developed in collaboration with stakeholders from government, civil society and industry in Victoria, provides a roadmap for tackling the problem. Australia isn’t immune to global pressures, as consumers are finding at the supermarket checkout.

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The online hate for Amber Heard

May 31, 2022

By Dr Anneliese Spiteri-Staines Published on May 31, 2022 It doesn’t take long, if you spend any time on social media, to come across a meme, reel or TikTok taking a side in the US actor Johnny Depp’s defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The jury in the case found that a 2018 article written by the actor’s ex-wife on domestic violence was defamatory. But well before the verdict, social media users had already judged Heard well before any actual legal decision as a manipulator and abuser, with campaigns like #JusticeForJohnnyDepp trending on Twitter (some 5.

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