NHMRC and Cancer Australia – partners in cancer research

19 september 2008

NHMRC and Cancer Australia support cancer research in Australia through a variety of schemes. The newest of these is the collaborative venture – the Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme (PdCCRS).

» See the full announcement

First licences granted for the derivation of human embryonic stem cells from cloned embryos

16 september 2008

Australia's first licences allowing the creation of cloned embryos for the derivation of human embryonic stem cell lines were issued today by the Embryo Research Licensing Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council.

» See the full announcement

Climate change and human health

4 september 2008

Professor Tony McMichael, a NHMRC Fellow at ANU's National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, gave a presentation to NHMRC Council on 4 September on the challenge of climate change and the likely impacts on human health. 

» View a summary of Professor McMichael's presentation

Diabetic Retinopathy Guidelines

28 August 2008

The Guidelines for the Management of Diabetic Retinopathy have just been released. They were developed to assist health practitioners in making decisions about the appropriate health care of patients with diabetes, and replace the revoked 1997 guidelines. 

Considerable evidence now shows that diabetes is becoming a more frequent problem in our community so that detecting diabetic eye disease is critically important, since there are well developed and proven strategies to prevent visual loss.

The Guidelines were developed by the Australian Diabetes Society and approved by the NHMRC.

» View the Guidelines

Call for expressions of interest — Australia's participation in the international cancer genome consortium

22 August 2008

The Hon Nicole Roxon MP, Minister for Health and Ageing, today announced Australia’s key role in the international fight against cancer. The Government, through the NHMRC, has committed $27.5 million over five years to participate in a consortium of countries studying the disease.

The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) will coordinate international research efforts to understand DNA changes involved in the major forms of cancer, leading to better diagnosis, treatment and prevention. 

Research institutions interested in being involved should submit an expression of interest by 29 August 2008.

• » See notice