ANU is a world-leading university in Australia’s capital city, Canberra. Our location points to our unique history, ties to the Australian Government and special standing as a resource for the Australian people.Our focus on research as an asset, and an approach to education, ensures our graduates are in demand the world-over for their abilities to understand, and apply vision and creativity to addressing complex contemporary challenges.

The Australian National University

ANU is a world-leading university in Australia’s capital city, Canberra. Our location points to our unique history, ties to the Australian...

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Superbugs are on the march around the world, due to antibiotic resistance and the unchecked spread of deadly bacteria, a leading expert warns. Professor Peter Collignon, from The Australian National University (ANU), says antibiotic resistance is hurtling towards crisis levels creating superbugs that need to be contained. “These superbugs are putting on amour plated, bulletproof vests and going up against the antibiotics we already have,” Professor Collignon said. “And they are coming out without a scratch because we are using too many antibiotics and because we’ve allowed these deadly bacteria to spread. “If we don’t make stopping the spread of superbugs and infection a priority a lot of people are going to die. “This means we need clean water, good sanitation, not doing procedures if you don’t need them, not taking antibiotics if you don’t need them and if there is a good vaccine – getting vaccinated.” In his paper published in Antibiotics, Professor Collignon warns social and...

Bulletproof superbugs on a deadly march across the globe

Superbugs are on the march around the world, due to antibiotic resistance and the unchecked spread of deadly bacteria, a leading expert warns.

Superbugs are on the march around the world, due to antibiotic resistance and the unchecked spread of deadly bacteria, a leading expert warns. Professor Peter Collignon, from The Australian National University (ANU), says antibiotic resistance is hurtling towards crisis levels creating superbugs that need to be contained. “These superbugs are putting on amour plated, bulletproof vests and going up against the antibiotics we already have,” Professor Collignon said. “And they are coming out without a scratch because we are using too many antibiotics and because we’ve allowed these deadly bacteria to spread. “If we don’t make stopping the spread of superbugs and infection a priority a lot of people are going to die. “This means we need clean water, good sanitation, not doing procedures if you don’t need them, not taking antibiotics if you don’t need them and if there is a good vaccine – getting vaccinated.” In his paper published in Antibiotics, Professor Collignon warns social and economic factors are pushing the rise of antibiotic resistance. The microbiologist says Australia is under threat from the spread of already-resistant bacteria which develops in countries with poor infrastructure, sanitation, water supply and housing issues. “There is no doubt that resistance everywhere is increasing for just about every bug you can think of and overuse of antibiotics is a problem,” Professor Collignon said.“Australia rates as one of the highest antibiotic users in the world but we have relatively very low resistance rates. We have low rates because we have good housing, infrastructure and nutrition.“These superbugs spread via people, water and food then they get on to 747s and come to this country.” The warning comes after the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommended a crackdown on doctors prescribing repeat prescriptions of antibiotics. “We use so much antibiotics and the problem is we use them mostly for viral infections where the antibiotics don’t work anyway,” he said. FOR INTERVIEWPeter CollignonANU Medical SchoolM: 0410 669 711E: collignon.peter@gmail.com For media assistance, contact Rachel Curtis on 0459 879 726 or the ANU Media Team on +61 2 6125 7979 or at media@anu.edu.au

A team of researchers have answered one of the most long-standing questions about how the immune system fights viruses and the discovery could help improve vaccine design. A team from The Australian National University (ANU) and Monash University found the immune system can recognise more proteins from viruses and vaccines than previously thought. “More than 80 per cent of the virus proteins can be recognised by the immune system and used to trigger an immune reaction by the body. This is much more than was expected”, said senior author Professor David Tscharke from the John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU. “This work has unearthed a better understanding of how well viruses and vaccines are recognised by the body.” Lead author Dr Nathan Croft, from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI), said the findings will have practical outcomes for new vaccines. “We can now begin to apply this knowledge to other viruses and to cancer, to pinpoint favourable...

New discovery helps researchers better understand the immune system

A team of researchers have answered one of the most long-standing questions about how the immune system fights viruses and the discovery could...

A team of researchers have answered one of the most long-standing questions about how the immune system fights viruses and the discovery could help improve vaccine design. A team from The Australian National University (ANU) and Monash University found the immune system can recognise more proteins from viruses and vaccines than previously thought. “More than 80 per cent of the virus proteins can be recognised by the immune system and used to trigger an immune reaction by the body. This is much more than was expected”, said senior author Professor David Tscharke from the John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU. “This work has unearthed a better understanding of how well viruses and vaccines are recognised by the body.” Lead author Dr Nathan Croft, from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI), said the findings will have practical outcomes for new vaccines. “We can now begin to apply this knowledge to other viruses and to cancer, to pinpoint favourable targets for the immune system,” said Dr Croft. The team used vaccinia virus to understand how much of a virus is actually recognised and targeted by the immune system. Vaccinia virus was used as a vaccine to eradicate smallpox and is now repurposed as a tool against other viruses as well as cancers. “This is a remarkable finding that highlights the power of mass spectrometry to identify the entirety of viral antigens that are exposed to the immune system,” said co-senior author, Professor Anthony Purcell from Monash BDI. “The translation to human infectious disease is obvious, but the identification of tumor derived antigens is also an exciting area we are developing to drive the precision oncology field and cancer immunotherapy." “Our results also show that no part of the virus is hidden from the immune system, no matter what time these parts are produced or how they are used by the virus,” said Professor Tscharke. The team used a combination of biochemistry, bioinformatics and statistics to identify viral peptides present on the surface of infected cells and analyse the ability of the immune system to see them as foreign targets. The research, supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Research Council (ARC) is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). FOR INTERVIEW Professor David Tscharke The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University David.Tscharke@anu.edu.au, +61 432 130 470 Dr Nathan Croft Monash University Nathan.Croft@monash.edu, +61 449 292 724 Professor Anthony Purcell Monash University Anthony.Purcell@Monash.edu, +61 407 915 414 About the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Committed to making the discoveries that will relieve the future burden of disease, the newly established Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University brings together more than 120 internationally-renowned research teams. Our researchers are supported by world-class technology and infrastructure, and partner with industry, clinicians and researchers internationally to enhance lives through discovery. For media assistance, contact the ANU Media Team on +61 6125 7979 or at media@anu.edu.au. or Grace Williams, Senior Communications Advisor, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, +61 3 9905 9597, grace.williams@monash.edu

Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have made a discovery that has the potential to save lives when treating bacterial infections, especially serious food poisoning. Food poisoning is estimated to affect 4.1 million Australians each year and Bacillus cereus - one of the most common types of stomach bug - is responsible for producing toxins that cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Lead researcher and PhD student Ms Anukriti Mathur, from The John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCMSR) at ANU, has found how the bacteria works and how to combat it. “We found how this bacteria interacts with our immune system. We have discovered how it sustains itself and also how we might treat the nastiness it causes,” Ms Anukriti Mathur. It may not be a household name but Bacillus cereus can be found in vegetables, meat, fish, rice and pasta, and will grow in these foods if they are stored at the wrong temperature. Ms Mathur found the bacteria has “a remarkable ability...

The food poisoning find that ‘could save lives’.

Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have made a discovery that has the potential to save lives when treating bacterial...

Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have made a discovery that has the potential to save lives when treating bacterial infections, especially serious food poisoning. Food poisoning is estimated to affect 4.1 million Australians each year and Bacillus cereus - one of the most common types of stomach bug - is responsible for producing toxins that cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Lead researcher and PhD student Ms Anukriti Mathur, from The John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCMSR) at ANU, has found how the bacteria works and how to combat it. “We found how this bacteria interacts with our immune system. We have discovered how it sustains itself and also how we might treat the nastiness it causes,” Ms Anukriti Mathur. It may not be a household name but Bacillus cereus can be found in vegetables, meat, fish, rice and pasta, and will grow in these foods if they are stored at the wrong temperature. Ms Mathur found the bacteria has “a remarkable ability to secrete toxins” in contaminated food. When the toxins are consumed they attack cells in the body which causes vomiting and diarrhoea. “We knew the toxin would have to attack the cells, triggering an immune reaction, but we now know how it does it,” said Ms Mathur. “We discovered the toxin directly binds to the cell and punches holes to kill the cell, the immune system responds to the infection and has a reaction. “Because we now know how the bacteria and the toxins work, we can fight it and find ways to use the immune system against it.” Researchers say the discovery will be vital in understanding and treating serious cases of food poisoning. “This research could help patients with a compromised immune system,” said Ms Mathur. “We might be able to save patients by weakening the toxin, or in the case of sepsis, dampening inflammatory responses. “It also means we have therapeutic drug options to further support antibiotic therapies, especially in the face of rising antibiotic resistance.” However, ANU Group Leader of the research, Dr Si Ming Man, says prevention is better than cure. “It is important for us to wash our hands properly and prepare food according to safety guidelines,” said Dr Man, from JCMSR. “Always cook or re-heat food properly. Bacteria may have landed on it and start secreting toxins in your food. “Heating your left-over food properly will destroy most bacteria and their toxins.” The research is published in Nature Microbiology today. See here Images: https://cloudstor.aarnet.edu.au/plus/s/SiM0XrLLzDCNKIH FOR INTERVIEW: Ms Anukriti Mathur The John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU M: 0439 649 682 T: (02) 612 50387 E: anukriti.mathur@anu.edu.au Dr Si Ming Man The John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU M: 0415 598 560 T: (02) 612 56793 E: siming.man@anu.edu.au For media assistance, contact Rachel Curtis +61 459 879 726 or the ANU Media Team on +61 2 6125 7979 or at media@anu.edu.au.

The Research School of Psychology (RSP) at The Australian National University (ANU) congratulates Australian Psychology Society on its 2018 theme Power of Human Connection: Connect to Thrive. ANU experts at the Research School of Psychology (RSP) are trying to better understand the importance of connections. A range of social problems from depression and bullying to social prejudice can be understood as “connectedness” issues. Importantly, this insight also points to directions for prevention and treatment; when we connect we thrive. Here are our research highlights. Professor Kate Reynolds Professor of Psychology ANU Research School of Psychology M: +61 (0)418601495 T: +61 (02) 61250637 E: katherine.reynolds@anu.edu.au “We are exploring how to create brighter futures through better understanding the role of school connectedness - identification, belonging - on academic achievement, bullying and well-being. Partnering with ACT Education Directorate, the RSP...

ANU EXPERTS: Psychology week (November 11-17)

The Research School of Psychology (RSP) at The Australian National University (ANU) congratulates Australian Psychology Society on its 2018 theme...

The Research School of Psychology (RSP) at The Australian National University (ANU) congratulates Australian Psychology Society on its 2018 theme Power of Human Connection: Connect to Thrive. ANU experts at the Research School of Psychology (RSP) are trying to better understand the importance of connections. A range of social problems from depression and bullying to social prejudice can be understood as “connectedness” issues. Importantly, this insight also points to directions for prevention and treatment; when we connect we thrive. Here are our research highlights. Professor Kate Reynolds Professor of Psychology ANU Research School of Psychology M: +61 (0)418601495 T: +61 (02) 61250637 E: katherine.reynolds@anu.edu.au “We are exploring how to create brighter futures through better understanding the role of school connectedness - identification, belonging - on academic achievement, bullying and well-being. Partnering with ACT Education Directorate, the RSP research team has been studying ACT schools for the past 10 years and the research is having an impact nationally and internationally. “In this project we found positive changes in school climate perceptions and school identification over time were related to improved student engagement and decreased bullying. These results indicate that psychological connection and belonging to the school leads to better outcomes. “The research is part of a larger effort to develop more effective models of behavior change with a particular focus on human connections and social norms - what others do.” Professor Michael Platow Associate Director (Science Education) ANU Research School of Psychology T: +61 (02) 6125 8457 E: michael.platow@anu.edu.au “Prejudice reveals social division and a lack of cohesion and connectedness. It has negative implications for individual well-being and social cohesion, yet efforts to reduce it are often unsuccessful. If people believe their own intergroup attitudes - even negative ones - to be correct and normative, anti-prejudice appeals will likely be rejected. “Anti-prejudice appeals often fall on deaf ears as people fail to see their views as prejudiced and in need of change. What is needed is an analysis of what people believe to be prejudice or not in the first place and how these beliefs are changed. “My project aims to expand social-psychological knowledge of prejudice by examining beliefs about what prejudice is, as well as the social and psychological factors affecting these beliefs. “In over 10 studies within Australia, the United States, and Pakistan, the team has demonstrated considerable flexibility in what people understand to be prejudice. Ultimately, this social-psychological Project will develop new knowledge of people&#39;s beliefs about what prejudice is, and how these beliefs change. Anti-prejudice appeals can then be better tailored to reduce prejudice and improve Australians&#39; quality of life” *If you have experienced or witnessed prejudice yourself, you can tell us by responding to our Prejudice Census at http://psychology.anu.edu.au/node/791/edit/prejudice-census . Dr Tegan Cruwys Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow, Clinical Psychologist ANU Research School of Psychology T: +61 (02) 6125 5023 E: Tegan.Cruwys@anu.edu.au “Depression is the leading cause of disability for young people in Australia. We know that most young people who recover from depression will relapse, and the biggest risk factor for recurrent depression is social isolation. “I am conducting the world&#39;s first randomised controlled trial comparing two group-based treatments for young people with depression and loneliness. “Groups 4 Health, a program which supports the development of social group connectedness, and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, a program that helps challenge negative thinking and unhelpful behaviours. “In collaboration with Rotary Mental Health and Headspace, this research seeks to support of 200 young people and find the best way to help them get well and stay well.” Dave Pasalich Lecturer & ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher ANU Research School of Psychology T: + 61 (02) 6125 2067 M: +61 (0) 409 888 068 E: dave.pasalich@anu.edu.au “Increasing numbers of Australian children are entering out-of-home-care and being placed with kinship parents - grandparents, uncles and aunts. Although kinship parents have a strong desire to preserve family and cultural connections and provide for their children in care who have trauma histories, many feel unprepared and unsupported in navigating the complex challenges in this caregiving role. “I am collaborating with ACT Children, Youth and Families and local out-of-home-care agencies in conducting a randomised trial of an attachment and trauma informed program for kinship parents and their children. “I aim to evaluate the effectiveness of this program for enhancing children’s emotional connection with their kinship parents and in turn promoting child and family resilience.” For media assistance, contact Rachel Curtis +61 459 879 726 or the ANU Media Team on +61 2 6125 7979 or at .

The Australian National University (ANU) is launching the largest health and wellbeing study of Indigenous adults in the country. Associate Professor Ray Lovett from the ANU College of Health and Medicine is leading the large-scale Mayi Kuwayu study. “We are trying to plug gaps in data because there is this mistaken perception in Australia that being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is the cause of ill health,” said Associate Professor Lovett. The cohort study will be the first of its kind to capture cultural data on what makes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people strong. Researchers will collect data on historical policy impacts such stolen generations and exposure to racism. “It is important because past policies likely contribute to intergenerational health and wellbeing outcomes for our mob,” said Associate Professor Lovett. “Governments and statistical agencies are very reluctant to collect and report information on that.” The Mayi Kuwayu Study...

ANU MEDIA RELEASE: Indigenous health study to ‘plug gaps in data’

The Australian National University (ANU) is launching the largest health and wellbeing study of Indigenous adults in the country. Associate...

The Australian National University (ANU) is launching the largest health and wellbeing study of Indigenous adults in the country. Associate Professor Ray Lovett from the ANU College of Health and Medicine is leading the large-scale Mayi Kuwayu study. “We are trying to plug gaps in data because there is this mistaken perception in Australia that being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is the cause of ill health,” said Associate Professor Lovett. The cohort study will be the first of its kind to capture cultural data on what makes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people strong. Researchers will collect data on historical policy impacts such stolen generations and exposure to racism. “It is important because past policies likely contribute to intergenerational health and wellbeing outcomes for our mob,” said Associate Professor Lovett. “Governments and statistical agencies are very reluctant to collect and report information on that.” The Mayi Kuwayu Study team are urging all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to participate in an effort have their say in future health policy. “The main reason for doing this study is to highlight how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity, cultural participation and knowledge, is linked to better health outcomes,” said Professor Lovett. “For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people this concept is intuitive. We know if we maintain a connection to our country, to our languages, to strong family and kinship networks that it is good for us, but we need the data.” Associate Professor Lovett admits working on the study is personal. “I’m a product of the stolen generations - my grandmother was taken. This has had traumatic impacts within my own extended family,” said Associate Professor Lovett. The new research aims to provide added perspectives on the reasons for inequity of health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. “My hope is that we see a day where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing policy focuses on connecting and reconnecting people to their country, or to cultural knowledge, because of the wellbeing benefits that would bring,” said Associate Professor Lovett. Participants can tell their story online at mkstudy.com.au or call 1800 531 600. The Mayi Kuwayu Study launches in Brisbane at the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Members’ Conference on Thursday 1 November 2018 at 10:15am PRESS IMAGES: (Credit: Lannon Harley, ANU) https://cloudstor.aarnet.edu.au/plus/s/0tWNl8ymY2U1bdR FOR INTERVIEW: Associate Professor Ray Lovett NHMRC Research Fellow and Program Leader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Epidemiology for Policy and Practice ANU College of Health and Medicine T: + 61 2 6125 5619 M: 0418627446 E: Raymond.Lovett@anu.edu.au For media assistance, contact Rachel Curtis +61 459 879 726 or the ANU Media Team on +61 2 6125 7979 or at media@anu.edu.au.

Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have discovered a new genetic disease and a method for detecting more unexplained medical conditions. “We’ve discovered a new syndrome, the genetic cause and the mechanism that explains how the genetic variation causes the illness,” said Professor Matthew Cook from The ANU College of Health and Medicine. “It is a disease which is characterised by immune deficiency where patients get recurrent infections, especially chest infections, including recurrent pneumonia, but paradoxically patients also suffer inflammatory diseases of the skin, lymph nodes and the spleen,” said Professor Cook. “Some patients with the condition have been unwell for some 20 years and until now have not had a definite diagnosis.” Over the past five years, a dedicated team of researchers at the Centre for Personalised Immunology in the ANU College of Health and Medicine has been gene-hunting to find insights into rare diseases. “Human genome...

ANU researchers find new disease

Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have discovered a new genetic disease and a method for detecting more unexplained medical...

Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have discovered a new genetic disease and a method for detecting more unexplained medical conditions. “We’ve discovered a new syndrome, the genetic cause and the mechanism that explains how the genetic variation causes the illness,” said Professor Matthew Cook from The ANU College of Health and Medicine. “It is a disease which is characterised by immune deficiency where patients get recurrent infections, especially chest infections, including recurrent pneumonia, but paradoxically patients also suffer inflammatory diseases of the skin, lymph nodes and the spleen,” said Professor Cook. “Some patients with the condition have been unwell for some 20 years and until now have not had a definite diagnosis.” Over the past five years, a dedicated team of researchers at the Centre for Personalised Immunology in the ANU College of Health and Medicine has been gene-hunting to find insights into rare diseases. “Human genome sequencing is now relatively straightforward but the big challenge is to understand how genetic changes cause disease,” said Professor Cook. “We study rare diseases of the immune system. The methods employed in this study can be applied to resolve otherwise unexplained diseases.” The symptoms affecting patients with this unnamed syndrome are a combination of the immune system being too weak and not mounting a proper response, while in other respects producing an excessive response. The research team identified the condition by whole genome sequencing patients and then characterising the patients&#39; immune systems. Meanwhile research colleagues in Japan identified the same disease in a second family with the same genetic variant. “The Japanese patients had similar clinical problems and it turned out they had exactly the same genetic variant,” said Professor Cook. “To be sure we were dealing with the correct gene, we went on to introduce exactly the same genetic change in a mouse model using gene editing. This combined approach provides a powerful method for resolving potentially important genetic variants.” The discovery offers hope to other patients suffering from rare conditions who have struggled with getting a definitive diagnosis and appropriate treatment. “Solving rare diseases is very important for two reasons. First, a genetic diagnosis provides certainty to patients who may have previously undergone many tests over many years, often without obtaining an answer,” Professor Cook said. “Second, rare diseases can provide important information about how the body works that can be useful for developing new tests and treatments for other diseases. “Patients can now get some certainty which makes a big difference to people and we can use the process again and again.” The research has been published today in The Journal of Experimental Medicine. IMAGES AND VIDEO FOR MEDIA USE: High-resolution images: https://cloudstor.aarnet.edu.au/plus/s/jMhzEFH2TsvcYFc * Please credit Lannon Harley, ANU. FOR INTERVIEW: Professor Matthew Cook, ANU College of Health and Medicine T: + 61 2 6174 8523, E: matthew.cook@anu.edu.au M: 0414 594 599 For media assistance, contact Rachel Curtis +61 459897726 or the ANU Media Team on +61 2 6125 7979 or at .

New research has found a link between popular heartburn drugs and an increase in the risk of infectious gastroenteritis.

Gastric acid suppressants linked to hospitalisation

New research has found a link between popular heartburn drugs and an increase in the risk of infectious gastroenteritis -- an illness that results in 13.1 million lost days of work in Australia a year.

HEALTH