To my Bluesky friends...thankyou! www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Today marks 60 years on the planet for me. A shout out to the 3 countries I have called home; the place of my early years and first school, India; the place of my adolescence, PNG; and my… | Brendan...

Today marks 60 years on the planet for me. A shout out to the 3 countries I have called home; the place of my early years and first school, India; the place of my adolescence, PNG; and my birthplace...

linkedin.com

Great thread on the PJ.2.1 variant situation, what we do & do not know, & where it stands now. Worth emphasizing that a recent Yunlong Cao preprint found PJ.2.1 has very high ACE2 affinity, meaning that, like BA.2.75 or BA.2.86, it has plenty of space to acquire new Ab-evading spike mutations.

Stefan Pöhlmann@snpoehlm.bsky.social · last wk.

🧪5 new PJ.2.1 sequences from Spain reported yesterday. PJ.2.1 is a SARS-CoV-2 saltation variant first highlighted by @ryanhisner.bsky.social that now appears to be spreading internationally. Here is a thread on the emergence of PJ.2.1 and its potential implications.

How acute infections trigger chronic illnesses remains unclear, but many researchers think the field is closing in on explanations. “We certainly don’t have the answer,” says infectious-disease clinician Michael Peluso. “But we have a lot of leads.” go.nature.com/4i3y90F

When do infections lead to long COVID? Scientists close in on triggers and treatments for post-viral syndromes

Hundreds of millions of people have long-term conditions as a result of an infection. Researchers are working out how to help them.

go.nature.com

This is devastating, quite the shock. It was a privilege to have worked with Vasee on the 'holy grail' of a malaria vaccine. He taught me a lot, as I know he did many others. He was a wise, thoughtful, calm, forthright contributor to global health. He made a big difference! What a loss.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus@drtedros.who.int · 3w ago

Sad days for the @who.int family, with the sudden passing of Dr Vasee Moorthy. Vasee joined WHO in 2009 and made a major contribution to advancing the Organization’s work on clinical trials, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

El Niño is bearing down on some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable health systems. In Chad, a small hospital is showing how practical, low-cost changes can help clinics withstand extreme heat and weather shocks. ✍️ @kerrycullinan.bsky.social @wmo-global.bsky.social @who.int 📖 ⬇️ & 🔁🙏

As El Niño Bears Down, A Small Hospital In Chad Offers Lessons In Climate Resilience - Health Policy Watch

Situated on the edge of the advancing Sahara Desert, Ngouri in western Chad is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to climate change.

healthpolicy-watch.news

Kudos to Sussan Ley for doing this. Valuable insight. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

Sussan Ley took America's 'road to nowhere', it helped her find herself again

Sussan Ley left Australia after being ousted as Coalition leader. Her trip to the US saw her find an enhanced pride in the success of Australian multiculturalism.

abc.net.au

Vaccine benefit in children "Since 1974, vaccination has averted 154 million deaths, including 146 million among children younger than 5 years of whom 101 million were infants younger than 1 year." www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... The most striking benefit was for vaccination vs measles (Figure)

Australia's medical research sector depends on strong science and strong innovation policy. AAMRI has joined 16 leading organisations calling for consultation on proposed changes to the R&D Tax Incentive that could affect Australia's research and innovation pipeline. aamri.org.au/news-events/...

AAMRI joins sector-wide call for consultation on proposed R&D Tax Incentive changes - AAMRI

The Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) has joined 16 leading organisations from across Australia’s biotechnology, medical technology, research and innovation sectors in call...

aamri.org.au

Challenging, authoritative, constructive. As always from Raina. thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/...

Is Australia prepared for Ebola and hantavirus?

The outbreaks of Ebola and hantavirus highlight the challenges of waning global cooperation on health, and what Australia must do to prepare.

thesaturdaypaper.com.au

Prof Brendan Crabb AC@brendancrabb.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Paywalled I’m sorry. Main message is that for Australia Ebola is more of a message than a threat - infectious epidemics/pandemics are more likely now than they have been in a long while, & when they do arrive they will be different to what we’ve experienced before. www.smh.com.au/healthcare/i...

Incredible! Scientists receive a rare standing ovation after announcing that a new treatment can double the survival time for pancreatic cancer, the deadliest cancer which was once considered “undruggable.” When we fund and support science, we can achieve anything! (Video: Dr. Wish Dhillon)

Paywalled I’m sorry. Main message is that for Australia Ebola is more of a message than a threat - infectious epidemics/pandemics are more likely now than they have been in a long while, & when they do arrive they will be different to what we’ve experienced before. www.smh.com.au/healthcare/i...

If Ebola lands in Australia tomorrow, what happens next?

With global travel, a disease that begins far away can quickly become a test of systems here, and the first 24 hours would matter enormously.

smh.com.au

Eid Mubarak! Wishing our Muslim siblings and comrades a joyous and blessed Eid al-Adha. Our thoughts are especially with those observing Eid amid war and genocide. We will continue our work for their liberation and peace for all.

Sage thoughts from @suman-majumdar.bsky.social on the #hantavirus outbreak, and what it means more generally for pandemic preparedness and response. We will see more and more circumstances like this. @burnetinstitute.bsky.social www.burnet.edu.au/news/hantavi...

Hantavirus on cruise ship case highlights pandemic preparedness

The hantavirus cruise ship response is a timely test of Australia’s pandemic preparedness, quarantine, surveillance and public health systems.

burnet.edu.au

Version 5. Cleaned up some details about Case 7's flight, noted the Spanish case has (mild) symptoms. Still see conflicting info on whether the US case has symptoms. Added "Andes hantavirus" to the subtitle. Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Keep it coming.

Poliovirus detected in Perth wastewater is a reminder that polio hasn’t been eradicated globally – even if the risk in Australia remains very low. Vaccination is what keeps the community protected. More from Burnet Institute: www.burnet.edu.au/news/poliovi...

💡 Medical research delivers more than health and economic benefits. It delivers hope. Burnet CEO Brendan Crabb: “How do we solve infectious diseases, mental health challenges, or the impacts of social media? There’s only one solution: research.” 🤍 Calling for sustainable investment today.

How a Covid mRNA vaccine can extend healthspan, delay age-related organ deterioration and promote resilience to systemic inflammation, via inducing p16-high immune cells, independent of its benefit vs the virus. www.cell.com/immunity/abs...

There are some poorly understood and uncomfortable realities with TB and why it remains such a prominent - in some places like PNG close to the #1 - health problem. Read about what we can do about this - from Helen Cox & myself @burnetinstitute.bsky.social #worldTBday devpolicy.org/reaching-the...

Reaching the missed millions with simpler, smarter detection - Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre

How simpler TB detection tools and community screening in PNG can help find the millions of cases current systems miss.

devpolicy.org

An excellent opportunity is available for a Senior Executive Assistant to join the Office of the Director at Australia’s pre-eminent biomedical research institute. Applications close April 7 2026. For full details and to apply: wehi.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/WEHI/job/Par...

There’s a lot to welcome in Ambitious Australia, particularly the recognition that Australia’s R&D system isn’t set up for the level of impact we need. The real test will be if that ambition is matched with proper investment, especially in health & medical research. aamri.org.au/news-events/...

Ambition must be matched with investment: AAMRI responds to national R&D reform agenda - AAMRI

The Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) has welcomed the release of Ambitious Australia, the Strategic Examination of Research and Development (SERD), as a clear signal that ...

aamri.org.au

Join my campaign to properly fund medical research in Australia 🔬 www.moniqueryan.com.au/medical_rese...

Health and medical research is the only hope for so many health conditions, yet is chronically underfunded. Amazingly, a big part of the solution already exists. The money is literally in the bank, earmarked for health & medical research. It just has to be released. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Up to $1.4 billion in medical research remains unused under government cap

Researchers say securing funding has become increasingly tough, with many left with no choice but to spend a disproportionate amount of time applying for grants.

abc.net.au

From @jasongale.bsky.social based on his brilliant new book. Captures a lot of what actually was, and contrasts that to our (faulty/revised) memory those facts. And importantly, why that all matters for the next pandemic. All a bit sad to me, but great work Jason. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

What We Forget About Covid Will Shape the Next Pandemic

As the pandemic recedes, our collective memory is softening the fear and chaos. That shift could determine how we handle the next crisis.

bloomberg.com

Bat virologist Dr Joshua Hayward, senior research officer at Burnet Institute, answers some of the most common questions about Nipah virus: www.burnet.edu.au/news/what-is...

What is Nipah virus and should Australians be concerned?

Bat virologist Dr Joshua Hayward answers some of the most common questions on Nipah virus.

burnet.edu.au

James Flintoft has been appointed Burnet's new Chair following the retirement of long-serving Board member and Chair Mary Padbury. Find out more: https://www.burnet.edu.au/news/james-flintoft-appointed-burnet-chair-following-mary-padburys-retirement/

Brilliant reporting here by Gareth Hutchens on the Atlas Network and its insidious work across the world, including Australia www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

A discreet intellectual network has been reshaping the world for 70 years. Here's how

A constant battle of ideas reshapes the world we live in, and few groups have been more successful in winning the war than the little-known Atlas Network.

abc.net.au

My column on Oxfam's inequality report #ThePoint "Oxfam: Australian billionaires pocket $600,000 a day as inequality deepens" thepoint.com.au/news/260120-...

Oxfam: Australian billionaires pocket $600,000 a day as inequality deepens

A major report by Oxfam released today has found that the average Australian billionaire increased their wealth by almost $600,000 a day over the past year, or more than $10.5 billion altogether.

thepoint.com.au

It’s not just obscene, but I’d go as far as to say extreme inequity is our (and the developed world’s) most significant problem; the issue that must be addressed first if we are to be healthier, wealthier, more secure, and more sustainable. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

Australia's 48 billionaires wealthier than bottom 40pc combined, Oxfam finds

Oxfam Australia is calling on the federal government to tax the super rich to help tackle growing inequality, as billionaires grow their wealth by more than half a million a day on average.

abc.net.au

There’s a lot happening in and around this brilliant shot.

John Abernathy@john-abernathy.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.