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The placenta from mothers of healthy newborns could one day be used to reduce brain injury in growth-restricted babies, according to University of Queensland research. Dr Julie Wixey from UQ’s Centre for Clinical Research said the study found stem cells sourced from a healthy placenta may reduce damaging inflammation in these babies after only three days. “There is…

Bacteria found in children’s upper respiratory systems could help fight chronic middle ear infections, the leading cause of preventable hearing loss and deafness in Indigenous communities. The University of Queensland’s Dr Seweryn Bialasiewicz said this discovery helped explain a long-held mystery, while providing hope for potential treatments. “We’ve been puzzled for years now, trying to work out…

Paul Harpur wears many hats. He’s a lawyer, a company director, a former Fulbright Scholar, a Paralympian and an Associate Professor at The University of Queensland Law School. He is also blind and is passionate about disability inclusion. “Nearly 1 in 5 Australians have some form of disability,” Dr Harpur said. “Disability inclusion strategies at higher education…

The SARS-CoV-2 virus does not infect blood vessels, despite the high risk of blood clots to COVID-19 patients, University of Queensland researchers have found. Dr Emma Gordon and Dr Larisa Labzin from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Dr Kirsty Short from UQ’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences pooled their expertise in vascular biology and virology to determine how the virus causes damage…

Cell fitness has been identified as a way of predicting health outcomes in COVID patients, according to a University of Queensland study. The study investigated a cellular fitness marker, known as hfwe-Lose, to identify sub-optimal cells in patients who had been hospitalised or died from COVID at the start of the pandemic. UQ Diamantina Institute’s…

A commonly available pesticide has been associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a University of Queensland study. Researchers analysed links between pesticide exposure and the risk of kidney dysfunction in 41,847 people, using data from the USA National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). School of Public Health Associate Professor,…