UNSW Medicine & Health

Professor Clare Arnott, from UNSW Medicine & Health, The George Institute for Global Health and St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney has been recognised in the 2026 Young Tall Poppy Awards for advancing health outcomes in cardiovascular disease and addressing inequities in women’s health.

Prof Arnott is a cardiologist and researcher who established Australia's first Women's Heart Clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. Prof Arnott and her team have also developed a way of using mammograms to identify who might also be at risk of heart disease, using machine learning to re-analyse the mammograms and predict a woman’s risk of heart disease, as well as their risk of cancer, from the same test.

“This means we can screen women for heart disease in a way that is convenient and safe for them and efficient for the health system. Using an existing and government-funded service also means we do not widen inequities, or leave any women behind,” Prof. Arnott said.

Read more here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/08/three-unsw-researchers-recognised-with-2026-young-tall-poppy-awards

🌿Living in a greener neighbourhood isn’t just beautiful – it’s good for your brain.

A recent, long-term study from UNSW Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing(CHeBA), in partnership with Australian Catholic University (ACU), has found that older Australians living in areas with more canopy experienced fewer depressive symptoms over time.

Why trees? "Trees provide far more than shade and visual appeal," said lead author UNSW Scientia Associate Professor Simone Reppermund.

"Neighbourhoods with more tree cover may encourage people to spend time outdoors, be physically active and connect with their communities – all of which are important for maintaining good mental health as we age."

Read more here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2026/07/more-tree-cover-linked-to-better-mental-health-in-older-australians

Congratulations Dr Aidan Cashin for being named a finalist in the 2026 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

Dr Cashin is an early career researcher whose work is reshaping how pain is understood and treated, offering hope for one in five Australians who live with chronic pain.

Giant tube slides have been popping up in playgrounds across Australia - as well as media reports about injuries from them. Is the fun worth the risk?

Dr Lisa Sharwood, from UNSW Medicine & Health, shares five helpful points parents and carers can consider when children are using slides and other playground equipment.

Read them here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/08/should-i-let-my-kids-down-that-tube-slide-how-to-weigh-the-benefits-with-the-risk-of-injury

UNSW researchers have been awarded $61 million in National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grants. 🎉

The funding will support a total of 33 projects across the University, including the work of 25 Medicine & Health researchers, as they advance biomedical, clinical, public health and health services research.

Kirby Institute Garvan Institute of Medical Research Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC)

UNSW researchers awarded $61m in NHMRC Investigator Grants 33 researchers from across UNSW Sydney receive funding for health and medical research.

✨ The UNSW Translation Hub has been named one of the World’s Most Beautiful Universities by UNESCO-affiliated Prix Versailles ✨

A jury of international judges nominated the Hub among eight university buildings in the world and commended its design and purpose as “embodying the next generation of campuses where research, education, clinical practice and industry are brought together within a single building.”

Read more:

UNSW Health Translation Hub named on prestigious international design list The award-winning UNSW Health Translation Hub has been recognised among the world’s most outstanding university buildings.

💛 Do you know someone who is working tirelessly to improve mental health in Australia? There’s just one week left to nominate them for the Australian Mental Health Prize!

The prestigious awards celebrate outstanding contributions to both the promotion of mental health, and the prevention and treatment of mental illness.

Learn more about the four award categories and get your nomination in before the 31 July deadline here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/Nominations-open-for-2026-Australian-Mental-Health-Prize 💛

3,800 Australians live with cystic fibrosis.

For decades, lung disease has been the most visible and life-threatening part of CF, but researchers are increasingly exploring how this genetic condition affects the entire body.

Learn more from UNSW Medicine & Health Professor of Medicine Chee Ooi:

Cystic fibrosis doesn’t just affect the lungs. It’s a gut disease too When we think of cystic fibrosis, we might think of someone coughing, trying to clear mucus from their lungs. But that’s not the whole story.

Did you know the human body replaces its skeleton every 10 years or so?

While this is a hugely important process in our bodies, there’s been a very limited understanding of the cells and mechanisms that control this turnover…until now.

By combining genomic sequencing with data from half a million people, a research team from UNSW Medicine & Health, The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Mater Research and Imperial College London have identified hundreds of previously unknown genes that govern bone health and revealed cells surrounding blood vessels are one of the drivers of bone repair.

Read about the impact of this discovery and its potential for new approaches to treating bone disease:

Genetic mapping identifies new hope for bone diseases More than half of the genes the researchers identified have never been shown to play a role in maintaining bone health.

They're fast, convenient and increasingly popular — but e-scooters are also contributing to a growing burden on Australian hospitals.

New research from UNSW reveals a significant rise in serious injuries, prompting experts to call for stronger safety protections, particularly for young riders.

Read more:

E-scooter injuries a growing toll on hospitals: new study A quadrupling in injuries among children across four years is one of the most troubling consequences of Australia's e-scooter boom, say UNSW researchers.