The Healthspan Project USYD

🧠Dementia is a key age-related disorder, but have you ever heard of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI)?

🩸VCI is a form of dementia caused by vascular injuries. Common causes of vascular injury include strokes, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus; all of which are age-related diseases that tends to exacerbate as we grow older. VCI comprises 20% of all dementia cases; the second most common cause of dementia under Alzheimer’s Disease.

🤸‍♀️But what can we do about it? One of the main ways we combat VCI is through exercise, which has quite multi-faceted benefits backed by research!! Check out this article for more information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6894065/

So what’re you waiting for? Grab your friends and let’s get ✨physical✨!!

🚩Biotech Case Competition 2022: Grand Finals today! 🚩

🏆 Watch our three finalist teams compete with their creative and innovative solutions
🧬 Learn about emerging therapies for diseases like osteoporosis and how they go from the lab to the market
✨ Ask the judges about their fields of expertise and careers in biotechnology R&D and medicine!

🚩See you at ABS Lecture Theatre 1110!🚩

Cataract surgery may reduce the risk of dementia?

But first of all, what are cataracts?

Cataracts are the clouding of the lens in our eyes and is very commonly found in older people. Did you know - half of all Australians over 50 years old will be affected and cataracts are the leading cause of blindness WORLDWIDE?

Interesting enough, cataract surgery has been found by the Adult Changes in Thought study in 2021 to be associated with up to 30% reduced risk of developing dementia in older adults.

If you want to know more, click on the link below
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2786583

Reference:
Lee CS, et al. Association between cataract extraction and development of dementia. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2021; doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.6990

Manna

Association Between Cataract Extraction and Development of Dementia This cohort study analyzing data obtained from the Adult Changes in Thought study assesses whether cataract extraction is associated with reduced risk of dementia among adults 65 years of age or older.

✨ Introducing our judges! ✨

A***n Motevali is Junior Operations Associate at Inventia Life Sciences, a biotech company working on 3D bioprinting to create human tissue for research and therapy. He graduated from the University of Melbourne with Masters of Engineering (Biomedical with Business) and has extensive experience working with startups and in the commercialisation of medical research.

⏰ Registrations for Biotech Case Competition 2022 close at midnight TONIGHT!
👉 Register here: https://forms.gle/BnkhPkVEjmzpKdqw8

!!!Registrations for BIOTECH Case Comp close TOMORROW 29TH SEPTEMBER 11:59PM!!!

🙋‍♂️ Sign up as a team of 3-4 OR as an individual/pair (and we’ll help you form a team!) Students from ANY university, studying ANY degree, at ANY year level are welcome

Interested? Head to our facebook event for further event updates:
👉 https://fb.me/e/25QtwCxoq
Or you can register here!
👉 https://forms.gle/BnkhPkVEjmzpKdqw8

✨ Introducing our judges! ✨

🌱 Dr Christian Toouli is CEO and Managing Director of FivepHusion. He is also the co-founder and Executive Director of Bio-Link Australia, a biotech strategic advisory and business development company, and co-founder of Tessara Therapeutics and Imunexus, biotech companies developing cutting-edge therapeutics platform technologies.

🌱 Professor Markus Seibel is Professor in Medicine at the University of Sydney and the inaugural director of the Bone Research Program at Sydney’s ANZAC Research Institute. He is an international authority on bone and mineral disorders and among the pioneers of biochemical markers of bone turnover. He is also a practising endocrinologist at Concord Hospital.

Sign up for Biotech Case Competition 2022!
🧬 Get a taster of how biotech goes from the lab to the market and help patients
💡 Find creative, practical solutions to real life problems and present them to our judges at Grand Finals!
🎓 All attendees will be able to join a QnA with the judges at the end of the evening!

👉 Register here: https://forms.gle/BnkhPkVEjmzpKdqw8
⏰ Registrations close 29TH SEPTEMBER 11:59PM

Why sign up for 🌱 Biotech Case Competition 2022🌱 ?

🧬 Get a taster of how biotech goes from the lab to the market and help patients
✨ Work in multidisciplinary teams on a multifaceted, realistic case scenario
💡 Ideate a creative solution by upskilling your problem solving and adaptability
🏆 Present your solution to our judges and win prizes
🎓 Network with expert authorities in the fields of medicine and biotech research and development

Interested? Head to our facebook event for further event updates:
👉 https://fb.me/e/25QtwCxoq

Or you can register here!
👉 https://forms.gle/BnkhPkVEjmzpKdqw8

⏰ Registrations close 29TH SEPTEMBER 11:59PM
🙋‍♂️ Sign up as a team of 3-4 OR as an individual/pair (and we’ll help you form a team!) Students from ANY university, studying ANY degree, at ANY year level are welcome

Looking into more rare bone-related diseases, this post will focus on a condition known as Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva!

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) affects roughly 1 in a million people worldwide. FOP causes muscle tissue and connective tissue (such as ligaments and tendons) to be replaced with bone over time. People with this condition experience a loss of motor ability, speech, and pain as the condition worsens. This occurs more so as the tissue is healing from tears and wounds, and progressively worsens as the affected person’s ages.

Currently there is no cure for FOP, but limited treatments to help reduce symptoms do exist.

How can research into ageing help people with FOP?

Further readings:
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/fibrodysplasia-ossificans-progressiva/
https://www.webmd.com/children/what-is-fop

Joshua

What Is Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva? Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive (FOP) is a rare condition that causes soft tissue, such as muscle and ligaments, to turn into bone. Learn more about what causes it, what it leads to, and how your doctor tests for it.

❗❗ REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN ❗❗
👉 Register here: https://forms.gle/BnkhPkVEjmzpKdqw8
⏰ Registrations close 29TH SEPTEMBER 11:59PM

Sign up for 🌱 Biotech Case Competition 2022 🌱 to get a taster of how biotechnology is developed and goes from the lab to helping the patient. Challenge yourselves to find creative, practical solutions to real life problems and present them at Grand Finals!
🙋‍♂️ Sign up as a team of 3-4 OR as an individual/pair (and we’ll help you form a team!)
🎓 Students from ANY university, studying ANY degree, at ANY year level are welcome!
▫
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https://fb.me/e/25QtwCxoq

What is osteoporosis - this common chronic condition plaguing many of the aging population?

Osteoporosis weakens our bones by slowly reducing their density, so that they become more brittle and much easier to fracture. This disease disproportionally affects more post-menopausal women due to hormonal changes associated with menopause.

Imagine that just having a fall, you will break your leg. This is the reality for people with severe osteoporosis, where just 1 fall can lead to fractures and other severe complications and overall worse health.

Did you know, currently one of the most effective drugs ‘’Evenity” (romosozumab) is still very difficult to access in Australia with it being limited to only people who have suffered two or more fractures and are at high risk of further fractures according to BMD scans.

Have a think, how could we improve the lives of such people?

Further readings to explore
https://www.9news.com.au/national/evenity-romosozumab-osteoporosis-drug-calls-made-widely-available/8315fa24-e5f6-4a0f-87d1-3b559a2832a6
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2015/01/osteoporosis-aging

Osteoporosis in Aging There’s a lot you can do to reduce your risk for osteoporosis, a condition that affects more than 10 million people nationwide. Getting plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and exercise is a good start.