Medical Minds

Autoimmune diseases affect one in eight people, yet many are still treated by suppressing the entire immune system. But what if all of them shared a common root cause – a small number of rogue immune cells that could be identified and removed? In this episode, Garvan's Professor Chris Goodnow explains how he's tracking down these 'rogue clones', and how targeting them could pave the way for more effective treatments for autoimmune diseases. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pancreatic cancer can surround itself with dense scar tissue, creating a kind of fortress that makes tumours incredibly difficult to treat. So, how do we find a way through? In this episode, Garvan researcher Dr Brooke Pereira explains the role of this complex tumour environment, and reveals how better understanding it could be the key to uncovering new treatment options. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our immune system is like a well-trained security network, constantly scanning the body for threats. So, how is it that some harmful cells manage to slip by unnoticed? In this episode, we speak to computational biologist, Dr Clare Puttick, about how cancer cells can evade detection by disrupting the molecular “flags” that would normally mark them for attack. Her research is uncovering new ways to expose these hidden cells and could offer fresh insights into diseases where the immune system doesn’t behave as expected, including endometriosis. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the missing piece in diagnosing, and even treating, a rare disease was hiding in plain sight? For one such condition, mevalonate kinase deficiency, which affects at least one in a million people globally, that piece may now have been uncovered. In this episode, Garvan's Professor Mike Rogers shares insights from more than a decade of research into this condition, and explains how his findings are helping reveal a bigger picture. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immunotherapy has revolutionised the treatment of many blood cancers, harnessing the immune system so our bodies can fight back. But for solid tumours, like pancreatic cancer with a survival rate of just 13%, that breakthrough has remained frustratingly out of reach. In this episode, we explore why the immune system struggles to attack these tumours and how the physical environment inside cancers can shape the way immune cells behave. We hear from Garvan's Associate Professor Maté Biro, whose research maps how cells move inside of tumours, with the goal of uncovering new strategies to improve cancer treatment. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arthritis affects millions of people, but the underlying causes are still not fully understood. What makes the immune system that normally protects us suddenly attack our joints? And why do arthritis flares seem to arrive without warning? In this episode, we explore how certain immune cells or signals might be responsible for switching inflammation on. We hear from Garvan's Dr Etienne Masle-Farquhar, who is mapping these processes in both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, with the goal of predicting flares earlier and guiding more effective treatment. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, the fight against cancer has focused on killing the tumour cell. We treated cancer like an isolated entity that needed to be destroyed – but what if we’ve been looking at the wrong target? In this episode, we delve into the critical insight that cancer is not just a rogue cell – it’s an entire ecosystem – and that ecosystem is the key to unlocking a new class of cures. We hear from Garvan's Dr Ankur Sharma, who is using precision technology to dissect how the environment around liver cancers allows them to grow unchecked. The ultimate goal for this research is to develop better diagnostics and treatments for this deadly cancer. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Therapies and drugs have evolved enormously in the last 30 years. For example, in cancer, where previously our options were limited to surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, we’re now hearing terms like cancer immunotherapy, targeted therapies and even cancer vaccines. Many of these are biologics. In this episode you’ll hear from Dr Rachel Galimidi who is at the forefront of biologics drug development and is working to make new and better treatments for a range of diseases. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the toughest cancers to treat – it’s aggressive, often diagnosed late, and doesn’t respond well to standard therapies. In this episode, we meet Professor Marina Pajic who is working at the cutting-edge of science to transform how we understand and treat this disease. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Garvan is one of Australia's largest independent medical research institutes with a single focus: to make discoveries that will improve health for all. In this episode, you’ll hear from Executive Director Professor Benjamin Kile on how he came to be at Garvan's helm and his strategy for driving extraordinary science that will have transformational impact for patient lives. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Australia alone, 50 people are diagnosed with Parkinson's every day. Therapy options are limited, as they are for other movement and muscle disorders, such as ataxia and dystonia. In this episode of Medical Minds, we meet neurologist and researcher Associate Professor Kishore Kumar, who is working on the next big breakthroughs for treatment. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The human body has an incredible capacity to heal itself – whether it’s a paper cut, a broken bone, or your lungs recovering after a chest infection. But not all types of healing are good for us. Cancers seem to have hijacked the healing process to protect themselves from treatments and to spread more easily around the body. In this episode, we speak to Associate Professor Thomas Cox, who is working to put a stop to this and make existing cancer therapy more effective. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 33,000 people in Australia today are affected by multiple sclerosis, a disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord, for which there is no cure. In this episode, you’ll meet Dr Seyhan Yazar and Professor Tri Phan who are working to better manage, treat and prevent MS, by investigating what could be a critical link between this disease and a very common virus, the Epstein-Barr Virus. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scientific advances have led us to diagnosing, treating and preventing cancer much better than ever before. Still, 10 million people die of cancer every year and what we need now are transformative ideas. In this episode you’ll hear from Dr Amanda Khoury and Dr Braydon Meyer who are using AI to develop the next generation of cancer treatments and diagnostics. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our gastrointestinal system contains more than 70% of the body’s immune cells and can house more microbial cells than there are human cells in our entire body. Unravelling all that complexity is more important than ever, with conditions affecting the gut, such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, on the rise. In today’s episode, we speak to Dr Kylie James who is taking a genetic deep dive – using single cell genomics – to develop more personalised approaches to preventing and treating inflammatory bowel disease. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The relief of a successful cancer treatment is all too often marred by a distressing, lingering uncertainty of whether a cancer will return. Cancer cells can tuck away and lie dormant for years before waking up to spread once again. In this episode we speak to Professor Peter Croucher who is tackling some of the toughest problems in cancer research – how can we track cancer cells on their way to becoming dormant, how can we stop them from waking up and how can we eradicate them from our system completely? Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Genomics is fundamentally changing the way we think about health and disease and driving forward personalised treatment options that would have been pure science fiction just a few years ago. Still, some parts of our genome are more ‘mysterious’ than others. In this episode, we meet Garvan researcher Dr Ira Deveson who is spearheading cutting-edge DNA sequencing methods to future-proof how genomics will integrate into healthcare. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every day, we accumulate trillions of mutations in our body’s genetic material. How does our body stay the course amidst this constant genetic change and what's the link between our genes and our well-being? In this episode we speak to clinician researcher Associate Professor Owen Siggs who explains why genomics may be as much a part of your future GP visits as taking your blood pressure or checking your cholesterol. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve ever seen an image of fluorescent cancer cells under the microscope, you may agree that it’s hard to understand how something so beautiful could be so deadly. In this episode, we speak to Professor Paul Timpson who is visualising pancreatic cancer in vivid detail to understand what the cancer's weak spots are and how to improve treatments for patients. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few hundred years ago, the idea of cells moving around in your body, protecting you from disease would have seemed like complete fantasy. Today, we don’t just know those remarkable cells exist – but we can visualise them in vivid detail. In this episode we meet Professor Tri Phan, a clinician-researcher who has combined his expertise in medicine and microscopy to unravel how our immune system works and how to stop it from going wrong. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tumour is often thought of as a kind of chaotic tissue – cancer cells multiplying without control or reason, wreaking havoc in the body with devastating outcomes. In this episode we speak to Professor Alex Swarbrick who is charting an ‘atlas’ through that chaos, using cutting-edge genomic technologies to reveal the intricate inner workings of breast cancer. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks to technology and the convenience of our modern lifestyle, we are far less active today than previous generations. But how have our bodies adjusted to that massive physical slow-down? In this episode, we speak with endocrinologist and clinical scientist Professor Katherine Samaras, who is working every day to improve lives. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's no doubt that medical research is accelerating – thanks to cutting-edge technology we can do experiments faster, at a bigger scale and crunch more data more efficiently. But today we're talking to Associate Professor Liz Caldon, who is slowing down her experiments to understand how we can better tackle cancer drug resistance. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

APDS is a rare inherited immune condition that has been reported in less than 300 people worldwide. So how could studying it help improve outcomes for the millions of people who live with autoimmune disease? Today, we meet A/Prof Elissa Deenick, a researcher who is taking a deep dive into the genetics of immune cells to make sure no patient gets left behind. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inside your blood stream, billions of immune cells are working hard to protect you – from bacteria, viruses, fungi, toxins – anything that could disturb your body's delicate balance. But how does this immune protection work? Today, we meet Professor Stuart Tangye, a scientific detective who is working to solve the immune system puzzle. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine being able to explore the fascinating world of individual cells and their genomic makeup, to unravel the mysteries hidden within our cells and to uncover the intricate mechanisms that cause disease. Today we meet Professor Joseph Powell, a cellular genomic scientist working on cutting-edge research that's improving the effectiveness of personalised therapy. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The immune system is a complex network designed to protect our bodies from harmful invaders. But sometimes it can turn on us attacking our own cells and in doing so, causing autoimmune disease. Over the last 50 years, research into our immune system has advanced to identify particular drivers that protect us from autoimmune disease. Researchers are learning how these responses are tuned under various environmental and genetic circumstances. Professor Rob Brink is working to understand these fine-tuning aspects and how we can manipulate them through the advent of cheaper and faster DNA sequencing. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In early 2020, the world was plunged to the start of a pandemic that has affected every aspect of our lives. We’ve come to realise how vulnerable we are to viruses. The pandemic has also brought so much more science into awareness, with bell curves and an understanding of immunology than we’ve ever had before. But it’s not over yet – and in this episode, we talk with Dr Deborah Burnett, who’s doing her part to end the pandemic by working on a universal vaccine. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right this second, your immune system is protecting you from all the many potential bugs and foreign particles that can make you sick – bacteria, viruses, fungi, pollen, even food. When you’re healthy, you don’t realise how much work your immune system is doing to keep these nasties away. But if your immune system is out of whack, it can have a huge impact to your health. In this episode, we’re talking with Associate Professor Cindy Ma, who is trying to figure out why disorders of the immune system occur and how they could be treated. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One heart attack in a young family member is an unexpected shock. Two is a terrible coincidence that raises the heckles, but three that sounds like a genetic mystery. In this episode we talk researcher and cardiac genetic counsellor Associate Professor Jodie Ingles, who works with patients to uncover their genomic secrets. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine seeing 20 years of hard work come together to help possibly thousands of people living with type 1 diabetes. Today we talk to Professor Shane Grey, who is experiencing just that. His autoimmune research has led to the discovery of a way to transplant the cells that produce insulin, without the need for immunosuppression. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Human Genome project was a $3 billion global endeavour which launched in 1990 and took 13 years to complete. But now thanks to rapid and continuing advances in technology, we can sequence a whole human genome in just a matter of hours. In this episode, we talk to Associate Professor Sarah Kummerfeld, who's collaborating with researchers to analyse medical data, and find out how new technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence driving the future of healthcare research. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Medical research sits at the intersection of the lab and the clinic. It's critical for translating breakthrough science into possible treatments for people. It's most successful when scientists and clinicians collaborate. Today, we're talking with Professor Anthony Joshua, one of Australia's leading oncologists and researchers, who is working to improve the treatment, survival and quality of life of cancer patients. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breast cancer is one of the most studied and high-profile cancers, and yet we still have so much to learn. While we have come such a long way and so many lives have been saved by advances in research, there’s still some breast cancers that are aggressive and don’t respond to treatment. Today we’re talking with Associate Professor Christine Chaffer who is determined to unravel how these cancers work. Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support Garvan research: https://www.garvan.org.au/support-us/give-now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk with s researcher who has big goals to bring equity into genomics medicine in Australia.