Twins Research Australia

18/03/2026

Thanks to the Australian Multiple Birth Association for featuring our Deputy Director, Professor Jeff Craig, and his latest research as part of Multiple Birth Awareness Week 2026 🤩👏

17/03/2026

It is Multiple Birth Awareness Week 2026! This year's theme is: Connected. Supported. Stronger. The Australian Multiple Birth Association is sharing many great resources, stories, facts and figures as part of the week. TRA congratulates them on these initatives👏

10/03/2026

Over the last 25 years, researchers have been tracking the number of moles on almost 4,000 young Australian twins & observed a nearly 50% drop in that period. While that's good news, they explain why the work doesn’t stop there.

The new study shows the number of moles on almost 4,000 children dropped by 47% between 1992 and 2016. But here’s what parents still need to watch for.

06/03/2026

Igbo-Ora, a town in southwestern Nigeria, is widely known for its unusually high number of twins and other multiple births. In this community, where Yoruba culture shapes daily life, twins are seen as a blessing and are closely tied to local traditions. Multiple births are common enough that they have become part of how families describe the place and their shared identity within it.

The article looks at the ongoing question of why Igbo-Ora has so many twins. Local residents point to food and diet, including a local soup made with okra leaves, while researchers have explored possible links involving locally grown yams. The town also holds a twins festival, where twins, triplets, and quadruplets gather in matching outfits for photos and celebration, showing how multiple births are recognised not only medically, but socially and culturally too.

Link to article: https://sbee.link/rxwnd8gabj

26/02/2026

Could the experiences of twins help explain why we don't trust politicians?

After a certain point, our trust is fairly stable, so there could be a link between our formative experiences and our feelings about politics.

23/02/2026

Twins are helping us to understand the degree to which genes contribute to our longevity. New research shows about 50%, or around double what prior research concluded.

New research estimates genetic heritability of lifespan at 50% – double previous estimates.

13/02/2026

Recent research has shown that affectionate mothering in childhood may have a lasting impact on important personality traits, potentially influencing life outcomes such as educational achievement, economic success, and health and wellbeing. Researchers examined data from 2,232 British identical twins (51.1% female) who were followed from birth through to age 18 as part of the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twins Study. The study findings suggest that positive maternal parenting could foster important traits such as openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness.

However, it can be especially challenging for mothers of multiples to dedicate the time, especially when they grapple with so many other challenges and extra support is needed. As one of the researchers involved states more generally: "There are many proven ways to support parents, such as policies that improve a family's financial situation; access to treatment for parents who struggle with mental health problems such as depression; and parenting programs that help parents build stronger relationships with their children". This would be especially needed for parents of multiples. The research sheds light on the possibility of developing parental training models to address inequalities in personality development. "By targeting parenting practices that promote positive traits in childhood, it may be possible to reduce disparities in life outcomes associated with socioeconomic background, family dynamics and other environmental factors".

Link to article: https://sbee.link/by76uqr3v4

12/02/2026

This new study looked at older twin adults and found that strong social connections are linked with better mental health. By involving twins, the research helps us understand how our genes and our relationships affect wellbeing as we age.

As TRA's Professor Jeff Craig explains: "Because twins share the same age and, in the case of identical twins, the same genes, researchers can compare twins who have different levels of social support — for example, one twin who is socially active and connected, and another who isn’t — to see how this affects mental health.

"The key finding was that older adults with closer friendships, stronger family ties, and more social support tended to have better mental health than those with fewer social connections. This suggests that it isn’t just genes or personality — the quality of our relationships really matters for emotional wellbeing.

"For the multiple-birth community, this research highlights that supportive relationships are important at every age. Twin families often have built-in social networks through siblings, cousins, and extended family — and this study reinforces that staying connected can be protective for mental health in later life.

"Strong social connections — whether through family, friends, community groups, or support networks — can make life feel more meaningful and help protect against feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression."

Using data from CHeBA’s Older Australian Twins Study (OATS), one of Australia’s most comprehensive ageing research projects, researchers analysed more than 560 twins aged 65 and over across six years to understand how social connections relate to mental and cognitive health.

12/02/2026

05/02/2026

A moving story of how twin, Kylie, coped with the devastating loss of her twin. If you or someone you know is struggling with the loss of a twin, support groups and counselling can be invaluable in navigating this uniquely difficult, often silent, form of grief.

One such group is Twinless Twins Support Australia, a private FB group started by TRA member, Dana. Also find other avenues of support, including psychologists with expertise in twin issues, and organisations such as Lifeline at our website.

"Half of my experiences, memories and DNA died with her."

03/11/2025

We still have plenty of spaces for our webinar this week. Feel free to share.

We are delighted to let you know we have a special webinar for International Multiple Birth Awareness Week 2025 which is taking place 3-9 November.
Our speaker will be author Dr Elizabeth A. Stewart a mother of adult twin sons, sociology professor and an expert in twin studies. She is a perfect fit for the theme of IMBAW 2025 - Multiples for Life. Her most recent book is Parenting Twins: the adventure begins. She has authored two other books on twins — Exploring twins: a social analysis of twinship and Twin Tales: Hand in hand across the world. This new book builds on these previous publications but is tailored for a more general audience and is very readable. By bringing together her personal experience and her academic expertise, she provides insights into various aspects of being a twin and the impacts on the family.
Join us on Wednesday 5th November at 10 am UK time (you can find your local time using this time converter: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
All are welcome to attend but please register in advance for this webinar (only register if you will be able to attend as we are limited to 100 attendees)

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/2zrd-x5qREW1j51sv4kPSg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Kind regards,
Carolyn

15/10/2025

👉Help needed from same-sex Fraternal Twins | $250 gift cards to be won👈
All eligible TRA members aged 18-65 have been invited to participate in the Colour Game study. Researchers need more of our very valuable same-sex, non-identical twins to determine whether the preference for colours, colour combinations, and the decision-making strategies used to reveal these preferences, are determined by genes, experience, or a combination of both.

Go into the running to win a $250 gift card each, if you and your twin participate in this study. Learn more at https://bit.ly/colour-game-study
Check your email for your invitation or email info@twins.org.au for it to be resent.