Menzies School of Health Research

18/11/2025

Congratulations to Menzies A/Prof Holger Unger and PhD student Dr Alice Mengi who presented important research at the Symposium “The Paradox of IPTp: Balancing Malaria Control and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes” at the 2025 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Meeting.

Dr Alice Mengi shared preliminary data of the NHMRC-funded clinical that assessed if intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) using dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine can reduce malaria and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Papua New Guinea.

A/Prof Holger Unger discussed the current challenges that the global research community is facing with regards to protecting pregnant women and their babies against the highly deleterious effects of malaria.

17/11/2025

Every Week Counts | Across Australia preterm birth remains one of the leading causes of infant illness and death.

For World Prematurity Day, Menzies’ Dr Kiarna Brown, along with Prof Cath Chamberlain from the University of Melbourne share their insights on how cultural safety, community leadership and clinical excellence must work together to improve outcomes for First Nations families.

Check out their article with the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance below.

On the cusp of World Prematurity Day, we’re reminded that while every week counts, not every woman has the same chance for a safe pregnancy.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies are almost twice as likely to be born preterm — not because of biology, but because of inequity.

We are honoured to have Professor Catherine Chamberlain and Dr Kiarna Brown pen a very special opinion piece this World Prematurity Day.

"Partnering with First Nations Communities to Give Babies the Best Start” highlights the urgent need to reduce high rates of preterm birth among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families through respectful, community-led partnerships, and better representation of First Nations health professionals at all levels of pregnancy care.

The piece calls for ongoing reflection, learning, and accountability, recognising that improving cultural safety and clinical outcomes go hand-in-hand.

Their call to action this World Prematurity Day: to ensure every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mother has access to culturally safe, trauma-informed care—because every week counts, and every voice matters.

You can read their piece here: https://everyweekcounts.com.au/partnering-with-first-nations-communities-to-give-babies-the-best-start/

The University of Melbourne Menzies School of Health Research The Lowitja Institute Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc National Indigenous Times Koori Mail Safer Care Victoria Institute for Healthcare Improvement - IHI Molly Wardaguga Research Centre Tiny Sparks WA Miracle Babies Foundation Running for premature babies Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia - AHCWA

17/11/2025

On World Premature Day we want to give a special shout-out to Menzies’ Jess Murray, who represented her team at the Avant Foundation Awards Dinner to accept the Research Grant Award for the Dungudbila Project.

Led by Dr Kiarna Brown, Dungudbila (meaning kangaroo in Larrakia, a metaphor for women birthing their babies at full-term and safely) is reimagining pregnancy care through a First Nations lens. Jess was joined by Katena Valastro, one of the women from the Darwin Co-Design Working Group, whose lived experience helped shape this work.

The soon-to-launch Dungudbila App is a co-designed, culturally informed digital pregnancy education tool, empowering Top End First Nations women by blending clinical evidence with Indigenous knowledge.

This year’s World Prematurity Day theme, “Give preterm babies a strong start for a brighter future,” reminds us of the importance of early, life-changing care and the need for continued investment in interventions that prevent preterm birth and support babies born too soon.



Pictured L-R: Heather Kennedy, Operations Manager, Avant Foundation , Katena Valastro, Nyikina and Wakaya woman, Dungudbila App Project co-researcher with lived experience, Jessica Murray, Clinical Research Manager, Maternal Health Program, Menzies

Image credit: Avant Foundation

14/11/2025

Menzies ZOOMAL Project Team hosted a symposium at the 2025 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene ( ) Annual Meeting, presenting over six years of collaborative research between Indonesia and Australia. Co-chaired by A/Prof Matt Grigg and Dr Inke Lubis, the session showcased the project’s One Health approach to understanding zoonotic malaria in western Indonesia.

The symposium featured a wide range of presentations from across disciplines and partner institutions:
➡️ A/Prof Angela Devine (Menzies) – economic costs of illness
➡️ Jacob Westaway (Menzies) – Plasmodium knowlesi genomics across Southeast Asia
➡️ Dr Lucy Harrison (University of Melbourne) – predictive risk mapping
➡️Zi Kang Ooi (WEHI) - multiplex serological tools
➡️ Dr Inke Lubis (Universitas Sumatera Utara) - health facility surveys
➡️ Boni Sebayang (JCU) – vector distribution
➡️Dr Rizaldi (Andalas University) – macaque occupancy modelling
➡️Dr Ivana Alona (Universitas Sumatera Utara) – land use and human behaviour

This session showcased the strength of collaboration, fieldwork, and innovation across Southeast Asia, and is an example of how One Health research can inform strategies for malaria elimination.

13/11/2025

Congratulations to Professor Ric Price and the entire SCOPE collaboration on a successful PAVE Symposium at !

The event showcased the feasibility of new approaches to the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax malaria, with rich discussions led by experts from Brazil, Peru, Ethiopia, PNG, Indonesia and Australia.

The SCOPE study reflects over a decade of collaborative research—transforming the short-course primaquine regimen from clinical trials into clinical practice. A major milestone in the global effort to eliminate vivax malaria.



American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)

13/11/2025

The future of health research is in the hands of the next generation.

With your support, Menzies is mentoring and training researchers who call the Territory home—so they can lead tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

Give your $40 gift today and invest in research leaders of the future.

Donate today: www.menzies.edu.au/page/Support_Us/Donate/ -form

08/11/2025

Menzies is proud to be out in full force at this year’s American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Meeting!

Our researchers will be sharing the latest from the SCOPE and ZOOMAL projects, contributing to global conversations on tropical medicine, infectious diseases and global health.

Join us for presentations, poster sessions, and our ZOOMAL Project Symposium, where we’ll explore innovative approaches to zoonotic disease surveillance and health systems strengthening.

Plus, hear from our SCOPE team, presenting insights from more than a decade of collaborative research across

Explore the full program and catch our researchers in action: https://tinyurl.com/3dtjxnry

07/11/2025

Haksolok tebes, Menzies Timor-Leste fó benvindu ba Sr. Sean Starmer, Xefe Departamentu Negósiu Estranjeiru no Komérsiu (DFAT) Sentru ba Seguransa Saúde, no Sra. Bridget Griffin, Diretora Asistente DFAT ba Preparasaun no Resposta ba Emerjénsia Saúde.

Delegasaun sira hamutuk ho Diretór Nasionál ba Prevensaun no Kontrolu, Diretór Saúde Munisípiu Dili, halo vizita mai ita-nia eskritóriu atu hetan atualizasaun kona-ba Programa Mundiál Susuk no ita-nia servisu kolaborativu iha prevensaun moras, antes la’o hamutuk ba komunidade Santa Cruz hodi hare’e atividade husik susuk direta.

Delegasaun ne’e hala’o mós vizita iha Laboratório Nasionál Saúde, iha ne’ebé esforsu kontinua atu haforsa sistema laboratóriu iha nasaun laran tomak.

Vizita sira hanesan ne’e, atu ajuda hametin ita-nia parseria ho Ministériu Saúde no DFAT bainhira ita servisu hamutuk atu hadi’a rezultadu saúde husi populasaun Timor-Leste nian.

It was a pleasure for Menzies Timor-Leste to welcome Mr. Sean Starmer, Lead of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Centre for Health Security, and Mrs. Bridget Griffin, DFAT Assistant Director for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response.

The delegation, alongside the National Director for Prevention and Control, the Dili Municipal Health Director, visited our office for an update on the World Mosquito Program and our collaborative work in disease prevention, before joining the Santa Cruz community to see mosquito release activities in action.

The delegation also toured the Laboratório Nacional da Saúde, where efforts continue to strengthen laboratory systems across the country.

Visits like this help strengthen our partnership with the Ministériu Saúde and DFAT as we work side by side to improve Timor-Leste population health outcomes.

07/11/2025

Haksolok tebes hare'e dr. Ela husi Menzies Timor-leste hetan intervista husi ekipa RTTL, ne’ebé foka liu ba Moras Reumátika Fuan. Iha entrevista, dr. Ela subliña importánsia husi deteksaun sedu no tratamentu apropriadu ba moras garganta ne'ebé kauza hosi Streptococcus Grupu A, no presiza tebes konxiénsia públika ne'ebé kontinua hodi ajuda hamenus impaktu husi Moras Reumátika Fuan.

It was great to see Dr. Ela from Menzies Timor-Leste being interviewed by the RTTL team, focusing on Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). In the interview, Dr. Ela highlighted the importance of early detection, proper treatment of sore throats caused by Group A Streptococcus, and the need for ongoing community awareness to help reduce the burden of RHD.

06/11/2025

Medical research doesn’t just save lives, it strengthens our communities and boosts our economy. We see this impact every day. From tackling chronic disease to improving Indigenous health outcomes, health research is transforming lives across northern Australia and beyond.

It’s time to unlock the full potential of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and invest in Australia’s research future.

Find out more and join the campaign below.

The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) was created to deliver at least $1 billion each year to support Australian medical research.

Right now, only around $650 million is being released — while programs are being cut, researchers are leaving, and discoveries that could save lives are delayed.

The funds exist. The financial modelling is clear. What’s missing is action.

Join the call to release the full Medical Research Future Fund and secure the future of Australian research. Learn more and take action → www.aamri.org.au/mrff

04/11/2025

Book Launch | Shout out to the Renal team on another successful launch of ‘What makes a good life: Dialysis Models of Care project 2015-2023’.

Kidney disease forces many Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory to move away from their families and Country for life-saving dialysis treatment. This powerful collection of stories and artwork shares the voices of First Nations people with lived experience of kidney disease.

By creating this book, we’re giving back the knowledge and experiences gathered through the project to patients, families and communities in a way that is accessible, meaningful, and relevant to them.

03/11/2025

Health is more than the physical. At Menzies, we design culturally tailored mental health programs that strengthen resilience and bring care where it’s needed most.

Your $40 gift helps expand support for individuals, families, and communities.
Celebrate 40 years—support mental health today.

Donate today: www.menzies.edu.au/page/Support_Us/Donate/ -form