Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Alumni

13/05/2026

Ever wondered what hiccups actually are or whether a voice transplant could ever work?
WEHI alum Dr Sarah Holper has you covered.

Her new podcast, Unhealthy Curiosity, dives into the body’s quirks, flaws and evolutionary oddities with the same scientific rigour she brought to her PhD at WEHI. Sarah’s research explored plasma biomarkers of tau dysregulation, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease, helping improve diagnostic and prognostic precision.

Now she’s channelling that expertise into bite‑sized episodes designed to spark curiosity and celebrate the joy of learning. A fantastic listen from one of our own.

Listen to from wherever you get your podcasts!

30/04/2026

Many in our alumni community know Alan for his quiet nature - thoughtful, steady, and never one to seek the spotlight, but always making a lasting impact.

27/03/2026

As WEHI alumni, you understand the long‑term impact of medical research.
Help future generations live longer, healthier lives by leaving a gift in your Will to medical research today. Until 30 March, WEHI alumni can create a Will on the Safewill platform and have it legally reviewed for free.

Help future generations live longer, healthier lives by leaving a gift in your Will to medical research today.

Until 30 March, you can create your Will on the Safewill platform and have it legally reviewed for free.

✅ Protect your loved ones
✅ Secure your assets
✅ Support the causes you care about

Offer ends 30 March

Learn more: https://safewill.com/wehi?utm_campaign=wehi_mar2026_organic-socials_1

24/03/2026

What if researchers had a complete atlas for one of the most powerful enzyme families in human biology?

WEHI researchers have led a global study to create the world’s first authoritative atlas of E3 ligases, enzymes that control the fate of proteins in almost every cellular process.

WEHI researchers have led a major global effort to create the first authoritative atlas for a class of enzymes that regulate almost every cellular process in the human body.

20/03/2026

WEHI Alumni – have you been part of the journey of Structural Biology and Drug Discovery at WEHI?

You are invited to a special symposium celebrating 25 years since the foundation of structural biology and drug discovery at WEHI, bringing together past alumni, present staff and emerging researchers.

The symposium will be held on Thursday 23 April 2026 at WEHI and will highlight the significant discoveries made over the past 25 years, alongside current research that is shaping the future of medical research.

Date: Thursday 23 April 2026
Time:9:15am – 5:00pm
Venue: WEHI, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville

📩 Invitations will be sent shortly.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please email alumni@wehi.edu.au.

We look forward to celebrating this important milestone with you.

20/02/2026

Wishing you health, happiness and prosperity for the year ahead.

02/02/2026

Future science tech gives patients faster, more precise answers.💡🧬🚀 At the Colonial Foundation Diagnostics Centre based at WEHI, cutting-edge technologies are helping reduce the often long and complex diagnosis journey for people living with inflammatory diseases.

WEHI’s Professor Edwin Hawkins and Dr Michael Christie from The Royal Melbourne Hospital are fusing clinical practice with world-leading 3D tissue mapping technology, enhanced by AI and machine learning (ML), to give patients faster, more precise answers.👏

Millions of Australians live with chronic inflammatory diseases, yet diagnosis requires multiple invasive tests that don’t capture the complete picture. Delays can be devastating, as chronic inflammation left untreated can permanently damage organs.

Researchers are aiming to turbocharge what is known about these complex diseases, driving understanding from lab to clinic, dramatically shortening diagnosis times for patients.

Supported by the Colonial Foundation, the centre’s five-year vision is to embed detailed cell-by-cell maps of disease, analysed by AI and ML, into standard diagnostic tests – to deliver results in a fraction of the time.

“What once took dozens of labs and years to complete in the early 2000s can now be done on a single patient tissue section during a standard pathology test.”
- Prof Edwin Hawkins, Head, Colonial Foundation Diagnostics Centre.

More 👉:https://www.wehi.edu.au/news/ending-the-diagnostic-odyssey-with-future-science/

07/01/2026

Researchers have uncovered how a particular strain of a diarrhoea-causing parasite managed to infect more animal species, offering new insights into how parasitic infections emerge and spread to people.

19/12/2025

End-of-year vibes, WEHI style ✨🎉

A little trip down memory lane with a few images captured across various end-of-year parties over the years. Images of small moments but big memories.

From all of us at WEHI, we wish you a wonderful festive season, a proper break, and plenty of joy wherever the holidays take you 🌞

🎄✨

17/12/2025

Researchers have developed a new antimalarial drug candidate designed to address the growing challenge of drug resistance and potentially reduce malaria transmission.