UNSW Medicine & Health

13/01/2026

Australia is no stranger to the dangers of bushfires.

But as temperatures rise, we will face more frequent and severe bushfires and smoke pollution.

“The concern is when smoke exposure enters a duration that we don’t have a lot of experience with, like weeks on end,” says Dr Christine Cowie, an epidemiologist and Adjunct Fellow with UNSW Medicine & Health.

“We know the longer someone endures smoke inhalation, the greater the risk of developing severe illness, even for healthy people.”

Dr Cowie and fellow UNSW experts discuss how to protect our health and environment in the face of changing bushfire seasons.

https://news.unsw.edu.au/en/up-in-flames-how-bushfires-could-reshape-daily-life?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

12/01/2026

Summer is pool party season for kids’ playdates and birthdays.

Whether you’re hosting, or accepting an invite, it’s important to consider swimming abilities and pool safety, to prevent injuries and ensure all the kids have a great time.

UNSW Dr Amy Peden shares some top tips for having a safe and fun summer by the pool.

Before you accept the pool party invitation or host your own, ask these questions first.

09/01/2026

Australia’s red and yellow beach flags are meant to clearly mark out a safe and patrolled area of the beach.

But instead they are a common source of confusion for international visitors, with the meaning of the flag colours and rules frequently misinterpreted.

So, is it time to redesign Australia’s beach flags?

To international visitors, red and yellow beach flags may look like a warning.

08/01/2026

Many Australians turn to social media influencers when looking for their next outdoor adventure.

At the same time, social media creates a perverse incentive for influencers: the more spectacular and dangerous their content looks, the better it performs, which can inspire followers to take safety risks.

So what responsibility should influencers bear when it comes to public safety? UNSW PhD candidate Samuel Cornell interviewed creators to learn how they think about risk and their role in shaping their followers' behaviour.

Australians use social media to plan outdoor adventures. But travel influencers take risks to in remote locations. Are they putting followers in danger?

07/01/2026

Many autistic people face challenges in their daily life as they navigate a world designed for neurotypical people.

A trip to a local cafe with its cacophony of sounds and smells can become overwhelming for someone with sensory processing sensitivities, while a conversation may require continuous monitoring of social cues and masking of autistic traits.

These stressors can add up over time, resulting in autistic burnout, experts say, but there are measures which can help.

It can be exhausting for autistic people to live in a world designed for neurotypical people.

06/01/2026

If your doctor diagnoses a tumour, does that mean you have cancer?

Tumours and cancers are often discussed interchangeably, and while both can cause lumps and bumps, not all tumours are cancer and not all cancers form tumours.

UNSW Scientia Lecturer Dr Sarah Sasson and Garvan Institute of Medical Research Dr Megan Barnet explain the difference and why it’s important to get the wording right.

If a doctor tells you have a tumour, what does that actually mean? Do you have cancer? Let’s clear up any confusion.

21/12/2025

Goodbye 2025. 👋

You’ve been a year of memorable achievements for our faculty.

We’ve had students, staff and alumni recognised for their remarkable impact, improving health care and education. We celebrated graduations, the 25th anniversary of our Rural Clinical Campuses, as well as the opening of the UNSW Health Translation Hub and many other milestones.

As this year now draws to a close, we’d like to thank you for being part of our community, and wish you a safe and restful holiday season.

We will be taking a short break at this time – returning on 6 January 2026.

Our social channels won’t be monitored, but if you’re a future student with enrolment questions, our support team will be available to contact, here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/study/help/contact-us

🎨 Illustration credit: Jelena Sinik (UNSW alumna and artist)

19/12/2025

When preparing for an overseas holiday, with that long checklist of to-dos, it’s easy to forget about your pre-travel vaccinations.

But without them, your holiday itinerary may be unpleasantly interrupted – with mild sickness at best, or at worst serious illness and navigating foreign health systems.

So which travel vaccines should you get for your upcoming trip? Public health and infectious disease experts share current recommendations.

When you think about travel vaccines, you might think about ones for typhoid or cholera. But there are others you need to think about too.

18/12/2025

“Quiet cracking” is a concerning burnout phenomenon being reported across workplaces, where employees appear engaged but are silently struggling to maintain energy and productivity.

It results from a combination of extreme fatigue and job insecurity, revealing the flaws in modern working arrangements, according to experts.

UNSW Emeritus Professor in Psychiatry Gordon Parker AO discusses the factors that contribute to burnout and what workplaces should do to protect long-term employee wellbeing.

Experts explain how burnout and quiet cracking signal deeper flaws in modern work and what leaders can do to prevent them

18/12/2025

We are delighted to recognise Professor Mark Brown AM, who has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from UNSW Sydney. 🎉

Prof. Brown is a renowned renal physician whose work has transformed clinical practice, influenced national and international guidelines, and helped shape generations of clinicians and medical students.

UNSW is proud to celebrate Prof. Brown’s achievements – and thank him for his extraordinary service to medicine and to our community. 👏

17/12/2025

The Lang Walker AO Medical Research Building has officially opened, putting south-western Sydney at the forefront of medical research and clinical care.

Part of Campbelltown Hospital Campus, the new medical centre will bring together researchers, clinicians and postgraduate students to deliver innovations that benefit local patients and communities, with a particular focus on improving outcomes for people facing complex and chronic health issues.

It has been developed in partnership between UNSW, Western Sydney University, South Western Sydney Local Health District and the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, with financial, development and delivery support from the Walker Corporation.

https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2025/12/landmark-55-million-medical-research-centre-opens-in-south-west-sydney?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

16/12/2025

💬 “The world has the tools to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. What is missing is sustained political will, predictable and adequate funding and the courage to confront inequity head-on.”

Dr Beatriz Grinsztejn, President of the IAS - International AIDS Society, recently delivered the 2025 David Cooper Lecture at the Kirby Institute, highlighting what it will take to meet the World Health Organization’s 2030 target to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Speaking with ABC’s Dr Norman Swan, Dr Grinsztejn stressed that medicine is a field where “science and justice must walk together” and warned that we are at a “critical moment” in global health, where inequities in HIV treatment must be urgently addressed.

Watch now:

Ongoing action on HIV is needed to meet the World Health Organization’s 2030 target to end AIDS as a public health threat.