Latest News


Technology to support new approach to back pain.

If you have low back pain, you could be the perfect candidate for a new study using text messages to support those with the condition. Named TEXT4myBACK, the University of Sydney and Kolling Institute study will compare two different formats of text message interventions to help people better manage their symptoms. Professor Manuela Ferreira would like to see broad participation in the study with l.....
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Category: New Treatment

New funding for key spinal injury research.

An Australia wide trial is set to get underway with hopes it may lead to life-long improvements for those who experience a spinal cord injury. Led by Professor Lisa Harvey from the Kolling Institute’s John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, the study represents a collaboration between the University of Sydney and every spinal injury unit in Australia. The State Government is investing $2.5 m.....
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Category: Funding support

In the beginning - 100 years ago.

Catherine Storey - Honorary Archivist, Royal North Shore Hospital One hundred years ago, in 1920, a group of distinguished citizens of NSW devised "a scheme of the utmost importance to NSW, and to the Commonwealth." The world had just emerged from World War 1 and the Spanish flu pandemic of 1919, with a massive loss of life. Research into the common diseases of mankind was seen as a means to r.....
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Category: Newsletters

Support for innovative research .

Three valuable research projects have received a boost with the Hillcrest Foundation donating significant funds through the Perpetual IMPACT Philanthropy Program. The Cancer Genetics team received $75,000 to help uncover genetic drivers for rare neuroendocrine tumours. Investigator Dr Trish Dwight said these tumours, known as pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas affect a small percentage of the pop.....
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Category: Funding support

Gout cases increasing worldwide.

The prevalence of gout - a form of arthritis characterised by severe pain, redness and joint tenderness has increased across the world at an alarming rate. That’s according to Kolling Institute researcher Dr Emma Smith, who was the senior author of a research paper analysing the condition from 1990 to 2017. The paper, published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, found there were more than 41 million .....
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Category: Research Excellence

Research to help reduce smoking in pregnancy.

A large scale review has found the number of women smoking during pregnancy in NSW has halved, and yet there are still some concerning trends prompting calls for targeted campaigns. Researchers from the Kolling Institute and the University of Sydney, analysed smoking rates in all pregnancies in New South Wales over a 22 year period from 1994 to 2016. The Women and Babies Research team found the ove.....
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Category: Research Excellence

Which jobs put you at risk of developing a disabling knee condition?.

A global review has identified the jobs most likely to lead to knee osteoarthritis, prompting calls for greater measures to reduce the painful condition. More than 70 studies, involving nearly a million people were analysed as part of the biggest review of the knee condition. The international study brought together teams from the Universities of Sydney, Oxford and Southampton. Researchers found co.....
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Category: Research Excellence

Research to look at the link between osteoarthritis and heart disease.

Generous funding from the Raymond E Purves Foundation will support innovative research to identify how osteoarthritis causes cardiovascular disease. $100,000 will go towards Dr Cindy Shu to continue her valuable project to better define the link between osteoarthritis and heart disease, and inform improved treatment. Nearly 2.5 million Australians currently suffer from osteoarthritis, with the disa.....
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Category: Funding support

Common, easily accessible medication could reduce severe COVID-19 symptoms.

A group of blood pressure medications may hold the key to better outcomes for those with COVID-19, marking a significant breakthrough in the treatment of the virus. An exciting new study, involving researchers from across Australia and India, will investigate whether existing blood pressure medications can reduce the risk of severe disease as well as the duration of severe symptoms. Researchers fro.....
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Category: New Treatment

New research challenges long-held views about high heels and joint pain .

New research has produced a surprising result, indicating high heel shoes may not be a problem for those with hip osteoarthritis. The condition is a very common joint disorder, contributing to tremendous pain for many older people and significant disability. Researchers from the Kolling Institute and the University of Sydney adopted an innovative approach, and evaluated the link between wearing sho.....
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Category: Research Excellence