The rise in food allergy in developed countries is an intriguing phenomenon that has captured the attention of both the medical research community and the media. Although we need to be circumspect about the extent to which it has risen and which countries are most affected, there is little doubt that IgE mediated food allergy and anaphylaxis were rarely reported 50 years ago but are now commonly described. The drivers for this modern day epidemic are poorly understood and indeed it is not clear whether this phenomenon is part of a 2nd wave epidemic of allergy following on from the general rise in allergic disease that was noted around the world at the end of the 21st century or whether the new food allergy epidemic is due to a new set of unique factors

September 23, 2015.

The development of new medical technology requires the collaboration of engineering, IT, medicine, science and industrial design. The Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME) fosters the development of new medical technologies across the whole spectrum of medical science. A prime example of this is the bionic vision device which has been developed over the last five years. This is a ‘brain-machine’ device to restore visual function to blind individuals. I will be presenting this research project but also some of the other exciting areas of medical engineering including the development of replacement body parts such as the ear and the trachea using bio-printing techniques and ‘laboratory on-a-chip’ technology. There is great scope for medical engineering in paediatrics.

July 8, 2015.

Although breast milk is considered the perfect food for babies, there is continued controversy concerning its association with a wide range of health outcomes. Dr Caroline Lodge has led three systematic reviews investigating the associations between breastfeeding and: allergic disease (asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis and food allergy), acute otitis media and, childhood dental caries

July 1, 2015.