10 great minds australia 2007

8/14/2019 10 great minds australia 2007

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Australian Government 2007

Paper-based publ ication

This work is copyright. Apart rom any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any processwithou t written permission rom the Commonwealth available rom the Attorney-Generals Department. Requests and inquiries

concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney-Generals

Department, Robert Garran Ofces, National Circuit, Canberra, ACT, 2600 or posted at: http://www.ag.gov.au/cca.

ISBN Print: 1864964448

Australian Government 2007

Electronic documents

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Administration, Attorney-Generals Department, Robert Garran Ofces, National Circuit, Canberra, ACT, 2600 or posted

at: http://www.ag.gov.au/cca.

Online: 1864964502

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Phone: Toll ree 13 000 NHMRC (13 000 64672) or call 02 6217 9000

Internet: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au


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Today, thanks to Australian medical researchers, we live in a world were cochlear implants give sound where there was silence,

vaccines or cervical cancer exist and a glass o bacteria inested broth taught us that this bacteria can cause stomach ulcers.

As a medical researcher, it gives me a strong sense o pride to be part o a community which includes some o the greatest minds

in the world. Australian researchers are leading the way in the fght against many diseases including cancer, malaria and other

inectious diseases. The talent in this country is outstanding.

As the CEO o the National Health and Medical Research Council, it gives me great pleasure to know that with the help

o our unding, the work o the men and women profled on these pages will continue and keep Australia at the international

oreront o health and medical research.

The outstanding researchers profled in 10 of the Best - Great minds in Australian research have eected change in health and

medical research in this country as well as internationally either through their groundbreaking research and their dedication

to research policy.

It is a privilege to be able to introduce you to these researchers who have such an important and largely unacknowledged role

in the health o every man, woman and child in our country. I eel humbled by the dedication, perseverance and talent o these

people who truly are among the greatest minds in health and medical research.

Professor Warwick Anderson, AM

Ci excutiv ofcr

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Professor Sam Berkovic describes himself as a clinical

neurologist with a special interest in epilepsy which may be the

understatement of the century. Professor Berkovics research has

in fact revealed new insights into the genetics of epilepsy andhas led to changes in patient management and new concepts

in the understanding of epilepsies.

His research was the first to prove that many types of epilepsy

have a significant genetic component and once he looked deeper

into the illness and discovered a number of new inherited

epilepsy syndromes which led to many more discoveries.

Some specific consequences of Professor Berkovics work

include more accurate diagnosis, treatment and counsellingof people with epilepsy. The hope now is to develop novel

therapeutic approaches.

Were focussing mainly on the genetic causes of epilepsy.

Were hoping to understand the genes that underlie epilepsy, of

which weve already discovered quite a number, so we can then

understand what the chain is between having an abnormal gene

and having epilepsy, he said. When we understand that chain

we will then be in a position to try and intervene and develop

better strategies for treatment.

For as long as he can remember, Professor Berkovic wanted

to be a doctor. While in medical school he found himself more

and more interested in the human brain. His fascination with

epilepsy came from his first job as a neurology intern at the

Austin Hospital.

My boss at the time was very, very interested in epilepsy and

seemed to be doing things that werent written in the books

or that other people that I talked to didnt seem to know about

and it just seemed incredibly interesting. I really got hookedon it then.

When asked what his primary motivation for being a researcher

is, Professor Berkovic gives an easy, one-word answer

curiosity.

Its fun to find things out that other people havent figured out,

that sort of intellectual curiosity makes it easier to get up every

morning for sure but also as a clinical researcher you see

almost on a day to day basis the results of the work that you do.Thats very rewarding.

SAM BERKOVIC THE GENETICS OF EPILEPSY

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Since the completion of the Human Genome Project

an ambitious project which mapped all 25,000 genes in human

DNA all the pieces of the Genetic jigsaw which make

up a human being have been identified so the key nowis to work out what all of these genes do and how they interact

to build a complete picture and potentially prevent or cure

some our most devastating diseases.

Leading the way in fitting this complex, and at times confusing

jigsaw together is Professor Doug Hilton from the Walter and

Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne. Looking very little like

a traditional scientist and more like an Mt Everest climbing

adventurer, Professor Hilton is broadly considered to be pioneer

in the field of haematological research.

His groundbreaking discoveries include how the bodys cells

communicate with each other and his current work, using the

rich source of information provided by gene mapping, may one

day lead to identifying the genes which maybe targeted to treat

many debilitating diseases.

Professor Hilton says, With the genes that control blood cell

development, the hope is that by understanding how blood

cells normally develop we can intervene in diseases likeleukaemia and arthritis.

Although Professor Hiltons research tends to focus on blood cell

diseases, the potential of his research is far reaching and may

one day spell and end to many other types of disease.

Something that sets Professor Hilton apart is the fact that his

love of research is met squarely by his passion for nurturing and

encouraging young researchers.

I would love to be remembered for making a really usefulcontribution to treating diseases but also having a group

of young people who have been given an opportunity

to do research in my lab and who go on to do something even

more significant than I did. That would actually be more exciting

to me in some ways.

Professor Hilton also cites being father to two young children

as really opening his eyes to enjoying seeing someone else

succeed as much as succeeding himself. Having children has also

made him look at his own career, appreciate his success and to

prioritise the important things in his life.

I cant see myself still doing this when Im 75; I think we have

a finite period where we are really at the cutting edge. There

are other things I want to do, down the track I can see myself

contributing to science through consulting, policy development

and administration. There is also an element of getting out of the

way of younger researchers. Im really passionate about moving

on and letting the next generation take up opportunities.

DOUG HILTON SOLVINGTHE GENOMIC JIGSAW

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One would assume that the Director of the Centre for Genetic

Epidemiology and Australian Twin Registry who is also

on the editorial boards ofGenetic Epidemiology and Journal ofEpidemiology and Biostatistics along with heading up the research

team which introduced the concept of using the families in

large cohorts to the leading research organisation in the world,

the National Institute of Health in America, would be one of

Australias leading epidemiologists. But, you would be wrong.

Professor John Hopper is in fact, primarily, a mathematician and

statistician. After completing his PhD in mathematical statistics,

he found that creating statistical models for epidemiological

studies wasnt quite as fulfilling as it could be. So, following

in the footsteps of one of his heroes, Malcolm Pike, he went

on to cross the invisible line to become a world leading

researcher in genetic epidemiology although he doesnt consider

himself to be either an epidemiologist or a geneticist.

Ive found that my background of coming from outside a lab

has actually been an advantage. I have no preconceived ideas,

the information for me is in the data and Im quite happy

to be proven wrong, he said.

What you learn from mathematics is the process of logical

thinking. Scientists have a reputation for being boffins that know

and remember everything; my attitude is that I will become

an expert when you put the data in front of me!

Professor Hoppers current population based studies looks

at genes and the environment together in breast cancer, bowel

cancer, and prostate cancer.

There is a general belief that what dictates health

is an interaction between your genetic make-up and your

environment.

Professor Hoppers research has redefined how epidemiological

studies are conducted. In the early 1990s, along with

Graham Giles and Margaret McReady, Professor Hopper set

up what was called case/control/family studies where they

identified cases from the cancer registry and controls from the

electoral role, establishing the concept of using a control family.

The population based case control family studies are the way

of doing epidemiology in the future. If you only study thefamilies with lots of cases of a particular disease, you end

up with a very biased picture of the genetics. Using control

families, you get a different view.

The view his team did get caused backlash amongst the scientific

community. By putting the genetics into a population based

perspective, instead of saying that the lifetime risk of people

with these mutations was around 80 90%, their studies showed

it was actually about half of that. Professor Hoppers research was

proved to be right.

It took balls to set up these studies, we got a little bruised and

battered in the process but in the end its about using correct

data. Let the data speak for itself.

JOHN HOPPER A MATHEMATICIAN WITHTHE HEARTOF AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST

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Epidemiologists, by their very definition, set about detecting

the source and cause of disease in populations. These puzzle-

masters continually look at health through a wide-angle lens,

and their ideas then go on to influence other areas of research

and inform policy. For Professor Tony McMichael, his research

into the effects of environmental change on human health could

not only have the potential to influence our health, it could

also help preserve our very existence.

During the late 1980s it became increasingly clear to Professor

McMichael that the emerging evidence of new, global,

environmental changessuch as the then-controversial

Greenhouse Effectposed very real and very significant

risks to human health.

We are effectively changing the climate on the planet, which

in turn has a huge impact on its life support systems. Much

of the risk to health lies in the future, as this now-inexorable

process gathers momentum for at least the next several decades,

he says.

The challenge now for Professor McMichael is threefold

to understand better how climatic conditions affect human

health; to detect the emerging impacts of climate changeon health; and to estimate the likely future impacts.

We need to take localised action to lessen adverse health

impacts and, more importantly, this new awareness that human

health is at risk underscores the profound significance of human-

induced climate change. Since it endangers biological processes

and the planets life-support system, the world community must

now reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly and substantially.

Although described as a pioneer and a visionary, Professor

McMichael prefers to think of himself as researcher just trying

to better understand the population health consequences

of the increasing interconnectedness and intensity of the human

endeavour.

Research without the application of findings may as well

not be done. The immediate application of much research

is to advance the methods of science itself. However,

epidemiological research is never very far from the community

front-line. We do our research to understand and eliminate the

causes of disease.

When the cause of disease appears to be us, Professor

McMichael certainly has a huge task ahead. But after speaking

with the quietly spoken man for even a few minutes and seeing

first-hand the steely determination of a man with a mission

whose research on lead exposure and child intellectual

development directly influenced the decision to phase out

leaded petrol in Australiayou get the impression that, if anyone

can do it, Professor Tony McMichael will.

TONY MCMICHAEL UNLOCKING THE CLIMATE CHANGE PUZZLE

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Young, healthy people take it for granted that when they are

ready to have a baby it will be an easy and simple goal

to achieve once they cease contraception. The reality for

around 10-15 per cent of couples is quite different. Infertility

can be a devastating blow to a couple wanting a child and

up until around thirty years ago, if this was the hand you were

dealt then your only options were adoption or childlessness.

Modern science has changed that for many couples thanks

to advances in Assisted Reproductive Technologies such as IVF.

Professor Robert Norman, an obstetrician-gynaecologist and

reproductive medicine specialist warns against believing that

IVF is a cure all for infertility.

IVF has limitations; it is not a perfect process suitable for

everyone and it is being overused. There are a number

of fundamental factors that affect fertility which arent being

addressed such as lifestyle, smoking, obesity or delaying

pregnancy until a late reproductive age. These are all things

than can be resolved without high-tech, expensive medicine.

A tall and gentle man with the last traces of a Rhodesian

accent, Professor Norman is a pioneer in fertility techniques.

His laboratory is responsible for refining and promotingthe single embryo implantation technique and introducing

pioneering quality management techniques. Previously, several

embryos were implanted to give the best odds of a pregnancy

however the result was often twins or triplets. Through his

teams research, pregnancies are now being achieved through

the implantation of a single embryo in more than 85% of cycles.

For women under the age of 38 over 98% of our embryo

transfers are one embryo which results in a healthier baby

who doesnt need to be in intensive care.

Professor Norman credits his first class lab and a team

of young, dynamic researchers with changing the practices

of IVF throughout Australia. His current research delves deeper

into the earliest stages of life, factors affecting fertility and links

to the early origins of disease which has led to his introduction

of pioneering lifestyle programs to combat the adverse effects

of obesity on infertility and pregnancy complications.

I truly hope that the future for IVF is that it is used less! What

I would like to see is a situation where people are assessed

properly, using evidence based methods based on research.

That there is lifestyle modifications appropriate to their condition

and that includes existing health pathways within the Australian

medical system but also new ones that can be developedthrough research.

But, says Professor Norman, for those whom lifestyle change has

failed or isnt appropriate, he wants to see a very high quality

IVF system which produces a single baby with minimal financial

and emotional distress to the couple. Professor Normans research

is well and truly on the path the achieving this.

Im a person who thinks several years ahead. Often people like

me stumble because they are so intent on looking forward thatthey dont see the rocks at their feet. But I think as I get older

I realise its not just high profile clinical work with advanced

technology that makes a difference, its getting amongst people

with evidence based knowledge that allows them to change

things themselves. When that fails, our interventions must

be appropriate and with a long term view.

ROBERT NORMAN CHANGINGTHE FACE OF FERTILITY

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Being in the presence of someone whose list of achievements

includes holding the first and only Professorship in Allergy

and Clinical Immunology in adult medicine can be somewhat

intimidating. When you meet Professor Robyn OHehir in person,

however, any preconceived notions about what an academic

and clinician of her calibre should be like immediately fly out

the window.

Upon meeting Professor OHehir you are immediately struck

by how warm and welcoming she is. It is easy to picture this

outstanding researcher as a clinician with a keen interest in her

patients, which is exactly what she is.

Describing herself as a clinician first and foremost, Professor

OHehir says that while the science is fascinating, the additional

human element is what makes it all real for her.

As a young doctor I can remember resuscitating young adults

from respiratory arrest due to severe untreated asthma who

then went on to return to confident, full lives. Some are still

my patients today, and its seeing these patients live full lives

with the help of medication and education that makes it all

worth it.

An allergy and respiratory medicine specialist, Professor

OHehirs current research is working to develop allergen

immunotherapy vaccines for the prevention of peanut and other

serious environmental allergies.

Allergen immunotherapy is the only treatment that can prevent

allergic diseases. We are currently identifying the critical peanut

proteins that might induce tolerance to peanut in allergic patients

without risking an allergic reaction.

As the first scientist to isolate stable human white blood cell

populations from allergic patients that recognise house dust mite

allergens, Professor OHehirs research has led her to explore

novel methods for switching off allergic reactions which may

mean an end to life threatening anaphylaxis.

Along with her research and her clinical commitments,

Professor OHehir finds the time to mentor other women

entering the demanding field of clinical research.

As one of the few female Professors of Medicine in Australia,

I try to provide a role model for the many excellent women

entering medicine. Being a woman and a scientist isnt easy,

finding a balance between your scientific life and your personal

life. Im lucky, I have a fantastic support team in my husband

along with a fully equipped home office which makes it

possible, she said, If I can offer advice to other women trying

to find that balance then its my pleasure to do so.

To describe Professor OHehir is easy; a brilliant scientist,

a caring doctor, a loving mother, and a mentortruly

an extraordinary woman indeed.

ROBYN OHEHIR EFFICIENCY PERSONIFIED

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Being described as one of the leading international figures

in microbiology research amuses Professor James Paton for the

simple fact that he is probably the only researcher in the field

not to have studied the subject as an undergraduate. Although

he may not have initially considered a career in the area as a

young student, Professor Paton has gone on to become one of

the worlds most respected and recognised researchers leading

the fight against one of the biggest bacterial killers on the planet,

pneumococcus.

Responsible for causing pneumonia and meningitis,

pneumococcus, like a number of other bacteria, is becoming

resistant to current antibiotics. Professor Paton and his team

from the University of Adelaide are currently working on thedevelopment of a vaccine for this too often deadly micro-

organism.

While other vaccines already exist for pneumococcus, they are

of limited scope or are extremely expensive, which puts them

out of reach of most third world countries where the need

is greatest. Professor Patons vaccine, once it is through final

clinical testing, will be able to be made for a couple of dollars a

dose which makes it accessible to the most at risk communities.

Ill die a happy man if we can have an impact on the incidence

of this disease in young and vulnerable children, not only in

Australia but in countries that cant afford modern drugs.

Professor Paton became interested in pneumococcus in 1982

while working at what was then the Adelaide Childrens Hospital

in a diagnostic microbiology rolea position Professor Paton still

wonders how he gotwhere he found that being in a hospital

environment gave him first-hand insight into the effects

of bacterial infections on patients.

There were advantages in doing research in the hospital

environment where you had your research laboratory juxtaposed

to a clinical diagnostic service laboratory and it gave you a real

feel for what were the important causes of disease he said.

Professor Paton knew quite early on that research was going

to be his field of choice.

My family background is scientific, my mother was an early

biochemist and my father built scientific equipment, some

of which is still in my lab!

I wondered about whether I should do medicine, but opted for

science because I would rather be discovering and developing

the drug than implementing someone elses discovery.

Professor Patons wife, Dr. Adrienne Paton, is also a highly

respected researcher however that is where the family business

ends. Their four children have pursued careers in music/

teaching, accounting and the law.

I think Adrienne and I have bored them witless by talking shop

at home!

JAMES PATON THE ACCIDENTAL MICROBIOLOGIST

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Heading up the clinical sciences division of one of Australias

most prestigious research institutions, being able to lay claim

to an NHMRC Research Fellowship, and owning the title

of Director Clinical Research and Education at a well known

childrens hospital are notations on the resume that most

scientists would be proud to add.

Clinician and researcher Professor Peter Sly from the Telethon

Institute for Health Research is indeed proud of his achievements

but sees them more as a by product of his true achievements

which is research that has made a significant difference to the

lives of children suffering from cystic fibrosis and asthma.

Professor Sly is part of a team that has established the first true

primary prevention study of asthma in the world.

Understanding the mechanisms of this disease in order

to prevent it is the ultimate goal of our work because with

asthma there has been nothing new on the horizon for asthma

treatments in the past 20 years and theres not likely to be. The

current treatments are effective in most cases but what we are

aiming to do is prevent it occurring to begin with.

During his medical rotation, Professor Sly found that paediatrics

was the field that really interested him, not only for thecomplexity of the diseases that children face but also because

of the children themselves.

Paediatrics was an easy choice for me because of the

genuineness of kidsyou can walk up to a kid in hospital and

ask how they are and the answer is always good no matter how

ill they actually are. If you ask an adult the same question youd

better have an hour to spare for the answer.

Completing his training at the Royal Childrens hospital

in Melbourne, Professor Sly also discovered an interest

in respiratory medicine, an interest that has led him to being one

of the most respected asthma and cystic fibrosis researchers in

the world.

Despite being responsible for work that has changed the way

asthma and other diseases are managed, he doesnt compare

himself to other high achieving and well recognised peers.

He is quick to point out the world is different from the time

of the McFarlane Burnetts and Howard Floreys, researchers

of his generation wont be remembered in the same way but

you get the impression that it doesnt bother him one bit.

This is a man who is less interested in journal publications andmore interested in just doing the work.

When I first started in research my mum would ring up and

ask, have you discovered anything yet and I would have to say

no mum, it doesnt work like that!, he recalls with a chuckle.

To a man like Peter Sly, the measure of success doesnt come

from how many journals his name appears in, it comes from

seeing a child that he has helped live a better life through

his research.My simplistic hope for all of my work is to eventually prevent

kids from getting asthma, and to one day stop the progression

of the lung destruction that is at the moment inevitable in kids

with cystic fibrosis, and I really do think were on the right track

to do it.

PETER SLY THE GLOVES ARE OFF ON ASTHMA

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History tells us that most groundbreaking research, the work that

challenges previously held conventions and changes the face

of health, happens rarely. Only a handful of scientists in the

world can lay claim to work that forces a new school of thought

on an issue that has long been believed already settled.

Amongst this elite group is Australias Professor David Vaux

along with his colleagues whose pioneering research challenged

the conventional belief that cancers arise because their cells

divide more rapidly than normal. He found instead that cancer

could also be caused by cells failing to die.

Our bodies have something like a million billion cells, he said.

Every second of every day a million kill themselves, which

balances the million cells that are produced every second. If cell

death fails to occur, it can lead to the development of diseases

such as cancer.

This discovery fundamentally altered the scientific view of how

cancers arise and has led Professor Vaux to now study a family

of cell death inhibitors known as inhibitors of apoptosis proteins

(IAPs). These proteins may be another target in the battle against

cancer.

Weve got our fingers crossed that the human trials of a drugthat inhibits IAPs will show it can kill cancer cells and doesnt

seem to have any major toxic side effects.

Listening to Professor Vaux animatedly describe his research

it is easy to see that this is a man who isnt doing the job for

glory, this is a man who is in love with science and despite

being widely lauded and world renowned, is still a basic scientist

at heart.

Ive been very lucky. Im fortunate enough to do a job that

I love. Every day, researchers like me get to come into the lab

and have the chance of finding something new that has not been

seen by anyone ever before.

Professor Vauxs love of science extends beyond his own

research. Two years ago he noticed that many papers in a well

known journal had graphs that didnt explain their error bars,

making the data impossible to interpret. To Professor Vaux,

this was a sign that something had gone badly wrong with the

quality control of scientific publications.

I guess you could say one of my hobbies is trying to improve

the quality of data in publications. Science is the only way of

obtaining new knowledge, but it will progress more rapidly,

and with less false leads, if the standards are lifted .

As well as giving the usual research presentations, Professor

Vaux says he is on a mission to improve the quality of scientific

data being published. He makes time in his already packed diary

to give lectures on the presentation and interpretation of data

in scientific publications to researchers from Cambridge in the

UK to the Mayo Clinic and Cold Spring Harbor Labs in the US.

DAVIDVAUX TAMING THE MISBEHAVING GENES

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Health and medical research is a demanding and challengingcareer. Successes are met in equal measure by failures and theoften elusive answer to a question is rarely black and white.To be a researcher is to commit yourself to a career that may

offer frustration in place of financial reward. For some it isnta career choice, it is a calling.

Such is the case with Professor Judith Whitworth AC, Directorand Howard Florey Professor of Medical Research at The JohnCurtin School of Medical Research. To look into the exact andmeasuring gaze of this woman is to truly understand fiercedetermination. Overcoming childhood polio, Judith Whitworthdecided as a young girl to marry her love of science with herfascination with all of the staff she watched during her long stays

in hospital.A highly respected doctor, researcher and medical administrator,Professor Whitworths contribution to all three fields has beenoutstanding and her leadership in these fields recognised whenshe was made a Companion in the Order of Australia Medalin 2001.

As the former Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer, a practisingmedical doctor and a pioneer in the field of hypertensionresearch, Professor Whitworths achievements go beyond most.

Her love of science led Professor Whitworth easily into acareer as a researcher. During a stint as a resident at the RoyalMelbourne Hospital, Professor Whitworth was allocated a termin the clinical research unit attached to the Walter and Eliza HallInstitute under Dr Ian Mackay who was responsible for lightingthe fire of interest in research in someone who had originallyintended a career as a clinical nephrologist.

Professor Whitworths stunning research career is highlightedwith outstanding achievements including major discoveries in thearea of hypertension.

I am delighted that the recent research we have donewhich has, essentially, overturned conventional dogma thatglucocorticoid hormones raise blood pressure through salt andwater retention, she said.

Professor Whitworths work showed instead that reducedavailability of vasodilating nitric oxide is a main cause. Thisresearch will pave the way for the development of new syntheticsteroidsan essential treatment for a wide range of clinicalconditions.

Alongside her illustrious research career, one of ProfessorWhitworths main areas of interest is health policy research.Her work has directly influenced the development of policy forhealth and medical research in Australia and internationally.

Im excited that we have unraveled the causes of glucocorticoidhypertension but Im also very pleased that we now haveresearch firmly on the agenda of the World Health Assembly.

For a woman of such immense achievement, ProfessorWhitworth isnt comfortable with talking about herself, preferring

instead to let the focus stay on her workand her body of workspeaks for itself. The determination and brilliance of this womanhas truly made a difference on the future of our health.

PROFESSOR JUDITHWHITWORTH FIERCELY DETERMINED

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woRkING To BUILD A HEALTHy AUSTRALIA

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10 great minds australia 2007

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