Conference brings research to life

Professor Lyn Griffiths from the Griffith Health Institute
Professor Lyn Griffiths from the Griffith Health Institute

‘Bringing research to life’ is the theme of the 8th Gold Coast Health and MedicalResearch Conference 2012.

To be held at the Gold Coast’s QT hotel on November 29 and 30, the GriffithHealth Institute will host a conference designed to explore a wide range of healthand medical projects in the region, including infectious and chronic diseases,psychology and human health in the Asia-Pacific.

The conference has attracted more than 300 registrations from Australia andoverseas and highlights the benefits of bringing together researchers fromdifferent disciplines and organisations to advance innovation in health andmedical research.

Griffith Health Institute Director Professor Lyn Griffiths said the Gold Coast isfast becoming a hub for translating health and medical research into practice,especially with the opening in 2013, of the new Griffith Health Centre on theuniversity’s Gold Coast campus and the new Gold Coast University Hospital.

“This annual conference is an important forum to showcase our health researchand share potentially life-changing findings with the community,” Professor
Griffiths said.

Researchers’ and research students’ vital work

“The Pro Vice Chancellor’s Research Excellence Awards and Griffith HealthInstitute Awards will recognise our researchers’ and research students’ vital work,helping to save lives and boost the region’s economy.

“We welcome and look forward to working with local and national clinicians andadditional participants from other universities, research institutions andgovernment organisations who are taking part in this conference.”

The conference keynote speakers include:

Professor Karl-Heinz Wagner from the University of Vienna, who will openthe event with a presentation titled Lifestyle changes as the main tool forimproving health biomarkers.

Professor Wagner will discuss his currentresearch which includes the cellular and molecular biomarker basedevaluation of lifestyle activities (mainly diet and physical activity) on healthysubjects, the ageing population and diabetes mellitus type 2.

This year’s program offers an exceptional line up of plenary lectures, symposiumsessions, interactive poster sessions, workshops, a mentoring session, andregular poster presentations. For more information on the program, visit theconference website at:http://www.griffith.edu.au/conference/gold-coast-health-medical-research-2012

WHAT: Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference 2012
WHEN: Thursday November 29 and Friday November 30. Registration from 8am.
WHERE: QT Hotel, Surfers Paradise.