Centenary Institute

09/03/2026

💙 This Centenary Giving Day (10 March), we’re aiming to raise $175K — and thanks to a generous donor, every gift is being matched dollar for dollar.

05/03/2026

☀️ Help beat Australia’s national cancer ☀️

One of us is diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes, survival rates are lower in men, and it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among younger people (ages 20 to 39) — we need your help to change that.

Dr Jessamy Tiffen is working to improve treatments for advanced melanoma and uncover how genetics drive cancer.

By making a gift on or before 10 March for Centenary Giving Day, you’re funding research that will help us beat Australia’s national cancer.

💙 donate.centenary.org.au 💙

04/03/2026

Art and medical research come together in hospital spaces

Centenary’s ‘When Art Meets Science’ exhibition is now on display across a number of Sydney hospital sites as a part of the Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) March Arts program.

Featured are stunning scientific images captured by Centenary researchers in the course of their work. Vibrant microscopy images reveal the hidden beauty and complexity of the body, while representing vital research into diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

You can see the exhibition at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Canterbury Hospital and Concord Hospital, with digital displays at Balmain Hospital and Sydney Dental Hospital.

We’re proud to share our science in a way that connects with patients, families and the wider community.

Read more: https://www.centenary.org.au/news/centenary-exhibition-brings-medical-research-to-life-in-hospital-spaces/

03/03/2026

🫀 ‘Mini hearts’ show COVID-19 virus directly infects heart tissue 🫀

Centenary and UTS scientists have used tiny ‘mini-hearts’ to show that the virus causing COVID-19 can directly infect heart tissue.

The research offers important clues as to why some people develop heart complications during or after COVID-19, and may help guide future treatments.

Read more: https://www.centenary.org.au/news/mini-hearts-show-covid-19-virus-directly-infects-heart-tissue/

27/02/2026

🎗️ 10 March 2026: Save the date to beat melanoma 🎗️

centenary.org.au/donate

25/02/2026

🧪 Centenary researchers have found a potential new way to help doctors identify which head and neck cancer patients may be at higher risk of their cancer returning, using a simple blood test.

Researchers at the Centenary Institute, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW Health Pathology and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital have found a potential new way to help doctors identify which head and neck cancer patients may be at higher risk of their cancer returning, using a simple blood test.

19/02/2026

Researchers at Centenary plus collaborators have developed a new tool called the FAP-Index that could improve how doctors identify people at risk of severe liver scarring caused by metabolic fatty liver disease, a condition affecting around one in three Australians.

The FAP-Index combines a straightforward blood test with routine clinical information to give doctors a clearer picture of who needs further investigation.

Adding the FAP-Index to existing first-line blood test risk scores reduced uncertain results by up to 70 percent compared with current screening tools alone.

With new treatments for liver disease now becoming available, better early detection is more important than ever.

Read more: https://www.centenary.org.au/news/new-fap-index-could-transform-early-detection-of-severe-liver-disease/

19/02/2026

🏥 First‑of‑its‑kind AI platform to improve cancer treatment decisions 🏥

Centenary researchers have been awarded funding to commercialise a first of its kind medical AI platform designed to improve treatment decisions and reduce unnecessary surgeries for Australian cancer patients.

Cancer is Australia’s leading cause of disease burden, responsible for about 50,000 deaths each year and costing the health system over $10 billion annually. However, current guidelines misjudge patient risk in up to 40 per cent of cases, resulting in avoidable surgeries, unnecessary chemotherapy and preventable relapse.

PanaceAI aims to address this by providing precise, personalised risk assessments that show clinicians exactly which factors drive each recommendation.

Early studies involving more than 6,000 patients with colorectal polyps, thyroid cancer and mesothelioma have shown accuracy improvements of up to 32 per cent and a 25 per cent reduction in unnecessary thyroid operations.

Read more: https://www.centenary.org.au/news/firstofitskind-ai-platform-to-improve-cancer-treatment-decisions/

10/02/2026

This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate some of the extraordinary up-and-coming female researchers at Centenary Institute— all driving discoveries that will change lives.

❤️ Yuchen Chang is investigating the genetics behind sudden cardiac death, so we can stop it striking young people without warning.

👁️ Dr Mojdeh Abbasi is engineering stem-cell-infused contact lenses designed to restore sight.

🧠 Dr Ka Ka Ting is helping pioneer a groundbreaking new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

🧪 Dr Lise Hunault is working to make lab-grown insulin-producing cells a lasting treatment for people with type 1 diabetes.

🫀 Dr Seaky Lim is creating tiny beating hearts in a dish to study heart disease and test future therapies.

🩸 Dr Aster Pijning is working towards new and more effective treatments for patients at risk of blood-clotting and bleeding disorders.

🧫 Dr Cindy Hsin-Yi Tseng is working to understand why men are more than twice as likely to die from melanoma compared to women.

🚑 Dr Manuela Florido is working on groundbreaking new ways to repair the heart after a heart attack.

Every one of these researchers is helping build a healthier future for our community. Today we celebrate their curiosity, vision and impact. 💛

05/02/2026

✨Researcher spotlight ✨

For 18 years, Associate Professor Richard Bagnall has been driving discoveries at Centenary that could save young lives. ❤️‍🩹

Joining us in 2008 as a research officer fresh from a PhD in molecular biology from King's College London and a 3-month round trip to Cape Tribulation in a camper van, Richard now leads our Centre for Cardiovascular Research. His work is fuelled by one mission: understanding why some young people die suddenly — and finding the answers hidden in our genes.

His pioneering approach in bioinformatics and genome analysis has been backed by major fellowships and NSW Health grants, helping build a team dedicated to uncovering life‑saving insights.

His advice to the next generation of scientists? “Take every opportunity that comes your way and give it a go. Even if it doesn’t work out exactly as planned, you’ll always learn something that becomes valuable later on."

Celebrating 18 years of impact at Centenary. 🎉