Centenary Institute

13/11/2025

Centenary’s Associate Professor Richard Bagnall and Yuchen Chang, PhD candidate at the University of Sydney and the Centenary Institute, have uncovered new genetic causes of inherited heart conditions, giving more families vital answers that can guide treatment and prevention.

Using the latest genomic analysis techniques, the researchers and their collaborators, found additional genetic diagnoses for 4% of participants in a national study, helping explain the cause of their heart disease and confirming a new gene, TBX20, linked to cardiomyopathy.

This breakthrough highlights the power of continually re-examining genomic data to improve diagnosis and care for people living with inherited heart conditions.

Read more: https://www.centenary.org.au/news/new-gene-discoveries-improve-diagnosis-of-inherited-heart-disease/

04/11/2025

The Centenary Institute shared the beauty of science with the wider community through its When Art Meets Science exhibition, featured at Government House Sydney during Sydney Open Day.

Thousands of visitors explored stunning imagery created by our scientists - from stem cells resembling blooming flowers to epithelial cells looking like deep space nebula.

The images offered a glimpse into the microscopic world where our researchers work to combat disease and improve lives.

Many of these captivating works were part of Centenary’s 2025 When Art Meets Science Image Prize competition, a celebration of the creativity and beauty found in scientific discovery.

Read more: https://www.centenary.org.au/news/centenary-exhibits-at-government-house/

30/10/2025

This Sunday When Art Meets Science returns to Government House Sydney, as part of Sydney Open Day.

This unique exhibition showcases a selection of stunning imagery created by Centenary researchers, revealing the beauty behind groundbreaking medical research.

Enjoy live jazz, a sausage sizzle, or bring your own picnic and relax on the lawns of Government House.

📅 Sunday, 2nd November
🕙 10:00am - 3:00pm AEDT
📍 Government House Sydney
🎟️ Free entry - no registration required

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/yne2tyms

23/10/2025

When Art Meets Science returns next Sunday, 2nd November, at Government House Sydney, as part of Sydney Open Day.

This unique exhibition showcases a selection of stunning imagery created by Centenary researchers, revealing the beauty behind groundbreaking medical research.

Enjoy live jazz, a sausage sizzle, or bring your own picnic and relax on the lawns of Government House.

📅 Sunday, 2nd November
🕙 10:00am - 3:00pm AEDT
📍 Government House Sydney
🎟️ Free entry - no registration required

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/yne2tyms

22/10/2025

Congratulations to Centenary’s Associate Professors Patrick Bertolino and David Bowen who have been awarded a 2025 GESA Project Grant.

The research will explore how bacteria and other microorganisms in our gut send signals to immune cells in the liver and how this communication affects liver health.

The findings could help scientists develop new ways to prevent or treat liver diseases like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Read more: https://www.centenary.org.au/news/grant-awarded-to-study-gut-liver-communication/

14/10/2025

The Centenary Institute has contributed to a major international study mapping how the human body responds to respiratory infections such as COVID-19, influenza and sepsis.

The research analysed blood samples from over 500 patients across five countries, creating a ‘reference map’ to improve diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease.

Study co-author Professor Warwick Britton from our Centre for Infection & Immunity said the findings will also strengthen global preparedness for future outbreaks and pandemics.

Read more: https://www.centenary.org.au/news/mapping-how-the-body-fights-respiratory-infections/

09/10/2025

Congratulations to Professor Devanshi Seth from our Centre for Healthy Ageing, who has won the Healthcare Impact Award at the STEM Sisters 2025 Women of Colour in STEM Awards!

This honour recognises her outstanding contributions to medical research and leadership in advancing global understanding of liver diseases, particularly related to alcohol use.

For over 15 years, Professor Seth has been studying and developing tools to predict liver cirrhosis and asses alcohol use to improve treatment outcomes for patients.

Read more: https://www.centenary.org.au/news/professor-seth-recognised-with-healthcare-impact-award/

23/09/2025

🌍 This , we're spotlighting some of the brilliant minds at Centenary who are pushing boundaries in cancer science:

🧬 Dr Jess Tiffen is decoding how epigenetic modifiers drive melanoma progression and identifying new therapeutic targets to halt Australia’s 'national cancer'.

🔬 Prof Mark Gorrell is uncovering liver cancer’s link to metabolic disorders and diabetes. With liver cancer rates up 350% over the past 30 years, this research is desperately needed.

🧫 Dr Dannel Yeo (pictured with team) is innovating next-gen cancer diagnostics, for early detection of hard-to-treat cancers like mesothelioma and small cell lung cancer.

Learn more & support their mission 👉 centenary.org.au

21/09/2025

Are you passionate about science and making a difference in healthcare? Join us online this Wednesday at 1.30pm AEST.

Find out about the student projects available across a range of research areas, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and liver diseases.

🧖 Hear from researchers and current students
🦠 Learn about hands-on research opps
🔎 Explore study pathways and medical research careers

Event details:
📅 Wednesday 24 September
🕐 1.30–2.30pm AEST
💻 Online via Zoom

Register today: https://www.centenary.org.au/event/virtual-student-session/

14/09/2025

Dementia has now over taken heart disease as the leading cause of death in Australia.

At Centenary, we are proud to be developing a ground-breaking new drug for dementia, which is focused on repairing leaky blood vessels in the brain. Early research by Jennifer Gamble and team, indicates that sealing these vessels and restoring the blood–brain barrier may help clear toxic products associated with Alzheimer’s. This novel approach could one day change how we treat dementia.

Read more: https://www.centenary.org.au/news/research-grant-to-tackle-alzheimers-disease/

08/09/2025

A new study led by the Centenary Institute and the University of Sydney shows that a nasal vaccine could offer powerful protection against COVID-19. It works by stopping infection in the nose before the virus spreads through the body.

The research comes as COVID-19 continues to affect Australians’ health, with more than 150,000 cases reported so far in 2025, according to the Federal Government’s Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

Professor Warwick Britton, senior co-author of the study, from the Centenary Institute’s Centre for Infection & Immunity, said the findings highlight the unique benefits of targeting immunity in the nose.

“Our study shows that a nasal vaccine can build strong immune defences right where the virus first enters the body, the nose, to help prevent infection,” said Professor Britton.

The researchers say that while more work is needed, the results show strong potential for nasal vaccines to complement existing COVID-19 vaccines and provide an extra layer of protection against the virus in the future.

A new study led by the Centenary Institute and the University of Sydney shows that a nasal vaccine could offer powerful protection against COVID-19. It works by stopping infection in the nose before the virus spreads through the body.

08/09/2025

Happy 28th Birthday to the Centenary Institute building!

On September 8 1997, our facilities were officially opened by the Honourable John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia.

Our building may have evolved but our foundations remain the same - we aim to cure diseases through our life saving research.

Throughout our years of operation, we have made many medical discoveries and breakthroughs which have led to clinical translation, including alzheimer's therapeutics and nasal SARS-Cov2 Vaccine.

View more on our breakthroughs: https://www.centenary.org.au/research/breakthroughs/

View more on our progress in clinical translation: https://www.centenary.org.au/commercialisation/