In 2009, Hunter businessman and father of four, Shannyn Robards, and his children Brianna and Joshuaa, took part in a University-based pilot trial of the Healthy Dads Healthy Kids study, with amazing results.

Whether it is outback apple crumble or bush kangaroo stir fry, the back to basics cooking club and healthy lifestyle program is teaching kids more than just the skills to prepare and cook authentic and healthy Australian meals.

To help researchers work towards better treatments and ultimately a cure for the disease, Vicki became involved with HMRI.

Good timing, good luck and good medicine have, so far, been powerful allies in 67-year-old Peter Lynn’s battle to survive melanoma. His son David, however, perished from the disease just over two years ago.

In underdeveloped countries, the most common reason for a pregnant woman dying is that she could not get to medical care at the time of her child’s birth. We are developing a cheap, effective test to show when birth is imminent, to allow more women to get the care they need.

Emma Burns is a bright and bubbly 11-yearold girl like any other, who enjoys sleepovers with her friends and is excited about going to high school in 2013.

The WATCH study began in 2006 when Dr Alexis Hure, a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in the Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, recruited Novocastrian women like Amanda to have a series of ultrasounds and measurements collected throughout their pregnancy.

After participating in a pilot study funded by HMRI, then 17 year-old Jackson, who suffered from exercise-induced asthma, shed 16 kilograms, improved his breathing pattern, and is now enjoying a healthier and more active lifestyle.

Asthma is a disease that can often become tricky to manage. However, managing asthma and pregnancy is an even more complex task.