As a 38-year-old, socially minded, mother and health journalist living in Australia, you wouldn’t expect one of my all-time heroes to be a conservative former president of the United States. But Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th US president, is exactly that, so much so, that my first child is named after him. Roosevelt inspires me because despite being plagued by constant health issues, including severe childhood asthma, partial blindness and deafness, multiple bone fractures, tropical fevers, rheumatism, and a gunshot wound in the chest, he still led an extraordinarily active life. In his 60-year lifespan, Roosevelt climbed mountains, became a cattle... Read full article »

Imagine being given an opportunity to ask the woman who will soon (likely) take charge of your nation's healthcare system anything you liked. What would you say? I recently unexpectedly found myself in exactly this position when I was invited to a lunch at the National Press Club of Australia where the Federal Shadow Minister for Health, Catherine King was giving her inaugural address. We’re a few months off an election here in Australia and if the blustering winds continue in the same direction, it’s likely Ms King will be in charge of our nation's health system in a few... Read full article »

It was 5pm and I’d gotten nowhere. I felt as if all the information that had been uploaded into my brain over the last few days had fragmented across my mind and my brain’s neural pathways were jammed. I had writers block; the mental equivalent of the SWOD (Spinning Wheel of Death) that accompanies a computer operating system in need of an upgrade. I was hurtling towards a grant deadline and every word I’d composed felt trite, vacuous and a long way off encapsulating the depth of the film that I was hoping the grant would allow me to release.... Read full article »

When I was studying for my final high-school exams I had Post-It note on my desk which read “India.” Amidst the misery of practice essays and assignments, the note was a vow that once I was done, I would travel. It was the dream of independence, of discovery and a promise that one day I would be happy when…. A few years later, when I was buried in the wretchedness of my thesis for my post-graduate journalism studies, I had another Post-It note on my computer screen which read “ABC.” I would be happy when I landed my dream job... Read full article »

If you’re anything like about half of the population, the chances are you started out the new year with the best of intentions. Perhaps you resolved to sleep more, or party less. Maybe you decided to loose weight, save money or donate time. Whatever it is that signifies your particular “New Year New Me” pledge, if you’re anything like up to 90 percent of your fellow resolvers, the chances are you’ve already failed, and possibly didn’t even make it through the first week.I’m no exception. I’m a health journalist who’s job is to stay on top of the latest health... Read full article »

I recently found myself filled with anthropological curiosity amidst the sharp suits and fabulous heels embellishing a crowd of pre-parenthood, 20-something-year-old, working professionals. As pioneers of The Selfie, millennials have a reputation for being tech-addicted entitled brats who are in need of a constant feed of positive affirmation. But this event well and truly set the record straight. In just a couple of hours this group of Gen Zers had raised $20,000 for charities working to save koalas, newborn babies in Africa, and depressed kids in remote areas. Called 10 x 10, the idea is that ten young committee members... Read full article »