Nth Branch Lectures

Personalised Medicine: Are we there yet?

The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture at 1.30 pm on Sunday 24 July 2022 by Assoc Prof Raj Eri, in the Meeting Room of QVMAG (Inveresk). Full COVID vaccination and the wearing of face masks are highly desirable for anyone attending in person.

Admission is free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania. The charge is $4 for students, QVMAG Friends, TMAG Friends, and members of the Launceston Historical Society. For all others, admission is $6.

You may if you wish view the lecture remotely via ZOOM. In this case you must register in advance to ensure that you receive an email containing instructions for joining the webinar on the day of the talk. Click here to register for ZOOM.

Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.

Personalised medicine uses very specific and unique health information from an individual to make informed therapy choices. To that end, the latest advances in human genomics, microbiome analysis and other advanced biomarker tools will assist in individualising therapy. A/Prof Raj Eri will describe in detail with examples how such advanced research will shape personalised medicine.

Raj is a passionate scientist who leads a research team investigating gut diseases such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease and colorectal cancer. He has published over 125 peer-reviewed research papers, received research grants from NHMRC and multiple philanthropic sources, and has been commended by the Australian Government for excellence and innovation in teaching.

View a recording of the lecture by Andrew Bishop – May 2022

The lecture “A Brave New Biosecurity System: Over the Horizon Musings” delivered on 22 May 2022 is now available on the RST YouTube channel.

Technology and innovation are revolutionizing how we manage the rapidly increasing threats from exotic pests and diseases to our agriculture, environment, and amenity. This ranges from powerful data gathering and big data analysis that generates advance warnings of impending threats, through to molecular and GPS based tracking systems and electronically connected smart surveillance systems.

Andrew is Tasmania’s Chief Plant Protection Officer with Biosecurity Tasmania, having responsibility for decision making in the development and maintenance of the Tasmanian plant biosecurity system, including emergency responses and responsibility for representation (state and national). He has 33 years’ experience working in government in Tasmania and Victoria..

2018 Northern branch lectures

FEBRUARY 25 Jim Palfreyman “2016 Glitch of the Vela Pulsar” – In a world first, the only ever pulsar glitch observed in action with a large radio telescope. Right here in Tasmania.

** ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 1.15 pm March 25 **

MARCH 25 Prof Pat Quilty “Highlights of Tasmania’s Antarctic Exploration – Scott (why Scott?) and others” – Tasmania has long been a major location for Antarctica explorers. Researching their history has revealed some eye-opening surprises.

APRIL 22 Prof Hamish Maxwell-Stewart “Height, Health and History in Victoria and Tasmania 1850-1920” – How human stature can be used to explore early life disadvantage.

MAY 27 Dr Alison Alexander “Jane Franklin – the Real Founder of the Royal Society of Tasmania?” – The woman who organised, dominated, persuaded and commanded the men around her to co-operate in forming a scientific society.

JUNE 24 Dr Karin Orth “Mega Volcanic Eruptions and the Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time.” – Can Earth’s own internal heat engine driving volcanism be the harbinger of mass extinction?

JULY 22 Dr Caitlyn Vertigan “Shoot. Catalogue. Eat: Interacting with Nature at a Tasmanian Penal Station” – The early history of the Port Arthur penal station (1830-77) was filled with scientific exploration that today might be considered somewhat outside the accepted scientific regime.

** SCIENCE WEEK: AUGUST 11-19 **

AUGUST 26 Assoc Prof Jonathan Binns “Why Does an Engineer Need a PhD?” – Real problems in industry, defence and sport tackled with research and innovation, in Tasmania, Australia and the World.

SEPTEMBER 23 Dr Patsy Cameron “Voices From the Other Side of the Colonial Frontier” – A story of the social, cultural and spiritual survival of a unique people who lived on the Bass Strait islands from 1810.

OCTOBER 28 TBA “Breaking New Ground” – PhD students from the University of Tasmania will be presenting synopses and answering questions about their current research and progress. Topics TBA.

** The Annual QVMAG Staff Lecture**

NOVEMBER 25 David Maynard “Tasmania’s Forgotten Emus” – Before the thylacine there were other less well-known extinctions, including the Tasmanian emu soon after European arrival.