soul and body

Mysterious viruses
Just when you’re beginning to relax about pandemic influenza, you’re going to hear about relatively mysterious viruses which come and go for no reason, but when they re-appear and infect humans, up to 80% of them die. We have some of these viruses here too on our doorstep. And if you thought Ebola virus just occurred somewhere in Africa, well an Ebola virus has been coming and going in the Philippines, and again we don’t know why. Plus an exotic sounding virus that’s spreading around the world — and Australian mosquitoes are the door through which it will come.

Antidepressants and suicidal behaviour
Researchers from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the US Food and Drug Administration investigated a possible link between antidepressant medication and the risk of suicidal behaviour.

The health of Australian Vietnam veterans
The first results of a 15-year-old Australian follow-up study of the health of Vietnam veterans have recently been published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Repairing damaged spinal cords
Many scientists are trying to find ways to help people who are para- or quadriplegic. One of the world’s leading researchers in this field, Professor James Fawcett of the University of Cambridge, talks about his research in this area.

Brain research
Dr Pierre-Marie Lledo leads the Perception and Memory Laboratory at the Pasteur Institute and talks about some fascinating research into brain functions and nerve cell regeneration.