Institute of Advanced Studies

The 2009 Karrakatta Club Lecture: Can we make weak babies strong?

Dr Kristen Nowak, Research Fellow, WA Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR), and the Centre for Medical Research, UWA

Kristen has a long-standing interest in science and has always wanted to help people.  

Investigating the genetic cause of human muscle diseases has been a way to merge these two interests.  Due to her world-first discoveries into the genetics of muscle diseases that affect newborn babies, Perth became the leading international reference centre assisting families with accurate diagnosis for these diseases. Unfortunately there is no viable therapy or cure for these often severe and debilitating diseases, which can lead to high emotional costs, personal suffering and socioeconomic effects because of the requirement for respirators, wheelchairs and expert care. Kristen began her investigations towards finding a therapy for these diseases whilst working at Oxford University, and she and the WA team of researchers continue to be dedicated to finding a treatment for the families suffering from the diseases.  Kristen has a strong commitment to promoting science and medical research in the community, as well as helping raise awareness about patients and their families with neuromuscular diseases.

The Karrakatta Club Lecture is presented and organised by the Institute of Advanced Studies at UWA and the Karrakatta Club, the first women’s club in Australia founded in Perth in 1894.