The National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases

25/08/2026

🔦 Speaker Spotlight: Dr Zeyad Al-Ogaili

Dr Zeyad Al-Ogaili, Consultant Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine Physician at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Royal Perth Hospital and The University of Western Australia, will present "Beyond the Scan: How Molecular Imaging Is Changing Mesothelioma Care" at our 2026 Public Lecture, an inside look at how molecular imaging and theranostics are transforming diagnosis and treatment.

📅 Tuesday 1 September, 5–6pm AWST | Harry Perkins Institute, Nedlands (+ online) RSVP: https://bit.ly/NCARDPL2026

24/08/2026

NCARD researcher Professor Anna Nowak has outlined five priorities for international action on mesothelioma at the inaugural Global Mesothelioma Education Forum.

Speaking at the online event on 2 July, The University of Western Australia Deputy Vice-Chancellor and President of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group called for a global asbestos ban, better access to treatment and stronger disease registries worldwide.

Read more and watch the full forum recording on the Mesothelioma UK YouTube channel.

🔗 https://ncard.org.au/professor-anna-nowak-outlines-global-mesothelioma-priorities-at-inaugural-forum/

21/08/2026

🔦 Speaker Spotlight: Dr Rick van der Zwan

Dr Rick van der Zwan, Director of Research, Evaluation and Data at the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency, will open our 2026 Public Lecture with "A Matter of Life and Dust: How Asbestos Stories Can Help Us Save 28,000 Lives," a talk weaving together real stories and evidence on how we can better prevent asbestos exposure across Australia.

📅 Tuesday 1 September, 5–6pm AWST | Harry Perkins Institute, Nedlands (+ online) RSVP: https://bit.ly/NCARDPL2026

19/08/2026

Recently, we welcomed students from Kingsway Christian College
to NCARD for a hands-on morning of science.

Students rotated through six stations covering cell culture, serial dilutions, pipetting technique and aseptic practice, getting a real look at how our researchers work day to day. The morning wrapped up with a careers panel, giving students the chance to ask our team about life in research.

This National Science Week, we're proud to share a glimpse into hands-on science education happening right here at NCARD.

17/08/2026

Congratulations to Dr Nicola Principe, a researcher with NCARD, who has received a $100,000 WA Near-Miss Award to investigate new approaches to improving cancer immunotherapy. Delivered through the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, the award supports high-quality WA research that narrowly missed out on Commonwealth funding.

Dr Principe's project will examine why some tumours resist immunotherapy and whether existing cholesterol-lowering medicines, including statins, could help reduce this resistance. The research has particular relevance to mesothelioma, a cancer strongly linked to asbestos exposure, as well as lung cancer.

She will be mentored by Dr Jonathan Chee, Dr Melvin Chin and Professor Anna Nowak, and will work with collaborators at St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research and the Australian National Phenome Centre at Murdoch University.

Read the full story: https://ncard.org.au/ncard-researcher-awarded-100000-to-investigate-ways-to-improved-cancer-immunotherapy/

Institute for Respiratory Health

14/08/2026

NCARD was well represented at the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) WA Annual Scientific Meeting on Friday, 7 August, held at Bentley Technology Park.

Jared Moulsdale, Callum Flanagan, Kriya Velayutham, Mackenzie Lighton and Faith Hartley presented their research to an audience of students and early to mid-career researchers from across WA.

Congratulations to Mackenzie Lighton, who received the WA Travel Award for Excellence once again.

Thanks to the Institute for Respiratory Health for their support.

12/08/2026

📅 Save the date! We're excited to invite you to our 2026 Public Lecture: "Asbestos in Australia Today: Risk, Research, and Future of Care"

📍 Tuesday, 1 September 2026 | 5:00–6:00 PM AWST Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands (also streaming online)

Join Dr Rick van der Zwan (Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency), Dr Zeyad Al-Ogaili (Fiona Stanley Hospital & Royal Perth Hospital) and Dr Alistair Cook (NCARD) as they share the latest on asbestos risk and prevention, molecular imaging in mesothelioma care, and cutting-edge mesothelioma research.

The event will be convened by Dr Tracy Hoang (NCARD).

Networking and refreshments from 6:00 PM.

Free event but RSVP essential: https://bit.ly/NCARDPL2026

See you there!

10/07/2026

It has been a year since Australia's National Lung Cancer Screening Program launched, with around 100,000 people screened so far.

NCARD's Professor Fraser Brims writes that the real test now is whether the health system can keep up once screening finds early cancers. Gaps in specialist staff, uneven access outside major cities and a lack of nationally comparable data all shape whether people get timely follow-up care.

Read the full piece to see what needs to change for screening to deliver on its promise.
🔗 https://ncard.org.au/australias-lung-cancer-screening-program-is-a-year-old-but-can-the-health-system-deliver/

Now, the big question is no longer whether screening is a good idea. It is whether the health system can follow through after the screening results.

03/07/2026

Today is Action Mesothelioma Day, marked internationally to raise awareness of asbestos related diseases and support those affected by mesothelioma.

Western Australia has some of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world due to decades of asbestos mining and industrial use. At NCARD, researchers are working to change this story through earlier detection, new treatments and improved care, in partnership with the Institute for Respiratory Health and The University of Western Australia.

On a day like today, we're proud to share the story of the Tim Willoughby Research Grant, established by Anne-Louise Willoughby in honour of her late husband Tim, whose quiet advocacy helped build NCARD into what it is today.

The grant now supports early and mid-career researchers, including inaugural recipient Callum Flanagan, whose work is helping us better understand how mesothelioma spreads.

Read the full story: https://ncard.org.au/a-legacy-in-honour-of-tim-willoughby/

01/07/2026

New national guidelines for managing pleural mesothelioma have just been released, and we're proud that two NCARD researchers, Professor Gary Lee and Dr Melvin Chin, were part of the national committee behind them.

Developed by the Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute with around 30 of Australia's leading mesothelioma experts, spanning fields from epidemiology and radiology through to palliative care and consumer advocacy, the guidelines update the last set published back in 2013. A lot has changed in the evidence base and care landscape since then.

The guidelines cover the full journey, from initial symptoms through to diagnosis, treatment, and end-of-life care, and aim to make sure everyone affected by mesothelioma gets a high standard of care no matter where they live.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this significant two-year effort, and thank you to ADDRI for leading the way.