[Image appears of Professor Kathryn North smiling at the camera and the camera zooms in on Kathryn’s face]
Professor Kathryn North: I’ve been working for over 20 years in the field of rare disease.
[Image changes to show Kathryn seated and talking to the camera and then the image changes to show Kathryn in conversation with another female and text appears: Professor Kathryn North, AM, BSc, MBDS, MD]
My big focus at the moment is in genomics and genomic medicine and particularly how we’re implementing that into clinical practice.
[Camera zooms in on Kathryn’s face as she listens and then as she talks to the camera and then the image changes to show Kathryn and another male walking through a laboratory]
Genomics is transforming the way we do medicine. You know, five, ten years ago when a child was brought to see me because of, of weakness or an inability to walk we needed to bring them into hospital, do invasive tests under anaesthetic, often going on for many years without an answer.
[Camera zooms in on their faces as they walk and then the image changes to show Kathryn talking to the camera again]
And now in over half the cases, our first assessment of a child, we’re getting an answer immediately.
[Images move through of Kathryn and a male and female looking at a document, Kathryn talking to the camera, Kathryn in conversation with the male and female and then with another female]
The Medical Research Future Fund is an amazing investment in the future of Australian research and it’s particularly focussed on impact into clinical practice and it’s really inspiring people to think big, how do we tackle the big problems that we need to solve and to be able to change people’s lives for the better.
[Image changes to show a laboratory and the Coat of Arms and text appears: Australian Government, Medical Research Future Fund, www.health.gov.au/mrff]
That’s the ultimate goal.
[Music plays]
Professor North tells us how genomics is helping many children, who only 5 or 10 years ago would have been admitted to hospital for invasive tests, sometimes without answers. Professor North believes the Medical Research Future Fund is inspiring people to think big and find the solutions that will change people’s lives for the better.