The University of Western Australia and its affiliate, the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research have welcomed a commitment by the Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers to fast track the development of a vaccine against rheumatic fever - an important contributor to premature deaths and reduced life expectancy in Indigenous communities.

A major national and international genetic eye disease research project led by Australian researchers has identified a family of genes related to collagen that influence corneal thickness and disease risk.  The cornea is the transparent outer covering of the eye.

Professor Samina Yasmeen, Director of The University of Western Australia's Centre for Muslim States and Societies, has been named a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.

A research team from The University of Western Australia's School of Paediatrics and Child Health (SPACH) has won a slice of a $1 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to fund an international study which could lead to earlier and more effective treatment of HIV infections in Sub-Saharan Africa.