After walking around Australia to raise $100,000 for Kids Helpline, Deborah was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She decided that once she was well enough she would run around Australia raising money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Embarking on her mammoth 20,000 km journey in 2009 with Border Collie Maggie by her side, De Williams ran from Hobart to Darwin, which ended with Deborah breaking both feet. Defying the odds, she ran again.

In the newly released book Running Pink, written by Megan Norris, Deborah shares her astonishing story of triumph and hope.

Join us to hear Deborah’s incredible story of one woman, one dog and an 18,000km run for a cure.

Date:     Thursday 14 June 2012
Time:   7:15 for 7:30 am start
concludes at 8:30 am sharp so you can get to work on time
Venue : Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston
Cost: $35 per person
Guest speaker: Deborah De Williams

Professional Breakfast Series

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Guest Speaker: Professor Chris Semsarian

Professor of Medicine, Centre Clinical School Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine & Cell Biology

Professor Semsarian is a Molecular Cardiologist with a specific research focus in the molecular basis of cardiovascular disease, in particular, identifying genes that cause disease and elucidating how these gene defects activate signaling pathways leading to disease.
His research interest over the last 10 years has focused on the molecular and genetic basis of cardiovascular disease and specifically, including studies in cardiomyopathies and sudden cardiac death in the young.

VENUE:  Sir Raymond Ferrall Centre, University of Tasmania, Newnham Campus

DATE: Monday, 4th June 2012

TIME: 6:00 pm

COST: Gold coin donation

RSVP:  Optional, however please phone 6348 7010 to assist our planning

NB: Complimentary tea and coffee will be served at the conclusion of the lecture

Climate change scientists are predicting increases in extreme weather events such as cold snaps and heatwaves in the future. Sudden exposure to hot or cold climates change causes adjustments to the circulation that maintain a steady body temperature. But people living with chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, may be less able to regulate their body temperature when faced with extreme temperature changes.

Several large overseas studies have highlighted a link between the peaks in numbers of heart attacks and strokes occurring world-wide during sudden temperature changes such as cold and hot weather spells, but there is little information on why or how these peaks occur.

A new study by researcher Sibella King at the School of Human Life Sciences, and funded by the Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust, will investigate the associations between exposure to environmental temperature and humidity variations and health consequences for people with type 2 diabetes. At the moment, there is very little information on what effects sudden climate change will have on the cardiovascular function of people living with type 2 diabetes.

Ms King is currently calling for volunteers to join this new study. Participants will need to be over 18 years of age and have stable type 2 diabetes (no insulin use). During the study, participants will undergo height and weight, blood pressure and body temperature measurements and have blood collected by trained university researchers.

All study participants will gain information about their blood pressure, heart and nervous system function, and also their blood sugar and cholesterol status. Additionally at the end of the study, participants are eligible to participate in a FREE “lifestyle make-over” program, run by accredited Exercise Physiologists and Nutritionists, including exercise and nutritional counselling, a take-home exercise prescription and the opportunity to attend group exercise classes at UTAS.

Please contact Sibella King on: (03) 6324 3688 or email: Sibella.King@utas.edu.au for more information.

The project will involve the creation of a state-wide genetic heart registry which will enable greater identification of Tasmanians with genetic heart disease who are at risk of heart failure and sudden death. This is a major expansion of a pilot project conducted by two medical students in 2010 as part of a Clifford Craig Honours Scholarship.

Director of Cardiology at the Launceston General Hospital, Associate Professor Don McTaggart, will head up the research team which includes Senior Research Fellow Dr Kath Ogden from the Launceston Clinical School and medical student/researcher Jessica Kawa who was part of the original pilot study.

More than 400 young Australians (aged less than 35 years) die suddenly each year from cardiovascular disease, with an average of 8 young people dying each week. Direct relatives of people with an inherited heart disease have a 1 in 2 chance of inheriting the same genetic condition and unfortunately, sudden death can occur without prior knowledge of the inherited disease. With modern medical interventions, screening of relatives of those affected by inherited heart disease can prevent these devastating circumstances.

Associate Professor McTaggart said the most common form of genetic heart disease, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, affects 1 in 500 Australians and it is estimated there are 1000 cases in Tasmania whereby only 200 of those have been identified.

“Cardiac registers are also being established in the other states of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, and the eventual is to enrol every Australian family with genetic heart disease on the National Genetic Heart Registry” he said.

Pictured – Associate Professor Don MCTaggart speaks to the media as Rotary District Governor Peter Murfett looks on.