The Secrets of Healthy Ageing – Bone Health

Professor Cassandra Szoeke is one of our CSIRO Alumni members and is the principal investigator of the Women’s Healthy Ageing Project, the longest ongoing study of women’s health in Australia.

CSIRO Alumni is hosting a series of online talks with Professor Szoeke to delve further into the Secrets of Healthy Ageing. Expert guest speakers will join us for each topic and Peggy Stasinos, Director, Business Development, Biosecurity at CSIRO will guide the discussion.

The Secrets of Bone Health, online event May 2024

Bones, Muscles and Balance are a key foundation for healthy ageing.  In this seminar Professor Szoeke, physician and clinical academic (CSIRO Alumni, Preventive Health Flagship) discussed the importance of bone & muscle health in maintaining our health.  She covered how we can improve our bone health including data on lifestyle, supplements and hormonal factors.

We had a special guest appearance from Prof Susie Nilsson, Research Director, Biomedical Manufacturing CSIRO who discussed advances in STEM cell work.

The event was hosted by Peggy Stasinos who guided the discussion, with a Q&A session at the end.

Highlights reel

Professor Susie Nilsson, Research Director, Biomedical Manufacturing, CSIRO

Prof Susie Nilsson is the Research Director for the Biomedical Manufacturing program with CSIRO (the Commonwealth Science and Industry Research Organisation), Australia’s National Science Agency. Her portfolio encompasses the production of new products and processes for the biomedical sector – medical devices, diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, and efficient processes to produce them. This covers regulated biomanufacturing, biologics research and development, chemical biology, diagnostics and devices and bioactive small molecules and polymers.

Susie has an extensive history in biologics and specifically haematopoietic stem cell research. She completed her PhD at Melbourne University and post-doctoral studies at the University of Massachusetts prior to taking up a position at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute then the Australian Stem Cell Centre. She moved to CSIRO in 2009 and was appointed as an Australian Research Council Future Fellow. She became a group leader at the Australian Regenerative Medical Institute, Monash University in 2013 and a CSIRO Science Leader in 2014. Her current role sees broad contributions including overseeing the production of biologics for Phase I clinical trials, exemplified by the production of two COVID-19 vaccine candidates, the building of the new National Vaccine and Therapeutics Laboratory for producing products in mammalian and insect systems for Phase I and II/III clinical trials as well as the growth of interactions with industry in key areas or of the biomedical sector. Recently she was awarded the 2023 BioMelbourne Network Inspiring Women’s Leadership Award.