Join Laura Turner and her guest Professor Michael Parker. This program is proudly supported by Tobin Brothers Funerals - celebrating lives. Laura Turner catches up with an exciting world biochemistry and pharmacology expert working tirelessly to eradicate Alzheimer's disease - Professor Michael Parker from the St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research. Michael and his team have just been awarded the Faye Williams Innovation Grant, worth $375,000, to further research into a new drug treatment with Alzheimer's disease. With just under half a million Australians living with dementia, it is key and important work that could improve the lives of many. The research projects will show how acoustic sleep technology, paired with a new drug treatment may work to help reduce the toxins associated with the development and onset of Alzheimer's disease. In Professor Parker's research, there will be a new drug trialled that can help enhance the brain's ability to clear the toxins associated with the development in Alzheimer's disease. It is with this ground-breaking drug that there is new hope in delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease and removing previous negative consequences that came from some similar trials beforehand. This new experimental drug has shown positive preliminary breakthroughs in not only slowing down the onset and effects of Alzheimer's disease, but may in fact reverse some of the effects of Alzheimer's disease. Great Australian Lives is produced, engineered and edited by Jane Nield for SEN.
Laura Turner catches up with inspiring author and humanitarian - Zaheda Ghani. Arriving with her family to Australia from Afghanistan as refugees in the 1980's, Zaheda, known as Zoe, handwrote her first novel using a HB pencil in a scented diary with a lock and key. It was the heart of what Zaheda wrote, through her determination, change and growth through this time, that flourished into her first novel 'Pomegranate & Fig', which was shortlisted for the Richell Prize for Emerging Writers. Also a recipient of Western Sydney Emerging Writers Fellowship, Zaheda served on the board of Australia for UNHCR, a private sector partnered with the UN Refugee Agency from 2017 to 2021. Today Zaheda is an Ambassador for Australian for UNHCR, where she is a part of a team that is passionate about their ongoing humanitarian work. Tune in to listen to her insightful, inspiring and amazing life and stories that she has accumulated on her journey. Great Australian Lives is supported by Tobin Brothers Funerals - celebrating lives.
Join Laura Turner and her guest Tim Peck. After an esteemed and well established career as a detective in the Victoria Police, Tim seemed to be the very embodiment of a competent and successful police officer who threw everything into his career. However in 2014 he had reached breaking point that nobody was able to foresee - he was struggling and willing to commit suicide. In this discussion, Laura speaks with Tim about his path to recovery and how he uses his experiences to assist others going through similar circumstances, and that help is available. June 27 was post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day, and Tim has dedicated his life to become a part of Phoenix Australia, an organisation dedicated to supporting and assisting those who suffer from PTSD. Phoenix Australia is Australia's National Centre of Excellence in Posttraumatic Mental Health. Listen to his courageous and insightful story.
Join Laura Turner and her guest June Factor. June is a much loved children's book writer responsible for titles like Far Out, Brussel Sprout! and All Right Vegemite! She's also a highly respected folklorist and social historian. Her new book Soldiers and Aliens explores some of the lesser know stories of World War Two and the men who served in the Australian Employment Companies. For more information about June's work and book click HERE. This program is proudly supported by Tobin Brothers Funerals - celebrating lives. Great Australian Lives is produced, engineered and edited by Jane Nield for SEN.
aura Turner catches up with mental health pioneers who are working to remove the stigma of complex mental health issues and support families in need as the leaders of SANE - CEO of SANE Rachel Green & SANE Founder Dr. Margaret Leggatt. For more information about SANE head to www.sane.org SANE was born out of a movement of people looking to remove stigma and create better support and opportunities for people and families facing schizophrenia and other complex mental health difficulties. This came after the deinstitutionalisation of many vulnerable patients, without the integration knowledge to allow for them to thrive, where SANE worked to remove stigma from those families and patients that were vulnerable, working to improve services and improve awareness of mental health issues.
Laura Turner catches up with award-winning journalist, acclaimed author, leader of public debate with over 25 years' experience across radio, newspapers and TV - Madonna King. Madonna has spent her career writing in depth about politics, education, health, crime and business; and has built her expertise on the most pressing issues confronting teenage girls, publishing her findings in her novels 'Being 14' and 'Fathers and Daughters', among others. Her vast knowledge is sought by governments and corporations in the hopes of better understanding this influential, yet vulnerable part of the population, as well as being the Chair of the Queensland Anti-Cyber Bullying Taskforce in 2018. Madonna writes weekly columns for Fairfax Media for the past six years, and has worked previously writing weekly columns for the Courier-Mail, and has appeared on television programs including breakfast programs, The Drum & Q&A. It is with her vast knowledge that Madonna is able to conducts podcast tailored to teachers about professional development, and has worked alongside several universities on a range of programs that need moderators who can cut through complex debates to come to clearer and more finite resolutions. Madonna has just released her brand new book - 'L Platers: How to support your teen daughter on the road to adulthood.' Listen to some of her amazing stories, lives she has changed and all about her new books!
Join Laura Turner and guest Sandi Logan. Sandi is an award winning senior communications and issues management executive who started out as a journalist in the mid 70s and early 80s before transitioning into public affairs diplomacy in the foreign service - a role which saw him posted to Papua New Guinea, Germany and Washington DC. From there he threw himself into the cut and thrust of Australian politics in Canberra as a spokesperson for various departments, agencies and ministers before turning his hand to consulting as a communications strategist. He's now added author to his resume and has just published a fascinating true crime tale - Betrayed: The incredible untold inside story of the two most unlikely drug-running grannies in Australian history. For more information about Sandi's book and his work you can visit his website www.sandiloganauthor.com HERE. Great Australian LIves is proudly presented by Tobin Brothers Funerals Celebrating Lives. This show is produced, engineered and edited by Jane Nield for SEN.
Join Laura Turner and her guest Sally Warriner. Sally has just released a new memoir, 'Not Just the Wife of the General Manager - Life in the Outback'; a fascinating memoir of her life on outback cattle stations that pays homage to countless unsung heroes - just like herself. Her story begins after hitchhiking to Australia's far north in the 1980's while she was in her early twenties, where Sally stayed instead of returning home to Canberra where Sally married a cattle manager. Her life was filled with farm work consisting of 14 hour days, working 7 days a week alongside her husband until she was 50; before something inside her snapped and she came to the realisation that there is more that she wants to accomplish in her life, deciding to leave that life behind for something greater. As well as being 'just' a wife of a station manager during her stay up in Northern Australia, she was also a nurse (and working alongside with The Royal Flying Doctors), she was a dedicated mother to several children (not all of them her own children), a travel agent, a social secretary, and a high-profile event host and organiser for some of Australia's most prominent figures in her time. Her story is one built on resilience, adventure, journey, courage, overcoming vast obstacles and so much more across her encompassing and captivating life journey. Listen to her unique and fascinating story! Great Australian LIves is proudly presented by Tobin Brothers Funerals Celebrating Lives. This show is produced, engineered and edited by Jane Nield for SEN.
Join Laura Turner and her guest Professor Elaine Fox. Elaine is considered a pioneer in her field - she's a world leading experimental psychologist, an expert in the science of optimism and emotions and a performance coach who draws on the wisdom gained in 25 years of scientific research to help top athletes, military leaders and business professionals harness their potential. She's currently a Professor of Psychology and head of the school of psychology at the University of Adelaide. Somehow she find the time to write as well and has just released her latest book Switchcraft in which she explores the potential for all of us to master a set of skills we need to navigate a complex and uncertain world and restore our fulfilment, curiosity and zest for life. You can conect with Professor Elaine Fox on Instagram HERE. Great Australian Lives is proudly supported by Tobin Brothers Funerals. This program is produced, engineered and edited by Jane Nield for Sport Entertainment Network
Laura Turner's guest this week is Fergus Watts. Fergus is a businessman, former AFL Player and current CEO of The Reach Foundation, Fergus Watts. Originally from England, Watts was educated at Wesley College before being selected as a first round draft pick for the Adelaide Crows in the 2003 AFL Draft, before an injury marred his career by 2007, forcing him to retire from footballing competitions. After football, and at just 23 years old, Fergus then started his own entertainment, sports and marketing agency which became Bastion Collective. Bastion Collective evolved over the years to accommodate more than 100 employees, with offices around the world and evolved to have various subsidiaries to ensure that the markets that they were in were being effectively catered for, and today is valued as a $20 billion company and is continuing to grow each day. Fergus has has just been named the CEO of The Reach Foundation, an organisation that is looking to tackle the mental health crisis head on. Fergus considers himself lucky to have gone through the the program 20 years ago as a member of the St. Kilda Football Club, when The Reach Foundation was run by the late, great Jim Stynes. Listen to his amazing story, journey and the inspiration to join The Reach Foundation, and how he is still managing to inspire and lead others into a better future! #TobinBrothers #CelebratingLives #SayItNow #ListenNow