Director’s message

Welcome to Hudson News winter 2021.

I’m sure, like us, you are all breathing a collective sigh of relief that vaccines against COVID-19 are being rolled out and are already having an impact on reducing daily infection and death rates around the world. It’s thanks to science and medical research that these rapid advances in vaccine development have been possible.

While our research into COVID-19 treatments and the development of a National Centre for Inflammation Research at Hudson Institute continues, so do our other crucial research programs.

This year, the first edition of Hudson News is coinciding with Mother’s Day and we are highlighting our world-leading research into women’s health. I’m proud that our researchers are making important discoveries into these neglected conditions that have a big impact on women’s lives. This includes our research into ovarian cancer. Our teams are making significant progress towards developing early detection tests and promising new treatments for the most prevalent forms of ovarian cancer, as well as a rare form which can even affect babies.

You may know someone affected by endometriosis, a painful debilitating condition where endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus, or you may know someone who has suffered pelvic organ prolapse (POP), often as a result of birth trauma. Historically, conditions like these have been considered something ‘women just put up with’ but we believe these patients deserve better.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge that Mother’s Day can be a difficult time for some, for a variety of reasons. The stories you will read about in this newsletter illustrate the importance of the work we’re doing in women’s health to improve the quality of life for women here and around the world.

We would welcome your generous support to help us solve some of the biggest health issues facing women today.

Professor Elizabeth Hartland
Director and CEO

From the issue…