Future of scientific discovery shines bright thanks to twins

The future of scientific discovery looks bright with a first-ever global survey finding twins and their families world-wide suppport the fundamental role they play in research.

TRA's 2018 studies by the numbers

Our 2018 studies by the numbers - this infographic shows the impact of one of TRA's busiest years for research studies. 

Australian twins feature in global campaign

Two Australian multiple-birth families share their very different experiences for this year’s International Multiple Birth Awareness Week and its theme: research with multiples benefits everyone.

Twins, especially male identical twins, live longer

Twins not only have a bestie from birth — they also live longer than singletons. And those two factors may be related, according to University of Washington research.

Have your say on the future of twin research

What are the top health research priorities for twins & multiples?

Are you a twin, higher-number multiple, parent, or health professional supporting multiple-birth families? A new global research collaboration is seeking your opinion on the most pressing multiple-birth issues needing research. 

Twin ambitions

Melbourne's Herald Sun reports on a $1 million world-first study that will scan the brains of 300 fraternal twins - now aged 11 and who have been followed since they were in the womb - with the aim of finding the blueprint for creating healthy children.

Can you judge a book by its cover: twins needed for study

Researchers at The University of Western Australia are recruiting twins for a study to determine whether genetics play a part in trusting someone based on first impressions.

What you eat, not your genes, determines sensitivity to fat

A taste for fat is not driven by genetics, rather it’s all down to diet, a new Deakin University study of Australian twins has found.

World first study tunes in on singing twins

Are golden tonsils born or made? A major international twin study hopes to investigate the relative roles of genetic and environmental influences on singing ability.

Become a citizen researcher into Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome

A new global research collaboration is seeking to improve outcomes for the twin pregnancy condition, Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. This research is open to Australian parents and carers with experience in TTTS.

Meet the power couple of back pain research

Drugs may not work for back pain but video games might, say experts Paulo and Manuela Ferreira. The couple are former physiotherapists and now University of Sydney back pain researchers.

NASA twin study confirms preliminary findings

The Twin Study propelled NASA into the genomics era of space travel. It was a ground-breaking study comparing what happened to astronaut Scott Kelly, in space, to his identical twin brother, Mark, who remained on Earth. The perfect nature versus nurture study was born.

Five discoveries we can thank twins for

Twins have long held a fascination in our popular imagination. And while stories about telepathy are intriguing, says Director of Twins Research Australia John Hopper, twins hold the key to a more important mystery: nature versus nurture.

New ABC-TV documentary- It's a twin thing

ABC-TV’s premier science program, Catalyst, has launched a fascinating new documentary about twins and why they are so important to health research. Researchers and members of Twins Research Australia are at the centre of this special episode, It’s a Twin Thing, now available on iView.

New mammogram hotspots predict future breast cancers

Melbourne researchers have discovered a new way to interpret mammograms that could transform routine breast screening and save lives.

Professor John Hopper said the new technique makes it possible to predict with 30 per cent more accuracy which women will develop breast cancer in the future.

Twin study helps unravel mysteries of brain ageing

The Older Australian Twins Study, led by Perminder Sachdev and Julian Trollor of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at the University of New South Wales, has been recruiting TRA twins (65 years old and older) for more than nine years and has made a substantial contribution to understanding brain ageing. 

Twins brush up on dental health

Twin research is helping to better understand the vital role played by dental health in a child’s general wellbeing.

What can epigenetics tell us about twin development?

As you would expect, five-year-old identical twins, Marcos and Gabriel have a great deal in common. They love playing outside, riding on their bikes and playing board games.

But some differences are starting to emerge. Gabriel suffers from asthma, hives on his skin and a heart murmur while Marcos doesn’t.