Workshop - Better health for families of multiples

TRA hosted an inaugural workshop recently focusing on developing national priorities and next steps to improve health outcomes for multiple-birth babies and their families. Over 30 participants attended and affirmed their commitment to working together to elevate awareness and action in four high-priority areas. 

Top 10 global research priorities for multiple-birth family health

Multiple-birth experts from around the world have identified where urgent research is needed to improve health outcomes for twins, triplets and higher-order multiples.

Moles and melanoma - is the sun the real culprit after all?

Twins are helping us to understand how genes may have a greater influence than previously thought not only on the number of moles you have but also where they are on your body.

Twin study finds red wine links to better gut health

A twin study has found that people who drank red wine had an increased gut microbiota diversity (a sign of gut health) compared to non-red wine drinkers as well as an association with lower levels of obesity and 'bad' cholesterol.

SBS-TV insight: the challenges of parenting quads and quins

They're often heralded as 'miracle babies' that get heaped with attention and adoration - but what is parenting quadruplets and quintuplets really like. SBS-TV's Insight program investigates.

Higher risk of stroke can follow midlife type 2 diabetes

New research involving over 33,000 twins in Sweden has uncovered a significant link between type 2 diabetes in midlife and the risk of stroke. 

Can bacteria beat the belly fat?

Gut bacteria play an important role in the accumulation of fat around the midriff, a new UK twin study has found.

Owning a dog is influenced by our genetic makeup

A novel study involving twins has found choosing to own a dog is heavily influenced by our genetic makeup.

Support needed for multiple-birth families to improve outcomes

Having multiple-birth babies can be a time of wonder and excitement. But according to a first-ever international collaborative report released today, these babies and their families can also face serious disadvantages compared to parents of single-birth babies.

Your genetic makeup has little impact on your dental health

A new twin study has found genetic makeup does not predispose people to tooth decay, however the research did find that children with overweight mothers are more likely to have cavities.

A twin study that's out of this world

NASA has taken twin research to new heights – conducting an historical study of identical twins where one brother stayed on Earth while the other spent a year in space.

Twin study probes if nature or nurture makes us sick

Data from a private insurance company has given scientists a new way to study whether nature or nurture matters more when it comes to staying healthy in the face of disease. Though the answer isn’t definitive or exact — it varies according to each of the 560 diseases that were studied — the technique holds promise for bringing more insights in the future.

Semi-identical twins identifed in pregnancy for first time

In a world first, researchers from UNSW Sydney and QUT have used genetic testing to detect semi-identical twins during pregnancy.

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.