Professor Epidemiology, University of Sydney, Honorary Senior Research Fellow The George Institute for Global Health, Adjunct Professor University of Toronto
@Sydney_Uni @UofT
Joined May 2014
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Alex Martiniuk retweeted
Unfortunately there is a larger volume of quickly growing brain cancer (glioblastoma, IDH WT, unmethylated etc) in my left brain. The prognosis is poor.
Whilst some of my recurrent tumour was removed last week, some of it couldn’t be because of its site.
While the neoadjuvant triple doses of immunotherapy &/or anticancer vaccination I received may have made a difference in my brain tumour & survival, more work needs to be done in a clinical trial to prove this. Either way, I am proud of the data produced after treatment with neoadjuvant immunotherapy (and recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine) which I hope will make a difference for others.
I greatly appreciate the support of all my family, friends & colleagues who have been looking after me so well & the incredible research that has been performed. I hope the latter will change the field & patient outcomes in the not too distant future.
@SydneyLHD
@Sydney_Uni
@NthSydHealth
@COBLH
@AllenAndUnwin
@gmaddox
@Channel9
@AllisonLangdon
@smh
@Dr_Brindha
#glioblastoma
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
This account is no longer posting here and neither is @theMJA. Find us on other platforms
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
Best wishes for 2025 everyone!
A few months ago I put out a memoir titled Brainstorm written by my friend & very talented writer Garry Maddox. It details many aspects of my life but particularly the journey since my supposedly incurable brain cancer glioblastoma (GBM) came to light in May 2023. The novel treatment path I elected to embark upon has not been without risks and I have certainly faced many challenges & difficulties. By not receiving standard chemotherapy with temozolamide for 6 months (part of the standard Stupp protocol), median survival for my subtype of GBM drops from 12 months to approximately 6 months. Thanks to the support & courage of many people, particularly my wonderful wife Katie and @ProfGLongMIA, I embarked on a novel treatment path. Thankfully I’m still here enjoying my life with no tumour recurrence detected yet! I hope the soon to be published science from my tumour and novel treatment path can be used to forge a new path which will improve life for many brain cancer patients if it can be proven in clinical trials that the risks/side effects/potential benefits make it worthwhile.
In late 2024, I had a wonderful chat with a very special person, Sarah Kanowski, on the Conversation on ABC Radio about my life and memoir.
Here’s a link below, if you are interested in listening:
abc.net.au/listen/programs/c…
@AllenAndUnwin
@gmaddox
@ausoftheyear
@SydneyLHD
@Sydney_Uni
#braincancer
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
🧵1/Five years ago today, @WHO became aware of the first cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan, China. A massive global storm was already brewing—a storm that would shut down the world with profound impacts that reverberate to this day. #COVID19 xitter.cf/WHO/status/18737691671…
Five years ago on 31 December 2019, WHO’s Country Office in #China picked up a media statement by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission from their website on cases of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, China.
In the weeks, months, and years that unfolded after that, #COVID19 came to shape our lives and our world.
At WHO, we went to work immediately as the new year dawned. WHO employees activated emergency systems on 1 January 2020, and informed the world on 4 January.
By 9-12 January, WHO had published its first set of comprehensive guidance for countries, and on 13 January, we brought together partners to publish the blueprint of the first SARS-CoV-2 laboratory test.
All along, we convened experts and ministries of health from around the world, gathered and analysed data, and shared what was reported, what we learned and what it meant for people. Read about WHO’s actions here: bit.ly/3neFefP
As we mark this milestone, let’s take a moment to honour the lives changed and lost, recognize those who are suffering from COVID-19 and #longCOVID, express gratitude to the health workers who sacrificed so much to care for us, and commit to learning from COVID-19 to build a healthier tomorrow.
We continue to call on China to share data and access so we can understand the origins of COVID-19. This is a moral and scientific imperative.
Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.
Today, as often, we pose this question: “is the world better prepared for the next pandemic than we were for COVID-19?” @DrTedros responds ⬇️
RT @ProfRAScolyer: Tour de Cure (TdC) is an incredible organisation in Australia which supports cancer patients and their families and frie…
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
This year, countries have battled outbreaks of mpox, Marburg, cholera, dengue, avian influenza, while the climate crisis is driving their spread to new areas.
On International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, we remind all countries that shared threats demand a shared response. The only way to create a safer world is together. #PandemicAccord
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
Was in hospital just b4 Xmas for 10 days. Wore mask. No staff masked, despite rising covid in Sydney. One day I saw staff were suddenly masked..asked why. Was told there was covid on ward. No other patients told or protected. I had masked from day 1 and used antiviral nasal sprays, and got out without infection. The day I was discharged, the outbreak was spreading, and finally they began testing all patients. Shocking lack of rights for patients. No right to safe healthcare, because covid is ignored as a preventable nosocomial infection. Going to hospital has become a gamble on personal safety.
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
There once was a time that you didn’t yet realize you had hands.
It’s a funny thought, but 100% true.
In fact it’s not until somewhere between 2-4 months of age that babies fully “discover” their hands.
Stranger still, thanks in part to the Palmar (or grasping) reflex, infants actually use their hands (involuntarily) well before they realize they exist.
Once the discovery is made, scenes like this one - shared to IG by epicpsychology - become common.
Your baby may stare at their hands in wonder for prolonged periods, soaking in not only their presence but their ability to control their movement (clumsy though these earliest attempts may be).
This discovery marks the dawn of a whole new set of usages. What began as involuntary and haphazard, becomes increasingly deliberate and controlled - as your baby begins purposefully grasping and reaching for objects in their field of vision.
You can support the development of these skills by providing safe toys and objects within arm’s length for them to reach for, grasp, and manipulate.
Just don’t forget that almost any such object will be headed straight toward your baby’s mouth (as a primary means of exploration), so be particularly mindful of both their cleanliness and potential choking hazards during this exploratory phase.
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
Delighted to attend the launch of the report for the National State of Patient Safety 2024 yesterday. imperial.ac.uk/Stories/Natio…
This report is a clear and concise explanation of the current issues affecting Patient Safety in the UK.
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
A new study this week @Nature showed how the most common blood test performed—the CBC, complete blood count—contains a treasure chest of information that we are missing in reporting out to patients and doctors.
Reviewed in the new Ground Truths, link in profile
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
What we really need globally is much stronger surveillance in animals, including wild birds, poultry, swine, dairy cattle and other susceptible animals to better understand virus circulation and risks to humans.
voanews.com/a/who-wants-bird…
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
I'm happy to announce that my book titled "The Foreign Gaze: Essays on Global Health" is now out!
You can order the print copy and download the e-copy (open access) here: editions.ird.fr/produit/728/…
The book comes with a playlist for your listening pleasure: open.spotify.com/playlist/5K…
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
Yay!!! Thank you, @tom_wein. This is the first delivery of the book I’ve seen.
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Alex Martiniuk retweeted
I have a new book coming out in 2025 on #vaccines. You can pre-order now.
amazon.com.au/Vaccine-Nation…
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
Still no sign of recurrence of my glioblastoma on the latest MRI scan. I couldn’t be happier!! It’s 18 months today since my brain tumour came to light. Thank you to all those who have been part of the medical & scientific teams involved in my treatment and care and scientific analysis of my tumour.
@SydneyLHD
@Sydney_Uni
@AllenAndUnwin
@gmaddox
@ausoftheyear
#Brainstorm
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
To mark the centenary of James Baldwin, I wrote a short essay for @TheLancet. On what he's taught me RE responding to pushbacks.
To beware of "strategic ignorance" and "the imaginary line of selective judgement".
James Baldwin: ignorance, power, justice thelancet.com/journals/lance…
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
Going out on a limb here: I think we are at the start of a new Covid wave.
Stats from todays NSW Health report:
health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious…
Avian influenza A(H5N1): For health professionals - Canada.ca canada.ca/en/public-health/s…
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
I’m thrilled to be involved as an Executive Producer and participant in the wonderful new film Conquering Skin Cancer, which is releasing in cinemas across the country next month.
Here’s a trailer:
youtu.be/P3ycq4D_6DU
This film will save lives.
Tickets are now sale:
conqueringcancercampaign.com…
Alex Martiniuk retweeted
HPV vaccines offer a rare opportunity to effectively eliminate cervical cancer.
By taking this opportunity, it’s possible to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year.
ALT This chart, titled "Cervical cancer rates declined in England following national HPV vaccination programs," shows cumulative cases of cervical cancer per 100,000 women by age for birth cohorts from 1989 to 1999 in England. Each cohort, offered HPV vaccines at different ages, experienced different rates of cancer incidence by age 30. The unvaccinated 1989–1990 cohort had the highest incidence (blue), while the 1995–1999 cohort, vaccinated at ages 12–14, had the lowest (red). Data source: Milena Farcano et al. (2021), The Lancet. The chart was made by Saloni Dattani of Our World in Data.