DIETARY INTERVENTIONS INFLUENCING NEUROLOGICAL OUTCOMES
Carolina Blagojevic Castro
Dietician/Nutritionist,
PhD Candidate at Murdoch University, Western Australia &
Research Assistant, Alzheimer’s Research Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Perth, Western Australia | September 2024
With over a decade of experience as a dietitian and nutritionist, Carolina Blagojevic Castro specialises in providing personalised dietary guidance and customised meal planning tailored to meet each client’s unique health needs. She is known for her engaging and educational presentations on topics related to health and nutrition, sharing practical, evidence-based insights with both community groups and professional audiences.
Currently, she works as a Nutritionist and Research Assistant at Alzheimer’s Research Australia, supporting studies on the links between diet and cognitive health. This role deepens her expertise in neurology-related nutrition, allowing her to explore how dietary interventions may influence neurological outcomes. She is also a PhD candidate at the Centre for Healthy Ageing at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, where she merges her hands-on experience with academic research, contributing practical insights to the field of nutritional science. Her research focuses on the interplay between diet and aging, bridging real-world applications and theoretical knowledge to advance the understanding of nutrition’s impact on healthy aging.
In addition to her role at Murdoch University, she holds a postgraduate qualification in Neurological Diseases from Philadelphia University/UniFil in Brazil, further enhancing her capacity to address complex dietary needs. Her commitment to professional development ensures that she stays at the forefront of advancements in nutrition, providing care to her clients and contributing meaningfully to her field.
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Integrated Oral Health Care
Dr Ajesh George is a Professor of Interprofessional Oral Health in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University (WSU) and Honorary Professor in the School of Dentistry at The University of Sydney. He is a dentist with extensive experience in integrated oral health care and is a renowned expert globally in providing oral health training to non-dental professionals and translating oral health guidelines into their practice. Dr George is also the Director and Co-founder of the “Australian Centre for Integration of Oral Health” (ACIOH) which is a leading national research centre led by WSU in collaboration with various partners including universities, health services and professional organisations.
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Impact of Leukaemia Foundation’s Research Funding into Blood Cancer
Bill Stavreski is the Head of Research at the Leukaemia Foundation who talks about the research impact in recent years. The Foundation itself marks its 25th anniversary in 2025, having funded a wide range of health and medical research since 2000. With a focus on basic science, health services research, treatment, and care, the organisation has invested nearly $90 million (adjusted in current dollars terms) in approximately 370 research grants over the years.
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Identification, characterisation and role of leader cells in ovarian cancer progression
Dr. Maree Bilandzic is a molecular cancer biologist dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of ovarian cancer (OC). Her research addresses critical gaps in OC treatment by investigating the mechanisms behind metastasis, chemotherapy resistance, and tumour recurrence. By utilising innovative methodologies and disease-representative models, Dr. Bilandzic has pioneered the identification and characterisation of leader cells (LCs)—a unique, stem-like subpopulation within tumours that plays a crucial role in OC progression.
