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| Professor Bertram and Professor Wallace |
It was recently announced
that Melbourne had won the bid to host the 11th World Congress on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
(DOHaD) at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 20-23 October, 2019.
The proposed theme for the
congress is “transforming the future from the first moment of life,” which is
exactly what the 800-1000 estimated delegates will wish to achieve. The Aim of
DOHaD is to combat non-communicable diseases by establishing healthy behaviours
early in life.
Local, national and
international scientists, as well as clinical researchers, obstetricians,
paediatricians, public health professionals and policy leaders will gather
under the Exhibition Centre roof to discuss how early life (conception,
pregnancy, infancy and childhood) is not only a time to mitigate immediate
risks to health, but how it is also a critical period to promote health and
prevention of diseases later in life.
The thought behind the
congress is that many of the non-communicable diseases that plague society
(type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, some forms of
cancer, mental illness etc.) can be reduced with invention in early life.
There is substantial
evidence that indicates that promoting a ‘healthy start to life’ can reduce the
risk of both early and later non-communicable diseases with wide social and
economic benefits.
The story behind the bid
Professor John Bertram and Professor Euan Wallace co-chaired the successful Melbourne on
behalf of the DOHAD Society of Australia and New Zealand. They had assistance
from a local organising committee, as well as letters of support from
government and academia.
Professor Wallace is the
Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University, and
is also the Director of Obstetric Services, Monash Health, Department of
Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash Medical Centre. Professor Bertram is the
Head of the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Monash
University and a Group Leader in the Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash
Biomedicine Discovery Institute.
