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Robyn Riley is the medical editor for the Herald Sun. She is an award-winning journalist and an author who has been covering the medical and health round for more than three decades, with a particular interest in research. Join the Herald Sun’s Health & Medical Facebook group to be the first to hear about the medical breakthroughs you need to know about at www.facebook.com/groups/heraldsunhealth

@rileyrobyn08

Robyn Riley

Latest

Victoria

HEALTH: Young woman with flasks making notes in laboratory. Biotechnology research laboratory generic

Huge step toward ending medical misogyny in Victoria

Medical misogyny has for years labelled women “too unreliable to study”, but now dedicated research on women’s health in Victoria could hold the key to a breakthrough.

Dementia

This tool can predict if and when you’ll get early Alzheimer’s disease

A new online tool has been able to predict what age older adults will get Alzheimer’s. And it may give people the chance to plan their dementia care while they are still able to.

exclusiveVictoria

Millennium baby. Jordan Doelling was the first baby born in Melbourne at the start of the millennium. On the 1st January 2025 he will celebrate his 25th birthday. Picture: Alex Towie

Jordan was the first baby of the new millennium. Where is he now?

He was the first Victorian born in the new millennium. Now, Jordan Doelling is 25 and has an impressive career ahead of him.

Victoria

Close-up of woman's brown eye. High Technologies in the future

Is a single injection to the eye key to reversing blindness?

A new gene therapy delivered as a one-off injection to the eye could reverse blindness and “switch on sight” for millions of people with impaired vision.

Victoria

Joan Kirner Womens and Childrens Hospital Christmas prem baby stories. PJ NG is held by Santa during Santas rounds of the ward in HDU section of Newborn Services.BoyParents Vanessa and Paz NgDOB: 19/10/24Gestation: 27 weeks, 1 dayBirth weight: 740g Picture: David Caird

‘Truly blessed’: Miracle team helps tiniest newborns get home for Christmas

The tiny Christmas miracles at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital NICU have met Santa for the first time, while their parents navigate the emotional rollercoaster of their unexpected early arrival.

ExclusiveFertility

Former AFL player Reece Conca welcoming IVF miracle baby boy last week and talking about male infertility. Reece Conca with his partner Annabelle Grace and one week old baby boy Giovanni at home. Picture: David Caird

How I overcame infertility and had a baby: Former AFL gun

Former Richmond and Fremantle player Reece Conca tells of his battle with infertility and the new IVF technique that allowed him to have a child.

Health

Latest released photos of separated twins Krishna and Trishna in the Royal Children's Hospital. Krishna and guardian Moira Kelly watch the Wiggles. Photo by Robert Reitmaier.

Moira Kelly gives the gift of a kidney to ‘adopted’ daughter Krishna

Victorian humanitarian Moira Kelly – who helped bring conjoined twins Krishna and Trishna to Melbourne for their separation surgery in 2009 – has revealed she offered another lifeline to her “adopted” daughter Krishna.

EXCLUSIVEFertility

Stephanie Zeccola and partner James Loftus and five-year-old son Finlay. Stephanie is pregnant with a little girl due in March, result of a unique IVF technique that allows previously "unusable" embryos - known as mosaic embryos - to be implanted. She is now pregnant with the couple's second child. Picture: David Caird

How ‘last chance’ embryo led to family’s miracle baby

Stephanie and James’ baby dreams looked all but over when IVF left them with a mosaic embryo — one containing both normal and abnormal cells.

EXCLUSIVEVictoria

Parents Sam and Rhianna GAREY with their daughter Billie, 3 and Chester, 1. Billie was born very prematurely at 24 weeks, was a twin but sadly her sister Macie passed away at seven days. Billie was part of a world-first trial at Monash Children's where her stem cells were collected from her umbilical cord blood and transfused back to her at 10 days to "shield" her brain from damage. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Billie was born at only 24 weeks — this helped save her life

In a medical world first, it’s been found umbilical cord blood cells can “shield” the tiniest premature babies from injury — just like they did for now three-year-old Billie.

Victoria

Unrecognizable female gynocologist looking at a patients mammogram at the hospital

Real reason why young Victorians are most at risk of getting cancer

People born in the early 2000s have a six-to-seven-fold increased likelihood of getting bowel cancer — and now researchers have uncovered the gut reason behind the shock trend.

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/journalists/robyn-riley