Olivia Willis

Stockholm

Health Reporter, Radio National at ABC News (Australia)

Health journalist (on leave from @abcnews), currently studying global health at @karolinskainst

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Articles

World-first CRISPR therapy could 'transform' treatment for rare genetic diseases, but key challenges lie ahead

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Olivia Willis

It's been described as a revolutionary technology — and won its inventors a Nobel Prize. CRISPR gene-editing, often simply dubbed CRISPR, is a tool that allows scientists to precisely target and modify the human genome, making it possible to correct mutations and potentially treat genetic causes of disease. Earlier this month, scientistsused CRISPR technology to achieve a significant milestone: re-write the DNA of a baby with a rare genetic disease.
Deepfake scammers have stolen Norman’s voice

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Norman Swan |Olivia Willis

If you've come across ads of Norman pushing a product for you to buy — no you haven't. These ads are actually deepfake scams using an AI Norman to sell unproven supplements. Also, why a new Alzheimer's drug coming onto the market might not become cheap enough for most people to take. A breakthrough in gene-editing could push us closer to a future full of CRISPR treatments. And why eight hours a night might not be the magic number for sleep.
Donanemab approved to treat Alzheimer's disease

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Norman Swan |Olivia Willis

The TGA has approved a drug — donanemab — to treat Alzheimer's disease in its early stages. The drug has a small effect in slowing cognitive decline, however it isn't a cure and can have significant side effects. Also, the World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement with zero objections.
Real Norman vs deepfake Norman

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Norman Swan |Olivia Willis

For months, the Health Report has been getting emails about ads where 'Norman' was promoting unproven supplements. Scammers have been using Norman's voice and face to create AI videos to sell hundreds of dollars worth of supplements to trusting listeners. • Deepfake videos of Norman Swan are tricking people into buying unproven supplements at a risk to their own health
Why wasn't Joe Biden's aggressive prostate cancer detected?

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Norman Swan |Olivia Willis

Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer. It follows the diagnosis of one of our own prominent politicians, Barnaby Joyce. There’s been a lot of changes lately in the guidelines for detecting and treating prostate cancer, but gaps remain. • Associate Professor Jeremy Grummet, director of urology at Alfred Health and Monash University• Public Consultation: DRAFT 2025 Clinical Guidelines for the Early Detection of Prostate Cancer
There's been a big CRISPR breakthrough. What does the future hold?

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Norman Swan |Olivia Willis

In a world first, a baby has been treated with a personalised gene-editing technique. KJ’s parents were given the choice of a liver transplant or a CRISPR therapy that nobody had ever received. The journey isn’t over, but KJ has improved. So what’s on the horizon for CRISPR therapies – will we continue to see personalised applications?
How much does sleep duration really matter?

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Norman Swan |Olivia Willis

The amount of sleep people get varies across cultures, but does that mean their health differs too? Researchers looked at countries with shorter average sleep durations to find out whether they suffered negative health outcomes – but they didn’t. Instead, people who stuck closer to their cultural norms around sleep – independent of sleep duration – were healthiest.
You don’t have to snore to have sleep apnea

4 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Preeya Alexander |Olivia Willis |Shelby Traynor

It's a common sleep disorder that can have knock-on effects on your cardiovascular and overall metabolic health. But sleep apnea doesn't always present how people think, especially in women. Also, we take a look at Labor's health promises as they start their second term in government. New guidelines have been developed to improve care in early pregnancy loss. And one in seven Australians is on an antidepressant, in some cases simply because it can be so hard to come off them.
A deep dive on Labor's health promises

4 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Preeya Alexander |Olivia Willis

With Labor winning another term — and a larger majority — their health promises have gone from election pledges to government mandate. They've promised big boosts to Medicare and to cut costs for certain treatments and medications. But not everyone is happy with what has been promised — because of what wasn't given a spotlight during the campaign.
The difficulty of deprescribing antidepressants

4 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Preeya Alexander |Olivia Willis

About one in seven Australians take an antidepressant, and many people are taking them long-term. However there isn’t much evidence for the effectiveness of antidepressants long-term. But getting off these drugs can be tough, because withdrawal symptoms can be severe and can mimic a relapse. • Professor Katharine Wallis, lead of the RELEASE (REdressing Long-tErm Antidepressant uSE) program, University of Queensland