It is a matter of urgency that the impact of maternity unit closures on Australian women living in rural and remote areas is addressed, according to CSU midwifery academic Dr Elaine Dietsch.

A new health degree to be introduced by Charles Sturt University in 2009 will help address some of the gaps in health services in inland Australia.

CSU lecturer Dr Stephen Bird helped the Indonesian national team win medals at the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China, shared a bus ride with Jamaican gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt, met the entire US Olympic basketball team, and narrowly missed catching the football David Beckham kicked into the crowd at the closing ceremony.

While modern athletes seem to be a marvel of evolution, a CSU academic questions whether the remarkable stamina that they display is a product of modern training techniques and a deep understanding of human and animal physiology or 'mind over matter'.

Residents in a major regional centre are failing to control high blood pressure and hypertension – a major cause of heart disease, stroke, heart failure, renal failure and peripheral vascular disease – according to a CSU study.

As some of the world’s best athletes embark on elite competition at the 2008 Olympics and the world’s media focuses on Beijing, CSU has commentators available on various aspects of the international event.

People living with mental health problems in rural and remote Australia are at a greater risk of stigma, social disconnection, untreated illness and chronic health problems than those residing in larger centres, warns CSU academic and clinical psychologist Dr Gene Hodgins.

Researchers from Australia and China have uncovered a new and potentially vital therapeutic role for folic acid in protecting the heart muscle from the onslaught of high glucose levels experienced by diabetics.

Pharmacy students studying at CSU have secured valuable financial assistance for their four years of study through the nationally competitive Rural and Remote Pharmacy Scholarship Scheme.