You're invited to the first ever Virtual TwinsFest Australia!

Save the date - Thursday 28 October 2021, 7.30pm-9.00pm - for the first ever Virtual TwinsFest Australia. Enjoy a night of fun, entertainment and inspiration from the comfort of your own home as we celebrate 40 years of Twins Research Australia. Suitable for those aged 16 and above, the festivities are open to twins, higher-order multiples, parents of twins/HOMs and family as well as our followers and supporters from around Australia and globally. 

The interactive evening features: twin entertainers, comedians and celebrities; great prizes via photo competitions such as most alike and least-alike twins, twins from the most far-flung location; and even more prizes on offer in our fun twin trivia quiz. Be inspired as we hear from researchers and twins about the life-changing research they’ve been involved in. More details to come soon! Please share the date with your club, other twins, triplets, and multiple-birth parents - and enjoy this special night together.

World-first mental health study opens to twins aged 18-45

Twins can make a difference in our understanding of mental illness, which affects 1 in 5 Australians and impacts people’s lives in many ways. A world-first Australian study is seeking to understand the genetic and environmental factors that influence someone’s risk and resilience for mental illness and, in turn, to contribute to more effective diagnosis and treatment. Open now to all twins Australia-wide – identical and non-identical – aged 18-45 years with or without mental health challenges. A $100 reimbursement for your time is available to each twin in a pair if both participate. Meet the researchers, learn more about the study’s impact, and how to join here: View video

TRA launches new dedicated twin pregnancy website

Since 2010, TRA has offered a free printed guide to twin pregnancy which has been distributed to thousands of expecting parents. In our 40th anniversary year, we’re delighted to not only launch an updated edition of the printed booklet but also a dedicated twin pregnancy and early parenting website to provide another way for parents-to-be to access our resources. All information both in the booklet and website is verified by a team of health professionals, thus parents can be reassured they are receiving the best evidence-based advice available. If you (or someone you know) are expecting twins, please access our free resources: Visit here

Celebrating 40 years of life-changing twin research discoveries

The impact of TRA research - through the amazing efforts of our researchers and members, past and present - has been wide-ranging across our 40-year history. Together, we’ve contributed to new insights, prevention and treatment for some of the most challenging health problems of our times including, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we look at some of the most remarkable achievements of Australian twin research, and the people behind the discoveries. Discover more

Unique challenges for Indigenous Australian multiple-birth mothers

Indigenous Australian twins and their mothers face unique challenges, according to new research supported by Twins Research Australia. The study investigated the birth data of over 64,000 Indigenous twins in NSW and WA. All mothers of twins face challenges but the study found these may be more difficult to overcome for some Indigenous mothers. Factors included they are: more likely to live far from specialist medical care, younger, more socio-economically disadvantaged, and more likely to have older children. Researchers recommended that specific guidelines for the care of Indigenous mothers and twins may be needed to improve outcomes. Learn more here.

Twin holocaust survivor’s lesson in optimism

Melbourne’s Phillip Maisel thought he’d lost his twin during World War II. This moving story recounts how he found her again by sheer chance and why it is just one of the things for which this nearly 99-year-old is eternally grateful. Read more