Professor Philip Newsholme, Dr Rodrigo Carlessi, Nikita Walz, Karina Romeu Montenegro and Joanne Rowles.

We just had to share this great photo of some Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) researchers who recently spent a weekend in the Kalbarri National Park for a winter retreat.

Six members of Professor Philip Newsholme’s lab enjoyed team building and some social fun in the form of hiking, fishing, cooking meals and some very competitive evening board games.

They took this picture while exploring Nature’s Window, one of the national park’s most iconic and stunning attractions.

At CHIRI, the group’s work days are spent focused on researching metabolic health and nutrition in relation to age-related diseases including diabetes, chronic inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s been another busy year for the group, which has published in excess of 10 research articles so far in 2018, with more currently under review.

“The purpose of the retreat was getting to know each other in a social context as well as a professional one,” Professor Newsholme said.

“Previous retreats have been held at Rottnest Island, in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and the retreats help to ensure each lab member is able to contribute in a positive way to health, wellbeing and the forming of new friendships within the team.”

Joining Professor Newsholme on the retreat were CHIRI Research Associates Dr Rodrigo Carlessi and Dr Kevin Keane, and PhD students Karina Romeu Montenegro, Joanne Rowles and Nikita Walz.