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Monday 19 February 2018

World-renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist joins MHTP

Professor Ben Mol
The Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP) welcomes Ben (Willem) Mol, who started last week as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University and as Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash Health.  

Professor Mol’s research is focused on the organisation of multi-centric evaluative research in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Fertility.

“My research is focused mainly upon everyday practices—my most important task is the stimulation and innovation of evaluative research in obstetrics, gynaecology and reproductive medicine,” Professor Mol said.

After studying medicine at the University of Amsterdam, Professor Mol worked in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam (AMC). In 1999 he obtained his doctorate with honours at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Amsterdam with his dissertation entitled Evaluating the effectiveness of diagnostic tests: tubal subfertility and ectopic pregnancy

Professor Mol trained as a gynaecologist at the University Medical Centre (Universitair Medisch Centrum) in Utrecht and from 2002 he was a senior researcher in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the AMC. From 2003 to 2007, he worked as a gynaecologist-perinatologist at the Maxima Medisch Centrum, in Eindhoven, and between 2007-2013 as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the AMC in Amsterdam. 

Professor Mol was instrumental in initiating the Dutch consortium for Research in Women’s Health, in which 70 hospitals collaborate in multicentre trials.  Main topics that were evaluated were timing and methods of induction of labour, prevention of preterm birth with pessary, tocolysis, indications for IVF, tubal flushing for infertility and treatment of menorrhagia.

He has worked at the University of Adelaide since 2014, and holds an NHMRC practitioner fellowship, which was awarded as the highest ranked application in 2014. During his time in Adelaide, Professor Mol developed extensive relations with Asian universities.

“I am delighted to be starting my appointment at Monash University and Monash Health,” Professor Mol said.

“My ambitions at Monash are to translate the findings of clinical practice, to initiate a Victorian clinical trial network in women’s health research, to extend my global collaborations and to mentor junior colleagues in these ambitions.”

Professor Mol’s professional adage is ‘A day without randomisation is a day without progress'.


MHTP hosts Myeloma Australia event

Laura Jones, Dr George Grigoriadis, Dr Michael Low,
Associate Professor Jake Shortt, Elli Foley
Myeloma Australia welcomed over 60 people with myeloma, their families and friends to their "Monash Myeloma Update" last weekend.

Held for the first time in collaboration with Monash Health and Monash University, the half day event took place in the Translational Research Facility (TRF) at the Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP).

Associate Professor Jake Shortt presenting
Myeloma Australia support nurses Laura Jones and Elli Foley said the audience was excited to hear from leading speakers including Dr George Grigoriadis, Associate Professor Jake Shortt, and Dr Michael Low.

"Topics were well received and involved disease overview, treating myeloma and living well, and research updates specific to the MHTP," Laura said.


Bioethics Theory & Practice Seminars this week at MHTP

The Monash Bioethics Centre is holding a series of seminars this week at the Monash Health Translational Precinct as part of the unit APG5210 Bioethics Theory & Practice. 

These seminars cover traditional topics in bioethics as well as contemporary/emerging issues of bioethical debate, including doctor-patient relationships, ethical issues at the beginning and end of life, research ethics, ethical issues surrounding new (e.g., genetic) technologies, justice and the distribution of medical resources, public health ethics, and neuro-ethics (see the attached seminar schedule HERE for more details).

Students and staff are welcome to attend any one or a number of these seminars, so if you're interested in learning more about the ethical dimensions of a range of practices close to your heart, check the seminar schedule and bring a friend.   


Please email peter.douglas@monash if you have any questions. 

How mycobacterial phenolic glycolipids subvert host macrophages to cause disease: the general case and a special case, 20 February

Tuesday 20 February, 1.30pm, Ground Floor, G19, 15 Innovation Walk, Clayton Campus, Monash University

Presented by Professor Lalita Ramakrishnan, Cambridge University, Head of Molecular Immunity Unit

Lalita Ramakrishnan studies the pathogenesis of tuberculosis using a zebrafish model that her laboratory developed. The optical transparency and genetic tractability of the zebrafish larva have enabled her group to make surprising discoveries about TB pathogenesis and drug tolerance that have
immediate clinical implications. Lalita did her medical training in India and then went to the US where she did a PhD in Immunology, medical residency and fellowship in infectious diseases. During her postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford, she developed Mycobacterium marinum as a surrogate for its close genetic relative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Her lab has since used zebrafish infected with M. marinum to study the immunopathogenesis of TB.

In 2014, she moved from the US to the University of Cambridge where she is Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases and a Principal Research Fellow of the Wellcome Trust.

Melissa Northcott's PhD confirmation, "Glucocorticoid Induced Leucine Zipper and Type 1 Interferon in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus", 20 February

All staff and students are invited to Melissa Northcott's PhD confirmation.

12pm, 20 February, Medicine Seminar Room, Level 5, Block E.


Synopsis:  Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an incurable systemic autoimmune disease in which type 1 interferon has an established pathogenic role. Glucocorticoid induced leucine zipper (GILZ) is a protein with a wide range of anti-inflammatory effects. This project examines interactions between type 1 interferon and GILZ, aiming to strengthen current evidence that GILZ may be an effective therapeutic target in SLE.
Supervisors:  Professor Eric Morand, Dr Sarah Jones

Grand Round presentation: Rheumatology - "Who's afraid of biosimilars?", 21 February

Wednesday 21 February, 12.30-1.30pm
Lecture Theatre 1, Monash Medical Centre

Presented by Professor Eric Morand, Professor Michelle Leech, Associate Professor Sue Kirsa and Dr Tom Kovitwanichkanont


REMINDER: ARC Discovery Projects (DP19) - CLOSING IN RMS ON WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY

ARC Updates
Note that the ARC has recently released an updated Discovery Program FAQ, as well as a Definitions page for their Medical Research Policy. Please ensure your proposal does not violate this policy. 


Certification Forms
If you haven't already done so, please provide a completely signed Certification Form to help us finalize submission of your Proposal to the ARC by Feb 21. The Certification Form is available here.  Once all necessary CI/PI and Organisational signatures have been obtained, please send it to <mro-applications@monash.edu>


If you are not proceeding with your application this year, please advise the MRO (mro-applications@monash.eduand delete your proposal in RMS.


CCRM Australia 2018 Training Program – International Workshop Placement

More information HERE.

Application form HERE.

CCRM Australia-IMNIS Regenerative Medicine International Mentoring Program

More information HERE.

Application form HERE.

SCS OHS Committee meeting: Call for agenda items


The next SCS OHS committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 7, 10-11.30am in the Surgery Seminar Room, Level 5, Block E. 

Please send any items for discussion to clare.westhorpe@monash.edu.

Meeting minutes are available on the intranet here.


Accurately predicting the risk of serious maternal morbidity in preterm preeclampsia Can It be done?

Kirsten Palmer, Stephen Tong published in Hypertension.

Read article here.

Cell-free fetal DNA testing in singleton IVF conceptions

Tim Lee et al. published in Human Reproduction.

Read article here.

Antiemetic treatment in the emergency department: Patient opinions and expectations

Robert Meek, Andis Graudins et al. published in Emergency Medicine Australasia.

Read article here.

Inpatient outcomes of preterm infants receiving ω-3 enriched lipid emulsion (SMOFlipid): an observational study

Atul Malhotra et al. published in the European Journal of Pediatrics.

Read article here.

Endometrial stem/progenitor cells and their role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis

Caroline Gargett et al. published in Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

Read article here.

Psychosocial Predictors of Change in Depressive Symptoms Following Gastric Banding Surger

David Clarke et al. published in Obesity Surgery.

Read article here.

Investigating the variability in mild traumatic brain injury definitions: a prospective cohort study

John Cheek et al. published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Read article here.

Reply to 'A mixed-methods study on the use of and attitudes towards safety checklists in interventional radiology'

Stacey Georgen published in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.

Read article here.

The Impact of Mild Heat Stress During Prolonged Running On Gastrointestinal Integrity, Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Systemic Endotoxin and Cytokine Profiles

Rhiannon Snipe et al. published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.

Read article here.

Review: An Australian model of care for co-morbid diabetes and chronic kidney disease

Kevan Polkinghorne et al. published in Nephrology.

Read article here.

Is RNASEL:p.Glu265* a modifier of early-onset breast cancer risk for carriers of high-risk mutations?

Tu Nguyen-Dumont et al. published in BMC Cancer.

Read article here.

Prefrontal cortical parvalbumin and somatostatin expression and cell density increase during adolescence and are modified by BDNF and sex

Xin Du, Rachel Hill et al. published in Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences.

Read article here.

Quality of Life Is Poorer for Patients With Stroke Who Require an Interpreter

Monique Kilkenny et al. published in Stroke.

Read article here.

Hyperactive gp130/STAT3-driven gastric tumourigenesis promotes submucosal tertiary lymphoid structure development

Liang Yu, Jesse Balic et al. published in the International Journal of Cancer.

Read article here.