| Dr Danielle Oh, Dr Olga Motorna, Dr Allison Mo |
Monash Health haematology trainees Dr Olga Motorna, Dr
Danielle Oh and Dr Allison Mo each received prestigious scholarships worth $60,000
to support their PhD projects at Monash University and Melbourne University. Only seven scholarships are awarded across Australia and New Zealand.
Under the supervision of Professor Erica Wood, Dr Zoe
McQuilten and Associate Professor Jake Shortt, Dr Mo will undertake
epidemiological and clinical studies investigate anaemia in the elderly
Australian population.
“Although anaemia is common in the elderly (and rising
with an ageing population), and the elderly receive more blood transfusions for
treatment of anaemia than younger patients, we currently don’t have detailed epidemiological
data describing the burden of anaemia in the elderly Australian community, risk
factors or the consequences of anaemia on health outcomes,” Dr Mo said.
Consequently there is a lack of data to guide treatment
of anaemia and provide guidance on the appropriate use of blood transfusions in
the elderly.