Simple ‘sleep hormone’ skin patch could protect at-risk newborns

Dr James Aridas

A simple, cheap treatment of a skin patch containing a naturally occurring ‘sleep hormone’ could soon help to protect newborn babies from brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation at birth.

Simple ‘sleep hormone’ skin patch could protect at-risk newborns

Dr James Aridas

A simple, cheap treatment of a skin patch containing a naturally occurring ‘sleep hormone’ could soon help to protect newborn babies from brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation at birth.

A recent study, led by PhD student Dr James Aridas and Associate Professor Suzanne Miller in The Ritchie Centre, Monash University, is paving the way for a treatment that could transform the way babies starved of oxygen at birth are treated around the world.

The preclinical findings have been published in the May 2018 issue of Journal of Pineal Research.

“Being born without enough oxygen at birth (perinatal asphyxia) can cause death or lead to severe brain damage and it affects millions of babies each year. There is currently no available treatment that can be used to protect the brain in most of these babies,” Dr Aridas says.

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PhD student Dr James Aridas receives research scholarship

School of Clinical Sciences / Hudson Institute PhD student, Dr James Aridas, has been awarded an Avant Mutual Group Doctors in Training research scholarship.

The $15,000 research scholarship in the Advancement of Medicine category is designed to promote better patient outcomes and advance the careers of promising medical researchers.

Dr Aridas is currently completing his PhD, titled “Protecting the newborn following asphyxia at birth”, at The Ritchie Centre at Hudson Institute and Monash University, whilst working full-time as a clinician at Monash Health’s Dandenong Campus.

“I’ve always had a keen interest in understanding fetal and neonatal physiology, and The Ritchie Centre is a world class research facility in these areas,” Dr Aridas said.

Dr Aridas commenced his Honours degree then a PhD in medical research at Hudson/ Monash University whilst studying a Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery at Monash University, to combine the two qualifications.

He discovered an “insatiable interest” in medical research, fuelled by the support of his mentors.
“Since commencing my honours degree in 2011, I developed an insatiable interest in further research helped by my amazing research supervisors, Associate Professor Suzie Miller, Professor Graham Jenkin and Dr Tamara Yawno, and the whole lab group,” Dr Aridas said.

Dr Aridas says the support of the scholarship will assist him in forging a career as a clinician-scientist.

“This scholarship will provide me with support wile I undertake research activities, and it will also open doors to further research funding in the future,” he said.