Ritchie Centre Colloquium, Public Forum 25-26 August

Innovations in stem cell and regenerative medicine research and women’s and children’s health will be the focus of this year's Ritchie Centre Colloquium and Public Forum at the TRF, from August 25 – 26. The forum will explore stem cell treatments and trials as well as the regulatory environment in which clinicians currently operate in this rapidly growing area.



 Stem cells and regenerative medicine have been identified by the National Institutes of Health in the USA as the next pillar in modern medicine. The Asia-Pacific stem cell market alone is projected to increase to $US18.7 billion by 2018, from $US7.10 billion in 2014.


The Ritchie Centre (Monash University and Hudson Institute of Medical Research) is a leading centre for stem cell and regenerative medicine research in Australia. The Centre hosts the annual Colloquium and Public Forum to inform and educate the general and scientific communities on women’s and children’s health issues.

Keynote invited speakers at this year’s event will include Professor John Rasko, A/Professor Jerry Chan, Professor David Gardner, and Professor William Sievert.

Public Forum
On Thursday night The Ritchie Centre will host a Public Forum on the topic Stem Cell Therapies: Where are we now, and where are we heading, where members of the public can hear about, and discuss, cutting edge developments in stem cell therapies.

The Forum will be chaired by eminent obstetrician and researcher, Professor Euan Wallace, with a panel including stem cell pioneer, Professor Alan Trounson (Hudson Institute), and Professor John Rasko (clinical haemotologist, University of Sydney).

The Forum will explore topics including current and potential stem cell treatments and trials as well as the regulatory environment in which clinicians currently operate in this growing area. The Forum will be moderated by the founder and past chair of the Australasian Society for Stem Cell Research, Dr Susan Hawes. Questions and public and participation in the discussion are welcome.

Colloquium
Leading Ritchie Centre researchers, and invited speakers, will present their ground-breaking research during the Colloquium on topics including clinical applications of stem cells and biomatrices, fertility and infertility and the use of stem cells in women’s and paediatric health.

“Our scientists are pioneering a number of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials, including using mesenchymal stem cells in neurosurgery, multiple sclerosis and liver fibrosis,” Professor Jenkin, Research Group Head, Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine at the Ritchie Centre.

“We are also using amnion cells, taken from the amniotic membrane of the placenta, to treat preterm lung disease and liver cirrhosis, and umbilical cord blood stem cells in the treatment and prevention of cerebral palsy.

“We are one of the few centres to fully utilise these placental stem cells in clinical trials,” he said.

Register or find out more details. 

Tim Moss and Rebecca Lim talk about amnion cell therapy for preterm infants

Tim Moss and Rebecca Lim on 3RRR's Einstein A Go-Go, talk about amnion cell therapy for preterm infants.

Listen to the show here.

Anna Burke MP and Mayor of Monash Stefanie Perri tour MHTP

(L-R) Ms Stefanie Perri, Ms Anna Burke and
Prof Graham Jenkin

Federal Member for Chisholm and former speaker, Anna Burke, and City of Monash Mayor, Cr Stefanie Perri, visited the Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP) yesterday for a tour of the new Translational Research Facility (TRF).

Led by Ritchie Centre Deputy Director Professor Graham Jenkin, and co-head and Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University, Professor Euan Wallace, Ms Burke and Cr Perri inspected the new clinical trials unit, technology platforms, and the Ritchie Centre before hearing about MHTP stem cell research projects. 

“MHTP is perfectly poised to undertake translational research because of the integration and connectivity of clinicians, researchers, PhD students and patients,” said Ms Burke.

Ms Burke said she was delighted to hear about MHTP research into cell therapy that may possibly treat five or six different health conditions.

“As an Academic Health Science Centre, Monash Partners is well positioned to bring our researchers and clinicians together to facilitate true collaboration and research translation,” said Professor Wallace.

Dr Rebecca Lim, Dr Courtney McDonald, Professor Chris Sobey and Dr Shayanti Mukherjee each presented their research, highlighting the translational impact of their work.

Dr Lim leads the amnion cell biology team at the Ritchie Centre, and has developed a protocol to isolate amnion epithelial cells from placentas for use in regenerative medicine. Dr Lim’s research focuses on developing cell therapies for a multitude of diseases such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, lung and liver fibrosis, as well as critical limb ischaemia.

NHMRC Cerebral Palsy early career research fellow Dr Courtney McDonald works in the Neurodevelopment and Neuroprotection Research Group at the Ritchie Centre. Her research focuses on understanding how umbilical cord blood stem cells can be used to prevent or treat perinatal brain injury. She is also investigating which stem cell types are found in the umbilical cord blood, how these populations change with disease and how these cells can individually reduce inflammation and contribute to brain repair.

Head of the Cardiovascular Disease Program in the new Monash Biomedicine Institute, Chris Sobey is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology.  Professor Sobey is investigating the inflammatory mechanisms occurring in the brain after stroke in order to identify and develop novel approaches to treat stroke patients.

Dr Shayanti Mukherjee is a research fellow at the Ritchie Centre and recipient of the prestigious Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF) John Stocker Postdoctoral Fellowship.  Dr Mukherjee’s work focuses on the alleviation of Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP), a major hidden burden affecting millions of women during pregnancy, childbirth and ageing. Using a combination of stem cell therapy and nanotechnology, her research will accelerate the clinical translation of POP surgical constructs to improve women’s quality of life.