My Cousin Has That

There are around 100 autoimmune diseases – most people reading this newsletter know they are expensive, painful, and life-limiting.

The seven episodes of the podcast "My Cousin Has That" feature Associate Professor Joshua Ooi and Dr Julie Monk talking about treatments and cures for five common autoimmune diseases – Type 1 Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, and Sjögren's Syndrome.

Josh and Julie discuss coping mechanisms and lifestyle advice with lived experience community members, and meet clinicians and researchers working on curative therapies.

The podcast is available HERE and on all the big platforms.

Communicating Endometriosis Through Art

As an expert researcher on endometriosis, Dr Thomas Tapmeier, Senior Research Fellow and Group Head, was invited by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to attend the opening of the exhibition 'Communicating Endometriosis through Art: Artists Respond' at the Gender Institute in Canberra. 

Thomas’s invitation is indicative of Monash's national and international standing in endometriosis research. As many patients would agree, endometriosis research needs collaboration across areas such as academia, healthcare, government, and consumer communities.

On the photo are, from left to right:

• Prof Fiona Jenkins, Convenor, ANU Gender Institute,
• Ms Melissa Parker, Canberra Endometriosis Centre,
• Ms Kimberley Coulson, Science Officer (Health Portfolio), Embassy of France,
• Prof Russell Gruen, Dean, ANU College of Health and Medicine,
• Dr Susanne Ilschner, curator of the exhibition, artist and PhD student at the ANU,
• Mr François-Ronan Dubois, Attaché for Science and Higher Education, Embassy of France,
• Dr Thomas Tapmeier, Senior Research Fellow and Group Head, Monash University, SCS, Department
• of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
• Ms Julia Kaute, First Secretary, Head of Science and Innovation, Embassy of the Federal Republic of
• Germany,
• Ms Marianne Murat, journalist for SBS French Service and author of the ‘Happy Endo’ podcast.

Photo courtesy: Neha Attre, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences.

See some of the art HERE.

Platform Access Grants 2023

Congrats to the winners of Platform Access Grants 2023.  Please find the recipients' details below:

Dr Chunni Lu, Department of Medicine - Are stem cell-like memory T cells and self-reactive T cells the ‘container’ and the ‘contained’ in auto-immune Goodpasture disease?

Dr Jessica Biesiekierski, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food - Two-eggs-a-day: Understanding the role of dietary egg intake on protein fermentation indices.

Dr Sarah A. Marshall, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - Metabolomic Profiling of the Placenta and Maternal Blood in Pregnancies Complicated by Obesity.

Dr Sandesh Panthi, Department of Psychiatry - Betacellulin: a cross-diagnostic biomarker of treatment-resistance in psychiatric disorders. 

José Agustín Cota-Coronado, Department of Psychiatry -  Understanding the molecular basis of schizophrenia using genetically modified human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs).

SCS staff receive Dean's Awards for Excellence

The Dean's Awards for Excellence were announced recently and SCS is delighted to report that eleven staff members have been recognised for their outstanding achievement within the Faculty.   

• Professor Katrina Williams, Department of Paediatrics - Excellence in Research: Engagement and Impact (Team)
• Professor Suzanne Miller, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - Excellence in Research: Postgraduate Research Supervision
• Danielle Busacca, SCS Graduate Research Programs Officer - Exceptional Performance by Professional Staff
• Dr Nicola Rivers, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - Excellence in Teaching: Outstanding Contribution to Student learning (ECR)
• Professor Helena Teede, Dr Wafa El-Adhami, Dr Belinda Garth, Dr Jenny Proimos, Dr Mariam Mousa, Ifeoluwa Adesina, Mihirika Pincha Baduge, Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation - Excellence in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (Team)

Find out more about SCS staff Dean's Awards for Excellence from the videos below:

Professor Katrina Williams	Professor Suzanne Miller
Danielle Busacca	Dr Nicola Rivers
MCHRI team

Please visit the Dean's Awards website for a full list of recipients in the faculty.

Yes, I am and thank you for asking

We had heaps of scrumptious food and flowing conversations at our RUOK? morning tea.

We’re making it an annual event thanks to wellbeing gurus, Lyn Cyrill and Jin Graham.

If you have any wellbeing ideas, drop in to see Lyn in SS10 on Level 5 or drop her a line on scs.ohs@monash.edu.

And take it from us in SS10, every conversation about life, feelings, food, and families helps. We’re all in this together, especially our own Christine seen here explaining why Mint Slices are healthy.

How did RUOK? start?

R U OK? is an Australian non-profit suicide prevention organisation, founded by advertiser Gavin Larkin in 2009. It revolves around the slogan "R U OK?" and advocates for people to have conversations with others.

Sim Workshop Evaluation Award

Obstetric and Gynaecology Resident, Dr Namrata Prasad, recently won Best Rural Health Abstract at the Australasian Simulation Congress. Namrata’s award is for her evaluation of online interprofessional simulation workshops for obstetric and neonatal emergencies – through COVID-19 and beyond. Such vital work.

Said Namrata, “Thank you Australasian Simulation Congress for the opportunity to present our work in the online simulation and interprofessional education space that can be used to assist students in remote or resource-limited settings. I feel privileged to have won the award for best rural health abstract.” 

Congratulations Namrata!

Could have been better

You know the adage that people need to hear a message nine times before it resonates? [For some husbands, it’s more like 900.] Our Honours Information Session last Monday could have been better attended. We’re asking everyone who takes on students to plant the honours seed many times throughout the year, not just for the month preceding the information session. Dropping it into the conversation, talking about successful honours graduates, mentioning topics that would be fruitful honours projects – that kind of thing – would be greatly appreciated. 

You Can Do It All But Not At The Same Time

By Jayashri Maya with assistance from Dr Sonali Shah

The Women in Science, Discovery and Medicine Committee hosted an event where Dr Ranjana Srivastava OAM encouraged fellow STEM community members to broaden their horizons. Sharing her experience, Dr Ranjana Srivastava OAM inspired WiSDoM attendees with practical advice. 

From being a Geriatric Oncologist at Monash Health, to writing a column for The Guardian, writing a book, and taking care of her three children, Dr Srivastava challenges herself constantly. By being encouraged by her mentor to start writing, Dr Ranjana Srivastava says it was her first Fulbright Scholarship that kick-started her career in completely new territory, leading her to focus on connecting with her readers and improving health literacy. 

Being particularly interested in psychology and time management, the busy doctor, author, mother and columnist mentioned the constant tension she feels trying to balance all her roles and how balance is critical to a long and healthy life.  

Dr Srivastava advises her fellow STEM community to employ stories and memories when communicating, as it gives an ‘in’ to a reader’s attention. By listening to one’s audience and envisioning them as eager intellectuals, Dr Srivastava revealed the importance of managing the growing divide between science and the public, urging the medical community to bridge the gap. 

Hailing from India, Dr Ranjana looks forward to changing the landscape of poverty and medical expenditure by educating doctors in meaningful public health policies.

Information sessions for Honours students considering PhD candidature

If you'd like to hear a brief primer about what PhD candidature entails at Monash and how to enroll, please join me in one of the following Zoom sessions.

Questions will be welcome.

• 10:00- 10:30 am on Friday Aug 25th
• https://monash.zoom.us/j/83814680598?pwd=Vk1UazVPczRzeUptOThSbjlPREd0UT09
• Or, go to https://monash.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 838 1468 0598 and passcode: 355170
• 2:30 - 3:00 pm on Friday Sept 8th
• https://monash.zoom.us/j/82437963266?pwd=TDUrYmRCS1BJb0NUYjI3eVUrQ25XQT09
• Or, go to https://monash.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 824 3796 3266 and passcode: 285945

Triple Unveiling

Professor Katrina Williams, Head of the Department of Paediatrics, showed her versatility yet again by providing tasty morsels at an exciting triple unveiling in early August.

The paediatrics video (8:53min) Then and Now was launched to high praise. Unfortunately, the star of the show Emeritus Professor Arthur Clark was unable to attend due to illness. Everyone who met Arthur during the filming was touched by his intelligence and humility.

Katrina also unveiled photographic portraits of former Heads of Department of Paediatrics, Professors Richard Doherty and Nick Freezer. Humility must be on the menu at Paediatrics. Both gentlemen graciously accepted accolades while sharing the credit. Nick’s family was in attendance thanks to his wife’s ability in controlling the diary.  

Nick trained as a paediatric respiratory and sleep medicine physician and is Professor and Head of Paediatrics at Monash University. Nick is also the Medical Director of the Women's and Children's Program for Monash Health, Medical Director of Monash Children's, and practises as a respiratory physician. Nick’s most well-known research is in the dangers of corticosteroid use in children, especially children aged under six.

Richard trained in paediatrics and in paediatric infectious diseases and is an honorary consultant physician in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Monash Children’s Hospital and a Professor in the Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University. Richard has been instrumental in finessing workplace standards and training of young doctors.

Congratulations to everyone involved. It’s refreshing to have an event that’s totally a good news story.

YouTube video (8:53min) Paediatrics at Monash Univeristy - then and now

Interim Head, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food

Posted on behalf of Prof Peter Ebeling, Head of School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health

I am pleased to announce that after a competitive internal EOI process, Professor Judy Bauer has been appointed as Interim Head of the SCS Department of  Nutrition, Dietetics and Food. Professor Bauer has been a member of the department since late 2021, coming to Monash from an illustrious teaching and research career at the University of Queensland and Royal Brisbane Hospital. Professor Bauer is a Fellow of Dieticians Australia, and just last month was awarded its Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Please join me in welcoming Judy to this key leadership position in SCS and in assisting her in guiding the department on the next phase of its journey. 

Expressions of Interest - Interim Head, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food

The School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the leadership position of Professor and Interim Head, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food. The opportunity is open to all Level E academics within the school.

The main responsibilities of the Interim Head, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food will include but are not limited to: 

• Provide high-level strategic leadership of the Department
• Contribute to the high-level strategic leadership of the School 
• Take responsibility for staff leadership and management in accordance with University policies
• Provide strong and committed leadership in teaching, curriculum development and research training 
• Maintain and broaden collaborative partnerships internally, with relevant faculties and departments/schools within the University, and externally with the community, service providers and industry. 

Further details about the responsibilities of this leadership role and requirements are outlined in the Position Description.

Employment Type: Full time 

Duration: Up to 3 months with the possibility of extension 

Process for Expressions of Interest

Expressions of Interest are now open until 4 August 2023 at 11.55pm AEST

EOIs should consist of a brief (no more than 1 page) Executive Summary outlining your vision for the role along with challenges and opportunities for the department, together with a detailed CV, submitted via email to - peter.ebeling@monash.edu. 

Interviews for the Interim Head of Department will take place on the afternoon of Monday 7 August via Zoom. 

The substantive role of Professor and Head, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food will be advertised internally and externally in the coming weeks.

For a confidential discussion about the opportunity please contact Prof Peter Ebeling on peter.ebeling@monash.edu

Paying it Forward

Associate Professor Sally Catt is researching sperm selection and needs able-bodied volunteers.

Her team is comparing a device called a Zymot with traditional density gradient testing. The Zymot separates sperm without the need for sperm-damaging centrifugation. 

Please donate and/or recruit donors within your networks.

Donors receive a complimentary extensive semen analysis and the Education Program in Reproduction and Development provides a $20 supermarket voucher for each donation.

Volunteering leaves people with a good feeling. This one, a very good feeling. 

Please apply via this form.

For any questions you may have please contact Associate Professor Sally Catt at sally.catt@monash.edu

***

What is a ZyMot? A ZyMot is a device, also called a chip, which can be used in an IVF laboratory to prepare and select sperm for insemination by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).  A ZyMot relies on the sperm actively swimming through the membrane filter in the chip, demonstrating motility.

Please visit the EPRD web page for more information on the Education Program in Reproduction and Development.

 

Stronger Together

Monday 17 July saw the launch of the Sub-Faculty of Clinical and Molecular Medicine (CaMM) where we heard from inaugural Dean of CaMM, Professor Eric Morand, who is relishing the opportunity to develop high-level strategic activities for the mutual benefit of the four organisations that sit within CaMM.

Following from Eric, we heard from Professor Helena Teede AM, Director of MCHRI, Professor Steve Nicholls, Director of Victorian Heart Institute, Professor Elizabeth Hartland, Director of the Hudson Institute, and Professor Peter Ebeling AO in his capacity as Interim Head of SCS.

Important takeaways

• It’s the time to think bigger
• The timing is perfect for the creation of the sub-faculty due to our massive growth in research and education
• Our collaborative histories are strong and we can capitalise on this
• We have a breadth of clinicians, researchers, and professional staff who are excited about future endeavours
• Our embedded programs, especially in gender equity, flow from human resource management to patient centricity and back again
• Our ethos of working to make the lives of patients longer, healthier and happier is endemic in everything we do
• There’s no limit to how bold we can be with our research agenda 

As Eric said, when governments and industry need to access exemplary clinical and research knowledge, their first point of contact is to be the Sub-Faculty of Clinical and Molecular Medicine at Monash University. Let’s make it happen. 

Reproductive Biology Stars

Congratulations to the following Education Program in Reproduction and Development  (EPRD) staff members

• Kiri Beilby who had the following abstract accepted for oral presentation at ESHRE, June 2023. Beilby, K., & Hammarberg, K. (2023). O-089 Using ChatGPT to answer patient questions about fertility: the quality of information generated by a deep learning language model. Human Reproduction, 38(Supplement_1), dead093-103.
• Fab Horta presented his abstract 'Novel and scalable non-invasive metabolic imaging of early embryos using a lab-on-a-chip approach' at ESHRE, June 2023.  
• Will Leong had his abstract 'Common problems faced by Indian Assisted Reproductive Technologies laboratory professionals' accepted for presentation at ASPIRE, September 2023.
• Mulyoto Pangestu had his abstract 'Stress and occupation impair male infertility' M. Pangestu, A. Rahadian, Lestari, SW. accepted to present at ASPIRE September 2023.

Congratulations to our PhD students and a former MCE student

• Ezra Kneebone, PhD candidate, Dept of O & G, for having the poster 'Assessing mouse embryol metabolic activity and metabolic modulation through NAD(P)H with non-invasive adapted confocal microscopy' accepted and presented at ESHRE 2023.
• Hope Newman, PhD candidate, Dept of O & G, who will be presenting her poster ‘Assessing mouse embryo metabolic activity and metabolic modulation through NAD(P)H with non-invasive adapted confocal microscopy’ at the ASRM conference October 2023. 
• Mohamed Salih, PhD candidate, Dept of O & G, will be presenting his abstract 'Deep learning classification integrating embryo images with associated clinical information from IVF treatments' at ASPIRE, September 2023.
• Azelle Hawdon (former MCE student) won the FSANZ Best Scientific Paper award and FSANZ, June 2023.  

My Cousin Has That

Coming to a laptop near you in the next couple of weeks is the SCS podcast series My Cousin Has That.

Associate Professor Joshua Ooi and Dr Julie Monk discuss their grand plans for preventing and curing autoimmune disease. Sitting alongside autoimmune specialists, clinician scientists, and some pretty amazing patients, they talk about how it’s sometimes not helpful to say “My cousin has that.”

Watch this space!

Do you have Graduate Research Projects to update ahead of our Honours Information session?

Dear supervisors,

If you missed out on updating your projects during the May 2023 BMedSc(Hons) Information night, or would like to add, remove or edit your projects, please update them in Supervisor Connect by Friday 28 July 2023. 

Supervisor Connect is our highly effective Higher Degree by Research (HDR) recruitment tool. The new version of the booklet will be uploaded to the Available research projects web page, ahead of our 28 August 2023 Hons/PhD Information Night.

The first step is to update your Pure profile using the links below.

• Updating your personal profile

• Updating qualifications

• Adding your photo

• Adding Scopus and ORCID IDs

• Adding phone number (optional) and web link

• Are you accepting PhD students?

•  Adding key terms

The second step is to update your projects in Supervisor Connect by Friday 28 July 2023. For instructions on how to update, publish and/or create projects please refer to the Supervisor Connect Handbook.

You are welcome to contact Vithya Premkumar at vithya.premkumar@monash.edu for further information.

Launch of the Sub-Faculty of Clinical and Molecular Medicine (CaMM)

Who: Not just a bunch of talking heads, Karen Sims, SCS Communications Manager, will interview Professor Eric Morand about the inaugural actions of CaMM. Then in reverse alphabetical order, Karen will interview Professor Helena Teede AM, Director of MCHRI, and Hudson Institute Director, Professor Elizabeth Hartland, to discuss exciting developments in their work. Next up will be Professor Stephen Nicholls for an update on all things VHI, followed by Professor Peter Ebeling AO in his capacity as Interim Head of SCS.

What: It’s a friendly meeting with insights into the lives of our fearless leaders and the journey we are taking together. You are welcome to register questions HERE before and during the meeting.

Where: Zoom link HERE

When: Monday 17 July 2023, 10am to 11am

Why: Because we all need to know how CaMM is placed within the Faculty and how our collective identities forge to make CaMM the brilliant Sub-Faculty we know it will be.

Job Vacancy (in the USA) - Staff Scientist 1

• Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Section on Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment (SCCN)

Program Overview

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a significant research component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is seeking exceptional candidates for a Staff Scientist position in the Section on Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment (SCCN).

Neurodevelopment is an often-understudied area of neurobiology in determining the origins of diseases and disorders. However, SCCN is conducting a whole gamut of cutting-edge studies on the development of circuits and behavior in the primate brain This includes but is not limited to, molecular, cellular, behavioral, and physiological approaches to understanding how the complex and highly reproducible architecture of the brain emerges, in addition to how minor perturbations during specific epochs of brain development can lead to significant manifestations in adulthood, including neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders.

Position Duties

Responsibilities for this position include:

The successful applicant will be responsible for performing independent and cutting-edge research on studies related to the role of thalamocortical circuits in the development of cortical networks and function. They will be expected to broaden the technical and intellectual capacity within SCCN and develop cutting-edge tools and resources. In addition, the individual will support and train lab members, establish and conduct collaborative research, attend and present at national and international meetings, and assist in writing manuscripts.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in neuroscience or a related discipline and significant postdoctoral experience in at least one of the following fields: biological psychiatry, molecular neuroanatomy, molecular biology, cognitive behavior, nonhuman primate neurobiology, MRI, and electrophysiology. Experience and capacity to implement techniques such as transcriptomics, optogenetics, and cell/ slice culture are also preferred.

How to Apply

The position is open to both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. Applicants must submit a current curriculum vitae, a one-page statement of research interest, and three letters of recommendation to Dr. James A. Bourne via e-mail at: james.bourne@nih.gov.

The position is subject to a background check.

Applications will be accepted from 22 June 22 2023 to 21 July 21 2023. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Benefits

The Staff Scientist 1 will be appointed at a salary commensurate with their qualifications and experience. In addition, full federal benefits, including leave, health and life insurance, long-term care insurance, retirement, and saving plan (401K equivalent), are available.

HHS and NIH are equal opportunity employers

The NIH is dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.

PhD opportunities with Monash Partners

Monash Partners has 2 PhD opportunities:

• Consumer and Community Involvement Implementation Research for Impact
• Strengthening trust and engagement with populations at risk of COVID-19 and other diseases

The COVID PhD is in partnership with the Victorian Department of Health in the pilot of a translational research PhD fellowship program; $23,000 top-up funding will be provided per student per year for 3 years.