Surgical Olympics

More than 100 Monash MBBS students competed in the inaugural "Surgical Olympics" on 6 September at Monash Medical Centre.  

The students from Monash Medical Centre, Casey Hospital and Dandenong Hospital were mentored by Monash Health surgeons and had been honing their surgical skills and knowledge in the lead up to the event.   

The competition events included team presentations on a nominated surgical condition, as well as timed games of suturing, glove and gowning and forearm bandaging and sling tying.

Monash research improving neonatal outcomes in India

Improving neonatal outcomes using a naturally occurring hormone, melatonin, is the focus of a collaborative research project between MIMR-PHI Insitute and Lucknow’s Community Empowerment Lab in Uttar Pradesh, northern India.

Neonatal paediatrician at Monash Children’s Hosptial, Dr Atul Malhotra and Associate Professor Michael Fahey from The Ritchie Centre, MIMR-PHI Institute are aiming to significantly improve outcomes in rural India. One in four of the 3 million babies that die each year do so in India, most of these in rural Uttar Pradesh.

Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that researchers at The Ritchie Centre have found can neutralise the effects of birth asphyxia,  a lack of oxygen caused by complications such as umbilical cord entanglement or obstructed delivery.

Renowned psychiatrist and researcher joins SCS

Renowned psychiatrist and researcher Vaughan Carr has joined the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Clinical Sciences as Adjunct Professor of Youth Psychiatry and Consulting Psychiatrist with Youth Services, Monash Health.

An outstanding academic within the discipline of psychiatry, Vaughan’s current scholarship includes a longitudinal cohort study of 87,000 Australian children to map mental health outcomes and the establishment of the Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank, a biobank of genetic, clinical and cognitive data of over 2400 individuals.

In taking up an appointment with the School of Clinical Sciences, Vaughan will teach our medical students and trainee psychiatrists, and be available to supervise higher degree students.

Stepping Stones Triple P Project supports Melbourne parents

Melbourne parents and caregivers with children with a disability can now access free parenting support through a unique program.

The project is offering two years of free group, individual and online parenting support to help reduce child behavioural problems and build parental resilience.

Monash University’s Emeritus Professor Bruce Tonge and Associate Professor Kylie Gray head the Victorian project team and have encouraged parents to take up the support on offer through the Stepping Stones Triple P (SSTP) Project.

Chef Master@BASE grand finale

Six secondary schools from the Melbourne area recently competed in the second year of the “Chef Master@BASE” grand finale, hosted by the Monash University Department of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“The aim of the Chef Master@BASE competition was to better engage with year 10 students from local schools,” said Professor Helen Truby, Head of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, “and to encourage them to study chemistry to meet entry requirements for nutrition programs at university.”

It's a boy for Sally!

James Ayoub born 1am, 31 August, 2.51kg

Congratulations Genevieve Kan

Congratulations to Ms. Genevieve Kan who received the 2013 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists Women’s Health Prize. The $750 prize recognises the outstanding achievements the Year 4C MBBS Central, Gippsland, Northern Victoria Regional Medical Education Network, or Malaysian Medical School student with the highest overall clinical skills, in-semester assessment results and Women’s Health Objective Structured Clinical Examination marks.

Awards testament to great leadership

Professor Christina Mitchell, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, won the Executive State Government & Statutory Authorities category in this year's SACS Leadership Awards.
Vice-Provost (Research), Professor Pauline Nestor, congratulated Professor Mitchell on her success.

“Fifty leaders were nominated for these awards, and to be named as winners and as a finalist is a testament to the great leadership these researchers show,” Professor Nestor said.

The awards have seen SACS contribute over $350,000 to the professional development of state government and statutory authority, local government and not for profit leaders.  

Free! Pilot courses for the Translational Research postgraduate program

These two workshops are pilots for Monash University's new Translational Research PhD and Graduate Certificate. The pilot courses are free for Monash PhD candidates and teaching/research staff. Each 4 hour workshop is designed as a starting point for participants to develop an interest or skills in the particular area of expertise.

Introduction to Fermentation and Bioprocessing
1:00 - 5:00 pm 24 Sept, CSIRO
                                    Course detail and registration link

                                   Introduction to Biobanking
                                   1:00 - 5:00 pm 25 Sept, The Alfred
                                   Course detail and registration link

Public lecture - Centre for Human Bioethics – Why the Ban on Performance Enhancing Drugs is Ruining Sports in Australia

September 18, 6 - 7.30pm, Federation Square

As the Essendon Scandal rumbles on, it is widely accepted that, despite years of investment, testing is not adequately detecting those who break the rules and not acting as a strong deterrent to those who are tempted to seek illegal performance enhancement, in addition to considerable confusion about what does and does not constitute doping. In this lecture, Professor Savulescu will argue that not only are attempts to stop this cheating doomed to failure but some types of doping, ‘physiological doping’, are compatible with the spirit of sport, and, in moderation, may not pose an unacceptable risk in the context of elite sport. 

MIND-IT Conference- Improving the wellbeing of children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families

MIND-IT is an international collaboration between the Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology (CDPP, Monash University) and the Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR, University of Warwick).

We aim to improve understanding of behaviour and emotional problems in children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and to help develop services to better support young people and their families. Importantly, our work is directly informed by experts in this field - parents, young people and professionals. 

Wednesday 12 November, 9am-5pm

Monash University, Caulfield Campus
900 Dandenong Rd, Caulfield VIC 3162
Building H, Theatre H1.26  More details here.

VIIN Young Investigator Symposium, 3 October

The VIIN Young Investigator Symposium Preliminary Program is now available online (link at the bottom of the event page): http://viin.org.au/event/viin-young-investigator-symposium-2014

Registration for the VIIN Young Investigator Symposium closes on Friday September 19. Lab heads and senior researchers - please attend too and support your young investigators!

Keynote Speaker:  Prof Anne Kelso, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza 'From lab bench to global health'

Where: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville
When: October 3, 2014
Registration is free - food and drinks will be provided throughout the day

Biomed Link 2014: A conference for students by students, 14 November

Biomed Link 2014 is a great opportunity for honours or PhD students to present their research amongst other students and postdocs.   Emerging research students can become familiar with conference presentation format and critiques.


The conference is free and the  keynote speaker is Emeritus Professor Sir Gustav Nossal. . Friday 14th November, Brenan Hall, St Vincent's Hospital  (Registration closes 26th September)  Details and registration here.

26-29 October 2014 Cytokines Down Under: From Bench to Beyond

The 2014 meeting of the International Cytokine and Interferon Society is to be held in Melbourne, during October 26-29, at the state-of-the-art Melbourne Convention Centre. The meeting will provide an outstanding forum for basic science and clinical researchers to present their latest data and exchange ideas relating to the broad role of cytokines and interferons in human disease, and applications to therapies.

For more information and to register please visit www.cytokines2014.com and see flyer for further details.

3MT - Monash Finals 2014

The 3MT Finals will take place Friday 19 September, 1pm at the Alexander Theatre, Clayton campus

To register as part of the audience  please go to: 

http://www.monash.edu.au/migr/why-monash/three-minute-thesis/audience-registration/

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Grand Challenges Explorations - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now inviting applications to Grand Challenges Explorations, which has awarded over 1​,​070 grants in over 58 countries to date.

Grand Challenges Explorations seeks innovative global health and development solutions. Applicants can be at any experience level; in any discipline; and from any organization, including universities, government laboratories, research institutions, non-profit organizations as well as for-profit companies.

2014/15 VESKI Innovation Fellowships: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

VESKI has announced a call for applications for the 2014/2015 Innovation Fellowships scheme. These Fellowships bring outstanding international scientists and researchers, typically in the top five percent of their respective fields, to Victoria.  In this additional round, VESKI is actively seeking applications from outstanding women in science and research.

Applications close on Friday 14 November 2014 at 5:00PM (AEDT). More information here.

National Science Week 2015 Grants

The grant round for National Science Week 2015 will open next month.
The round has a total value of $500 000. Grants may be awarded between $2000 and $25 000.
The grant selection committee will be looking for innovative ideas that help engage new audiences in a wide range of locations in different facets of science, technology, maths and engineering. Partnerships are held in high regard, as is co-investment that leverages the value of the grant funds. More details here.

10,000 Step Challenge

Registrations for the Monash 10,000 Steps Challenge 2014:  Eat well, be active, stay healthy will open on Monday, 22 September, with the challenge commencing on the 27 October.  The challenge is open to all Monash staff, students and their family and friends.
This year, participants will walk a virtual route of 2,080,000 steps around beautiful Malaysia, starting at the amazing Batu Caves, wondering through the beautiful Cameron Highlands and historical Malacca before finishing at the Petronas Towers.   More information and registration here.

Faculty powerpoint templates available for your presentations

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences powerpoint templates are available for all staff to use for presentations.
Standard version here
16-9 version here

Conduct and Compliance Procedure - Mandatory Compliance Training

The University is committed to providing a safe and fair workplace for its staff. To this end, the University seeks to ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibilities regarding Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), Equal Opportunity (EO), Privacy and Ethical and Professional Behaviour (EPB).  All staff are required to complete the following online training modules at the commencement of their employment with the University and refresh the training every three years:

Ergonomic Assessment for the Prevention of RSI

Repetitive strain injuries (RSI), also known as musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), are due to damage to muscles and tendons. Some common symptoms are stiffness or pain in the neck, shoulders or back, and tiredness, numbness, tingling or pain in the arms, wrists, hands or fingers.

There are various potential causes of RSI such as sedentary work, maintaining poor or prolonged static awkward postures, working with frequent repetitive hand or wrist movements such as typing and pipetting, contact pressure and lack of physical fitness.

Online Hazard & Incident reporting system

With the successful implementation of the online Hazard & Incident reporting system, the old paper-based reporting tool will be phased out by the end of September. The online system marks a major advancement for effectively capturing hazards and incidents, as well as providing "live" analysis of data and trends.Reporting on paper forms will therefore no longer be accepted after the 30th of September and staff and students will be instructed to complete the Hazard & Incident form online. All reference to the old forms will be removed from the OHS website and staff and students who have blank hard copies are asked to dispose of them.