Sarah shaves for leukaemia research

Professor Michelle Leech and Sarah 

Year 4 MBBS Student Sarah Lim had already surpassed her fundraising goal of $5000 when she publicly shaved her hair last Tuesday at Monash Medical Centre.

Participating in the annual ‘World’s Greatest Shave’ for leukaemia research, Sarah had her long hair shaved to a #2 razor cut by special guest shaver, Professor Michelle Leech, Deputy Dean (MBBS) in front of 150 fellow students and friends.

and after

While survival rates are improving, blood cancers remain the third biggest cause of cancer death in Australia.  

As a medical student, Sarah said that going bald to fund-raise was one of the best ways she could help in the quest to find a cure for these cancers.

You can still contribute to this fantastic achievement by going to Sarah’s fundraising page.

Congratulations Sarah.  You are indeed, one of the brave. 

Positive morale at Monash Health contributes to RACP exam success

The successful cohort with Dr Henry Ma

Monash University MBBS graduates achieved another record pass rate in their recent Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) written exam at Monash Health.

The Monash Health class, predominantly Monash University graduates, achieved a remarkable 91% (against a national pass rate of 71%), with 31 out of 34 successful candidates.  

Doctors who successfully pass the RACP exams may progress into a medical subspecialty of their choice.

“This is one of the highest results recorded,” said Dr Henry Ma, Director of Physician Education at Monash Medical Centre.  “This is a fantastic result and it could not have been achieved without the support of the organisation and all the medical staff.”

 “At Monash Health we offer a comprehensive physician training program with a major focus on career development, and in a supportive environment,” added Dr Ma.

The strong teaching culture at Monash Health is led by senior staff and the Head of Division of Medicine, Professor Peter Ebeling.

"This outstanding near-perfect result represents not only the quality of the FRACP Part 1 candidates but also the dedication and skills of Dr Henry Ma and his team, and the enthusiasm and excellence displayed by the Monash Health physicians in basic physician teaching and training,” said Professor Ebeling.

Prestigious award will enable important research into children who snore.

Dr Sarah Biggs

Improving academic and behavioural problems among children who snore is the aim of new research at MIMR-PHI Institute and the Department of Paediatrics.

Approximately 1 million Australian children have trouble breathing at night which can manifest as simple snoring, right up to severe sleep apnoea where a child stops breathing for short periods of time.

 “Children who snore are at as much risk of cognitive, academic and behavioural problems as children with severe sleep apnoea,” said the Ritchie Centre’s NHMRC Peter Doherty Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Sarah Biggs.

“However, we have no plausible explanation for why this is the case, as children who snore do not experience sleep disruption or oxygen desaturation like children with sleep apnoea.”

Professor Christina Mitchell inducted into Victorian Honour Roll of Women

Professor Christina Mitchell, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University is among 22 outstanding women who have been inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women this year.

Full story here.

MHTP Research Week 2015

There will better career paths for clinical researchers, Prof Eric Morand announced at last week's launch of Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP) Research Week 2015.

“This will be particularly helpful for PhD graduates making the transition to independent researchers,” said Prof Morand, the Head of Monash University’s School of Clinical Sciences.

He joined the Deputy Chair of Monash Health’s Board Dr Errol Katz, Prof Bryan Williams of the MIMR-PHI (soon to be The Hudson) Institute, Monash Health’s Chief Medical Officer Prof Erwin Loh.

Guest speaker was Prof John Funder AC, who also had a stellar research career. While “from the bench to the bedside and back again” is the translational research message, Prof Funder suggested the vision be as broad as clinical “modelling to health policy and back”.

Monash Health’s Director of Research Governance, Prof Stephen Holdsworth,  also officially launched the Inaugural ResearchReport. It highlights the outstanding achievements of MHTP researchers and clinicians. 

Three hundred posters were on display throughout the week showcasing the breadth of research projects across the precinct.

Foundation Professor of Aged Psychiatry at Monash retires

Emeritus Prof Graeme Smith, Prof Daniel O'Connor
and Prof David Kissane at the celebration

After 24 years as Foundation Professor of Aged Psychiatry at Monash University, Daniel O'Connor’s sterling career—and retirement—were celebrated at an afternoon tea last week at Kingston Centre.

Since 1990, Professor O’Connor has been Professor of Old Age Psychiatry and Director of the Aged Mental Health Research Unit at Monash University and Clinical Head, Aged Person’s Mental Health Service at Monash Health.

“Professor O’Connor’s academic career has generated nearly 8 million dollars of competitive research funding, over 140 publications and supervision of 8 students who have completed their doctorates,” said Professor David Kissane, Head of the Department of Psychiatry.

Centre of Inflammatory Diseases (CID) Seminars series 2015: TOMORROW

The first CID seminar of 2015 will be held on Tuesday 24th March from 
12:00-13:00 in the Medicine Seminar Room Located on Level 5, Block E MMC.  

Professor Eric Morand will be presenting:  "The curse of steroids in lupus" 

Lunch will be provided.  All welcome.

MIMR-PHI Special Seminar - Wednesday 25 March 12.30pm-1.30pm

Wednesday's MIMR-PHI & MHTP Special Seminar will be held in Lecture Theatre 1, Monash Medical Centre 12.30pm-1.30pm on Wednesday 25 March.

The speaker will be Prof Andrew Sinclair, Molecular Development, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.

Talk title: "From the discovery of sex determining genes to clinical implementation of genomics into patient care".  Details here.

This seminar is part of a wider Symposium: "The Future of Medical Genomics at Monash", which follows from 1.40pm

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Postgraduate Expo and Information Night - 22 April at MMC

Dr Srivastava

Are you interested in developing your career in translational medicine, nursing and health sciences research?

Monash University's Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences invites you to attend a postgraduate course expo featuring talks from outstanding medical researchers Dr Ranjana Srivastava and Dr Steven Petratos. You will have the opportunity to browse all the Faculty's offerings and learn more about what translational research really means and how it can benefit you.

Dr Ranjana Srivastava (pictured) is the welcome/ keynote speaker. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni award, oncologist and an award winning author.

Dr Steven Petratos is one of Australia's foremost researchers on multiple sclerosis and is the convenor of Monash's new Translational Research postgraduate courses.   Further information and registration here.

Upcoming Workshops - Writing and Communications

Please find below details of upcoming training workshops on Writing and Communications. The workshops will be delivered by Dr Zhila Bahman, a lecturer of communication and writing programs in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Please contact Zhila if you have any queries. .

Note:Students who register for "Academic Writing" must attend all three sessions (1, 2, 3). Academic Writing (2 and 3) are  the continuation of Academic Writing (1) and the same group of students must attend the workshops.

Monash Residential HDR Merit Scholarships - applications close 31 March

This 1 year, a $1000 scholarship is provided to full-time Graduate Research students who live in one of Monash’s Victorian on-campus residential sites. 

Full details (guidelines, eligibility and application form) are available on the MIGR intranet here.  

Applications must be submitted via email to the Faculty Research Office.

Postgrad Publication Awards Round 1/2015 - Applications close 31 March

Applications for PPAs Round 1/2015 close on 31 March 2015.

This quarterly round applies to candidates who will be submitting their thesis between 1 March 2015 and 31 May 2015.

The PPA scheme is designed to encourage graduate research students to disseminate their research findings through publication in professional journals or books.  The scheme provides an income equivalent to the APA rate for three months and is aimed at supporting students who, having submitted their thesis, wish to write up some of their research for publication whilst they await the result of their examination.

Full details (guidelines and application form) are available on the MIGR intranet – look under the ‘Scholarships/Grants’ section: http://intranet.monash.edu.au/migr/forms/graduate-research-forms/index.html

Please note that Priority is given to students who submit their thesis within three-and- a-half  years (42 months, effective full-time) of commencing a doctorate or two years (24 months EFT) of commencing a master’s.  Where this time limit is exceeded, the supervisor/department must provide a case of the exceptional circumstances affecting the student.

Applications must be submitted via email to the Faculty Research Office: med-research.degrees@monash.edu

Closing Date: Tuesday 31 March 2015

How to win or lose a $1M NHMRC Development Grant

Interested staff are invited attend an information session on strategies for winning National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Development Grants.

Thursday 26 March,  1pm – 2pm

Science Theatre S1, Building 25, 16 Rainforest Walk, Clayton Campus.

Dr Jason Smythe, Senior Business Development Manager in MNHS, will deliver the presentation. Jason sits on the Development Grant panel and has a wealth of knowledge and experience on how to succeed in this scheme. 

So if you are putting in an application this round or thinking about the next round please come along.

Note: this session will not be video-conferenced. Jason has already delivered this talk at CCS and we will consider presenting at other sites based on demand.

Simulation Patient Safety Research Projects - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS (submissions due 31 March)

The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking suitably qualified and experienced service providers to undertake research into the impact of simulation on patient safety.

To support the sustainability of the simulation sector in Victoria there is a need to build an evidence base to demonstrate the full value of simulation. There is now significant research to show that simulation-based health education promotes learner acquisition and maintenance of clinical knowledge, attitude and skills. There are comparatively few studies on the impact of simulation on patient outcomes and the collateral effects at a population level.

This project is intended to help shift the research focus from the role of simulation as an educational tool and towards its role in improving patient safety.

Service providers are invited to design and complete a research project that will investigate the link between simulation and patient outcomes in a health care setting; this setting might be an acute hospital or an expanded setting such as Community Health Centre or an Aged Care Service. 

2015 NHMRC Development Grant Round - NOW OPEN

The 2015 NHMRC Development Grant Round is now open. The MRO submission process and other important information for this scheme can be located via ​the ​Development Grant website.

All queries regarding this scheme should be directed to ​the Medical and Health SciencesTeam 

2015 Faculty Bridging Postdoctoral Fellowships (Round 2) - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications are now open for the 2015 Faculty Bridging Postdoctoral Fellowships (Round 2) scheme.

These Fellowships provide competitive funding to support the career development of promising newly-qualified postdoctoral researchers at Monash University. They are intended to provide initial support while applications are prepared for externally funded fellowships such as NHMRC Training Fellowships, ARC Postdoctoral Fellowships, etc.  Applications should be made by the applicant’s (i.e. intended Fellow’s) mentor at Monash University. The Faculty awards up to 4 Fellowships in each of the two rounds per year. Competition is therefore at a high level and mentors should carefully consider candidates before nominating them.

Closing Date:  Monday 11 May 2015 at 11:55PM (AEST)

Activin A contributes to the development of hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal mice

Euan Wallace published in Pediatric Research.

Read article here.

Myeloperoxidase suppresses the development of autoimmunity and renal disease in pristane-induced lupus

Dragana Odobasic published in Arthritis and Rheumatology.

Read article here.

NINE-MONTH PRIMARY ENDPOINT RESULTS OF THE EVOLVE II QCA STUDY

Professor Ian Meredith, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

Read article here.

EARLY RESULTS FROM THE COREVALVE EVOLUT R STUDY

Professor Ian Meredith, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

Read article here.

Birthing policies must be based on women's desires, needs and safety

The Ritchie Centre's Professor Euan Wallace comments on birthing policies in The Age.

Read the story here.

Register Now for the Monash Global Walk/Run, Tuesday, 31st March 2015

The bi-annual Monash Global Walk/Run kicks off early this year on the 31st March.
All staff and students are invited to get their walking shoes on and take part in the Global Walk/Run to be held across all Monash campuses and sites.  The event will commence at 12.15pm with a walk/run and will conclude with a healthsmart lunch. 

This event is open to everyone at MMC!!  There will be a group walking around the Fregon reserve next to the carpark along Browns Road.  

Delivered in conjunction with Wellbeing at Monash, Monash Sport, TeamMONASH and Andrology Australia, the event aims to raise an awareness of men’s health issues.

Register here for the Global Walk/Run, go to  Registrations close Wednesday, 25th March.

We look forward to your participation.

Biosafety Module 2 Training - (OGTR and Australian Quarantine Regulations) - Wed 22 April

Facilitated by Monash Research Office staff, this course is intended for those who work with GMOs and/or in P1/PC2 facilities.  Following this session researchers will have a better understanding of working with biologicals that are regulated under either the Gene Technology Act and Regulations or the Quarantine Act. 

Wed 22 April, 11am -12pm, Level 2 Meeting Room/MIMR building

To enrol, please email Ganeema Tohki

Morning Tea & School Meeting - Friday 27th March 2015 - 10am, Lecture Theatre 2, MMC Clayton

If you have any achievements to include in the Head of School report, please let us know by contacting Jin Graham.

Nominations for the SCS Quiet Achiever Award are now open, via attached form.

Social club news- Footy tipping 2015

The 2015 Footy season is about to kick off so here are the details for the MHTP 2015 Footy tipping competition:

Competition Name: MHTP 2015
Link: http://www.footytips.com.au/comps/MHTP2015
Password:  MHTP2015

Joining fee: $20AUD
First, second and third place prizes to be awarded. 

Prizes are calculated on percentage basis of total prize pool.
(50% for 1st; 30% for 2nd, and 20% for 3rd, of the balance at the end of the 2015 home and away season, after deduction of weekly jackpot prizes, if any.)
   

Total prize pool consists of entry fees and $1500 donation from our sponsors Sarstedt and VWR.

Library Guide - Research Impact and Publishing

The impact and influence of scholarly publications such as journal articles and books can be measured in a variety of ways. Metrics, such as the number of citations, can be used in grant and job applications to demonstrate the impact of a researcher's publications and research.

The Monash Library has launched an online Research Impact and Publishing guide which provides an overview of commonly used metrics, and advice about developing a publishing strategy:

Outside Study Programme (OSP) – Round Open

The Faculty is now accepting OSP applications for semester 1 and 2, 2016.   Please note the important dates and information provided below. 

OSP Round Dates for 2015 applications:

OSP Round Open: Friday March 20

OSP Round Close: Friday 17 April

Submitting your OSP Application: