"Genetics and the Future of Medicine" presented by world-renowned Professor Matt Brown TODAY at 12.30pm

Wednesday 15 July, 12.30-1.30pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Monash Medical Centre

Matt Brown is Professor of Immunogenetics and Director, University of Queenland’s Diamantina Institute (UQDI).

Listed last year by Thomson Reuters as a Highly Cited researcher, Professor Brown is in the top 1% of researchers in Molecular Biology and Genetics worldwide.  He has published more than 30 papers in Nature / Nature Genetics, the leading journals in human genetics research.

Since returning to Australia from University of Oxford in 2005 where he held the chair in Musculoskeletal Sciences, Professor Brown has built up a research unit at UQDI which is amongst the leading human genetics units internationally, particularly in human bone and joint diseases, particularly focussing on ankylosing spondylitis and osteoporosis.  

Professor Brown’s group have identified well over a hundred disease-causing genes in common diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis, as well as less common diseases caused by single gene diseases.  

Notification Animal Ethics Information Sessions – Tues 21 July & Thurs 29 Oct 2015

Monash University Animal Ethics Information Session - “Animal Use in Research & Teaching”

Monash University requires:
•    All new research staff and students using live animals complete the
information session “Animal Use in Research and Teaching”.
•    Investigators must have successfully completed the relevant
training to be named on an animal ethics application.

Date: Tuesday 21 July 2015
Time: 10am – 12:30pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre S3, 16 Rainforest Walk (Building 25), Clayton Campus

Date: Thursday 29 October 2015
Time: 10am – 12:30pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre S2, 16 Rainforest Walk (Building 25), Clayton Campus

Register on-line -
http://intranet.monash.edu.au/researchadmin/animal/moreinfo/training.html

2015 NHMRC Research Translation Faculty Symposium: registrations now open

This year’s Symposium will be held in Sydney on 27-28 October. It will be a joint collaboration with the Centre for Informing Policy in Health with Evidence from Research (CIPHER), and the theme is “Policy and Research: Working together to improve the health of Australians”.

The goal of the Symposium is to create more effective working relationships between health and medical researchers and policy makers. Knowledge exchange, better engagement and integration of policy makers with researchers, and the provision of systems to allow this to happen will be some of the areas of focus.

Information, including registration details, programme outline and plenary speaker profiles, is available from www.nhmrc2015.com Early bird registration is open until 21 August. 

DoD Military Burn Research Program Announcement

Defense Health Program, Department of Defense (DoD) Military Burn Research Program Funding Opportunity for Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15)

The FY15 Defense Appropriations Act provides $8 million (M) to the Department of Defense Military Burn Research Program (MBRP) to support high-impact burn injuries research.  Applications to the Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) Military Burn Research Program (MBRP) are being solicited by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA).  The executing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). FY15 MBRP Program Announcement and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanism are posted on the Grants.gov website.

Keep Updated with Research Information - ​Common Application Rejection Reasons

The National Institute​s​ of Health (NIH) analyzed the reasons why over 700 research proposal applications were denied. Their findings as to the cause of rejection are worth reviewing:

1. Nature of the Problem (18​.1​%)
2. It is doubtful that new or useful information
   will result from the project (14%).
3. The basic hypothesis is unsound (3.5%).
4. The proposed research is scientifically premature due to the present inadequacy of supporting knowledge (0.6%).

ARC Future Fellowships 2015 (FT15) Open in RMS

Applications for ARC Future Fellowships 2015 are now open in RMS and close 5pm on Tuesday 11 August 2015.​

Please note that earlier close dates apply for eligibility exemption requests and requests not to assess - see table below.  

Changes to Extension of Scholarships managed through MIGR

The Monash Institute of Graduate Research (MIGR - the University Department which administers the PhD scholarships) have advised that scholarships or scholarship renewals will no longer be backdated.

This will particularly affect any students who are on one year OR short term scholarship OR whose long-term scholarship is about to end.

NOTE - If you have an APA scholarship (3 years) you MUST apply for the 6 month extension at least 6 weeks before your end date.

For any new scholarships, the paperwork must be submitted to MIGR before the student starts as requests for backdating will be rejected.

Monash Doctoral Program Information Session 2015 - Invitation

Professor Zlatko Skrbis, Vice-Provost (Graduate Education), invites you to the annual Monash Doctoral Program Information Session for Honours and Research Master's students.

Come along and hear about:

• Monash Doctoral Program options
• How to apply for a PhD
• Scholarships
• The experience of current PhD students
• Where a PhD can take you
• And much more...

Following the presentations you will have the opportunity to visit Faculty expo stands, network with research and professional staff and meet other students over a bite to eat.

When	Tuesday 04 August 2015
Where	The Alexander Theatre, 48 Exhibition Walk, Building 7, Monash University, Clayton Campus
Time	2.00 pm - 5.00 pm
Registration	Register your attendance here.

For more information please contact Tracey Kelly-Jenkins.

2015 Inspiring Women Fellowships

There are 3 fellowships for early and mid career women researchers who are planning for, in, or coming back from a career break.  If this applies to you, or, if you know someone who is eligible to apply, I would encourage you to do so or encourage a co-worker to apply.  It is a substanial amount of money.  "You have to be in it to win it".  I am happy to be of any help possible as I am sure the senior staff in the SCS are also!!

VESKI, supported by the Office of the Lead Scientist, is calling for applications for the 2015 Inspiring Women Fellowships. This scheme, funded by the State Government of Victoria, is designed to support female leaders who are planning for, experiencing, or returning from a career break.

The inspiring women fellowships will provide the opportunity to allow these female leaders to remain competitive in their field; enhancing the current talent pool and affecting cultural change.
Applications are sought from early to mid-career female researchers in STEM disciplines within a Victorian academic or research institution who are experiencing or anticipating difficulties juggling their career and family or carer commitments, or have other compounding reasons for requiring the support of a fellowship.

During 2015/16 three fellowships will be made available and successful individuals may receive up to AUD150,000 distributed over a period of three years. 

5 tips for self-promotion for women in STEM

Self-promotion. It’s almost a dirty word. Particularly if you’re female.

Research conducted at the Rutgers University found that women are far less likely to self-promote because of the stereotype that women are more communally minded than men. This means women are more likely to attribute success to the team rather than themselves and are far more comfortable promoting the work and success of other people rather than their own. This propensity to put themselves behind others even appears in job interviews, where the whole point of the meeting is to promote your own abilities.

Read full story here.

How People with Depression Receive and Perceive Mental Illness Information: Findings from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing

Graham Meadows et al. published in the Community Mental Health Journal.

Read article here.

Coronary computed tomography angiography for the assessment of chest pain: current status and future directions

Arthur Nasis et al. published in the International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging.

Read article here.

Cancer, the mind and the person: what we know about the causes of cancer

David Kissane published in BJPsych Advances.

Read article here.

CD99: An endothelial passport for leukocytes

Michael Hickey published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Read article here.

Does rumination mediate the relationship between mindfulness and depressive relapse?

Graham Meadows et al. published in Psychology and Psychotherapy.

Read article here.

Endogenous Toll-Like Receptor 9 Regulates AKI by Promoting Regulatory T Cell Recruitment

Maliha Alikhan et al. published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Read article here.

RESERVOIR PRESSURE ANALYSIS APPLIED AT FIVE LOCATIONS IN THE HUMAN AORTA.

James Cameron et al. published in the Journal of Hypertension.

Read article here.

4D.04: TIMING OF THE CAROTID PRESSURE WAVE INFLECTION POINT IS COUPLED TO SYSTOLIC MYOCARDIAL MOTION IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS.

Jim Cameron et al. published in the Journal of Hypertension.

Read article here.