Monday, 24 October 2016
Monash research could save thousands of lives
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| Dr Sarah Zaman |
An Early Career Practitioner Fellowship is enabling MonashHEART
interventional cardiologist Dr Sarah Zaman to conduct research that will
potentially save thousands of Australians from sudden cardiac death.
Sudden cardiac death is the most common cause of death in
Australia—affecting up to 20,000 adults every year. The majority of cases occur
in patients with heart disease who’ve had a heart attack.
Dr Zaman is one of the lead researchers on a randomised control
trial to determine the best way of selecting which patients should receive a
defibrillator to prevent sudden cardiac death.
The project follows on from Dr Zaman’s PhD thesis which
pioneered the use of electrophysiology to select patients following a heart
attack who benefit from an implantable defibrillator.
“Our study (the
largest medical defibrillator device trial in Australia) recruits patients who
have reduced heart function after a heart attack,” said Dr Zaman.
“We are investigating
electrophysiology, which analyses electrical activity in the heart, as it can
determine if a life-threatening arrhythmia can be stimulated in patients who
have a scar in their heart following a heart attack.”
“We can test patients by inserting a catheter into the heart
and stimulating it,” said Dr Zaman. “If
we trigger an arrhythmia, we know that patient is potentially at risk of dying
suddenly.”
On the clinical trial, patients found to be at-risk are
eligible to receive a defibrillator, a medical device implanted under the skin
that delivers an electric current to the heart when triggered by an arrhythmia.
Dr Zaman said that currently, patients have to wait at least
40 days to receive a defibrillator based purely on their heart function after a
heart attack.
“The problem is that the risk of sudden cardiac death is
much higher in the first 40 days, which is why we’re also trying to determine
how we best select patients early.”
“If the results of the trial are positive, it will have a
major impact on clinical cardiology guidelines and potentially save a large
number of lives.”
Dr Zaman is able to carry out her research thanks to an
Early Career Practitioner Fellowship at the School of Clinical Sciences at
Monash Health (SCS).
“The fellowship enables me to have dedicated research time
to progress this very large Australian-based trial,” said Dr Zaman.
“As well as this clinical trial, the fellowship allows me to
pursue my other research interests including cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) in post-heart attack patients and my involvement in the structural heart
disease program at MonashHEART.”
Director of MonashHeart to join Boston Scientific
 |
| Professor Ian Meredith |
After 30 years of outstanding public health service, Director
of MonashHeart Professor Ian Meredith, announced his resignation this month. Ian has
accepted an exciting position as the executive vice president and global chief
medical officer with a Fortune 500 company, Boston Scientific, which develops, manufactures and
markets medical products worldwide.
Ian has been a passionate advocate for excellence
in clinical cardiac care, leading clinical research that improves patient
outcomes and the very best training of our future healthcare clinicians and
leaders – his impact both in MonashHeart, across Monash Health, Victoria,
Australia and internationally has been profound.
We sincerely congratulate Ian
on his success in achieving this role, one that will place him at the heart of
medical device innovation into the future. Ian will leave for his new role in
the US at the end of this year.
World Osteoperosis Day - Dr Frances Milat
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| Dr Fran Milat |
For Fran Milat, Head of Metabolic Bone Services at Monash Health and Head of the Metabolic Bone Research Group at Hudson Institute, protecting bone and muscle health is paramount to good quality of life and independence in the future.
Fran has dedicated her career to addressing current gaps in osteoporosis. She understands the importance of prioritising osteoporosis and fracture prevention by ensuring that people at high-risk are assessed and appropriately treated.
Having graduated from Monash University in 1996, Fran did much of her physician training at Monash Health. After further clinical and research experience elsewhere, Fran returned to Monash Health in 2009 and established the Metabolic Bone Clinic with the Paediatric Endocrinology Dpartment, in order to address the increasing demand for delivery of specialised care to young adults with bone disorders.
The clinic reviews adolescents and young adults with osteoporosis in the setting of including neurological disease, haematological conditions, renal disease, liver disease, malignancy and other conditions.
In recent years, the service was expanded to include an Osteoporosis Clinic at Dandenong Hospital, to assist with secondary fracture prevent in conjunction with the Orthopaedic Department. This Osteoporosis Clinic continues to expand and now has a team of endocrinologists and training specialists. They have recently had clinical nurse specialist Grace Man join the team, to provide assessment of patients on the orthopaedic ward and education about secondary fracture prevention.
Fran supervises several PhD students in projects to improve bone health in neurological disability, thalassemia, renal disease and women’s health. She is also a Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash University. Fran wishes to thank all Monash staff involved with the Metabolic Bone and Osteoporosis Service for their contribution and commitment to improving the care of patients.
World Osteoporosis Day was on Thursday 20 October.
This year’s theme for World Osteoporosis Day was ‘Love your bones’. Visit the website for information on easy steps you can take to prevent and control osteoporosis.
Monash graduate and former trainee to deliver keynote presentation at Forbes Week, 7-9 November
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| Professor Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Forbes Fellow 2016 |
Renowned infectious
diseases physician and former Monash trainee Professor Adeeba Kamarulzaman will
visit Monash Infectious Diseases and present at Forbes Week next month.
Dean of the Faculty
of Medicine and Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University
of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Professor Kamarulzaman has dedicated her career to
the prevention, treatment and research of infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS. She is also a strong advocate for HIV
prevention, treatment and care programs in marginalised communities.
Professor Kamarulzaman
graduated in medicine from Monash University before training in infectious
diseases in Melbourne. Upon returning to
Malaysia, she established one of the first Infectious Diseases Units in the
country which has become a leading tertiary referral centre for infectious
diseases and HIV/AIDS.
In 2007, Dr
Kamarulzaman established the Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA)
at the University of Malaya, one of the few dedicated HIV research centres in
the region.
In addition her
academic and clinical work has included descriptions of emerging infectious
diseases in Malaysia such as the Nipah virus outbreak, and experience with
dengue and multiresistant gram negative infections.
Professor Kamarulzaman
will present at Forbes Week, 7-9 November in Melbourne. Program information and registration is HERE.
MHTP Research Week Poster Competition - submit your application NOW!
All invited to enter the Poster Competition, with cash prizes of up to $1000
More information and registration HERE.
CID Weekly Seminar: Tuesday 25 October "Clinton vs Trump: the presidential election mirrors the immune response to pathogenic Influenza A virus."
25 October 12:00 - 1:00pm, Seminar
Room 1, Level 2, TRF Building
Dr Ashley Mansell
Research Group Head of
the Pattern Recognition Receptors and Inflammation lab in CiiiD.
Ashley Mansell is a senior
scientist and head of the Pattern Recognition Receptors and Inflammation in the
Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical
Research. Dr Mansell completed his PhD with Professor Luke O’Neill at Trinity
College, Dublin. Returning to Australia, he was recruited to the Monash
Institute of Medical Research to form a TLR research laboratory where he has
continued his research of PRR signal transduction and its role in inflammatory
diseases. His studies have concentrated on understanding how TLRs, and other Pattern
recognition receptors, recognise and respond to pathogen challenge. Mostly he
has failed, but occasionally he’s got lucky and published these studies to
underwhelming acclaim. His recent studies have investigated the role of the
inflammasome in pathogenic Influenza A virus infections.
Further information is available from CID Weekly Seminar Series website [http://www.med.monash.edu.au/scs/medicine/cid/seminar-series.html]
Grand Rounds "Early palliative care in lung cancer, and practical aspects of palliative care", 26 October
Unit:
Supportive and Palliative Care
Presenters:
Dr Jaclyn Yoong
Date:
Wednesday 26 October 2016
Time: 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Venue: Main Lecture
Theatre, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton.
Hudson Seminar “When the immune system is on (nucleic) acid." Thursday 27 Oct
Thursday 27 October, 12-1 pm, Lecture Theatre 1, Monash Medical Centre.Our speaker will be Dr Michael Gantier, Research Group head, Nucleic Acids and Innate Immunity, Hudson Institute of Medical Research.
Light refreshments to follow
presentation outside the Lecture Theatre.
The central aim of Dr Michael Gantier’s research is to define how RNAs such as microRNAs (miRNAs) modulate immune responses, in both homeostatic conditions and following infection. After joining Professor Bryan Williams’ laboratory in 2006, Dr Gantier set out to investigate how endogenous and foreign small RNAs controlled innate immune responses. Building on technical expertise on small RNAs acquired during his PhD (University College Dublin, Ireland), he established this research theme in the Williams laboratory, and more broadly in Australia.
In 2015, following the award of an ARC Future Fellowship and several NHMRC project grants, he was promoted to lead his own research group in the Hudson Institute of Medical Research. The group’s research has important implications for our basic understanding of inflammation (which can lead to cancer), and the translational use of RNA therapeutics in the clinic.
Workshop on extracellular vesicles and exosomes - Diet and environment, 27-28 January 2017
Click HERE
to apply!
Goals, Scientific Program and Description
To undertake a theoretical discussion on the isolation and characterization of dietary and environmental EVs. To engage in proactive discussions on how dietary EVs can affect the consuming organism and whether dietary RNAs are transferred by EVs. To exploit the influence of dietary and environmental factors on EV release and the application of diet or diet-based EVs. Based on these discussions we aim to prepare a scientific report on the current knowledge and evidence of EV-mediated cross-organism communication and future research directions.
To promote EV-related scientific interests across the globe, Australia has been chosen to host the next ISEV workshop. The venue for the workshop will be the La Trobe University campus in Bundoora, North of Melbourne. This workshop will cover topics pertaining to diet, environment and EVs. Additionally, the workshop will feature dialogue between recognized experts in mammalian EV isolation and characterization and investigators who study dietary and environmental EVs. As with all ISEV workshops, abstracts will be chosen from submissions to encourage geographical and subject matter diversity, as well as contact between senior and junior researchers. Brief oral presentations will be thematically grouped based and interspersed with small-group roundtable discussions. The workshop is expected to yield a scholarly product, such as a position paper or meeting report to be published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles or another appropriate venue.
A max. of 50 participants will be selected based on their expertise and specific contribution in the EV field.
Key Dates:
Applications Open: 24 September 2016
Applications Close: 25 October 2016
Application Status Notification: Before 30 October 2016
Anyone may apply but you must be a member of ISEV to attend!
Organizers
Chair: Suresh Mathivanan (La Trobe University, Australia)
Local and International Board:
Michael Pfaffl (Technical University of Munich, Germany); Marilyn Anderson (La Trobe University, Australia); Mark Bleackley (La Trobe University, Australia); Kendal Hirschi (Baylor College of Medicine, USA)
ISEV Board:
Marca Wauben (Utrecht University, The Netherlands); Andrew Hill (La Trobe University, Australia)
Click HERE to visit the
workshop webpage!
A
related meeting on EV’s – ‘2nd Australasian Extracellular Vesicles
Meeting’ will be held in Lorne (close to Melbourne) from 31st Jan –
2nd Feb and is also open to abstract submissions. Click here for more
information.
Flyer with details HERE.
HR update: Expectant and New Parents Guide
Monash HR have
launched a revised Expectant and New Parents Guide with
information on:
· leave entitlements
for men and women during and after pregnancy
· suggestions for
actions whilst on leave and return to work options
· information on
childcare - both at Monash and in the community
· information on How
Supervisors Can Help
This can also be accessed on the Monash Gender Equity site
at http://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/620525/new-parents-guide.pdf,
Last chance for 2016 - Faculty Roadshow - How to Manage Unsatisfactory Progress
We are pleased to announce a final roadshow for 2016
will be held for all Graduate Research supervisors (who have been unable to
attend previous sessions held within Schools).
Attendance to this event will be credited towards Level
2 Supervisor Accreditation.
Date: Tuesday 29th November 2016
· Time: 9.30 am - 11 am· Venue: Meeting Room D523, level 5, Building 13D
· Location: 35 Rainforest Walk, Clayton Campus
Please register your attendance via the Booking System online via the following link:
The Faculty is committed to
providing support to supervisors of graduate research students and improving
candidature completions.
One area which is a constant
challenge for supervisors is how to manage students who are showing
unsatisfactory progress.
This roadshow is
designed to highlight various options available to supervisors to assist
them in this process.
The following topics will be
covered:
· How to manage a student who is
showing unsatisfactory progress, both within and outside the milestone
framework
· Administrative support available
for managing unsatisfactory progress
· Case study examples of academic
issues relating to unsatisfactory progress
Medtech Mingle Melbourne - secure a spot in Victoria's exciting medtech sector, 24 November
Medtech Mingle Melbourne is a speed-networking event involving senior industry leaders and startup founders from Victoria's leading medical technology companies and startups who are looking for students to help them out.
If you're a student seeking a work opportunity in the medtech industry over summer or longer-term, then don't miss this!
If you have a background in biomedical or software engineering, life sciences, pharmacology, maths, science, communications, law or business, then your skills are in high demand by these companies.
When, where and how?
When: Thursday 24 November, 6pm-8pm, (arrive between 5.30pm and 6pm)
Where: Building 55, Advanced Manufacturing Precinct, RMIT
58 Cardigan Street, Carlton
How: Please register at https://ribit.net/events/medtech-mingle-melb
You need to be registered in order to attend.
Complimentary light dinner snacks and drinks provided.
Any questions, please email admin@ribit.net
This event brought to you by the Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals Growth Centre (MTPConnect), CSIRO and Data61's platform, ribit.net. RMIT has generously provided the venue.
ARC Future Fellowships 2017 (FT17) - Now open in RMS
Applications
for ARC Future Fellowships 2017 are now open in RMS and close 5pm on Wednesday 7 December 2016.1. Please find attached the Funding Rules, FAQ, ARC Medical Policy and Instructions to Applicants. These documents (and any updates) may also be downloaded from the ARC website: http://www.arc.gov.au/future-fellowships
2. If your PhD was awarded
before 1 March 2002, you will require an eligibility
exemption. Please return the completed career interruption form(attached) with suitable supporting documentation to support your claim to mro-arc@monash.edu to
confirm your eligibility to apply.
3. Please find attached the
strategic statement template. This must be submitted to MRO via your
Faculty Research Office by 16 November for review and signing by
Prof Pauline Nestor, PVC(R).
4. Please start your proposal in RMS as soon as possible so we know that you intend to apply. An Application Record will also need to be started in myResearch/Pure (for guidance refer to: Creating an Application Record)
Key
Dates:
FT17
|
MRO close date
|
ARC close date
|
Funding Rules Released 22 Sept 2016
|
||
Open in RMS 18 October 2016
|
||
Proposal closing date
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16
Nov 2016
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5pm
7 Dec 2016
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Strategic statement
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16
Nov 2016
|
na
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Request Not to Assess
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16
Nov 2016
|
5pm
23 Nov 2016
|
Rejoinder Process
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tba
|
tba
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Announcement
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June
2017
|
|
NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) - Now Open in RGMS
Applications for the NHMRC
Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) are now open in RGMS and close 5pm on
Wednesday 30 November 2016.
Funding rules, advice &
instructions to applicants, guide to peer review, and the grant proposal
template are all now available from the NHMRC website: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants-funding/apply-funding/centres-research-excellence-cre
The key dates for this scheme are
as follows:
Applications Open in RGMS: 19 October 2016
Minimum Data Due in RGMS: 16 November 2016
MRO Compliance Close: 16 November 2016 (via Pure)
Submission of Investigator consent to MRO: 23 November 2016
NHMRC External Deadline: 30 November 2016
Applications Open in RGMS: 19 October 2016
Minimum Data Due in RGMS: 16 November 2016
MRO Compliance Close: 16 November 2016 (via Pure)
Submission of Investigator consent to MRO: 23 November 2016
NHMRC External Deadline: 30 November 2016
Please start your proposal in RGMS as soon as you can, so MRO know that you intend to apply. An Application Record will also need to be started in myResearch/Pure (for guidance refer to: Creating an Application Record).
Please
contact mhs@monash.edu if you have any
questions about this scheme.
ARC Discovery and Linkage Programme Cross-scheme Eligibility FAQs now available
The Cross-scheme Eligibility Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs) documents for the Discovery and Linkage Programmes are now available on
the ARC
website for the following schemes:
- Australian Laureate
Fellowships
- Discovery Early Career
Researcher Award
- Discovery Projects
- Discovery Indigenous
- Future Fellowships
- Industrial Transformation Research Hubs
- Industrial Transformation
Training Centres
- Linkage Infrastructure,
Equipment and Facilities
- Linkage Projects
ARC Statement of Support for Interdisciplinary Research now available
On
behalf of Professor Pauline Nestor, the Faculty would like to inform you that
the ARC released a Statement of Support for Interdisciplinary Research on Thursday, 13 October 2016.
Full details available here:
Perpetual Trustees IMPACT Philanthropy Application Program - CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (EOI)
The Perpetual Trustees IMPACT Philanthropy Application Program
will open on Thursday 27 October at 9am (AEDT). Applications for this scheme
generally range between $10,000 and $100,000. The maximum amount an
organisation can request is $200,000 per application. Further
information on this scheme can be found at the following link.
As per the guidelines for this
scheme, Monash may only submit a total of one
application per department, up to a maximum of three applications across
the University. To ensure that
Monash doesn't exceed this submission quota, there will
be an expression of interest (EOI) round, with an application review and ranking process.
Intending applicants are required to prepare an EOI using
the attached template and submit to the Faculty Research
Office (medicine.research@monash.edu)
by no later than 5pm (AEDT) on Wednesday 2 November 2016.
Applicants will
be notified whether they have been selected to proceed to full application
submission by 18 November 2016. Final applications are due to Perpetual
Trustees by 5pm (AEDT) on Friday 2 December 2016.
Helen Truby chats with ABC News breakfast about Food as Medicine
Bizarre eye movements in a newborn
Read article here.
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