Monday, 13 March 2017
Australian-first lupus registry and biobank to provide real world evidence of therapies
 |
| Dr Alberta Hoi and Professor Eric Morand |
The Australian Lupus Registry and Biobank (ALRB) is
essential to improving our understanding of systematic lupus erythematosus
(SLE) and could be a world leader, according to experts including Monash
University’s Professor Eric Morand.
Published today in the Medical Journal of Australia, the
authors said the ALRB will be a valuable resource for clinicians, scientists,
industry and government to provide real world evidence of clinical
effectiveness of existing or new therapies and management strategies in
patients with lupus.
“Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease with diverse
symptoms, which place an unacceptable level of burden on affected patients,”
said Professor Morand, Head of Rheumatology at Monash Health and Head, School of
Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University.
“Australian data on lupus are scarce, with figures
suggesting a prevalence of lupus that ranges from 19 per 100,000 in people of
European ancestry to 92 per 100,000 in Indigenous Australians, similar to other
chronic diseases such as hepatitis C.”
Professor Morand said that while survival rates have
improved in the last fifty years, it is still a sobering thought that lupus,
which typically presents in women in their twenties or thirties, confers a 1 in
10 chance of dying before the age of forty.
Despite those numbers, it wasn’t until the ALRB was
established in 2012 that fundamental data regarding age, geographic and ethnic
distribution; currently used treatments; and unmet needs of patients in
Australia was consistently collected.
Ten Australian institutions are now recruiting patients with
lupus to the ALRB across Victorian, New South Wales, South Australia and
Western Australia, with the common goal of ‘improving treatment and outcomes
for people with lupus’.
Economically, the registry also serves a vital purpose.
“In the complex Australian health care system, it is
difficult to examine the different components of health care use, so the true
economic costs for a disease such as lupus are often grossly underestimated,”
said co-author Dr Alberta Hoi, Head of the Monash Lupus Clinic and chief
investigator, Lupus and Arthritis Research Group at Monash University.
The ALRB will allow the tracking of health care uses related
to the care of lupus in Australia and will provide data for benchmarking.
”With the rising costs of health care and a limited health
budget, it is paramount that data are available to study the cost effectiveness
of various management strategies,” said Dr Hoi.
“Health care use, based on annual patient self-report of
hospitalisations, investigations and other health complications, may form the
basis to derive cost.”
Professor Morand said the ALRB information may help measure
the health consequences of different health care interventions.
Monash medical student changing lives and awarded Westpac Fellowship
 |
| Ms Masad Alfayadh |
Monash University medical student Ms Masad Alfayadh was awarded a prestigious Westpac Social Change
Fellowship last week, acknowledging her work at Happy
Brain Education, a
not-for-profit organisation she co-founded that is changing the lives of young
Australians through education.
A final year
medical student at the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health
(SCS), Masad is one of ten social
innovators to receive a Westpac Social Change Fellowship, valued at up to
$50,000, through the Westpac Bicentennial Foundation.
 |
| Masad tutoring HBE students |
In
2015 Masad co-founded Happy Brain Education (HBE), a not-for-profit mentoring
and tutoring organisation that aims to empower young people through education
and personal development.
“Currently,
there are three HBE branches, one for youth in Melbourne’s
Broadmeadows,
another for youth in the Dandenong area, and a third which focuses solely on
students from refugee backgrounds,” said Masad.
Masad
said, apart from completing her medical training, her biggest focus in life is
empowering young people experiencing social disadvantage, financial
disadvantage and mental health issues.
“I
think our world could be a much better place if young people are empowered and
supported and involved as active participants in society—I guess this belief
comes from personal experiences and my experiences growing up.”
In
2003 when she was 10 years old, Masad and her family arrived in Australia as
refugees from Iraq.
“I
only knew four words of English, and I felt very overwhelmed, alone and
scared,” said Masad.
Just
five months later, Masad’s father was tragically killed in a car accident,
creating even more hardship for her family.
Masad believes that education
changed her life.
“The opportunities,
self-worth and affirmation that came from my schooling were extremely
empowering,” said Masad.
“Education opened
up so many doors to me, and made me understand the world. I know that it can
help many other children who come from a similar background to me. It can
empower, encourage, and open many doors for them too.”
Masad’s Westpac Fellowship will enable her to complete a
Certificate of Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Stanford University, a
Graduate Certificate in Social Impact at Swinburne University and two
courses at the University of Oxford, one on global social movements and another
in management. She also hopes to use the scholarship to volunteer with
Medecines Sans Frontieres and to further her charity work to help more people around
Australia.
“Young
people have the power to change the world. They just need to be empowered and
supported,” said Masad.
“They’re the greatest supervisors anyone could
ever ask for!”
Adolescents who are overweight or obese lose weight on commercially delivered weight management program
 |
| Associate Professor Bonham |
Monash University research has shown that a commercial,
structured weight management program leads to weight loss and improved
psychosocial outcomes in adolescents who are overweight and obese.
Obesity in childhood and adolescence tracks into adulthood,
and is associated with adverse physiological and psychological health outcomes.
“In Australia there are limited effective services and tools
for physicians to manage adolescent obesity—and few children and adolescents
with obesity seek treatment,” said lead researcher Associate Professor Maxine
Bonham from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food at Monash
University.
Associate Professor Bonham said results from a 2011 Cochrane
Review had suggested more widely accessible interventions for adolescents with
modest weight issues prior to the development of complications would be
advantageous.
Published last week in The Journal of Pediatrics, the
Monash University research shows for the first time that a structured
life-style intervention delivered by a commercial provider in an adolescent
population results in clinically relevant weight loss.
“Commercial diet
providers are a popular option for adults wanting to lose weight, and if food
is supplied as part of the program, reported weight loss is greater,” said Associate
Professor Bonham.
For children and adolescents
with obesity, however, commercial providers of weight management are scarce.
Associate Professor
Bonham’s study evaluated an adolescent weight management program, JenMe, a
12-week face-to-face program developed by dietitians at commercial provider
Jenny Craig.
From March
2013 to March 2014, 88 adolescents (aged between 13 and 17) who were overweight
and obese participated in the study, were allocated to either the intervention
group or the wait-list control group.
“A
significant weight reduction of 6.1 kg was observed in the 32 participants who
completed the intervention, compared with an average weight gain of 1.9 kg in
the 22 participants who completed the no-treatment period,” said Associate Professor
Bonham.
Professor
Bonham said the intervention participants also reported greater body esteem and
quality of life compared with the wait-list control group.
Although
follow up data were only available for 35% of intervention group participants,
on average they had maintained their weight loss in the 24 weeks after
completing the JenMe program.
Commercial weight loss operators provide extended reach and
resources beyond that which can be realistically delivered by an already
stretched health service.
“Some preliminary data also indicate the affordability and
viability of commercial diet programs compared with weight loss interventions
run by health professionals,” said Professor Bonham.
“Delivery of such programs by commercial providers offers an
alternative avenue to standard care in the management of paediatric obesity.”
Neonatologist receives academic promotion at School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health
 |
| Professor Arvind Sehgal |
Neonatalolgist Arvind Sehgal has been recognised for his research
with an academic promotion at Monash University.
Adjunct Professor Sehgal, Department of Paediatrics, is a
Neonatal Consultant at Monash Children’s Hospital. His recent research focuses
on the cardiac and vascular impact of fetal growth restriction.
“Using advanced ultrasound modalities, we have noted early
vascular ageing in this cohort alongside mal-adaptive coupling with cardiac
function,” said Professor Sehgal.
“Early identification of arterial and ventricular changes
would detect those premature infants at high risk for long term cardiovascular
compromise, and allow early intervention and / or increased monitoring.”
This research also formed the focus of Professor Sehgal’s
recently completed PhD.
Professor Sehgal said his promotion brought cheer amongst
his well-wishers and family, and that was important to him.
He also quoted Abraham Lincoln, “don’t worry when you are
not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.”
Professor Sehgal acknowledges Professor Nick Freezer for his
ongoing guidance and support and Dr Charles Barfield for his constant
encouragement.
Support our team raise money for blood cancer research
 |
| Cheryl Coleman with a haematology patient at the MHTP Clinical Trials Centre |
Led
by team captain Mary Batson, Cheryl Coleman, MHTP Clinical Trials Centre
Manager; Sue Kirsa, Director of Pharmacy at Monash Health; and registered
nurses Monique Pedetti (Clinical Trials Centre) and Melissa Florey (44S) are
amongst the team who will shave their hair in the main foyer of Monash Medical
Centre.
“Our
goal was to raise $3000, however we are already sitting at $4687 and I’m hoping
we can smash somewhere between $7,000 – $10,000 by Friday,” said Cheryl.
The
team said they all have their own personal reasons for participating.
“I
wasn’t going to shave this year, but after one of our haematology patients
progressed and had to come off their trial, it hit me pretty hard,” said
Monique.
Cheryl
said that after 13 years with haematology research, she’s come to witness
firsthand how these blood cancers affect so many people, their families,
friends and the nurses and coordinators who care for them.
“Recently
a friend's young daughter was diagnosed with lymphoma. No child should have to
go through what she has experienced,” said Cheryl.
“We
just want to help!”
A
bake sale will be held to support the fundraising this Friday 17 March and
shaving will take place from 1.30- 3.30pm in the main foyer of Monash Medical
Centre.
Sperm donations needed for our clinical embryology students
It
is that time of the year again that our clinical embryology students are doing important training in semen analysis and we need you (or your
partners) to help us out, if at all possible!
The
practicals are held on, Wednesday 22nd March Thurs 23rd
March and Friday 24th March, so if you can help us with a sperm
donation on any of those days that would be great. If you would
like to donate, but can't make those days, there will be other times where a
sample can be utilised for training.
This
year we are streamlining the process with a google form, so click on the link
to show your interest and availability HERE: https://goo.gl/forms/j5uqczQSHuuKLvDt2
If you want further info before completing the form, you can contact Sally Catt sally.catt@monash.edu or 0416821654 or
wk 99024818.
We
can deliver a coded pot (or 2) for you to take home, and will give more
specific instructions then. As we are on the 5th floor at Monash Medical Centre, we can
collect from TRF, E block, Hudson building, (your office, whatever).
For those
on site, we do have access to an official semen collection room on the 3rd floor
E Block. If using this facility, there is a secretary or nurse available,
and she can hand out appropriate DVDs and magazines, if required (yes there’s a
comfy sofa and a tv!). The pot can be left in the room or returned to our
office. You just need to indicate to the staff there whether you have left it
or not.
Rewards?
You will, if you request it on the form, get a written assessment of the sperm
prep. Also, select on the form a reward that would suit you (chocolate, wine,
beer, money are all options)
Thank
you for your help!!
Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund (Round 1) - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
All researchers are strongly encouraged
to apply for a grant through the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund, which aims to support
those in the early stages of health and medical research to translate their
work into health and economic outcomes. Head of School, Professor Eric Morand strongly recommends you use Monash University
as the entity, as substantial research infrastructure funding will be
earned - only applications from a University attract this top-up. The competitive program leverages funding from philanthropic, industry and international sources. It's designed to capitalise on Victoria’s comparative advantages in medical research, increase the efficiency of the Victorian health system and further enhance the Victorian economy’s investment attractiveness.
Round 1 applications are now open.
Who can apply
Applications will be accepted from collaborations or partnerships between:
· health services
· industry
· medical research institutes
· education institutes
Available funds
The Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund will provide $3 million per annum to help address current market gaps and deliver rewards for research. Funding is divided into two tiers.
Tier 1 funding is for proposals up to $100k. It supports early stage innovations including discovery research, clinical research and health practice, or an idea or innovation to attract peer review funding or investment by industry.
Tier 2 funding is for proposals up to $500k. It supports a small number of research proposals to ‘fast track’ translation into health and economic outcomes. Matching funding will be required to demonstrate capacity to collaborate and undertake research that has a clear pathway to translation.
How to apply
For more information and to apply:
Download the application form and guide which includes the selection criteria.
Applications close 14 April 2017. The MRO compliance check closing date is 31 March 2017. Intending applicants are requested to notify the Medical and Health Sciences team (mhs@monash.edu).
Announcements will be made in May 2017.
For further information, please visit www2.health.vic.gov.au/about/clinical-trials-and-research/health-and-medical-research/victorian-medical-research-acceleration-fund
Grants available (Telematics Trust) in Victoria
Applications for Telematics Trust grants are open now. Vision
The vision of Telematics Trust is for technology to transform lives through education and training for the cultural, social and economic benefit of Victorians.
Mission
• support our vision by demonstrating innovative use of technology through education and training.
• demonstrate the innovative use of technology through education and learning which aim to measurably improve the well-being of the community and environment
• provide unique funding opportunities to individuals, Educational Institutions, Government, Business, social enterprises and Not-for-Profit organisations
• use technology to reach diverse groups and address important practical problems
in our community and environment.
In pursuit of this mission, Telematics Trust targets initiatives that:
• deserve special distinction
• would be assisted by seeding grants
• are not generally within the province of other funding bodies
The Trust provides unique funding opportunities to individuals, Educational Institutes, Government, Business, social enterprises and Not-for-Profit organisations.
TELEMATICS TRUST SMALL GRANT ROUND CLOSING 31 MARCH 2017 AT 5PM.
More information HERE: http://www.telematics.org.au/
ALL researchers: please update your PURE profile
With the transition
to myResearch the collection of Monash Health research outputs is now managed
by the Research Outputs Collection Service (ROCS).
What you need to do
·
Check your researcher profile in myResearch / Pure and let the ROCS team know of any missing /
incorrect research outputs.
·
Import / reject research outputs: You will receive an email
notification when a research output is available to be imported, and this will
also appear in your “My personal tasks” area in Pure. Please see attached
instructions on how to claim research outputs. When an output has been
entered into Pure, it requires validation by the ROCS team before it will
appear on your researcher profile.
SAVE THE DATE! Invitation to Science-Medicine Affinity Workshop (2 May 2017)
The Faculty of Science and
the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (FMNHS) are pleased to
launch a new joint seed research fund to promote interdisciplinary
collaborations across both faculties. We look forward to the possibility
of significant collaborations, external grant applications and awards.
We would like to invite you
to join us at the Affinity Workshop which will include a brief
presentation of a partnership that has been very successful between the Faculty
of Science and the FMNHS, an informal opportunity to showcase your research to
the audience, general discussion, and an opening of the scheme. This
event will facilitate discussion and give you the opportunity to connect and
initiate interdisciplinary collaborations between the two faculties.
Date: Tuesday 2 May 2017
Time: 12-3pm (Lunch will be
provided)
Venue: Clayton campus
Registration and program
details to follow.
Tall Poppy Early Career Session- Tuesday 14th March
We are pleased to have Dr Sarah
Meachem the Tall Poppy ambassador, past awardee and chair of the Vic Tall poppy
selection committee share with us what it takes to be a Tall Poppy.
Camille Thomson general manager of the program at the Australian Institute
of policy and Science will also join us in the meeting.
Join us on Tuesday
the 14th of March from 2.00- 3.00 pm
Venue: Board
Room on level 7,Translational Facility Building (TRF)
ECR Symposium - Monday 30th October 2017 - SAVE THE DATE
The Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences (FMNHS)
will be holding their biennial Early Career Researcher (ECR) Symposium on
Monday 30th October 2017 at the Monash Business School, 271 Collins Street
(Level 7), Melbourne.
Please save the date and advertise the flyer in your
respective areas.
This event will comprise of seminars and workshops
encompassing:
- strategic career planning
- engaging with industry
- grant writing tips
and
- networking events
specifically designed for Early Career Researchers.
Registrations for this event will open mid August 2017.
CID Weekly Seminar Series: Dr Michaela Finsterbusch and Mr SJ Shen, Tuesday 14 March
12 - 1pm, Tuesday 14 March, Seminar Room 1, TRF Building
Dr Michaela Finsterbusch,
Research Fellow, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases
Platelet
accumulation and interactions with neutrophils in acute glomerulonephritis
Glomerulonephritis is a
leading cause of end-stage renal failure. In this disease immune cells (e.g.
neutrophils in acute glomerulonephritis) are incorrectly activated and start to
fight against us by attacking and damaging tissue in the kidney. We believe
that cross-talk between different cells (e.g. between platelets and
neutrophils) initiate neutrophil-dependent inflammation and the release of
harmful factors such as reactive oxygen species. To study the behaviour and
distinct role of these cell types in the healthy glomerulus and during acute
glomerular inflammation, we use highly advanced microscopy techniques, allowing
us to visualise these cells in real-time in the live organ. We hope that data
arising from this work will help to better understand the cause of
glomerulonephritis and help to develop more effective and saver therapies to
block these injurious pathways in patients.
Michaela joined Prof.
Michael Hickey's group at the Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Monash
University in 2014 as a research fellow to study immune-modulatory mechanisms
of leukocytes in experimental glomerulonephritis. Michaela trained at the
University of Applied Sciences in Vienna and graduated with a Master's degree
in biomedicine/analytics. During her Master's thesis Michaela studied IL-10
signalling specifically through common IL-10 receptor 1 variants in Prof.
Christoph Gasche's lab at the Medical University of Vienna (Department of
Gastroenterology). After graduating, Michaela moved to London to do her PhD
with Prof. Sussan Nourshargh (William Harvey Research Institute) investigating
immune and vascular functions in experimental models of inflammation on a three
year British Heart Foundation-funded PhD scholarship. She completed her PhD in
2013 and stayed in London for another year to work in Prof. Amrita Ahluwalia's
lab on the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1
(TRPV1).
In 2014, Michaela was
recruited to Monash University by Prof. Michael Hickey to study the involvement
of and communication between different immune cells (e.g. neutrophils,
monocytes, platelets) in acute glomerulonephritis. For her work, Michaela
primarily uses highly advanced microscopy techniques (i.e. spinning disc and
multiphoton confocal microscopy) to visualise different cell types and analyse
their behaviour in the live organ.
In 2015, Michaela has been
successfully awarded an Erwin Schroedinger fellowship funded by the Austrian
Science Fund.
AND
Mr SJ Shen, Postgraduate
student, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases – milestone review
Investigating the impact
of neutrophil recruitment on colonic inflammation
Inflammatory bowel disease
(IBD) is a group of idiopathic, chronic and relapsing inflammatory disease, and
includes primarily Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). There is
currently no cure, and disease management strategies only alleviate the
symptoms. Patients with IBD have severe complications such as weight loss,
fatigue, bloody stools, and diarrhoea. These symptoms arise from activation and
potentiation of an abnormal immune response, whereby immune cells are recruited
to the gut and damage the gut tissue.
One cell type of interest
is neutrophils, where high numbers have been associated with disease. This is
also the general consensus in the dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced colitis
model, a well-established mouse model of UC, which recapitulates the
pathological signs of the human disease.
We now know changes in the
gut microbiota affect immune cells such as regulatory T cells and invariant
natural killer T (iNKT) cells. Studies have elucidated a clear beneficial role
of regulatory T cells in colitis, but the role of iNKT cells is less
well-defined. Therefore, the first aim of my project is on exploring the role
of iNKT cells on leukocyte recruitment following DSS-induced colitis.
Given the link between the
gut microbiota and colitis, modulation of the microbial composition may affect
disease progression. In fact, recent research has revealed anti-inflammatory
properties of fibre and its fermented products short-chain fatty acids.
However, less is known about the impact of a lack of fibre and whether that is
a risk factor for the plethora of inflammatory diseases. Thus, the second aim
of my project is on examining how a lack of fibre changes the physiology to be
more prone to inflammation.
Sj Shen is currently a
second year PhD candidate at Monash Medical Centre (Clayton), supervised by Dr.
Connie Wong and Prof. Michael Hickey, with a research interest in the effect of
dietary fibre in a mouse model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He completed
Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences at Monash University (Clayton), which included
a unit of third year research examining the role of fibre in a mouse model of
asthma, taken under the supervision of Dr. Alison Thorburn. Sj then undertook
an Honours year with the Department of Immunology (Clayton) at Monash
University in the same lab, with research focus on the effect of diet in
experimental eosinophilic oesophagitis.
Further information, including the link to add the seminar series to your google calendar, is available from CID Weekly Seminar Series website [http://www.med.monash.edu.au/scs/medicine/cid/seminar-series.html]
Winston S. Rickards Memorial Oration, “Advocating on the Edge: Three Quarters of a Century of the Children’s Court Clinic in Victoria”. 20 March
The Winston
S. Rickards Memorial Oration, to be delivered by Dr Patricia Brown, Clinical Psychologist, on Monday, 20th
March 2017 at 7.30pm in the Ella Latham Theatre, The Royal
Children’s Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria.As Clinical Director of the Children’s Court Clinic in the Department of Justice, Victoria, Dr Brown is well known across Australia and overseas as a champion of the rights and wellbeing of the most vulnerable children and young people in our communities. These are of course those who may be, or have been, removed from the care of their parents, and those who may have committed serious crimes. Her understanding of the complex societal and psychological issues underlying the difficulties faced by these children and teenagers, and her compassion for them in the context of their encounter with the Children’s Court, are nothing short of inspirational. In the Oration, Dr Brown will speak of the challenges in responding to the requests of the Clinic made by the Children’s Court Magistrates, and in advocating for the psychological needs of the children and young people involved, often in controversial circumstances. She will also describe her role in advancing the practice of the Clinic, and in shaping forensic clinical psychology as a specialisation in Australia.
The event is free, but it would be appreciated if you could RSVP to Jacinta.Bleeser@gmail.com or celia.godfrey@mcri.edu.au
Hudson Seminar Series, "Sorting out the skeleton: the role of intracellular trafficking in bone homeostasis and disease", 16 March
12 - 1pm, Thursday 16 March, Seminar rooms 1 & 2, TRF building
The speaker will be Associate
Professor Nathan Pavlos, Deputy Director (Research) and Head, Cellular
Orthopaedic Laboratory, Centre for Orthopaedic Research, School of Surgery,
University of Western Australia.
Associate Professor Pavlos completed his undergraduate and PhD studies in bone cell biology at UWA. In 2007, he was awarded a NHMRC CJ Martin (Biomedical) Overseas Research Fellowship and carried out his postdoctoral training at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry, Germany, from 2007-2009 with Professor Reinhard Jahn, where he worked on the molecular regulation of synaptic vesicle exo-endocytosis in neurons. In 2010, A/Professor Pavlos returned to UWA to form his own laboratory within the Centre for Orthopaedic Research.
A/Professor Pavlos’ current research interests focus on the molecular mechanisms of bone-resorbing osteoclasts, the major cellular protagonists underlying a number of highly debilitating musculoskeletal diseases including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, Paget's disease and tumour-mediated bone loss. Along with his focus on osteoclasts and bone biology, he also has a long-standing interest in the molecular regulation and dynamics of protein trafficking, a process essential for normal cellular function and often perturbed in many different diseases.
A light lunch and refreshments
will follow the presentation.
PhD confirmation, Manjeet Sandhu, "A prospective study to assess the role of IL-38 in Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients", 16 March
All staff and students are invited to Manjeet Sandhu's PhD confirmation16th March 2017, 2,30pm-4.30pm. Hudson Institute Level 3 Bridge rooms 1a 1b
Synopsis: Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a chronic inflammatory condition with a severe impact on quality of life for which there is no treatment other than non-specific immunosuppression with glucocorticoids and biologic therapies that themselves have multiple adverse effects on the patient. Emerging evidence from our laboratory suggests that IL-38 may prove to be an effective anti-inflammatory agent in IBD. In order to assess its therapeutic prospects, my PhD aims to characterise the abundance of IL-38 in peripheral blood and the intestine of patients with IBD. We further aim to validate the impact of IL-38 in mouse models of IBD
Supervisors: Dr Gregory Moore (main), A/Prof Marcel Nold, Dr Claudia Nold, Dr Ina Rudloff
PhD mid-candidature review seminar Ella Ottrey, "Meal realities - Exploring mealtime complexity on the subacute hospital ward", 28 March
Tuesday 28 March, 1.30pm, Tamarillo Room, Level 1, BASE Facility, Notting Hill
Presentation Title: Meal realities - Exploring mealtime
complexity on the subacute hospital ward
Synopsis: Inadequate food intake is a complex and
challenging issue in the hospital setting. A variety of interventions have been
implemented to address this problem with little success to date. In order to
more effectively address inadequate food intake, a better understanding of
hospital mealtimes and the context to which these interventions are being
applied is needed. This research aims to explore and understand patterns of
mealtime culture, environment and social practice from the perspective of
staff, volunteers and visitors on the subacute hospital ward.
Supervisors: A/Prof Claire Palermo, Dr Kate Huggins, Associate Professor Judi
Porter
Panel chair: Dr Ricardo Costa
Independent assessors: Prof Lisa McKenna, A/Prof Karen
Walton
PhD milestone review, Sushena Krishnaswamy, "Implementing antenatal pertussis vaccination: has it been well adopted, and how can we improve uptake?" 31 March
All staff and students are invited to Sushena Krishnaswamy's PhD milestone review.1-2pm, Friday 31 March, Monash Infectious Diseases Seminar, Pathology Conference Room, Level 3, Monash Medical Centre
Synopsis: Antenatal vaccination is the most
effective strategy to decrease pertussis infections in the most vulnerable
population, infants less than 3 months of age. My PhD examines various aspects
of implementing antenatal vaccination programs- from attitudes and knowledge of
consumers and antenatal care providers, to service delivery models, to
feasibility of real time adverse event surveillance. This presentation will predominantly cover a
sub-study, the uptake of vaccination by the mother and other significant
contacts of newborns.
Supervisor name: A/Prof Michelle Giles, Prof
Euan Wallace, A/Prof Jim Buttery
Intensive Research Ethics Course, 4-8 June 2017 in NSW
This intensive course is designed to assist researchers, ethics committee members and others involved in the conduct and assessment of research to understand and clarify the issues arising in relation to research of all kinds involving human participants. It will provide an opportunity for members of research and research ethics communities to come together to discuss the issues they face and share their experiences.
The course aims to give registrants an appreciation of the philosophical and ethical issues underlying research involving human participants, an understanding of the issues relating to different research methodologies and research involving special populations.
The program will be interactive and will include small group discussions and workshops. There will be ample provision for free time to encourage further discussion and debate among participants.
The Venue
Within easy reach of Sydney, Canberra and the coast, Peppers Craigieburn is set in the beautiful Southern Highlands, an area renowned for its national parks, antique shopping and cool climate wines.
More information HERE. Registration form HERE.
Exercise, vitamin D and musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health study
PhD
student Alexander Rodriguez and BMedSc Honours Student Cecilia Xu from the Bone
and Muscle Health Research Group are conducting a randomised
controlled trial investigating if vitamin D enhances the benefits of exercise for
musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health in middle-aged and overweight older
adults with low vitamin D status.
The
study will measure bone density, body composition and aortic calcification on
DXA (a type of X-ray) as well as a number of physical performance and strength
indicators.
Participants
will be randomly allocated to12 weeks of taking vitamin D supplements or a placebo,
and all participants subsequently complete 12 weeks of exercise which includes one
supervised class at the Monash Medical Centre (Clayton) and two classes at home
per week. Instruction and telephone guidance and support is given to all
participants throughout the study.
All
participants will be provided with the results of their body composition and
cardiovascular assessments as well as have all transport costs reimbursed.
Eligibility
criteria include being aged between 50
and 80 years; having a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 40 kg/m2 and having low vitamin D (which is measured at Monash Medical Centre).
If
you, your patients, family members or friends might be interested in this study,
please contact Alexander or Cecilia:
Phone: 8572 2919
Email: med-DEx_study@monash.edu
Alexander alexander.rodriguez@monash.edu
Cecilia clxu1@sudent.monash.edu
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