SCS eNews: 2017-10-08

Monday, 9 October 2017

3MT video: Christine Bennett discusses her research into pregnancy weight gain

Watch SCS PhD student Christine Bennett discuss her research into weight gain during pregnancy. Christine says that up to 70% of women in Australia gain above the recommended guideline for pregnancy weight gain. Christine also discusses the risks associated with this weight gain for the mother and the baby.

Christine won 2nd place in the 2017 SCS 3MT competition, junior category.

World’s largest clinical trial in follicular lymphoma gives hope to patients

Professor Stephen Opat

An international collaborative study, including researchers at Monash University, has shown that follicular lymphoma patients treated with a therapy known as obinutuzumab in combination with chemotherapy leads to significant improvements in how the disease is controlled.

Published last week in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, the results from the largest ever follicular lymphoma clinical trial revealed that patients treated with a combination of chemotherapy and obinutuzumab had their disease under control for one and a half times longer than the standard treatment with chemotherapy and rituximab.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the sixth most common form of cancer, affecting 1 in 40 people. NHL is categorised into two main types: aggressive and indolent.

“In aggressive NHL, the lymphoma cells divide quickly and patients die within months if untreated, however, most have a high chance of cure with chemotherapy,” Head of Haematology at Monash University and Monash Health, Professor Stephen Opat said.

“Follicular Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the main subtype of indolent NHL, a disease where lymphocytes (the immune cells that cause lymphoma) don’t die and gradually accumulate in the lymph nodes, bone marrow and tissues,” Professor Opat, senior author on the study said.

While indolent NHL patients can live for many years untreated, the disease is considered incurable with chemotherapy, and treatment is generally reserved for patients with symptoms.

Professor Opat said these patients often have an extended period of disease control with chemotherapy, however the majority will eventually relapse needing further therapy.

The Gallium study was the largest clinical trial ever conducted in follicular lymphoma, comparing the safety and effectiveness of two different anti-lymphoma antibodies (rituximab and obinutuzumab) in combination with chemotherapy for patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma.

1202 patients—including 30 at Monash Health, the largest recruitment site in Australia—were randomly selected to receive chemotherapy with rituximab or chemotherapy with obinutuzumab.

“Those patients who responded could have up to two years of maintenance treatment with rituximab or obinutuzumab to keep their disease in remission for as long as possible,” Professor Opat said.

After three years of follow up, more patients are still alive with their lymphoma under control in the obinutuzumab group (80 of every 100) than the rituximab group (73 of every 100).

“This translates into a 1.5-times longer time that their lymphoma is in remission with obinutuzumab compared with the rituximab—perhaps offering an additional three years before needing to be treated again,” Professor Opat said.

While the obinutuzumab-treated patients had a longer period of lymphoma control they also reported more frequent adverse effects of therapy including infections (20% versus 16% with Rituximab) and reactions to the antibody infusion (12% versus 7% with rituximab).

“Chemotherapy with obinutuzumab resulted in a meaningful improvement in the duration of disease control and is an important addition to the treatment options for patients with follicular lymphoma.”

Partnership promotes new treatments for men’s reproductive health disorders

A visit to Monash University has highlighted how academic partnerships between countries can create innovation with global benefits.

On October 3, and coinciding with German Unity Day, Monash hosted members of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to highlight opportunities for academic exchanges between Australia and Germany.

Hosted by Monash Global Engagement and Graduate Education, Monash staff and students attended presentations by Professor Joybrato Mukherjee, President of Justus-Liebig University and Vice-President of DAAD, Mr Stefan Bienefeld, Director of Development Co-operations and Supra-Regional programs at DAAD and Dr Judith Reinhard, Head of Science and Innovation at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The event highlighted the partnership between Monash University and Justus-Liebig University (JLU) and commenced with a welcome meeting with Monash Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Margaret Gardner, and Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Zlatko Skrbis.

This partnership is funded as an International Research Training Group (IRTG) by a German Government research funding agency, which facilitates a collaborative research program in men’s reproductive health.

Described by Prof Mukherjee as a “flagship” partnership of successful German-Australian scientific exchange, the Monash-JLU IRTG draws together postgraduate students and scientists at both universities to discover new diagnoses and treatments for common men’s reproductive health disorders.

As well as enabling a global research effort, the Monash-JLU IRTG provides the next generation of scientists with the tools and training to address crucial issues relating to men’s reproductive health.

Doctoral students receive a specialised translational training program and access to leading technology platforms. They are jointly supervised by teams of clinical and basic scientists at both Monash and JLU, and have the opportunity to receive a joint PhD award from both Universities.

IRTG students presented their work on male reproductive disorders relating to the development of testicular cancer, the underlying causes of infertility, and the treatment of prostate disease. Each gave a personal account of how their training within the global IRTG partnership provided both personal and professional benefits.

The Monash IRTG spokesperson, Professor Kate Loveland, spoke about the evolution of the Monash-JLU IRTG, from its beginnings in the 1990s, when German scientist Prof Dr. Andreas Meinhardt undertook his postdoctoral studies with Professor David de Kretser at Monash.

This resulted in a long history of collaborative research between the two countries which culminated in the award of the Monash-JLU IRTG in 2013, now funded until 2022.

Professor Loveland spoke about the benefits of the global research effort, highlighting how the program capitalises on the unique skills and technologies at each University, producing a collaborative gain that is much greater than would be achieved by individual research projects.

Professor Loveland also discussed the practical logistics of operating a global research program, highlighting how this program has produced many tangible benefits for both Universities, including successful PhD graduates, student awards, joint research publications and further competitive research support from the NHMRC.

Professor Loveland also explained that this IRTG was the first of three IRTGs between Australia and Germany, and is leading the way in PhD student exchange between the two countries.

Mr Bienefeld also gave a presentation explaining how the German government has optimised and streamlined many aspects of its scientific exchange processes, highlighting the many opportunities for both students and academics to work in Germany and to participate in global research efforts.

For more information on the Monash-JLU IRTG see: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/scs/research/irtg-phd-program

Cardiac Rhythm Management team wins international award, recognising best practice in atrial fibrillation

The Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) team at MonashHeart was one of just four winners world-wide of the international Atrial Fibrillation Association - Healthcare Pioneers 2018 Award, showcasing best practice in atrial fibrillation (AF) last week.

The award was presented to CRM clinical nurse consultant Melissa Harvey at the prestigious Heart Rhythm Congress in Birmingham, UK for her submission "The establishment of a dedicated atrial fibrillation clinic at a large healthcare service: multidisciplinary care".

The initiative is the brainchild of the cardiac rhythm management service, led by Dr Jeff Alison, and the nurse coordinator role is led by Melissa Harvey.

MonashHeart is incredibly grateful for the very generous donation of $100,000 from a former patient which funded the inception of Melissa's role and the clinic.

Hundreds of patients each year are now receiving leading heart care through this service.

Tom Jobling promoted to Professor

Congratulations Tom Jobling on his recent academic promotion to full Professor. Professor Jobling's research interests include establishing a proteomic platform for biomarker and screening test development for ovarian cancer.

"Our clinical and tissue banking program has enabled the establishment of a well-integrated research unit with the Hudson Institute of Medical Research," Professor Jobling said.

Professor Jobling acknowledges Andrew Stephens and his team at Hudson for their terrific scientific endeavours.

"We hope to get a screening test for early detection of ovarian cancer which would of course translate into improved survival."

Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Professor Euan Wallace said the Department is indebted to Professor Jobling for his clinical research leadership and expertise.

"Professor Jobling has led gynaecology oncology services at Monash Health and the gynaecology cancer research group at the University for many years," Professor Wallace said.

"His contributions to the University and research more broadly are central to the academic success and growth of the gynaecology oncology group."

Dr Kay Nguo awarded ECR Publication Prize

Dr Kay Nguo from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics was recently awarded the Jenny Keating Early Career Researcher Publication Prize for Nursing and Allied Health Research for her systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of meal intake on postprandial appetite-related gastrointestinal hormones in obese children. Her paper was published in the International Journal of Obesity .

Dr Nguo said she was honoured and delighted to be the recipient of the 2017 Jenny Keating Early Career Researcher Publication Prize for Nursing and Allied Health.

"I am grateful to the Faculty for this award and thank my co-authors for their contributions," Dr Nguo said.

Dr Nguo will use the prize money to attend the 4th International Conference on Recent Advances and Controversies in Measuring Energy Metabolism (RACMEM) in Switzerland later this year.

Grant writing program for women - limited places available

A writing skills program to support female researchers in developing their proposals for competitive research grants and fellowships: "Nail the story, win that grant: Six rules for writing a compelling proposal." is now available.

The program (facilitated by Mind Your Way) consists of three half day workshops between October and December 2017 + one on one feedback. It is best suited to sole applicants or chief investigators who have a limited experience in research grant writing and who are currently starting to develop a proposal or fellowship application.

Details here: www.monash.edu/gender-equity/programs/grant-writing

ORCID for ERA 2018 Submission

As part of the ERA 2018 submission all Monash researchers will need to have an Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID), which is an internationally recognised unique identifier.

Researchers who already have an ORCID should add it to their personal profile in Pure. Researchers who do not have one can create one via Pure. This will add the ORCID to the Pure profile automatically. There are instructions available on managing Pure profiles and the ORCID creation process.

The Research Outputs Collection Service or the Library are able to provide further assistance. There is also a Library Guide on author IDs and profiles.

Changes to ARC ITRP Hubs and Centres

Please note that the ARC have made several changes to the application for the ITRP Hubs and Training Centres application for the 2018 round. Changes of note include:

ROPEs assessment will be limited to 5 key personnel
The structure/questions within the ROPEs section has changed
The page limit for the project description has increased from 10 to 15 pages
The subheadings within the project description have changed to incorporate information removed from other sections of the application.

Please note: Although full ROPEs sections will only be required for the 5 key personnel, you will still need to obtain information on participants’ expertise and experience as it pertains to relevant industry or end-user focussed research for inclusion in the project description.

Key personnel intending to re-purpose ROPEs sections from other proposals will need to allow additional time to re-format this information to meet the new requirements. A small plus is that this new format is expected to be replicated through the other ARC grants for 2018/2019.

Please refer to the attached Instructions to Applicants documents (HERE and HERE) for further information.

If you have any questions, please contact the MRO Research Development team (mro.researchdevelopment@monash.edu).

Register now for the Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences CEED Faculty Module: Engaging learners in online discussions

The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences is offering a new CEED module called Engaging learners in online discussions.

This module is ideal for any staff that have previously attempted to engage with students through online discussions and have come across difficulties, or staff who regularly engage with online discussion forums and are seeking ways to improve student engagement. Increased student engagement can also result in an increase in academic workload, so the module will also introduce workload management strategies for online teaching.

By the end of this module, participants will have developed strategies to enhance student engagement in online forums, including facilitation and moderation, cohort management, student and teacher expectations, assessment strategies and evaluation.

Please register here by Monday 20 November 2017:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeRXTSkxQmhu3r3IhNbgjHxi0xVP5BQxGrj1_0EvifnJe3vIg/viewform

More information:

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences 2017 CEED Module: Engaging learners in online discussions
Moodle open date: Monday 23 October 2017
Moodle close date: Friday 15 December 2017
Face-to-face workshop (compulsory, lunch provided): Wednesday 22 November 2017, 9am to 12pm, M4, 10 Chancellors Walk, Clayton Campus.

Facilitators: Dana Bui, Silvia Vogel and Kirsten Schliephake

Open Forum with the Head of School Prof Eric Morand, 20 October

Attn all students:

You are invited to an Open Forum with the Head of the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Prof Eric Morand. This will be a round table discussion about how clinical and basic scientific interactions propel high impact outcomes in biomedical research.

Date : Friday October 20th from 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm

Venue: MMC-Medicine Seminar Room Block E Level 5 Monash Medical Centre

Please register your attendance at https://my.monash.edu.au/news-and-events/bookings/mmcbs/view/217005/

CID seminar: "Targeted Treatment in Experimental Autoimmune anti-GBM disease" & "Cyclophilins in Renal Disease", 10 October

Tuesday 10 October, 12-1pm, Seminar Room 1, TRF

Targeted Treatment in Experimental Autoimmune anti-GBM disease

Presented by Megan Huynh, Postgraduate Student, CID

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease is an autoimmune form of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. The standard treatment for anti-GBM disease uses toxic immunosuppressants that can have detrimental effects. To address the need for more specific treatment options, the potential of two targeted treatment methods has been explored using a mouse model of experimental autoimmune anti-GBM disease. One method takes advantage of the strong association between anti-GBM disease and HLA-DR15, an allele that carries an increased disease risk and is highly prevalent in patients. Selectively blocking DR15 MHC using a small molecule inhibitor prevents activation of autoreactive T cells by inhibiting presentation of the autoepitope. A different approach aims to induce antigen-specific immune suppression, by using liposomes to target antigen presenting cells and generate regulatory T cells. By inhibiting effector T cells or inducing regulatory T cells, development of an autoimmune response and subsequent disease may be avoided.

Cyclophilins in Renal Disease

Presented by Dr Khai Gene Leong, Postgraduate Student, CID

Inflammation and apoptosis are important underlying causes of renal injury/ dysfunction, and progressive renal fibrosis leading to chronic kidney disease. However, despite the large burden of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), there is no current successful clinical therapeutics that halts the process of AKI, and progression of AKI to CKD. Cyclophilins are ubiquitously expressed proteins that are physiologically involved in protein folding. Of these, Cyclophilin A (CypA) has a key role in regulating the inflammatory process, and Cyclophlin D (CypD) is an essential component of the mitochondrial permeability membrane pore opening leading to cell death. I will explore the roles of CypA and CypD in contributing to renal disease to aid in future development of therapeutics that may lessen the incidence and prevalence of AKI and CKD.

Dr Leong is a Clinical Nephrologist currently undertaking her PhD studies at the Nephrology lab, Department of Nephrology, Monash Health.

Lunch is served at 11.45am.

Monash Ageing Research Centre (MONARC) Advanced Trainees' Research Presentations, 11 October

Research Presentations from 2017 Advanced Trainees

Wednesday 11^th October, 12:30-1:30pm (lunch from 12:15pm)

Education Centre – Room A

(Kingston Centre, Warrigal Road, Cheltenham)

All welcome

Dr Thinn Thinn Khine:

Physiological levels of IL-1β increase islet amyloid deposition in vitro

Dr Chamalie Wimalagunasekera:

Systematic review of the validity and clinical utility of Geriatric Depression Scale as a screening tool to assess depressive symptoms in patients with dementia.

Dr Sabei Shwe:

Frailty, oral health and nutrition in geriatric inpatients.

Dr Anika Kibria:

A Retrospective Cohort Study on the use of Video Urodynamic Studies in Geriatric Patients.

For more information/RSVP:

Dr Rosa Gualano, Acting MONARC Manager

t: 9265 1268 e: rosa.gualano@monashhealth.org

www.med.monash.edu.au/sphpm/monarc/

Grand Round Presentation, 11 October

WORLD THROMBOSIS DAY presents

Associate Professor Sanjeev Chunilal (Monash Haematology):
Introductory comments about World Thrombosis Day
"Rivaroxaban safety pathway"

Professor Thanh Phan (Stroke Unit):
"Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis"

Dr Adam Brown (Monash Heart)
"Bioprosthetic aortic valve thrombosis - cause for concern?"

12.30pm to 1.30pm, 11 October 2017

Main Lecture Theatre, Monash Medical Centre

“Seeking better outcomes for sarcoma – Travel the world or stay at home?”, 11 October

Hudson Seminar: 1.30-2.30pm, Wednesday 11 October
Seminar Room 1, TRF

Professor Jeremy Whelan
The London Sarcoma Service, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Professor of Cancer Medicine and Consultant Medical Oncologist

Prof Whelan was appointed as a Consultant Oncologist at UCLH in 1996 and since then has developed services for sarcomas and for young people with cancer.

Prof Whelan leads an extensive programme of clinical research in sarcomas. He is a chief investigator of the international randomised study for osteosarcoma, EURAMOS 1, which has completed accrual of over 2000 patients in Europe and the United States. He has also taken an active role in national cancer policy developments in his areas of expertise. He is currently a member of the National Cancer Research Institute Teenage and Young Adult Clinical Studies Group and NCRI Sarcoma Clinical Studies Group.

Monash Haematology Journal Club, ""Thrombotic Microangiopathies: a focus on aHUS", 11 October

11 October, 7.30am Breakfast & 7.45am Presentation

Monash Medical Centre, Level 2 - Lecture Theatre 3

"Thrombotic Microangiopathies: a focus on aHUS"

Presenter: Dr Indu Raman

Research Services Showcase, 26 October.

You are invited to attend the next Research Services showcase scheduled on Thursday 26 October from 2pm-3.30pm on Clayton campus.

This showcase is open to all researchers and professional staff.

Demonstrations will be given of the new Pure portal, enhanced researcher profiles, Altmetric Explorer for Institutions and will include tips for promoting research online.

We will also highlight Research Professional’s new Fingerprinting technology and improved funding opportunity search results.

How to register

To accept the invitation and for venue details, please register here.

Can't attend in person?

The presentation slides and a recording of the demonstrations will be made available on the Research Services Systems website following the event.

Centre for Cancer Research Special Seminar: "'Update on Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and Association to Infections, Maignancies and Rheumatic Disorders", 11 October

Wednesday 11 October, 1.30-2.30pm

Dr Jan-Inge Henter
Karolinsky Institute, Stockholm
Professor of Paediatric Hematology and Oncology

Prof Henter earned an MD from Uppsala University 1980 and after internship in Uppsala completed a fellowship in Pediatrics (1987) in Stockholm. Following this, Prof Henter defended his PhD-thesis at Karolinska Institute in 1990, with focus on hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). A clinical specialist in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, he became Professor at Karolinska Institutet in 2004, and Director of Research and Education at Karolinska University Hospital in 2012.

Prof Henter’s main research interest is within the histiocytic disorders, including Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). In addition to developing the first diagnostic criteria for HLH, PI of HLH-94 as well as HLH-2004, Prof Henter investigates underlying biological and genetic defects in HLH.

Additionally, Prof Henter is interested in clinical and biological studies of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), with the ultimate aim to reduce morbidity and mortality.
Prof Henter was the President of the Histiocyte Society 2004-2007, and the Founding President of the International Conference for Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs (ICORD).

“Obesity, oocyte quality and the legacy of the egg", 12 October

This week's Hudson seminar will be held Thursday 12th October 12pm-1pm in Seminar Rooms 1 & 2, Level 2, TRF Building.

Our speaker will be A/Prof Rebecca Robker, PhD (University of Adelaide, Australia)

She will be presenting “Obesity, oocyte quality and the legacy of the egg"

Dr Robker is an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide in Australia. Her vision is to improve health of women and children by discovering how the ovary generates oocytes and then releases them for fertilization and the creation of a new individual.

Her work is also uncovering cellular mechanisms by which different maternal physiological signals, such as obesity and age, affect ovarian function, and early embryo development. Within the Robinson Research Institute, she is a Leader of the Early Origins of Health Theme, which is identifying biological mechanisms by which events in early life, including at conception, influence later health.

Dr Robker received her PhD from Baylor College of Medicine where her studies discovered novel mechanisms by which hormones control ovarian cell proliferation and identified proteases that control ovulation. Dr Robker undertook an NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Leukocyte Biology where her studies revealed that leukocytes are resident in adipose tissue and activated by high fat diet. More recently, her team demonstrated that ovarian somatic cells and oocytes are affected by obesity and identified mechanisms by which lipid metabolism and lipid excess affect oocyte developmental potential.

A light lunch and refreshments will follow this presentation.

Mohamed Saad's PhD mid-candidature review, "Investigation into the Role of ADAM17 in Lung Cancer", 24 October

All staff and students are invited to Mohamed Saad's mid-candidature review.

24 October, 1-2pm, Seminar Room 1, TRF

Supervisors: : Professor Brendan Jenkins - Dr Saleela Ruwanpura.

Panel Chair: Associate Professor Ashley Mansell.

Independent assessors: Dr Alistair Miller - Dr Thierry Jarde.

Critical Care and Peri-Operative Medicine Research Forum, 1 November

1 November, Seminar Room 1, TRF, 10am - 4pm

Are you concerned about your cholesterol levels?

Evacuation drills at SCS

Evacuation drills will take place on Tues 17th Oct, in all SCS areas except for the Children's hospital.

Please participate in the drill by following the warden's instructions, and plan your experiments accordingly.

Staying safe staff forum, 19 October

In response to the concerns about personal safety when walking around Monash Medical Centre, we are holding a staff forum on Thurs Oct 19th, at 3:30pm in the TRF seminar room 1 & 2.

We will hear from Acting Sergeant Caroline Sorrell (Clayton Police Station) and Shaun Tankard (Monash University Security Coordinator) about how to stay safe, and what to do if you are confronted by someone.

Please register here if you will be attending this meeting.

If you are involved in an incident in the streets around MMC, please call the Police immediately by dialling 000.

Please email clare.westhorpe@monash.edu so that we can record the incident and ensure your receive appropriate support.

Registrations now open for 2017 Monash 10,000 Steps Challenge

This year’s 10,000 Steps Challenge will see participants form teams of five (5), including a team captain in a virtual race covering 50 amazing locations. Starting in Italy on October 23rd, the 2017 challenge will run for 42 days, and journey through Europe, the United States and Africa.

Major features in this years’ event include:

The introduction of campus and faculty/divisional leaderboards to encourage competition and engagement
Customised postcards as well as many other great features.

Participants will also:

Get access to a great range of additional motivational and engagement tools such as challenges and quizzes
Enter weekly competitions and go into the draw to win some great prizes

As many faculties and divisions are funding the cost of staff participation, I would suggest you contact your faculty/divisional administrator to check if your participation will be funded by your area before you register.

To register a team of five (including team captain), or to register as an individual wishing to join a team, visit www.monash.edu/wellbeing

Key dates: