What's on at SCS

The School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health (SCS) has regular lectures, seminars and postgraduate presentations.   SCS staff and students can see more details of events at the SCS Intranet Announcement and events page.

SCS Events calendar

Tue	31/07/2018	►	09:30	Early Career Researcher Program Getting  Started in your Research Career
		►	12:00	CID seminar: Human amniotic epithelial cells in babies with established bronchopulmonary dysplasia – Our first-in-human experience
Wed	01/08/2018	►	11:00	Gaining deeper insight from your RNA analysis
		►	12:30	Grand Round: “The Australian Paired Kidney Exchange Program”
Thur	02/08/2018	►	12:00	Hudson seminar: Prof Paul Thomas
Mon	06/08/2018	►	09:30	Nazanin Karimnia's confirmation of candidature, "Targeting Invasive Leader Cells in Ovarian Cancer"
Thur	09/08/2018	►	13:00	Update on the STAREE Clinical Trial:  Statins in Reducing Events in the Elderly
Mon	13/08/2018	►	17:00	MHTP Open Day
Tue	21/08/2018	►	12:00	BDI seminar: Preterm growth restriction and BPD: the vascular hypothesis and related physiology
		►	18:00	WiSPP Invitation: Women in Medical Research
Wed	22/08/2018	►	12:00	Mixed methods research in health:  introduction to group concept mapping methodology
Mon	27/08/2018	►	12:00	Pride Thinking and Inclusive Design
Sat	08/09/2018	►	09:00	Who is a Clinician Scientist and what skills do they need?
Wed	12/09/2018	►	08:30	Interprofessional learning symposium: facilitating successful interprofessional programs
Mon	17/09/2018	►	16:00	Open Forum with the Head of the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Prof Eric Morand
Thur	27/09/2018	►	16:00	MHTP Have you got talent?

SCS takes out first and second prizes in the Faculty’s 3MT competition

3MT Faculty winner Nicole Free

Nicole Free, a speech pathologist and PhD candidate in the SCS and Monash Health Department of Surgery, won first prize and will now represent the Faculty in the Monash University 3MT finals on August 16. Nicole’s research is examining how non-surgical interventions, like voice therapy, could potentially reverse or eliminate vocal fold lesions.  Watch Nicole HERE.

Monash University collaborative research to improve newborn brain imaging

Associate Professor Suzanne Miller

Associate Professor Suzanne Miller, an NHMRC senior research fellow in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has been awarded Faculty of Science and Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (MNHS) Interdisciplinary Research Seed Funding to improve brain imaging of newborns using X-Ray CT.

Hormone replacement therapy could help kidney dialysis patients

Dr Jasna Aleksova

Men undergoing kidney dialysis may have lower testosterone and reproductive hormone levels, providing evidence as to why this group are more prone to bone fractures, a new Monash research study has shown.

The study, by Clinical Associate Professor Frances Milat and first author Dr Jasna Aleksova, suggests hormone replacement therapy could be used in clinical trials for people undergoing kidney dialysis.

The findings of the study, a collaboration between Hudson Institute, Monash Health, Monash University and Professor Grahame Elder from Westmead Hospital, have been published in Kidney International.

Fetal growth restriction the focus of the second Ritchie Centre European Workshop in Prato, Italy

Members of The Ritchie Centre met at the Monash Campus in Prato, just north of Florence, this month to showcase the Centre’s research and to establish and further develop collaborations with their European colleagues.

Attended by more than 60 researchers from 10 different countries, this year’s workshop focused on fetal growth restriction (FGR), a serious, but common, pregnancy complication describing the fetus that fails to achieve normal growth.

The Ritchie Centre’s Professor Rosemary Horne said FGR is present in up to 9% of pregnancies in Australia and is strongly associated with stillbirth, or serious health complications in survivors. 

Monash represented at Asia-Pac Site Solutions Summit

Cheryl-Ann Hawkins,  Operations Manager, early phase drug trials for Oncology Research at Monash Health, gave the opening speech at the Asia-Pac Site Solutions Summit at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last week.

Cheryl-Ann leads a team of study coordinators and clinical trial assistants, providing access to world first drugs to patients with cancer at the MHTP Clinical Trials Centre.

Platform Access Grants 2019 (Round 1) - APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences is pleased to announce a call for applications to Round 1 of the Platform Access Grants (PAG) scheme for funding commencing in January 2019 [PAG 2019 (R1)]. 

We invite proposals from individuals or small teams (max. 3 members) requesting Service Fees to access FMNHS Technology Research Platforms, or to purchase Products of these platforms.  Grants of up to $15,000 will be available for access to a maximum of 2 Platforms for this purpose.  Please note that the “Service Provider” does not have to be a collaborator on the grant, and if they are not, they must not be listed as a Chief Investigator.  

Are you interested in recruiting HDR students? MHTP Open Day, 13 August, 5-7pm

Please find below details of our forthcoming Open Day event (Monday 13 August) for prospective Hons, Masters and PhD students.  Also attached is a ppt and flyer you can use to promote our event to students in lectures or via relevant student notice boards.  One of the most effective means of communicating this event is via your contact with students.

This year we are directing all students to the Faculty’s Supervisor Connect database to promote research projects (https://www.monash.edu/medicine/research/supervisorconnect).  We are not producing a hard copy booklet.

Please make sure your projects are up to date in the database. 

Less than two weeks until Abstract Submissions close - VIIN 2018 Young Investigator Symposium

Abstract submissions for the 2018 VIIN Young Investigator Symposium close on Friday 3 August.

Don't miss out on your chance to present your research at this premier forum for students, research assistants and post-docs working in infection and immunity.

To submit an abstract: download a pro forma and follow the instructions here: http://www.viin.org.au/event/viin-young-investigator-symposium-2018

Changes to E Block Animal Facility SPF Entry

The E Block SPF Animal House main entry door needs to undergo upgrade works to increase the height to allow for the entry and removal of SPF equipment. In order for these works to be carried out, the main entrance to the facility will be blocked off for a period of 2 weeks time from the start date of Monday 6th of August . Unfortunately this does mean there will be some access restrictions to the SPF areas during the two week period of Monday 6th August - Monday 20th August.

We apologise for any inconvenience that this causes and we will try to work with users to address the requirements for access to the rooms and animals during the time frame that the main entry is restricted. 

During this time frame, we will be putting some changed procedures for entry and exit to and from the facility/rooms into place. Below these procedures are explained and a map of the facility areas is included below to assist in explaining locations and entry/egress routes.

Your UniSuper Centre is now open on campus!

UniSuper has launched an on-campus member centre, where you can meet face-to-face with a consultant or financial adviser, to discuss your financial needs.

Visit the new UniSuper Centre at: 

Ground Floor, Campus Centre, 21 Chancellors Walk, Clayton campus

Publications

ASK1 inhibitor treatment suppresses p38/JNK signalling with reduced kidney inflammation and fibrosis in rat crescentic glomerulonephritis. David Nikolic-Paterson et al. published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

Musculoskeletal health of Indigenous Australians. Ayse Zengin et al. published in Archives of Oseteoporosis. 

Australasian bronchiolitis guideline. David Armstrong et al. published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.


Communicating health—Optimising young adults’ engagement with health messages using social media: Study protocol. Helen Truby, Cate Lombard et al. published in Nutrition & Dietetics.

A Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Analysis of Trabecular Bone Score in Adults with Turner Syndrome. Hanh Nguyen et al. published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Effect of macronutrient composition on meal-induced thermogenesis in adolescents with obesity. Kay Nguo et al. published in the European Journal of Nutrition.

Serum and Urinary Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome. Fabien Vincent et al. published in Joint Bone Spine. 

Caregiver Mental Health, Parenting Practices, and Perceptions of Child Attachment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Samantha Teague et al. published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Australian students' perspective on interventional radiology education: A prospective cross-institutional study. Ronil Chandra et al. published in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.

inadolescents withobesity

Effect ofmacronutrient composition onmeal-induced thermogenesis

inadolescents withobesityEffect ofmacronutrient composition onmeal-induced thermogenesis

inadolescents withobesity

How to Have a Better Conversation About Mental Illness

Mental health research by Graham Meadows and Joanne Enticott mentioned in The New York Times.

What's on at SCS

The School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health (SCS) has regular lectures, seminars and postgraduate presentations.   SCS staff and students can see more details of events at the SCS Intranet Announcement and events page.

Tue	17/07/2018	►	12:30	UniSuper - Lunch and Learn session
Wed	18/07/2018	►	07:30	Monash Haematology Journal Club
Wed	18/07/2018	►	12:30	Grand Round: Osteoporosis- A Clinical and Research  Platform Update
Thur	19/07/2018	►	12:00	Hudson Seminar Series - Prof Richard Kitching
Tue	24/07/2018	►	13:00	FIJI INTERMEDIATE WORKSHOP 2 -- Monash Micro  Imaging at MHTP
Wed	25/07/2018	►	14:00	PhD mid-year review: Christie Sun
Thur	26/07/2018	►	16:00	Dean's forum at SCS
Fri	27/07/2018	►	12:00	SCS Christmas in July
Tue	31/07/2018	►	09:30	Early Career Researcher Program Getting Started in your  Research Career
Wed	22/08/2018	►	12:00	Mixed methods research in health: introduction to group  concept mapping methodology
Thur	27/09/2018	►	16:00	MHTP Have you got talent?

Monash medical student’s research provides more certainty for neonates with gastro-intestinal abnormalities

Ashleigh Laird

Fourth year medical student Ms Ashleigh Laird presented her research into neonatal gastro-intestinal anomalies at the 17^th  Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) world congress in Athens last month.

The scientific meeting attracts leading international experts and researchers on the latest developments in fetal medicine, and was attended by 2400 delegates.

Undertaken while a third year student at Monash Medical Centre and the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health (SCS), Ashleigh completed a retrospective review of the data at Monash Health of all foetuses who were found to have particular markers, bowel echogenicity and bowel dilatation, on antenatal ultrasound.

Monash research leads to novel treatment for Keloids

Dr Jimmy Ham

Monash University researchers have discovered the cause, and more importantly, a treatment for benign disfiguring tumours known as Keloids.

The discovery was made by former PhD student Dr Seungmin (Jimmy) Ham, who recently completed his degree under the supervision of Associate Professor Peter Temple-Smith and Dr Graeme Southwick at Monash University.

Dr Ham’s work examined the pathophysiology of keloids, a skin disorder caused by abnormal wound healing which leads to scarring and often requires surgical removal.

“We found that keloid skin was thicker than normal skin due to higher deposition of collagen,” Dr Ham said.

Treble grant success for Monash doctor saving lives in India

Dr Kumar and Dr Malhotra with local health leaders
 in a health centre in rural Punjab

A Royal Australasian College of Physicians’ (RACP) grant will enable expansion of a teaching and research program in maternal and neonatal resuscitation in parts of rural India, potentially saving the lives of hundreds of women and babies.

For the third consecutive year, Monash University researcher and Monash Children’s Hospital neonatologist, Dr Atul Malhotra is the recipient of the RACP Foundation’s Eric Burnard Fellowship, allowing him to travel to India to further expand an educational program for health workers, medical and nursing students to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes of difficult child birth.

Lions Club supporting research into arthritis

Ms Marie Caven, Ms Pauline Harris, Dr Jim Harris,
Mr Eric Gittins, Mr Rodney Hayes, Prof Eric Morand

A generous donation by the Lions Rheumatism and Arthritis Medical Research Foundation will accelerate research into the chronic inflammatory disorder.

Over the last thirty years, the Foundation has given nearly $400,000 to rheumatology research at Monash University’s School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health (SCS).

The most recent donation of $11,000 has enabled the purchase of an automated tissue culture plate washer for the Rheumatology Research Group, led by Professor Eric Morand.

“The new plate washer increases precision and accuracy in our lab, while saving time and accelerating research,” said Dr Jim Harris, senior research fellow, Rheumatology Research Group.

Bone and Muscle Research Group support inaugural Australia Sarcopenia Day

Jakub Mesinovic and Cat Shore-Lorenti,
Bone and Muscle Research Group

Most people recognise that ageing is associated with deterioration in muscle mass, strength and physical performance. However, severe declines in muscle mass and function in older adults are known as ‘sarcopenia’.

A relatively new condition, sarcopenia only received a disease classification code from the World Health Organisation in 2016. The condition may affect up to one in three people aged 60 years and older and can lead to loss of mobility and independence, falls and a reduced quality of life. It has also been associated with mortality, fractures and hospitalisation.

Dean's forum at SCS, 26 July

Thursday, 26 July, 4.00pm – 6.00 pm
MHTP Translational Research Facility, Seminar Rooms 1 & 2, Ground Floor 

Please register HERE.

Professor Christina Mitchell invites all SCS staff to the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Staff Forum on Thursday, 26th July 2018.