1 Jun 2014

Photo of the week: A man, his medicine and HIV

actvicto.org/2013/09/13/aidshiv-realities/
There is no cure as yet for HIV, which means that medicines to control the vius must be taken life-long. The regime is complicated, and particularly difficult for people challenged  environmentally, culturally and physiologically with poverty, stigma and the process of ageing itself. The forthcoming CCS public lecture being given by Professor Jenny Hoy focuses on how long term infection with HIV and its treatment with antiretroviral therapy affects different body systems which contribute to the increased likelihood of chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
10 July lecture details: Link RSVP: Link

Events calendar

What's on for this week

Mon Jun 2 12:30 PM Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round - Dr Donovan Moncur
Tue Jun 3 11:00 AM ACBD and Dept Med Seminar Series 2014
12:00 PM Seminar: Social Media for Researchers
Thur Jun 5 1:00 PM BSc and Masters (Part 1) Research seminar
Fri Jun 6 12:30 PM MIDS: AIRmed/Infectious Diseases TB meeting



Forthcoming events

Mon Jun 9 12:30 PM Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round
Tue Jun 10 11:00 AM Medicine/ACBD seminar series - Mr Belden Mado
11:00 AM ACBD and Dept Med Seminar Series 2014
Wed Jun 11 9:00 AM Lung Health Education Program 2014 - Respiratory Course
12:00 PM Clinical Pathology Review

Major CCS events

10 July 2014 CCS Public lecture "Challenges of living well with HIV: Where to from here?"

Professor Jenny Hoy
CCS is holding its annual public lecture for 2014 on 10 July, on a viral infection that has changed our world, the Human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV). Professor Jennifer Hoy has 30 years' experience in HIV clinical research and patient care, particularly on how HIV contributes to the increased likelihood of chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. She will describe how the lives of people with HIV transform, how her current research is changing the way doctors help people with HIV, and outline the challenges ahead. See web page with detail & RSVP link.

Research highlights

ARS cover image is by
Dr Devy Deliyanti, one
of the paper's authors
Effective preventive therapies for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) don't exist, yet globally, there are at least 50,000 children blind from ROP. ProfessorJennifer Wilkinson-Berkain the Department of Immunology leads research efforts into understanding the problem. A recently published paper shows that one form of a particular enzyme complex called NADPH oxidase (NOX) is involved in the development of retinopathy. The research indicates that blocking the action of NOX1 prevents the damage from occurring. Reference:NADPH Oxidase, NOX1, Mediates Vascular Injury in Ischemic Retinopathy. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. V 20, No 17, 2014 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2013.5357

Anaesthetic nitrous oxide no longer an enigma: results of international trial announced
Video of Paul Myles
describing ENIGMA-II
The ANZCA Trials Group recently announced the much anticipated results of the ENIGMA-II trial. Professor Paul Myles, Director of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at Alfred Hospital and the Monash department of the same name within Central Clinical School, presented the results at the combined plenary session at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetist (ANZCA) ASM and Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS) ASC on May 6, 2014. Verdict: Nitrous oxide is safe.

29 May Bachelor of Medical Science info night - good turnout

The Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) information night for 2015 intake was attended by between 50 and 60 students. Central Clinical School had representatives from MAPrc, CCS and Cabrini. A big 'Thank you!' to our two current BMedSc(Hons) student representatives, Stephen Surace and Treasa Gray (pictured, left) for an excellent job representing the school. See more:

Education: New Translational Research short courses being offered by CCS

Central Clinical School will be offering a suite of courses specialising in translational research and its management. The first two are now open for participants. See their respective links for eligibility criteria and detail of content.

New videos of CCS researchers

Recent videos of Central Clinical School researchers are:
See below for detail of speakers and subject matter.

Media mentions

26/05/2014 Dr Katie Flanagan, an adjunct senior lecturer in the Department of Immunology, commented that people can be bombarded with information about vaccinations which can make it hard for them to pick out the right information. ABC Radio
See more about Dr Flanagan and her work.



26/05/2014 Professor Peter Gibson, Department of Gastroenterology, has released new research on the rates of experienced depression by people who are gluten intolerant.  Gibson said studies show that gluten seemed to specifically cause depression over a short time.
Hobart Mercury, Herald Sun, Channel 9
27/05/2014 Radio National, Channel 9, WIN TV, Sky News
29/05/204 Professor Gibson said that  no specific response to gluten could be found, in contrast to their first study which suggested that gluten could trigger gastrointestinal pain in people without coeliac disease.
NBR Food Industry week, New Zealand General News, page 6

28/05/2014 Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, Monash Alfred Psychiatric recearch centre comments on women's menstrual cycles and their impact on women's mental health. Women's Health and Fittness
29/05/2014 Professor Kulkarni commented on new research which has revealed that oestrogen can help treat schizophrenia in previously treatment-resistant women.  The study is the first large scale trial for women with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. MX 
 

Participants sought: Metformin for weight loss and depression

People with depression who are also overweight are more likely to have chronic symptoms. It may be that inflammation and high insulin levels associated with being overweight make depression worse. Metformin in a medication usually used for diabetes that lowers inflammation and insulin levels and has been shown to help with weight loss. The Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research centre is investigating the effectiveness of metformin in combination with standard antidepressants at causing weight loss and improving depressive symptoms. This is a 12 week trial. Men and women aged 18-65 who have depression, are taking an antidepressant, and are overweight or have an increased waist circumference, are invited to participate.
Study link: ccs-clin-trials.med.monash.edu.au/trials/metformin-weight-loss-and-depression