Photo of the week: 2014 Day of Immunology

PhD student Erika Duan at the Day of

Immunology GTAC high school expo

Every year, various Melbourne research institutes and universities collaborate in offering activities as part of the International Day of Immunology. This year, four PhD students based at the Department of Immunology at Monash volunteered to demonstrate lab techniques at the event hosted by the Gene Technology Access Centre for high school students. Many thanks to Jodie Abramovitch, Erika Duan (pictured), Tim Gottschalk and Maria Demaria.
2014 Day of Immunology gallery link
For other Central Clinical School photo galleries, see:

• CCS Intranet or Google+ Page

See a selection of CCS images using Pinterest. Please view and/or follow at http://pinterest.com/CCSMonash/central-clinical-school-monash-university/

Events calendar

What's on for the week

Mon May 12	12:30 PM	►	Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round - Dr Roxy Tsui
Tue May 13	8:00 AM	►	Heart Centre Conference
	11:00 AM	►	ACBD and Dept Med Seminar Series 2014
Wed May 14	12:30 PM	►	Wednesday Seminar Series
	6:00 PM	►	ASMR Medical Research week: Annual Medical Research   Tertiary Careers Evening

Forthcoming events

Mon May 19 12:30 PM ► Baker IDI seminar - Prof Leon Bach 12:30 PM ► Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round Tue May 20 11:00 AM ► ACBD and Dept Med Seminar Series 2014 3:30 PM ► Confirmation of Phd Candidature: Mr Man Lee Wed May 21 12:30 PM ► PhD pre-submission review - Ms Ying Kong 12:30 PM ► Wednesday Seminar Series

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.

Congratulations

2014 Advancing Women's Research Success Grant to Maithili Sashindranath

Congratulations to Dr Maithili Sashindranath, who has been awarded a 2014 Advancing Women's Research Success Grant for $10,500 by Monash University. The funds will complement funds that she received from the Dementia Research Foundation to investigate how traumatic brain injury leads to dementia. Maithili is a postdoctoral fellow in Professor Rob Medcalf's Fibrinolysis and Gene Regulation Laboratory (ACBD). See more about the scheme.
 

Congratulations for CCS researchers for their travel grants

CCS Travel grants were awarded to five staff members to visit institutions or attend conferences for presentations and posters on their research areas. Congratulations to:

• Dr Charbel Darido, Medicine (PTEN Pathways and Targets, New York, USA)
• Dr Devy Delante, Immunology (Angiotensin Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) and Conference (GRC), Tuscany, Italy)
• Dr Sebastian Dworkin, Medicine (11th International Conference on Zebrafish Development and Genetics, Madison, Winconsin and invited seminars)
• Dr Bernadette Fitzgibbon, MAPrc (Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, Boston, and Harvard University on non-invasive brain stimulation)
• Dr Rebecca Segrave, MAPrc (64th Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting)

PhD news

PhD student profile

Emma Tavender is a PhD student in the Department of Surgery and at the National Trauma Research Institute. Her research is based on looking at how to improve the management of mild head injured patients in the emergency department. Emma's supervisors are Dr Denise O’Connor and Prof Russell Gruen. See more: web page

Research highlights

Is baby health affected by taking antipsychotic medications during pregnancy?

There is a great need for safety and efficacy information about the use of antipsychotic medications in pregnancy. A Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre (MAPrc) team have published research in PLOSOne based on data from the National Register of Antipsychotic Medications in Pregnancy, which they established in 2005. Live, healthy babies are the most common outcome following the use of antipsychotic medication in pregnancy, but the MAPrc research concludes that clinicians should be particularly mindful of neonatal problems such as respiratory distress. Reference: PLOS ONE DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094788

40,000 km closer to understanding cancer: AICR funded research

Chris Gruar in Asia

A young Australian man, who has ridden 40,000 km around the world on a bike to raise funds for international cancer research, cycled into Melbourne on Tuesday 6 May to meet scientists at some of Melbourne’s top research institutions. See video featuring Monash researchers Professors Stephen Jane, Jamie Rossjohn, Tony Tiganos and Fabienne Mackay talking about research funded by the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR).

Read more »

Media mentions

07/05/2014 Associate Professor Edwina Wright, Department of Infectious Diseases, commented on the new HIV prevention strategy to be taken by HIV negative people before becoming at risk of exposure to HIV.   She said that there are quite a few reasons why the introduction of PrEP might be good news for serodiscordant couples

MCV National

08/05/2014 Professor Paul Fitzgerald, Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre, commented on a study on transcranial magnetic stimulation to treat depression.
Popsci: http://www.popsci.com.au/science/medicine/magnetic-brain-stimulation-may-trump-drugs-for-severe-depression,384729



 

Staff news

Dr Marina Carpinella has joined Professor Stephen Jane's Epidermal Development Laboratory, Department of Medicine as a Research Fellow. She comes to Monash from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, where she was working on the genetics of hearing loss. Here, Marina will be working with Dr Seb Dworkin on the genetic origins of craniofacial development. For more about that research, see story.

More staff news: Gavin Horrigan wins shooting contest

 Gavin Horrigan (wearing the blue sash in the photo) braved the wet weather on Saturday 3 May 2014 to compete again at the monthly shoot of the Ararat Clay Target Club. Shooting in fairly heavy rain he was one of only two shooters to achieve 49/50. After a 25 point shoot-off he managed to secure an overall win for the event and first place in AA Grade with a final score of 72/75. Gavin won a 211 piece tool kit and another sash to add to the growing collection!