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Photo of the week: CCS graduate research symposium

November 12, 2015, 4:21 pm
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Sara Mokhtar presenting at the 2014 7th annual CCS graduate research symposium. See photo gallery.
Central Clinical school's annual postgraduate symposium aims to improve the visibility of students and their research projects and celebrate their achievements. Not only is there world changing research, the day also challenges our lab heads and supervisors to step out of their comfort zones and take part in some nail biting fun. Come along to see the faces behind the future of medical research and for a bit of comedy in between!

Date: Wednesday 18 November 2015
Time: 10 am—3 pm (morning tea and lunch provided)
Venue: Lecture Theatre, Level 5, Alfred Centre
Enquiries: Laisa Tigarea, email: hdr.ccs@monash.edu
RSVP to attend: (Closes 16 November) http://goo.gl/forms/RnQ9DP3KCe
Special segments:
  • “Explain my graph": Check out your supervisor explaining someone else’s research on the spot!
  • "No-Bell” Prize: See your supervisor explain their research with NO technical language.
See more: www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/education/hdr-symposium.html
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Optimising traumatic brain injury (TBI) outcomes in children

November 15, 2015, 2:56 pm
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Monitoring pressure of cerebral blood vessels in children with
TBI may improve outcomes. Image: stmaryskids.org
An Alfred-Monash collaboration led by recent Department of Surgery PhD graduate Dr Phil Lewis, with the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and Cambridge University (UK), has published a study on children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children.
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A cardiorenal drug helps in diabetic retinopathy

November 15, 2015, 8:58 pm
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Dr Devy Deliyanti, lead author and Prof
Jenny Wilkinson-Berka, last author.
A Monash University-Melbourne University collaboration has found that FT011, a novel cardiorenal protective drug, reduces inflammation, gliosis and vascular injury in rats with diabetic retinopathy.
Read more »
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Tiny Trojan horse 'stealth' liposomes deliver drugs direct to brain injury sites

November 16, 2015, 4:40 pm
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The blood-brain barrier (BBB) allows what is needed to nourish the brain and keeps out potentially dangerous, neurotoxic cells. When a person experiences traumatic brain injury (TBI) the BBB opens for a brief period of up to six hours after injury. Monash researchers have discovered that a small lipid sphere called a liposome - normally excluded from the brain - accumulates in the injured side of the brain during this window.

Professor Rob Medcalf said, "Liposomes are harmless structures that can stay in the blood stream for up to a day. They are now being used to carry drugs for therapeutic needs to increase the effectiveness of drugs that otherwise are cleared very fast from the blood. We showed that liposomes can selectively enter the damaged brain within a 6 hour time window after trauma. This has now paved the way to introduce drugs to improve outcome after trauma. By acting as mini Trojan horses, these drug laden liposomes provide a targeted drug delivery system to direct drugs to the place in need".

Liposomal drug delivery is an established technology as the cells can encapsulate and carry drugs inside themselves, and bind to specific targets, releasing the drug at that point. The drug carriers are called stealth liposomes because of their ability to evade detection by the immune system. The technique is used in a number of existing medications, and is being investigated for different kinds of drugs for various conditions.

Reference:  Boyd BJ, Galle A, Daglas M, Rosenfeld JV, Medcalf R. Traumatic brain injury opens blood-brain barrier to stealth liposomes via an enhanced permeability and retention (EPR)-like effect. Journal of Drug Targeting: 23(9), 21 October 2015, pp. 847-853
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Picture essay of the week: FODMAP testing

November 16, 2015, 11:05 pm
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The Department of Gastroenterology has a world wide following for its low FODMAP diet as therapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers. They have created a picture essay of how they go about testing their foods for FODMAPs, which are various types of sugars, present in a huge variety of foods but to varying degrees.

On a FODMAP related issue, ABC Catalyst are broadcasting a show, "Gluten: A gut feeling", next Tuesday, 24 Nov 2015, featuring Professor Peter Gibson, Head of  Department, who has done widely cited research on so-called non coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), which he says would be more accurately described as 'Non-Wheat Protein Gluten Sensitivity' (see reference for original article).


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Odd spot: Chris Smith asks, 'Big data, big deal?"

November 15, 2015, 3:53 pm
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Congratulations to the CCS Postgraduate symposium participants & winners

November 17, 2015, 9:00 pm
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Gaby Freedman got the audience to practise
mindful meditation for three breaths, which was
well judged on what non-practisers would do!
Congratulations to all who participated in the 8th annual CCS graduate research symposium. It was a successful, informative and amusing day. The winners were:

Students
  • Most outstanding oral – Ms Jessica Anania (Burnet Institute)
  • Second Place oral presentation – Ms Dragana Dragoljevic (Baker IDI)
  • Most Creative Oral presentation – Ms Gabrielle Freedman (MAPrc)
  • Most Oustanding Poster – Ms Caroline Tuck (Gastrogenterology)
  • Second place poster – Mr Man Kit Lee (Baker IDI)
Supervisors
  • Explain my Graph prize – Dr Ricardo Ataide (Burnet Institute)
  • 'No Bell' prize – Dr Steven Petratos (Medicine)
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CCS successes in 2015 NHMRC funding

November 19, 2015, 3:52 am
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Central Clinical School had 7 successful project grant submissions, 3 Early Career Fellowships and one Research Fellowship in 2015’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funding announcement.

The Minister for Health Susan Ley MP said the funding will support 836 new research grants worth more than $630 million.

Medical researchers at Monash University attracted a total of $76.9 million dollars in funding from the NHMRC, ranked second in Australia in project grants and third for the total amount funded in this year’s round.

Congratulations to the CCS Grant and Fellowship recipients: 

Early Career Fellowships
Dr Janine Trevillyan
Research Fellowship
Project Grants
Prof Paul Myles
A/Prof Jody Haigh
Prof Robyn O'Hehir
  • Professor Paul Myles (Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine): IV iron for treatment of anaemia before cardiac surgery (ITACS Trial)
  • Professor Robyn O'Hehir (Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory medicine): Phase I/IIa trials of a novel T-cell epitope-based peptide therapy for peanut allergy
  • Dr Charbel Darido (Medicine): Stratification of therapies in HNSCC through discovery of molecular signatures
  • Professor Stephen Jane (Medicine): Identification of factors critical for maintenance of the epidermal barrier
  • Associate Professor Jody Haigh (Australian Centre for Blood Diseases): Role of ZEB/NuRD interactions in haematopoiesis and lymphoid malignancies
  • Associate Professor Margaret Hibbs (Immunology and Pathology): Characterisation of emerging new signaling networks that underlie COPD phenotypes
  • Prof Magdalena Plebanski (Immunology and Pathology): A new anti-diabetes drug as a novel therapy for ovarian cancer
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Forthcoming CCS events: Seminars, public events, general notices

November 19, 2015, 3:00 pm
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Maria Daglas
Central Clinical School has regular seminar series and postgraduate CCS Events calendar.
presentations. All event notices are maintained on the
CCS staff & students can see details of both public and local events (including professional development courses, trade fairs and Graduate Research Student calendars) and deadlines, at the Intranet's Announcements page.

Various departments have their own calendars. See CCS seminar index: www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/events/seminars.html

What's on for this coming week: 22-27 Nov 2015

Mon►23/11201512:30 Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round
Tue►24/11/201511:30 PhD Pre-Submission Review Seminar : Ms Maria Daglas

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20:00 ABC Catalyst on gluten sensitivity (Gastroenterology)
Wed►25/11/201511:00 PhD Pre-submission seminar review: Ms Kirsten Morris


11:30 PhD Confirmation of candidature: Mr Kristopher Nilsen
Thu►26/11/201511:00 Master of Surgery Confirmation Seminar: Dr Roshan  Ariyaratnam





In the Future

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Allergy vaccine receives commercial funding boost

November 22, 2015, 7:05 pm
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The AIRMed Allergy research group.
L-R Back row: Dr Jade Jaffar, Ms Jodie Abramovitch,
Dr Sara Prickett, Professor Robyn O'Hehir
L-R Front row: Ms Neeru Varese, Ms Kirsten Deckert,
E/Professor Jennifer Rolland, Ms Anita Hazard, Ms Tracy Phan
Two Victorian startups are set to receive $9 million from venture capital firm Brandon Capital Partners' third Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MCRF).

Both startups are at AMREP, one being with the BakerIDI and the other with Monash University in partnership with The Alfred. Professor Robyn O'Hehir, Director and Head of the Department of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory medicine in both The Alfred and Monash University, leads the research   for a potential vaccine against common lifethreatening peanut allergies. The vaccine uses safe fragments of the peanut protein as the basis for a treatment. It is planned to be commercialised by Aravax P/L with $4.85 million received from MCRF. 

Story links:
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Participants sought: Is schizophrenia ameliorated with ondansetron?

November 22, 2015, 4:05 pm
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Molecule of interest affects neurotrans-
mitter serotonin. Image: Wikipedia
Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) is seeking volunteers diagnosed with schizophrenia to participate in a new study looking at the effectiveness of Ondansetron in reducing positive, negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.

What does our research involve?
• 12 week trial consisting of 5 study visits
• Two participant groups – patients taking clozapine and patients taking other atypical antipsychotic
• Participants in each group will be randomised to receive either ondansetron or placebo

Participation criteria
• Aged 18-65
• Current diagnosis of schizophrenia,
• schizoaffective or schizophreniform disorder
• Current treatment with a stable and standard dose of an atypical antipsychotic medication, oral or intramuscular (Minimum of eight weeks)- includes clozapine
- Ability to provide informed consent

Contact:
Dr Arie Sebastian
Ph: +61 3 90766590
email: arie.sebastian@monash.edu
web: http://www.maprc.org.au/
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New gene mutation identified in Bernard-Soulier syndrome patient

November 23, 2015, 4:59 pm
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By Dr Jodie Abramovitch

Bernard-Soulier syndrome (BSS) is a rare condition in which blood does not clot properly leading to increased bleeding. The underlying cause of this condition is due to a defect or deficiency in a specific receptor found on platelets (component of blood that aids blood clot formation) called GPIb-IX-V. This particular receptor controls platelet adhesion, allowing them to ultimately form a clot and thereby prevent excessive bleeding.

Dr Elizabeth Gardiner and A/Prof Robert Andrews
Monash researchers from the Australian Centre of Blood Diseases in the Systems Haematology group, led by Associate Professor Robert Andrews and Dr Elizabeth Gardiner, and collaborators from the Alfred Hospital and the Kolling Institute of Medical Research (Sydney) have identified a new gene mutation in platelet receptor component GPIbβ in a patient with BSS. The patient had a greatly reduced number of platelets in the blood and a clinical history of mild bleeding.

Upon closer analysis of the patient’s platelets, a number of important platelet molecules were found to only be expressed at very low levels or were undetectable. Another molecule that assists with receptor organisation, called CD9, was also found to be reduced.

They discovered that this patient had a previously undescribed genetic mutation in GPIbβ that was interrupting the formation of important platelet receptors. This led to platelets that were unable to clot together properly, resulting in a longer bleeding time.

The link between mutated GPIbβ and reduced CD9 is unclear though has been previously reported in other BSS patients. As such, CD9 may be a new marker to help definitively diagnose BSS patients.

Reference: Qiao J, Davis AK, Morel-Kopp MC, Ward CM, Gardiner EE, Andrews R. Low levels of CD9 coincidental with a novel nonsense mutation in glycoprotein Ibβ in a patient with Bernard-Soulier syndrome.  Ann Hematol. 2015; 94(12): 2069-71
doi: 10.1007/s00277-015-2473-1
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Removal of B1b B cells protective against lupus

November 25, 2015, 3:10 pm
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2015 Mackay group. L-R: Beatriz Garcillan, Aurelie Baldolli, Fabien Vincent, Ellen McAllister, Fabienne Mackay, Angela Nguyen, Pin Shie Quah, Rachel Lim, Florence Lim, Will Figgett
By Dr Jodie Abramovitch

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as lupus, is an autoimmune disease with no cure. Monash researchers have been working to understand the immunological causes of lupus in a mouse model so as to better understand the disease in humans. Such groundwork will enable the development of much more effective therapies for the treatment of lupus.

Professor Fabienne Mackay (former head of the Department of Immunology and Pathology), together with the department's Leukocyte Signalling laboratory headed by Associate Professor Margaret Hibbs  have discovered that a certain type of innate B cell (immune cell), known as a B1b B cell, may be critical in the development of lupus.

Two types of mature B cells that are activated by toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling are B1 B cells and marginal zone (MZ) B cells. In the mouse model studied, these cells cause disease by infiltrating various tissues such as the salivary glands and kidneys. When the MZ and B1a B cells were removed from the mice, disease still occurred. When B1b B cells were removed also, mice were protected from all symptoms of lupus. Therefore B cells and CD19 signalling, specifically innate B cells, are very important in the development of lupus and may represent a target for treatment.

Reference: Fairfax KA, Tsantikos E, Figgett WA, Vincent FB, Quah P, LePage M, Hibbs ML, Mackay F. BAFF driven autoimmunity requires CD19 expression. J Autoimmun. 2015 Aug; 62: 1-10
doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2015.06.001


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A new approach to treating women's mental health issues

November 25, 2015, 4:46 pm
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Prof Jayashri Kulkarni giving CCS's
annual public lecture in 2015.
Compared to men, women are twice as likely to experience depression and four times as likely to experience anxiety, yet their mental health has not always been given precedence. Many factors mean that women experience mental illness differently, so shouldn't gender be considered when developing treatments?

See the article by Lynne Malcolm and Olivia Willis for "All in the Mind" or listen to the podcast of the interview with Prof Jayashri Kulkarni, Dr Emmy Gavrilidis and Dr Rosie Worsley, of Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre.

Link: ABC Radio National All in the Mind 25 Nov 2015.
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Forthcoming CCS events: Seminars, public events, general notices

November 26, 2015, 3:00 pm
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Andrew Guy (Burnet)
Central Clinical School has regular seminar series and postgraduate CCS Events calendar presentations. All event notices are maintained on the CCS staff & students can see details of both public and local events (including professional development courses, trade fairs and Graduate Research Student calendars) and deadlines, at the Intranet's Announcements page.

Various departments have their own calendars. See CCS seminar index: www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/events/seminars.html

What's on for this coming week: 30 Nov - 4 Dec 2015

Mon►30/11201512:30 Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round
Fri►04/12/201511:30  Immunology 'Cutting Edge' journal club presentation

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Photo of the week: 2015 CCS Postgraduate symposium

November 26, 2015, 3:16 pm
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Ms Sreepurna Malakar, Department of Gastroenterology, presents her poster, 'Naturally Occuring Dietary Salicylates In
Common Australian Foods'. Sree is supervised by Dr Jane Muir, Prof Peter Gibson & Dr Jaci Barrett.
See more:  
 *Note: Google+ has recently changed its photo hosting and we're still getting to grips with it. If you can't view the gallery, please email Julia.Veitch@monash.edu with 'Photo gallery- can't view' in the subject line. Many thanks, Julia

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    Chennai flooding information crowd sourced for real time data

    November 30, 2015, 3:33 pm
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    CCS Photos on Google+

    December 1, 2015, 2:59 pm
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    Google plus has 'upgraded' its photo hosting & it's more complicated than previously. If you now visit our CCS G+ profile, you will no longer see the Photos tab (unless you switch to the 'Classic' view). I've begun a Collection of our photos. However, there is no indexing or tagging, so the photo albums only appear in the order they are posted.

    Links:

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    PhD in Clinical Neuroscience: Top Up Scholarship

    December 2, 2015, 8:36 pm
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    We are seeking a high performing new PhD student to work in the Brain Stimulation group at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc). The successful student will be supervised by Professor Paul Fitzgerald, a world leading brain stimulation expert. An APA scholarship (or equivalent) is required to apply, with a top-up scholarship to be awarded to the successful applicant ($8,500pa).

    The project will utilise cutting edge neurotechnologies in order to investigate the mechanisms of therapeutic brain stimulation in psychiatric illness. This is a unique opportunity to join Australia’s leading research group spanning both basic and therapeutic brain stimulation research.

    To apply send your CV and half-page statement on your research interests to Paul.Fitzgerald@monash.edu

    For more information contact:

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    Novel method of perfusion gives longer life to donor hearts

    December 2, 2015, 9:00 pm
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    Prof Frank Rosenfeldt & Ms Chris Egan
    An Alfred-Monash group of surgery researchers have previously showed that donation after circulatory death (DCD) canine hearts can be resuscitated if perfused with warm blood. However, clinical application of this technique is complex and difficult. The group has developed a simplified system of cold crystalloid perfusion and compared it with standard cold storage for DCD heart preservation.

    They found that continuous cold crystalloid perfusion in a canine model of DCD facilitates aerobic metabolism and resuscitates the DCD heart, and provides functional and metabolic recovery superior to cold storage. Prof Frank Rosenfeldt said, "We believe that this shows promise for improved clinical preservation of DCD and marginal donor hearts."

    Reference: Choong JW, Ou R, Lim YW, Rosenfeldt FL. Cold crystalloid perfusion provides cardiac preservation superior to cold storage for donation after circulatory death. Transplantation. 2015 Nov 13. [Epub ahead of print]
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