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Designing a vaccine for ovarian cancer

December 2, 2015, 9:39 pm
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By Dr Jodie Abramovitch

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death among women. Detection of OC is difficult with diagnosis often occurring at an advanced stage. Many women who have undergone conventional treatment, involving surgery and chemotherapy, have a poor prognosis for the 5 years post-treatment.

Past and present members of the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases
Laboratory. (L-R) Sue Xiang, Ying Ying Kong, Rohimah
Mohamud, Qian Gao, Kirsty Wilson, Mutsa Madondo,
Chindu Govindaraj, Magda Plebanski
Dr Sue Xiang and other members of the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases laboratory under Professor Magdalena Plebanski in the Department of Immunology and Pathology are working on developing an effective peptide-based vaccine for OC. Peptide vaccines can induce highly specific immune responses which limits adverse side effects. In two recent studies, they characterised peptides from the human Sp17 protein which is expressed abnormally in many OC cases.

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Why are we not routinely screening for anal cancer?

December 2, 2015, 9:41 pm
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By Dr Jodie Abramovitch

HIV positive men who have sex with men are at higher risk of developing anal cancer – a significant health issue. To date, little is known about the professional views of HIV clinicians on anal cancer screening.

Professor Christopher Fairley
To address this, a detailed survey of 20 HIV physicians was conducted by Dr Jason Ong, a PhD student of Professor Christopher Fairley who is based at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, and collaborators from the Central Clinical School, Melbourne University and the Kirby Institute (NSW).

Their research revealed that anal cancer screening within HIV positive men who have sex with men was considered a priority by clinicians. However, it was noted that there is currently no validated method for the effective screening of anal cancer - there is no evidence that detection of precursor lesions reduces mortality.

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Forthcoming CCS events: Seminars, public events, general notices

December 2, 2015, 10:00 pm
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Last year's D.S.Rosengarten winner
Central Clinical School has regular seminar series and graduate research presentations. All event notices are maintained on the CCS Events calendar. 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 CCS 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: 5-11 Dec 2015



Sat►5-Dec 8:00Surgery D.S. Rosengarten Prize presentations
Mon►7-Dec 12:30Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round
Tue►8-Dec 11:00PhD Pre-Submission Review Seminar : Ms Amani Alrehaili
► 11:00NHMRC Research Grants presentation
► 14:00CCS Head of School Annual Address
Enquiries: Catherine.wong@monash.edu
Thu►10-Dec 16:00CCS Christmas party
Enquiries: Catherine.wong@monash.edu
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Photo of the week: ACBD symposium

December 2, 2015, 10:05 pm
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Nov 2015 Australian Centre for Blood Diseases symposium. Names given in left to right sequence
Front row: Dr Huyen Tran, Dr Elizabeth Gardiner, Professor Harshal Nandurkar
2nd row: A/Prof David Curtis, Dr Mark Guthridge, Dr Jake Shortt, Dr Anissa Jabbour, Dr Stephen Opat
3rd row: Dr Max Topp, A/Prof Jody Haigh, Dr Sue Morgan, Prof Rob Medcalf, Prof Stephen Jane, Prof Christina Mitchell
4th row: Dr Stephen Ting, Dr Sanjeev Chunilal, A/Prof Ross Dickins, Dr Rob Andrews, Dr Warwick Nesbitt, Dr Justin Hamilton, Dr Christoph Hagemeyer
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Odd spot: Remind me again, what is thalidomide?

December 8, 2015, 2:45 pm
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Phocomelia was a common birth defect
from taking thalidomide during pregnancy
The Conversation is running a series on thalidomide – the history of the tragedy, its long-term impacts and the fight for justice. In this story, medical historian Arthur Daemmrich sets the scene of the mid-20th century drug landscape and explains how thalidomide was marketed, used, and withdrawn after causing thousands of birth defects.

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Food items and toys wanted for Baker IDI Salvos Christmas appeal

December 8, 2015, 2:47 pm
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Contribute to the Baker IDI Institute's Salvos Christmas appeal! Every year the Baker IDI Institute collects donations for the Salvos Christmas appeal. They are under the Baker IDI Christmas tree located in their foyer, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004.
Food items and toys are wanted by COB Thursday 17 Dec 2015 for collection on Friday 18 Dec.
See more.
Enquiries:
  • Salvation Army: Kris Ryan ph 03 88782364
  • Baker IDI: Leonie Cullen 03 85321161
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PhD student wanted for MS research

December 8, 2015, 3:00 pm
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Dr Steven Petratos with his MS Research group
A PhD student is sought for research on axonal degeneration in a model of multiple sclerosis.

Project description

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is commonly induced by the specific destruction of the protective sheath of nerve fibres, known as myelin, by immune cells, which mistakenly attack this structure. However, it has been shown that MS does not only consist of this disease pattern but is a multifactorial disease with continual destruction of the nerve fibres even without large numbers of immune cells invading the brain and the spinal cord. Importantly, the molecules which may contribute or initiate such damage in MS are becoming known. By targeting these molecules during MS, it may be possible to limit the destruction which occurs to nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord, promoting a better clinical outcome for individuals suffering with MS.

The project is investigating how damage occurs in nerve fibres with progressive clinical symptoms in the experimental animal model of MS. We plan to block the molecules that cause the nerve fibre deterioration, using a new technique of transplanting modified blood stem cells to deliver blocking agents to the brain and spinal cord.

Please make enquiries to:
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Congratulations to Alfred medical students on their prizes!

December 8, 2015, 3:50 pm
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L-R: Prof John Wilson, Ms Youlin Koh & Prof Anne
Powell. Youlin won the Harriet Power Prize.
Prof Wendy Brown, Mr Yiliang Zheng and Prof John Wilson.
Yiliang won the Robert Power prize in Surgery.

Congratulations to the following medical students who have won prizes this year!
  • Mr Yiliang Zheng won the Robert Power Prize in Surgery, where $2000 is awarded to a Year 5D student from CCS.
  • Ms Youlin Koh won the Harriet Power Prize in Medicine where $2000 awarded to a Year 5D MBBS student from CCS
  • Mr Alexander Olaussen (BMedSci 2013) won the Hatem Salem Award for Medical Research Excellence. $500 prize awarded to a Year 5D student who has completed a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) at Central Clinical school based on a one page application outlining the impact of his or her research (including publications, presentations, ongoing work, translation). 
  • Mr Michael Moso (BMedSci 2014) won the Nip Thomson Award for Medical Student Clinical and Research Excellence. $500 prize awarded to a Year 5D student who has completed a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) at Central Clinical School and receives the highest score for his or her general medical rotation at Alfred Health.
  • Ms Sophia Marple won the Alfred Hospital Residents’ and Graduates’ Association Prize which is $400 and a medallion awarded to the final year student who, after studying at Alfred Health, obtains the highest aggregate marks in Surgery and Medicine.
See more about CCS's undergraduate medical student prizes.
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    How does MRI work? Neuroscientist Jerome Maller explains

    December 8, 2015, 11:46 pm
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    A new treatment to enhance working memory

    December 8, 2015, 11:50 pm
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    By Dr Jodie Abramovitch

    Non-invasive stimulation of the brain by a weak electrical current can have therapeutic effects in a range of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression. A newer form of this non-invasive techniques is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) which has been shown to improve cognitive processes such as working memory (includes comprehension, reasoning and learning).

    A/Prof Kate Hoy
    Recently, research conducted by Associate Professor Kate Hoy and colleagues from the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) has focused on a closely related form of brain stimulation called transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). This method of stimulation is thought to induce changes in the brain which more closely mimics natural brain activities.

    In this study, healthy individuals were given tACS, tDCS or a sham brain stimulation across separate testing sessions, at least one week apart. Working memory was tested before and after treatment via a series of computerised tasks. Results revealed that working memory was improved in participants following tACS when undertaking more difficult memory tasks. This was not seen in participants treated with tDCS or the sham treatment. 

    These results provide a platform for ongoing investigations into tACS and how it may be used to improve cognition.


    Reference: Hoy KE, Bailey N, Arnold S, Windsor K, John J, Daskalakis ZJ, Fitzgerald PB. The effect of γ-tACS on working memory performance in healthy controls. Brain Cogn. 2015 Dec; 101:51-6
    doi: 10.1016/j.bandc.2015.11.002



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    Combatting superbugs – potential role of combination antibiotic therapy

    December 9, 2015, 2:13 pm
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    By Dr Jodie Abramovitch

    Infections caused by drug resistant (methicillin-resistant) Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of bacteria, can have serious health consequences. These infections are typically found in hospitals but can also occur within the community. MRSA is known as a superbug because it is able to survive many types of antibiotic treatments. 

    Prof. Anton Peleg
    Daptomycin is a ‘last-line’ antibiotic and is commonly used in the treatment of MRSA infections. However, there is evidence that daptomycin is unable to treat some MRSA infections which means alternative treatments are urgently required to prevent the spread of infection.

    Monash researchers Dr Jhih-Hang Jiang and Professor Anton Peleg (Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases) study hospital-acquired infections and have recently focussed on how to combat daptomycin-resistant S. aureus. Samples of S. aureus from patients with infections were isolated and treated with different antibiotics, alone and in combination. When treated with both daptomycin and another antibiotic called gentamicin, antibiotic-resistant S. aureus was more effectively killed when compared to daptomycin treatment alone. However, it was noted that this approach may be associated with toxic side effects when used in patients.

    This study concluded that combination therapy is an effective way to treat and limit the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of S. aureus, particularly in deep-seated, complicated infections. Further research is still required to balance the benefits of this approach with the potential risks. 

    Reference: Jiang JH, Peleg AY. Daptomycin-Nonsusceptible Staphylococcus aureus: The Role of Combination Therapy with Daptomycin and Gentamicin. Genes (Basel). 2015 Nov; 6:1256-67

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    Forthcoming CCS events: Seminars, public events, general notices

    December 10, 2015, 3:30 pm
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    2014 CCS postgraduate symposium 
    Central Clinical School has regular seminar series and graduate research presentations. All event notices are maintained on the CCS Events calendar. 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 CCS Intranet's Announcements page.

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

    2015 close

    • University shutdown is 23 Dec 2015 - 3 Jan 2016 inclusive
    • 2016 events will be posted from early Feb 2016.

    What's on for this coming week: 14-18 Dec 2015

    Mon►14-Dec 12:30Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round
    Thu►17-Dec 17:00Drop off gifts for Salvation Army pickup to BakerIDI foyer
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    Video of the week: Ricardo Ataide explains someone else's graph

    December 10, 2015, 3:35 pm
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    The 2015 CCS postgraduate symposium included a couple of sections for comic light relief. Dr Ricardo Ataide of the Burnet Institute won the "Explain My Graph" segment, in which the presenter has to talk to a subject he or she is not familiar and has never seen the slides before. Ricardo's own subject area is malaria, but here he fluently explains (or doesn't) a possible therapy for ovarian cancer patients.
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    Photo of the week: 2015 D.S. Rosengarten Surgical Trainee Research Prize

    December 10, 2015, 3:40 pm
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    Mrs Candice Rosengarten presenting the D.S. Rosengarten plate to Dr Katherine Suter, who had come straight from her Alfred ICU shift handover. Mrs Rosengarten is the widow of David Rosengarten and attends each year.
    Congratulations to Dr Katherine Suter on winning this year's D.S. Rosengarten Surgical Trainee Research Prize competition on Sat 5 Dec 2015. Katherine presented on “Pre-operative Predictors of Parathyroid Microadenomas”. Adenomas are non-cancerous or 'benign' tumours. However, if they form within the parathyroid gland, they can cause a cascade of different problems, ranging from psychiatric disturbance to bone disease. If discovered, the main mode of treatment is surgical removal. Katherine's study, involving 797 patients, looked at the small, or 'micro' adenomas. The smaller they are, the more invasive the surgery required and less likelihood of cure. She concluded that "microadenomas continue to present as a challenge in both diagnosis and management."

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    Odd spot: When data gets creepy - the secrets we don’t realise we’re giving away

    December 13, 2015, 1:00 pm
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    Ben Goldacre says that we all worry about digital spies stealing our data – and now even the things we thought we were happy to share are being used in ways we don’t like.

    Why aren’t we making more of a fuss? Because not really understanding the technology, we have few sound intuitions into what is safe and what is flimsy when it comes to securing our digital lives – let alone what is ethical and what is creepy. See Ben Goldacre's entire essay.

    See also The Roast 2 July 2014 critique of Facebook's ethics violations, at timepoint 7.30.

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    CCS's top tweet: Robert Gillies' philanthropic work

    December 13, 2015, 7:18 pm
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    NHMRC Research 2016 application dates

    December 14, 2015, 6:28 pm
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    Forthcoming National Health & Medical Research Council application/opening dates

    • 16 Dec 2015: Centres of Research Excellence: Minimum data due 
    • 13 Jan 2016:  Project Grants : opens in RGMS
    • 20 Jan 2016:  Development Grants: Minimum data due
    • 20 Jan 2016: NHMRC - NIH BRAIN Initiative Collaborative Research Grants: Applications close
    • 20 Jan 2016: Partnership Projects: Applications for Peer Review Cycle #1 open
    • 3 Feb 2016: Practitioner Fellowships: Applications close
    • 3 Feb 2016: Research Fellowships: Applications close 3 February 2016
    The funding calendar is available on the NHMRC website.

    Read NHMRC Tracker updates here.
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    Congratulations to Susan Lee, CCS BMedSc(Hons) 2015 dux!

    December 14, 2015, 7:19 pm
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    Susan Lee, 2015 BMedSc(Hons) dux
    at Central Clinical School
    Congratulations to Susan Lee, who was the highest performing BMedSc(Hons) student for CCS in 2015. Well done Susan!

    Susan's supervisor was Dr Rebecca Segrave, Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre. Her research project was "Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: The influence of gender and endogenous oestrogen".

    Prof Jenny Hoy, BMedSc(Hons) coordinator at the Alfred, said all of the 2015 students did extremely well. She said, "It's a pleasure to mentor such highly motivated students. Healthcare in Australia has a very bright future with such diligent and able students coming through!"
    2015 Central Clinical School Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) students:
    L-R Back row: Frank Gao, Fei Bing, Gabrielle Freedman, Evelyn Bian, Jacqueline Bell, Storm Holwill, Victoria Berquist, William MacDonald.
    L-R Middle row: Yasar Zirek, Susan Lee, Karin Utami, Diar Rudiatmoko, Angela Sarumpaet.
    L-R Front row: Angus Brown, Rebecca Lewis, Lucinda Miller.
    Absent: Lia Amanda, Prasanna Bhaskaran, Bridget Pianta, Nahkita Wolfe (SPHPM), Hui Yeoh

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    Video of the week: The FODMAP Grand Tour Down Under (animation)

    December 15, 2015, 12:14 am
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    Low FODMAP diet for IBS, Department of Gastroenterology, Central Clinical School

    Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder affecting approximately 15% of people worldwide. Characterised by lower abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, wind, distension and altered bowel habit (ranging from diarrhoea to constipation), the condition causes considerable discomfort and daily disruption for the sufferer. Researchers at Monash University have developed a diet strategy to manage IBS symptoms known as the low FODMAP diet. This diet is the product of extensive research which has quantified the FODMAP content of hundreds of foods, described the mechanism by which the diet works and shown that a low FODMAP diet improves symptom control in approximately three out of every four people with IBS. Join us as we go on a journey (almost like 'Fantastic Voyage'!) to understand the physiological effects of FODMAPs and the dramatic effects of a low FODMAP diet in people with IBS.

    See more about Low FODMAP diet research and products at Monash:
    • Website: http://bit.ly/1vXL2tQ
    • App: http://bit.ly/1PKfK3Y
    • Booklet: http://bit.ly/1yFzqxg
    • Video link for reference:  https://youtu.be/Z_1Hzl9o5ic

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    Congratulations to CCS's 26 PhD students who completed in 2015

    December 14, 2015, 6:44 pm
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    Congratulations to all 26 of our completed PhD students this year!! A remarkable achievement by all the students listed below. A big thank you also to all supervisors and staff involved in supporting our PhD students.







    Matthew Kitson (Medicine)


    Thesis title: A study of the relationship between vitamin D status and the severity and outcomes of chronic non-cholestatic liver disease
    Supervisor: A/Prof Stuart Roberts, A/Prof Kumar Visvanathan, Prof William Sievert




    Tanya Millard (Infectious Diseases)

    Thesis title: The development and evaluation of an online self-management program for men living with HIV in Australia
    Supervisors: Dr Julian Elliot, Dr Karalyn McDonald, Dr Sonya Girdler, Dr Sean Slavin



    Mark Fitzgerald (Surgery)



    Thesis title: Computer-aided decision support for trauma reception and resuscitation




    Melissa Kirkovski (MAPrc)


    Thesis title: The influence of biological sex on neurobiological mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder: An investigation of neural activity and connectivity
    Supervisors: Prof Paul Fitzgerald, Dr Peter Enticott



    Ying Ying Kong (Immunology)


    Thesis title: Effects of cancer cells on the cells of the dendritic cell lineage
    Supervisors: Prof Magdalena Plebanski, Dr Katie Flanagan




    Sarah Charnaud (Burnet)


    Thesis title: Mechanism of protein export in the malaria parasite
    Supervisors: Prof Brendan Crabb, Dr Paul Gilson





    Eric Tan (MAPrc)



    Thesis title: Speech disturbances and quality of life in schizophrenia
    Supervisors: Dr Susan Rossell, Dr Gregory Yelland




    Mutsa Madondo (Immunology)


    Thesis title: Immunomodulatory effects of Cyclophosphamide: Optimising administration for improved efficacy in patients with gynaecological malignancies
    Supervisor: Prof Magdalena Plebanski



    Benjamin Fancke (Immunology)


    Thesis title: Dendritic cells: development, tolerance and immunity. A novel cross-species study.
    Supervisors: Dr Meredith O’Keeffe, A/Prof Mark Wright




    Sewa Rijal (ACBD)


    Thesis title: Characterizing the role of inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II (INPP4B) in acute myeloid leukaemia
    Supervisors: Dr Andrew Wei, Prof Christine Mitchell




    Michael Cangkrama (Medicine)


    Thesis title: Analysis of the Grainyhead-like genes in mammalian development and disease
    Supervisors: Prof Stephen Jane, Dr Charbel Darido




    Amit Joglekar (Immunology)


    Thesis title: Mechanisms of immune tolerance following genetic manipulation and transplantation of bone marrow-haematopoietic stem cells
    Supervisors: A/Prof Frank Alderuccio




    Jodie Abramovitch (Immunology)

    Thesis title: Influence of food processing on the humoral and cellular immune response to shared and unique allergens of crustacean species
    Supervisors: E. Prof Jennifer Rolland, Prof Robyn O’Hehir


    Brendan Elsworth (Burnet)

    Thesis title: Characterisation of the Plasmodium falciparum export complex
    Supervisors: Prof Brendan Crabb, Dr Paul Gilson




    Gabriela Khoury (Medicine)

    Thesis title: HIV persistence on antiretroviral therapy - the role of homeostatic proliferation and T-cell trafficking
    Supervisors: Prof Sharon Lewin, Prof Paul Cameron




    Andrew Guirguis (ACBD)


    Thesis title: Apoptosis and its regulation in myelodysplasia - using basic mouse models and human samples.
    Supervisors: A/Prof David Curtis, Dr Andrew Wei



    Emma Tavender (Surgery)

    Thesis title: Improving the management of mild traumatic brain injury in the emergency department
    Supervisors: Dr Denise O’Connor, Prof Russell Gruen


    Zane Kaplan (ACBD)

    Thesis title: Biochemical and biomechanical factors regulating leukocyte-thrombus interactions
    Supervisors: Prof Shaun Jackson, Dr Yuping Yuan




    Belden Mado (ACBD)


    Thesis title: Investigation of New Anti-clotting approaches
    Supervisors: Prof Rob Andrews, Dr Elizabeth Gardiner




    Khayriyyah Mohd Hanafiah (Burnet)


    Thesis title: Dimeric IgA for serodiagnosis of active mucosal infections
    Supervisors: Dr David Anderson, A/Prof Rosemary French




    Janine Trevillyan (Medicine)


    Thesis title: Pathogenesis and prevention of cariodvascular disease in HIV positive patients
    Supervisors: Prof Jennifer Hoy, Prof Sharon Lewin



    Evan Newnham (Gastroenterology)


    Thesis title: Shifting treatment paradigms in newly diagnosed coeliac disease
    Supervisors: Prof Peter Gibson
    Juliana Van Der Merwe
    (Surgery)
    Thesis title: A comparison of pulsatile and non-pulsatile flow in ventricular assist devices: Effects on bacteraemia, end-organ function and vascular reactivity
    Supervisors: Prof Frank Rosenfeldt, A/Prof Robert Salamonsen, Prof David Kaye
     
     Jeremy Ruben (Surgery)
    Thesis title: Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy: Effect on Dose Distribution and Scattered Dose and Implications for Carcinogenesis
    Unsupervised

    Michael Christopher (Baker IDI)
    Thesis title: Dyslipidaemia resulting from obesity is a major contributor to the onset and progression of Type 2 diabetes
    Supervisors: A/Prof Peter Miekle, Dr Josephine Forbes

    Jonathon Habersberger (Medicine)
    Thesis title: Proinflammatory effects of monomeric C reactive protein in vascular endothelium
    Supervisor: Prof Peter Karlheinz

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