Photo of the Week: Red Lab Coat Day

Maha Bakhuraysa, PhD student in Dr Steven Petratos's lab, writing "Multiple Sclerosis" in Arabic. You can support Australia’s MS research #kissgoodbyetoms by donating at www.kissgoodbyetoms.org. You can also spread the work with tweeting the hashtag #KissGoodbyetoMS and #redlabcoatday. Weblink for further information and to donate:  www.kissgoodbyetoms.org

Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia (MSRA) had their inaugural Red Lab Coat Day on 1 May 2015 to "Kiss goodbye to MS" by raising awareness and funds for Multiple Sclerosis research. Dr Steven Petratos of the Central Clinical School heads up a research group focussing on stem cell therapies for brain disorders, including Multiple Sclerosis. His lab was one of twelve participating nationally in the MSRA campaign.

Dr Petratos was the only Australian to receive project funding in 2014 from the International Progressive MS Alliance and his Senior Research Fellow, Dr Christopher Siatskas received $290,000 in MSRA funding in 2011. The group is investigating the underlying pathology of progression, and the MSRA funding is assisting the investigation of a new strategy for developing a therapy that limits damage to nerve cells and stops the progression of MS.

• To donate: www.kissgoodbyetoms.org.
• hashtags #redlabcoatday #kissgoodbyetomsSee more:
• About the Petratos group's research: www.med.monash.edu.au//medicine/alfred/research/petratos-group.html
• Photo gallery of the Red Lab Coat Day group