Congratulations to Professor Russell Gruen on Singapore appointment

Congratulations to Professor Russell Gruen who has been appointed Professor of Surgery at the new Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and Director of the Nanyang Institute of Technology in Health and Medicine at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. For the past six years, Russell has made a significant contribution to trauma research in Australia and internationally as Director of the National Trauma Research Institute (NTRI) and as a Trauma Consultant at The Alfred Hospital. He will continue his affiliation with Monash University as Professor of Surgery and Public Health.As Chief Investigator of the PATCH study, Russell has advocated for greater understanding of the role of TXA for severely injured patients that are treated in advanced trauma systems. He will remain an integral part of the study. We wish him and his family all the best in their move to Singapore.

A day in the life of a trauma surgeon

In a speech recently given by Prof Russell Gruen, outgoing Director of the National Trauma Research Institute, to GE Executives on the importance of industry and healthcare partnerships in developing technological solutions to improve patient care, he describes, not only a day in the life of a trauma surgeon,  but also how technology has an increasing role to play. See more: gereports.com.au/post/17-03-2015/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-trauma-surgeon

Fellowship to study medication for helping blood clotting in trauma patients

Tranexamic acid, a medi-
cation to help clotting in
trauma patients

In 2013 Professor Russell Gruen, Director of the National Trauma Research Institute, was awarded the prestigious John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship, the highest award for academic excellence from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. The funds from this award will be used by Professor Gruen and his team to further their research on coagulopathy in surgery and trauma. There are two main focuses to this work. First is understanding and addressing acute traumatic coagulopathy in severely injured patients in association with the PATCH-Trauma Study of prehospital tranexamic acid that is soon to commence.

Improving quality information flow to medical practitioners: Living Systematic Review

Current and emerging health
knowledge ecosystems

Medical research output is doubling every five to seven years. The great boon of this body of work is its potential for dramatically improving  understanding of disease processes and treatment protocols. The curse is that busy practitioners who need comprehensive overviews of their field, don't have time to read everything. Systematic reviews analyse all the data for a given subject area, but are slow to complete because of the volume of material and rigour required. For the first time, a new process, called a living systematic review (LSR), has been proposed by a group of Monash University clinician-researchers based at the Alfred Hospital.

Video: Russell Gruen on the National Trauma Research Institute work & research

Professor Russell Gruen, Director of the National Trauma Research Institute and Professor of Surgery (Central Clinical School) and Public Health (School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine) speaks on a number of topics. Youtube links:

• Research collaboration improving trauma care in India
• 2012 Lancet review of trauma surgery (series editor and lead author for one section)
• PATCH trial (Pre-Hospital Treatment of Acute Traumatic Coagulopathy and Haemorrhage)
• Overview of the National Trauma Research Institute

India, Australia team up for trauma care system

With over five million deaths reported each year due to injuries, a collaboration was announced between India and Australia to develop world class trauma care system. Both countries are investing over $2.6 million in the Australia-India Trauma Systems Collaboration (AITSC). Australian High Commissioner Patrick Suckling inaugurated the AITSC on Friday 8 November. Led by the National Trauma Research Institute, a partnership between the Alfred Hospital and Monash University in Melbourne, and the JPN Apex Trauma Centre at AIIMS, the program brings together some of the world’s leaders in trauma care. Story link. Video link. See also AITSC page, NTRI page and http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20131109/2280839.html

Event: CETBIR symposium 28 Oct 2013, 2.00-4.30 pm

TBI research update: Australian and international perspectives

The Centre of Excellence in Traumatic Brain Injury Research (CETBIR) was formed in 2012 as a virtual research centre and a focal point for brain injury expertise in Victoria. The Centre is based at the Alfred Medical Research Precinct and is supported by a capacity building grant from the Victorian Transport Accident Commission. There are currently four researchers supported by CETBIR fellowships.  A symposium is being held on 28 October, see details below. Prof Andrew Maas (pictured) is keynote speaker.

Prof Russell Gruen awarded the 2013 John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship byRACS

Head of the National Trauma Research Institute, Professor Russell Gruen, was awarded the 2013 John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) 82nd Annual Scientific Congress in May 2013. The Fellowship, worth $150,000, is the premier research award of the RACS, and is awarded annually.