School of Translational Medicine News Blog

6 Sept 2015

Odd spot: Ben Goldacre, author of 'Bad Science', on randomisation

Cartoon: xkcd comic

“Randomisation is not a new idea. It was first proposed in the seventeenth century by John Baptista van Helmont, a Belgian radical who challenged the academics of his day to test their treatments like blood-letting and purging (based on ‘theory’) against his own, which he said were based more on clinical experience: ‘Let us take out of the hospitals, out of the Camps, or from elsewhere, two hundred, or five hundred poor People, that have Fevers, Pleurisies, etc. Let us divide them into half, let us cast lots, that one half of them may fall to my share, and the other to yours … We shall see how many funerals both of us shall have.”
― Ben Goldacre, Bad Science

4 Sept 2015

Photo of the week: Department of Infectious Diseases

Department of Infectious Diseases group (Monash and Alfred) with Head, Prof Anton Peleg (far right), and Deputy HOD, A/Prof Denis Spelman to Anton's right), in the AMREP plaza on 1 September 2015.

See more:

About the Department of Infectious Diseases
CCS photo galleries

Forthcoming CCS events: Seminars, public events, general notices

Andrew Guy (Burnet) at the 3MT
CCS heat

Central Clinical School has regular seminar series and postgraduate 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 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 week: 7 - 11 Sep 2015

Mon Sep 7	12:30 PM	►	Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round
	5:00 PM	►	Deadline: Alfred Health Week Research Poster display
Wed Sep 9	11:30 AM	►	PhD Confirmation of Candidature: Ms Alicia Chenoweth
Thu Sep 10	10:30 AM	►	R U OK? Morning tea fundraiser

In the Future

Professor Robyn O'Hehir: InSPIREd Therapy for Allergies (Synthetic Peptide Immuno-Regulator Epitopes). Find out more on 30 Sep 2015

A key scientist in international allergy research for over 25 years, Professor Robyn O’Hehir is an academic clinician-scientist who successfully combines a strong basic research record with a continuing commitment to clinical medicine at a senior level. She is Professor and Director of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine at the Central Clinical School, Monash University, and The Alfred hospital. Professor O'Hehir will be speaking at the forthcoming 30 Sept Translational Research symposium hosted by Central Clinical School. See detail below.

Figure 2. Molecular mechanisms for IL7R/JAK/STAT
activation in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).

Review article on T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), an aggressive type of blood cancer that accounts for about 15% of pediatric and 25% of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases. It is considered as a paradigm for the multistep nature of cancer initiation and progression. T-ALL originates from T-cell precursors at different stages of their development and is characterized by distinct and well characterized molecular genetic subtypes. Children affected by this disease respond fairly well to high-dose chemotherapy regimens. Unfortunately, the clinical response in adults remains problematic, and therapeutic options for relapsed T-ALL patients remain scarce.

See job vacancies in medical research: @Sciencecareers on Twitter

@Sciencecareers on Twitter posts international job opportunities. Good for #PhD and #EMCR.

R U OK? 10 Sep 2015 Morning tea & Fundraiser by Monash@AMREP

R U OK? Day is Thursday 10 Sept 2015. Central Clinical School and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, the Monash University schools based at the AMREP campus, are co-hosting a morning tea and fundraiser.

Date and time: Thursday 10 September, 10:30 am -11:30 am
Location: Tearoom, Level 6, The Alfred Centre