Medical teaching innovation yields results for infants at risk of cerebral palsy

Arrabella King. Image: Stuart Wilson

Medical student Arrabella King and infants at risk of cerebral palsy have mutually benefited from Monash University's recent innovation of a Scholarly Intensive Placement (SIP) as part of medical training in the final year of the medical MD degree.

Arrabella is based at Central Clinical School, but her SIP was supervised by School of Clinical Sciences Senior Lecturer, Dr Atul Malhotra, a consultant neonatologist at Monash Newborn, Monash Children's Hospital.

Managing patients with lung disease at home

On-line rehabilitation for home-based patients works well

One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is the need to manage very sick people (non-COVID and COVID patients both) while they remain in home isolation. This is particularly important for people who suffer respiratory illness and can no longer attend hospitals for their regular appointments.

A program developed by Monash researcher, Professor Anne Holland, has seen a 20-fold increase in its use globally with a major spike in traffic to the site following promotion by the American Thoracic Society.

8-14 Sept 2020 Central Clinical School publications

Mary Ajamian is first author on a study investigating whether gluten
affected IBS patients with self-reported non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
In brief, gluten didn't but FODMAPs did affect symptoms.

Recent publications featuring research as notified by PubMed during 8-14 Sep 2020 from Central Clinical School affiliated researchers in the following departments. The below is not a comprehensive list:

• Allergy, Immunology & Respiratory Medicine
• Australian Centre for Blood Diseases
• Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medicine - Alfred
• MSHC
• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

World-first Tau tracer imaging by Alfred-Monash facility

Alfred Research Alliance-Monash Biomedical Imaging (ARA-MBI) PET/CT imaging capabilities are increasing.

The PET imaging team at ARA-MBI has conducted a world-first, using a novel, ‘hot off the press’, Tau tracer to examine the expression of the Tau protein in a rat model of stroke. 

Dean's Excellence Awards presentation 12 noon Thurs 17 Sep 2020 - all welcome

Prof Rob Medcalf is a winner of the Dean's Excellence 

Award for Honours Supervision. See video

You are encouraged to tune in to the Dean’s Awards for Excellence virtual town hall, 12 noon - 1.00 pm, Thursday 17 Sep. The event will include a Faculty update from the Dean, Professor Christina Mitchell, followed by the awards presentation.
Register here

The Dean’s Awards for Excellence each year celebrate and recognise the impact of the exceptional work undertaken by the talented and dedicated staff in our Faculty. This year, the Dean's award for Excellence in Research (Excellence in Education - Honours Supervision) is going to the well-liked and respected academic in the Central Clinical School, Professor Rob Medcalf. Congratulations Rob!

Drop in via Zoom at midday on Thursday and find out who has won this year's awards in a variety of categories.

Five ways our immune responses to COVID vaccines are unique

by Paul Gill and Menno van Zelm
Department of Immunology and Pathology
 excerpted from The Conversation 10 Sept 2020

The Oxford vaccine trial at the centre of safety concerns this week highlights the idea that people’s immune systems respond to vaccines differently.

Is COVID-19 reshaping the Australian psyche?

by Professor Jayashri Kulkarni
reproduced from Lens 9 Sept 2020

Perhaps one of the unexpected impacts of COVID-19 on Australians is a reshaping of our national psyche. We've seen a rise in mental ill health, with greater numbers of people experiencing anxiety and depression due to the impacts of the pandemic.

Women, the elderly and the vulnerable are particularly experiencing more mental health problems. However, the community’s response has not been to ignore this and say, "She’ll be right, mate", but to insist on greater resources for Australians struggling with mental ill health.