COVID-19 does cause diabetes: A new Monash-led global initiative is investigating why

Prof Paul Zimmet explains that a registry, CoviDIAB, has
been established to track first time incidence of diabetes in
  COVID-19 patients. See video. His most recent paper shows

a pooled proportion of 14.4% (1 in 7) for newly diagnosed
diabetes in hospitalised COVID-19 patients. See more from
the video of our 9 Dec forum on CCS COVID-19 registries.
.

by Matt Cull
 
Monash University is investigating a link between COVID-19 and diabetes which is not yet fully understood, though it is becoming clear that COVID-19 is indeed causing first-time onset of diabetes.
 
In collaboration with King’s College in London, Monash University has established a register of patients, called CoviDIAB, who reported having developed diabetes after confirmed exposure to the disease COVID-19 which is caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
 
Many patients had no known instances of diabetes in their family and were not believed to have been at high risk for the illness prior to being infected with the coronavirus.

1-7 Dec 2020 Central Clinical School publications

The Stem Cell Biology group which has four of the co-authors on a
Nature Communications study. L-R Ms Jacqueline Boyle, Prof David
Curtis, Ms Shokoufeh Abdollahi, Mr Feng Yan, Dr Cedric Tremblay,
Mr Andrej Terzic, Ms Jesslyn Saw, Dr Christina Makhlouf.

Dr Tremblay is lead author on the study which provides the first preclinical
evidence that Dynamin inhibitors are effective as a combination therapy for
acute leukaemia.

Recent publications featuring research as notified by PubMed during 1-7 December 2020 from Central Clinical School affiliated researchers in the following departments. The below is not a comprehensive list:

• Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine
• Australian Centre for Blood Diseases
• Diabetes
• Immunology and Pathology
• Infectious Diseases
  
• Medicine - Alfred & Peninsula
• Melbourne Sexual Health Centre
• Neuroscience
• Surgery

HSRAANZ 2020 Best Papers – ECR Winner Jason Ong

A/Prof Jason Ong has won HSRAANZ best paper award

Congratulations to Associate Professor Jason Ong for winning this year's Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand (HSRAANZ) award for best paper!

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are over 1 million curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) a day. Earlier detection and timely treatment are needed to better control STIs, especially among those less likely to engage with healthcare systems. In recent years, there has been a global scale-up of programs for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). 

Immunology students acknowledge 2020's huge teaching efforts

Drs Simon Teteris & Maria Demaria

Feeling the love 😊...

Anita Barry writes,  "We had something unexpected and lovely happen yesterday [Wednesday 9 December] in the teaching labs at Clayton. We currently have third year students undertaking an intensive practical course as they missed out on this experience in first semester due to COVID-19.

"Our thoughtful Immunology students surprised two of our co-ordinators (Dr Simon Teteris and Dr Maria Demaria) with appreciation gifts of chocolates, flowers and a donation to UNICEF for 310 TB immunisations! Great to see the students showing the love for our dedicated, hard-working and talented co-ordinators!"

Neuroscience in a Flash is flashing by! Final on 14 Dec

The final session of "Neuroscience in a Flash" is taking place next Monday 14 December at 12.30 - 2.00 pm. All welcome and please register here.

Our CCS graduate students who have been selected as finalists in the competition would love your support on the day:

• Wei Yeh: Investigations of multiple sclerosis and modifiable influences: the effects of vitamin D
  status and pregnancy. Wei's supervisor is Dr Vilija Jokubaitis (Neuroimmunology, Genomics and Prognostics Group, Department of Neuroscience), MSNI unit
• Muhammed Javaid: Development of personalized ‘disease-in-a-dish’ model of focal cortical dysplasia using induced pluripotent stem cells. Muhammed is supervised by Dr Ana Antonic-Baker (Epilepsy and Personalised Medicine Group, Department of Neuroscience) 
• Georgia Fuller-Symons: Hitting close to home: concussion in Australian collision sport. Georgia's supervisor is A/Prof Sandy Shultz (Monash Trauma Group, Department of Neuroscience)

Their abstracts and the link to register can be found on the Neuroflash web page.

A+ EMCR news & survey

A+ EMCR Best Paper CCS winners were, L-R: A/Prof Jason Ong (MSHC), Dr Tiffany  
Phillips (MSHC), Dr Natalie Thomas (MAPrc) and Dr Maithili Sashindranath (ACBD)

i. News

The Alfred Research Alliance Early and Mid Career Research (A+ EMCR) have published their final newsletter for the year, featuring:

• Chair's Report
• Recruitment for New A+ EMCR Committee Members
• 2020 Best Paper Awards Winners
• EMCR Mini-Symposium Feedback
• Let's Collaborate Session Feedback
• Mentorship Updates

ii. Survey

Expanded capabilities for ARA-MBI's PET/CT preclinical studies

In 2019 the Alfred Research Alliance Monash BioImaging (ARA-MBI) Preclinical Imaging Facility commenced operations with a PET/CT system, and has recently expanded its capabilities.