STEMM the flow: More work needed to support women in medical research

by Dr Jessica Borger, Central Clinical School and Professor Louise Purton, head of the Stem Cell Regulation Unit at St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research

Federal government investment in the National and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has remained unchanged in recent years, which, together with newly-revised funding schemes, have resulted in a reduction in the number of successfully-funded research projects.

Find out more about CCS's senior researchers' expertise

The CCS Research team has updated the school's database of senior researchers (see in the research section of the CCS Intranet). By noting each individual's research techniques and general expertise, this new database aims to provide the following:

New study to look at TMS treatment for OCD

The benefits of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) on people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the focus of a collaborative study between Monash University and the Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health (ECIMH).

• See full story
• For more information on the trial or to register as a participant please click here.

Highly successful Multiple Myeloma public webinar

Mr Henry Blatman shared his lived experience of MM

The ACBD Community and Researcher Engagement (CARE) launched its outreach series with a highly successful public webinar (7 Oct) on Multiple Myeloma with 200 attendees.

See more about the CARE program at https://www.monash.edu/medicine/ccs/blood-disease/community-engagement/upcoming-events

15-27 Sep 2021 Central Clinical School recent publications

Visible role models are important in the pursuit of gender equity in
surgery, study finds. Image: Associate Professor Heather Cleland,
Director of the Victorian Adult Burns Service, at the Alfred's
annual surgical research prize presentation in 2018.

Recent publications featuring research as notified by PubMed during 15-27 Sept 2021 from Central Clinical School affiliated researchers in the following departments. The below is not a comprehensive list. The most recent validated publications for the school and departments can be seen on their publications pages, linked to from the headings below. Otherwise, read down the entry for recent notifications.

Mental health of front line health care workers raises red flags for current crisis in Australian hospital system

The largest, multi-professional study in the world investigating moral distress and mental health outcomes in frontline health care workers in primary and secondary care during last year’s second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic raises some serious concerns for the short and long term mental health impact for the current crisis experienced by health care workers in NSW, Victoria and the ACT.

See more about the study led by Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood.

Gut microbe signatures may indicate adverse reaction to cancer treatments

A collaborative study involving Monash University has revealed specific gut microbiota signatures that may signal adverse body responses to cancer immunotherapy treatments.

Researchers studied a group of patients who were being treated for advanced melanoma with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) - the main immunotherapy drugs currently used to treat cancer - to identify biomarkers of response and toxicity.

The study’s first author, Dr Miles Andrews from the Monash Central Clinical School, said that higher levels of the bacterium Bacteroides intestinalis in the gut were associated with a greater likelihood of developing moderate to severe treatment-related side effects.