Photo of the week: CCLabs group

CCLabs group. Back row: Andrew Doherty (Electronics Engineer); Aquiles da Silva (Full Stack Web Developer); Chaminda Galagedara (Finance and Operations Manager); Amitesh Gaurav (Embedded Engineer).
Front row: Dr Chew Ling Linda Lau (Chief Scientific Officer/Laboratory Head); Dr Hon Weng Chong (CEO); Andy Kitchen (Head of AI (Artificial Intelligence)); Michela Benedetti (Software Engineer)

We welcome Dr Hon Weng Chong and his team from the start up Victoria biotechnology company, CCLabs, who have been embedded with our Department of Neuroscience from 8 October 2018 for an initial period of six months. CCLabs are developing innovative neuroinformatics technology (Biocomputing) based on neuronal cultures. The work that CClabs is doing is closely aligned with research developing in our Department of Neuroscience using electrophysiology of iPS derived neuronal stem cells and neuronal cultures and to better understand epileptogenic brain networks, and to screen for novel therapies. As the researchers from CClabs will be alongside our research groups, we anticipate mutual advantage from research, collaboration and infrastructure leverage opportunities that this will provide.

Please welcome Hong and his team to our Department and School. 

What's on at CCS 17-20 Dec 2018

Have a good holiday

This is the final week of Central Clinical School (CCS) operation before University close down on Friday 21 December 2018. So the main event for this week is that for University staff, the School is closed on Friday.

We wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas and New Year break. First day back from the close down is Wednesday 2 January 2019.

Recent CCS publications: 7-14 December

Newly promoted, A/Prof Eric Chow
is featured twice in this
week's publications. 

Recent publications for Central Clinical School affiliated authors in the following departments. Note, browse down this entry for complete publications list. Linked headings for each section are to the departments' home pages.

• Diabetes 
• Infectious Diseases
• Neuroscience
• Melbourne Sexual Health Centre

Getting inside the RAGE

All the RAGE: L-R Ms Alex Dimiropoulos, Dr Raelene Pickering,
Dr Chris Tikellis, Dr Carlos Rosado, Professor Merlin Thomas, 
Ms Maria Alejandra Zuniga-Gutierrez

Monash researchers have discovered a new way to block the effects of RAGE. No, not the angry (incredible hulk) kind of rage. But it may be just as important.

The Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-products (known as RAGE) is an important player in many diseases, from atherosclerosis and diabetes to cancer and neurodegenerative disease.

High percentage of newly diagnosed epilepsy patients go untreated

Lead author, Dr Zhibin Chen,
Neuroscience Department,
CCS, Monash. 

A collaborative study between Monash University and Western Australia has highlighted that, despite the wide availability of anti-epileptic drugs, almost one third of patients who are newly diagnosed with epilepsy do not receive immediate treatment.

The study was recently presented at the 2018 American Epilepsy Society where Dr Chen was interviewed for an online publication, Medscape.

Read the full interview here: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/905942?src=wnl_edit_tpal&uac=92129FR&impID=1821041&faf=1

Congratulations to our CASS Foundation grant winners!

Dr Ting-Yi Wang

Dr Jess Borger

Congratulations to Dr Jess Borger and Dr Ting-Yi Wang (pictured), who have won CASS Foundation grants.

Dr Ting-Yi Wang is a Research Fellow at the Australian Centre of Blood Diseases. She has been awarded a $55,000 grant by the CASS Foundation for her research project, titled "Antibody directed cell targeting for the treatment of stroke".

Dr Jess Borger is a Research Fellow in the Department of Immunology and Pathology, and has likewise been awarded a $55,000 grant for her research project, "Designing superior killers for cancer immunotherapy".

See more:
Ting-Yi Want: research.monash.edu/en/persons/ting-yi-wang
Jess Borger: research.monash.edu/en/persons/jessica-borger

Congratulations to Nik Kocovski and Benedict Costello on higher degree completions!

Dr Benedict Costello

Mr Nik Kocovski

Congratulations to our recently completed graduate research students, Mr Nikolce Kokovski and Dr Benedict Costello!

Nik Kocovski completed a Master of Philosophy and his thesis was titled "Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies to Snake Venom". Nik was supervised by Professor David Tarlinton (Department of Immunology and Pathology), Dr Steven Rockman (University of Melbourne) and Prof Andrew Lew (WEHI).

Dr Benedict Costello completed a PhD through the Baker Institute and his thesis was titled, "Non-Invasive Assessment of Central Haemodynamics and Cardiac Performance". He was supervised by  Professor Andrew Taylor and Dr James Hare.