HER Centre Australia takes the lead in women’s mental health

L-R: A/Prof Caroline Gurvich, Prof Jayashri Kulkarni, Ms
Mariska Meldrum and Ms Jo Stanley at the HER centre launch

Women’s mental illness will get the recognition it deserves at HER Centre Australia, the nation's most innovative centre that integrates health services, education and research in women's mental health.

HER Centre Australia conducts research, treats women and improves awareness about women’s mental health issues occurring at all ages. The centre was officially launched on 20 October at a free public lecture at the Melbourne Town Hall. 

"Tune in and chat" morning tea for Mental Health Month

L-R: Matt Snelson, Eveline Mu, Min Tan, Jurie Tashkandi & see below for Rossana Azzoni who were panel members

Welcome Frank Bruscino-Raiola and Scott Ferris to CCS Department of Surgery

L-R: Mr Scott Ferris and Mr Frank Bruscino-Raiola

Professor Wendy Brown writes:

Please join me in congratulating Frank Bruscino-Raiola and Scott Ferris on their appointments as Adjunct Clinical Associate Professors in the Department of Surgery at Central Clinical School.

Mr Frank Bruscino-Raiola is the Director of the Plastics and Reconstructive Unit at Alfred Health.  He graduated from Monash University in 1991 and completed his fellowship in Plastics and Reconstructive surgery in 2002.

Congratulations to Professor Trisha Peel on her promotion

Trisha Peel has been promoted to full Professor

Professors Anton Peleg and Terry O'Brien write:

Dear CCS Colleagues and Students,

We are delighted to announce the academic promotion of Trisha Peel from the Department of Infectious Diseases to full Professor. Trisha will also take on the role of Deputy Director of Research for the Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University. 

Professor Peel is an outstanding Infectious Diseases clinician-researcher who was awarded her PhD at University of Melbourne in 2014 and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Mayo Clinic, USA. Her research focuses on large-scale randomised controlled trials and implementation science in perioperative infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship, and this intersects ideally with her clinical interests and role as the clinical lead for the Alfred Antimicrobial Stewardship service.

Second generation AI chatbot for positive body image being funded

The positive body image chatbot is being further
developed with a Telematics Trust grant

Congratulations to Associate Professor Gemma Sharp of the Department of Neuroscience, who has been awarded a Telematics Trust grant for $50,000. The focus of these grants is to fund technology which can transform the lives of Victorians through education. 

A/Prof Sharp led the team which developed the world's first pilot positive body image conversational AI agent or chatbot. The pilot was highly successful with over 20,000 users in Australia in under 12 months.

The grant will allow for the development and evaluation of a second generation chatbot in collaboration with researchers in Monash's Faculty of Iinformation Technology. A/Prof Sharp said, "This next generation chatbot will have much more sophisticated conversational AI which will likely lead to even higher usage and greater benefits to body image and mental health."

Higher risk for international migrants of contracting HIV

A ground-breaking piece of research, which aims to quantify the risk of HIV in international migrants could play a major role in Australia’s efforts to eliminate the virus, according to researchers from the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, part of Alfred Health.

Sexual health physician Associate Professor Jason Ong said this study provides evidence of international migrants were at a higher risk of contracting HIV.

Participants sought for COVID vaccine response study

If you are planning to get your 4th COVID vaccine dose later this calendar year, we kindly ask you to consider being part of our research study, even if you have not been included previously.

What we ask is three blood samples (before, 1 month after and 6 months after dose 4) of about 50ml. We will also obtain general information about your COVID previous vaccinations, SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunological disease and immunosuppressive mediation.