Advances in treatment for patients with thyroid cancer

Pictured, Professor Jonathan Serpell, whose speciality is the thyroid, examining a patient.  Prof Serpell and the Monash University Endocrine Surgery Unit have developed a thyroid cancer registry resulting in advances in treatment for patients with thyroid cancer. Research into monitoring of recurrent laryngeal nerve function during thyroidectomy has demonstrated several important findings including: that split nerves occur in 23% of cases;

Natural Killer cells in lung transplantation

Aislin Meehan, PhD student in Medicine, is first author on a paper published in PLOS One, investigating the effect of Natural Killer (NK) cells in lung transplantation. NK cells have the potential to be alloreactive, and cause a problem with the transplant. Their research elucidated pathways of NK cell activation, and showed that various transplant immunosuppression regimes and post transplantation events have different effects on NK cell function.

Investigating Alzheimer's disease

PhD student Judy Allen-Graham completed her thesis in 2012, titled ‘Inhibition of APP and APLP2 using siRNA to investigate protein function and Alzheimer's disease’, on functional redundancy between the Alzheimer’s protein APP and its homologue APLP2. APP, the amyloid precursor protein of Alzheimer’s disease, and its homologue APLP2 are found in a segmental distribution on the surface of neurites in cortical neurons in primary culture.

Multiple Myeloma blood cancer registry

A multiple myeloma blood cancer registry, the first of its kind in Australia and New Zealand, is being piloted through the Alfred in conjunction with Monash University. Professor Andrew Spencer, Head of the ACBD Myeloma research group investigating malignant haematology and and stem cell transplantation, said that the registry was developed after a realisation that there were no correct data on myeloma in Australia,

2013 Thoracic Society Australia and New Zealand awards for PhD student

Dr Jeremy Wrobel won two awards from the recent TSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting this year in Darwin, for his research on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD):

Finalist, Ann Woolcock Young Investigator Award for "Positive pressure ventilation increases pulmonary vascular tone and reduces stroke volume in COPD".

Peninsula Health Clinical Teaching joins Central Clinical School

The Undergraduate Medical Education Directorate (UMED) has expanded this year with the addition of Peninsula Health Clinical Teaching. The Director of Clinical Teaching at Peninsula Health is Associate Professor Patrick Fiddes. Peninsula Health currently looks after about 120 Year 3,4 and 5 medical students in a variety of specialities. UMED also has Directors of Clinical Teaching at Cabrini (A/Prof Michelle Levinson) and Epworth (Professor Geoffrey Metz).

CRC for Alertness, Safety & Productivity receives $14.5 million

Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) funding was announced on 16 February 2013. The CRC for Alertness, Safety and Productivity will receive $14.5 million over seven years to reduce the burden of impaired alertness on the safety, productivity and health of all Australians. This CRC was submitted as a partnership between Monash University Sleep Network, Sydney and Flinders Universities.

Travel Grant Recipients: CCS Round 1

Congratulations to the following researchers who have been awarded a School travel grant to attend their nominated international conference: Kirsten Fairfax (Department of Immunology): 15^th International Congress of Immunology, Milan, Italy; Kate Hoy (Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre): 11^th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry, Kyoto, Japan; Karalyn McDonald (Department of Infectious Diseases): 2^nd International HIV Social Science and Humanities Conference, Paris, France; Nicole Mifsud (Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine):

Participants sought: Non-medication treatment for depression

New non-medication treatment for Depression: volunteers wanted. MAPrc are looking for volunteers aged 18-65 who are currently experiencing depression to take part in a study investigating a new cognitive therapy for depression. It is also investigating whether a mild form of brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be used to boost the impact of cognitive control training. Participants will be compensated for their time and travel costs.

Participants sought: Bipolar disorder and genetics

MAPrc research study on Bipolar Disorder and genetics is identifying endophenotypes, the expression of neurocognitive and social cognitive enhancements or deficits, which will aid in identifying specific genes. Participants must have a first-degree relative with bi-polar disorder but not have the disease, be between the ages of 18-65, not be pregnant, substance-dependent, have any vision or hearing impairment, or difficulty with spoken English.

Participants sought: Brain response to chronic low back pain anddepression

MAPrc are looking for volunteers aged between 18 and 65 years to join a research study investigating how the brain responds to chronic lower back pain and co-morbid depression. The research study, headed by Dr Bernadette Fitzgibbon, is exploring changes in the brain in people who suffer from low back pain and depression. See more at http://www.monash.edu.au/news/notices/show/do-you-suffer-from-chronic-low-back-pain-and-depression. For more about Bernadette's research, see www.maprc.org.au/dr-bernadette-fitzgibbon.