Studying the causes of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: £200,000 research grant from AICR

Professor Fabienne Mackay’s laboratory has received a generous £200,000 grant from the prestigious Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) to study the causes of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and potential new therapeutic strategies. CLL is the most common adult leukaemia in the developed world and still has no cure. Affected patients have severely compromised immunity, leaving them vulnerable to recurrent infections, which are a major cause of death. The underlying cause of CLL remains elusive, limiting current treatment options.

2014 NHMRC grant announcements at AMREP by the Prime Minister

"What am I looking at?"

Prime Minister, the Hon. Tony Abbott, Federal Health Minister the Hon. Peter Dutton and Victorian Health Minister, the Hon. David Davis announced the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants across eight schemes in Melbourne on Wednesday 23 October at the AMREP Precinct. See Gallery. Mr Abbott (pictured with Prof David Curtis) did a tour of Central Clinical School laboratories prior to the announcement.  CCS was awarded $5m in project grants and $2.1m in Fellowships. Please see below summary of successful NHMRC applications from CCS which will begin in 2014.

Video: Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre (MAPrc)

The Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre has created a suite of videos describing their research. Pictured is Professor Susan Rossell, a cognitive neuropsychologist who researches the cognitive and neurobiological processes involved in psychosis. See the MAPrc playlist at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL77QJnB61-H4mAV1ABlkL7uoZHqaX_4Ag

Review: Head injury prevention for bicyclists - helmets make a difference

Peter Cameron, Frank McDermott and Jeffrey V. Rosenfeld write in the 21 Oct issue of the MJA how wearing helmets does improve cyclists' safety in the event of accidents. "There is good evidence that preventing head injuries in cyclists will prevent most major morbidity and mortality... [H]elmet wearing appreciably lessens the risk of serious injury and death in bicycle crashes..." Link.

Congratulations: Andrew Guirguis wins Baikie Medal at Australian Haematology Conference

Congratulations to Andrew Guirguis, a PhD student in Prof David Curtis's lab in the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, won the Baikie Medal and $3000. The HSANZ Albert Baikie Memorial Medal is given for the best oral presentation at the Annual Scientific Meeting by a new investigator. It was awarded on Wednesday 23 October at the Australian Haematology Conference (known as HAA, which stands for HSANZ / ANZSBT / ASTH) held this year in the Gold Coast. See more:
http://www.hsanz.org.au/resources/documents/2009HSANZAlbertBaikieAward.pdf

Lancet review: The end of AIDS:HIV infection as a chronic disease

Professor Sharon Lewin

 HIV infection is now no longer a death sentence, as antiretroviral (ART) treatment will hold the disease in check. However, the disease is not cured. ART must be taken for life as HIV is latent and may 'awaken' any time without ART. HIV-infected individuals have a higher risk of developing non-AIDS disorders, including chronic cardiovascular, kidney, liver, cancer and some neurological illnesses. Profs Steven Deeks, Sharon Lewin (HOD Department of Infectious Diseases) and Diane Havlir outline the issues in their Lancet review article.