Photo of the week: 2015 CCS PhD students

2015 CCS PhD students (L-R). Seated: Liriye Kurtovic, Ashlee Burt, Tim Patton, Mina Takawy, Runa Lindblom
Standing: Beverly Giam, Ashwini Bennett, Kevin Huynh, Jyotika Prasad, Alex Huang, Minhee Halemba, Sean Huang, Louisa Yueng, Min J Kim, Matthew Snelson, Florence Lim, Victoria Ling, Elizabeth Lim, Alexandra Whillas, Heather Gilbert.

Welcome to all 22 of our new PhD students at Central Clinical School! See 

• 2015 CCS PhD Google plus photo gallery
• More about CCS's PhD resources and support

Forthcoming CCS events: PhD seminars, public events, general notices

Emily Stevenson (Baker IDI) presenting
at the 2014 CCS postgraduate symposium

Central Clinical School has regular seminar series and postgraduate presentations. All event notices are maintained on the CCS Events calendar.  CCS staff & students can see details of both public and local events (including professional development courses, trade fairs and HDR calendars) and deadlines, at the Intranet's Announcements page.  Various Departments have their own calendars, see CCS seminar index: www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/events/seminars.html

What's on for next week (20-24 April)

Mon Apr 20 12:30 PM ► Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round
                       2:30 PM ► PhD Pre-submission review seminar - Natalia Granifo (MAPrc)
Tue Apr 21 11:30 AM ► PhD Pre-submission review seminar - Jae Lee (Medicine)
Wed Apr 22 11:30 AM ► PhD Pre-submission review seminar - Jodie Abramovitch (AIRmed/Immunology)
4.00 PM ► 22 April Faculty postgraduate expo - features overview of Translational Research new PhD and Graduate Certificate. Monash Medical Centre.

Fri Apr 24          ► Trivia Night hosted by Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre 

Into the Future

• 13, 20 May Mind Your Family: Upskilling Health Practitioners on Family Violence
• 15 June 3MT thesis deadline for registration

Using TMS as a diagnostic tool for parkinsonian syndromes

Dr Kelly Bertram, a consulting neurologist
at the Alfred's Movement Disorders clinic,
demonstrates the use of the TMS device.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is being employed in a research study for early detection and measurement of neurodegenerative disorders including Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), Parkinson's Disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA).

Dr Kelly Bertram (pictured) and Dr Sarah Hewer have designed this study in collaboration with the Movement Disorder team at University of Rome. There is evidence neuronal dysfunction in PSP can be measured utilizing TMS. Given different parkinsonian syndromes are associated with different patterns of brain region involvement, diagnostic accuracy may be improved by the use of TMS. 

The study aims to measure responses to TMS paradigms in patients with PSP and compare these responses to patients with two other forms of parkinsonism, Multiple system atrophy and Parkinson’s disease, and with healthy controls. This will determine if TMS can distinguish between these diagnostic entities. Secondly, they hope to see if these responses correlate with clinical features of disease and change over time with disease progression. Dr Bertram said, "This will allow us to determine if TMS will be useful in future treatment trials."

See more about the Van Cleef/Roet Centre for Nervous Diseases research programs.

Low FODMAP certification program launched by Monash University

Spelt grain has lower FODMAPs than
modern wheat cultivars

One in seven Australians suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but a new app and certification scheme launched by Monash University will help them find foods they can comfortably eat - and the ancient grain spelt appears to be part of the solution.

The Monash University Low FODMAP Certification Program certifies foods that are low in a group of carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the digestive system - Fermentable, Oligo-saccharides, Di-saccharides, Mono-saccharides And Polyols (FODMAPs). See:

• Story
• Low FODMAP certification program details
• 15/4/2015 ABC news video clip with Dr Jane Muir.

Master of Medicine First Graduates!

Dr Mathonsi Jila (centre) with her family at her graduation

After the launch of the Master of Medicine (Perioperative Medicine) in 2013 we are pleased to congratulate our first group of graduates in December 2014. Three students graduated with one, Dr Mathonsi Jila, attending the graduation ceremony at the Robert Blackwood Hall on the Clayton Campus on 15 December 2014 (pictured). The course has attracted over 188 students since its commencement with interest growing daily. Congratulations to all our students past and present! For further information on the course please see www.masters.periopmedicine.org.au

Monash partnership lauded as translational research leaders

Monash Partners was officially recognised on 28 March as an Advanced Health Research and Translation Centre (AHRTC), acknowledging the collaboration’s capability to improve health outcomes through high impact translational research. In an announcement made by the Minister for Health, the Hon Sussan Ley MP and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre was recognised as an international leader in linking clinical practice, research translation and education.
See more: www.med.monash.edu.au/news/2015/translational-research-leaders.html

Analyzing structural brain MRI scans - not easy but here's how

If you have spent hours going through long software manuals and endless forums trying to work out how to analyze structural MRI scans, you will appreciate a recently published ebook by Dr Jerome Maller, MAPrc. The ebook provides step-by-step instructions on how to use your data to achieve the output you require. The focus of the handbook is T1-weighted and Diffusion data acquisition and analysis.  See:

http://jeromemallershandbookofstructuralbrainmrianalysis.yolasite.com/

3MT thesis competition open for Monash graduate research students

Central Clinical School graduate research students regularly compete in the "Three Minute Thesis" competition (3MT), offered in every Australian university. The CCS 3MT Competition is an opportunity for HDR students to convey the relevance and importance of their research in just 3 minutes. It is an excellent opportunity to achieve a higher profile for research students and their work. The Monash 3MT finalist will then be invited to represent Monash University at the Australia and New Zealand final.  For more information please visit the 3MT intranet site (Note: Monash authcate needed for login).
See also 2014 3MT video playlist of last year's CCS contestants.

2015 3MT details

Guidelines

• Students must register to be able to participate.  Registration link
• PhD students must have completed their Confirmation of Candidature
• For more guidelines visit the Monash Intranet MIGR 3MT page (Monash authcate needed)

Key dates:

• Closing date for registrations: Monday 15 June 2015
• CCS 3MT: Tuesday 4 August 2015
• FMNHS 3MT Final: Friday 21 August 1-2.30pm Venue: 16 Rainforest Walk/Science Lecture Theatre S3, Building 25, Clayton Campus
• Monash University 3MT Final: Friday 16 September 2015

Participants sought: How brain stimulation may affect cognition in aging

A study participant wearing an electrode cap to measure brain

activity while undertaking a task

Participants aged 56 to 75 years are being sought for a research project using brain stimulation to enhance cognitive performance and neural plasticity. Participation will involve completing a series of cognitive tasks both before and after administration of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). tDCS is a safe, painless and non-invasive means of stimulating nerve cells in the brain. Changes in brain activity before and after tDCS will be measured through the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG).

The research is conducted at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre. Participants are required to attend for a single session only (approx. 3.5 hours), and will be reimbursed $30 for their time.
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please see study details or contact Melanie Emonson, melanie.emonson@monash.edu