Photo of the week: 2017 Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre team

Team photo: Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre 2017

Front row L-R: Bernadette Cheshire, Dr Caroline Gurvich, Cindy Yu, Emmy Gavrilidis, Prof Jayashri Kulkarni, Mr Anthony de Castella, Prof Susan Rossell, Rachel Brand

2nd row: Michaela Corr, Sin-Ki Ng, Kirsten Gainsford, Amelia Arnold, Toni Picoos, Heather Gilbert, Imogen Bell, Elizabeth Thomas, Wei Lin Toh

3rd row: Sung Wook Chung, Caitlyn Rogers, Susan McQueen, Freshta Omar, Laura Knox, Anne Crawford, Lenore Wambeek, Karyn Richardson, Stephanie Louise

4th row: Caitlin Yolland, Hannah Coyle, Mr Gayan de Mel, Dr Stuart Lee, Elizabeth de Castella, Julia Brodski, Alexandra Gaillard, Philip Sumner, Dr Eric Tan

5th row: James Karantonis, Sean Carruthers, Xianwei Che, Manreena Kaur, Dr Jasmine Grigg, Bernadette Fitzgibbon, Dr Natalie Thomas, Dr Neil Bailey

Back row L-R: Mr Aron Hill, Mr Caley Sullivan, Mr Robin Cash, Richard Thomson

See more: www.maprc.org.au/

What's on at CCS for 27-31 March 2017

Emily King is presenting
on Tuesday 28 March

Central Clinical School (CCS) has regular seminar series and postgraduate presentations. Event notices are posted on the CCS Events calendar.

CCS staff & students can see details of both public and local events (including professional development courses, trade fairs and Graduate Research Student calendars) and deadlines, at the CCS 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 27-31 March 2017

Tue	28/03/2017	►	11:00	2017 Graduate Research orientation for newly enrolled CCS students
		►	13:00	Final Oral Presentation : 2016-2017 Mid-year BMedSc Honours
		►	14:00	PhD Confirmation of candidature Seminar : Ms Emily King
Wed	29/03/2017	►	10:30	PhD Mid-candidature review Seminar: Ms Sin Ki Ng
Thu	30/3/2017	►	12:00	The Alfred Grand Round: Sean Curtain & David Ruschena

CCS Publications update: 17-24 March 2017

Recent publications for Central Clinical School affiliated authors in the departments of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine (AIRmed), Diabetes, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Infectious Diseases, Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre (MAPrc) and Medicine.

Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory medicine

Tay TR, Lee J, Radhakrishna N, Hore-Lacy F, Stirling R, Hoy R, Dabscheck E, O'Hehir R, Hew M. A Structured Approach to Specialist-referred Difficult Asthma Patients Improves Control of Comorbidities and Enhances Asthma Outcomes. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2017 Mar 8. pii: S2213-2198(17)30014-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2016.12.030. [Epub ahead of print]

Monash scientists close in on childhood leukaemia genes

A/Prof Ross Dickins' group works on
genetic mutation in cancer

by Anne Crawford

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer. Whereas about 90% of paediatric ALL patients can be cured with current therapies, the prognosis for those who don’t respond is poor.

Monash University researchers at the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases (ACBD) used a novel approach to identify three genes that could be potential new targets for drugs to treat these patients.

Sashimi or kebab? The effect of cooking on crustacean allergy

Allergy to crustaceans is complicated, and
can differ depending whether the food is
cooked or raw.

 by Dr Jodie Abramovitch (one of the authors on the study)

Allergy to crustaceans, such as crab and prawns, is a major cause of food induced anaphylaxis. To more accurately diagnose and treat crustacean allergies, investigation into the underlying immunological mechanisms that cause the allergy is necessary.

Researchers within the Monash University Departments of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine (AIRMed) and of Immunology and Pathology have published a paper investigating the effect of cooking of crab and prawn species on immune cells involved in the allergic response.

For the first time, this study looked at the response of four different immune cell subsets – CD4+, CD8+,  and CD56+ lymphocytes, and Foxp3+ regulatory T cells -  to raw and cooked crustaceans in crustacean-allergic individuals.

Fainting disorder mechanism figured out

Fainting caused by POTS is regulated by switching gene

function off. Image:  Imgur/Twoisnoe

by Anne Crawford

Central Clinical School (CCS) investigators have discovered the mechanism underlying Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), the condition famously affecting the former lead singer of The Wiggles.

POTS is a disorder characterised by orthostatic intolerance – having difficulty in becoming upright, particularly when standing up from a lying-down position, when a greatly reduced volume of blood returns to the heart. Symptoms can include feeling light-headed, fainting, fatigue and slurred speech. Interestingly, eighty per cent of those with the condition are women. 

The Big Picture: Benefits of HIV self testing

Professor Christopher Fairley with a
colleague, Dr Eric Chow

by Anne Crawford

"The Big Picture" will be a series profiling multicentre and international studies in which Central Clinical School (CCS) researchers and affiliates play a part.

CCS and Melbourne Sexual Health Centre researchers Professor Kit Fairley and Dr Marcus Chen were part of a multi-centre Australian study investigating whether HIV self-testing would increase frequency of testing in high-risk gay and bisexual men, with a particular focus on men who delayed testing or had never been tested before.

Frequent testing of individuals at high risk of HIV is central to current prevention strategies.

New short course: Introduction to Surgical Research

Mr James Lee, a surgeon from Central Clinical School's Department of Surgery and The Alfred, offered a very successful course in 2016, "An introduction to surgical research".  It's being offered again this year - see more:  www.monash.edu/medicine/healthed-institute/courses/an-introduction-to-surgical-research

Old Xavierians and MAPrc celebrate an 8 year partnership on the de Castella Run

Old Xavierians Athletics Club partner with MAPrc on the de Castella run
2 Mend Minds. Dr Christopher Worsnop, President of OXAC, presented 
a cheque for $60,000 to Prof Jayashri Kulkarni

The de Castella Run, held annually on the last Sunday in August for the last 37 years, has been owned by the Old Xavierians Athletic Club (OXAC) since 2008. OXAC has shared a great partnership with MAPrc  over the last 8 years to raise money to support research into debilitating mental illnesses that are the hardest to treat. During this time the run has become known as the "de Castella Run 2 Mend Minds".

Congratulations to MAPrc on recent grants and donations!

Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, Director MAPrc
and President of IAWMH

Congratulations to Professor Jayashri Kulkarni and the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre on recent grant and funding successes! These include:

Jayashri Kulkarni has received a $300,000 grant from The Alfred Felton Bequest for her project ‘Preventing suicide in perimenopausal women: a new approach’.

MAPrc has been successful in its bid to host the International Association of Women's Mental Health conference in 2021, and will be awarded $216,000 to cover costs. Jayashri was recently elected IAWMH President.

MAPrc also has received a $312,000 gift from the Alison Wolinski Foundation for a six year project, to be known as "The Alison Project", investigating better treatments for Complex Trauma Disorder (previously known as Borderline Personality Disorder).

Thanks & Au Revoir to Eva-Rachele Pesce!

Eva-Rachele Pesce at the
very successful MIPSS do

Many thanks to Dr Eva-Rachele Pesce, who has been our school's Senior Research Services Officer while Dr Rachael Borg was on maternity leave. Eva did a fabulous job looking after the entire school, and worked very hard getting our new Department of Diabetes set up in their extensive labs, and settled in to offices! Eva's last day is Monday 27 March 2017.

Welcome back to Rachael. Please direct all enquiries regarding Research Services either to Rachael's email, rachael.borg@monash.edu, or to the CCS Technical Services jobdesk: https://sites.google.com/a/monash.edu/ccsintranet/services/technical-services/ts-job-desk