Video of the week: Wendy Brown

Professor Wendy Brown describes Monash Department of Surgery research at the Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct (AMREP): video 2:07. See more about the department at: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/ccs/surgery-alfred/home

What's on at CCS 18-22 September 2017



Michael Low is presenting
on  21 Sep 2017

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

CCS staff and 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

See CCS seminar index: www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/events/seminars.html

What's on at CCS 18-22 September 2017

Tue	19/09/2017	►	10:00	Department of Diabetes Student Journal Club
		►	11:00	PhD Pre-submission Seminar: Dr Eileen Grace Merriman
Wed	20/09/2017	►	14:00	Immunology Seminar: Tri Phan
Thur	21/09/2017	►	11:30	Cutting Edge Journal Club: Michael Low
		►	12:00	The Alfred Grand Round: Susan Biggar, National Engagement Advisor AHPRA
		►	12:00	Dr Max Ortiz Catalan: Osseointegrated implants
Fri	22/09/2017	►	09:00	Healthcare in a person-centred era: communicating to improve outcomes forum

Neural control of artificial limbs via osseointegrated implants: Dr. Max Ortiz Catalán

Dr Max Ortiz Catalán giving a TED talk on osseointegration. Link

You are invited to attend a Central Clinical School seminar at the AMREP seminar room on Bionic Limbs Integrated to Bone, Nerves, and Muscles.


Dr Max Ortiz Catalán will shed light on how biology and mechatronics can integrate man and machine through intuitive prosthetics, controlled by the mind.

The Alfred’s Mr Frank Bruscino-Raiola Director of Plastic Surgery, Mr Steven Gray, and the Alfred Hospital Osseointegration and Targeted Muscle Reinnervation Team, have helped to pioneer this revolutionary technique which enables amputees to gain better and more natural control of their prosthetic arm. They have strong collaborations with leading centres around the world, including Integrum in Sweden and Rehabilitation Institute in Chicago.

This event is co-hosted by the Plastic Surgery Unit at the Alfred Hospital and the Department of Surgery, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Alfred Centre.

Details:

• Speaker: Dr Max Ortiz Catalán
• Title: Bionic limbs integrated to bone, nerves, and muscles.
• Date:  Thursday 21 September 2017
• Time: 5.30pm drinks and canapes for 6.00pm start.  Lecture followed by Q&A session
• Venue: AMREP Seminar Room
• Cost: Free
• Contact: E daphne.vogiagis@monash.edu  T +61 3 9903 0611
• Photo gallery of Alfred osseointegration team

Dr Ortiz Catalán's research focuses on neural control of artificial limbs via osseointegrated implants. This involves bio-electric signals acquisition and processing, neural interfaces, machine learning, osseointegration, and neurostimulation. He is also interested in the use of virtual and augmented reality for neuromuscular rehabilitation and treatment of phantom limb pain (PLP) using myoelectric pattern recognition to decode motor volition.

Dr Ortiz Catalán is leading the development and clinical implementation of the Osseointegrated Human-Machine Gateway. This technology made possible, for the first time, the direct connection of a robotic prosthesis to the patients' bone, nerves, and muscles. He has also developed a novel treatment for phantom limb pain, which is currently under an international clinical investigation. These projects have in common the use of bioelectric pattern recognition (BioPatRec) for the decoding of motor intention. Dr. Ortiz Catalan has made the algorithms necessary for such task available in an open source platform for research and development (BioPatRec). He founded and leads the Biomechatronics and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory​​, and he is an Associate Editor for the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation (JNER).

Dr Max Ortiz Catalán is an Assistant Professor at the Biomedical Signals and Systems research unit, and founder of the Biomechatronics and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory (@ChalmersBNL). He works in close collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Reconstruction of Extremities (C.A.R.E.) at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and Integrum AB, both in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Recent CCS publications: 9-15 Sep 2017

Professor David Tarlinton, HOD Immunology and Pathology
has two articles in this week's publications roundup. Recently
published video of David describing the department's research

Recent publications for Central Clinical School affiliated authors in the following departments. Note, browse down this entry for details. Linked headings for each section are to the departments' home pages.

• Australian Centre for Blood Diseases (ACBD)
• Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine (AIRMed)
• Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine
• Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• Immunology and Pathology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medicine
• Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre (MAPrc) 
• National Trauma Research Institute
• Surgery

Rapid measurement of platelet function moves closer to fruition

2017 Nandurkar group, three of whom are authors on the article
describing their device for measuring platelet function.

by Anne Crawford

Monash and RMIT scientists have edged closer to refining a device that will rapidly measure platelet function in the blood of people with von Willebrand's disease (vWD), the most common inherited bleeding disorder in Western populations. The device will also act as a high-throughput screening tool for other blood platelet disorders and new drug discovery.

Enzyme finding is good news for vegetarians with bowel disorder

Legumes, soy milk and nuts may be back on the menu for those
suffering from IBS, thanks to Monash University research.

by Anne Crawford

 A digestive enzyme supplement may hold the key to improving the symptoms suffered by patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) when they eat a carbohydrate commonly found in legumes, soy milk and nuts, according to Monash University research.

Researchers in the Central Clinical School’s Department of Gastroenterology have found that oral α-galactosidase co-ingested with foods high in galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) helps reduce symptoms. IBS is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder affecting one in seven Australian adults, characterised by chronic and relapsing symptoms including lower abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, wind, distension and altered bowel habits.

Potential breakthrough in treating post-traumatic epilepsy in children

Dr Bridgette Semple researches children's epilepsy

Researchers have discovered that an anti-inflammatory compound may help improve cognitive function and reduce vulnerability to epileptic seizures in children who have suffered a brain injury. They have described a new animal model of epilepsy that develops after brain injury, particularly in young brains, that will hopefully enable doctors to better target treatment.

Published in The Journal of Neuroscience, the study was led by Dr Bridgette Semple from the University of Melbourne & Department of Medicine at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Melbourne Brain Centre.  Bridgette will be moving to the Central Clinical School as part of the new Department of Neurosciences headed by Professor Terry O'Brien in October 2017.

Professor Terry O’Brien receives the Ambassador for Epilepsy award

Professor Terry O'Brien presenting at the
2017 Translational Research Symposium

Congratulations to Professor Terry O’Brien, who has been awarded the Ambassador for Epilepsy Award, for the Australian chapter, from the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)! The award recognises international contributions to activities advancing the cause of epilepsy.

Professor O’Brien was presented the award on September 2, at a ceremony held in Barcelona.

CCS PhD student profile: Mahtab Parvaresh

Mahtab Parvaresh at the 2017 CCS 3MT heats.

 by Matt Jane                                                             
Mahtab Parvaresh is a PhD student in the Natural Killer (NK) Cell Biology Laboratory in the Department of Immunology. She is supervised by Dr Dan Andrews. Mahtab completed a Bachelor of Biotechnology at RMIT and then went on to complete her Honours at Monash University.

Congratulations to our new graduates!

Mr Gao Qian

Dr Mark Ward

Dr David McIlroy

Congratulations to our recent graduates, Dr Mark Ward, Dr David McIlroy and Mr Gao Qian! Good luck in all your future endeavours!