Photo of the week: Motherhood and scholarship

MAPrc PhD student Elizabeth Thomas with her baby daughter

Does having a baby mean your ambitions have to go on hold? Not as far as Elizabeth Thomas, a PhD student at Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre (MAPrc) is concerned.

What's on at CCS 10-14 September 2018

Dr Carolyn Breadon, PhD candidate
at MAPrc,11.30 am Mon 10 Sep

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.monash.edu/medicine/ccs/headlines/events-calendar

What's on at CCS 10-14 September 2018

Mon	10/09/2018	►	11:30	PhD confirmation milestone - Carolyn Breadon
		►	12:00	Neuroscience seminar series CANCELLED
Tue	11/09/2018	►	11:00	MPhil Confirmation Milestone: Ing Tiong
Wed	12/09/2018	►	11:30	Seminar: Christina Begka
Thur	13/09/2018	►	11:30	Journal Club: Jade Jaffar
			12:00	Alfred Grand Rounds: Controversies in aged care

Save the date! 12 November 2018 CCS graduate research symposium

You are invited to attend a symposium held by, and for, PhD and Masters students at the Central Clinical School’s 2018 Annual Graduate Research Symposium - the 11th in the annual series - and be a part of the most interactive, student run event of the year.

Join us for a variety of presentations from postgraduate students around Central Clinical School.

Recent CCS publications: 1 - 7 September 2018

ACBD research group working on leukaemia stem cells. L-R: Ms Loretta Cerruti, A/Prof Stephen Ting, Ms Jacqueline Boyle, A/Prof David Curtis,  Dr Cedric Tremblay,   Dr Stefan Sonderegger, Dr Emma Toulmin, Dr Christina Tebartz,   Ms Jesslyn Saw, Mr Andrej Terzic, Ms Michelle Karlik,  Ms Ashlee Conway.  The bolded names are co-authors on a recent paper investigating pre-leukaemia stem cell mutations. 

Cure rates for acute leukemia have not improved over the last 20 years. One explanation for this lack of progress is the existence of rare leukemic cells that escape chemotherapy. Using genetically modified mice that can track cells according to their cycling kinetics, we found that dormant leukemic cells are essential for the progression of the disease. Most importantly, we show that these dormant cells escape chemotherapy and lead to recurrence of the disease in acute leukemia. This work will identify new ways to eliminate these therapy-resistant cells and improve cure rates for patients with acute leukemia.

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

Australian Centre for Blood Diseases

Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine (AIRmed)

Diabetes

Infectious Diseases

Medicine

Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc)

Surgery (including CORE)

National Trauma Research Institute (Trauma)

Scientists reveal reason why diabetes protects against aneurysms

Three of the study's authors: L-R Dr Tieqao Wu,
Dr Zhong-Lin Chai and Dr Pacific Huynh

by Anne Crawford

For some years clinicians have observed that people with diabetes are usually less likely to have aortic aneurysms than non-diabetic patients. Aortic aneurysm is a major cause of death in older adults.

The phenomenon was puzzling: diabetes is associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, specifically related to atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries. Most aortic aneurysms are caused by atherosclerosis, which weakens the blood vessel walls.

Now, Monash University scientists led by Dr Zhong-Lin Chai from the Department of Diabetes have revealed a mechanism that explains the phenomenon.

International collaboration to investigate diabetes epigenetics

L-R: Professor Mark Cooper (Monash), Professor Stephen Jane 
(Monash), Professor Paul Zimmet (Monash), Mr Sami Sagol,
Professor Naftali Stern (Director of Endocrinology,Tel Aviv
Medical Center), Dr Tamar Shahal, Prof Sam El-Osta (Monash)

A new Israel-Australia research centre involving a major collaboration with Monash University was officially launched 5 September 2018 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The Sagol Center for Epigenetics of Metabolism and Aging cements the relationship between Monash University and the Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel’s largest health institution, where the centre will be based. The initiative was made possible by the generosity of the Sagol family in Israel and is the vision of philanthropist Sami Sagol.

Understanding type 2 diabetes: An ABC interview with Professor Merlin Thomas.

Professor Merlin Thomas

"Imagine the fat in your body is like the food that you store in your pantry."

This is how Merlin Thomas, a physician scientist from Monash University, begins when asked to explain how type 2 diabetes works.

Dr Elspeth Hutton: The burden of the 'suicide' headache

Dr Elspeth Hutton, Research Fellow
Department of Neuroscience

They’re called suicide headaches because the pain is frequent and unbearable.

Commonly known as cluster headaches, they can occur up to eight times a day. They start suddenly, last for up to three hours, and can be very painful. A bout of regular attacks, known as a cluster bout, can last weeks to months.

2018 AMREP EMCR symposium 14 Sept deadline for abstract submission

Dr Glenn Begley at the 2017 CCS hosted
Translational Research symposium. Glenn
is noted for his lively presentations. 

Reminder for AMREP EMCRs and HDRs that abstract submission for the 2018 AMREP EMCR symposium closes in one week on Friday 14 September.  This is a fantastic opportunity to present your data and ideas to your fellow early and mid career researchers, and a great chance to network.

We also have two really amazing keynote speakers who are taking time out of their busy schedules to speak to us, as well as a career development panel who will answer all of your questions about how to make the most of your CV and interview opportunities.

We encourage all EMCRs and final year PhD students to attend, though early PhD students are welcome to register also. Please register for catering purposes.

Participants sought: Migraine and visual disturbance, known as 'visual snow'

Visual snow can granulate visual perception as per the
right-hand image pictured here. Image: Medpage today

The problem

Currently, there is little understanding of the causes of Visual Snow (VS) and the relationship between VS and migraine.  As such, more research needs to be conducted to better understand the underlying mechanisms of these conditions.

A large portion of the brain is involved in vision and controlling the movement of the eyes. Other research has shown that simple eye movement tests and visual perception tasks can give important information about the mechanisms underlying neurological conditions.

What we want to find out

We wish to investigate whether differences in performance on eye movement and visual perception tests can account for the symptoms of VS and the differences in symptomology between VS and migraine.

Participants sought: Synchronising brain rhythms with mild electrical stimulation

Neural activity patterns. Wikipedia

The Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre is seeking healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 45 to help us investigate how people experience gentle electrical brain stimulation.

Participation will involve visiting our research centre in Prahran for three sessions. In each session you will undergo a short session of non-invasive brain stimulation and we will ask you questions about your experience of the stimulation and also record your brain activity. Each session will take between 2-3 hours to complete. You will be compensated $20 per session.

If you would like more details or might be interested in participating, please contact Dr Aron Hill, email aron.hill@monash.edu

See more detail at:
https://ccs-clin-trials.med.monash.edu.au/trials/equivalence-and-stimulation-parameter-investigations-brainamp-stimeegv2b-purpose-developed-tr