Monash has new Sub-Faculty of Translational Medicine and Public Health

Professor Stephen Jane, newly

appointed Foundation Dean

Professor Margaret Gardner, Monash University Vice-Chancellor announced yesterday the establishment of the Sub-Faculty of Translational Medicine and Public Health, and the appointment of Professor Stephen Jane, Head of Central Clinical School (CCS) as Foundation Dean of the Sub-Faculty.

Novel drug may transform epilepsy treatment

Dr Pablo Casillas-Espinosa

by Anne Crawford

Monash University scientists have demonstrated that a novel drug can prevent the development of seizures in an animal model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE), the most common type of epilepsy that develops after a brain injury.

The researchers from the Department of Neuroscience found that the compound Z944 prevented the development of TLE in 80% of animals, and also significantly improved depression and memory and learning problems associated with the disease.

"Whose fault is it that Bob caught syphilis?" Find out in CCS's forthcoming Annual Public Lecture 2019

An exciting event to pop in your diaries is on the horizon - the CCS Annual Public Lecture. This year's presentation is called 'Whose fault is it that Bob caught syphilis?' and is being delivered by the Director of the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Professor Christopher Fairley AO on Thursday 17 October 2019. RSVP here

Synopsis
Late one night in Melbourne, Bob got syphilis after having sex with a man with syphilis. Lots other men had sex with other men that night but didn’t contract syphilis.  Bob used a condom, but they don’t always protect against syphilis. So, ‘whose fault was it’ that Bob got syphilis? The answer matters because it leads to a solution to an important problem. With syphilis cases in Melbourne on the rise, we desperately need a solution.

Congratulations to our 2019 NHMRC grant winners

CCS's 13 successful Investigator grant recipients

Congratulations to our National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator grant recipients in Central Clinical School (CCS)!

CCS researchers have been awarded a total of $22.5 million across 13 grants, the highest number in our Faculty. CCS areas of expertise range across the discipline areas of sexual health, blood diseases, neuroscience, infectious diseases, diabetes, immunology and mental health. Funding for these grants will begin in 2020.

Overall, the Faculty's clinical schools did outstandingly well, with the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health obtaining 8 Investigator grants. Our sister school at the Alfred campus, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, also did well. Congratulations to all!

CCS diabetes researcher honoured by award

Dr Jay Jha won an ADS award

Scientist Dr Jay Jha has been recognised by the Australian Diabetes Society (ADS) in an award given at its recent annual meeting in Sydney.

Dr Jha, an NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow in the Monash Department of Diabetes, won the Basic Science Poster award for his work into Nox4 and Nox5, pro-oxidant enzymes believed to promote diabetic kidney disease.

BGRF honours for neurological researchers focussed on patient outcomes

Associate Professor Piero Perucca

The 2019 Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation honours have gone to researchers focussed on patients' quality of life. One, Professor Malcolm Horne, has already contributed a lifetime to improving the lives of patients with neurological disease and is an international leader in medical research while the other, Associate Professor Piero Perucca, is already making a big impact despite his youth.

2019 Collaborative Seed Grants now open for Alfred Research Alliance researchers

2018 winners Dr Akram Zamani (left) and
Dr Evelyn Tsantikos (right)

We are calling for applications for the Alfred Research Alliance (A+) EMCR Collaborative Seed Grants!

The A+ Seed Grants are intended to assist in funding innovative research and foster lasting collaborations between the institutes.