Heady days: Review charts growth of lung microbiome research

Professor Ben Marsland

by Anne Crawford

In 2010 scientists reported for the first time that microbiota – the community of microorganisms that includes bacteria – existed in the airways of humans; they were met with disbelief: the healthy lung was thought to be sterile.
 
Around the same time, Professor Ben Marsland and colleagues conducted a study demonstrating that administration of innocuous bacteria to the lungs of mice protected them against asthma. A further study together with Professor Nicola Harris showed that ‘germ-free’ mice, which are bred under sterile conditions and have no microbiota, exhibited increased susceptibility to asthma.

Funds a welcome boost to sexual disease research

L-R: Dr Eric Chow, Prof Christopher Fairley and Dr Catriona Bradshaw
have won NHMRC grants for research programs to control STIs.
Prof Fairley is giving a public lecture on 17 Oct - all welcome! RSVP

by Anne Crawford

Central Clinical School researchers at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) have been awarded more than $6 million in the latest round of NHMRC grants – funds that will go towards researching programs urgently needed to fight rising levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Professor of Public Health at Monash University, Professor Christopher Fairley AO said rates of STIs such as syphilis and gonorrhoea in Victoria had risen relentlessly over the past 20 years.

CCS Recent publications 27 Aug - 2 Sep 2019

Dr Eric Chow (left) and Prof Kit Fairley
have a new publication on the role of saliva in
STI transmission amongst MSM. Prof Fairley
is giving a public lecture on 17 Oct: RSVP

Recent publications for Central Clinical School feature affiliated authors in the following departments:

• Australian Centre for Blood Diseases (ACBD)
• Gastroenterology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medicine
• Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC)
• Neuroscience
• Surgery

Lakshanie Wickramasinghe receives ATA Scientific award

Lakshanie Wickramasinghe is a PhD student
working on lung disease in babies, seen here
presenting at Monash's 2019 3MT finals

Congratulations to Lakshanie Wickramasinghe on her runner up ATA Scientific award!

Lakshanie is a PhD student in Central Clinical School's Department of Immunology and Pathology, working under the supervision of Associate Professor Margaret Hibbs. Lakshanie will be using her award to contribute to the cost of registration and attendance for the Fetal and Neonatal Physiological Society conference, 16 – 19 October 2019 in Marysville, Victoria.

Australian Medical Students’ Orchestra (AMSO) concert "Drawings of Love" 22 Sep 2019

The Australian Medical Students’ Orchestra (AMSO) is proud to announce its 2019 concert Drawings of Love. We are delighted to invite you to what will be a wonderful event of diverse and iconic music repertoire.

AMSO will feature medical students from all corners of Australia who are passionate about music. We will come together over one weekend to perform at 2:30 pm on Sunday 22 September at Iwaki Auditorium, Melbourne. RSVP here