Surprising finding following infection after paediatric brain injury

Mr Rishabh Sharma, first author on the study

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of disability in young children, yet the factors contributing to poor outcomes in this population are not well understood. What most people don’t know is that patients who experience a TBI are highly susceptible to infections originating in hospitals, and are mostly acquired within the first week of hospitalization. Such infections may modify the pathobiology and recovery of TBI.

Mr Rishabh Sharma is a 3rd year PhD student supervised by Dr Bridgette Semple, A/Prof. Sandy Shultz and Dr. Pablo Casillas-Espinosa in the Department of Neuroscience at the Central Clinical School. He wanted to understand whether an additional challenge to the immune system (i.e. mimicking an infection) after paediatric TBI altered the acute outcomes in a pre-clinical mouse model.

Monash brain research success in major national grants

Associate Professor Sandy Shultz, the recipient of
 a 2018 NHMRC Career Development Fellowship.

by Anne Crawford

Researchers in Monash University’s new Department of Neuroscience have been recognised in National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants worth more than $1.3million.

The Department, part of Monash University’s Central Clinical School (CCS), will be officially opened by Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health, on 30 August. It attracted almost half of the grants awarded to CCS scientists.

Medical research at CCS boosted by major national grants

A/Prof Christoph Hagemeyer

Professor Ben Marsland

A/Prof Sandy Shultz

Professor Sam El-Osta

Dr Joseph Doyle

Dr Piero Perucca

Dr Pablo Casillas-Espinosa

Monash University Central Clinical School researchers have been awarded National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants worth more than $3.5 million in the latest funding round.

The research grants were among nationwide funds totalling $192 million announced yesterday by the Federal Health Minister, the Hon. Greg Hunt.

Head of the Central Clinical School, Professor Stephen Jane, congratulated the researchers for their success in securing the grants. "These are outstanding results for the School, recognition of very talented investigators in a intensely competitive environment. We appreciate that others with similar talents were unsuccessful and assure them of our support and encouragement for future rounds, where hopefully their turn will come."