Participants sought: Immunobiology of pregnancy in MS and NMOSD

Pregnancy may have beneficial health effects for women with relapsing-remitting MS in the form of less long-term disability. 

Participants are sought for our research project, in which we are seeking to identify the biological mechanisms that underpin this benefit by following Australian women with and without MS over a 3-5 year period. In these women, we will track changes that occur to the immune system before, during, and after pregnancy, and compare these changes against the immune activity in women of the same age who do not have children. 

Hot topics in MS research: our take on the 2022 MS Australia Scientific conference

L-R: Ms Pia Campagna, Dr Michael Zhong

Ms Pia Campagna and Dr Michael Zhong

Michael and I are third year PhD students in the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology (MSNI) Genomics and Prognostics Group, led by Dr Vilija Jokubaitis. We recently attended the 2022 Progress in MS Research Scientific Conference in Hobart, convened by Prof. Helmut Butzkueven, Head of the Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School to present some of our work with academic peers and the wider non-academic community. 

The conference was organised by the peak national organisation for MS research, MS Australia. It has become a key forum for researchers and clinicians to come together and learn about the latest research happening around Australia, with the aim of stimulating innovative research and encouraging collaborations. 

MS Australia incubator grant for investigating effect of pregnancy on MS onset

L-R: Dr Michael Zhong, Ms Maria (Pia) Campagna and Dr Vilija
Jokubaitis have won an MS Australia incubator grant

Congratulations to Dr Michael Zhong, Dr Vilija Jokubaitis and Ms Maria (Pia) Campagna on the award of an incubator grant of $25,000 from MS Australia for their research project, 'The effect of foetal cells in maternal blood on MS during pregnancy'. Dr Zhong is a Neuroimmunology Fellow at the Alfred, and both he and Ms Campagna are PhD students in Dr Vilija Jokubaitis's group. Dr Zhong is leading the research, and Ms Campagna and Dr Jokubaitis are co-investigators.

From their MS Australia project description, they write:

Neuroscience student Pia Campagna on RRR's a-gogo Sunday 21 March!

Pia Campagna, PhD student, describes her TRM experience
in the Bioinformatics pathway. See video

Neuroscience PhD student Pia has been selected to be one of 20 PhD students to present their work on Einstein a-gogo on TripleR 102.7FM with Dr Shane Huntington this Sunday between 11am-1pm. All invited to listen in! See Pia talk about her TRM bioinformatics subject in a recent video. You can also follow her on Twitter, @PiaCampagna.

Translational Research and Medicine program building on successes

Gemma Hartley, PhD student, describes her TRM experience
in the Immunology pathway. See video

by Matt Cull

Monash University is creating a first of its kind training program for postgraduate students, aimed at driving innovative new medical ideas to market.

Three TRM students describe how they have been finding the experience.