Award winners for best poster presentations at VIIN

L-R: Rhiannon Grant, Liam Ta and Ebony Blight

Congratulations to Department of Immunology students Rhiannon Grant, Liam Ta and Ebony Blight, who won all of The Victorian Infection and Immunity Network poster presentation awards at the VIIN Young Investigator Symposium 2022. Well done!

Rhiannon Grant presented on "p-cresol sulfate acts on epithelial cells to reduce allergic airway inflammation"; Liam Ta on "Component-resolved diagnosis of peanut allergy through flowcytometric staining of basophils (CytoBas)"; and Ebony Blight on "Functional assessment of genetic variants affecting the NOD2 signalling pathway in patients with primary immunodeficiency".

See detail of posters here.

STEM workplaces and academia under the LGBTQIA+ microscope

As part of the Central Clinical School's Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion (CCS GEDI) committee's celebration of International Day of LGBTQIA+ People in STEM on 18 November, three of the committee members - Ms Rhiannon Grant, Dr Jessica Borger and Dr Zhouije Ding - have published an article in Monash Lens, "STEM workplaces and academia under the LGBTQIA+ microscope". 

Read the full Lens story here.

Download the 'Pride in STEM' poster for sticking up around your area.

Support Pride in STEM at CCS - posters available

Download the 'Pride in STEM'
A3 poster

GEDI and LGBTQIA+ advocates
Elan L'Estrange-Stranieri and Rhiannon
Grant putting up a poster.

LGBTQIA+ individuals still experience significant apprehension being open about their sexuality and gender identity in the research workplace. 

To combat this, CCS departments have placed 'Pride in STEM' posters at their entrances to signify to all staff and students that they are an LGBTQIA+ friendly workplace.  

If CCS Departments/Labs would like to have a poster to display to welcome and support LGBT+ coworkers, that they can download it here, or email Elan L'Estrange-Stranieri, Jessica Borger or the ccs.gedi@monash.edu role account. Elan is the CCS GEDI Executive Officer, and has led the initative.

Monash HDR students win 10% pay rise following student-led campaign

HDR stipend sit-in protest. L-R: Giulia Iacono, Gemma Hartley
leading and just behind, Elan L'Estrange-Stranieri and Rhiannon
Grant. Photo: MGA

by Elan L'Estrange-Stranieri, Gemma Hartley, Rhiannon Grant

As of March 2022, the Monash Research Training Program (RTP) stipend rate of $30,000 per annum for Higher Degree Research (HDR) students officially fell below the Henderson Poverty Line, being 20% lower than the minimum wage ($36,931) after tax1,2, and the third lowest rate offered by Group of 8 (Go8) universities (see Figure 1: 2022 below). 

Ask 'R U OK?' No qualifications needed. Because a conversation could change a life.

R U OK? day is coming up on 8 September. Join us for a free coffee at the Forecourt (Commercial Road) between the Baker Building and the Burnet Tower. This is provided by a joint initiative between the CCS OH&S team and the CCS GEDI committee, to encourage us to take a stroll with our colleagues around Fawkner Park and start a conversation that could change a life. Please register here.

Rhiannon Grant to represent graduate research students at faculty level

Rhiannon Grant

Congratulations to Rhiannon Grant, a PhD student in the Central Clinical School's Department of Immunology and Pathology, who has been selected for the position of Graduate Research Student Representative on the MNHS Faculty Research Committee. 

The role includes participation on the Faculty Higher Degree Research Student Committee, which facilitates cross-communication between the School Higher Degree Research student representatives and the Faculty Research Committee.