Google map data to locate best hospitals for patients with stroke

Co-authors on the study, A/Prof Richard Beare

and Prof Velandai Srikanth (right). The study shows

how real time Google map data expedites transfer

of stroke patients for best hospital treatment.

A world-first study at Monash University has used Google map data to locate the hospitals to which patients with stroke should be transported for urgent and highly specialised treatment.

While stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, recent major advances in acute stroke management, such as endovascular clot retrieval (ECR), are bringing optimism to patients, their families and stroke clinicians.

Brains of people with diabetes have to work harder

Professor Velandai Srikanth is a clinician-
researcher based at Frankston Hospital in 
the south of Melbourne

by Anne Crawford

It was exactly the sort of investigation – and findings – that excites Professor Velandai Srikanth: Twenty-two sets of twins, all aged about sixty, controlled for factors including age, sex, genes and early shared environment. One twin in each pair had type 2 diabetes.

Comprehensive measures of brain structure and function were obtained. The twins in the study, funded by the Diabetes Australia Research Trust, showed no difference in brain volumes and ultimately performed the same in standard tests of cognitive function. But when it came to testing memory during a functional MRI, it became evident that the diabetic twin’s brain was much working harder, needing to recruit more areas to do the task.

Welcome to Professor Velandai Srikanth!

Professor Velandai Srikanth

Welcome to Velandai Srikanth, newly appointed Professor of Medicine in Central Clinical School based at Peninsula Health!

Srikanth's research role is supported by Monash University, and his clinical appointment is with Peninsula Health. He will also be involved in overseeing the delivery of education to medical students, and contribute to the clinical activities in the Department of Medicine at Peninsula Health.

Srikanth comes to us from the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, where he was the head of the Stroke and Ageing Research Group and a specialist Geriatrician within Neurosciences at Monash Health. His research expertise lies in the clinical study of chronic diseases related to ageing, particularly with relevance to major health priorities including dementia, diabetes, cerebrovascular diseases, gait disorders and falls. His research has been funded by fellowships and grants from the NHMRC and the Heart Foundation. Srikanth plans to continue his research and develop new research initiatives relevant to the significantly ageing population in the Peninsula.

See more about Srikanth's research: www.med.monash.edu.au/medicine/alfred/research/srikanth-group.html