Improving how the immune system can reveal a person's medical history

Associate Professor Paul Cameron from the Department of Infectious Diseases has co-authored a paper in Nature Communications describing a novel method to track the effects of influenza vaccination, cancer, infectious diseases and immune diseases on the diversity and repertoire of disease-fighting immune cells within an individual. The method combines state-of-the-art next generation sequencing and online analytical databases. Reference: "IMGT/HighV QUEST paradigm for T cell receptor IMGT clonotype diversity and next generation repertoire immunoprofiling" (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=10.1038%2Fncomms3333).

Event: CETBIR symposium 28 Oct 2013, 2.00-4.30 pm

TBI research update: Australian and international perspectives

The Centre of Excellence in Traumatic Brain Injury Research (CETBIR) was formed in 2012 as a virtual research centre and a focal point for brain injury expertise in Victoria. The Centre is based at the Alfred Medical Research Precinct and is supported by a capacity building grant from the Victorian Transport Accident Commission. There are currently four researchers supported by CETBIR fellowships.  A symposium is being held on 28 October, see details below. Prof Andrew Maas (pictured) is keynote speaker.

Consumer driven crops: the growing gluten-free harvest for IBS sufferers

Gluten free food has become a way of life for hundreds of thousands of Australians, and their dietary needs are driving the market. Dr Jane Muir, Head of the Nutrition Translational Science group in the Department of Gastroenterology, was interviewed for the ABC television program 'Landline', broadcast Sunday 6 Oct 2013. She said that it may not be gluten so much as a type of carbohydrate called fructans which was causing the problem. Older wheat types such as spelt had lower fructans levels and did not cause such a problem for those with irritable bowel syndrome. Transcript: http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2013/s3863244.htm.

"Electroshock" Insight SBS: Prof Paul Fitzgerald comments on electroconvulsive therapy and developing alternatives

Professor Paul Fitzgerald, Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre, was in the audience at SBS's 'Insght' program hosted by Jenny Brockie, on electroshock therapy (ECT), 24 Sept 2013.  He said that anecdotal evidence was important as well as clinical trial data in evaluating treatments, especially with old treatments that came into use before the development of modern clinical trials. If people say it works for them, respect them and take their word for it.

2013 Hatem Salem Festschrift videos now live

Professor Hatem Salem was the inaugural Director of the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, and retired at the end of 2012. In his honour a Festschrift was held on 26 April 2013, and various friends, colleagues and postgraduate students gave presentations. See videos at http://www.acbd.monash.org/video/festschrift.html.

AMREP Early Career Researcher retreat a success

The Early Career Researcher (ECR) committee at the Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct are very active in promoting the development and welfare of ECRs including PhD students as well as postdocs. They held their third annual retreat 26-27 September 2013, attended by approximately 100 ECRs from the AMREP precinct, which includes two Monash Schools, the Burnet and the BakerIDI Institutes. For more about the ECR, see www.med.monash.edu/cecs/ecr.

Congratulations to Immunology PhD students Maria Demaria and Eleanor Jones for IgV prizes

Maria Demaria

Eleanor Jones

Monash Department of Immunology's PhD students, Maria Demaria and Eleanor Jones, won two of the three prizes awarded for best presentation at the Immunology Group Victoria's (IgV) annual retreat, 26-27 Sept 2013.  The prizes are travel awards to attend the Australasian Society of Immunology conference in Wellington, NZ in December 2013.