Social media for scientists - is it worth the bother?

What is social media good for? For scientists, that is. A PLOS Biology article says, "...scientists are increasingly using social media as a way to share journal articles, advertise their thoughts and scientific opinions, post updates from conferences and meetings, and circulate information about professional opportunities and upcoming events." The metrics, for all the caveats, indicate that if you tell people about your work, they look at it and are more likely to cite it. See:

• http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2013/dec/02/why-do-academics-blog-research?CMP=twt_gu
• http://cameronwebb.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/can-social-media-increase-the-exposure-of-newly-published-research/
• http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001535
• http://melissaterras.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/is-blogging-and-tweeting-about-research.html

Image: nexalogy.com

Monash@Alfred saving trees and money with MACE project

Did you know that Australians use more than 3.5 million tonnes of paper each year? That’s about 40,000 trees!! (For estimation see link). Monash@Alfred is tackling this problem head on with our new printing policy (available at https://sites.google.com/a/monash.edu/monash-alfred-cost-efficiency-project/home).  Enquiries: mace-alfred@monash.edu.

ACBD goes to the American Society of Haematology (ASH) Annual Meeting

A large contingent of researchers from the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases (ACBD) are attending this year's American Society of Haematology (ASH) annual meeting and exposition, being held in New Orleans, USA, December 7-10. ACBD poster and oral presenters are Philip Campbell, David Curtis, Elizabeth Gardiner, Andrew Guirguis, Stephen Ting, Anna Kalff, Zoe McQuilten, Mark Polizzotto, George Grigoriadis and Erica Wood.

Recent publications for Central Clinical School: 9 Oct - 4 Nov 2013

Central Clinical School list of publications notified 9 October - 4 November 2013 to the Monash Research Office. The arrangement is in alphabetical order by department, then alpha by first author within Department.

Healthy volunteers needed for brain research: MAPrc

At the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), we do a number of human studies where we explore how the brain works, and how we can make it work better in people who experience mental illness. This means that we are always in need of healthy volunteers to act as “control” participants. This may mean we are looking for volunteers to come into our centre and carry out behavioural or computerised tasks, or have a brain scan or undergo one of several brain stimulation techniques.

Video: IBS & the low FODMAP diet - CCS public lecture 30 October 2013

Video: 1:19:08

Professor Peter Gibson is Head of Department of Gastroenterology at Monash University. On 30 October 2013, he presented to a full house on the problem of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and gut symptoms in general and about the world-wide fascination with dietary cures. He describes the controversy surrounding wheat intolerance, the most current research and outlines the new dietary approach, the low FODMAP diet, that is changing the way doctors and dietitians help people with IBS to manage their problem. The lecture was part of 2013 Melbourne Knowledge Week. Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByszVbFBPtY

Video: Russell Gruen on the National Trauma Research Institute work & research

Professor Russell Gruen, Director of the National Trauma Research Institute and Professor of Surgery (Central Clinical School) and Public Health (School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine) speaks on a number of topics. Youtube links:

• Research collaboration improving trauma care in India
• 2012 Lancet review of trauma surgery (series editor and lead author for one section)
• PATCH trial (Pre-Hospital Treatment of Acute Traumatic Coagulopathy and Haemorrhage)
• Overview of the National Trauma Research Institute