Congratulations to Miriel Ho on completing her PhD!

Congratulations to Miriel Ho on recently completing her PhD. Miriel was based at the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases and she was researching the relationship between bone and bone marrow interface with haematopoiesis. Her supervisors were Professor Hatem Salem and Professor Robert Medcalf.

Click here to view Miriel's student profile. 

Congratulations to Dr Lachlan Gray, featured on 'Science' careers website

Dr Lachlan Gray was recently interviewed for an article in Science Careers, part of the journal Science, on his research areas and future prospects. Lachlan is a senior postdoctoral fellow at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne whose area of study is HIV. While it is no longer the death sentence it was when it was first discovered 3 decades ago, HIV is proving extremely difficult to eradicate. Lachlan is one of a small number of scientists worldwide trying to shed light on how HIV spreads to the brain, where it can cause neurocognitive disorders and establish viral reservoirs that make it resistant to the available drugs. See link for detail.

Congratulations to Glen Westall for becoming Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor

Congratulations to A/Prof Glen Westall for recently receiving the new title of Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor to his name. A/Prof Westall specialises in lung transplantation and his contributions to the field of lung transplantation have been recognized by invitations to lecture at the last five International Society of Heart and Lung Transplant Meetings. A/Prof Westall has also written a number of invited editorials in the field of lung transplantation.

Opt-in cardio-pulmonary (CPR) debate

Image: www.mja.com.au

A controversial proposal to end cardiopulmonary resuscitation as the “universal default” for hospital inpatients and replace it with an opt-in system has generated heated debate among doctors and lawyers. In a “For debate” article published on 28 July by the MJA, Associate Professor Michele Levinson, head of the Cabrini-Monash Department of Medicine and research fellow Dr Amber Mills, challenged the idea that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was a patient’s right, arguing that “a CPR discussion should occur on admission for all elderly hospital inpatients”. Story link.

CareTV for discharged Alfred patients

The Alfred Hospital is currently offering a world class first initiative which will aim to continue patient care long after they leave hospital, by the way of video. Dubbed CareTV, the initiative takes the form of a three to five minute video of a ward round that is filmed before the patient goes home. Each video includes a lay summary of the patient's diagnosis, treatment and follow up plan, as well as answers to any questions asked by the patient and their family. A/Prof Harvey Newnham, The Alfred's director of general medicine, said that CareTV will be helpful because there is often a problem with getting patients to remember and understand ongoing care. See 14 June 2014 presentation.

Alfred Health Link features CCS researchers

Prof Sharon Lewin
fronting her team

Alfred Health Link's June/July edition of their print magazine features a fantastic four page spread of the Alfred-Monash who's who in HIV research and practice. The liftout highlights some of Central Clinical School's most active researchers involved in the bid to find a cure for HIV AIDS, such as Professor Sharon Lewin. Others featured include Prof Jenny Hoy, Dr James McMahon, Dr Julian Elliot, Dr Janine Trevillyan and A/Prof Edwina Wright. The magazine's focus on HIV research comes as the 20th International AIDS 2014 Conference is about to begin in Melbourne. See video of Prof Hoy, A/Prof Wright and Dr Trevillyan.

12 Aug 2014 Central Clinical School 3MT competition for PhD students

2013 CCS 3MT winners:
Jodie Abramovitch,  Katherine
Hackman, Kirk Kee (absent)

Central Clinical School PhD students regularly compete in the "Three Minute Thesis" competition (3MT), offered in every Australian university. The CCS 3 Minute Thesis Competition is an opportunity for HDR students to convey the relevance and importance of their research in just 3 minutes.  2014 CCS 3MT will be held on Tuesday 12 August 2014, 10-11am at Lecture Theatre, Level 5, Alfred Centre.  Please come along and support the participants.  All welcome. Please RSVP for catering (morning tea).  See CCS 3MT competition page for participants' profiles and other information. See video for the 2013 winner, Dr Katherine Hackman. First published 17 June 2014.