Participants sought: Do mindfulness meditators show different attention related brain activity compared to healthy controls?

Not you? Healthy non-meditators sought for study.

Do mindfulness meditators show different attention related brain activity compared to healthy controls?

Volunteers aged between 18 and 65 are sought for a research study being conducted at the Alfred Hospital. This is a study comparing brain activity in people who have meditation experience with healthy controls. It involves the measurement of brain activity using electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a non-invasive way to record brain's electrical activity.

We require both volunteers who have experience with meditation, and volunteers who have no experience with meditation. At the moment, we are particularly recruiting healthy non-meditators. You will undergo a brief interview and participate in a number of tasks assessing brain function.
Testing will occur at the Alfred Hospital over one sessions, lasting about 3 hours. Participants will be reimbursed $30 for the session.

If you are interested and think you may be able to participate, please contact:

• Dr Neil Bailey ph 9076 8691
• Ms Gabby Freedman email gabrielle.freedman@monash.edu

For more about MAPrc research, see www.maprc.org.au/.

Odd Spot: Daniel Levitin: "The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in an Age of Information Overload"

Daniel Levitin is a neuroscientist who has published a book called "The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in an Age of Information Overload". His talk to Google employees was video recorded & uploaded to Youtube. He elaborates on three themes, one singularly important, which is that there is no such thing as multitasking - the brain can only do one thing at a time. Another is that decisions, even the most trivial, take energy, i.e. use glucose. So avoid trivial decision making or leave it to the afternoon when you're tired e.g. what email to look at when.
Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR1TNEHRY-U

Videos of the week: Three Minute Thesis (3MT) presentations by Central Clinical School students

The Central Clinical School 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) heat was held Tuesday 4 Aug. There were six strong contenders on a range of subjects. The winner was Ms Shanzana Khan, and runner up and winner of the 'People's Choice' vote was Ms Ashlee Conway. Shanzana spoke on the influence of the Y chromosome lineage on blood pressure regulation. Ashlee had great fun with porphyria, otherwise and attractively known as 'Dracula's Disease'. We have created a Youtube playlist of their presentations on CCS youtube channel. Shanzana will be competing at the Faculty final on Friday 21 August at 1 pm, Clayton. The event will be live streamed to the Alfred Centre Level 5 lecture theatre - all welcome.

See more:

• 2015 CCS 3MT Youtube playlist
• More about the event
• More CCS photo galleries

Forthcoming CCS events: Seminars, public events, general notices

Prof Fabienne Mackay at the 2014
Immunology symposium. Her farewell
afternoon tea is Friday 28 August.

Central Clinical School has regular seminar series and postgraduate presentations. All event notices are maintained on the CCS Events calendar.

CCS staff & students can see details of both public and local events (including professional development courses, trade fairs and Graduate Research Student calendars) and deadlines, at the Intranet's Announcements page.

Various Departments have their own calendars, see CCS seminar index: www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/events/seminars.html

What's on for this week: 24 - 28 Aug 2015

Mon Aug 24 12:30 PM ► Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round Wed Aug 26 11:30 AM ► PhD Confirmation of Candidature - Dr Nirmala Kampan Fri Aug 28 3:30 PM ► Prof Fabienne Mackay farewell afternoon tea

In the Future

• 30 Aug De Castella Run
• 30 Sep Translational Research symposium: Alfred Medicine 50th anniversary
• 9 Oct CCS Public Lecture: Prof Jayashri Kulkarni on women's mental health

Professor Eric Morand: The curse of steroids in Lupus - and a way forward. Find out more on 30 Sep 2015

Professor Eric Morand is Head of the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University. He is a Professor of Medicine and Rheumatic Diseases, research group leader in the Monash Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, the Director of Rheumatology at Monash Health and Founder of the Lupus Clinic at Monash Health. Professor Morand will be speaking at the forthcoming 30 Sept Translational Research symposium hosted by Central Clinical School. See detail below.

Translational Research (TR) Young Investigator Poster competition 30 Sep: calling for entries

Jodie Abramovitch presenting her poster at the 2014 CCS postgraduate symposium.

The Translational Research Symposium and Department of Medicine's 50th anniversary celebration is being hosted by the Central Clinical School on 30 September. The inaugural Young Investigator poster competition is open to graduate students and early career researchers, with a $500 first prize. The symposium will be held throughout the day and into the evening at the AMREP Education Centre. A diverse group of medical researchers, medical alumni, and representatives from associated industries will be there. See more:

• Submit an entry for the Young Investigator poster competition. Entries close Mon 31 August
• About the symposium: www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/events/2015-tr-symposium.html
• RSVP to attend the symposium

9 Nov Early Career Researcher symposium: CCS offer to cover registration fee

Ms Sara Mokhtar presenting at the 2014 CCS graduate student symposium

The Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences will be holding their biannual Early Career Researcher (ECR) Symposium on Monday 9 November 2015 at the Caulfield campus. 

Central Clinical School is pleased to announce that we will be covering the registration fee ($50) for all CCS ECR staff who wish to attend.