Publication: Promising HIV cure drugs less effective on the virus in the brain

Dr Lachlan Gray, HIV researcher at the Burnet Institute

A Burnet Institute study has revealed treatments currently being trialed as a potential cure for HIV are less effective on the HIV virus in the brain compared to that found in the blood.

Published in the prestigious Nature journal, Molecular Psychiatry, the study tested a number of HIV ‘cure agents’ and found the two most promising of those, panobinostat and romidepsin, might not work effectively within the brain.

Publication: Cost effectiveness of chlamydia screening for pregnant women aged 16-25 years attending an antenatal service

Image: sexetc.org

Is it worth testing all young pregnant women for chlamydia? This study argues that it is.

Using clinical data from a previous study, and outcomes data from the literature, the authors modelled the short-term perinatal (12-month time horizon) incremental direct costs and outcomes from a government (as the primary third-party funder) perspective for chlamydia screening. Costs were derived from the Medicare Benefits Schedule, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and average cost-weights reported for hospitalisations classified according to the Australian refined diagnosis-related groups.

Publication: Mortality and length of stay in elderly toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) patients

Ms Heather Cleland (left) with research nurses

Ms Heather Cleland, Director, Victorian Adult Burns Service (VABS), and team have reported that timely referral of TEN patients, particularly the elderly, to a burns unit or an intensive care unit equipped to care for these patients, should be encouraged.

Invitation to 9 Oct CCS public lecture on women's mental health

You are invited to attend Monash University Central Clinical School's public lecture - an annual event featuring our lead researcher-clinicians from across the medical spectrum. Professor Jayashri Kulkarni (pictured, above) is an internationally renowned expert in the field and a high profile advocate for women's mental health. Women to this day in the most developed economies in the world earn less money than men, do more unpaid carer work and experience more mental health problems. She will describe the major issues which impact on women and their mental wellbeing, and strategies for improving women's mental health. The event will be chaired by former Governor General, Dame Quentin Bryce, who will also speak on the issue of women's mental health. Time: 6.00-6.30pm refreshments; 6.30-7.30pm Lecture and Q&A; 7.30-8.00pm refreshments; 8 pm close Date: Friday 9 October 2015 Where: Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct Lecture Theatre Cost: Free but registration essential for catering purposes Register now For more information on the event visit our website, email Julia Veitch or call 03 9903 0026.

Program to push for gender equality in STEMM fields

Dr Bernadette Fitzgibbon

Monash University has been selected as an inaugural member of the Science in Australia Gender Equity pilot (SAGE) of the Athena SWAN Charter in Australia.

The SAGE pilot, an initiative by the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), is the first Australian trial of the Athena SWAN gender equity accreditation program.

The program is an evaluation and accreditation framework to help institutions improve their gender equity practices and gender representation and retention in science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics (STEMM) disciplines.

Dr Bernadette Fitzgibbon (MAPrc neuroscientist) was interviewed together with Professor Nalini Joshi (applied mathematician) by ABC Radio on the initiative. See: www.abc.net.au/am/content/2015/s4313205.htm

Photo of the week: Central Clinical School staff portraits

Recent portraits of new and existing Central Clinical School staff and students with the Monash Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences blue backdrop. Our doctors, clinicians, researchers, lecturers, graduate students, adjuncts, administrative and professional staff all have faces! See complete staff listing (though without photos) at:  www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/staff/allccs.html

Pictured here, L-R:
Top row: Marina Iacovou, Gayan de Mel, Anthony Dear, Joseph Doyle, Ben Fancke, Mark Fitzgerald, Smitha Georgy
Middle row: Vijay Kumar, Dussy Kuttner, Florence Lim, Harshal Nandurkar, Harvey Newnham, Miranda Paraskeva, Simone Peters
Bottom row: Arie Sebastian, Waled Shihata, Eric Tan, Emma Toulmin, Costa Valakopoulos, Menno Van Zelm, Shirley Webber

Forthcoming CCS events: Seminars, public events, general notices

Dr Lachlan Gray, Burnet Institute, at the

2014 EMCR@AMREP symposium

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 the week: 11 - 18 Sep 2015

Fri 11-Sep 12.30 pm ► Dept Immunology: "Cutting Edge" seminar series
                   1.30 pm ► Dept Immunology: Special guest lecture from Dr Raj Muthusamy
                  5.00 pm ►Closing date for IgV registration

Mon	14-Sep	9:00	►	BMedSc Dept Oral Presentation#2
		12:30	►	Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round
Tue	15-Sep	11:30	►	PhD Pre-Submission Seminar : Mr James McFadyen
		15:00	►	Guest Lecture by Professor Warwick Anderson: Human Frontier Science Program

In the Future

• 30 Sep Translational Research symposium: Alfred Medicine 50th anniversary
• 9 Oct CCS Public Lecture: Prof Jayashri Kulkarni on women's mental health
• 18 Nov Post Graduate symposium