Participants sought: Does memory and brain plasticity improve with non-invasive brain stimulation?

Image: M.C. Escher, 'Drawing Hands'

The Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) is currently seeking healthy right-handed adult participants aged between 18-60 years to take part in a study investigating the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on improving memory and brain plasticity. The study involves the use of a new form of non-invasive brain stimulation known as ‘High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) which is a painless, safe, and non-invasive means of stimulating nerve cells in the brain. Brain activity will be recoded using TMS and EEG and memory will be studied via neuropsychological tests.

2016 D.S. Rosengarten Surgical Trainee Research Prize now open for applications

2015 winner Dr Kathleen Suter with
Mrs Candice Rosengarten

The D.S. Rosengarten Surgical Trainee Research Prize 2016 is now open for applications. The prize consisting of a shield and $1000 will be awarded for the best surgical research project performed by an Alfred Hospital surgical trainee.

Advanced and Basic Surgical trainees in all disciplines at The Alfred Hospital are eligible to apply and are encouraged to participate.

The winner, to be decided by a panel of adjudicators, will be announced at the conclusion of a scientific symposium at which the projects will be presented. This will be held on Saturday 3 December, 2016 at 8:00am in the AMREP Seminar Room, AMREP Education Centre, The Alfred.

Congratulations to Mei Choy, Zhu Tong and Janet Gare on PhD completions!

Congratulations to our recently completed PhD students, Dr Mei Choy, Ms Tong Zhu and Ms Janet Gare!

Dr Mei Choy's thesis is titled: "Targeted delivery of MMP14 inhibitor in a nanodrug construct for stabilization of unstable atherosclerotic plaques to prevent plaque rupture" and was ratified by the Graduate Research Steering Committee on  Tuesday 31 May 2016. She was supervised by Dr Christoph Hagermeyer (ACBD) and Prof Karlheinz Peter (BakerIDI).

Tong (Pam) Zhu

Ms Tong (Pam) Zhu's  thesis is titled: "The role of renin angiotensin system in retinal inflammation" and was ratified by the Graduate Research Steering Committee on Tuesday 10 May 2016. She was supervised by Prof Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka (Immunology & Pathology) and Dr Alex Agrotis.

Janet Gare

Ms Janet Gare's thesis is titled: "Antiretroviral therapy in Papua New Guinea: biological and social factors contributing to HIV treatment failure and drug resistance" and was ratified by the Graduate Research Steering Committee on Tuesday 24 May 2016. Supervisors are Prof Suzanne Crowe (Infectious Diseases), Dr Anna Hearps, Dr Claire Ryan and Dr Angela Kelly

Congratulations to the Gastroenterology FODMAP team for Dean's Award!

The low FODMAP research team at the 2013 Central Clinical School public lecture given by Peter Gibson.
L-R: Mr Alex Bogatyrev (Research scientist), Dr Jaci Barrett (Senior lecturer), Ms Amanda Banfield (Research Dietician), Ms Caroline Tuck (PhD student), Ms Simone Peters (PhD student), Prof Peter Gibson (HOD), Debbie King (Research chef), Ms Georgia Somers-Jones (Administrative Officer), Ms Emma Halmos (PhD student), Ms Phillipa Settle (Administrative Officer), Dr Jane Muir (Head, Translational Nutrition group), Ms CK Yao (PhD student), Ms Bernadette Kirwan (Administrative Officer).

Congratulations to Professor Peter Gibson, Dr Jane Muir & the FODMAP team, who are the recipients of the Dean's Awards in Excellence in Research Impact (Economic and Social Impact) team award in 2016. The date of the official presentation is 1 August 2016.

They have developed the Monash Low FODMAP diet app which is the highest selling medical app in Australia and now downloaded in over 100 countries worldwide. Their public lecture and animation videos have been seen by over 130,000 people.

See more about Low FODMAP diet research and products at Monash:

• Website: http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/
• App: http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/iphone-app.html
• Booklet: http://ecommerce.med.monash.edu.au/product.asp?pID=317&cID=11&c=17231
• Animation video link:  https://youtu.be/Z_1Hzl9o5ic
• 2013 public lecture video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByszVbFBPtY

Media mention: Dr Neil Bailey in 7 June ABC Catalyst, "The Science of Meditation"

ABC Catalyst 7 June 2016 featuring Dr Neil Bailey, MAPrc.  "The Science of Meditation – can it really change you?"  Read full story: www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4477405.htm

June 2016 EMCR@AMREP newsletter

The AMREP EMCR team produces a newsletter profiling achievements and opportunities for EMCRs. See the June 2016 issue at: www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/documents/ecr/201606-emcrtimes-20.pdf
See back issues at: www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/ecr/news.html

13 Jul VTIS (Red Cross) meeting: Dissecting humoral responses following lung transplantation

Date/time: Wed 13 July 9-11.30am
Venue: VTIS, Australian Red Cross Blood Service 100 - 154 Batman Street West Melbourne VIC 3003
Program: Flyer link
Contact: A/Prof Glen Westall FRACP PhD
Consultant Respiratory Physician, The Alfred Hospital
Adjunct Associate Professor, Dept of Medicine, Monash University
Tel:  9076 8241
Fax: 9529 8498
The aim of this meeting is to build upon existing research collaborations between The Alfred, Red Cross and The Doherty Institute, and in particular explore new research opportunities in the areas of B cell and NK cell biology.  A series of short presentations will framework wider open discussions between all participants.