Major surgery outcomes improved with TXA

Tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces the risk of
serious bleeding complications by 40%

New research shows the medication TXA could nearly halve the number of people who suffer complications with bleeding following open heart and other major surgery.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces the risk of serious bleeding complications by 40 per cent, resulting in fewer blood transfusions and emergency re-operations, according to a global study which involved 30 hospitals in seven countries. It was led by a team at the Alfred Hospital and Monash University.

Doctors had been concerned about using TXA because of fears that it might increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. But the world-wide study, funded by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) and the NHMRC, found that the drug did not increase thrombosis after open-heart surgery.

Female burns patients fare badly after discharge

Female burns victims have poorer quality
of life than their male counterparts.
Photo: Sunday Night 7 News

by Anne Crawford

Monash University and Alfred Hospital researchers have called for measures to urgently improve the long-term care of female burns patients after a study showed they experienced significantly reduced quality of life compared to men after burn injury.

Gut bacteria may aid anti-cancer treatment

Dr Mutsa Madonda completed his PhD with Prof Magdalena
Plebanski and is now a post doc in her lab.

by Anne Crawford

Monash University researchers are part of an international collaboration that has identified two intestinal bacteria as being potentially important in the effectiveness of anti-cancer medication.

The researchers found that the compound Cyclophosphamide (CTX), used in chemotherapy, relies on Enterococcus hirae and Barnesiella intestinihominis for its efficacy in countering tumours.

Their study, published in the journal Immunity, shows that the two gut bacteria changed the tumour microenvironment, activating T cells and helping the body fight cancer cells. More specifically, they reduced regulatory T cells and stimulated anti-tumour Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) responses.

Congratulations to NHMRC Fellowship & Development Grant CCS recipients!

Congratulations to all recipients of National Health & Medical Research Council Fellowship funding starting from 2017. Central Clinical School Fellowship (x4) and Development Grant (x1) recipients are:

Dr Stuart Marshall - Health Professional Research Fellowship (part-time). Stuart is in the Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine. Almost every member of clinical staff in hospitals now carries a smartphone or tablet. These devices can improve staff performance when life-saving information such as reminders of complex procedures during medical emergencies are delivered in a clear way. This fellowship applies design processes used in other high-risk industries such as in military and nuclear power settings to devise ‘e-aids’ for clinicians to improve outcomes in health emergencies. Stuart can be followed at @hypoxicchicken.

Congratulations to AIRmed's Difficult Asthma Clinic on their Team Award for Leading Innovation

Mr Ron Steiner, A/Prof Mark Hew, Ms Fiona Hore-Lacy,
Dr Naghmeh Radhakrishna, Mr Andrew Way

The Alfred held its Recognising Excellence Awards evening on Thursday 20 October, during Alfred Research Week. The event was MCed by Virginia Trioli from the ABC. Andrew Way, Alfred Health's CEO, presented the Team Award for Leading Innovation to the Difficult Asthma Clinic.

This was one of 12 awards for the night, selected from more than 160 nominations.

Opportunities: Grants, Fellowships, EOIs, funding

King Faisal International Prize for
Medicine open for nominations

Recent grant and funding opportunities as notified from the Monash Research Office and with thanks to the Biomedicine Discovery Institute for compiling linked summaries. Deadline dates provided.

• 2 Nov: Perpetual Trustees IMPACT Philanthropy Application Program - CALL FOR EOIs
• 16 Nov: ARC Future Fellowships 2017 (FT17) - Now open in RMS 
• 16 Nov (RGMS), 30 Nov (NHMRC external) NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) - Now open in RGMS 
• 28 Nov, 16 Dec: Australia-Indonesia Centre - Tactical Research Projects
• 1 Apr 2017 King Faisal International Prize for Medicine [Immunotherapy for Cancer] - CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
• FAQs now available for ARC Discovery and Linkage Programme Cross-scheme Eligibility 
• ARC Statement of Support for Interdisciplinary Research now available
  
   
   

Perspective: Australia’s research capital is ... Melbourne!

by Niall Byrne, niall@scienceinpublic.com.au

Melbourne is Australia’s research capital. According to the Nature Index, published overnight in Nature, Melbourne was Australia’s leading city in terms of high-quality science output in 2015, followed by Sydney.