Sex, drugs and research: study probes world of ‘chemsex’

Chemsex can take its toll: health researchers are
investigating how best to reduce harm and aid recovery. 
Photo: Diverse Images/UIG via Getty Images

by Anne Crawford

A Monash University researcher has focussed international attention on ‘chemsex’ or ‘party and play’, the practice of sexualised drug use by men who have sex with men, in a bid to identify solutions to problems associated with it.

Journey into new field complements blood research

High praise from Professor Beverley Hunt! See her tweet

by Anne Crawford

An exploratory review of literature about an ancient immune system has taken researchers in the Australian Centre for Blood Disorders (ACBD) into what is for them a new and fascinating world. It has yielded insights into links to their own research into haematological processes, suggested exciting new avenues of investigation and provided fuel for thought about new drugs on the market.

Sugar, proteins, AGEs and fertility

A woman’s pre-pregnancy diet could have a greater impact
on fertility and pregnancy than previously thought.
Image: Essential Baby 

by Kristy Sheridan

A woman’s pre-pregnancy diet could have a greater impact on fertility and pregnancy than previously thought, according to new research by Monash University and Hudson Institute of Medical Research scientists.

The study found that certain proteins, which become ‘toxic’ after exposure to sugar, trigger inflammation in the womb in infertile women with obesity. This may reduce the likelihood of a woman falling pregnant and could even contribute to pregnancy complications.

"What's going on down there?" Bacterial vaginosis explained

A new website with information about bacterial vaginosis

A new website aimed at raising awareness about common vaginal conditions, 'What's Going On Down There?' www.wgodt.com.au, has recently been launched by researchers at Monash University.   Led by Dr Jade Bilardi (Central Clinical School), in collaboration with researchers from Alfred Health/Monash University (Associate Professor Catriona Bradshaw, Professor Christopher Fairley, Dr Lenka Vodstrcil) and the University of Melbourne (Professor Meredith Temple-Smith),  the website aims to inform women about a relatively unknown vaginal condition - bacterial vaginosis (BV).

Congratulations to our recently completed PhD students!

Congratulations to our recently completed PhD students!
L-R: Yow Keat Tham, Maria Daglas and Dominik Draxler

Congratulations to our recently completed PhD students, Yow Keat Tham, Maria Daglas and Dominik Draxler! We wish them well for their future scientific careers.

Dominik Draxler's thesis is titled, "New approaches for traumatic brain injury". Dominik was supervised by Professor Rob Medcalf and Dr Maithili Sashindranath (Australian Centre for Blood Diseases). Dominik is co-author on a very recent paper - see this week's research feature story,

Journey into new field complements blood research.

Maria Daglas's thesis is titled, "Investigating the long term effects of TBI [Traumatic Brain Injury] on the immune and fibrinolytic system". She was supervised by Professor Rob Medcalf, Dr Maithili Sashindranath (Australian Centre for Blood Diseases), and Associate Professor Frank Alderuccio (Department of Immunology and Pathology).

Yow Keat Tham's thesis is titled "Targeting lipids differentially regulated in settings of physiological cardiac hypertrophy and disease". He was supervised by Dr Julie McMullen and Professor Peter Meikle from the Baker Institute.

Congratulations to Dr Jay Jha on APSN Best Abstract Award!

Dr Jay Jha receiving his award for best abstract at APCN 2018

Congratulations to Dr Jay Jha, Department of Diabetes, for his win of the “Best Abstract Award” for the abstract entitled “NOX5 Aggravates Renal Injury in Human Diabetic Kidney Disease” at the joint meeting of 16th Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology (APSN) and 2018 Annual Congress of Chinese Society of Nephrology (CSN) held in Beijing, China.

Jay presented at the meeting, highlighting how pro-oxidant enzyme Nox5 contributes to the pathology of diabetes associated kidney disease and that targeting this enzyme could be a potential thereapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of diabetic kidney disease.

Monash Bioinformatics Platform at CCS and Upcoming Workshops

Intro to Python Workshop. Data Fluency, March 2018

The Monash Bioinformatics Platform (MBP) has a representative based within the CCS in the form of Dr Nick Wong. The MBP is one of many research platforms offered by Monash University. Unlike other platforms, the MBP has at it's core, a team of bioinformaticians with a diverse skill-set who are here to facilitate research requiring bioinformatics analysis. While we may not have the expertise you require immediately, we are likely to know researchers that do and could link groups together with common research interests.