Significant drop in genital warts in young people thanks to national HPV vaccination program

Human papillomavirus (HPV) under the microscope

Text adapted courtesy Alfred Health

New research data show cases of genital warts in young Australians have dropped 90 per cent in the last decade.

Dr Eric Chow from the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, who presented the data at the 32nd International Papillomavirus Conference in Sydney and is currently presenting a poster of the research in New Zealand at the 2018 IUSTI Asia Pacific Sexual Health Congress, said the reduction is thanks to Australia's highly successful National HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccination Program. 

More research needed for treatment of primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Left, Anneke van der Walt; right, Helmut Butzkueven
at the annual "Kiss Goodbye to MS" awareness event

The MSBase Foundation is the largest international online registry in the world for neurologists studying multiple sclerosis and other neuro-immunological diseases. Central Clinical School's Professor Helmut Butzkueven is managing director of MSBase, and he and Associate Professor Anneke van der Walt, the Head of MS services at Alfred Health, recently co-authored a publication on a cohort study involving 1284 patients with primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS) from MSBase's large, international, observational database.

They found that therapies, effective for other forms of MS, have no substantial effect on short- to medium-term disability outcomes in PPMS.

CCS Monash PhD students win competitive travel grants

Paul Gill (left) & Matt Snelson (right)

Congratulations to our PhD students, Matthew Snelson and Paul Gill, who have received Nutrition Society of Australia student travel grants to present at the NSA meeting in November.

Congratulations to Pin Shie Quah, Dragana Dragoljevic and Soumya Majumdar on their PhD completions!

Dragana Dragoljevic presenting

Congratulations to Pin Shie Quah, Dragana Dragoljevic and Soumya Majumdar, who have completed their PhDs!

Pin Shie's thesis is titled, "The roles of BAFF, B , NK and NKT cells in solid tumours". She was supervised by Professor Fabienne Mackay (University of Melbourne), Dr Kirsten Fairfax (WEHI) and Dr Dan Andrews (Department of Immunology and Pathology).

Dragana's thesis is titled, "Mechanisms of accelerated atherogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis". She was supervised by Professors Andrew Murphy (Baker Institute), Jaye Chin-Dusting and Mark Febbraio.

Soumya's thesis is titled, "Clinical outcomes and predictors in cirrhosis and portal hypertension". He was supervised by Professor Stuart Roberts in the Department of Gastroenterology.

Congratulations to Maria Selvadurai on THANZ medal win!

Maria Selvadurai presenting at a CCS information night

Congratulations to Maria Selvadurai, winner of the 2018 Thrombosis and Haemostasis society of Australia and New Zealand (THANZ) medal! Maria earned the medal for the best presentation at the #blood18 meeting in the THANZ stream. A fantastic reward for some great work well presented! Her presentation title was "Targeting the platelet internal membrane reveals a novel approach for improved anti-platelet therapies". Maria is a PhD student in Associate Professor Justin Hamilton's lab.

You can follow the Hamilton lab on Twitter at @lab_hamilton
Photo https://t.co/4UFjtAtKKJ
Tweet https://twitter.com/lab_hamilton/status/1054958875919740928?s=03

Photo of the week: 2018 EMCR@Alfred Symposium

L-R: Dr Rosanne Freak-Poli (SPHPM), Dr Jodie Abramovitch (Department of Immunology and Pathology) and
360biolabs Best EMCR Speaker award winner, Dr Evelyn Tsantikos (Department of Immunology and Pathology)

The biennial AMREP (now known as Alfred Research Alliance) EMCR symposium was held on Friday 5 October 2018. The symposium focused on the professional development of future leaders in medical research.

Dr Evelyn Tsantikos, of the Department of Immunology and Pathology, was this year's winner of the 360biolabs Best EMCR Speaker award. Christina Ekegren (SPHPM) won the runner Up Best EMCR Speaker award.

Other winners of one of the AMREP EMCR Committee's Biomedical best paper awards from the day include: 

• Cheng Xue Qin (Baker)
• Melanie Ziegler (Baker)
• Yung-Chih Chen (Baker)

Gallery: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PrJUcrKsVcBQgDzS7

See more about EMCR at: www.monash.edu/medicine/ccs/research/emcr

What's on at CCS 29 Oct-2 Nov 2018

Prof Chris Mitchell, FMHNS Dean, is presenting
5-7pm Weds 31 Oct at the Alfred. RSVP

Central Clinical School (CCS) has regular seminar series and postgraduate presentations. Event notices are posted on the CCS Events calendar.

CCS staff and 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 CCS intranet's Announcements page.

See CCS seminar index:  www.monash.edu/medicine/ccs/headlines/events-calendar

What's on at CCS 29 Oct-2 Nov 2018

Mon	29/10/2018	►	12:00	Neuroscience seminar Profs James Wheless, Jianxing Liao
Wed	31/10/2018	►	11:30	Immunology Seminar: Milou Valk
		►	13:00	MSurg Confirmation Milestone: James Farag
		►	17:00	The Alfred Faculty Staff Forum: Dean's talk
Thur	01/11/2018	►	11:30	Journal Club: Jodie Abramovitch
		►	12:00	Alfred Grand Rounds
Fri	02/11/2018	►	15:30	Dept of Immunology EMCR Seminar: Anh Thu and Jade Jaffar