Partnership working to make ‘food as medicine’ simple, effective and enjoyable

Monash University is teaming up with a US company, ModifyHealth, to improve user experience of the App.

Monash University has partnered with a United States-based company, ModifyHealth, to raise further awareness in the US of the FODMAP diet protocol and the Monash University FODMAP Diet App, which have helped millions of people manage irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The partnership will increase engagement with US consumers and healthcare providers, and expand awareness of the latest research and developments of the FODMAP diet protocol.

Powerful magnetic resonance imaging provides markers to assess MS damage

Dr Scott Kolbe, senior author on the paper analysing
the association between nerve damage and gait
impairment in MS patients.

Findings published in the journal, Brain Communications, have revealed that patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who had gait and lower limb motor control impairments also had corresponding axonal (parts of nerve cells) loss in major tracts in the brain which control sensing and movement response. 

Damage that occurs in MS (e.g. inflammation, demyelination and injury and loss of axons) results in upper and lower motor impairments in the majority of patients with symptoms including problems with balance and walking, muscle weakness and spasticity. These impairments have a considerable impact on their daily living and quality of life, in particular on their employment and study. 

Congratulations to Associate Professor Edwina Wright, Order of Australia (AM)

Congratulations to Associate Professor Edwina Wright, who has been awarded an Order of Australia (AM) in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours! A/Prof Wright has worked for decades in the area of HIV treatment. It is a well-deserved recognition of her impressive achievements and dedication to improving the health of all Australians, notably for people living with HIV/AIDS. 

See more about A/Prof Wright's research at:

• https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/edwina-wright
• https://www.monash.edu/medicine/ccs/infectious-diseases/research/groups/wright-group
  

Congratulations to Christoph Hagemeyer on his promotion

Congratulations to Associate Professor Christoph Hagemeyer, who has been promoted to Professor (Research)! The promotion is effective from 3 July.

The University Professorial Promotion Committee noted A/Prof Hagemeyer's "significant contribution to the University in the areas of academic activity: research, engagement and education. In particular, the Committee noted [his] contributions to leadership and strong translational work in [his] field."

A/Prof Hagemeyer was President of the Australian Society for Medical Research during 2020. See more about his research in the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases. Follow the group on their channels:

A world first in imaging technology

Dr Robert Brkljača and Dr Karen Alt explain the new
Magnetic Particle Imaging facility. See video

Monash University has launched world-first technology that can detect magnetic nanoparticles anywhere in the body, enabling enhanced medical applications such as tracking of beneficial CAR-T cells during cancer therapy.

The new technology was funded through an ARC LIEF grant with contributions from Monash University and RMIT, and combines Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) with Computed Tomography (CT) and Hyperthermia capabilities for preclinical, in vivo research. It is located at the Monash Alfred campus and is operated by the Alfred Research Alliance-Monash Biomedical Imaging (ARA-MBI) platform.

Our Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion committee has a new web page!

2020 CCS GEDI committee (pre-COVID)

The Central Clinical School's (CCS) Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) committee is a grassroots research and advisory committee to advocate for gender equity and diversity within the CCS, and to provide guidance and recommendations to the Head of School and the CCS Executive Committee. See their new website with details of membership and activities. We would love to hear from you!

Event: SOHO Italy extracellular vesicles and their role in patients with multiple myeloma

Italian Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO Italy) is offering an event 1 July (SOHO Italy extracellular vesicles and their role in patients with multiple myeloma). Prof Andrew Spencer & Dr Antonia Reale from CCS will be presenting.

• Registration: https://www.sohoitaly.it/soho-italy-extracellular-vesicles/
• See flier: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j0-Obb_tL9Xe-w2--VEE7g6OCPUPgKFL/view?usp=sharing
• Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aX9HH1zLa0&authuser=1.