Spotlight on MS Research

Dr Steven Petratos and Dr Erica Kim

Thursday 30th May is World MS Day.  A global initiative to raise awareness for those affected by Multiple Sclerosis. This year's theme is My Invisible MS, an opportunity to make visible the symptoms of MS and educate the broader community. 

When Dr Erica Kim began her honours degree in the Neuroscience Department at Central Clinical School, she arrived with simply a passion for neuroscience. Now, with a PhD completed, along with two first author primary research papers, 2 author reviews and contributing author credits, it seems that this researcher is in it for the long haul with a firm focus on developing cell and gene-based therapies to treat intractable neurodegenerative disease, particularly Multiple Sclerosis.

Investigative research is a slow burn, particularly at a molecular level. It can take years to see a project translate from the investigative to pre-clinical stages and then there is no guarantee of progression to a clinical trial. Erica is keen to witness her earlier research progress into clinical trials. The molecules that have been the focus of her work, which may contribute or initiate such damage in MS are becoming known and by targeting them, it may be possible to limit the destruction, which occurs to nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord, promoting a better clinical outcome for individuals living with MS.

Public Health researcher wins Prestigious Alumni Award

A/Prof. Chow receives his award from Professor Rodney Phillips,
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, UNSW

Associate Professor Eric Chow has won the 2019 UNSW Young Alumni Award. The Young Alumni Award acknowledges the most accomplished UNSW Sydney Alumni under 35 years across 13

categories spanning science and technology to arts and services to the community.

Eric made a career change in 2012 by completing a Master of Public Health followed by a PhD at UNSW Sydney, where he received the Faculty of Medicine Dean’s List. The MPH provided Eric with new knowledge in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, health promotion and mathematical modelling. His PhD thesis, which focused on HIV epidemiology and sexual practice among at-risk populations in China, has paved the way for his impressive research in the field of sexual health.

First CCS journal club a great success

The Central Clinical School (CCS) Student Journal Club series kicked off to a great start on Tuesday May 21st, with a large crowd attending. The theme was hepatology, and two honours students, Jacqueline Bredhauer and Terence Fong, presented engaging talks on Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease papers. They were mentored by Dr Natasha Janko, gastroenterologist, who also chaired the session.

CCS Recent Publications: 20th May - 26th May 2019

A/Prof. Eric Chow

Recent publications for Central Clinical School feature affiliated authors in the following departments:

• Surgery
• Melbourne Sexual Health Centre
• MAPrc
• Neuroscience
• Immunology and Pathology
• AIRMed

Translational Research Symposium Speaker Spotlight: Dr Vilija Jokubaitis

Dr Vilija Jokubaitis

Monash University's 5th annual Translational Research Symposium is being hosted by its three 21 June 2019. The symposium will host a diverse group of medical researchers presenting their work into translational research. RSVP here.
metropolitan clinical schools on

Dr Vilija Jokubaitis is Head of the Neuroimmunology Genomics and Prognostics Group, MS and Neuroimmunology in the Department of Neuroscience.

Upset ‘body clocks’ may be driving heart disease epidemic

by Anne Crawford

A Monash University researcher is warning that circadian rhythm disturbance –  disruptions to our ‘body clock’ – may be a common factor behind the global diabetes, obesity and heart disease epidemics.

Professor Paul Zimmet AO

Professor Paul Zimmet AO said studies suggest circadian disturbance may be a feature of the cluster of heart disease risk factors including obesity, elevated blood pressure, high blood sugar levels (prediabetes and diabetes) and blood cholesterol collectively called the Metabolic Syndrome.

“There’s a clear clinical situation in about 30 to 40 percent of adult Australians where a number of important cardiovascular disease risk factors come together,” Professor Zimmet said. “And people who have these risk factors are more likely to get co-morbidities such as sleep apnoea, depression, fatty liver disease and cognitive disability,” he said.

“No-one’s proposed that all of the things we’re talking about – both the cardiometabolic ones plus the co-morbidities – are linked together by disturbed circadian rhythm. We’re proposing that ‘Metabolic Syndrome’ be renamed ‘Circadian Syndrome’.”

Rare neurological case raises alerts for clinicians

When a man in his late fifties was referred to neurologist Professor Owen White in August 2016 with double vision, facial weakness and an unsteady gait, it appeared he had suffered something akin to a stroke. The reality was even more sinister. A concerted effort by medical teams to pinpoint the mysterious condition as the man’s health progressively failed eventually led to the diagnosis of an exceptionally rare disease – and some lessons for those involved and clinicians beyond. A paper documenting this unusual case appeared recently in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience.

by Anne Crawford

The patient had originally been diagnosed in hospital with neurological symptoms including double vision, difficulty balancing and stuttering. An MRI scan showed an abnormality in the pons, part of the back of the brain.

However, the man didn’t follow the normal history of stroke. Multiple investigations failed to find an answer to fluctuating, persistent and evolving symptoms.

“Clinically he looked like patients with myasthenia gravis, an immune condition where an antibody is created which blocks conduction from the nerve to muscle. He had changed cranial nerve signs which is always unusual except in myasthenia gravis,” Professor White said.