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Tuesday 16 February 2016

Anna Burke MP and Mayor of Monash Stefanie Perri tour MHTP

(L-R) Ms Stefanie Perri, Ms Anna Burke and
Prof Graham Jenkin
Federal Member for Chisholm and former speaker, Anna Burke, and City of Monash Mayor, Cr Stefanie Perri, visited the Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP) yesterday for a tour of the new Translational Research Facility (TRF).


Led by Ritchie Centre Deputy Director Professor Graham Jenkin, and co-head and Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University, Professor Euan Wallace, Ms Burke and Cr Perri inspected the new clinical trials unit, technology platforms, and the Ritchie Centre before hearing about MHTP stem cell research projects. 

“MHTP is perfectly poised to undertake translational research because of the integration and connectivity of clinicians, researchers, PhD students and patients,” said Ms Burke.

Ms Burke said she was delighted to hear about MHTP research into cell therapy that may possibly treat five or six different health conditions.

“As an Academic Health Science Centre, Monash Partners is well positioned to bring our researchers and clinicians together to facilitate true collaboration and research translation,” said Professor Wallace.

Dr Rebecca Lim, Dr Courtney McDonald, Professor Chris Sobey and Dr Shayanti Mukherjee each presented their research, highlighting the translational impact of their work.

Dr Lim leads the amnion cell biology team at the Ritchie Centre, and has developed a protocol to isolate amnion epithelial cells from placentas for use in regenerative medicine. Dr Lim’s research focuses on developing cell therapies for a multitude of diseases such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, lung and liver fibrosis, as well as critical limb ischaemia.

NHMRC Cerebral Palsy early career research fellow Dr Courtney McDonald works in the Neurodevelopment and Neuroprotection Research Group at the Ritchie Centre. Her research focuses on understanding how umbilical cord blood stem cells can be used to prevent or treat perinatal brain injury. She is also investigating which stem cell types are found in the umbilical cord blood, how these populations change with disease and how these cells can individually reduce inflammation and contribute to brain repair.

Head of the Cardiovascular Disease Program in the new Monash Biomedicine Institute, Chris Sobey is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology.  Professor Sobey is investigating the inflammatory mechanisms occurring in the brain after stroke in order to identify and develop novel approaches to treat stroke patients.

Dr Shayanti Mukherjee is a research fellow at the Ritchie Centre and recipient of the prestigious Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF) John Stocker Postdoctoral Fellowship.  Dr Mukherjee’s work focuses on the alleviation of Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP), a major hidden burden affecting millions of women during pregnancy, childbirth and ageing. Using a combination of stem cell therapy and nanotechnology, her research will accelerate the clinical translation of POP surgical constructs to improve women’s quality of life.

Grand Rounds - Monash Infectious Diseases 17 February

Unit: Monash Infectious Diseases                   
Presenter: Dr Rupa Kanapathipillai
Topic: "Addressing Ebola"
        
Date: Wednesday 17 February 2016
Time: 12.30pm to 1.30pm

Venue: Main Lecture Theatre, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton

LabArchives meeting cancelled

LabArchives information sessions for STAFF ONLY have been arranged as follows:
Tuesday 9th February 2016 @ 11.00am meeting intended for RC/Hudson Centre and Lab Heads
Venue: TRF Level 2, Seminar Room 3
Monday 22nd February 2016 @ 11.00am meeting for MHTP Coordinators / Heads / ALL MHTP SUPERVISORS
Venue: Medicine Seminar Room, Level 5 Block E MMC
 
CANCELLED: Thursday 3rd March 2016 @ 11.30am meeting for ALL MHTP SUPERVISORS
Venue: TRF Level 2, Seminar Room 1


The Faculty will arrange student information sessions and kits sometime in March 2016.  Additional sessions to provide training will be offered as the software is ready to be deployed.

CID Weekly Seminar TODAY 12pm

Dr Michaela Finsterbusch
12:00 - 1:00pm, Tuesday 16 February
Seminar Room 1, Level 2, TRF Building

Role of monocytes in acute glomerulonephritis presented by Dr Michaela Finsterbusch, Erwin Schrōdinger Fellow, CID

Since 2014, Michaela is part Prof. Michael Hickey’s group at CID, Monash University, where she studies immune-modulatory mechanisms of leukocytes in experimental glomerulonephritis. In 2015, Michaela has been awarded an Erwin Schroedinger Fellowship. Michaela graduated from the University of Applied Sciences in Vienna in 2009 with a Master’s degree in Biomedicine/Analytics. From 2009-2013 she joined Prof. Nourshargh’s group at the William Harvey Research Institute in London to do her PhD, focussing on immune and vascular functions in experimental models of inflammation. After completing, Michaela stayed in London to work in Prof. Amrita Ahluwalia’s lab at the William Harvey Research Institute on the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1), before moving to Melbourne. 
and 

Interesting issues in hepatology: coffee & concurrent diseases presented by Dr Alex Hodge, SCS Early Career Practitioner Fellow, CID

Dr Hodge graduated from Simon Fraser University in Biology (Vancouver, Canada) and worked as a molecular biologist at Stem Cell Technologies.  After moving to Australia he graduated with honours in medicine from the University of Sydney and then trained in internal medicine at Westmead and Concord hospitals in Sydney.  Alex completed his Gastroenterology specialist training between Canberra and Melbourne at The Alfred hospital.  In early 2015 he completed a PhD at Monash University under the supervision of Professor William Sievert, focusing on stem cell therapy for liver cirrhosis and lifestyle modification for fatty liver (NAFLD).  Alex is a consultant at Monash Health where he attends gastroenterology and hepatology clinics, performs endoscopy and Fibroscan (liver fibrosis imaging.  He was awarded the inaugural Monash University’s School of Clinical Sciences’ Early Career Practitioner Fellowship in 2015 to continue his research in the field of fibrosis and fatty liver disease.  



A light lunch is served prior to the seminar at 11:45am in the seminar room foyer, level 2, TRF Building.

Further information available from CID Weekly Seminar Series website [http://www.med.monash.edu.au/scs/medicine/cid/seminar-series.html]


Australian Museum Eureka Prizes open for nominations – $160,000 across 16 prizes

The ‘Oscars of Australian ​S​cience’, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, celebrate research, science communication and journalism, leadership, and students.

This year, two new prizes recognise innovation in medical research and innovation in citizen science. The total prize pool is $160,000.

The 16 prizes will be announced and presented at a gala dinner on 31 August
 2016​. Nominations close ​on ​6 May ​2016​. 

​Further information is available ​at: http://australianmuseum.net.au/eureka


If you intend to apply for a Eureka Prize, please advise the Faculty Research Office (medicine.research@monash.edu) as external editorial assistance on your application is available through Monash University's Prizes & Awards Strategy.

Funding Rules for ARC Future Fellowships 2016 (FT16) - NOW AVAILABLE

The Funding Rules for schemes under the Discovery Programme 2016—Future Fellowships are now available on the ARC website.
Please refer to the Important Dates page on the ARC website for key dates and updates relevant to the Future Fellowships scheme.

The following documents relating to Future Fellowships for funding commencing in 2016 are now available on the ARC website:
·        Future Fellowship Funding Rules for 2016
·        Changes to the Future Fellowships Funding Rules for 2016.

Queries about the scheme should be directed to the ARC Team at MRO (arc@monash.edu).

Attention post-docs - Cancer Council Victoria Postdoctoral Fellowships

Commencing 1 July 2016
Applications close at 4.30 pm, Thursday 7 April 2016

Cancer Council Victoria is an independent volunteer based charity, which was established in 1936. Our mission is to lead the fight against cancer. Our core business is cancer control. We conduct and support research as well as delivering state-wide support and prevention programs and advocating regulation and other interventions to reduce the physical and emotional burden of cancer.
Cancer Council Victoria offers postdoctoral fellowships as a way of providing research assistance to Victorian PhD candidates at the time of thesis submission. There are two rounds each year. In applying, a strong case must be made to continue in the present research group for a further year.

FELLOWSHIP DETAILS
Eligibility:
The fellowship is available to researchers who have recently submitted their PhD. To be eligible, applicants must have their thesis submitted or accepted as passed between 1 October 2015 and 31 March 2016.
‘Submission of thesis’ is defined as having submitted a PhD thesis with the University Graduate Office and the thesis has proceeded to examination. Evidence showing that the thesis has been submitted and is under examination is acceptable to meet this eligibility criterion.
‘Accepted as passed’ is defined as having lodged a PhD thesis with the University Graduate Office, that the thesis has been examined and that a letter or other document is available indicating that the PhD has been accepted as passed.
The next round of postdoctoral fellowships will be for PhDs submitted between 1 April and 30 September 2016. Applications will close in October 2016.

Remuneration:
The fellowship funding will be paid to the administering institution at the NHMRC Personnel Support Package (PSP) Level 3 rate of $73,661 pa. The PSP amount covers all salary and salary on-costs (eg payroll tax, workers compensation, leave loading, compulsory and contributory superannuation) as well as some minor operational support.

Duration:
The fellowship is for one year, commencing 1 July 2016.
The application guidelines and application form are available at
http://www.cancervic.org.au/postdoctoral_research_fellowships  or attached here 
or contact:

Ms Josie Italia
Senior Research Grants Officer
Cancer Council Victoria
615 St Kilda Road
MELBOURNE VIC 3004
Tel: (61 3) 9514 6306, Email: Josie.Italia@cancervic.org.au

50,000 AUD Liquid Biopsy Biomarker Discovery and Validation Research Grant – Application process open!


Do you aspire to make improvements in life possible? Apply for the QIAGEN Liquid Biopsy Biomarker Discovery and Validation Research grant worth 50,000 AUD today and achieve your goal!

Our commitment is to enable you, like more than 500,000 customers around the world, to quickly and reliably get useful, actionable insights. This research grant will provide you with access to dedicated QIAGEN kits and reagents for liquid biopsy stabilization and extraction, disease and pathway focused solutions for biomarker research, and insights using QIAGEN bioinformatics platforms.  Partner with QIAGEN to make a difference!

More information and application details here.  Or email here.
Flyer with details here.

2016 Premier's Award for Health and Medical Research - APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

The Premier of Victoria, The Hon. Daniel Andrews MP, and the Minister for Health and Human Services, The Hon. Jill Hennessy MP, called for applications for the 2016 Premier's Award for Health and Medical Research last week.

Please help ensure that any young, up and coming postgraduate health or medical research scholars you know apply for this year's Premier's Award for Health and Medical Research [PAHMR].  

Since 1995, the Premier’s Award for Health & Medical Research (Premier’s Award) has been awarded annually to recognise the exceptional contributions made by early career health and medical researchers in their PhD studies.
 
How to apply?
Visit: www.veski.org.au/pahmr   

Applications will close 2pm [AEDT] on Thursday 10 March 2016.

The successful recipient and commendees will be required to attend a formal event for their announcement in June 2016.

In 2016 the Premier’s Award will be presented for the twenty-second time. The Award includes $40,000 in prize money, with $16,000 presented to the recipient and $8,000 to three commendees.

The award is intended for individuals who have recently completed or are at least two years into their candidature; it is not intended for individuals with an established research career.

Applicants may be undertaking research in any field of health or medical research including public health, health services, basic, or clinical research.
 
Questions about the scheme should be directed to admin@veski.org.au.


If you intend to apply for a Premier's Award, please advise the Faculty Research Office (medicine.research@monash.edu) as external editorial assistance on your application is available through Monash University's Prizes & Awards Strategy.

MRO UPDATE: ARC Australian Laureate Fellowships (FL16) Rejoinders - NOW OPEN in RMS

The ARC has released the Assessor ​R​eports for FL16 and the Rejoinder Process is now open in RMS.

The MRO Research Development Team are available to discuss the reports and review rejoinders, please email your rejoinder text as a Word file to mro.researchdevelopment@monash.edu or call Luke McAvaney (03 9905 9790) to discuss.


To find your assessor comments for your FL16 proposal in RMS:
1. Log in to RMS 2.0
2. Click on "Proposals" under Applicant Proposals
3. Click on the "Rejoinders" tab and select the scheme round from the drop down menu.
4. To view the assessment and rejoinder information, Click the "Edit" button.
5. Click on the Assessor link to view assessment text.
6. At the bottom of the page, enter the rejoinder text into the rejoinder field. Your rejoinder is limited to 5000 characters (including spaces). The text will become red if the character limit has been exceeded.
7. Once you have finished editing, click "Save" and "Submit to Research Office".  This submits the rejoinder to MRO.
8. Once received in RMS, MRO will submit your rejoinder to ARC by the deadline.


Key Dates:
·          MRO deadline for final submission9am, Tuesday 23 February 2016

·          ARC deadline: 5pm, Tuesday 23 February 2016

Grant Opportunities from The Gates Foundation & Its Partners

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and its funding partners in the Grand Challenges family of grant programs are inviting innovators to apply for two grant opportunities:

1) Grand Challenges China: New Interventions for Global Health.  This challenge focuses on calls for innovative concepts for safe, effective, affordable and widely utilized interventions, such as vaccines and therapeutics, with the potential to protect against the acquisition, progression or transmission of infectious diseases that disproportionately affect the world’s poorest.  This call is in partnership with the National Natural Science Foundation of China and requires substantive collaborations between China-based investigators and those based outside of China.

Application deadline is March 15, 2016, 8:00 am Beijing time (March 14, 2016, 5pm Seattle time). For a detailed description of this challenge, please visit the Grand Challenges site.
2) Grand Challenges for Development: Saving Lives at Birth.  USAID, the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, the U.K.'s Department for International Development (DFID), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) have joined together to launch Saving Lives at Birth.  The goal of this program is to find the tools and approaches to help mothers and newborns during their most vulnerable hours.

Application deadline is February 29, 2016.

In addition please also see the following web pages for links to a 10-year retrospective of 14 of the 44 original Grand Challenges in Global Health projects (2005-2015):

Biological Vector Control (O’Neill, Burt); Chemical Vector Control (Axel, Vosshall; Zwiebel), Curing Latent Infection (Young); Curing Chronic Infection (Baltimore); Vaccine Model Systems (Flavell); Antigen Design (KappeHill); Protective Immunity (KwiatkowskiShaw); Needle-Free Vaccines (BakerSievers); Crop Biofortification (Dale, Tushemereirwe)

​They​
 are looking forward to receiving innovative ideas from around the world and from all disciplines. If you have a great idea, please apply. If you know someone else who may have a great idea, please forward this message.


​Further information is available at ​http://www.gatesfoundation.org

MRO UPDATE: NHMRC Project Grant – MRO Compliance Check & Minimum Data Deadline 17th February 2016

A reminder to please complete the minimum data for NHMRC Project Grant applications in RGMS by 5:00pm (AEST) on Wednesday 17th February 2016. Minimum data for NHMRC Project Grants consists of the following:
  • PA Home: You must complete fields for, Administering Institution, Application Title, Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Research (yes/no) and Synopsis;
  • RC Research Classification (all sections); and
  • B-NA: Nomination of a Non Assessor (leave blank if not required).
Applicants may leave the Nomination of a Non Assessor section blank if this field is not required for their application. Your application will still meet minimum data requirements if this field is left blank. However, if there is someone you wish to nominate as a Non Assessor, then it must be done as part of the minimum data requirement as NHMRC are determining review panels and assessors from this data - a Non Assessor should not be added later.

Applicants are also reminded to complete the minimum data fields with full and correct information as this information is used by NHMRC to commence sourcing suitable assessors. Using placeholder text such as “text”, “synopsis” or “xx” etc. are not acceptable as minimum data. Applications that fail to satisfy this requirement will not be accepted by NHMRC.
  
MRO will commence checking minimum data for Project Grants in RGMS from 9am Thursday 11th February and will only contact applicants whose applications do not meet the minimum data requirements.


Additionally, please remember to submit your 'review ready' application for a compliance check by Wednesday the 17th February by following the instructions in the attached MRO Submission Process document.  

Leibniz-DAAD Research Fellowships

T​he DAAD is pleased to announce that the annual Leibniz-DAAD Research Fellowships are open for applications. 
The Leibniz ​-​ DAAD Research Fellowship programme is jointly carried out by the Leibniz Association (Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz e.V.) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Leibniz-DAAD fellowships offer highly-qualified, international post​
doctoral researchers, who have recently completed their doctoral studies, the opportunity to conduct research at a Leibniz Institute of their choice in Germany.
Please see the attached document and program and the link below for further information.

The deadline for applications is 9 March 2016.

If you have any questions concerning this or other DAAD programs, please contact​: Imke Schmidt
DAAD Lecturer​
School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics
German Studies, Monash University ​(0​3​)​990 59207

Link to DAAD Scholarship Database:


MRO UPDATE: NHMRC ECF Compliance Check Reminder Email


The MRO deadline for compliance checking of Early Career Fellowship applications is tomorrow the 10th of February 2016. The MRO submission process document is attached here, which outlines all of the critical dates for the scheme, including MRO deadlines for the required documentation and final certification, as well as what we define as a ‘review ready’ application for compliance checking.

If you started an application in RGMS but no longer wish to proceed or if you have inadvertently created a duplicate, please mark your application for deletion in RGMS by following the instructions below. 

Application Deletion in RGMS:
1. Go into the application you want to delete;
2. Under 'General', select YES against 'Mark for deletion'.
3. Ensure all required fields are answered, with incorrect information if needed, to be permitted to save the page;
4. Then select 'Save and Return'.

Please disregard this email if you have already requested a compliance check for your Early Career Fellowship application.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Casilda Black.





Monday 15 February 2016

FameLab Awards - opportunity to promote your research

FameLab is a live science communication competition that challenges scientists to communicate big ideas simply. Bringing together the world’s most charismatic young researchers, FameLab inspires audiences to see the world from new perspectives. Since its birth at the Cheltenham Science Festival in 2005, FameLab has grown into the world’s leading science communication competition, running across five continents and engaging 27 countries.

By entering FameLab, you could find new audiences for your research, represent your country at the FameLab International final in the UK, and open doors to global opportunities in science communication!

Eligibility
  • Participants must be 18+ years old, citizens or permanent residents of Australia and pursuing studies or working in a scientific field.
  • Eligible entrants may be Graduate students (both MSc or PhD), Postdoctoral fellows and early-career researchers within 5 years of receiving PhD or MSc degrees (career breaks taken into account). International (non-Australian Citizen) scientists who are currently working and studying in Australia are welcome, though they must demonstrate a formal affiliation with an Australian institution.
  • Science communication students and professionals, employees of the British Council and their next of kin are not eligible to enter.
  • Evidence must be show that the research being presented by entrants has undergone at least two forms of relevant peer-review. This may include publications, conference titles or evidence of internal review from a director/dean/head of your organisation.

Online Application Form


Applications close on Friday 19 February 2016.



In you intend to apply for a FameLab Award, please advise the Faculty Research Office (medicine.research@monash.edu) as external editorial assistance on your application is available through Monash University's Prizes & Awards Strategy.

Stem Cell Research Prizes – 2 x $50,000 Metcalf Prizes

The Metcalf Prizes are open to mid-career researchers, five to 10 years past their PhD or MD (research based), working in stem cell research in Australia.

Last year’s winners were Christine Wells of the University of Queensland and Ryan Lister of the University of Western Australia in recognition of their leadership in stem cell research.

Christine has created an online encyclopaedia of detailed scientific information on how our thousands of different genes shape us, which has led to the discovery of a new kind of stem cell.

Ryan has discovered how adult stem cells retain a memory of what they once were. He believes he can make them forget their past lives, so that their history doesn’t limit their new potential.

Applications close Monday 21 March 2016. We encourage last year’s unsuccessful applicants to apply again this year if they are still eligible.

The Prizes are an initiative of the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia.

For more information head to the Foundation’s website:

If you intend to apply for a Metcalf Prize, please advise the Faculty Research Office (medicine.research@monash.edu) as external editorial assistance on your application is available through Monash University's Prizes & Awards Strategy.


Invitation to medicine ECRs 22 February

The Office of the Vice-Provost (Graduate Education) would like to extend a cordial invitation to the University’s recently-appointed Early Career Researchers to meet with fellow ECRs and senior Monash staff.

The welcome will take place on the 22nd of February between 4.00 and 5.30pm. We will meet in the Seminar Room of Holman Hall, Building 88, Room G26, 27 Sports Walk, Clayton campus.

Attendees will be informed about Monash ECR research directions and professional development opportunities over drinks and nibbles.

Please inform new ECRs of the event if they have not been already contacted.


Registrations for the afternoon can be completed here

Program supports research excellence of female academics

Applications are being sought for the University’s 2016 Advancing Women’s Research Success Grant program.
The program targets early to mid-career researchers at Monash who are primary caregivers.
The grant was introduced four years ago, recognising the impact that career breaks and caring responsibilities can have on women’s research outputs.
The grant program aims to break down these barriers that could potentially derail promising careers by assisting eligible women to maintain their research success momentum.  See news story and details here.

Post Doctoral Fellows - Human T lymphocyte / CAR-T cells: Cartherics Pty Ltd Melbourne

Position Description
Cartherics is seeking Post-Doctoral Fellows to help implement its very active research program in Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T based immunotherapies. The successful applicants will have a strong background in human T cell biology with experience in isolation, cell culture and phenotypic and functional characterisation. They will have a desire to succeed in a competitive environment and relish the challenge of helping to implement new technologies and equipment as necessary; the rewards will be substantial.  They will report directly to the Chief Scientific Officer of Cartherics but also liaise regularly with the other research scientists and relevant Laboratory personnel.

Measuring ultrasound images of abdominal and lumbar multifidus muscles in older adults: A reliability study

Velandai Srikanth et al. published in Manual Therapy.

Read article here.

Chronic Total Occlusion – Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (CTO-PCI) Experience in a Single, Multi-operator Australian Centre: Need for dedicated CTO-PCI programmes

Ian Meredith et al. published in Heart, Lung and Circulation.

Read article here.

Expansion of Human Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells on Decellularized Matrix Scaffolds

Graham Jenkin et al. published in Current protocols in stem cell biology.

Read article here.

Systematic review of the effect of intravenous lipid emulsion therapy for non-local anesthetics toxicity

Andis Graudins et al. published in Clinical Toxicology.

Read article here.

Measuring pregnancy care: towards better maternal and child health

SV Sinni, Euan Wallace et al. published in The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Read article here.

Poor Gait Performance and Prediction of Dementia: Results From a Meta-Analysis

Velandai Srikanth et al. published in JAMDA.

Read article here.

Alfentanil anesthetic augmentation lengthens seizure duration in electroconvulsive therapy with older people

Chris Plakiotis et al. published in International Psychogeriatrics.

Read article here.

A systematic review of the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and borderline personality disorder/traits

Hoda Barazandeh, David Kissane et al. published in Personality and Individual Differences.

Read article here.

Glucose‐loading reduces bone remodeling in women and osteoblast function in vitro

Peter Ebeling et al. published in Physiological Reports.

Read article here.

Role of the placental Vitamin D receptor in modulating feto-placental growth in Fetal growth restriction and Preeclampsia-affected pregnancies

Padma Murthi et al. published in Frontiers in Physiology.

Read article here.

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

Jim Harris et al published in Autophagy.

Read article here.