Blog

The first WAHTN Clinical Trials Forum will be hosted at Fiona Stanley Education, Lecture Theatre G, Fiona Stanley Hospital, 11 Robin Warren Drive, Murdoch, WA 6150 on Monday on 10th April 2017 at 5pm – 7pm.
The forum is an opportunity for sharing knowledge, experience, advice, and ideas, in relation to current proposals for clinical trials, with a wide range of researchers from WA. The forum will occur monthly and will generally involve presentation and discussion of two clinical trial proposals. Proposals are welcome from both experienced and less experienced investigators.

The first meeting features a presentation by Christobel Saunders on the LARRIKIN trial – “Can we change the paradigm for managing low risk Ductal Carcinoma of the Breast from Surgery and Radiotherapy to active Observation?” A Phase 2 randomised trial which presents significant challenges for both clinicians, researchers and patients around de-escalating conventional therapy. A second proposal for presentation is yet to be finalised.

This event is free to attend – please register your place using the Eventbrite page at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wahtn-clinical-trials-forum-tickets-33136070880

If you would like to present a clinical trial proposal on the 10th April (or at a future meeting) please contact Sue McDonald susan.v.mcdonald@curtin.edu.au

Light refreshments will be served at the end of the meeting.

Women who plan to have a child should keep an eye on their diets even before they become pregnant: This new online course elucidates the impact of the expectant mother’s nutrition and lifestyle on the health of the child.

The aims of the new online course from LMU are: (i) to inform participants about the very significant impact that early nutrition has on health in later life, and; (ii) to enable them to advise expectant mothers and those who are planning to have a child on the steps to be taken during pregnancy in this regard.

The primary target audience is healthcare professionals (gynecologists, obstetricians, paediatricians, nutritionists, dieticians as well as nurses and midwives) and medical students.

LMU has been providing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as a novel form of collaborative learning on the Coursera platform since 2103.

In response to the level of demand, two of these MOOCs are also available in Chinese.

The seminars are open to all those interested in the relevant field and are accessible worldwide – admission is open and free of charge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LA7N5Qp8Mk&t=31s

Presenter: Professor Chng Wee Joo

Director, National University Cancer Institute

Deputy Director & Senior Principal Investigator,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore

Please see attached flyer for more information

20170320130336-Invitation to Perkins Seminar Series – March 23rd 2017

WAHTN congratulates the recipients who have been named in this year’s 40under40 Awards; Kevin Pfleger; Andrew Whitehouse; Peter Santa Maria and Callum Ormonde were recognised in an awards ceremony held at Crown Perth. Established by Business News in 2002, the 40under40 Awards celebrate the passion, vision and achievements of Western Australia’s finest young business people and the contribution they are making to the future of our great state.

Kevin Pfleger
Associate Professor Kevin Pfleger is an internationally-recognised medical researcher at UWA, who is dedicated to improving the lives of those suffering from ill health in the community. He studies how hormones, neurotransmitters and pharmaceuticals work on the cells of our body at the molecular level, in order to develop more effective therapies with fewer side effects. His research is regarded as world-leading and has an enormous potential to change the lives of those suffering from conditions such as chronic kidney disease. Through his discoveries and inventions, and Kevin’s spin-out company Dimerix Limited running Phase 2 clinical trials, that potential is being realised.

Andrew Whitehouse
Professor Andrew Whitehouse is an internationally renowned UWA medical researcher, who has helped make important discoveries regarding the causes and treatment of autism in children. His research has generated two books and over 150 scholarly publications, which has been supported by over $40 million in research grants. He is a recognised community leader in the disability sector, and has brought diverse groups of stakeholders together to generate new education, employment and recreational initiatives for children with a disability. Professor Whitehouse is also a prolific science communicator, who has made a major contribution to spreading the opportunities that science provides for the community.

Peter Santa Maria
Dr Peter Santa Maria is a scientist and inventor at UWA and an ear, nose and throat surgeon at the Ear Science Institute and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. He has invented multiple patents including a regenerative treatment for the ear drum, and a device that keeps patients warm during surgery. As Director of not-for-profit SPARK Co-Lab Peter has helped numerous WA scientists and doctors bring their medical discoveries to patients. Within six months of launching SPARK Co-Lab, it has already helped teams invent five new medical devices.

Callum Ormonde
Callum Ormonde spent the last few years working in research to determine new ways of targeting cancers without the negative side effects commonly experienced by patients. His research benefits not only medicine but environmental and industrial science. A senior member of the Bionano group in WA, Callum is a mentor for incoming group members. His work has produced new ways of harvesting therapeutic molecules and has attracted attention globally from the financial publication Forbes and Time, who referred to his discovery as “a financial boon to the biotechnology industry.”

Murdoch University’s Master in Health Administration, Policy and Leadership has been recently accredited by the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA).

If you are interested in our postgraduate qualifications and short courses please see the documents attached

intensive units – online and F2F

Health Administration Degree Offerings

Western Australian researchers have triumphed in the latest round of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) partnership project grants, with four projects having secured money from the national research funding body.

Researchers Professor Elizabeth Armstrong, Dr Peter Arrow, Professor David Atkinson, and Professor David Mackey are chief investigators of the projects which have been awarded Commonwealth research money totalling almost $3.7 million – an amount the State has committed to top up with around $1 million.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Gary Geelhoed, has described the result as outstanding saying it is a remarkable turnaround for Western Australia which had traditionally fared poorly in the NHMRC funding carve-up. Professor Geelhoed also said the four NHMRC-funded projects would be particularly beneficial to Aboriginal people living in rural and remote parts of the State.

The Major Research Grant Support initiative invited WA health and medical researchers intending to apply for a partnership-type grant from a major research funding body to apply for a Department of Health funding commitment.

The scheme is among a host of Department of Health innovative and strategic initiatives supported by the WA Health Translation Network.

Cancer Council WA, in partnership with Government of Western Australia, Western Australian Health Translation Network, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, The University of Western Australia and Telethon Kids Institute, are seeking EOI applications for the Collaborative Cancer Grant Scheme. A total of $250,000 is available in this grant round.

Expressions of Intent will be sought in March 2017, for up to 10 cancer research projects to commence in 2018; funding support of $25,000 – $50,000 will be awarded for each project to encourage collaboration among early to mid-career researchers (E-MCRs). These grants aim to improve research quality and increase the competitiveness of WA early to mid-career cancer researchers by helping researchers obtain preliminary data and build collaborative networks.

Two unique features of these grants are: each application is required to have at least one chief investigator from a minimum of three West Australian Research Institutions; and all chief investigators must be E-MCRs.

For EOI details and guidance please visit the Cancer Council WA website: https://www.cancerwa.asn.au/research/funding/collaborative_cancer_grant_scheme/ – Application forms will be available from 1 March 2017. Shortlisted applicants will move to the full application stage which opens in May.

Cancer Council Closing date: 10 April 2017

Please submit the following documents by the internal closing date, Monday 27 March 2017:

• One fully completed UWA Grant Application Cover Sheet (pages 1-2): http://www.research.uwa.edu.au/staff/rgco/forms#acdn-2 .

• One electronic version of the application to karen.dalby@uwa.edu.au

Any queries should be directed to Karen Dalby, details below:

Ms Karen Dalby ARM(F)
Research Grants Officer
Office of Research Enterprise • M459, Perth WA 6000 Australia
T +61 8 6488 1627 • E karen.dalby@uwa.edu.au