Monash Translational Medicine

Excited to share this upcoming public lecture for Day of Immunology on Tuesday 29 April, 6 - 8pm, at The Doherty Institute in Melbourne featuring Vilija Jokubaitis from the Department of Neuroscience. This year's them is "Brain and Immunity: Immunological insights into neurological disorders". For more information and to register - https://lnkd.in/gwpGmmFg

Congratulations to Dr Madeleine Smith, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience, who has received a scientific exchange grant from the International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Alliance (ISRRA). This award will support her travel to Canada to undertake a research exchange and visit the lab of Professor Numa Dancause (Université de Montréal), internationally recognised for their comprehensive suite of tools to investigate brain connectivity and plasticity after stroke. It will facilitate Dr Smith’s work to advance translational rehabilitation research using stem cell therapies for stroke and to become an emerging leader in stroke research. “I’m very excited to have this opportunity to learn and gain experience in an internationally recognised lab, which will broaden the scope of my neuroscience training. The grant will enable me to develop cutting-edge expertise, forge international connections, and contribute to advancing stroke recovery research both at Monash University and globally.” #ECR #stroke #rehabilitation #research #career

Amazing to see our colleagues at Alfred Health enabling new treatments for people with Parkinson's disease through dedicated clinical trial beds - watch this space as Dr Kelly Bertram and the team work with ShakeItUp Australia and the Michael J Fox Organisation to advance progress towards a cure hashtag #ParkinsonsAwarenessMonth2025 #FightParkinsons #PDHope Read all about it - https://lnkd.in/g-5Nk7Td

Cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy at The Alfred are now experiencing shorter treatment times, thanks to the arrival of state-of-the-art imaging technology. The technology helps radiation therapists see more of the body at once and generates images of the patient's anatomy in greater detail, making it easier for the team to adjust treatment in real time. The increased imaging detail also improves the precision of treatments, potentially resulting in less damage to healthy tissue, with fewer side effects for the patient. For Ben, pictured with some of the Alfred Radiation Oncology team, its introduction has been good timing. “I’m almost at the end of my 30 sessions of radiation,” said Ben, who had a squamous cell carcinoma removed from his mouth late last year. It required a 25cm skin graft from his thigh as well as pectoral surgery. “I’ve noticed a difference – there's less time lying on the bed waiting.” “It’s been a long journey to get here – from three surgeries and weeks in ICU, to starting to learn how to eat and drink again with physio and speech pathologists. I’ve done it all here at the one place.” “It’s reassuring to know we can access the best technology and care in a public hospital, and there’s everything you need right here.” More: https://bit.ly/3YiKPFZ

Did you miss last week's Beyond Blue 'Menopause Mindfield' webinar, featuring HER Centre Australia's Director Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM? Taking a deep dive into the mental health impacts of perimenopause and menopause, you can catch up on the full webinar totally free via: https://lnkd.in/dvnw3CAk

Is it stigmatising to tell women they have an STI rather than a bacterial imbalance? "So far women are told that this is just an imbalance of their bacteria, and they are given cycle after cycle of antibiotics. It’s resulted, for many women, in a lot of distress and frustration with the health care profession. "My answer is simply: “.. it is doing women an enormous disservice to withhold that information. It is doing their partners an enormous disservice to withhold that information. And so it is important to actually call out transmission of BV, to be brave enough to do it.” And I use the word “brave” because there is pushback about this." Hear more from Dr Lenka Vodstrcil and Prof Catriona Bradshaw on the latest Scientific American podcast. #Monash #TranslationalMedicine #SexualHealth #BV Melbourne Sexual Health Centre Alfred Health https://lnkd.in/gajAiSx6

Dr Mahima Kapoor (Post-doctoral fellow, Department of Neuroscience and Head of Alfred Neuromuscular Service) has received a Monash University Advancing Women's Success Grant, through one of the Gender Equity programs - https://lnkd.in/gy428vUV She will receive professional career coaching to support her career planning and goals for progression to a mid-career researcher - congratulations Mahima! 👏 😊 #career #coaching #emcr #translational #equity

Congratulations to our clinician scientists based at Alfred Health and our department of Neuroscience, on introducing a surgical technique that is already making a huge difference to people's lives. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) allows neurosurgeons to treat epilepsy and brain tumours using a minimally invasive method. The Alfred is the first hospital in Victoria to offer this technique, which is now the first-line therapy in the leading epilepsy surgery and brain tumour treatment centres in the US and Europe. Our Head of School and Alfred Brain program director Terence O'Brien told the Herald Sun that this technique offers an alternative when epilepsy drugs and surgery are not suitable or effective. Matthew Gutman Joshua Laing Lindy Jeffree #Monash #TranslationalMedicine #Neuroscience #Epilepsy #Surgery https://lnkd.in/gvQSQVmd

📣 New publication alert involving TrialHub. Improving participation of culturally and linguistically diverse participants in clinical trials: an expert consultation. Our director Anne Woollett and Professor Stephen Jane, Director of Research Alfred Health & oversees TrialHub, shared their experiences of how we can overcome barriers to participation and create more inclusive clinical trial processes. Read here: https://lnkd.in/ge7xbDGp Congratulations to the fellow authors; Eliza Watson, Hannah Gulline, and Darshini Ayton. Monash Public Health and Preventive Medicine

#MultipleSclerosis affects three times more women than men. Usually diagnosed between the ages of 20-40, many women will start or continue to expand their families with a diagnosis of MS. What an absolute privilege to speak at the #AAN2025 meeting on women’s health and pregnancy. With standing room only and another 110 people online it was so heartening to see so much interest in this important area of clinical care. I got to cover fertility, fecundity, assisted reproductive technology, fetal outcomes, maternal complications, breastfeeding, and #pregnancy impacts on the clinical course of MS. A world wind tour of key clinical considerations. Tag teaming with Kerstin Hellwig speaking to MS therapy use around pregnancy, and Riley Bove on all things gynaecological and menopause-related. Thank goodness my jet lag waned for the duration of my talk!!