Professor James Whisstock has been awarded a Federation Fellowship in recognition of his work in the field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
30 April 2008
30 April 2008
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Professor James Whisstock has been awarded a Federation Fellowship in recognition of his work in the field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. |
Professor James Whisstock and Associate Professor Trevor Lithgow have been named among the top Australian scientists of the year and awarded Federation Fellowships.
The awards were announced at a ceremony in Canberra on 22 April, 2008.
Speaking at the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council dinner the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said:
"We want to give our best and brightest researchers opportunities to build careers in Australia."
"We want to give those at the top of their fields access to an elite funding scheme with a strong international focus."
"The Federation Fellowships will support ambitious research that will have a significant impact on all our lives."
The two scientists were recognised for their research work in the field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Professor Whisstock is recognised as a world-leading expert on bio-information and structural biology, especially serpins. He is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Principal Research Fellow and Logan Fellow at Monash University, and a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence in Structural and Functional Microbial Genomics.
Membrane Attack Complex/Perforin-like (MACPF) proteins play central roles in vertebrate immunity, embryonic patterning and neural development.
Professor Whisstock's research program aims to better understand the links between immunity and development. Data from his research will be crucial for developing approaches to control unwanted MACPF function in transplant rejection and diseases like Type I diabetes.
Professor Whisstock said the Fellowship was wonderful recognition and would open more doors of opportunity.
"It will allow me to develop new research directions in the field, looking at the role of pore-forming proteins," he said.
"It is a fantastic opportunity, a great honour, privilege and responsibility. Thank you to my team and I would also like to pay tribute to the great collaborators."
Associate Professor Lithgow leads an interdisciplinary research program at the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute and will be taking up his Federation Fellowship at Monash.
He is an international leader in protein targeting and membrane assembly, and his lab is working towards understanding the molecular machine that transfers proteins into mitochondria.
The main aims of Associate Professor Lithgow's research program are to: capitalise on biochemical techniques and bioinformatics developed by his laboratory; apply these techniques to learn more about the structure, function and assembly of the molecular machines in bacteria; and better understand how the human immune system can cope with microbial invaders.
The work involves research in genetics, microbiology, computer science and molecular biology, and will link research groups in Australia with key international laboratories.
Professor Lithgow said the Federation Fellowship will support collaborative research in the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, in the new STRIP buildings on the Clayton Campus.
"It will enable a team to access the latest technology in protein chemistry, computational science, microbial genetics and structural biology," Professor Lithgow said.
"As a result, new approaches are possible for understanding the fundamental biology of important pathogens of humans: how bacterial "weapons" are made and targeted at specific sites in human cells, how bacterial and fungal membranes are assembled to enable growth of these pathogens, and how human cells respond to the presence of pathogenic micro-organisms."
Monash University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish said Professors Whisstock and Lithgow were deserving recipients of the Federation Fellowships.
"This reinforces the commitment of Monash University to top-quality research," Professor Cornish said.
"Both researchers are already well-respected in their fields and this funding will allow them to make further significant contributions to their respective fields.
"We look forward to Associate Professor Lithgow joining the Monash research community."
30 April 2008
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Monash Sustainability Institute Chairman Professor John Thwaites raised three goals at the 2020 Summit which he believes Monash can help realise. |
Eighteen Monash University leaders, more than 40 alumni and four Monash students were among 1000 people who attended the Australia 2020 Summit on the weekend of April 19 and 20.
The summit was designed to harness the best ideas from leaders of the nation's cultural, intellectual, business and sporting arenas in an effort to shape a long-term strategy for the country.
Four key over-arching themes have emerged from the Federal government's preliminary report on the summit: climate change; strengthening civil society; developing people; and a national approach.
Monash Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish applauded summit organisers, saying it was a new way to approach long-term strategic planning for the nation.
"I think the main themes coming out of the summit will also help organisations such as Monash in their long-term thinking," Professor Cornish said.
Professor Cornish said Monash had a strong commitment to improving collaboration between industry and research to foster innovation and supporting excellence in education, health, social cohesion and sustainability.
"How we as a nation respond to climate change was obviously a big talking point of the summit," Professor Cornish said.
"The recently established Monash Sustainability Institute brings together economists, lawyers and environmentalists in an effort to address, not only Monash's own environmental objectives, but also our community's sustainability challenges."
Monash Sustainability Institute Chairman Professor John Thwaites raised three goals for the nation to work towards: improvements in energy efficiency resulting in carbon neutral commercial and residential buildings by 2020, climate-proofing one million low-income homes within the next five years and more efficient harvesting of stormwater.
"The summit took up two of the ideas that I put forward," said Professor Thwaites.
"This provides a great opportunity for the Monash community to implement the accepted ideas and to keep pushing until all three are realised."
Health was also high on the agenda.
Head of the Department of Health Science Professor Helen Keleher was pleased to see recommendations put forward for the establishment of a Health Equalities Commission and a national health literacy program, two areas she feels very strongly about.
"We need a mechanism to monitor our progress towards closing the gap on Indigenous health outcomes," Professor Keleher said.
Medicine student Michael Loftus agreed. He addressed 100 health delegates at the summit, presenting the ideas from the 2020 Youth Summit on preventative and mental health.
"One of the main concerns from the Youth Summit was the need for a health system that doesn't simply treat illness but actively encourages, promotes and celebrates wellness," Mr Loftus said.
"It was great that one of the main ideas coming out of the Health Stream was the need to establish a national preventative health agency as well as improvements to mental health education in schools."
Director of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law Professor Sarah Joseph put forward her recommendations for a Federal bill or charter of rights as well as greater media accountability and diversity.
The issues and rights of rural young people was also high on the agenda of Monash Bachelor of Arts Honours student Naomi Godden who attended both the 2020 Youth Summit and the 2020 Summit.
"I was able to contribute my ideas for addressing human rights concerns in rural Australia, in particular ensuring equitable rural access to the education revolution," Ms Godden said.
To access the Federal government's initial report and for further information visit the Australia 2020 Summit website.
30 April 2008
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Matthew Coller, Professor Jim Peterson and Peter Wheeler are working with colleague Dr Joshphar Kunapo (not pictured) on an interactive tool that predicts flood risk at Lakes Entrance. |
Monash researchers have developed an interactive flood visualisation tool that can be used to provide greater understanding of flood risk due to climate change.
PhD student Peter Wheeler is leading the project team which includes Associate Professor Jim Peterson and Dr Joshphar Kunapo from the School of Geography and Environmental Science, and Masters student Matthew Coller from the Faculty of Information Technology.
The visualisation tool focuses on Lakes Entrance, in East Gippsland, which has experienced two damaging floods in recent years.
Mr Wheeler said the visualisation tool enabled users to create scenarios that could be used to raise awareness of potential flood risk.
"Until now there has been no way of visualising what may happen during a flood event at Lakes Entrance," Mr Wheeler said.
"Future climate change projections for this region suggest that the combined effects of catchment flooding and coastal storm surge could make inundation events more frequent and intense in coming years.
"Low-lying coastal settlements in other areas of Victoria are also vulnerable and may be subjected to similar flooding events in the future.
"The methodology of this tool can be applied to these other areas which will help with flood contingency planning and the identification of 'at risk' land parcels and infrastructure."
Associate Professor Jim Peterson said important strategic planning decisions must be made in the near future to reduce or mitigate inundation hazards in areas like Lakes Entrance which were at significant risk of flooding.
"We need to plan now so we can adequately cope with future inundation and climate change scenarios," Professor Peterson said.
"This visualisation tool is one way of providing decision-support for coastal-zone stakeholders."
The Lakes Entrance Visualisation tool can be found at the SahulTime website.
30 April 2008
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Photograph detail: unidentified children, Ebenezer Mission, early twentieth century. Private collection. |
Dr Jane Lydon and Professor Lynette Russell from the Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies will produce the first systematic and comprehensive history of Aboriginal photography as part of a $300,000 four-year Australian Research Council funded research project.
Aboriginal Visual Histories: Photographing Indigenous Australians will, for the first time, review photographs of Aboriginal people in key collections around Australia and in Europe from 1841 to the present day.
The project will include collaboration with descendents in an effort to incorporate Indigenous perspectives. A range of scholarly and popular histories as well as a major exhibition will also be developed.
Dr Lydon said the project would provide a new and valuable resource for the study of Australian history.
"A growing body of postcolonial research has established the importance of visual imagery in creating and popularising ideas about race and cultural difference," Dr Lydon said.
"This project will explore how we have represented ourselves and the place of Australian Indigenous people both historically and in the present.
"It will also strengthen our understanding of Australia's place in the region and the world by showing how we have been perceived internationally through visual imagery -- and specifically what is unique about Australia and its Indigenous people through international eyes."
Dr Lydon said some nineteenth century visual stereotypes were used to argue that Aboriginal people were primitive in comparison with Western society.
"Others showed their supposed assimilation in terms of the appropriation of European customs such as clothing and housing," Dr Lydon said.
"This is particularly true of images of disorderly Aboriginal women and their homes which have persisted into the present.
"These images were used to argue that they were unable to care for their children and provided justification for official intervention and child removal."
Dr Lydon will also convene a Visual Cultures and Colonialism: Indigeneity in Local and Transnational Imagery conference from 1-3 May bringing together key speakers on the topic. For more information visit the conference web page.
30 April 2008
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Microsoft researcher Gordon Bell (pictured with Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology Professor Ron Weber) is "digitally immortalising" himself on computer as part of the MyLifeBits experiment. |
Imagine recording every moment of your day-to-day life and storing it on your home computer.
That's exactly what Microsoft researcher Gordon Bell is doing as part of the MyLifeBits experiment, which aims to supplement human memory, create digital immortality and eliminate clutter.
More than 70 people attended a seminar and workshop at Caulfield to hear Mr Bell speak about MyLifeBits and his experiences in setting up a computer history museum in the US.
The event was organised by the Faculty of Information Technology, Monash Museum of Computing History, Centre for Organisational and Social Informatics and the Monash University e-Research Centre.
MyLifeBits started in 1999 when Mr Bell started scanning everything he has accumulated, written, photographed and presented and storing it in a database.
"In 2005 I started using a SenseCam around my neck," Mr Bell said. "This takes a photograph every 20 seconds and then reproduces the images in a time lapse format.
"I save around a gigabyte of information every month and think I'll eventually fill around one terabyte of storage space.
Mr Bell is also a foundation Board member of the Computer History Museum, which aims to preserve and present artefacts and stories from the Information Age.
He started collecting early computer material when he was working at Digital Equipment Corporation.
This collection became the basis for the Computer History Museum which is now housed in Silicon Valley, California. It is one of the largest computer museums in the world.
Mr Bell said it was important to record the experiences of people involved in the development of computing history.
"The Computer History Museum now has a large collection of interviews which complements their collection of artefacts," Mr Bell said.
"The Museum is also providing access to these resources through a "cyber museum."
For more information visit the MyLifeBits website or the Monash Museum of Computing History website.
30 April 2008
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Keynote speaker Professor David Karoly (far right) with Monash medical students Hiep Pham and Zoe Steward at the World Health Day Symposium. |
Organisers of the World Health Day Symposium have called for an expansion to the Australian Government's funding to support basic health systems in developing countries.
In a joint statement released by Symposium organisers and World Vision, the government was urged to almost double its aid funding to significantly reduce child and maternal mortality and turn around major infectious diseases like HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
More than 200 people attended the Symposium at Coppin Hall in Melbourne.
The event, which was hosted by Monash's new school of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, the Burnet Institute and the Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct (AMREP), brought together students, academics, health practitioners, researchers and policy makers from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Fiji, New Zealand, India and South Africa, providing them with the opportunity to share views and ideas on global health.
Chair of International Public Health at Monash Professor Brian Oldenburg said: "It is particularly important in this rapidly changing world that research can better inform health policy making and delivery of health services especially in low and middle income countries."
Symposium participants heard from 11 speakers including Professor David Karoly, a renowned climate scientist on the theme for this year's World Health Day, Protecting Health from Climate Change.
For more information visit the AMREP website.
30 April 2008
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The Monash Medical Centre donated enough water to fill the Forum Ponds and a pool at the Clayton campus. |
The Forum Ponds next to the Menzies building at the Clayton campus are flowing once more thanks to a novel drought-breaking move by the Facilities and Services Division.
The Division was the first to step in when the Monash Medical Centre announced it was unable to use the water in one of its holding tanks and was willing to make a donation of the now precious commodity.
Facilities and Services hired a tanker to cart the water from the nearby hospital to the Forum ponds.
It wasn't only the ponds that benefited. There was enough water left over to top up the swimming pool at the former Vice-Chancellor's house which is now used as staff offices.
Grounds Manager Johan de Bree who helped organise the water transfer said: "The ponds have been in a very sorry state because of the drought so this was a fantastic opportunity to recycle some water and fill them up again."
Medical Centre spokesperson Elizabeth Katschura said it was the first time the Centre had made a donation of water.
"We decided to give the water away after a test showed that the water's bacterial count was slightly too high," Ms Katschura said.
"To return the water to its normal level we could have treated it with chlorine.
"However, as much of this water is used for drinking we decided against it because people would have been able to taste the chlorine."
Ms Katschura said the Centre hadn't made donations of water before as the need hadn't presented itself.
"However, we would donate again if need be," Ms Katschura said. "It is absolutely in line with the green policy."
30 April 2008
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A group of scholarship recipients, some of the 120 Monash students to be recognised as part of the inaugural Coursework Scholarships Awards ceremony. |
Scholarships have been awarded to 120 Monash students in recognition of their academic achievements at the inaugural Coursework Scholarships Awards ceremony.
The group includes undergraduate students who received an ENTER score above 95 in their VCE last year.
In 2008, Monash awarded 900 new coursework scholarships and bursaries totalling over $10 million.
Among the scholarships presented were 50 Monash Jubilee Honours Scholarships valued at $5000 as part of the University's 50th year celebrations.
Monash University Coursework scholarships and Access Monash scholarships were also presented.
Access Monash scholarships range from $2000 to $6000 per annum, assisting financially disadvantaged students, those from rural and isolated areas in Australia and those with disabilities or medical conditions.
Recipients who received scholarships sponsored by Sakata, the Boroondara Foundation and Citigroup were also recognised at the ceremony.
30 April 2008
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Playgroup participant Rydha and Playgroup Coordinator Janita explore painting different textures together. |
A new playgroup has been established next to the Caulfield campus.
The playgroup, named Bubup - an Aboriginal (Wurrundjeri) word meaning child, aims to attract a mix of international and local parents who are working and studying at Monash University and have young children to join weekly sessions.
Family and Child Care Project Officer Dinah Humphries said Bubup was an informal playgroup where babies, toddlers, preschoolers, parents and carers could meet in a relaxed environment.
"Children who go to playgroup can make new friends, have new experiences, gain self-confidence and develop physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually," Ms Humphries said.
"Parents and carers can meet new people, practice English language skills and share cultural exchange in an Australian early childhood setting."
Monash University playgroups operate:
Clayton Tuesdays 10am-12 noon Koonawarra Playgroup
Monash Uniting Church, Clayton North
Cnr Koonawarra St / Princes Hwy
Caulfield Thursdays 10am-12 noon Bubup Playgroup
St Johns Anglican Church
Finch St, East Malvern - over Princes Hwy, across from Monash Caulfield campus
All sessions:
$3 per family and a piece of fruit for morning tea
For further information visit the Family and Child Care website, contact Janita.Grant@adm.monash.edu.au or telephone + 61 3 9905 3156.
2 April 2008
The Senior Management Summit and the Council Summit were held in February. These meetings concentrated on identifying the priorities for Monash University over the next five years. This month's report will summarise these priorities.
The ten values listed in the Strategic Framework 2004-2008 will continue to underpin the activities of Monash University for the next five years. Thus, although the University has made great progress towards achieving excellence in education, research and management, much remains to be done. The University will continue to have a strong international focus. It will continue to value fairness, innovation and creativity, diversity and integrity and to strive for increased engagement with governments, industry and the community and for a greater degree of financial self-reliance.
The recruitment, retention and development of the best possible staff and students will therefore remain absolute priorities because ultimately the University will only be as good as its human capital. Similarly, equity objectives and, particularly, strategies to increase the number and educational outcomes of Indigenous students will continue.
But within this framework a number of specific priorities can be identified for the next five years which if realised will help us to become one of the world's great universities.
The Priorities:
1. Develop and badge an innovative approach to learning and teaching
A lot of time and effort has been invested in reviewing our coursework structure. We must now put this together to develop an innovative educational program built around the principles agreed during the review. We must be able to describe the principles on which our programs are based in terms which are simple and persuasive so that Monash degrees become synonymous with innovation and educational excellence. New educational technologies will be incorporated into all programs and will facilitate intercampus educational programs and a virtual international experience for all students.
2. Engage more effectively with business and industry
In both education and research, it is essential that Monash University enhances its relations with business and industry. In education, periods of work experience in relevant business and industry environments enable students to become more focused on their studies and to recognise the relevance of what they are learning. In research, Monash must become the most successful university at developing partnerships with industry that lead to substantial industry-funded research.
3. Develop the Clayton precinct around Monash, CSIRO and the Australian Synchrotron as a key centre for innovation
The Clayton campus of Monash University is strategically located adjacent to the largest division of CSIRO and the Australian Synchrotron in the heart of the light-manufacturing sector of Victoria. A nanofabrication facility is to be constructed adjoining the Synchrotron. This precinct should gradually be transformed by research and innovation emanating from Monash University and CSIRO and by investment by government and industry into an innovation precinct driving the economy of Victoria and Australia.
4. Consolidate the biomedical and health research being undertaken in Monash University, affiliated institutes and hospitals
Monash University now has the top-ranking biomedical research departments in the country and also houses the world-ranking Monash Institute of Medical Research, the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, clinical departments with diverse research interests and one of the leading public health and epidemiology departments in the country. Extensive research relevant to health also takes place in the faculties of Pharmacy, Science, Engineering, Arts, Law, IT and Business and Economics. There are a number of medical research institutes and teaching hospitals affiliated with Monash University. We must develop a governance structure that encourages sharing of research platforms, optimal research collaboration and effective translation of basic research into new approaches to disease prevention and treatment.
5. Develop research themes for all campuses
Monash University has a complex multi-campus structure. This provides opportunities to engage with local industries and communities taking advantage of the geographic location, while also being able to tap the research expertise of all of Monash University. We should not try to create eight campuses with identical research strengths. Each campus must conduct excellent research, taking advantage of its particular opportunities. A similar differentiation is occurring or has occurred in educational programs, responding to local needs.
6. Achieve university status for Monash South Africa with student numbers greater than 5000, a better than break-even budget and a strong research focus
Monash South Africa has made stunning progress over the last four years with the number of students quadrupling to over 2100 and the budget deficit halving. New academic programs have been developed although emphasis has been placed on strengthening the existing disciplines rather than developing extensive new programs. The next five years are crucial for the campus. The growth in student numbers must be maintained, with a larger proportion of students from South Africa. Corporate support for student bursaries must be increased to ensure that able students from disadvantaged backgrounds continue to increase in number and the academic programs should diversify to include aspects of health sciences, education and science at undergraduate and graduate levels. The campus must develop a strong research program, relevant to the needs of Africa and building on the strengths at Monash in Australia.
7. Increase student numbers at Monash University Sunway to greater than 6000, complete stage 2 of campus development and create strong research and research training programs
The new campus of Monash University at Sunway provides a wonderful underpinning for the next phase of this exciting university. The campus must become a real flagship for Monash University, located strategically in South East Asia. The growth in student numbers must continue and the research program should be expanded so that Monash University at Sunway will be recognised as one of the research power houses of South East Asia with extensive collaborations with the leading research universities in Malaysia and Singapore and substantial support for research from industry and the Malaysian government.
8. Further develop our international strategy in India, China, Europe and North America
The proposed research academy with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) must be successful in recruiting high quality PhD students and attracting sufficient industry support for research and PhD scholarships.
Over the next five years we must take advantage of our opportunities in China by developing extensive student exchange and research collaborations with Sichuan University and other Chinese partner universities as well as developing industry-funded research with China.
Monash University's Prato Centre has raised the profile of Monash University in Europe. We must continue to develop our academic programs at Prato so that it truly becomes a venue for international education and an avenue for research collaboration in Europe. We must also take advantage of Australia's associate membership of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory to develop the major node of an EMBL partner laboratory at Monash.
We must leverage our international partnerships in North America and Europe to obtain more international research funding and international experience for our students.
9. Continue our capital development program and renewal of our facilities
Although the last decade has seen a major renewal of physical facilities at our campuses, much remains to be done. Priorities in our capital program for the next five years will be completion of the Menzies refurbishment, the Caulfield Western Precinct redevelopment including a new Law faculty building, refurbishment and remodelling of the Matheson and Caulfield libraries and a major redevelopment of the science and engineering precincts at Clayton. There will also need to be further capital development to cope with increasing student numbers at Monash University Sunway and Monash South Africa. We have also made a commitment to reduce energy use and to work towards carbon neutrality for our campuses. This will require a major program of retrofitting existing buildings and of course ensuring that new buildings are built to the most demanding environmental standards.
These developments will require major additional income and in some cases external funding schemes. They emphasise the need to increase the degree of philanthropic support, and the need to be successful in acquiring funds through the Higher Education Endowment Fund and other government sources.
10. Increase operating dollars per student in real terms
There has been a decrease in the funding available per Commonwealth Supported Place of about $1200 per student in 2008 terms since the early 1990s. To be internationally competitive in terms of the quality of our education and research we must increase the funding per student. We must continue to attract international students, increase the number of Australian postgraduate students and ensure that our fees represent the true cost of delivering world quality degrees. We must also ensure we are successful in the new funding environment of the "Education Revolution" of the Rudd Labor Government.
Conclusion:
Monash University has been very successful in its first fifty years. It is well-placed to become one of the world's great universities. This is not an end in its own right. Its importance lies in the benefits that will come to the Australian and international community from having the outcomes of principled, quality education and outstanding research addressing problems of national and global significance.
30 April 2008
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Name: Lucie Joschko
Course: Doctor of Philosophy
Year Level: 3rd Year
Mode: Full-time
How long have you been at Monash University?
I completed my undergrad studies at Monash University Berwick and I've never looked back. I continued on to my Honours and enjoyed it so much that I'm now doing my PhD.
What is your PhD subject?
My research examines the changes in Czech animation before and after the Communist regime, including rapid changes in technology, the transformation of the structure and ownership of animation studios, funding of animated production and the impact of political censorship on the content of Czech animated films.
I grew up in Communist Czechoslovakia so this topic certainly has a personal meaning for me.
What challenges are ahead for you this year?
The main milestone is to finish my thesis but we have also been renovating and planning to build a house this year. So between my computer screen and weekend handyman lessons, the challenge is to endure the marathon.
What would be your ideal career?
Curating or promoting animation at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI).
What is it about being a Higher Degree Research (HDR) student that holds your interest or is particularly satisfying?
It's a journey of personal growth. I'm learning about myself as much as about my topic. It is my metaphoric Mt Everest.
Of all the places in the world you would like to visit/re-visit, where is your favourite destination and why?
The diplomatic answer should be Czech Republic but there are many places in the world that enchant me, like Paris.
What advice would you give to other HDR students?
Choose your supervisor wisely because you enter a long-term relationship with them and the quality of their mentoring will reflect in your work.
What is something about yourself that most of your fellow students wouldn't know?
I like to meditate and would like to own a goat.
30 April 2008
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The Centre for Human Bioethics, one of the first research centres in the world devoted entirely to bioethics, was founded at Monash in 1980 by Dr Helga Kuhse and Professor Peter Singer.
Dr Kuhse served as director of the Centre until June 1999. Her research and commentary on the controversial issues of euthanasia and a person's right to die has prompted worldwide debate.
Photo courtesy Monash University Archives.