27 August 2008
27 August 2008
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| Professor Michael Cowley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish, consulting psychologist Dr Judith Paphazy, actor Sigrid Thornton, Dr Justen O'Connor, and Dr Michelle Haby. |
Australia's obesity epidemic required responses from government, the medical profession, schools, parents and children themselves, if it was to be brought under control, a Monash Research Month forum at Federation Square was told.
With up to 25 per cent of Australian children obese or overweight, the nation was facing a long-term health crisis because of the increased risk of chronic illnesses - such as diabetes and heart disease - that obesity carried with it.
Monash lecturer Dr Justen O'Connor said the health costs of treating diabetes sufferers alone were projected to increase by 400 per cent over the next 30 years because of high rates of obesity in today's school children.
Dr O'Connor, a lecturer in the Education Faculty at the Peninsula campus argued that the bulk of Australia's health budget was spent on "downstream" hospital services rather than on "upstream" disease prevention programs.
"Rather than rescuing and resuscitating people after they have fallen in the river we should be trying to stop people falling in the river in the first place," Dr O'Connor said.
But Dr O'Connor said obesity was more complex than an "energy in-energy out" equation and schools were unfairly targeted as a community resource where a strict exercise and diet regime could be enforced.
"The solutions don't lie neatly within the health sector, or the education sector. The problem has to be tackled at the top and the bottom and across the whole community."
Obesity researcher Professor Michael Cowley said a social marketing campaign against obesity, themed on anti-smoking campaigns, was not straight forward because of the social and economic complexities of obesity.
"If you stigmatise overweight children you could create a bigger problem and turn a large group of teenagers into anorexics. Being overweight in itself is not a problem, but it can lead to other illnesses."
Professor Cowley spoke against using hunger suppressing drugs on children but strongly advocated exercise and healthy diet and said schools should play a larger role.
"Exercise is one therapy that you can guarantee will work and there are no risks associated with it."
Both experts supported the Stephanie Alexander school garden project as a model that empowered children to make informed choices about foods. The project creates vegetable gardens in primary schools that children plant, nurture and harvest, learning about healthy foods and nutrition along the way.
Department of Human Services policy analyst Dr Michelle Haby said the regulation of television advertising of junk food had to be included in the debate, as did town planning, so that children could safely walk or cycle to school.
The State Government's Go For Your Life campaign was endorsed as a program that reached across sectors and gave advice on healthy eating and exercise at a grass-roots level.
The forum heard that the chaperone-style Walking School Bus program had been scrapped by the State government because it was not cost effective and reinforced perceptions that neighbourhoods were not safe for children.
About 200 people attended the lecture, one of several in a Monash Research Month program. The forum was moderated by actor and community arts advocate Sigrid Thornton.
For more information on Research Month visit the Research Matters website.
27 August 2008
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| Gerry Swiegers, Robin Brimblecombe, Leone Spiccia and Annette Koo. |
An international team of researchers led by Monash University has used chemicals found in plants to replicate a key process in photosynthesis paving the way for a new approach that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
The breakthrough could revolutionise the renewable energy industry by making hydrogen -- touted as the clean, green fuel of the future -- cheaper and easier to produce on a commercial scale.
Professor Leone Spiccia, Mr Robin Brimblecombe and Dr Annette Koo from Monash University teamed with Dr Gerhard Swiegers at the CSIRO and Professor Charles Dismukes at Princeton University to develop a coating that can be impregnated with a form of manganese, a chemical essential to sustaining photosynthesis in plant life.
"We have copied nature, taking the elements and mechanisms found in plant life and recreated one of those processes in the laboratory," Professor Spiccia said.
"A manganese cluster is central to a plant’s ability to use water, carbon dioxide and sunlight to make carbohydrates and oxygen."
"Man-made mimics of this cluster were developed by Professor Charles Dismukes some time ago, and we’ve taken it a step further, harnessing the ability of these molecules to convert water into its component elements, oxygen and hydrogen," Professor Spiccia said.
This process of "oxidizing" water generates protons and electrons, which can be converted into hydrogen gas instead of carbohydrates as in plants.
"Whilst man has been able to split water into hydrogen and oxygen for years, we have been able to do the same thing for the first time using just sunlight, an electrical potential of 1.2 volts and the very chemical that nature has selected for this purpose," Professor Spiccia said.
Professor Spiccia said the efficiency of the system needed to be improved, but the breakthrough had huge potential. "We need to continue to learn from nature so that we can better master this process," Professor Spiccia said.
"Hydrogen has long been considered the ideal clean green fuel, energy-rich and carbon-neutral. The production of hydrogen using nothing but water and sunlight offers the possibility of an abundant, renewable, green source of energy for the future for communities across the world."
For more information see Monash University Newsline.
27 August 2008
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| Professor Bill Charman |
The Victorian College of Pharmacy, a faculty of Monash University, has embraced its modern position and focus announcing a change of name to the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Faculty Dean Professor Bill Charman said the name change, along with the Parkville campus's $45 million redevelopment and new research building, represented an exciting and bold step forward.
"The new name clearly articulates our vision as an eminent Australian faculty with a breadth of expertise that enables us to deliver on all aspects of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences," Professor Charman said.
The name change comes two years after the 125th anniversary of the Victorian College of Pharmacy.
"Having proudly honoured our past achievements, there was a need to better communicate the faculty's present day position and future focus -- pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences."
Originally the school of the Pharmaceutical Society of Victoria, the Victorian College of Pharmacy merged with Monash University in 1992.
The faculty now delivers a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the area of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences to more than 1200 students. Students benefit from innovative advances in teaching practices and technologies.
Academic and research staff at the faculty collaborate with leading national and international partners including pharmaceutical and biotech companies, research institutes and universities.
"Overall, the faculty staff have the most experience of any Australian institution of its type," Professor Charman said.
"Our new name better reflects the faculty's distinct position within the healthcare, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors."
For more information visit the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences website.
27 August 2008
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| Professor Christina Mitchell |
Professor Christina Mitchell has been appointed a Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor, joining six other professors honoured since 1995.
The Sir John Monash Distinguished Professorship is bestowed upon professors of distinction who have made an outstanding contribution to their discipline and the University.
Professor Mitchell's appointment recognises the leading role she has played in the transformation of biomedical research at Monash, first as the Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which quadrupled its size and research budget under her leadership, and now as the Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences.
A Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Professor Mitchell has also achieved a reputation as an outstanding researcher in the field of cell signalling, contributing significantly to the understanding of several diseases.
Professor Mitchell said she was surprised but delighted by the award.
"I think I have been very lucky to have worked with some wonderful, committed researchers during my time at Monash," Professor Mitchell said.
"No research is done in isolation and many people have helped me enormously during my research career.
"I see this award as recognition of the great Biomedical Departments we have at the Clayton campus, in particular in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology."
27 August 2008
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| AFP College Manager Mark McIntyre and the Dean of Monash University's Faculty of Arts Professor Rae Frances. Photo courtesy AFP. |
Monash University and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement that will promote research collaboration between the two organisations and provide law enforcement officers with increased professional development opportunities.
Monash University offers 350 postgraduate research and coursework study options across its ten faculties for people looking to further develop their skills in both the public and private sectors.
Dean of Monash University's Faculty of Arts Professor Rae Frances welcomed the agreement which provides attractive credit packages for courses undertaken at the AFP College towards undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Monash in areas such as counter-terrorism, criminal justice, international relations and Islamic studies.
"University courses such as these extend the professional experience and training of students, building high level conceptual and analytical skills," Professor Frances said.
"The faculty is also very keen to further its research collaborations with the AFP, particularly through the Global Terrorism Research Centre and the Criminal Justice and Public Policy program."
For more information on Arts courses visit the Faculty of Arts website.
27 August 2008
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| Dr Natalie Borg |
Monash University researcher Dr Natalie Borg is one of four recipients of the $20,000 L'Oréal Australia For Women in Science Fellowships for 2008.
Dr Borg is a NHMRC Peter Doherty Research fellow with the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Her work focuses on analysing crystals with synchrotron light, to figure out how human bodies mount a rapid defence when viruses attack them.
"The immune system is complex and is made up of many specialised types of cells and proteins. The key is to understand their function," Dr Borg said.
To date, she's been working as part of a successful team at Monash University. In 2007 her work on how natural killer T cells recognise fats from invaders was published in Nature.
Dr Borg is setting up her own laboratory at Monash -- a bold move but essential if her career is to grow. With the help of her L'Oréal Australia For Women in Science Fellowship, she will study key steps in the body's early warning system against viral attack.
"Understanding how the proteins work together to trigger the immune system is the first step towards learning how to modify or enhance the immune response. Eventually this could lead to drugs that protect against viral infections," Dr Borg said.
"This is the basic research that needs to take place before we can make better drugs and vaccines to treat and prevent viral infections."
Dr Borg said although she was honoured to receive the L'Oréal Fellowship, she was concerned there was too little support for women at the early stages of their career.
"When I did my degree about seventy per cent of the students were women," Dr Borg said.
"However, very few senior women scientists have their own laboratories.
"At the same time that you're trying to secure independent funding, you're making decisions about having children. There needs to be more incentives to keep women with young families in science."
27 August 2008
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| Monash marketing students at the Australian embassy in Beijing, one of five Chinese cities they visited on a recent study tour. |
A group of 17 marketing students visited some major international organisations on a recent two-week study tour of China.
Under the guidance of Monash senior lecturer Sandra Luxton and ManageChina's managing director Tim Lyons, the students travelled to Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Yiwu and Hangzhou.
The students visited organisations including Austrade, Bluescope Steel, DDB Guoan advertising, KPMG, Lenovo and Westpac, Chinese organisations Wahaha and Tsingua University, and the Suzhou Industrial Park.
Senior marketing executives made presentations to the students and discussed their organisation's current and future marketing strategies.
Ms Luxton said the study tour was designed to expose students to the intricacies of doing business in China.
"The students all praised the opportunity to experience international marketing first hand, particularly in such a significant trading partner to Australia," she said.
The study tour and associated assignments constituted one unit towards the students' degree programs.
The China study tour is available to all students in the Faculty of Business and Economics each July. The Department of Marketing also offers a round-the-world study tour in January and interstate study tours within Australia.
Ms Luxton said the study tours enabled students to be exposed to a range of different cultures and to the thinking and strategies of some of the world's leading marketers.
More information is available on the Department of Marketing's China study program web page.
27 August 2008
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| Joan's family: Husband Colin Fraser, step-daughter Laura Fraser, mother Ruth Sayers, daughter Tegan Sayers, mother-in-law Betty Miles, step-daughters Jessica and Emma Fraser, and sister Pam Sayers. |
A memorial plaque has been unveiled in the Robert Blackwood Hall at Clayton in tribute to Joan Sayers.
Ms Sayers became one of the best known faces at Monash during her 34 years at the University, most spent working tirelessly at the Robert Blackwood Hall at the Clayton campus.
A large audience crowded into the main foyer of the hall as Jan Clancy, director, Academy of Performing Arts, unveiled the plaque and a large colour photograph of Joan.
The plaque highlights the commitment and contribution Joan paid to the hall and also her "generosity, love of life and sense of humour."
Many members of Joan's family were present at the ceremony including her husband Colin Fraser, another long-term employee of the University.
Ms Clancy said Joan had played a large part in starting the union at Monash and establishing an OHS office. "She was determined to ensure people were treated fairly and that they were cared for," Ms Clancy told the audience.
There was much laughter as friends and former colleagues shared anecdotes of Joan's time at Monash which began in 1972, shortly before the opening of the Robert Blackwood Hall.
"Working here was not just a job for her, it was part of her life," one told the audience.
Joan died in 2006 after a long battle with illness.
27 August 2008
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| The new VoIP phone |
Monash University staff will soon have access to the latest phone technology with the roll-out of new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones set to commence.
The VoIP system will replace the existing analogue PABX system, with the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute at the Clayton campus among the first to experience the features and benefits of the new technology.
VoIP Project Manager Robert Jamieson said it was a huge project.
"By the end of the year, 900 staff across newly-built buildings will be using the phones, with larger sites to follow over the next few years," Mr Jamieson said.
"In terms of user functionality, the benefits of the technology are immense."
"One of the first things that users will notice is that clarity of the audio is noticeably better."
"The clearer display, Monash telephone directory search and caller ID were also aspects considered positive in user trials."
Mr Jamieson said VoIP would enhance mobility for staff required to work across various campuses.
"Any VoIP phone can be used by a staff member entering their personal login details," Mr Jamieson said.
Integrated Collaboration Environment Program Manager Daryl Wood said the VoIP system would complement other initiatives being rolled out including Lotus Notes email and calendar.
"Staff members from all areas of the University stand to reap huge benefit from the resulting opportunities to connect, collaborate and engage with others anywhere, anytime," he said.
The new VoIP phone services are expected to be available across the University by 2010.
The project is part of Monash University's Integrated Collaboration Environment (ICE) Program, which is delivering innovative collaboration tools and technologies to Monash staff.
For more information on VoIP phones visit the Monash communication tools and the ICE Program website (Monash only) or email communicate@its.monash.edu.au.
6 August 2008
Over the last month, I have been involved in a number of international activities that epitomise the breadth of Monash University's international engagement.
The first was to attend the official ceremony at the High Commissioner's residence in Kuala Lumpur where the Australian Prime Minister awarded an honorary AO to Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah in recognition of the role he has played as chair of the Sunway Group and its not-for-profit subsidiary, the Sunway Education Trust, in the success of Monash University's Sunway campus in Malaysia. In this event and the accompanying formal lunch and State dinner for Prime Minister Rudd, the importance of education in building links between Australia and Malaysia was emphasised with Monash University being particularly identified in the award ceremony.
I then attended the Board of Trustees and associated planning meetings of the University of Sharjah in London. The Board is chaired by the Ruler of Sharjah who has built a close relationship with Monash University and more widely with Victoria following the successful role played by the Faculties of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Pharmacy in the establishment of the Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Sharjah. The Ruler is an enlightened man, with two earned PhDs from UK universities (Exeter and Durham) and active interests in Portuguese exploration, preservation of the biodiversity of desert plants and in wild life preservation in the desert with the creation of a large sanctuary. He is determined that the unique role of the University of Sharjah will be as a university firmly embedded in the history and culture of the region but genuinely outward looking, admitting students of all faiths and engaging with universities throughout the world. He is keen to extend his partnership with Monash University and has agreed to provide funding towards a Chair of Islamic Studies within the Centre for Islam and the Modern World at Monash.
In London I was able to meet with the Victorian Agent-General, David Buckingham, and the Provost (Vice-Chancellor) of University College London (UCL), Malcolm Grant, about extending our current partnership with Kings College London (KCL) in the field of medical science to include UCL and Imperial. Following that, I had a brief visit to Warwick University to follow up an earlier visit by our DVC (International) Stephanie Fahey and VP (Finance) David Pitt to explore the establishment of a comprehensive partnership with Warwick. Warwick University is an excellent fit for Monash -- established in 1965, it has quickly become one of the leading universities in the UK, with the fifth highest ranking in the last Research Assessment Exercise.
Warwick has an outstanding division specifically charged with building industry engagement, WMG Innovative Solutions, directed by the imposing and influential Lord Bhattacharyya. He was liberal in his advice about the secrets of getting a successful program for university and industry partnership for mutual benefit.
There are already active collaborations between Monash and Warwick in the areas of stem cell science involving the Monash Institute of Medical Research and in materials science, where Maria Forsyth from Materials Engineering is undertaking a sabbatical program. There are several other areas of common interest in the humanities and social sciences as well as in science, engineering and health sciences. The next step is to have a more comprehensive research-mapping exercise which will be conducted when the PVC (equivalent to our DVC) Research, Mark Smith, and an accompanying delegation visit Monash in late 2008 or early 2009. Mark already knows Monash well as he spent several years at CSIRO Clayton in the 1990s and collaborated extensively with Monash during that time. Student exchange, joint PhD supervision, funded research collaboration and benchmarking will be direct dividends from the partnership that will complement our established partnerships with KCL, Newcastle and Nottingham in the UK.
On the way back from the UK, I attended the dinner at Monash University's Sunway campus in Malaysia celebrating its 10th anniversary coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Monash University. It was a wonderful event which came after a two-day education symposium and a two day research symposium led by the relevant DVCs and in which the Associate Deans from the involved faculties took part. The progress made by the campus has been stunning. Together with the Sunway campus Pro Vice-Chancellor Robin Pollard, I visited the Vice-Chancellor of UPM. This University has also made outstanding progress since its expansion from an agricultural college to a university and will join the University of Malaya and UKM as major partners of Monash University's Sunway campus in Malaysia.
At the end of the month I spent two days at our South African campus for a Board meeting and to meet most of the staff and the student association. The progress of the campus is quite remarkable. It now has over 2500 students and its financial position is continuing to improve markedly with this year's operating deficit likely to be about $4m compared to a peak in 2003 of over $12m. There have been some problems relating to IT services and with the new residential block but these have been or are being sorted out. Overall, the campus is an incredible achievement and it will be great to have more of our Australian students accessing the amazing cultural and educational experiences available at the campus and more generally in Africa.
Towards the end of the month, I hosted two significant delegations in Australia. Of course, each month we have many international visitors, but I have particular reason to refer to these two. The first was led by the Iraqi Ambassador and included the Cultural Attache and the President of al-Nahrain University. This delegation referred to the warm relationship already established between Iraq and Monash and the opportunity to expand research higher degree training. Opportunities for more extensive research collaboration were sought. The extreme resilience of the Iraqis (al-Nahrain University was not closed for a single day during the war and subsequent insurgency) and their commitment to education and research were very apparent. Fortunately, the security situation in Baghdad has improved significantly and the delegation was very optimistic about the future.
The second delegation was from Chile. I signed an Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of Universities Australia with the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Chilean Government has established a $6b Bicentennial Fund to provide scholarships for the best Chilean graduates to undertake PhDs in a limited number of 'like-minded' countries which includes Australia. It is expected that around 500 fully-funded scholarships per year will be available for PhD students wishing to study in Australia. Their philosophy is that they should take advantage of the resources boom which is benefiting Chile as well as Australia by investing in their brightest students. This is another wonderful opportunity for Monash.
Finally, I attended along with several other colleagues from Monash, an inspirational fund-raising dinner conducted by the Jewish community to establish a medical research fund called AusIMed to support collaborative research between Australian universities and hospitals and the Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem. The event was orchestrated by our Senior Deputy Dean of Medicine, Leon Piterman, and the fund was launched by the Federal Minister for Health Nicola Roxon. The committee has been generous enough to name me as the Patron of the Fund.
Monash's international strategy has many dimensions. It has been a defining element in the unique path that Monash has followed and a major reason why we are the only university aged 50 years or less ranked in the top 50 universities in the world by the Times Higher Education Supplement (UK). It is a key factor in raising our international profile which contributes to our success in the 'global war for talent' amongst academic staff and in our continued success in attracting international students.
27 August 2008
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Name: Fiona Zammit
Org Unit: Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
Title: General manager
Dept: Monash Research Graduate School
How long have you been with Monash University?
Five months.
Prior to working at Monash, where were you located and what was your role?
For the last five years I held a similar role at the University of Melbourne.
What challenges are ahead in your current role?
The competition across Australia for the best HDR students and the best research programs is getting hotter. With our fabulous researchers, programs and facilities, it is vital that we do all we can not only to attract the best candidates but also to provide them with broad and empowering research training experiences. Our PhD graduates should finish with much more than a thesis, they should be ready to become the research leaders of the future.
What is it about your job that holds your interest or is particularly satisfying?
Working with so many talented and diverse individuals from across the University -- students, supervisors, academic and general staff -- is a privilege and a pleasure. Also keeping Monash University at the forefront of best practice in international research training is exciting and inspiring.
What is your favourite place in the world and why?
Anywhere on the water with friends and family on our boat Blue Tango. Instant relaxation every weekend and opportunities for adventure (when we feel like it).
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
"You can do it." Self belief is so powerful.
What is something about yourself that most of your colleagues wouldn’t know?
In 2006-07, my husband and I sailed Blue Tango down the east coast from Brisbane. Great fun and an amazing learning experience.
Archive of 60 seconds with...27 August 2008
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The University's Parkville campus is home to what could be the largest mural painting in Australia.
The Sissons mural was commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Society of Victoria in the 1960s to celebrate the long contribution of former Dean Alfred Thomas Stanley Sissons.
The mural is made up of ten separate panels, in total measuring six metres by twenty metres.
It was created by artist Leonard Annois and captures the development through history of science, medicine and pharmacy.
For more information about the mural see the Sissons mural web page.
For find out more about the faculty visit the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences website.