24 June 2009
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| This new nano-structured material holds great hopes for medical implants. |
A research collaboration between Monash and the CSIRO is pushing new boundaries in engineering, a trend set to increase with a new multimillion dollar venture at the Clayton campus.
It's a topsy-turvy world at the cutting edge of materials engineering. Light and relatively soft metals are being hardened up - and the brittle made ductile.
The working partnership of Dr Rimma Lapovok and joint CSIRO/Monash researcher Professor Yuri Estrin is turning useful titanium into a new nano-structured material that holds great hopes for medical implants.
Collaborations like this between Australia's premier scientific organisation and Monash is set to expand through a new venture that will define the future of manufacturing in Australia.
A $175 million New Horizons centre is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to co-locate and integrate around 300 Monash staff with 150 researchers from the CSIRO in a new building in the engineering precinct of the Clayton campus.
Scheduled to open in 2012 New Horizons aims to transform manufacturing in areas like biomedicine, transport, aerospace and mineral processing.
Already Professor Estrin and Dr Lapovok's work has created titanium twice as strong, more capable of resisting load, and crucially, more compatible with human cells.
In early tests it has been shown bone-forming cells grow several times faster across the titanium than over standard material, a result that points to extremely valuable uses in biomedical implants. The material could reduce the size of existing screws used in tooth implants, possibly in ear implants and later, new hip joints. Operations would then be less invasive and patient recovery quicker.
Professor Estrin has also forged links with Korea and Germany around the work, which will demonstrate in microcosm the sort of collaborative value being foreseen in the New Horizons project.
24 June 2009
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| Dr Fasseli Coulibaly |
Take an unconventional global health research idea, apply for funding, and the chances of success are usually slim.
Enter the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is paying 81 scientists US$100,000 each to test bold concepts. Dr Fasseli Coulibaly from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is one happy recipient.
He has devoted his research career to cracking the 3-dimensional structures of viruses: from birnaviruses of fish and poultry to poxviruses that affect animals and humans, and baculovirus that infects insects.
"Viruses have everything I want -- you can study them at the molecular level and also have an impact on public health," Dr Coulibaly said.
Dr Coulibaly will capitalise on this passion to design low-cost vaccines against HIV and potentially other human illnesses, but rather than use conventional vaccine vectors or carriers he will use sugar cube-like crystals, called polyhedra, from an insect virus harmless to humans, to try and coax the immune system into action.
"We want to prove that these polyhedra are better than existing ways of presenting foreign molecules to the immune system by comparing polyhedra containing the HIV-1 Gag protein with soluble HIV-1 Gag alone," Dr Coulibaly said.
Dr Coulibaly will work with Associate Professor Johnson Mak from the Burnet Institute, who has supplied the HIV-1 Gag gene for the vaccine. The challenge for the Monash team is to produce a crystalline vaccine that contains enough HIV-1 Gag for further testing by immunologist Associate Professor Rosemary Ffrench (also from the Burnet Institute).
"It would be fantastic if we could make a promising HIV vaccine," Dr Coulibaly said. "It's challenging and it might not happen but it is one of our long-term goals."
If Dr Coulibaly's novel vaccine works, the health applications would be extraordinary and future funding for ongoing research would be assured. He has a year to find the answer.
24 June 2009
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Millions of people around the world will gain an insight into the 13th century Cambodian city of Angkor following a painstaking reconstruction by a team led by Tom Chandler, an academic from the Faculty of Information Technology.
National Geographic is this month featuring the world-class 3D visualisation study to coincide with the magazine's July cover story on Angkor, which at its height was one of the largest cities in the world.
Mr Chandler has worked with a team of graduates to visualise the landscapes and daily life at Angkor 800 years ago, using 3D modelling technologies and a broad range of archaeological and historical data.
In line with the renewed archaeological emphasis on Angkor as a medieval metropolis, these animations aim to depict the city beyond the famous temples that have today become a major tourist destination.
A set of eight of these animations appear in an interactive presentation on the National Geographic website and demonstrate a long and productive collaboration between Monash and archaeologists from the University of Sydney Greater Angkor Project.
Monash Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Shoemaker said the project was a great example of the opportunities for students through the Monash Passport - involving the work of Honours and graduate students on an innovative world-first project.
"I was deeply impressed to take a virtual walk through the streets of Angkor," Professor Shoemaker said.
"Tom's team have researched the archaeology of a whole range of creatures from humans to elements to ensure the characters and soundscapes are realistic - it's a magnificent example of world-class innovation at Monash."
The extensive computer model of Angkor was almost four years in the making and its creation was made possible by the dedication of a team of Monash IT graduates and digital specialists.
24 June 2009
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| Professor Bryan Williams |
A team of Monash researchers has discovered the importance of a protein that could improve the way the drug interferon is used to strengthen the human immune system.
Published online in the prestigious journal Immunity, the findings show that the protein promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) is a key player in the body's immune response to disease, increasing our understanding of the function of the immune system.
Team leader Professor Bryan Williams from the Monash Institute of Medical Research said the findings demonstrate a role for PLZF, not previously recognised, that shows the protein is key to the body's immunologically important interferon response.
"We have shown that interferon stimulates an association between PLZF and cofactors to switch on a decisive subset of interferon-stimulated genes, including those involved in protection against viral infections," Professor Williams said.
Interferon is a naturally-produced substance that modulates the immune response and provides protection against viral infections and cancer. It has been developed as a drug over many years and has been used in the treatment of hepatitis, cancer and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.
Although much has been learned about the mechanism of action of interferon, the reason that some patients are more sensitive to treatment with interferon than others has proved difficult to identify.
"The results described in the study provide new insights into the mechanisms regulating the action of interferon, and demonstrate that PLZF is an important factor in the immune response and could therefore be used as a possible drug target for both anti-viral and anti-tumour therapy," Professor Williams said.
The paper can be found online at the Immunity website.
24 June 2009
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| Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) chairman and A*STAR delegation leader Professor Charles Zukoski with Monash Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins. |
A new partnership between Monash and research agency A*STAR will provide PhD students with the opportunity to spend half of their candidature researching in Singapore.
The science and technology students will be co-supervised by both Monash and A*STAR and be able to spend time at one of A*STAR's 17 research institutions.
In turn PhD students from A*STAR will be able to spend half their candidature researching at Monash.
A*STAR or Agency for Science and Technology Research is Singapore's leading research agency. The organisation's research lies in the biomedical, science and engineering spheres.
As both a research funding body and facilitator A*STAR attracts approximately SGD $1 billion each year from the Singaporean government.
Monash Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins said research collaborations were an essential part of the University's success.
"Signing this Memorandum of Understanding with an internationally-esteemed and successful research agency such as A*STAR is directly in line with the University's strategic direction of making the world our campus; rather than sitting back and waiting for the world to come to us," Professor Larkins said.
As part of the MOU signing event, 14 delegates from A*STAR joined with senior Monash researchers and research training administrators to discuss potential research collaborations.
"It's extremely exciting that we are able to bring researchers together on day one of this agreement to get our collaboration started," Professor Larkins said.
"This meeting has definitely set an extremely positive tone for our ongoing partnership."
For more information contact the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor International on +61 3 9905 2145 or email allan.mahler@adm.monash.edu.au.
24 June 2009
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| Aaron Griffin, Raj Thavatajah, Anup Jois and Tom Lambeth. |
A team of finance students from the Faculty of Business and Economics has won the national 2009 UBS Investment Banking Challenge.
Four Monash teams entered the competition with the Clayton campus team of Anup Jois, Aaron Griffin, Tom Lambeth and Raj Thavatajah (Dillon Capital) coming out tops at the national final.
The students won $5000 and will be interviewed by UBS for either graduate or internship positions in investment banking. They will also get to spend time with a UBS analyst.
Teams from Monash University and the Universities of Adelaide, Melbourne, NSW, Queensland, Sydney and Western Australia took part in the challenge, which offers students an invaluable opportunity to gain hands-on experience working as an analyst in an investment bank.
The teams were provided with a case study, developed by UBS bankers and based on a real mergers and acquisitions transaction.
They then had to present to a panel of judges for 15 minutes and answer questions typical of those posed to a junior analyst at UBS.
24 June 2009
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| PhD student Julio Cao will attend a three-day winter school at the Australian Synchrotron along with fellow PhD student Rohini Shakar. |
Two Monash PhD students have been chosen to participate in the Australian Synchrotron's inaugural winter school from 13 to 16 July.
Only 50 places were offered to students across Australia and New Zealand to attend the program.
Julie Cao from the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories, and Rohini Shankar from the School of Physics, will attend lectures by Australian Synchrotron scientists and gain an understanding of applications and techniques that use synchrotron light to probe the nature of matter.
The students will also perform beamline experiments and learn about sample mounting, data acquisition and interpretation of results.
Ms Cao's PhD research is utilising spectroscopic methods to identify the unique chemical signatures of undifferentiated human embryonic stem-cells.
"I will perform mapping experiments using the infrared beamline at the Australian Synchrotron and at the later stages of my PhD will carry out measurements on the facility's other beamlines," Ms Cao said.
"The training provided by the winter school will be critical to achieving these milestones, thus enabling me to contribute to the fast-moving field of stem-cell research."
Ms Shankar's PhD research will see the development of new methods of computed tomography using energy sensitive detectors that are currently under development at the Monash Centre for Synchrotron Science.
By detecting the energies as well as the intensities of the X-rays, Ms Shankar hopes to be able to increase the amount of diagnostic information provided in patient CT scans. She will use the synchrotron to obtain X-rays of a single energy to develop and test her new methods in preparation for later implementation in clincal scanners, which use multi-energy X-rays.
The Australian Synchrotron, which came online in 2007, is situated in the innovation precinct, opposite the University's Clayton campus .
24 June 2009
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| The Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser with Gippsland campus Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Bartlett. |
The Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser AC, has officially opened a new auditorium at the University's Gippsland campus.
Professor de Kretser said the auditorium provided benefits for the community as well as the University.
"Monash University's Gippsland campus has an important role to play in providing regional students with world-class education and the structures and environment in which they work are important to their experience," Professor de Kretser said.
The auditorium has already hosted public functions, graduation ceremonies and other University events. It was also an important base for the region's bush fire relief effort in the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfires.
Gippsland campus Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Bartlett said the availability of the auditorium meant the campus was able to host larger events.
"The sitting of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria last year was significant not only for the University but also in the way it profiled the Gippsland region," Professor Bartlett said.
"The hosting of this event was possible because the auditorium is well-supported by other services such as advanced communication and IT infrastructure.
"The Gippsland campus is keen to be an active participant in the community.
"To have appropriate infrastructure to house public events is important, not only for the University, but for the broader Gippsland region."
Professor Bartlett said the auditorium's design would help the University achieve its goal of a 20 per cent energy reduction by 2010.
"The auditorium was built using contemporary ecologically-sustainable design features," Professor Bartlett said.
"It is designed to maximise the use of natural lighting and temperature indicators allow the regulation of air-conditioning units.
"All rainwater is harvested in large tanks and used for landscape irrigation."
24 June 2009
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| Back: Joel Pocklington, Andrew Harms, Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins, Dale Stevenson, Stephanie Grant. Front: Sarah Graham, Amy Cockerton. Absent: Alison Bai, Laura Cornford. |
Nine Monash students will compete at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia from 1 to 12 July -- the largest number of Monash students ever selected for the international event.
For the first time ever, Monash students are also representing two different countries - with Orazio Crmona, a student from Monash South Africa competing in athletics.
The athletes selected are:
Athletics: Physiotherapy student Joel Pocklington, Business student Laura Cornford, and Education/Sport and Outdoor Recreation and student Dale Stevenson;
Basketball: Arts/Education student Andrew Harms and Science student Sarah Graham;
Judo: Arts/Law student Stephanie Grant;
Tennis: Commerce student Alison Bai;
Swimming: Science student Amy Cockerton
Dale Stevenson, who studies at the Peninsula campus, said he was delighted to be chosen for the Australian athletics team in his chosen discipline of discus.
"To me, making any Australian team is the pinnacle of sporting achievement; the opportunity to represent my country, as well as my University, greatly surpasses any medals, awards or public recognition," Mr Stevenson said.
"The World University Games are not only a fantastic stepping stone to World Championships and Olympic Games, but they provide an invaluable experience and world-class competition in their own right."
Monash Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins addressed the Monash athletes at a recent farewell get-together, admiring their ability to "balance competing in sport at the highest level, whilst studying a degree at a major university."
Professor Larkins also thanked the faculties and university support staff for their involvement with the Elite Athlete Support Program and for assisting students in balancing their sport and their studies.
As this is my last Ancora Imparo before I retire from Monash on 5 July, it is a time to reflect on the past six years since I began at Monash in 2003.
It has been for me an intensely rewarding and stimulating time. My personal experience is best summarised by the motto of the University and the name of this column, Ancora Imparo or "I am still learning". I have learnt an enormous amount as Vice-Chancellor of Monash University.
I have discovered the breadth and depth of innovative and creative research and scholarship that is being undertaken. Whether this is in medieval history, economic modelling, light-alloy design, structural analysis of proteins, transmission of disease, accident research, drug design and drug candidate optimisation, fuel cells, climate change, human rights or countless other areas, we have world leading researchers contributing to knowledge and to the solution of problems.
I have learnt of the innovation that our educators are implementing so that the transition from the passive transmission of information to the active involvement of students in their own education is enhanced by the application of technology in exciting ways.
I have witnessed the development of our two international campuses from their embryonic stages with a small number of pioneering students and staff to bustling research active campuses delivering high quality education and research and building invaluable links and a high reputation in their host countries.
I have suffered the frustrations and enjoyed the excitement during the development of our joint venture research academy with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
I have gained a deeper understanding of China through the work of our international office and faculties to develop an in-depth relationship with Sichuan University and a number of exciting initiatives in Beijing and Shanghai.
I have realised how our centre in Prato could be used as a venue where students and faculty from many universities around the world can be brought together for the mutual benefit of all involved in a truly international educational forum.
I have been privileged to learn so much from the best university senior management team in the country and from the Deans and Divisional Directors and staff at all levels who have rejected the cynicism that can so easily infect many in all walks of life. Instead, they have been inspired by the role they are playing in educating the leaders of the future and in advancing the knowledge and scholarship we will need to solve the problems facing the planet and in enriching all lives.
Most of all, I have learnt from the students at our campuses in Australia, Malaysia and South Africa. I have learnt of their desire to have a real impact in making the world a better place. Many of our students are working on environmental issues, on community development and foreign aid and local welfare through voluntary organisations of many types. It is quite inspirational. The Monash Passport emphasises educational opportunities that come from volunteering, leadership experience and international engagement and our students are taking full advantage of these opportunities.
I leave Monash with an enduring admiration for the people who make it the great institution it is – its staff and students. I know that it will be in good hands. Ed Byrne and his colleagues will ensure that the University continues to excel in all areas of academic endeavour.
I wish you all well and thank you for the privilege of being part of this wonderful institution. There is much more to do, but Monash's trajectory, international footprint and most of all its people, ensure that it is destined to be one of the great universities of the world.
24 June 2009
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Name: Dr Joze Kuzic
Faculty: Faculty of Information Technology
Title: Director, Master of Business (Information Technology Management)
Dept: Caulfield School of Information Technology
How long have you been with Monash University?
Almost five years.
Prior to working at Monash, where were you located and what was your role?
I was a lecturer in the School of Information Systems in the Faculty of Business and Law at Victoria University, Melbourne. Prior to that, I was the CEO of Federal Airline in Yugoslavia.
What challenges are ahead in your current role?
Predominantly to make sure that enrolments in the Master of Business (Information Technology Management) take off successfully and to also make the project management unit the flagship of the course. This unit allows students to gain the theoretical foundations of project management as well as hands-on experience. This combination should attract students from other faculties looking to enhance their chances of gaining employment.
What is it about your job that holds your interest or is particularly satisfying?
The fact that I can contribute to the learning process of my students by marrying the theory and practice, and nurture an environment in which they can learn and have fun at the same time.
What is your favourite place in the world and why?
MCG for the Grand Final this year where I will see St Kilda win the premiership.
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
Be aware that project management is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage and those who manage what they do not understand.
What is something about yourself that most of your colleagues wouldn't know?
I am charming, generous, passionate, charming, sensitive, personable … did I mention charming?
24 June 2009
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In 2008 more than 3.7 million visits were made to the University's eight library branches in Australia.
During this time more than 1.6 million books were borrowed, including renewals, and seven million transactions were recorded on electronic resources, which include databases, electronic journals and e-books.
The University's libraries house more than 3.1 million volumes.
For more information visit the Monash library website.