|
|
Newly appointed head of Monash's Anatomy department Professor John Bertram is leading a major study into the high rate of kidney disease among Aboriginal Australians.
Professor Bertram, who joined Monash's Medicine faculty just over a week ago, is collaborating with Dr Wendy Hoy, principal research fellow at the Menzies School of Public Health, NT, on the three-year research project.
The aim is to quantify kidney structure and function among Aboriginal Australians to better understand their high rate of renal disease, which is reportedly 20 times greater than among non-Aboriginal Australians.
The key findings will be incorporated into an international investigation into kidney disease among other indigenous communities around the world.
Australian company Janssen-Cilag recently announced funding for the project which has been praised by Federal Health Minister Mr Michael Wooldridge.
In a stereology unit currently being set up at Monash, Professor Bertram will measure the number and size of glomeruli, or filtering units, in small samples of kidney collected from Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people during routine autopsy.
The researchers will examine the contribution of low birth weight to the problem of kidney disease, as well as a range of other health and lifestyle factors such as early malnutrition, high rates of infection, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.
When the Monash lab becomes operational, it will be one of only two centres in the world equipped to handle this type of work. The other is in Denmark.
Professor Bertram said the stereological, or three-dimensional analysis component of the research, was essential for quantifying kidney samples.
However, he said, the process was so time-consuming and costly, it required significant labour and financial resources which had been unavailable until Janssen-Cilag committed major funds to the project.
"Ultimately, we want to utilise Australian knowledge of stereology in the international arena and have harvest centres from around the world send kidneys to Australia for analysis."
Professor Bertram said other transitional societies, where people moved from an indigenous to western lifestyle, were also plagued by kidney problems similar to those of Australian Aborigines.
Researchers in Jackson, Mississippi, are collaborating on the Monash-Menzies project and. groups caring for native Americans, the Inuit in Canada and Maoris in New Zealand are also expected to participate.
Professor Bertram came to Monash from the University of Melbourne. He has researched stereology for more than 20 years and undertook post-doctoral research in the field at the University of Washington, Seattle, in the early 1980s.
Nearly 40 students from two Japanese universities have been undertaking month-long intensive language courses at Monash.
The visiting students, from Toyo University and Chiba University, arrived at Monash in August to participate in programs offered at the Peninsula and Clayton campuses by Monash's English Language Centre. Students were individually housed with local families.
At Peninsula campus, the Toyo University students have been undertaking English classes, participating in regular lectures and touring local and Victorian sites. Toyo, which has more than 25,000 students, places great emphasis on international programs and has exchange agreements with universities in China, Korea, Indonesia, France, Germany, Ireland and the US.
At Clayton campus, the Chiba University students have been undertaking English language programs, as well as participating in lectures coordinated by the National Centre for Australian Studies. Chiba, which has a student body of 15,000, has had an exchange agreement with Monash since 1994.
Dr David Walton, of the English Language Centre, said there was a strong interest among Asian tertiary institutions for intensive English language training at Monash.
He said many of the programs offered by the English Language Centre were jointly developed with the Caulfield campus-based group, Australia Asia Contact in Education.
English language instructor Ms Row Allen with Toyo students at the Peninsula campus.
Jimmy Chi's Corrugation Road opened this week at Monash's Alexander Theatre for its only Melbourne season.
An uplifting Australian story told through music, song, dance and humour, the play takes audiences on an extraordinary, and often hilarious, journey with Bob Two Bob (played by Stephen 'Baamba' Albert) as he deals with his schizophrenia.
The production, which won the 1996 Age Critics' Award at the Melbourne Festival, is playing at Monash until 26 September as part of its current national tour.
Jimmy Chi, musician, author and songwriter, first hit the arts spotlight with his critically acclaimed musical Bran Nue Dae.
For tickets, contact the Monash Box Office on extn 51111.
The Monash Association of Debaters, in conjunction with the Law faculty, is hosting the annual Dean's Debate on 22 September.
'That we should quit clowning with cloning' is this year's provocative topic, and high-profile speakers include media personalities Gael Jennings of 3LO, Jill Singer of the Herald Sun, Dr Karl of 3JJJ, and Adam Spencer of ABC's Quantum, as well as prominent Monash philosopher Professor Richard Handley.
The debate, to be chaired by acting Law dean Professor Louis Waller, is open to the public and will be held at 7.30 pm in the South One Theatre, Clayton campus.
Entries for the Monash Prize for Poetry, now in its 25th year, are being sought.
The prize, worth $150, is awarded to the best original work, of no more than 150 lines in length, submitted by a Monash undergraduate student.
Entries must be typed and submitted under a non de plume. Poems must be inscribed only with the candidate's non de plume and be firmly attached to a sealed envelope which contains the candidate's name, non de plume, address and student ID number.
Post entries to Ms A. Mahon, Department of English, Clayton campus. The closing date is 5 pm on 5 October.
For further information, contact Ms Mahon on extn 52157.
The 1998 Gippsland Campus Visitor Guide was launched by campus director Professor John Anderson last Friday.
Professor Anderson said the visitor guide provided a good overview of the campus, profiling its key features, services and facilities.
"International guests, delegates, visiting individuals and prospective staff members now have a useful resource that provides them with easy directions and a user-friendly map."
The Gippsland guide is the third in a series produced this year. The Clayton and Caulfield visitor guides are currently available, and the Peninsula guide will be launched early next month.
For copies of the Gippsland Campus Visitor Guide, contact University Marketing & Development on extn 26594.
Monash expert in organisational behaviour Associate Professor Mike Knowles has received an international award for his contributions to global psychology.
Dr Knowles, formerly of the Business & Economics faculty and now based at the Monash Mt Eliza Business School, received the award at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association held recently in San Francisco.
The inaugural award, the first presented to a person outside the US, recognises Dr Knowles's contribution as secretary general of the International Association of Applied Psychology to the extension of applied psychology in a wide range of countries, especially in Asia and Latin America.
The award also recognises his past service as president of the Australian Psychological Society and his previous role as the first Australian to hold a senior position in the International Association of Applied Psychology.
By Caroline Knowles, Manager, Prospective Students Office
This year, VCE students will be the first to receive an ENTER, a new tertiary selection ranking which will replace the existing Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER).
VTAC will calculate ENTERs (Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank) for all students who apply for a tertiary course, based on their study scores.
Like the TER, the ENTER is a statistical ranking of a student in comparison with others in the state. The key difference, however, is that rather than using only students who have successfully completed the VCE as the basis of the calculation, it will use all students in the age group, including those who left school after Year 10 or 11.
Introducing the ENTER will not make any difference to the relative ranking of a student. However, an ENTER will always be higher for a particular student than his or her TER would have been. This will mean that in order to make judgements about last year's 'clearly in' scores, students will have to convert last year's TERs to ENTERs for the purposes of comparison.
The VTAC Guide has already done this, but during the forthcoming Change of Preference period Monash staff advising prospective students must make sure they talk in terms of ENTERs, as this will be the only rank students receive.
In order to take some of the waiting out of the application and selection period, Monash has set guaranteed entry levels for some courses.
Guaranteed entry levels mean that for students who receive an ENTER equal to or above this pre-determined rank, a guaranteed place in the course will be offered if it is the highest preference for which they qualify for an offer. For fee-liable courses, guaranteed entry levels have also been set in terms of CAT grades.
Those students who do not reach this level will be considered for a place in a course, through the application of standard selection processes.
Staff wishing to obtain a copy of the new booklet Guide to Guaranteed Entry published by the Prospective Students Office should email their request to mci@adm.monash.edu.au
The dollar is falling, Asia is in the grip of a currency crisis, the Dow-Jones is in a tailspin - but what does it all mean?
The ABC and Monash University last Thursday launched a new cross-media educational series, 'Money, Markets and the Economy', which aims to make the world of finance more accessible to economics students and interested observers of commerce and the money markets.
The series is the first under an agreement between the ABC and Monash to jointly develop educational content for delivery on radio, online, on television and by other means.
In launching the series at the ABC's Southbank studios, Monash vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson said discussions were under way to explore opportunities for further development of educational products with the ABC and to consider options for more collaborative projects.
The ABC's managing director, Mr Brian Johns, said the partnership drew on common interest by Monash and the ABC in education and the Asia-Pacific region.
The 13-part 'Money, Markets and the Economy' is broadcast at 2.30 pm each Friday on Radio National. The first episode, 'Money's Worth', went to air last week. The series is also broadcast internationally each weekend on Radio Australia. The web site address is www.abc.net.au/money
Mr Brian Johns and Professor Robinson
More than 1200 students took part in overseas graduation ceremonies held recently in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
There were six ceremonies, including one in Malaysia, two in Singapore and three in Hong Kong. In Malaysia, the Sir John Monash Engineering Medal was awarded to Mr A. P. Yong, A.M.N.
Attending the ceremonies were Monash chancellor Mr Bill Rogers, vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson, deputy vice-chancellor (International & Public Affairs) Professor John Maloney, Information Technology dean Professor John Rosenberg, and Business & Economics dean Professor John Rickard.
CAULFIELD - Monash University Student Union Inc (Caulfield) is hosting the Melbourne New Age and Psychic Expo at the Caulfield campus on 6 and 7 October. The event features all things to do with the mind, body and soul, from massage, diet and skincare to lectures, demonstrations and personal readings in tarot, numerology, astrology, palmistry and iridology. As well, there will be stalls selling health and spiritual books and wares, jewellery and clothing. The event will run from 10 am to 5 pm on both days in the Chisholm Hall. Entry is free.
CAULFIELD - Works by Department of Fine Art lecturer Mr Roger Byrt are on show at the Robin Gibson Gallery in Sydney. In his second solo exhibition in that city, Byrt takes a new look at the traditional genre of still life painting. He has also exhibited in Melbourne, Brisbane and Manilla.
CLAYTON - The Monash University Gallery is seeking volunteers. Activities range from cataloguing information to helping with publicity, preparing exhibitions and general administration. Volunteers can assist on either a regular or irregular basis. For further information, contact the gallery on extn 54217 or see http://www.monash.edu.au/mongall/
CLAYTON - Friends and colleagues of Ms Annabel Carle, resources manager for the Department of Biological Sciences, are invited to a farewell function on 2 October. Ms Carle is leaving the department after more than 15 years to take up a position as the client liaison manager on the intergrated administration systems project. The function will be held at 3 pm in the Biological Sciences Common Room (ground floor, room G26, building 18). Inquiries and RSVPs to Ms Carol Logan by 25 September on extn 55650, or email carol.logan@sci.monash.edu.au
Monash's third offshore international alumni meeting for this year was held recently at the Cosmos Club in Washington.
A panel of speakers, brought together by Professor Richard Southby (PhD Med 1973), addressed the topic of the internationalisation of education and changing market forces.
Speakers included Dr Lloyd H. Elliott, President Emeritus of the George Washington University, Washington DC, and Professor Pat Turner, Monash University Chair of Australian Studies at Georgetown University. Monash vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson delivered the keynote address.
Other offshore forum meetings this year have been held in Singapore and Jakarta.
The Monash Science Centre is presenting its annual School Holiday Science Program for children from 28 September to 2 October.
The program includes the annual Fossil Fest days for families, to be held from 28 to 30 September. For further information, contact the centre on extn 51370.
 |
Contact
|
Return to
|
| Copyright © Monash University - All rights reserved - Disclaimer |
Maintained by publishing@adm
|
|