Institute Update - April 2010

In this Update:★ New research facility at the Lyell McEwin

Hospital

★ PCOS and links to heart disease

★ New guidelines to prevent cerebral palsy

★ Robinson Institute Mentoring Program

★ Career, Grant & Funding Opportunities

Professor James McWha, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Adelaide, has officially opened the Robinson Institute’s new research facility at the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

The space will be managed by Associate Professor Vicki Clifton, Head of the Institute’s Pregnancy and Development Group.

The group’s research has both clinical and basic science aspects and has the potential to make a significant impact on improving clinical outcomes for women and babies, and the longer term impacts of pregnancy complications on childhood disease.

The launch would not have been made possible without the support and expertise of the School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, in particular Professor Julie Owens and Frank Carbone.

The new research space at the Lyell McEwin Hospital builds on the close association researchers of the Robinson Institute have with hospitals in South Australia including; the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and of course the Lyell McEwin. This enables the strong translation of research discoveries to improve clinical practice.

For more information about the new research facility please view the recent article in the Messenger Newspaper:

http://news-review-messenger.whereilive.com.au/news/story/research-first-for-hospital/

New Research Facility OpensRobinson Institute increases presence at Lyell McEwin Hospital

Researchers have found evidence of a link between a common hormonal disorder in women and heart disease - and they're seeking more women to take part in a new study to confirm their results.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder affecting about 10% of women of reproductive age and is a leading cause of infertility.

A preliminary study - conducted by researchers with the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute and the Cardiology Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital - has exposed other major health risks and some common misconceptions about PCOS.

The pilot study, involving a small sample of women, showed that:

Young women (average age of 31 years) with PCOS had significant abnormalities in blood clotting and blood vessel function, which are important risk factors in heart disease;

This risk was not limited to overweight or obese women with PCOS - it affected women of all body shapes and sizes, including lean women.

"The degree of blood clotting and blood vessel abnormalities seen in women with PCOS in this study was very striking, similar to what we would normally see in older patients with known heart disease," says Dr Alicia Chan, cardiologist at the

Queen Elizabeth Hospital and PhD student with the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute.

"With women now making up almost half of all Australians affected by heart disease, it's very important that we understand the link between PCOS and these heart disease risk factors.

"Importantly, this is the first study to suggest that PCOS is strongly associated with an increased risk of heart disease independent of women's weight or evidence of diabetes. It's a common misconception that only overweight or obese women are affected by PCOS - we need women to understand that they could still have these heart disease risk factors regardless of their weight," Dr Chan says.

More women (aged 20-60 years) are now needed for a bigger study into the links between PCOS and heart disease. This one-off study of up to 90 minutes will involve blood tests and a special ultrasound test.

For more information about the study please contact

Dr Alicia Chan on (08) 8222 7539 or email: wai.chan@adelaide.edu.au

or visit:

www.robinsonfoundation.org.au

Women with hormonal disorder at risk of heart disease

Robinson Institute Branding

The Robinson Institute will soon be launching our Brand Guide

(including logos, PowerPoint and Poster templates).

Please keep an eye out for the upcoming branding email and contact

alissa.nightingale@adelaide.edu.au if you have any questions

Calling all potential Mentors!

In the next few weeks the Robinson Institute will be rolling out a mentoring program. In this, its year of inauguration, the program will be exclusively offered to Robinson Institute Honours and PhD scholarship holders as ‘mentees’. In 2010 there are 12 such individuals.

We are therefore looking to recruit 12 mentors. These individuals should be at a stage in their career that is somewhat progressed beyond that of the mentee – therefore, mentors could be 2nd or 3rd year PhD students, Early Career Researchers, Research Leaders or Robinson Institute Alumni.

The mentoring program will not only benefit the mentee, but also the mentor, by providing unique opportunities to develop leadership skills, to understand new and differing perspectives, and to utilise his/her existing expertise. Additionally, the statement, ‘Mentor for the Robinson Institute Mentoring Program’ would of course go nicely on an academic CV.

Please see www.adelaide.edu.au/robinson-institute/resources/mentoring/ for more information. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact Mentoring Program Coordinator, Jackson Jaensch, on 8313 1335, jackson.jaensch@adelaide.edu.au

The Robinson InstituteFoundation

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The Robinson Institute’s Australian Research Centre for the Health of Women & Babies has announced new national guidelines recommending that women at risk of early preterm birth use magnesium sulphate to protect their babies from cerebral palsy.

Professor Caroline Crowther says the clinical practice guidelines are based on overwhelming evidence over the past 14 years that magnesium sulphate is effective in protecting the fetus.

"Five trials, including one funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, confirm this finding," Professor Crowther says.

The clinical guidelines were announced by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists at their annual Scientific Meeting in Adelaide yesterday.

More than 600 children in Australia and more than 120 children in New Zealand are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year - over a third of which are related to preterm birth.

"The cost to the Australian community of cerebral palsy is nearly $4 billion per annum," Professor Crowther says. "At present there is no cure for this neurological condition, which results in substantial disabilities."

Cerebral palsy affects one in 500 newborn babies overall and one in 10 very premature babies (less than 30 weeks' gestation). Cerebral palsy and cognitive dysfunction are the most frequently

occurring neurologic impairment associated with preterm birth.

Magnesium sulphate therapy involves giving doses of magnesium sulphate to pregnant women via injection within 24 hours of birth.

The exact mechanism of magnesium sulphate in protecting the developing brain is not certain. However, magnesium is vital for normal cell function, may protect against destructive molecules that can harm cells, and in some circumstances improves blood flow.

Side effects of the treatment include flushing, sweating, nausea, vomiting, headaches and palpitations. However, researchers have found no increase in major complications in mothers due to magnesium therapy.

The guidelines apply to health professionals, pregnant women and for policy makers.

Professor Crowther says it will be important to monitor the antenatal use of magnesium sulphate for neuroprotection of the fetus through a national audit and to link data to national childhood cerebral palsy registers.

Professor Crowther is Director of the University's Australian Research Centre for Health of Women and Babies, based at the Women's and Children's Hospital.

New guidelines to prevent Cerebral Palsy

Position: Research Support & Communications Officer

The Robinson Institute is currently seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual to work closely with our researchers as a Research Support & Communications Officer.

Working closely and communicating effectively with researchers, you will provide support to enable researchers to undertake research; from identifying and coordinating funding opportunities and assisting with application development, to coordinate internal development initiatives and professional development activities; and providing wide-ranging administrative services to enhance research productivity.

For more information, please visit the University of Adelaide’s Job Opportunities site.

Applications close Friday 23rd April 2010

Careers in Research:

The Robinson Institute’s Research Centre for Reproductive Health is sponsoring some of the speakers of the 2010 Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology seminars (including airfares, accommodation and drinks after the seminar).

Two of the upcoming speakers sponsored by RCRH include:★ Professor Peter Fuller, Monash University, 14th May★ Dr Caroline Gargett, Monash Medical Institute of Medical Research, 6th August

To learn more about the seminar schedule please view the program online:http://health.adelaide.edu.au/og/seminars/discipline/

Researchers are encouraged to attend the seminars. A reminder that seminars in the 4th week of each month will be held in the Queen Victoria Lecture Theatre on Level 1, Queen Victoria Building at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital.

Please remember that the Robinson Institute Research Support Officer, Jackson Jaensch, is here to help you:

• To give and find out more information about upcoming funding opportunities

• To help you apply for grants and make the process smoother and less time-consuming

So please make use of the RSO and let us know how else you can be better supported as a researcher, so that we can help you to get out of your office and into the lab. Contact jackson.jaensch@adelaide.edu.au

Upcoming grants:22 April - Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation

Apply for a grant to help find the answers to serious conditions that affect children, such as cerebral palsy, asthma and muscular dystrophy. www.crf.org.au

23 April - Sylvia & Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation - Grants for Medical Science in 2010

Eligible applicants will be medical graduates or graduates of other clinical disciplines who have completed both their clinical and research training and are commencing their first definitive clinical position, or have been in such a post for no more than 24 months on 1 May 2010. http://www.anz.com/anztrustees

23 April - Pfizer Australia: Research Grants

Paediatric endocrine care research: These grants are open to medical graduates who have obtained specialist qualifications within the last five years, or are currently in advanced training. The internal closing date is 23 April 2010. http://www.apecgrants.com.au/

Ongoing - The ResMed Foundation: Research Grants

The ResMed Foundation (Australia) is a private charitable foundation to promote sleep-disordered breathing research and community awareness. Individual Grants typically range from AU$5,000 to AU$50,000. The ResMed Foundation will also consider supporting longer-term projects with annual funding. http://www.resmed.com/au/about_us/resmed-foundation.html?nc=aboutus

Upcoming Grant & Funding Opportunities

21 April - Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation: Research Grants (Letter of Intent)

The CF Foundation offers competitive awards for research related to cystic fibrosis. http://www.cff.org/research/ForResearchers/FundingOpportunities/ResearchGrants/

23 April - March of Dimes Foundation: Research Program (Request for Proposals)

Qualified scientists with faculty appointments or the equivalent, at universities, hospitals and research institutions, are invited to submit applications for research grants directed at the prevention of birth defects. http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/691_14434.asp

Upcoming Awards and Prizes:

02 May - SA Young Tall Poppy Science Awards 2010

You are invited to nominate a bright young researcher demonstrating both research excellence, and effective communication and engagement with the wider community. Candidates should be no older than 35 years of age and with between two and a maximum of ten years post-doctoral experience. www.aips.net.au

07 May - Australian Museum: 2010 Eureka Awards

The Eurekas are Australia’s premier awards for science and scientists. Winners gain national recognition for their work and take home cash prizes. http://eureka.australianmuseum.net.au/

Researcher AchievementsRobinson Institute PhD Scholarships

Congratulations to the following recipients of the Robinson Institute PhD Top Up Scholarship:

★Saidatul Mohammad

★Mitchell Goldsworthy

★ Jessica Laurence

★ Joanna Cole

★Shanshan Han

Upcoming Grant & Funding Opportunities

www.jeanhailes.org.au toll free 1800 151 441

The Jean Hailes Foundation in association with

local Adelaide women’s health experts will talk

about midlife health & wellbeing including: health

screenings, heart health, libido, osteoporosis,

incontinence and menopause.

Friday 14th May 2010

at 7.00pm for 7.30 pm start

Venue:

Adelaide Pavilion Conference & Function Rooms

Veale Gardens, cnr South Tce & Peacock Rd

Adelaide

Parking: available at venue or on South Terrace

Bookings essential:

Register online for this event at

www.jeanhailes.org.au or call 1800 151 441

Cost:

Gold coin donation (payable at the door)

Information stalls and refreshments provided.

For further information please contact the Jean Hailes

Foundation for Women’s Health

toll free on 1800 151 441

or visit our website www.jeanhailes.org.au

More to MIDLIFE than

MENOPAUSE

Presented by The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health supported by The Robinson Institute

A health information seminar for women

Supported by:

Speakers:

Dr Elizabeth Farrell

Gynaecologist

Dr Jane Elliott

General Practitioner

For further information please contact:

The Robinson InstituteThe University of Adelaide

Ground Floor, Norwich Centre55 King William Road

North Adelaide SA 5006Australia

Telephone: +61 8 8303 8166Fax: +61 8 8313 1355

Email: robinsoninstitute@adelaide.edu.au

http://robinsoninstitute.edu.au

The Robinson Institute Research for Life