Monash Neuroscience and Mental Health Network Newsletter
Welcome to Newsletter #7 from the Monash Neuroscience and Mental Health
Network. If you have any additions for the newsletter please ensure they are emailed
to kylie.thoroughgood@med.monash.edu.au by 5pm each Friday.
Notices
Congratulations to Monash Neuroscientists
Associate Professor Cristina Morganti-Kossman has been awarded the first Victorian
Neurotrauma Initiative (VNI) Senior Research Fellowship. The Fellowship will finance
a 3 year salary.
The Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative (VNI) is a $63 million health research fund
established in 2005 in the State of Victoria. The VNI was established with five years
funding provided by the State's Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in partnership
with the Victorian Government's Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional
Development (DIIRD). The VNI supports research into Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal
Cord Injury and Peripheral Nerve Injury conducted by Victorian scientists in
collaboration with their national and international colleagues.
For more information: http://www.vni.com.au/
Associate Professor David Small has been elected Editor of the Australian
Neuroscience Society Council as of 2008.
The Australian Neuroscience Society (ANS) represents a wide spectrum of
Australian neuroscience. It is a non-profit organisation of scientists and physicians
who study the brain and nervous system and are actively involved in research and
teaching. The Society currently has over 800 members, and runs the only annual
neuroscience-specific scientific meeting in Australia. The Society plays an important
role allowing communication between government and the Australian neuroscience
community.
For more information: http://www.ans.org.au/
Seminars and Events
Monash Neuroscience and Mental Health Network 2008 Seminar Series – Your
input is requested!
The Monash Neuroscience and Mental Health Network plans to run a 2008 Seminar
Series. We aim to have one seminar each month and we ask your assistance to
determine which speakers would receive the best reception from Network members.
We’re looking for a good mixture of Neuroscience AND Mental Health speakers
ranging from basic research through to clinical investigation.
We would appreciate your input by emailing Kylie Thoroughgood
(kylie.thoroughgood@med.monash.edu.au) with 3 suggested presenters to invite –
one international, one national and one local (Monash staff included).
Brainstorming session with Neurosciences Victoria
The Network has approached Dr Andrew Milner, CEO of Neurosciences Victoria,
regarding the possibility of him coming out to the Monash Clayton campus to meet
with Monash Neuroscientists and Mental Health professionals to discuss recent
changes within Neurosciences Victoria and avenues for engagement with Monash
staff.
Dr Milner is interested in speaking with Monash University staff about what NSV is
currently doing with other Melbourne Institutes at the moment and to identify what
opportunities Monash has that NSV can help foster.
The Network is seeking expressions of interest from Network members to attend this
"brainstorming session". We would be looking at convening a small group late
January, early February with the venue to be located on the Monash Clayton
campus. Please advise Kylie Thoroughgood
(kylie.thoroughgood@med.monash.edu.au) no later than Friday 18th January as to
your interest. Further details will then follow.
2008 Conferences
2nd Annual International Brian Conference
The 2nd Annual International Brain Conference is taking place Friday 25th January Sunday 27th January 2008 in Orlando, Florida.
For more information: http://www.research.ucf.edu/flyers/brainsavethedate.html
Australian Neuroscience Society
The Australian Neuroscience Society’s 28th Annual Meeting will be held Sunday 27th
– Wednesday 30th January 2008 at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, Tasmania.
Plenary speakers are Carla Shatz, Phil Robinson, Mac Christie and Gary Egan.
For more information, including a copy of the conference brochure go to:
http://www.sallyjayconferences.com.au/ans2008
3rd International Congress on Women’s Mental Health
The 3rd International Congress on Women’s Mental Health will be held Sunday 16th
March – Wednesday 20th March 2008 at the Melbourne Convention Centre,
Melbourne. Online registration is now available with early bird closing Friday 14th
December 2007.
For more information visit: www.iawmhcongress2008.com.au
Reconnexion 3rd Biennial Conference on Anxiety and Depression
The Reconnexion 3rd Biennial Conference on Anxiety and Depression “diverse
pathways to effective treatment” will be held Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th April 2008 at
the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Melbourne.
The conference will focus on best practice treatment options for people experiencing
anxiety disorders or depression. A wide range of speakers will provide information,
research and practical strategies for working with people with anxiety and
depression.
For more information visit: www.reconnexion.org.au/main/news.htm
Australian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment
The 31st Annual Brian Impairment Conference “Brain Impairment and Ageing” will be
held Thursday 1st May – Saturday 3rd May 2008 at Hilton the Park, Melbourne.
For more information visit: http://www.assbi.com/
The Truth About Violence Against Women Conference 2008
The Truth About Violence Against Women Conference will be held Wednesday 4th
June – Friday 6th June at the Citigate Hotel, The Haymarket – Sydney.
For more information visit:
www.womenanddepression.herwill.net/modules/wfchannel/
Baker Heart Research Institute Heart and Mind Conference “Psychogenic
cardiovascular disease”
The Baker Heart Research Institute Heart and Mind Conference will be held
Wednesday 3rd September – Friday 5th September, 2008 at the Monash University
Prato Centre, Italy.
The conference will have as its centrepoint the link between psychological medicine
and cardiovascular disease, aiming to delineate the relationship between stress,
psychiatric illnesses and the development and course of heart disease and
hypertension. It will showcase the crucial epidemiology, the mediating neural and
other mechanisms, and the social and psychological measures applicable to
prevention and treatment. There will be invited addresses by international leaders in
the field. The target audience will be general practitioners, cardiologists,
psychiatrists, psychologists, epidemiologists and social scientists.
For more information visit: http://www.heartandmind.prato2008.com/
Funding Opportunities
Motor Neurone Disease Association Lady Edith Wolfson Fellowships - Clinical
Research Training Fellowships
These fellowships aim to support clinicians wishing to pursue research into the
pathogenesis and treatment of motor neuron disease. Up to three years support is
available for clinically qualified, active professionals to undertake specialised or
further research training. Applicants wishing to conduct patient orientated Clinical
Research Training Fellowships may apply for four years funding. The scheme is
designed to accommodate the dual clinical-research training career path by allowing
Fellows to spend up to 20% of their time on NHS sessions. It is awarded at the
clinical pre-doctoral or entry level, although medically qualified applicants who
obtained their PhD some time ago may also apply. Fellows are required to register
for a research degree, normally a PhD, based on research undertaken during the
Fellowship. Applications are considered twice yearly. The next deadline for
submission of applications is 25 January 2008.
For more information:
http://www.mndassociation.org/research/for_researchers/research_grants/clinical.ht
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Other Areas of Interest
Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Mapping Project
Thank you to all Monash staff who submitted their research information to the
Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Mapping Project. Unfortunately the
response numbers were not as high as we had hoped. We have therefore made
some modifications to the questionnaire and ask all staff working in these fields, who
have not yet provided their information, to please submit a response by the end of
January 2008.
The project aim is to obtain a more coherent picture of Monash University
neuroscience and mental health efforts to enable a better approach to resourcing by
the University. The information received will help identify such things as research
strengths, opportunities for collaborations, potential research programs, as well as
help develop a strategic direction for neuroscience and mental health in the future.
We aim to collate this information and make it accessible to all personnel across the
University. No identifiable individual information however will be published, all
information will be based on total calculations from the responses we receive. It is
therefore beneficial to source as much information as we can from as many
individuals working in this field of research.
The form has been modified slightly and if there are any other areas of the
questionnaire that ask for information you are uncomfortable in providing or cannot
answer please just leave blank. A copy of the revised form is attached.
Joining The Network Mailing List
Do you know someone who would benefit from being on the Monash Neuroscience
and Mental Health Network mailing list? Contact Kylie Thoroughgood on 9594 5625
or email kylie.thoroughgood@med.monash.edu.au.