Monash Neuroscience and Mental Health Network Newsletter
Welcome to Newsletter #4 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.
Monash Seminars and Events
Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology Seminar
A/Prof Alasdair Vance
Scheduled for Monday 3rd December 12.30pm – 1.30pm has been cancelled.
Prince Henry’s Institute Seminar
Professor Iain Robinson – Division of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, National
Institute for Medical Research, London will be presenting
Thursday 6th December 3pm – 4pm
“Visualizing and manipulating the growth hormone axis: tall tales from short tails”
PHI Seminar Room
Level 4, Block E
Monash Medical Centre
Enquiries: Dr Wah Chin Boon (9594 3570 / wah.chin.boon@princehenrys.org)
Other Seminars and Events
College of Clinical Neuropsychologists, Victorian Section Education Seminar
Dr Shantha Rajaratnam (SPPPM, Monash University) will be presenting
Tuesday 4th December at 6.30pm – 8pm
“Sleep loss and sleep disruption: Impact on Neurobehavioural performance”
Michael Chamberlain Lecture Theatre
St Vincents Hospital
Cocktails at 6pm and following seminar
RSVP 30/11/2007 to Dana.Wong@opworth.org.au (Ph: 0419 195 399)
Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AACBT)
Workshop
“Understanding & Treating Social Phobia”
Presented by Professor Ron Rapee
Friday 7th December
The Albert Hall, Launceston, Tasmania
8.45am – 5pm
For more information please email workshops@aacbtvic.org.au or visit the website:
http://www.aacbtvic.org.au
LaTrobe University Seminar
Dr Susan Leekam – Director of the Child Development Research Unit at Durham
University will be presenting
Thursday 20th December at 4pm
“Social Attention in Autism”
Seminar Hall
Michael J Osborne Centre – Institute for Advanced Study (Melways Map 573, F1)
Autism is a complex developmental disorder that affects around 1% of the
population. In recent years, research has changed our thinking about the
identification and management of this childhood disorder, with greater emphasis now
given to the view that autism is not a single disorder but a spectrum of impairments
that develop across time. One developmentally early marker of autism is a lack of
attention sharing with other people as shown through impairments in gaze following
and pointing. In the seminar Dr Leekman will discuss the evidence for early low-level
attentional orienting difficulties in autism and argue that these dofficulties may have
profound impact on the development of symbolic abilities, language acquisition and
higher-level information processing. Although more able older children and adults
may apparently overcome their social attention difficulties with age, evidence from
eye tracking studies show that subtle differences in the visual processing of social
information may still remain.
For more information contact Julia Anderson (9479 3461 /
j.anderson@latrobe.edu.au)
Conferences
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.
Deadline for abstracts and early registration is 13th November 2007.
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/
Other Events and Areas of Interest
Australian Course in Advanced Neuroscience – Applications close Monday 10th
December!
The Australian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (ACAN) is Australia’s answer to
the legendary neuroscience training programs held in Woods Hole and Cold Springs
Harbor in the United States. Leading Australian and overseas scientists work with
small groups of young neuroscientists to provide rigorous training in the theory and
practice of cellular neuroscience.
ACAN 2008 will be held from Sunday 20th April – Saturday 10th May at North
Stradbroke Island in Queensland.
Applications close Monday 10th December.
To apply, you must:
- be a PhD student in your second year or above by April 2008, or
- be a Postdoctoral Fellow, preferably no more than 5 years after completing
your PhD
- preferably be a full time resident of Australia or New Zealand, but a small
number of applicants from other countries may be accepted.
For more information, including the course program and application requirements,
please go to: http://acan.jcs.anu.edu.au/
Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Mapping Project
The Monash Neuroscience and Mental Health Network is undertaking a project to
identify what research is being undertaken across Monash University in the areas of
Neuroscience and Mental Health. The aim is to collate this information and make it
accessible to all personnel throughout the University by way of a website. Information
is sought from all personnel working in these fields, and this can be done by
completing the attached form and sending it back to Kylie Thoroughgood by
Wednesday 12th December. Email to kylie.thoroughgood@med.monash.edu.au.
Fax to 9594 5662 or Mail to Monash Neuroscience and Mental Health Network, Block
E Level 5, Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton 3168.
Australian Brain Bank Network (formerly the National Neural Tissue Resource
Centre)
The Australian Brain bank Network (ABBN) represents a national platform which
encompasses brain collections in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia,
Victoria and Western Australia. Through this collaboration, the ABBN continues to
provide Australian and international researchers with clinically and
neuropathologically well-characterised human brain tissue on which they can conduct
research.
The ABBN has over 1,500 cases available for research, with 219 new brain and/or
brain and spinal cord donations in the last twelve months. The donations include
such disorders as Alzheimer’s disease, Depression, Frontotemporal dementia,
Huntington’s disease, Motor neuron disease, Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease,
schizophrenia, alcohol related disorders, control ‘normal’ cases and other
neurological and psychiatric disorders.
An online national database provides Australian and international researchers with
clear and detailed information about the number and diagnostic categories of tissues
available in Australia. Go to www.nnf.com.au/nntrc.
Brainwaves Summer 2007/2008 Edition
The Summer 2007/2008 “Brainwaves” – the Newsletter of The Brain Foundation has
been released. Please find it attached for your interest.
Funding Opportunities
Monash Neuroscience and Mental Health Network Scholarships to attend
Australian Course in Advanced Neuroscience
The Monash Neuroscience and Mental Health Network is offering two scholarships to
the value of $2000 each to Monash PhD students or Postdoctoral Fellows who are
accepted to attend the 2008 ACAN course. The total cost of the 3 week course is
$3000 (which includes accommodation, meals, tuition and laboratory work).
Application details can be found at this site: http://acan.jcs.anu.edu.au/reg.html.
Only 12 positions are available! Successful applicants should contact Kylie
Thoroughgood from The Network as soon as they are notified of their acceptance by
ACAN.
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.