News and Events

Cancer Council Director of Education and Research Terry Slevin said the Early Career Investigator Grants acknowledged the work of our best and brightest young cancer researchers.

"Ultimately our aim with these grants is to retain talented young researchers in WA, like Dr Jackaman and encourage them to pursue a career in cancer research," Mr Slevin said.

"This is one important way the Cancer Council can support the next generation of research leaders."

The grants honour the memory of the late Suzanne Cavanagh who was a long term Cancer Council staff member and was devoted to generating support for the Cancer Council research program.

The funding is part of a record $2.7 million research investment announced by the Cancer Council at a lunch sponsored by the Parmelia Hilton in Perth recently.

The top two students are named WA’s Regional Finalists and have the opportunity to compete in the International BioGENEius Challenge, receiving an all-expenses paid trip to the USA.

In previous years, BioGENEius students mentored by Dr David Groth and Prof Ricardo Mancera have made it through to the semi-finals of the competition.

David’s current student, Natasha, is still completing her program which runs through to December this year. She has optimised her PCR reaction conditions and has amplified her region of interest. She is just about ready to send the PCR products for sequencing. The School wishes her the best of luck!

"We are developing a tablet which can be easily swallowed, alleviating the discomfort of injections for diabetics, " Professor Helmerhorst said. "With 3.5 million Australians living with diabetes we’re aiming at offering a pain-free method of administering insulin. The financial boost and expertise that we now have access to means that this research could spell an end to daily needle injections endured by diabetics, especially for those with a needle phobia."

There were five winning innovations for 2011 with Intium Energy Ltd (West Perth) receiving the overall prize for its Conveyor Roller Monitoring Sensor. The combined venture received a prize package worth $50,000 comprising of $25,000 in cash and in kind support of up to $25,000.

The awards were presented on Thursday 3 November 2011 and were administered by the Department of Commerce with support from sponsors Mitsubishi Corporation, Woodside, iiNet and AusIndustry.

His entire scientific career has been focused on biomedical research and he has worked for a number of leading universities including the University of California Davis, the University of Cambridge and the University of Säo Paulo.

His research examines nutrient, immune and endocrine regulation of insulin secretion and metabolic adaptations to exercise in healthy and diabetic individuals. He has recently established national and international collaborations in the field of cystinosis, a rare disease of dysfunctional amino acid transport and metabolism.

He graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Birmingham in 1983 and a PhD in Metabolic Biochemistry from the University of Oxford in 1987. He is a professional member of the Biochemical Society and the Physiological Society both based in London.

Professor Jill Downie, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Health Sciences, said that she was pleased to appoint such a high profile leader.

"Professor Newsholme will be a wonderful addition to the School. He has an outstanding track record of developing industry links and partnerships,” Professor Downie said.

"He is joining us at an exciting time with a $25 million investment in a new Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute Biomedical Sciences Precinct that will open in 2012, and his extensive experience of teaching medical students will be beneficial with our proposal for a new medical school in Western Australia.

"The Precinct will combine the research efforts of a number of Schools into a central facility and provide a unique opportunity for industry to be embedded with our scientists. Professor Newsholme will play an essential role in forging new research partnerships and in strengthening research activities in the Precinct to deliver practical health solutions and improve the health of our community.

"I would like to thank the former Head of School, Professor Erik Helmerhorst for his fantastic contribution to the School over the past five years.

“My thanks also go to Associate Professor Martin Finn who has done an amazing job in holding the fort over the past eight months as Acting Head of School."

"During the seven-month placement period our students will initially be trained in drawing blood samples for medical testing and they will attend ward rounds, and outpatient clinics for specimen collection duties," Associate Professor Williams said.

"They will also learn about the generic structure and function of a pathology laboratory before spending time in either the public or private sector, in each of the specialist disciplines they are studying in their final year."

"These work-integrated learning experiences provide our students with the chance to apply the theoretical and practical tuition at Curtin in a real workplace setting, helping to build their professional knowledge. "

"With the pathology sector facing a shortage of experienced scientists it’s critical that we can produce job-ready graduates who will build a career in the industry."

The Bachelor of Science (Laboratory Medicine) offered at Curtin University is the only course in Western Australia that is accredited by the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists. For more information visit courses.curtin.edu.au/course_overview/undergraduate/laboratory-medicine

Professor Helmerhorst received $7,000 cash with $3,000 in IP services from Griffith Hack patent attorneys, and $5,000 commercialisation services from the Capra Group.

Professor Jill Downie, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Health Sciences said that Professor Helmerhorst should be commended for his outstanding achievement.

"This exceptional research project demonstrates the University's high level, industry-relevant research and focus on providing a range of practical solutions to community needs," Professor Downie said.

Ms Faugno, who now works at Pathwest Laboratory Medicine WA, said that she hadn’t expected the awards at all.

"I feel really honoured to have received these awards, and my family are so proud. I worked really hard at university but I never thought I’d receive recognition for my work," Ms Faugno said.

"The accolades have opened doors for me and I’ve fortunately been selected to complete Pathwest’s graduate training program. It has already provided me with invaluable practical experience, and with the rare opportunity to work at four different hospitals in the space of one year."

The awards were presented during Pathology Week 2011. A unique concept combining a week of public education, media coverage on pathology issues, and a series of events run by pathology organisations in WA.

Over 15 awards were handed out to Curtin students at a special awards dinner, presented by AIMS, Curtin University’s School of Biomedical Sciences, and the AACB, with prize money varying from $300-$700, all kindly sponsored by industry.

Professor Philip Thompson, Director of LIWA, said the projects the enthusiastic group completed made a significant contribution to the overall research goals of the Institute.

“The program gives students the chance to gain experience in active research areas. Each participant chooses a project from our current research program and at the project’s conclusion the student can feel confident they have helped advance our work in respiratory research,” Professor Thompson said.

“This year cadetship recipients each undertook very interesting projects which included looking at the causes of lung fibrosis. They were able to document their outcomes well and their findings will be used to drive forward our research.

“Our goal with the cadetships is to encourage talented students to pursue a career in medical research. It is vital for the future of medical research in Australia to continue to attract bright and enthusiastic individuals such as Thomas, Cindy and Mirza, who can make a significant contribution to our understanding and treatment of lung diseases.”

Thomas Iosifidis has enjoyed the experience so much he is now undertaking an honours project with LIWA.

The Faculty membership will provide the trio with the opportunity to plan and work together with other accomplished pathologists and research scientists across Australia to enhance opportunities for collaborative initiatives in pathology training and research. They will also address workforce issues in laboratory science and help to improve funding opportunities in the pathology arena.

Associate Professor Vincent Williams, who has been working in the laboratory medicine arena for over three decades, said that it was a great honour and privilege for three pathology specialists from Curtin University to be part of the recently established Faculty of Science of the RCPA.

"It is an important step forward in the recognition of laboratory scientists who provide essential pathology research and services across our country," Associate Professor Williams said.

"As laboratory medicine becomes more sophisticated, there will be opportunities for non-medical personnel to contribute at a specialist consultant level in patient management and the Fellowship may be an important career point for this development."

"This kind of professional recognition is valuable to the public face of Curtin as we move forward with our vital research in the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute and the proposed new medical school."

The talented duo both clinched the chance to conduct experiments at Curtin's Bentley campus under the supervision of experienced researchers Dr David Townsend and Dr Brian Brestovac from the School of Biomedical Sciences, uniquely discovering what it is like to work as a medical researcher.

Sophia said she first heard about the competition when her science teacher emailed her and suggested she enter. The youth ambassador said personal experiences had given her a keen interest in medicine and medical research.

"The most important things I learnt at Curtin included how medical research investigations are conducted, how to use the equipment and understand how it works, as well as grasping the structure of cells," Sophia said.

"I also received some very valuable guidance about my future studies, which was really helpful."

Alysha said she learnt how important and complex medical technology can be, and how it can help diagnose, treat and find cures for many diseases. "Before this visit I was considering health research as a possible career, but after the visit I feel really inspired about health research," Alysha said.

"I also learnt a lot about the different courses and medical careers at Curtin."

While at Curtin, both girls assisted in an investigation to identify if extracts from a native plant would selectively kill a line of cancer cells before human cells. The results will help further studies by an honours student to find out exactly what the compounds in the plant do. This could lead to clinical trials of products prepared from this plant or from chemicals in it that can be assessed in the hope of finding new treatments for illnesses.