Professor Christina Mitchell and Professor Judi Walker unveil the painting and plaque marking the opening of the new clinical skills centre.

Bendigo’s new Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre was officially opened by the Dean, Professor Christina Mitchell, in late September.

The $1.2 million centre incorporates a simulated two-bed ward, a “sim gym” for learning and practising specific clinical skills, and a high fidelity suite which includes a sophisticated Sim Man which can be programmed to simulate a range of complex health conditions. The centre also includes control rooms, briefing rooms and the ability to stream a simulation into the auditorium.

In the spirit of collaborative training, the new centre will be used by medical students from Monash University and the University of Melbourne; nursing, paramedic and allied health students from La Trobe University; and nursing students from Bendigo TAFE, as well as practising health professionals.

For students and Bendigo health professionals it’s ideally placed on the health education and research precinct near the new hospital development, but will also include an outreach program to health services outside Bendigo.

The new Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre is funded jointly by Health Workforce Australia, as an Australian Government initiative, and the Victorian Department of Health.

Cathy Driver runs a simulation from the control room of the hi-fidelity suite.

Research staff at Bendigo are pleased to welcome Clare McHugh, a PhD student. Her topic is “Exploring community participation interventions for stroke survivors,” which is being supervised by Associate Professor Darryl Maybery and Associate Professor Louise Farnworth.

There are research funding opportunities available in the next three months identified by the existing School of Rural Health searches.

Remember – if you would like to learn more about Research Professional please contact Helen Chambers or Cathy Ward who can help you set up specific searches or alerts for your particular area of research.

Travel grants : Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
These enable Australian early-stage researchers or allied health and nursing professionals to travel to research institutions or scientific meetings for the purpose of furthering their expertise on type 1 diabetes. Grants are worth up to AU$2,000 for domestic travel or up to AU$4,000 for international travel.
Closing date: 18 Oct 13

Accelerator research grants: National Breast Cancer Foundation
These enable research teams to further develop cancer research capacity and competitiveness in translational research. Grants are worth up to AU$250,000 per year for up to five years.
Closing date: 18 Oct 13

Centres of research excellence grants: National Health and Medical Research Council
This supports teams of researchers in pursuing innovative, high-quality and collaborative research, developing capacity within health research and ensuring effective translation of research into practice. Each grant is worth up to AU$2.5 million.
Closing date: 25 Oct 13
Note:  Monash internal dates

Lizotte family research award for interstitial pulmonary fibrosis research : Australian Lung Foundation
This aims to assist research in interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.  The award is worth AU$5,000.
Closing date: 04 Nov 13

Future fellowships: Australian Research CouncilThese encourage mid-career researchers to build collaborations across institutions and disciplines by conducting innovative research. Each investigator’s administering organisation will receive up to AU$50,000 annually to support research related infrastructure, equipment, travel and relocation costs. Fellows can receive up to AU$203,248 per year for up to four years.
Closing date: 30 Nov 13 (Forecast)
Note: Monash Research Office Closing date is early-mid Nov (tbc)
Further information – Contact: Michelle Armstrong

PhD scholarship investigating primary lymphoedema (national): Australian Rotary Health
This supports research in any area of primary lymphoedema. The annual value of the scholarship is AU$29,000. The award will be made for one year in the first instance but can be extended for a maximum of three and a half years.
Closing date: 13 Dec 13

PhD scholarship investigating children’s heart disease – national: Australian Rotary Health
The scholarship will provide salary and incidental support for a postgraduate student undertaking full-time research in children’s heart disease. The annual value of the scholarship is AU$29,000. The award will be made for one year in the first instance but can be extended for a maximum of three and a half years.
Closing date: 13 Dec 13

PhD scholarship investigating oncology – national applications: Australian Rotary Health
The scholarship will provide salary and incidental support for a postgraduate student undertaking full-time research in gynaecological oncology. The annual value of the scholarship is AU$29,000. The award will be made for one year in the first instance but can be extended for a maximum of three and a half years.
Closing date: 13 Dec 13

Health research grants: BUPA Health Foundation
The purpose of this programme is to fund health research in the strategic key areas of wellbeing, chronic disease, healthy ageing, empowering people about their health, and promoting affordable healthcare in Australia. Initiatives applying for between AU$100,000 and AU$500,000 for up to three years will be considered.
Closing date: 17 Dec 13 (Forecast)

It is important to submit your publications to the Office of Research for processing as soon as possible after publication. When submitting a published article, book chapters or book, please ensure you provide all relevant information to expedite the process.

In the front of the publication information folders, which were provided to all research staff, is the documentation needed to facilitate the submission process. Forms are listed with each category – for example, C1, B etc.

The current Fields of Research (FOR) codes (for Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences) are available on-line.

The author is responsible for completing the FOR codes and providing all the information requested on the Publication Form (eg. A1 Books, C1, C4 Journal articles etc). Please ensure that all this information is sent with a copy of the article to Janelle McGrail (janelle.mcgrail@monash.edu) in the south east or Sandra Paschkow (sandra.paschkow@monash.edu) in the north west. Once the publication has been entered onto the system it will appear in your ROPES profile.

Campus Travel has recently launched the Campus Travel Qantas Travel Grant. The grant is open to employees or students from any Australian university, school, research or academic organisation. The application period runs from 1 September 2013 through to 15 November 2013.The grant includes $5,000 worth of air credit from Qantas and $1000 from Campus Travel to be used towards hotel accommodation, transfers or tours.

Campus Travel are looking for applicants who wish to use travel to enrich their studies or work in the academic sector. Applicants will be asked to submit a written statement to them why they believe they qualify for the grant and how they would use the funds to further their work, education or studies through travel.

For more information visit the Campus Travel website.

All education, clinical, research staff and students are invited to join us on the second Wednesday of each month, either in Bendigo, Gippsland, or Mildura in person or by tele/videoconference link.

Article:  ‘Specialist outreach to isolated and disadvantaged communities: a population-based study’

Facilitator:  Belinda O’Sullivan

When:         9 October 2013

Time:          12 noon- 1pm

Where:       Meeting Room 3 (Level 2), School of Rural Health, 26 Mercy St Bendigo or by videoconference (IP 130.194.213.113) or teleconference (9903 5988) from other sites

An appraisal sheet will be sent out with the article. Please contact Cathy Ward for copies.

Please inform Cathy Ward if you are able to attend this journal club – 5440 9046.

Nazmi Sari from the University of Saskatchewan is editing a book on smoking which will be published by Nova Science Publisher, and would like to include  a chapter on smoking behaviour within rural context. Nazmi would like to identify someone with interest and time for this contribution.

In particular, Nazmi has in mind a new research or review article for this edited collection (invitation only) being assembled under their overall direction tentatively entitled “Smoking Restrictions, Risk Perceptions and Environmental Impact”. The contributions for this edited book are intended to range from 4,000-7,000 words.

The tentative deadline for the chapter is by the end of December 2013, but we can be flexible if this would be tight deadline with the author’s other commitments.

The contact details for Nazmi are as follows:

Associate Professor Nazmi Sari
Department of Economics, University of Saskatchewan
Arts 815, Saskatoon, SK S7N5A5
Web: http://homepage.usask.ca/~sari
Tel:   +1(306) 966-5216Fax: +1(306) 966-5232
Email: nas961@mail.usask.ca

Dr Anton Neville Isaacs is a lecturer at MUDRIH (Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health)

Describe your job/role

I mostly do research into mental health services for Aboriginal people. I also teach medical and nursing students as part of their Indigenous health and wellbeing program

Why is it important?

Mental disorders are the leading cause of disease burden among Aboriginal people after cardiovascular disease. Reasons can be broadly classified into adverse consequences of colonisation that include ongoing poor socio-economic determinants as well as poor access to services. Population-based approaches to improve socio-economic indicators require huge amounts of resources. However, improving access to services can be achieved by providing an environment where Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal mental health professionals can work together in a culturally sensitive way. This is not only very rewarding but also result oriented.

Most students have either an incomplete understanding of Aboriginal people or no understanding at all. Their opinions are mostly informed by the media and hearsay. Negative stereotypes of and attitudes towards Aboriginal people need to be challenged if we are to make any progress towards closing the gap.

What is the best aspect of your work with the School of Rural Health?

I cherish the autonomy and freedom I have in choosing the research I do and planning for it.

When you are not at work, what do you enjoy doing?

Spending time at home with my children.

What was your most recent holiday destination and why did you choose it?

Phillip Island. It’s a nice place for a family holiday

If you were emperor for a day, what is one thing you would implement?

A thousand dollar fine for poor road etiquette (Abuse, tail gating, road rage, etc).

Surprise us! What is something about you that most of your peers would not know?

I used to be a Sea Cadet in School and was selected to march in the Republic Day parade at New Delhi. Unfortunately, the group that marched before us was a mounted regiment. Avoiding horse dung and keeping step and formation at the same time was challenging. But as a treat for having been selected to represent the Corps on the national stage, we were allowed to sail on Naval frigates and fly in helicopters.

Better outcomes for those affected by mental illness is the focus of two Monash University research projects that have received more than $4 million in combined funds from the Victorian Government.

In June, Minister for Mental Health Mary Wooldridge announced five projects to receive grants from the Victorian Coalition Government’s $10 million Mental Illness Research Fund.

One Monash grant was won by Associate Professor Darryl Maybery of Monash University’s Department of Rural and Indigenous Health (MUDRIH) and Dr. Andrea Reupert from Education (Krongold Centre) with $1,855,891 awarded to continue their research into support services for parents with a mental illness. They were partnered in the grant by Northern Area Mental Health Services, Family Life Shine, Parenting Research Centre, The Bouverie Centre, Eastern Health, University of Melbourne, Deakin University, Beyond Blue, Neami, and SANE Australia.

The four-year project, ‘Developing an Australian-first recovery model for parents in Victorian mental health and family services’, will trial specific interventions that engage families and children within specialist mental health and family services.

Associate Professor Maybery said ‘the Australian-first approach was expected to deliver significant mental health and wellbeing benefits to both parents and their children’.

‘The key question to be addressed by this project is how we can improve longer-term recovery of people with severe mental illness by addressing their parenting role as a core part of their treatment,’ Associate Professor Maybery said.

‘We know that between 21 to 23 per cent of all children at some stage have a parent with a mental health problem.’

‘Family interventions have important mental illness prevention benefits for children.

The five funding recipients were chosen from 43 submissions, based on the strength of their collaboration across different sectors, including the active and ongoing involvement of clients, their carers and families.

Congratulations to Dr Julie Willems of MUDRIH on the release of two books in which she is co-author. The books are entitled ‘Global challenges and perspectives in blended distance learning’ and ‘Outlooks and opportunities in blended distance learning’. Well done, Julie!