What's On at UWA

The aim of this course is to introduce you to basic statistics. It will cover descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations); data exploration; basic categorical data analysis; simple linear regression and basic analysis of variance (ANOVA). The statistical package SPSS will be used to illustrate the ideas demonstrated. The course will be held in a computer laboratory allowing participants to immediately apply the material covered through a series of practical examples.

“The utilisation of transcriptomics and breathomics in airway Diseases”

Prof Peter J. Sterk Head of Research, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam

“Hedgehog pathway: a novel target for mesothelioma”

Prof Steve Mutsaers Head, Tissue Repair Unit, Lung Institute of WA

“Innovative strategies for airways disease”

A/Prof Yuben Moodley Head, Stem Cell Research Unit, Lung Institute of WA

“Development of antisense oligonucleotides for asthma”

Dr Svetlana Baltic Unit Manager, Molecular Genetics Unit, Lung Institute of WA

UWA Health & Rehab Clinic - Running Club 13 week program working towards a 5 or 12km fun run (i.e. HBF Run for Reason - May 25th)

All levels welcome. Perfect for those returning from injury or running for the first time and needing a little extra feedback and coaching.

WHEN: Monday 3rd March - Friday 30th May

Running Sessions = Mon & Fri 6am. Plus "Fit-R" Strength & Mobility Sessions = Wed 6am & Thurs 6pm

WHERE: UWA Health & Rehabilitation Clinic - Parkway Entrance #4, Crawley Campus. Runs will take place around campus, along the river and into Kings Park.

COST: $12 per week (up to 4 sessions/week) for 13 weeks = $156

^Private health rebates may apply for Fit-R sessions

Presentations from internationally renowned speakers will explore a range of interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of patients with cardiovascular disease.

If you're a Year 12 student (or a parent of a Year 12 student), this session will provide information about UWA's courses, admission requirements and how to achieve your study and career goals.

UWA Prospective Students Office staff will be on hand to answer your queries following the presentation.

If you're a Year 12 student (or a parent of a Year 12 student), this session will provide information about UWA's courses, admission requirements and how to achieve your study and career goals.

UWA Prospective Students Office staff will be available to answer your queries following the presentation.

Having trained clinically and in research in Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne, Leon became the inaugural Professor of Geriatric Medicine at The University of Western Australia in 1998. He has established a productive research unit aimed at translational issues focusing on the health needs of older people culminating in 2006, the Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing at The University of Western Australia. As well as these research activities, he has led the reorganization of undergraduate and postgraduate education in geriatric medicine in Western Australia. He remains a practicing geriatrician and is Head of Inner City Geriatric Services at Royal Perth Hospital. He has served on numerous government committees addressing the health needs of older people. He was President of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine for 2003-2005. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles addressing a wide variety of health issues in older people.

Come along to Profectus UWA's Inaugral 2014 AGM on Tuesday April 8. If you are passionate about business and entrepreneurship be sure to drop by at 1pm to learn more about our agenda. We will answer any questions you have about Profectus and events being held this semester!!!

Infrared spectroscopic assays for body fluid analysis are of great interest, because these are reagentless and allow the simultaneous analysis of several analytes. Different measurement techniques have been routinely utilized for blood and derived fluids such as plasma, serum and dialysates. Samples can be fluids or dry-films prepared by water evaporation, and high-throughput applications have been reported recently by us for cancer screening applications.

Continuous measurement technology for patient monitoring has been realized in combination with micro-dialysis. The performance of our infrared spectrometer-based system was tested in several clinical measurement campaigns, using the sensor also in combination with a programmed insulin pump for testing our «artificial pancreas system« for type 1 diabetic subjects and critically ill patients. For safeguarding the spectroscopic multivariate calibration models, the influence of various drugs, when administered in amounts to reach therapeutic concentration levels, has been investigated for glucose cross-sensitivities.

Another promising spectroscopic application is non-invasive blood glucose assay technology based on either near-infrared spectroscopy using the diffuse reflection technique or mid-infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy. An outlook will be given, whether novel photonic technology based on quantum cascade lasers can replace currently favoured electrochemical enzymatic biosensors for continuous metabolite monitoring.

The Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine is holding its Annual Research Symposium on Tuesday 15 April 2014 at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research from 8.45 am – 4.30 pm. The theme for the meeting is “At the cutting edge: New Developments in Regenerative Medicine” Professor Ed Stanley from Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne will deliver the keynote presentation entitled: "Pluripotent stem cell models of human development and disease.” For a copy of the programme and to RSVP please contact Barbara Telfer at [email protected] Please RSVP by 5pm on Tuesday the 1 April 2014.

Sugar and Spice

Mary Poppins MD had it right when she declared that ‘A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down’.

Any dietician can tell you that to avoid fainting at the sight of a scorching hot Physio you need some sugar in your life! A spoonful of hot Doctor might just make that medicine go down a little easier…. Or maybe you’re rendered speechless by a sweet OT? That peppery Speech Path will get your mouth burning… Got a sweet tooth? See a Dentist, I’m sure they can satisfy…and a spoonful of a sugar from a spicy hot Nurse will heal any problems!

Follow the trail to the gingerbread house of your dreams on the 17th of April (you won’t need to know your way back), steer clear of the wicked witch, and remember, the biggest student party in Australia gets sweeter every year. It’s going to be one delicious night, so don’t miss out when tickets go on sale at your University. Treat yourself to a ticket at: www.alliedhealth.wamss.org.au

*Don't Drink and Drive

1. ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, The University of Western Australia 2. DFG Research Unit Person Perception, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany

Two presentations from the Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference.

Abstract Humans typically have better memory for own-race than other-race faces (“own-race bias”). Recently, Hehman et al. (2010) reported improved recognition for other-race faces categorised as belonging to participants’ social in-group (i.e., same university). Faces were studied in groups, containing both own-race and other-race faces, half of each labelled as in-group and out-group, respectively. When study faces were spatially grouped by race, participants showed a clear own-race bias. When faces were grouped by university affiliation, in-group other-race face recognition was indistinguishable from own-race face recognition. Our study aimed at extending this unique finding to other races of faces and participants. Forty Asian and 40 Caucasian participants studied Asian and Caucasian faces. Faces were presented in groups, containing equal numbers of own-university and other-university Asian and European faces. Between participants, faces were grouped either according to race or university affiliation. Eye-tracking was used to study the distribution of spatial attention to individual faces in the display. Participants demonstrated a clear own-race bias, but their memory was unaffected by the faces’ university affiliation and the criterion for their spatial grouping. Eye-tracking revealed looking biases towards both own-race and own-university faces. Results are discussed in light of theoretical accounts of the own-race bias.

Presenter: Dr. Troy Visser, Matthew Tang, David Badcock & James Enns1,

1. School of Psychology, The University of Western Australia 2. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Title: Temporal cues and the attentional blink: A further examination of the role of expectancy.

Abstract Although perception is typically constrained by limits in available processing resources, these constraints can be overcome if information about environmental properties, such as the spatial location or expected onset time of an object, can be used to direct processing resources to particular sensory inputs. Our work examines these temporal expectancy effects in greater detail in the context of the attentional blink (AB), in which identification of the second of two targets is impaired when targets are separated by less than about half-a-second. We replicate previous results showing that presenting information about the expected onset time of the second target can overcome the AB. Uniquely, we also show that knowledge about expected onset: a) reduces susceptibility to distraction; and, b) can be derived from temporal consistencies in inter-target interval across exposures as long as these consistencies are salient. These results imply that temporal expectancy can benefit object processing at perceptual and post-perceptual stages, and that participants are capable of flexibly encoding consistent timing information about environmental events to aid perception.

Science and Faith seem to be arguing a lot lately, so is their long term marriage over? The accusations are not pretty, not even true. Can we afford for them to split? Taking a leaf out of "Life of Brian", this talk will present the key players and principles of faith which pioneered modern science up to today. WXED is a series of data-rich multimedia presentations on the theme "What's Christianity(WX) Ever Done(ED) for Us?"

Does your child live in fear of needles or blood? If so, read on...

Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia is a fear that is triggered by seeing blood or an injury, or by receiving an injection or other invasive medical procedure. People vary in the way they react to situations involving blood or injections. Some individuals may feel disgust, nausea, or dizziness. Some people may even faint.

The Robin Winker Clinic is a Clinical Psychology unit linked to the School of Psychology at The University of Western Australia. The Clinic will be running a group treatment program for adolescents (14 years – 17 years) for Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia. The treatment is based on evidence from up-to-date research, and was co-developed by Dr Andrew Page, a psychologist and researcher from the School who specialises in anxiety disorders. The program will run for 8 one and a half hour sessions, plus a follow-up session approximately one month after completion. Through this program, children will work in a supportive environment to challenge their fears and learn coping strategies to control anxiety and be less worried when getting an injection, seeing blood, or when visiting the doctor for a medical procedure. Techniques for preventing fainting and for coping with feelings of disgust are also introduced.

What do you do now? If you would like to reserve a place for your child in this treatment program, or if you would like more information, please call the Clinic on 6488 2644 or email [email protected]

It's a torrid space, between healthcare budgets and complex ethical questions of end-beginning of life. Much of our talk takes place in a vacuum. So, taking a leaf from "Life of Brian" this WXED talk uses multi-media to find the pioneers and principles that Christianity has contributed to healthcare. This event is an experiment in thinking beyond the silos and we are looking for you to join the conversation.

This book was funded by a University Centenary Grant with detailed vignettes of 71 places named after personalities on the Crawley Campus. An initiative of the UWA Historical Society, it includes a fold-out map showing each location. Join the authors and their many supporters for the launch.

Do you live in fear of needles or blood? If so, read on...

Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia is a fear that is triggered by seeing blood or an injury, or by receiving an injection or other invasive medical procedure. People vary in the way they react to situations involving blood or injections. Some individuals may feel disgust, nausea, or dizziness. Some people may even faint.

The Robin Winker Clinic is a clinical psychology unit linked to the School of Psychology at The University of Western Australia. The Clinic will be running a group treatment program for Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia. The treatment is based on evidence from up-to-date research, and was co-developed by Dr Andrew Page, a psychologist and researcher from the School who specialises in anxiety disorders. The program will run for 8 two-hour sessions, plus an initial assessment session before the group commences and a follow-up session 4-6 weeks after completion. Through this program, individuals will work in a supportive environment to challenge their fears and learn coping strategies to control anxiety and be less worried when getting an injection, seeing blood, or when visiting the doctor for a medical procedure. Techniques for preventing fainting and for coping with feelings of disgust are also introduced.

What do you do now? If you or someone you know would like to take part in this treatment program, or if you would like more information, please call the Clinic on 6488 2644 or email [email protected]

Dates: 6-8pm, Tuesday May 13th to Tuesday July 1st. Fees: $30 per session and $35 for the assessment, 25% discount if paid up front. Reduced fees are available for full time students and pensioners. UWA Location: Robin Winkler Clinic, 1st floor, Third General Purpose Building, Myers St.

Dr Amanda Wheeler joined the School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science at Edith Cowan University as a Senior Research Fellow in August 2013. Prior to this, Dr Wheeler was a Research Scientist with Health Canada where her research included personal exposures to air pollution from residential and ambient sources, as well as understanding the intra-urban variability of air pollutants. This research builds on studies Dr Wheeler undertook while a Research Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health where she focussed on susceptible populations’ personal exposure to air pollution and cardiovascular health effects. She obtained her PhD investigating children’s personal exposure to airborne particulate matter at Middlesex University in London, UK. Exposure Science measure exposures to environmental contaminants to understand their contact with humans and their potential to impact upon health. Tools that are utilised include sensor systems, analytic methods, computational tools, and bioinformatics. Having improved methods for the collection of exposure data ensures that it is possible to understand and reduce the impacts of environmental pollutants on human health.

The Bioengineering Research Theme in ECM provides a platform for both experienced and emerging researchers to share knowledge, ideas and technical skills. This seminar aims to expand that platform to include researchers from the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the Faculty of Science and interested others.

Two keynote speakers will discuss their research in coronary artery disease, showcasing the interface between medicine and engineering. Researchers from Medicine, Science and Engineering, working in this area, will have time to network over refreshments.

Fourth annual A Life Worth Hearing Symposium on Ear and Hearing Research. The keynote speaker will be James Hall. Jay is one of the world’s most well known audiologists. Many know him through his popular audiology textbooks. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. His was one of the 34 founders of the American Academy of Audiology, and in 2012 received Distinguished Achievement Award from the Academy. His clinical and research interests include electrophysiology, tinnitus/ hyperacusis and auditory processing disorders. Jay's address will be titled The Future of Audiology. Other keynotes will be from Prof Romola Bucks, UWA, Prof Leon Straker, Curtin University, Prof Fred Chen, Lions Eye Institute, and Heather McLaren, Telehealth Unit, Western Australia Country Health Service. These and other speakers will address various current topics in ear and hearing research, including cognition, epidemiology, audiology, tissue engineering, and telehealth. Registration fees apply, with special rates for researchers and students.