What's On at UWA

The Seminar: Approximately 10% of fertility treatment cycles in Australia use gametes (sperm or eggs) donated from a third party. In the past donors were usually anonymous, little personal or health information about them was stored and children born were seldom told the manner of their conception. More recently there has been a shift in societal attitude away from secrecy towards openness. This seminar discusses the changes in policy and practices of donor conception in Australia over the last decade, the accompanying changes in the profile of donors and recipients, and the different value those stakeholders in the donor conception process place on information about the donor.

The Speaker: Kathy Sanders has a BSc (Hons) and PhD from The University of Western Australia (UWA). She was appointed lecturer in the School of Anatomy & Human Biology at UWA in 2002 and teaches human biology and reproductive biology to undergraduate science and medical students. Dr Sanders’ research brings together theory and practice from psychology, endocrinology and evolutionary ecology to examine lifestyle and psychosocial factors influencing human reproduction. Her research centers around three main areas: the impact and interaction of stress (psychosocial and energetic) on reproductive processes; the stress buffering effects of supportive social relationships on psychological and reproductive health outcomes; and issues surrounding the use of donated gametes and embryos in assisted reproductive technology. Dr Sanders is a deputy member of the Reproductive Technology Council of Western Australia and a member of its Scientific Advisory Committee.

Come along and hear about the exciting opportunities for further study in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Supervisors will be presenting outlines of the Honours and BMedSci topics for 2012. A pizza lunch is provided at 12.45pm in the Foyer so you will be able to discuss projects directly with potential supervisors.

The Postgraduate and Honours Expo showcases a host of opportunities for further study, including honours and postgraduate coursework and research possibilities.

Discover the courses each faculty has to offer, learn about postgraduate scholarships, attend information sessions and talk to staff, honours and postgraduate students.

For more information about the Expo along with details on the presentations being held throughout the evening please go uwa.edu.au/postgradexpo

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy provides insight into molecular structure, interactions and dynamics. It has applications in a wide range of disciplines including chemistry, soil science, botany, biochemistry, exercise physiology, pharmacy, marine archaeology, microbiology, engineering and medicine. Whilst most of our work relates to the study of organic and organo-metallic compounds in solution, we have undertaken a diverse range of research projects such as investigating the 31P chemistry of growing plants and studying the level of degradation of timbers from ancient shipwrecks. The talk aims to introduce NMR spectroscopy to those who may be unfamiliar with the technique and illustrate its capabilities with examples of work undertaken in the NMR facility.

Unfortunately this event has been cancelled.



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The Seminar: Human breastmilk is the gold standard for the nutrition of the human infant at the early stages of life. In addition to its valuable nutritional components, breastmilk also contains maternal cells, the properties and role of which are largely unknown. Among those cells, immune cells are thought to confer immunity to the infant, but their relation to infection and various lactation parameters are not well understood. At the same time, stem-like cells have been shown to be present in breastmilk. This presentation will focus on recent discoveries on (a) the immune cell content of breastmilk and how it responds to mother/infant health; and (b) the stem cells of breastmilk and first evidence for a pluripotent character. Finally, the significance of these cells for the breastfed infant will be discussed.

The Speaker: Foteini graduated from the Aristotle University of Greece in 2005 with a B.Sc. in Biology and First Class Honours in Microbiology and Physiology. She then migrated to Perth with her husband and shortly started a PhD in Physiology at the University of Western Australia, which she completed in 2009. She then joined the Human Lactation Research Group of the University of Western Australia conducting research into the physiology of breastfeeding. Foteini’s research has a dual focus, concentrating on (a) the properties of the maternal cells that are present in breastmilk and their biological role, and (b) mammary stem cells in health and disease.

In the course of undertaking a number of complex molecule total synthesis campaigns (target orientated synthesis) our group was forced by the nature of these projects to push literature methodology to its limits and purpose design new methods. In other examples synthetic methodology was developed for an intended purpose, but ultimately did not live up to the task, or equated to new methods discovered accidentally. Short stories encompassing these methods and how they arose will be discussed.

Recent advances in environmental monitoring and modelling have led to improved knowledge on how aquatic environments function. The Centre for Water Research at The University of Western Australia has developed a software suite, the Aquatic Real-time Management System and the Real-time Management System Online (ARMS-RMSO, http://www.rmso.com.au/), as a tool for the sustainable management of rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal seas.

  Such a tool provides an understanding of questions about important processes and their controlling factors, contributes to assessment of management needs and effectiveness and aids in direct human benefits from the aquatic environment under study. It combines the integration of a number of technologies and approaches to enable the extraction of new levels of knowledge using arrays of sensors encompassing physical, chemical and biological measurements, providing data in real time, models and continuous information display to be used for scientific research, education, management and environmental policy-related applications.

This talk will present the overall concept of the tool and its implementation in several aquatic environments to understand and assess the risks associated with flooding, local stagnant zones, pathogen source to fate and nutrient to algae cycling. Current limitations and future developments will be also presented.

****All Welcome****

Interested in finding out more about Student Exchange? It's not too late!

The next deadline for applications is FRIDAY 2nd December (for exchange in Semester 2, 2012). Come along to a helpful info session and talk to a friendly Exchange Adviser and your Faculty's Academic Student Adviser. Get all the info you need about studying abroad in 2012 or beyond!

The UWA Student Exchange program offers you an opportunity to study at one of over 108 partner Universities in 22 countries. Study for one or two semesters and receive credit towards your UWA degree at the same time!

The Seminar: Dr Tsang’s research program covers the broad area of cell fate regulation in women’s reproductive health and diseases. During the past thirty years Professor Tsang has examined the cell signalling pathways involved in these regulation of ovarian cell survival and apoptosis and his seminal observations not only helped to define the basic mechanisms governing normal ovarian follicular growth but offered important insights into the pathophysiology of various ovarian disorders associated with infertility, including polycystic ovarian disease and premature ovarian failure. In addition, his research on the molecular and cellular basis of chemoresistance in ovarian cancer has provided key information for the development of new therapy for chemoresistant ovarian cancer, a most lethal cancer of the reproductive track in women. To date, he has contributed over 180 full-length original publications and 19 reviews/book chapters. He holds four US patents on his work on the regulation of IAPs as a diagnostics and therapeutics for proliferative diseases and has filed five additional ones in the last 10 years.

The Speaker: Dr Ben Tsang is Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa and Senior Scientist, Ottawa Health Research Institute. He completed his undergraduate training in chemistry at Bemidji State College in 1971, received MSc (Biochemistry; 1973) from the University of Iowa, and Ph.D. (Pharmacology; 1976) from the University of Ottawa. In 1980, Dr Tsang joined the University of Ottawa as the Director, Reproductive Biology Unit and has been instrumental in developing a research-intensive academic program in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He also served as Associate Chair (Research) of the Department, and has developed in Ottawa of a multi-disciplinary research program in reproductive health. Professor Tsang is internationally recognized as an outstanding ovarian biologist, who has the insight and ability in bringing fundamental research into the clinical context. He is a recipient of the 2011 OCRI Research Award from the Ottawa Centre of Research and Innovations, 2008 Award of Excellence in Reproductive Medicine from the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, the J David Grimes Research Career Achievement Award at the Ottawa Health Research Institute, the Award of Excellence for his outstanding contributions in research, scholarship and education at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine (1996) and the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine Recognition Award for Outstanding Contributions in Medical Education (2002). In 2008, he was also honoured as an “Outstanding Alumnus” of the Bemidji State University, Minnesota.

Host: Professor Dharmarajan – PH) 6488 2981

Presentations from across the spectrum of health professions A platform for health practitioners to share their expertise Network opportunities with other health professionals Develop and strengthen collaboration and referral pathways AHPRA CPD and Medicare requirements Online availability of presentations

Livia Vo is the Cellular Analysis Specialist with Life Technologies and will be presenting a seminar covering some of the labelling technologies available in the biological science field. Topics will include organelle stains, apoptosis, autophagy and reactive oxygen species (ROS) for both cells and tissues. Livia will also highlight the online tools available through Life Technologies to aid in experiment planning and design.

Morning tea will be provided and the winner of the Life Technologies Microscopy Imaging competition will be announced. This competition is open to all West Australian researchers and will be awarded to the best fluorescent image captured using either a wide field or confocal microscope . The prize will be a framed print of the winning image and a $250 Life Technologies voucher. Entries close Wednesday 19th October.

CMCA@Physics has recently installed the latest PANalytical Empyrean X-Ray Diffraction system, which is available to all researchers.

This talk will cover the hardware and software modules available with the installed system. Various application capabilities are possible - such as thin film epitaxy, reflectometry, phase analysis, and powder diffraction with the existing configuration of the system. The special optical components used for these applications will be discussed such as mirrors, monochromators, cradles and an insight on the latest all in one detector the PIXCEL.

Also a brief overview of what other applications can be performed in future if the system is upgraded with hardware and softwares will be highlighted.

Tuesday 25 October @ 4pm CMCA Seminar Room ALL welcome, refreshments provided Please promote and circulate to interested colleagues

Primarily on continuum mechanics problems that  arise out of  industrial contexts  where the objectives are clear cut,  and the results are usually of limited general interest.

Sometimes, however, the investigations lead to results that are both unexpected and of much broader and even fundamental interest.

 I will describe two such investigations;  one arising out of the   defense industry (a visual image inversion problem) and  the other out of the  electronics industry (a capillarity problem associated with the production of capacitors). The relevant mathematics is simple, an added bonus.

****All Welcome****

A/Prof Ros Francis is a Nuclear Medicine Physician in the Department of Nuclear Medicine / WA Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Service at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and has an academic appointment as Associate Professor of Molecular Imaging, UWA (School of Medicine and Pharmacology). A/Prof Francis has a particular interest in Nuclear Oncology and PET. She has a strong research interest in new tracer development, especially in mesothelioma.

The world's leading authority on MS research, he'd be embarrassed to be called Mr MS, but this would certainly befit the Professor of Neurology and HOD Clinical Neurosciences at Cambridge and Editor of Brain. Prof Alastair Compston Lecture is Visiting Professor at Royal Perth Hospital, he is an outstanding lecturer and in great demand! Join us for his Lecture on Neuromyelitis Optica, a Q. and A. session and Drinks following.

The Seminar: The current world wide accepted consensus criteria for neuropathological staging of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases (AD & PD) have been developed in his Anatomy lab in Germany (Braak stages). In the seminar, Estifanos will briefly introduce these staging systems and emphasize the current search for the preclinical stages of PD & AD.

The Speaker: Estifanos earned his medical degree from the University of Göttingen, Germany, in 1993. In Germany, he worked as a general pathologist and neuropathologist for almost three years and as clinical neuroanatomist for 12 years. He started working at the University of Queensland (School of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy & Developmental Biology) in 2009 as a senior lecturer for anatomy. His primary research interests include understanding the genetic risk profiles and the heterogeneity of the pathological and clinical features of neurodegenerative diseases (including Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body diseases, e.g. Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies).

Host: Winthrop Professor Alan Harvey

The Seminar: Nanotechnology is a valuable tool for optimizing the delivery of a drug that is disadvantaged by poor in vivo solubility and specificity of drug action. In this lecture, Lee Yong will share how her laboratory has utilized nanotechnology to promote the efficacy and specificity of the anticancer drug, paclitaxel.

The Speaker: Lee Yong obtained a BSc (Pharmacy) Hons degree at the National University of Singapore and PhD degree in pharmaceutics from the University of Manchester, UK. After 15 years with the Pharmacy Department at the National University of Singapore, she joined UWA in May 2005 to teach in the Master of Pharmacy programme. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms and constraints of drug delivery across biological barriers, and developing methodologies to overcome these barriers. Nanotechnology is the main enabling technology for the development of drug delivery systems in her laboratory.

Launched in March 2011, The Conversation is an independent source of information, analysis and commentary from the university and research sector.

Speaker Bio: Andrew is a co-founder The Conversation. He previously edited The Age, The Observer (London), The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday. He was Editor-in-Chief of The Big Issue (London), and he founded and edited the Sunday Herald in Scotland. He is the Asia-Pacific Director for Innovation Media.

Prof Ming-Hao Zheng is the Winthrop Professor and Director of Research at the Translational Orthopaedic Research Centre, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth and the Associate Dean (International) of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the University of Western Australia. He is also the Chung Kong Scholar Lecturing Professor and the Deputy Director of Australia-China Cooperative Research Centre for Biotherapeutics and Regenerative Medicine at the Zhejiang University, China, Director for UWA-Nanjing Bone and Joint Research Centre at Nanjing University. He has served on the editorial board for numbers of Orthopaedics and Pathology journals.

Prof Zheng completed his Bachelor of Medicine in 1983, Master of Medicine (Pathology) in 1987 in China, PhD in 1993 and Doctor of Medicine in 2000 at the University of Western Australia. Prof Zheng is a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. He has focused on the development of an academic career in bone and joint research and regenerative medicine. His productivity is evidenced by the quality of publications and patents, and his ability to transform laboratory research into clinical practice. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers in journals including Nature Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Molecular Cellular Biology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, American Journal of Pathology and Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

His major achievements include studies in the molecular and cellular biology of the osteoclast, clinical and laboratory evaluation of human bone allograft, development of cellscaffold technology for cartilage, tendon and bone regeneration and regulatory framework in human tissue and cellular products. His work on Giant Cell Tumour of bone (GCT) has been used by WHO for classification of bone tumours and has been recorded in the textbook “Ackermans Surgical Pathology”. He has 7 patents in the field of Orthopaedics and has introduced the concept and technology of autologous biotherapy in orthopaedics. His research results in the development of autologous stem cell and progenitor cell therapy in bone, cartilage and tendon. He has transformed the benchwork of Matrix-induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (MACI) and Autologous Tencoyte Therapy (ATT) into clinical practices. In 2009, he was specially awarded by Genzyme in Boston for his leadership, commitment and dedication to the advancement of MACI. To date, more than 120 hospitals across Australia and over 8000 patients in the world have used MACI for the treatment of cartilage defects. Prof Zheng has actively supervised and nursed quality postgraduate students andpostdoctoral fellows with 21 PhD and 15 Master of Medical sciences students completing their degree in the last 15 years. Many of them have won awards at the national and international meetings for their research work and become high profile independent researchers. These include Prof Hiroshi Fujie, Prof Jiake Xu, and Asst/Prof Nathan Pavlos.

Prof Zheng is actively involved in the organisation of national and international societies in bone and cartilage research, and has held positions such as Councillor of the Australia & New Zealand Bone & Mineral Research Society (1999 - 2001), Treasurer/Secretary of the Australia & New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society (2000 – 2003), member of the scientific committee of the International Bone and Mineral Society (2003), Chair of the Organising Committee of the Australian Biotherapeutics & Tissue Regeneration Forum (2003) and the International Cartilage Repair Society (2004), Session Chair of the 6th Combined Orthopaedic Meeting (2007) in Hawaii and The BIO 2008 in San Diego. Prof Zheng is also the Conveyor of the four Australian Biotherapeutic & Regenerative Medicine Forums. He is currently a member of the Therapeutics Goods Committee (Biologics) at the Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) appointed by the Minister of Health in Canberra.

The II International Congress of Environmental Medicine will have its focus towards recognising those there environmental factors which causes diseases to individual beings and that it can be diagnosed, treated and prevented

Join us for our II International Congress of Environmental Medicine – November 19-20 - Sao Paulo – Brazil

Summit your abstract until 23/10