Bulletin #0100
autumn 2020
Director’s message Welcome to the Autumn Bulletin for 2020. It has been an extraordinarily unsettling start to the year. Like all Australians, I began the year horrified by the devastating bushfires around the country. Now, as I write this, we are currently working through our plan to institute working-from-home practices and online resources for staff and students throughout Menzies and the wider university in light of COVID-19. Due to these changes to the way we work it may mean that it takes longer than usual to process donations and return receipts. Please bear with us during this difficult time.
Our aim is to keep everyone safe while minimising disruption and ensuring we continue to focus on research excellence
In addition to these measures, the care of our study participants is a high priority and we are reviewing the research projects which use our clinic facilities to ensure that we minimise risk to participants and staff. Some studies will be postponed for the time being or will change to phone rather than face-to-face interviews. Our aim is to keep everyone safe while minimising disruption and ensuring we continue to focus on research excellence. During the bushfire emergency we were glad that we were
able to be of some assistance through our AirRater app which became an important way of helping people stay up to date with the air pollution and manage the impact to their health. Since December last year the downloads of the app have increased five times with 55,000 people now using AirRater. To enable us to keep up with the growing demand for the service, AirRater is the subject of our latest appeal.
medical authorities and prioritise health and safety. Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to perform internationally significant medical research to improve the lives of Tasmanians.
Kindest regards,
In these unprecedented and uncertain times, I encourage you to follow advice from relevant
Distinguished Professor Alison Venn Director
example, people with existing heart and lung conditions can experience worsening symptoms and occasionally serious deterioration in their health leading to a hospital admission. If a large city is affected by serious air pollution, death rates will also increase. By providing location-specific and near real-time air quality
information, AirRater supports people to minimise their smoke and pollution exposure, make informed decisions about the air around them, and to better manage their health. We have an immediate opportunity to extend the capacity of the AirRater app to further protect our community’s health. Please consider a gift today.
Autumn Appeal
AirRater helps public breathe easier during Bushfire crisis This summer, Australians lived through a prolonged and severe bushfire and smoke crisis. And across Australia, people found help in a free Menzies-led, award-winning smartphone app known as AirRater. Since December 2019, the number of app users has jumped from 15,000 to more than 55,000. This has severely stretched the capacity of the AirRater team to continue to operate the app for free. With your support, we can continue
to provide AirRater for free to users across Australia, both now and into the future. Air pollution such as bushfire smoke, affects everyone in the community and puts those who are more vulnerable at serious risk of harm. For
How to donatE
Go to the Donate tab at menzies.utas.edu.au, or return the donation slip attached to this Bulletin. You can also call 1800 638 124 or 03 6226 7700.
Menzies Bulletin Autumn 2020
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Joint replacement focus for Fulbright recipient Menzies’ Professor Graeme Jones will travel to the United States next year to look more closely at knee replacements for osteoarthritis, as part of a prestigious Fulbright Future Scholarship.
With the prevalence of osteoarthritis increasing with an ageing population in Australia, Head of Menzies’ Musculoskeletal Health and Diseases theme area Professor Jones will work with colleagues at the University of California
San Francisco on improved selection and identification of who should have knee replacement surgery.
management of osteoarthritis in Australia. Professor Jones said while most decisions to surgically replace a knee were driven by X-ray changes and/or pain levels, these factors were not the only determinants. “The current problem is that only 30 per cent of people who have a knee replacement are pain free,” he said.
The research has the potential to better allocate resources and to greatly improve the
This will give me the opportunity to foster some important international collaborations.
Research boost: Menzies’ Professor Graeme Jones will travel to the US next year as part of a prestigious Fulbright Future Scholarship.
“Research also shows that people with chronic pain (such as fibromyalgia) don’t respond well to joint replacement, so pain needs to be placed in context. There has to be a better way to identify those best suited to these operations.”
Discover savings and help at the same time
A professor of rheumatology and epidemiology, Professor Jones works as both a consultant and a researcher using his combination of patient care and research to lead to a better understanding of the complex nature of osteoarthritis, and better treatment regimes. Professor Jones said the Fulbright was a great opportunity to further build on his own experience in the field researching and assisting those living with osteoarthritis. “This will give me the opportunity to foster some important international collaborations working with the program leaders of some of the biggest cohorts in osteoarthritis, to improve who has access to knee replacements,” he said. The award is the second Fulbright Future Scholarship for Menzies for 2020, with PhD student Lachlan Tegart also set to travel to the US, to further research the health effects of airborne pollen.
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Menzies Institute for Medical Research is thrilled to be working with Entertainment again in 2020 BUT there is one small change… Entertainment is now 100 per cent digital.
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Then on your smartphone download the Entertainment App, login and start saving. Remember 20 per cent of the sale price is donated to Menzies to support our ongoing research.
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Menzies Bulletin Autumn 2020
Multiple Sclerosis
MS course best in world The Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS) free online course was developed by the Menzies Institute in collaboration with MS Limited and the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre.
It was the most highly ranked course on Class Central, based on the average of the thousands of reviews made by users for courses released in 2019. MS has been a research focus at Menzies for more than 20 years and is now a key priority with the establishment of the MS Research Flagship Program. Understanding MS is designed
for people living with MS, their carers and support networks, and healthcare providers as well as anyone with an interest in learning about the disease. Information on risks, symptom management, interventions and lived experiences are given through a series of videos presented by academics, nurses and allied health
Understanding MS was the most highly ranked course on Class Central.
Another boost for our MS Research Flagship Our MS Research Flagship has received another boost with two researchers receiving MS Research Australia fellowships.
Fellowships: From above left, Dr Julie Campbell and Dr Kalina Makowiecki.
Dr Julie Campbell and Dr Kalina Makowiecki have both been awarded Postdoctoral Fellowships of $180,000 for three years. MS has been a research focus at Menzies for more than 20 years and is now a key priority with the establishment of the MS Research Flagship Program, which was last year awarded $10 million in federal funding. These new fellowships highlight
the range of MS research conducted by the Flagship. Dr Campbell will be developing and testing health economics tools to help with the assessment of the financial and societal impact of MS
These new fellowships highlight the range of MS research conducted by the Flagship.
professionals, and importantly, people living with MS. An important function of the course is ensuring that knowledge shared about MS is evidence-based and up to date with current research.
For more information or to sign up go to: ms.mooc.utas.edu.au For more information about Class Central go to: classcentral.com/ report/best-free-online-courses-2019
and interventions that aim to improve quality of life or halt the disease. Dr Makowiecki is working on determining how losing nerve cell insulation in the brain causes memory problems in people living with the disease. Tasmania has the highest prevalence of MS in Australia and every increase in research funding means we can work towards improving the lives of people living with MS. These fellowships are part of $2.4 million in funding from MS Research Australia for grants commencing in January 2020.
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Haemochromatosis
Parliamentary Friends of Haemochromatosis Group launched Hereditary haemochromatosis is the most common genetic disorder among Caucasian populations. It is characterised by iron overload, which builds up in organs and as a result, can cause arthritis, type 2 diabetes, liver and heart disease. One in 200 carry the risk or mutation. Haemochromatosis is often not diagnosed, as the symptoms can be mistaken for other conditions.
To help raise awareness, a Parliamentary Friends of Haemochromatosis Group has been co-founded by Dr Katie Allen MP and Senator Catryna Bilyk. This group was launched on February 13, by the Federal Minister for Health, The Hon Greg Hunt MP and Federal Shadow Minister for Health, The Hon Chris Bowen MP. Dr Barbara de Graaff, Senior Research Fellow at Menzies, attended the event in her role as a board member of Haemochromatosis Australia.
Expert: Dr Barbara de Graaff researches hereditary haemochromatosis.
One in 200 carry the risk or mutation. Her work on the health economics of screening for haemochromatosis has been used to advocate for increased
Thank you to all of our donors for your ongoing financial support and commitment to Menzies The following individual and community supporters donated for the first time. Ms Gaye Barlow Mrs Dianne Bogus Ms Glenda Borghero Mrs Vianne S Brain Mrs Rae Campbell Dr Josephine M Castillo Ms Carole Edwards Energy Health Concepts Mr Stephen Flewin Mrs Colleen Franks Mr D & Mrs P Garlick Ms Louise A Gilfedder OAM Ms Sue Haimes Mrs Helen Hall
Ms Elizabeth Harnett Mrs M A Harrison Mrs Annette Hitchman Individual Property Inspections Mr Robin C Jackson and Ms Marilyn J Collis Mr Spencer Lowndes Masonic Masters Association 1998 Ms P McGuire Ms Sophie Morrow Dr C Roberts Ms Christa Rumsey
Sandy Bay Saturday Tennis Group Mr P & Mrs M Shelley Mr Christopher Small Mrs Christine Smith St Andrew Lewis Lodge Ms S C Steiner Mrs S & Mr R Taylor Ms Kate Turner Ms Valerie Wade Ms Cheryl Webster Mrs Dorothy Wiggins Naila Yaqoob
Mr Timothy Albion Ms Juliet Allen Ms Anita Allie Ms Kylie Anderson Mrs T Archer & Mr A Archer Mrs Jennifer & Mr Lionel Banks Ms Jess Bannister Mr Callan Barber Ms Janet Beadle Mr Tobi Beard Mrs Pamela Blunt Mr P Bonusiak & Mrs B Robinson Mr Paul Boucher Ms Jessica Bradley Ms Kathleen Brient Ms Beverley Brown Mrs Jane Burrell &
Mr Lloyd Sokvitne Ms Katrina Calder Ms Jill M Cassidy Dr Susan R Cherry Mrs Emma & Mr Timothy Claridge Mrs Anita & Mr Michael Clarkson Mr Peter Cochrane & Ms Miranda Harman Mr A M Cornish AO Mr R & Mrs G Cotgrove Mr Craig Coventry Ms Moya T Deigan Ms Carolyn Dunnewijk Mrs Patricia & Mr Donald Edwards Mr Josh & Mrs Felicity Ey Mrs Elaine &
Mr Dennis Fairfield Dr Derek & Mrs Elizabeth Findlay Mr Simon Fleischmann Mr Peter Fountain Mrs Beverley Geard Mr Don W Goff Mrs Judy & Mr Trevor Grant Mrs Brenda Haas Mrs Susan Haigh Mr Philip Hand Ms Paula Harvey Ms Judith Hastie Mrs Shirley & Mr Frederick Heath Ms Judy Hebblethwaite Ms Alison Hennessy Mrs Susan L Hinds Mr B & Mrs J Hortle
Mr John W Hudson Ms Shelley Hunter Ms Carol Hurst Ms Marni Hyland Mr Andrew & Mrs Anne Inglis Mr Darrin Irvine Mr Gary & Mrs Susan Jacobson Mrs Wendy Jefferies Mr Raymond & Ms Dianne Jones Ms Tracey Jordan Mrs Margaret K Keogh Ms Margaret Knight Ms Sabina Lane Mrs Terry & Mr Ian Law Ms Anne & Mr Anthony Le Clerc Mr Mark Ley Ms Rebecca C Lipscombe Mrs Jane & Mr Nicholas Lovibond Mr David T MacLeod Mrs Marie Magill Mrs Betty M Marshall Mr Dugald McDougall Mr Marcus McEwan Mrs Helen McKibben Mrs Frances Joan McKinlay Ms Kate McQuaid Mrs Philippa Micklem Dr Kenneth & Mrs Yvonne Milton Mr Sam Mollard Ms Wendy Noye Mrs A & Mr T Nutting Mrs Astrid A O’Toole
access to genetic screening. As a result, she has been invited to the University of Exeter as a visiting fellow to work with Prof David Melzer’s team on UK Biobank data to investigate the case for haemochromatosis screening in the UK.
Mrs Sally Oakley Ms Indigo Parer Mrs Jennifer A Parsons Miss Alison Parsons Mr Kim Paterson Mrs Glenda Paton Mr Andrew J Pitt Mr Nathan & Mrs Christabel Porter Mrs Pamela Rabbidge Ms Jillian Reade Mr Alan & Mrs Jancis Rees Mrs Margaret & Mr Brian Richardson Ms Hannah Richardson Mrs Jill & Mr Eric Robinson Mrs Frances M Russon Mrs Susan Sluce Ms Chianti Spaulding Mr Richard Sperring Mr Alex Stanelos Ms Skye Stowe Miss Amber C Sturges Ms Carmel Taylor Mrs Cynthia Tennant Ms Karen Twynam-Perkins Mrs Rosemary Van den Berk Mr Walter & Mrs Robin Verth Mrs Anne Warren Ms Caroline Wells Mr John & Mrs Kathlyn Wheatley Mrs Kathryn Whitchurch Ms Barbara White Mr P & Mrs F Wigger Ms Mandy J Williams Ms Janice Wilson Mrs Elizabeth Woolley
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Stroke prevention
Stroke prevention gains $5 million boost In one of Menzies’ most successful funding rounds, a $5 million National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Synergy Grant was awarded to cardiovascular epidemiologist Associate Professor Seana Gall and her team late last year.
Funding: Cardiovascular epidemiologist Associate Professor Seana Gall.
The project was one of a pool of Menzies projects to receive just over $8 million in total in the NHMRC’s latest funding round. The research aims to improve the prediction of those at risk of stroke, identify new interventions to prevent stroke and establish a ground-breaking nationwide surveillance system for stroke. “By 2050 the number of strokes per year will double to 130,000 in Australia,” Associate Professor Gall said. “The research will bring together a diverse and interdisciplinary team of stroke experts from across Australia to comprehensively focus on the challenges of stopping stroke in its tracks.” Other project participants include researchers from Auckland University of
Everyday Angels
This research has the potential to impact major health issues globally and improve the lives of many Australians.
Technology, Monash University, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute Limited and University of Western Australia. Menzies Director Distinguished Professor Alison Venn congratulated the recipients in what was a very competitive grant round.
is a fantastic boost to our research efforts at Menzies and recognises our strength across the spectrum of laboratory, clinical and population health sciences,” she said. “This research has the potential to impact major health issues globally and improve the lives of many Australians.”
“The award of this highly competitive research funding
Are you passionate about the research being undertaken at Menzies? Becoming an Everyday Angel and making a monthly donation to support our research allows Menzies to plan for the future, offering research funds and scholarships to our best and brightest to solve the health challenges of today and tomorrow. “Menzies works to promote and resolve health issues for Tasmanians. It is nice to think
researchers are focussed on issues affecting my local community, family and friends. Together we can all make a difference.” – Josh and Felicity Ey, Everyday Angels
To learn more about our Everyday Angels monthly giving program, or to register, please contact Jane Richards on 03 6226 7707 or email Jane.Richards@utas.edu.au
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research highlights
Researcher profile
Dr Kalina Makowiecki Post-doctoral Research Fellow
You have joined the Menzies staff recently ... What were you doing before this? I was researching how brains are able to regulate plasticity – the brain’s ability to change connections between nerve cells, which is needed for learning – at the Department of Systems Neuroscience,
University of Goettingen, Germany. What is the current focus of your research? I’m looking at a possible cause for cognitive and memory symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), specifically whether
losing the insulating substance around nerve cells (called myelin) changes how nerve cells in the brain connect together and
I get to ask hard questions … and discover what’s really going on. That’s really exciting to me. form circuits. What are some of the recent findings from your work? From my work in Germany, only some
specific types of plasticity are regulated by a protein called PSD-95, which is found where nerve cells connect together. What is the biggest challenge in your area of research? Being new to MS research, there’s a lot of new and interesting things to learn while I become more familiar with the field. Fortunately, the MS experts I work with and the broader network of MS researchers provides a supportive
environment. What is the most interesting aspect of your work? I get to ask hard questions, go through the rigorous process to answer them and discover what’s really going on. That’s really exciting to me. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I only moved to Hobart in January, so recently I’ve been enjoying exploring Hobart and Tasmania – doing all the “tourist” activities.
Run the Bridge draws big crowd It was a beautiful sunny morning for the 2020 Hobart Run the Bridge on Sunday, February 23. A massive crowd of participants competed with almost 4200 lining up for the 11th edition of the event.
Solid turnout: Almost 4200 people lined up for the 11th edition of Run the Bridge.
The Menzies 5km Walk had just over 500 adults and 160 children enter with a percentage of all the entrance fees going to support our research. More than $1000 was raised and a lot of fun was had by groups of families and friends. Thanks to everyone who participated and helped raise money.
The involvement of the Tasmanian community in Menzies’ research has been one of the hallmarks of the Institute’s success since its establishment in 1988. Scientists are researching specific illnesses with the help of study participants in dozens of projects. The careful design of research projects means that study participants often need to meet very specific criteria.
Be a part of our research
If you would like to know more about our studies recruiting participants go to: menzies.utas.edu.au/research/studies-seeking-community-participation
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More than flowers In Memoriam November 2019 to February 2020 One sentence in your Will can fund life-saving medical research. If you would like more information, please contact the Institute Advancement Manager on 03 6226 4236. Bequests save lives by funding research. Thank you.
We gratefully acknowledge gifts made from the following estates: Estate of the late Mark Edwin Addison Estate of the late Christopher Norman Horne
We gratefully acknowledge gifts made in honour of: Mr Colin M Campbell Mr Barry J Close Mr Leslie Ronald T Dunn Mrs Maisie J Elphinstone Mr Donald R Franks Mrs Alma Kemp Mr Alan Keogh Mr Graham Meikle Mr David Morrow Mr Joseph M Pardoe Mrs Patricia F Richardson Mr Roger S Steedman Ms Sandra Vanbeugh Mr David Wiggins