Bulletin
#88 AUTUMN 2017
Researchers trial high-tech help for premature babies Breathing normally is often the biggest challenge facing premature babies, many of whom need respiratory support after birth. Research by Menzies, with other University of Tasmania colleagues and the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) is combining the fields of neonatology and biomedical engineering to break new ground, with a trial under way that uses robotics to accurately manage the flow of oxygen to premature babies. The task for the engineers includes varying the oxygen level in response to changes in the babies’ breathing. Menzies researcher and RHH neonatologist Professor Peter Dargaville and robotics expert Dr Tim Gale, from the University’s School of Engineering and ICT, have been
Stroke Research Thanks to you In 2016, we called for your support to our Summer Stroke Research Appeal. Your generosity raised $22,000 and will enable us to improve our understanding of the cause and prevention of stroke and to improve the quality of care provided in hospitals and at home. Thank you for your support!
Caring for premature babies: RHH Neonatologist Professor Peter Dargaville in the Royal Hobart Hospital neonatal intensive care unit. Photo: Peter Mathew
They are very vital humans right from the beginning, but have to overcome a big hurdle in relation to lung function. working together for 10 years and have seen numerous PhD, Masters and Honours students contribute to the research. The team has developed a new device that automatically controls the concentration of oxygen in the gas delivered to a baby’s lungs. The device, known as the inspired oxygen controller, has shown great promise in an initial clinical study in 2015, and a second, larger trial has just begun. With refinement, further validation and likely industry uptake, the oxygen controller has the potential to make a worldwide impact in neonatal clinical care. In March Professor Dargaville, Dr Gale and the CEO of Miracle Babies, Melinda Cruz, spoke at a Menzies Public Talk about
the research and the value of community participation in medical research. Professor Dargaville said that the team working from the RHH, a small neonatal unit with a relatively small number of babies, believes their work is on the verge of making a difference internationally. “Preterm babies are an incredible package of resilience and vulnerability. They are very vital humans right from the beginning, but have to overcome a big hurdle in relation to lung function,”
HOW TO DONATE
he said. This is an issue in every neonatal ward in Australia, but is even more acute in the developing world, where under‑resourced hospitals cannot keep up with the needs of such vulnerable infants. The research team is looking into the causes, consequences and solutions for preterm babies’ breathing difficulties. On the engineering side, one of the biggest difficulties is in automating a response to something in which the properties are constantly changing. “The challenge is to make the automation work safely. In the past this has been too hard, but we are now adapting the automation to what is happening with the baby at the time,” Dr Gale said. In 2015 the inspired oxygen controller was trialled on 20 babies for four hours. In 2017 the researchers will be trialling 60 periods of automated control, for 24 hours, in between 30 and 60 babies. If the trials continue to be successful it is highly likely the inspired oxygen controller will be commercialised and available to hospitals throughout the world.
To donate to our appeal for neonatal research, either go to the Donate tab at menzies.utas.edu.au, return the donation slip attached to this Bulletin or call 1800 638 124 or 03 6226 7700.
Menzies Bulletin Autumn 2017 1
Director’s message Welcome to the Autumn Bulletin for 2017. We have had some great success stories recently at Menzies, including the news that our work with collaborators is moving into a second trial of technology that will help premature babies to breathe.
In 2016 Menzies researchers published 296 papers, the highest number ever
Other work published recently includes a string of papers looking at better blood pressure management (including something different: the significance of pet ownership in elderly people with hypertension). Our cancer genetics group has helped to identify three more rare genetic variants that may be important in prostate cancer. There have also been two papers that further our
Support from the RHH Research Foundation
DR LIESEL FITZGERALD Investigation of chromosomal loss and gain at 7p21 in a Tasmanian hereditary prostate cancer family – $23,186
Our thanks to the Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation for its ongoing support of medical research in Tasmania and in particular for these grants that have recently been awarded to Menzies researchers:
Upcoming events Public talks in Burnie and Launceston BURNIE – MAY 3, 6-7PM Burnie Arts and Function Centre LAUNCESTON – MAY 4, 6-7PM Tailrace Centre, Riverside
Come along to one of our annual public talks in Burnie and Launceston. Our Director, Professor Alison Venn, will be speaking about the work being done at Menzies and
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Menzies Bulletin Autumn 2017
understanding of multiple sclerosis – one from a clinical perspective looking at the mechanisms involved in the progression of MS and another, from a population perspective, looking at the associations between body fat and blood lipids with the disease’s progression. We have also published the good news that immunotherapy can cure Tasmanian devils of facial tumour disease. These papers are just a fraction of
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ALEX HEWITT Investigating the utility of retinal base-editing – $25,000 PROFESSOR GRAEME JONES Clinical and metabolic factors and imaging abnormalities in chronic plantar heel pain – $23,000
our recent output. We have recently published our 2016 Research Highlights brochure. In 2016 Menzies researchers published 296 papers, the highest number ever and an increase of 7 per cent on the previous year. Publication of our research findings ensures our work is subjected to rigorous independent peer review and is communicated to an international audience. We know that we have your support in this work and look forward to seeing you again, or for the first time, at our various events this year. Regards,
Professor Alison Venn Director
DR BENNY EATHAKKATTU ANTONY Does vitamin D supplementation have a long-term effect on inflammatory markers in knee osteoarthritis patients – $10,000 DR YUAN ZHOU Identifying novel genetic loci associated with an increased relapse rate and disability progression in multiple sclerosis – $10,000
For further details go to our website menzies.utas.edu.au
in particular about her own research on the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health and her investigation into weight-loss surgery in Tasmania. This year’s public talks will also feature Dr Fay Johnston speaking about her research into the impact of air quality on our health and the development of a smartphone app that is assisting people
with asthma and hay fever. RSVP – Ph 6226 7700 or via our homepage www.menzies.utas.edu.au
Come and talk to us about our research, and meet some of our PhD students. Save the Date SEPTEMBER 14
Come and visit us at Agfest! MAY 4-6
Agfest is on May 4-6 at Quercus Park, Carrick. We will be in there in the University of Tasmania tent on 4th Avenue.
The annual Menzies debate will be at 6pm on September 14 this year, and the theme will be all about heart disease. Stay tuned for more information.
Devil in the detail for Menzies team An international study led by Menzies and involving multiple institutions over six years has culminated in one of the most significant findings so far in the quest to save the Tasmanian devil. Scientists now know that immunotherapy can cure Tasmanian devils of the deadly devil facial tumour disease (DFTD).
Professor Greg Woods, the leader of the DFTD team at Menzies, said scientists used immunotherapy on devils with golf-ball sized tumours and then observed the tumours gradually shrinking and disappearing over three months. “This is almost a Eureka moment for us because it’s the first time we can say for sure that it was the immunotherapy that was making the tumour shrink,” Professor Woods said. Building a good understanding of the devil’s immune system, which goes hand-in-hand with the development of a vaccine, involves years of painstaking laboratory work. The process is incremental, but with each step scientists are closing in on the disease. Professor Woods said the latest work underlined that the devil’s immune system is its best ally against DFTD.
“This is an important step along the way to developing a vaccine to protect against DFTD and potentially for immunotherapy to cure devils of established DFTD,” he said. Dr Cesar Tovar is the lead author on the latest paper. He said the results were very encouraging as they confirmed that it was possible to trigger the devil’s immune system to recognise and destroy established DFTD tumours.
Building an understanding of the devil’s immune system involves years of work.
“Our research shows that a DFTD vaccine is feasible. We are focusing our efforts on developing strategies to improve the devils’ response to immunisation,” Dr Tovar said. The research was published in Scientific Reports. It was funded by the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the WellcomeTrust, with additional support from the University of Tasmania Foundation through funds raised by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal.
Immunotherapy: The Menzies team has been working on a cure for devil facial tumour disease.
Professor Woods said the support of the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal (www.tassiedevil.com.au) was critical for ongoing work. Apart from Menzies and the University of Tasmania’s School of Medicine, other institutions who contributed were the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, CSL Ltd, and the Universities of Sydney, Southampton, Southern Denmark and Cambridge.
Heart to heart There is something new and interesting in our foyer, with the Colloquy of Hearts installation now in place.
This creation of the Unconscious Collective is a multimedia artwork which uses live participant heart pulse data to encourage a conversation about and between hearts. Innovative furniture, sound design and sensor technology combine to create an immersive experience in which participants become aware of and respond to their own and others’ heartbeats in real time. All you need to do is sit and listen. www.colloquyofhearts.com
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RESEARCHER PROFILE
Dr Matteo Senesi NEUROSCIENTIST
You have arrived at Menzies relatively recently ... What were you doing before this? I completed my PhD in Neurological Infectious Diseases at the University of Melbourne after a Masters Degree in Experimental Psychology from the
University of Florence in Italy. What is the current focus of your research? In our lab we investigate how neuron insulation is important for the proper function of the brain and how we can use disease models such as multiple sclerosis to mimic what
happens to the brain when the insulation is damaged. What are some of the recent findings from your work? The use of a common therapy such as transcranial magnetic stimulation could improve the survival of the cells responsible for insulating neurons and ameliorate symptoms in patients affected by multiple sclerosis. What is the biggest challenge in your area of research? Despite great steps forward, lab models of neurological diseases are only
partially reproducing what really happens in the human brain due to the incredible complexity of it. And funding, but that’s rhetoric.
Lab models are only partially reproducing what really happens in the human brain. What is the most interesting aspect of your work? Understanding how to link basic biology like a protein expression of a neuronal spike to complex cognitive
behaviour like speech or memory. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Spending the majority of my time at work sitting at my desk or at my bench made me realise how physical activity is important for a good mental health: mens sana in corpore sano. Between all the sports I practise, running is my first choice because it can be done at any time: just put on your shoes and go. I am also a keen gamer and I volunteer in several LGBTIQ organisations in Hobart.
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR DONORS FOR YOUR ONGOING FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT TO MENZIES Listed below are individual and community supporters who donated for the first time between November 2016-March 2017. Barbara Adams D M Adkins Neil Anderson Jenny Bakun Neville Barrow Susan Blackburn F Bloomfield J P Boer Lizelle Boros Claire Bourgeois Mary Buchanan Owen F Carington-Smith Jill Carington-Smith Niamh Chapman Christmas Lights Display Anthea Christoe Adrian Chung Fiona J Clark Elizabeth Clemons Sheila Clifton Penny J Clive Kitty Courtney M J Crawford Mary I Curtis Amber de Wit Craig Delahunty W G Dornauf Dunedin Garden Party F.T. Oldham Electrical Pty Ltd R C Foon Nigel Glanville Patricia Glasser Margaret Gleeson Alison Graham M Gray Melanie Greenwood
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Susan J Haimes Mill Hall Marlene Hanlon Beth Harnett Shirley Healy Anne Holyman Phillip Hutch Jemma Hutchins Peter Jackson Sarah Jeffreys Georgie Johnson J M Jolley Richard Jones Essie Kruckemeyer Ben Langridge Edward Laughlin Maree Lawes Peta Lawrie Jen Lowe Barbara Lypka Karen M Mackrell Denise Mallam Owen Marshall John McConnon Nick McGann Glenys McKay Penny J McKillop Judy McMaster M G Murray Susan J Musgrave Robyn O’Keefe Paech Management Pty. Ltd Anoushka Rae Marion J Ramsay Dawn Ranshey Heather Reeve William J Reynolds Margaret J Richardson
Menzies Bulletin Autumn 2017
Kaye Robson Roches Beach Living Residents Committee Rotary Club of Moonah Peter Routley Denise Rowlands Anastasia J Salter Matteo Senesi Margaret Shaw David H Small Stewart Smith Brenda Sonners Southern Range Sports Sturt Stagg Wendy Steele Patricia Sturgeon Tasmanian Association of State Superannuants Inc Janet Taylor C J Terry C Tracey Vantage Community Group Inc. Volunteers of Calvary Hospital K R Wadley Tim Walpole Joan Ward Daniel Wardrop Helen Waugh Wellbeing Club 13 Inc Michele Wynne J M Youl
Listed below are our Everyday Angels – our supporters who make regular gifts to Menzies. Mr Tim Albion Mrs Teisha Archer Mrs Jennifer & Mr Lionel Banks Mrs Jan Barren Mrs Larissa Bartlett Ms Janet Beadle Mrs Kathleen Bevis Mrs Pamela Blunt Ms Kathleen Brient Mrs J Burrell & Mr L Sokvitne Dr Susan R Cherry Mr Tim & Mrs Emma Claridge Mrs Anita Clarkson Mr Peter Cochrane Mr A M Cornish AO Mr Robert D M Cotgrove Mr Jonothan & Mrs Diane Davis Ms Moya T Deigan Ms Carolyn Dunnewijk Mrs Patricia M Edwards Mr Josh & Mrs Felicity Ey Dr Derek Findlay Mr Peter Fountain Mrs Beverley Geard Mr Don & Mrs Margaret Goff Mr G & Mrs J Goss Mrs Judy Grant Mr Garth & Mrs Brenda Haas Mrs Susan Haigh Mr Philip Hand Ms Tess Harvey-Mount Ms Judith Hastie Mrs Shirley Heath
Ms Alison Hennessy Mrs Susan L Hinds Ms Di Hodel Mr John W Hudson Ms Shelley Hunter Ms Carol Hurst Hypertronics Tasmania Mrs Samantha J Jackson Mr Gary & Mrs Susan Jacobson Mrs Wendy Jefferies Mr Raymond & Ms Dianne Jones Mrs Margaret & Mr Alan Keogh Ms Margaret Knight Ms Sabina Lane Mrs Terry & Mr Ian Law Ms Anne L Le Clerc Mrs Jane Lovibond Mr David T MacLeod Mrs Marie Magill Mrs Betty M Marshall Mr Ian McConnelly Mr Dugald McDougall Mr Marcus McEwan Mrs Helen McKibben Mrs Frances Joan McKinlay Ms Kate McQuaid Mrs Philippa Micklem Mr Sam Mollard Mr Peter Morgan Ms Wendy Noye Mrs Astrid A O’Toole Mrs Sally Oakley Miss Alison Parsons Mrs Jennifer A Parsons Mr Kim Paterson
Mrs Glenda Paton Mr Andrew J Pitt Mrs Cleone M Probert Mrs Pamela Rabbidge Ms Christina Reardon Mrs Jancis & Mr Alan Rees Mr Eric & Mrs Jill Robinson Mrs Frances M Russon Mrs June Scott Mrs Susan Sluce Mr Lloyd O Sokvitne Mr Richard & Mrs Gwynneth Sperring Mr Alex Stanelos Miss Amber C Sturges Ms Carmel Taylor Mrs Cynthia Tennant Mrs Brenda Triffitt Mrs Rosemary Van den Berk Mrs Mary Venn Mr Walter & Mrs Robin Verth Mrs Anne Warren Mr Peter Weldon Mr John & Mrs Kathlyn Wheatley Ms Kathryn Hill Ms Barbara White Ms Janice Wilson Mrs Elizabeth Woolley
TEN OF THE BEST AWARDS
Vitamin D finding wins Menzies award A journal publication which found that Vitamin D supplementation did not have a beneficial impact on pain or structural progression in knee osteoarthritis was named the best Menzies journal article for 2016.
Clockwise from top left to right Clinical Category, Laboratory Category and the Population Health Category. Below right Tim Albion with the Menzies Director, Professor Alison Venn.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE AWARD WINNERS! Clinical Category
Menzies holds its ‘Ten of the Best’ awards each year to recognise outstanding research achievement, evidenced by the novelty of the findings, the contribution to advancing the field, and/ or the likely research translation to practice or policy. The winning paper was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and involved a team of Menzies researchers led jointly by Professor Graeme Jones and Dr Xingzhong Jin. The study, conducted over two years, was by far the largest and most rigorous randomised trial so far into the effect of Vitamin D on knee osteoarthritis. Further research is being undertaken to test the efficacy of Vitamin D over longer periods of time.
Professor Graeme Jones and Dr Xingzhong Jin
Nine other papers were also recognised in the Ten of the Best awards. A Professional Staff Award is also given to recognise an outstanding contribution from a non-academic staff member.
Tomoko Negishi for research that found a more reliable marker of heart function than the conventional marker, and established that the new technique could be applied routinely in clinical practice. Quan Huynh for developing a risk score to help target high-risk heart failure patients for intensive management to reduce hospital re-admissions. Yuan Zhou for work that links two of the major causes of multiple sclerosis – the immune response to Epstein Barr Virus infection and genetic risk.
Population Health Category Feitong Wu for research looking at the association between physical activity, sedentary time and musculoskeletal outcomes in middle-aged women. Seana Gall for research showing the importance of a healthy lifestyle for
good mental health and the importance of poor mental health as a predictor of unhealthy lifestyles. Lei Si for health economics research evaluating the costeffectiveness of screening for and treatment of osteoporosis in Chinese postmenopausal women. This paper is a cornerstone work that will shortly begin to adapt the model to the Australian setting.
Laboratory Category Emma Cazaly for work that streamlined methodology to pre-process familial data being used in work to better understand genetic and epigenetic predisposition to complex diseases such as cancer. Andy Flies for research that demonstrated that immune checkpoints molecules that exist in humans are also present in Tasmanian devils. Emily Handley for research that provided a convincing
new insight into why the motor system fails in motor neurone disease.
Professional Staff Award Tim Albion, the Institute’s Senior Database Administrator and IT Systems Designer, won the Menzies Professional Staff Award for 2017. Tim has worked at Menzies since 2000 and has been involved in database development for a large number of research projects. The accuracy and security of database records is extremely important in Menzies’ population health research and clinical trials.
BEQUESTS
A gift beyond a lifetime
Keep up with our news
Peter Mathew
By writing a Will and including a bequest to Menzies you are making a gift beyond a lifetime and securing medical research and better health for future generations. A bequest is the most powerful way you can help alleviate the serious impact of disease on our community. Gifts can include a specific sum of money, a percentage of an estate
or assets (for example, real estate or shares). Advising us of your intent to make a gift to Menzies in your Will greatly assists us in planning for the future. It also provides us with an opportunity to discuss with you the area of research you would like to support and to thank you in person. If you would like to find out more about leaving a gift in your Will please contact our Institute Advancement Manager, Magdalena Lane, on 03 6226 4236 or Magdalena.Lane@ utas.edu.au. You can also use the
Dr Don Hempton has made a pledge to Menzies in his Will.
tear‑off slip (attached to this Bulletin) to request more information regarding bequest planning.
Would you like to keep up to date with the latest Menzies news? Find us on Facebook and ‘Like’ our page. Most recently, we have been featuring videos highlighting the work of women in the institute in celebration of International Women’s Day 2017. You can also find us on LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter (@researchMenzies).
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Stepping out for research Walking brings out a smile, as you can see by the happy people participating in the inaugural Menzies 5km Walk, which was held on February 19 as part of Hobart Run The Bridge. Thank you to everyone who joined in! We had more than 500 walkers, and a percentage of every race entry fee went to research at Menzies.
RESEARCH NEWS
The case for haemochromatosis screening Recent Menzies research led by Dr Barbara de Graaff has found that population screening for the iron overload disorder haemochromatosis would most likely be cost‑effective, providing improved health and quality of life outcomes for people with the condition. The current approach to diagnosis of haemochromatosis in Australia identifies only 3 per cent of people with the genetic mutation, but the screening strategies evaluated in the research were estimated to identify about 40 per cent
of people with the genetic mutation. Haemochromatosis is not part of our everyday vocabulary, yet it’s one of the most common genetic disorders among people of European descent and if left untreated its health impacts are debilitating. When a person has haemochromatosis, excess iron is stored in the liver, heart and pancreas. It can lead to arthritis, fatigue, Type 2 diabetes, impotence, liver disease and heart disease. It is caused by an inherited gene mutation.
Many people with the condition don’t know they have it – the early symptoms are fairly common and are therefore easily attributed to other causes.
Many people with the condition don’t know they have it – the early symptoms are fairly common and are therefore easily attributed to other causes. As a result, many people are not diagnosed until irreversible organ damage has occurred. The president of Haemochromatosis Austalia, Di Prince, noted that many people have expressed their frustration at the length of time taken before reaching a diagnosis of Hereditary Haemochromatosis (HH). Simple blood tests detect HH and yet diagnosis is often not achieved until a person is feeling very unwell. Early diagnosis and treatment means that people can live their lives without health problems related to iron overload.
Support Menzies by ordering your 2017/2018 Entertainment™ our researchers and to purchase Membership now! The Entertainment™ book is available in both hard copy and digital format, making it easy to access and always have at your fingertips. Twenty per cent of every membership sold contributes to our fundraising efforts. All money raised will be used to support
much-needed medical research equipment. Help us achieve our goal by telling your friends and family. Your contribution is greatly appreciated. The books are available for collection from Menzies from May 5.
You can order your Entertainment book online at entertainmentbook.com. au/orderbooks/24036s2 or by phoning 6226 7700 or emailing MSP.Reception@utas.edu.au
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Menzies Bulletin Autumn 2017
Yes, I would like to help the Menzies Institute for Medical Research. I would like to make a one-off donation of $ I would like to have monthly donations of $ deducted from my credit card I would like to donate to the most recent appeal I would like to update my contact details Note: All donations over $2 are tax-deductible Please accept my donation/s in the form of Cash Cheque/Money Order (Payable to the Menzies Institute for Medical Research) Or, please debit my
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More than flowers In Memoriam November 2016 to March 30 2017
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 in honour of: Mr Desmond Badcock Ms Joan M Bender Mr Cozzie Blyth Mr Kevin H Bond Ms Wilma Briers Mr Lancelot A Brown Mrs Helan Carlshausen Mrs Rebekah E Colrain-Itchins Mr David L Cooper Miss Matty J Doering Mr David R Dufty Mr Brian L Easton Mr Bobby G Horton Mr Leo Kusnezow Mr Stephen J Langridge Mrs Brenda Lee Ms Margaret A Maddock Mr Douglas McKillop Ms Dorit H O’Donnell Mrs Jo Payne Ms Barbara J Pettit Mrs Raylene F Rooney Mr Brian F Sansom Mr Tony Saunders Mr Maurice B Sparks Mr John E Tansey Mrs Edith W Temple-Smith Mr Dimitrios Theodoropoulos Mr Ashley F Woods