SoMS Newsletter - March 2005
Staff
New Staff - Physiology and Pharmacology
New faces in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology this session include Dr Shaun Sandow and Dr Patrick Burgon who have both joined our ranks as Senior Lecturer.
VC Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Dr Andrew Herries will be joining the School in May as one of 8 Vice Chancellor’s Post Doctoral Research Fellows appointed in 2005. He will be working alongside Dr Darren Curnoe in the Biological Anthropology Laboratory for the duration of his 3 year appointment. Dr Herries joins us from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences where he has been working on a European Community Heritage Project.
Promotions
The following staff were promoted to Lecturer: Dr Amanda Boyce; Dr Katharina Gaus; Dr Ranjna Kapoor; Dr Trevor Lewis.
Staff Changes - Pathology
In the Department of Pathology, Dr Jeff Post has been offered an exciting opportunity by NSW Health and has therefore reduced his involvement from a 0.4 to a 0.2 fractional appointment. Dr Sophia Champion has recently commenced a 0.2 fractional appointment for 2005.
Research
Paper of the Month
The Research Committee is very pleased to announce two awards for Paper of the Month for December and January. The award for December goes to ER Lumbers, AC Boyce, G Joulianos, V Kumarasamy, E Barner, JL Segar, and JH Burrell for their paper on “Effects of cortisol on cardiac myocytes and on expression of cardiac genes in fetal sheep” published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, (December 2, 2004).
The winning paper for January is by Maria Hassiotis, George Paxinos and Ken WS Ashwell for their study on “Cyto- and Chemoarchitecture of the Cerebral Cortex of an Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus). II. Laminar Organization and Synaptic Density”, published in The Journal of Comparative Neurology, (January 31, 2005).
Grants and Awards
2005 NHMRC Equipment Grants
Competitive internal applications are being called for 2005 NHMRC Equipment Grants. UNSW has been allocated a block grant of $563,945, calculated by allocating funds pro rata to the NHMRC health and medical research grants held by UNSW in 2004. Applications will be considered by a University committee, which will include current holders of NHMRC grants.
Deadline: 31 March 2005
Website: http://www.ro.unsw.edu.au/arcnhmrc/2006/NHMRCequipmentgrants2005.rtf
Contact: Jeffrey Saynor, 9385 7236
Prime Minister’s Science Prizes 2005
The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) is seeking nominations for the 2005 Prime Minister's Prizes for Science, Australia's most prestigious science awards. The Prizes are awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to science and who are currently active in research.
Deadline: 8 April 2005
Website: https://sciencegrants.dest.gov.au/SciencePrize/Pages/Home.aspx
UNSW Faculty Research Grants
Congratulations to 16 SOMS staff who have been awarded UNSW Faculty Research grants for 2005. 9 of the 16 grant recipients were also successful in their applications for a UNSW Early Career Researcher Award for 2004. The School was very well represented by in this round of internal funding, winning 25 out of 58 awards made in both categories throughout the Faculty of Medicine.
Museum
The Hall of Health and Museum of Human Disease Annual Report for 2004 is now available on the SOMS website.
OHS
Orientation Packs
Supervisors should ensure that all new staff and students receive their orientation packs. The pack includes updated OHS information including a 2-page safety summary and the new staff/student details form containing OHS training and policy reminders.
Security
Security continues to be discussed in OHS meetings with exit checklists and key allocation forms tabled recently for committee consideration. A meeting with the UNSW Security Manager will highlight current issues and building Security in general.
Blue Coat Policy
The School's Blue Coat policy has been revised to try and simplify safe work procedures in and out of the laboratory. The policy is available on the School OHS website under Policies, Guidelines and Procedures. Please read and post in your immediate areas and note the restrictions outlined in point 2.
Safety Equipment
Lab managers and supervisors should also ensure areas are suitably equipped. Please take advantage of School-purchased eyewear, respirators, spill kits and other items mentioned in School-wide emails forwarded throughout the year. This will aid in minimising follow-up when satisfying requirements covered in the checklists to be used in up and coming inspections throughout all labs, teaching areas and offices.
Email Alerts
School-wide email alerts continue to be sent reminding all staff and students about up and coming training, the School OHS website, Security alerts, policies etc. Please read these emails as they contain relevant information for either yourself or those who work in your area.
A reminder to forward any OHS related issues to OHS committee members or Carolyn Cuello for comment and consideration.
Renovations Update
Thank you to everyone for their patience and assistance during the renovations on the 1st floor of Wallace Wurth. The builder commissioned worked swiftly and has completed the work on schedule. Phase II of the Wallace Wurth refurbishments, Level 5/4, is about to go to tender with a commencement date of 28 March 2005. The first round of work will start on Level 5 at the South end with the demolition of the current office suites. All academic and research staff from the 5th floor will be moving soon and will be accommodated throughout the building. Again thank you to staff within SOMS who have taken the homeless in! The Museum of Human Disease and Hall of Health will be relocated to the Samuels Building during mid to late April and work will finish on the 5th floor by the end of June. The builder will then start the 4th floor renovations and is due to complete all works by the end of August. If you would like to know more about the renovations, or would like a copy of the drawings, please contact Jenny McLoughlin on 53469.
Histology Laboratory
Due to renovations, the Histology lab will be closed until the first week in April. Routine work including tissue processing, paraffin and cryo sectioning, routine H&E staining will continue in lab G14, special stains will be limited. For slide dewaxing & dehydration & coverslipping access to G14 will need to be organised with Maria Sarris or Gavin McKenzie. Also, all jobs will need to be booked in with either Maria or Gavin.