SoMS Newsletter - May 2005
Staff
Carolyn Cuello Leaving
Our hardworking and efficient OH & S Coordinator, Carolyn Cuello will be leaving us on Friday 16th May to join the NSW Rural Fire Service as their OH & S Officer. This will be a great loss to the School as she has put in place many OHS procedures and worked very hard on bringing the School up to a high standard on OHS issues. On behalf of all staff I would like to wish Carolyn all the very best in her new role.
Lifestyle Clinic Staff
Practicum Officer Joanna Kelly and Part-time Clinic Manager Chris Tzarimas joined the Health and Sports Science team during April.
Research
Paper of the Month
The Research Committee is very pleased to announce the Paper of the Month award for April. The award goes to a study by Paul Witting, Ben Wu, Mark Raftery, Peter Southwell-Keely and Roland Stocker entitled "Probucol protects against hypochlorite-induced endothelial dysfunction" published in the prestigious Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280, 15612-18. Well done to all the authors.
Citation Classic
The committee is also very pleased to announce our first Citation Classic for 2005. It goes to a paper by Nakagomi A, Freedman Ben S, and Geczy CL,"Interferon-gamma and lipopolysaccharide potentiate monocyte tissue factor induction by C-reactive protein - Relationship with age, sex and hormone replacement treatment", published in Circulation 101(15):1785-1791 in 2000. This is an outstanding journal (IF 11) so well done to all the authors and the IDRU group!
Grants and Awards
Prize Evening
All staff are welcome at the SOMS Prizes evening to be held in the Athol Lykke Theatre next Monday 16 May. The ceremony will begin at 5.15 pm and will be followed by refreshments.
Postgraduate Scholarships - The General Sir John Monash Awards
Annually, up to eight Awards will be awarded to outstanding Australians graduating from Australian Universities to enable them to study abroad at the world’s best Universities, appropriate to their field of study. Up to $150,000 can be awarded over a 3 year period. The awards are open to all Australian citizens in all fields of study at leading overseas universities in 2006.
Criteria for applying:
- Outstanding levels of academic excellence
- Demonstrated leadership qualities
- Altruism demonstrated through community service
Deadline: 31 August 2005
Website: www.monashawards.org
Cancer Institute NSW - Cancer Research Leaders Program
This program is designed to strengthen cancer research capacity by facilitating new academic posts and outstanding research teams at NSW universities, hospitals and/or other institutions. This program will be primarily directed to attracting outstanding research leaders from interstate and/or overseas, including their core team of researchers. The Cancer Institute NSW will work with appropriate applicant(s) to find and secure desired candidates. Support will be valued around $650,000 per annum, for up to a total of 5 years. Funds will be directed towards salaries and the research program. It is anticipated that the applicant institution(s) will provide additional considerable support to enable the successful establishment of the Research Leader and his/her team.
Internal Deadline: 20 May 2005
Website: http://www.cancerinstitute.org.au/
Pfizer Australia CardioVascular Lipid (CVL) Research Grants
Australian physicians and advanced trainees are invited to apply for support to undertake original clinical research in cardiovascular disease, stroke, lipid disorders and related areas. Projects of clinical relevance headed by graduates in other disciplines may also be considered. Grants will be in the order of $55,000 and are normally awarded for a period of one year.
Internal Deadline: 20 May 2005
Website: http://www.cvlgrants.com.au
National Breast Cancer Foundation Concept Awards
The sponsor funds research that will advance knowledge in all aspects of breast cancer. In an effort to support new ideas and fertilise the development of innovative, potentially beneficial but possibly high-risk avenues of investigation, the sponsor is now offering Concept Awards. These awards will provide investigators with the opportunity to pursue serendipitous observations and/or explore new, untested ideas relevant to breast cancer. It is anticipated that research completed through a Concept Award may provide sufficient preliminary data to enable the investigator to prepare a hypothesis-based proposal for future research. Funding for up to 4 Concept Awards worth up to $75,000 p.a. for up to 2 years will be supported.
Internal Deadline: 23 May 2005
Website: http://www.nbcf.org.au/page.asp?category_id=3&page_id=41
Museum
The Museum of Human Disease and Hall of Health is now located on the Ground Floor in the Samuels Building. You might have been excused for thinking that something like a nuclear warhead was in transit from 5th floor Wallace Wurth Building to the Samuels Building over the last two weeks! Such was the care that was taken by T.E.D. Fine Art Services (thanks to Fraser and Ben) in the movement of our Museum specimens to their new home. Everyone will be pleased to hear that there were no incidents and the operation proceeded so well that it is being suggested as a benchmark for others undertaking similar activities.
Thanks also to Bob Wilcox and the Day Gang for their work with Carolyn and Jenny to get the other major items and boxes over to Samuels on Saturday 30th April amid other competing demands on their time. Apart from piles of boxes, all specimens are in place on shelves but labels remain to be allocated and exhibitions re-installed. The Museum will be accessible to medical students from Monday 23rd May when we expect that order will be more fully restored. The old Museum in Wallace Wurth will continue hosting house tutorials until 20th May. Classes in the Athol Lykke Theatre and Lab 502 will continue as normal. The contribution of staff from RMU, EMU, UNSW Security, Facilities and Zone 1 is very much appreciated.
OHS
Safety Cards
Safety cards outlining evacuation procedures are now available and will be distributed throughout the School. Please provide to all staff, students, visitors and contractors as part of your local area induction. In addition, pocket guides on PPE, Labels and MSDS, Hazardous Substances and Hazard & Risk Management Cycle, also useful for your inductions, can be obtained from your local OHS committee member.
SoMS OHS website
Newly added safety information is available on the SoMS OHS website (http://somsohs.med.unsw.edu.au). Please bookmark and keep as a ready reference for Risk Management Unit (RMU) and Emergency Management Unit (EMU) training details, local and UNSW policies and guidelines as well as links to other useful resources. A range of OHS resources including WorkCover publications will be located in the meeting room near my office for borrowing.
New Deputy SECO
Tim Greenwood has agreed to take on the role of Deputy SECO (Sector Emergency Control Officer) for the Wallace Wurth building and assist the EMU in the updating of the School's Emergency Response Team. Please refer EMU training related queries to Tim and all OHS queries to myself or your local OHS committee member for their attention.
Renovations
Work is progressing on schedule for the 5th floor and we are hoping for a completion date around the first week of July. There has been some work which has impacted on Laboratories on the 4th floor and we appreciate the time people have taken to move items within their labs to allow the builders to lay down plastic covering and carry out work in the ceiling. Work will commence on the 4th floor in July. We are also holding discussions at the moment about plans to renovate the Dissecting Room on the 1st floor. This project is in its infancy and when we have details regarding the scope of work we will make a further announcement.