The ‘Nature’s 10’ list, published in December, also includes climate activist Greta Thunberg and American physicist John Martinis, who last October led the first demonstration of a quantum computer that could outperform a conventional computer.

Professor Rogers – who also received NHMRC’s Ethics Award last March – was recognised by Nature for her ground-breaking investigation into the unethical use of human organs in research, which has so far led to more than two dozen retractions of research publications from China. Medscape nominated Professor Rogers as one of their physicians of the year for the same work – the only Australian (and the only woman) to appear on the list.

Professor Rogers says she is deeply honoured to receive the recognition from Nature.

“It’s very encouraging to see a journal of their stature engage with the threat to scientific integrity caused by publishing unethical research,” she says. “Their attention helps to promote the work of seeking retraction of the 445 papers that have been published using organs taken from executed Chinese prisoners. The research into the unethical papers was performed by an unfunded team of Macquarie staff including Dr Robyn Clay-Williams and Dr Brette Blakely, as well as community volunteers, and would not have been possible without their efforts.”

Thanks to the ongoing work of Professor Rogers and her team, journals worldwide are beginning to strengthen their reporting requirements to ensure that research papers involving transplants using organs from executed prisoners are not published.

This week, we take a look at the staff from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Research

Professor Roger Chung
The Jim Piper Award for Excellence in Research Leadership

Professor Chung explains that his proudest career research achievement has been his relocation to Macquarie University as part of the establishment of the Macquarie University Centre for MND Research in 2013. Roger had previously led a 10-year research program at UTAS that had reached its natural endpoint, with his discovery of a potential nerve-regeneration molecule that was patented and licensed to a biotech company for commercial development (for nerve regeneration and Alzheimer’s disease).

“In considering a new research direction to embark upon, I was attracted towards research into Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and the exciting opportunity presented by the growing health and medicine enterprise at Macquarie University,” he says.

Roger’s current research program takes a multidisciplinary approach to unravelling the molecular origins of MND and uses this knowledge towards the pre-clinical development of new therapeutic strategies. He is currently the Professor of Neurobiology and Neurochemistry, leads a research group of 19 members, and since 2014 has held the position of Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty.

 Dr Bingyang Shi
Macquarie University Early Career Researcher of the Year (STEMM)

Dr Shi is an NHMRC-ARC Dementia research development fellow. He is leading a Brain Drug Delivery research group (one Macquarie Research Fellow, two junior postdocs and three PhD students) as principal supervisor to develop advanced brain drug delivery systems to promote more effective brain disease therapy with reduced side-effects by overcoming biological barriers that limit the delivery of drug agents and therapeutic gene products into the brain.

“Drug therapies remain a key solution for fighting human disease,” Bingyang explains. “The complexity of targeted drug delivery, which entails traversing a number of biological challenges – such as keeping drugs stable in blood, preferentially targeting sick cells and crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier – requires both scientific and technical issues to be resolved before the full potential of effective therapy is realised. Therefore, smart/functional drug carriers are highly desired to help drugs cross tough biological barriers.”

During Bingyang’s research career, he has established a new toolbox of advanced brain delivery systems for targeted drug and gene delivery for various brain diseases including brain cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and Motor Neurone Disease, and assessed their pre-clinical therapeutic potential.

“These results have led to 52 peer-reviewed journal articles in top tier journals – including Nature Nanotech and Adv. Materials – as well as two book chapters,” he says.

“My recognised standing in the field is demonstrated by the substantial growth in publications, citations and conference invitations over the last five years, with over 1400 citations with an h-index of 18, and more than 20 invited conference talks.”

Ms Stephanie Rayner
Excellence in Higher Degree Research (STEMM)

In 2015, Ms Rayner was involved in the first study that linked mutations in the gene CCNF with Motor Neuron Disease. The gene, CCNF, encodes for a protein known as cyclin F which plays an important role in healthy cell function as it helps to send old proteins for degradation. These proteins are known as ‘substrates’ of cyclin F.

“At the time, only a handful of cyclin F substrates were known,” Stephanie explains. “Many of these had roles in cell division or has been involved in cancer. This makes cyclin F a key regulator of the cell cycle. Thus, a major component of my research has been to understand the role cyclin F plays in neurons, and how a single gene mutation may lead to a devastating neurodegenerative disease.”

Stephanie explains that her research has involved multi-disciplinary collaboration between clinicians, geneticists, cell biologists and proteomics experts like herself.

“Within this team, I have been involved in understanding the link between cyclin F mutations and neurodegeneration, primarily using a series of biochemical assays as well as proteomic workflows.”

Learning and Teaching

Dr Joel Fuller
Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Student Nominated Award

Dr Fuller believes that optimal learning occurs when students feel inspired to learn, but also safe, supported and respected throughout the process.

“This philosophy underpins my teaching,” he says. “Future health professionals must understand and apply complex concepts, and these concepts can intimidate students if they are not presented in a clear and calm manner that scaffolds student learning, whilst allowing them to feel comfortable exploring the inherent challenges involved in grasping these concepts.”

An example of this occurs when teaching PHTY802 as students are presented with material on complex pain neurophysiology.

“This can overwhelm students,” Joel explains. “So, I facilitate a warm, comfortable environment where we explore content as a group, allow time for content to be absorbed and facilitate deeper learning through enquiry and questioning.”

Ms Alexandra Bhatti
Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Student Nominated Award
Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Early Career Award

Ms Bhatti says teaching her students is incredibly rewarding and she is passionate about building those connections. As an early-career teaching fellow in the Macquarie Master of Public Health (MPH), Alexandra has the privilege of working with one of the most diverse student cohorts in our university.

“Designing and delivering learning experiences that caters to significant student diversity in literacy, education, culture and work backgrounds is a challenge I enthusiastically embrace,” she says. “Cementing student engagement early in our program is imperative for motivating and setting up students for continued engagement. As such, I focus on ensuring that students’ early experiences with the course are appealing, captivating and inspiring.”

Over the past three and a half years as the unit convenor of two core units within the MPH, Alexandra has developed and prepared entirely new curricula that provides engaging, inspiring and transformative learning experiences for all of her students. These experiences foster student development and build employability skills from early in the program, with tasks that are work-integrated and authentic.

Professor Catherine Dean
Vice-Chancellor’s Educational Leader Award

Educational leadership has been a central focus for Professor Dean since commencing with the University as a key appointment in the expansion of health and medicine. Catherine adopts a ‘servant leadership’ philosophy, embodying her personal commitment to lifelong learning and reflective practice as well as her ambition to develop and empower others to ensure optimisation of transformative educational opportunities.

“My work is underpinned by strength-based actions that align with the values of the University and MQ Health,” she explains. “My scholarly interest in health professional education is underpinned by my belief that one of the most effective ways to transform healthcare is through the education of future health professionals – more than the latest evidence-based knowledge and stellar technical skill – but education which is lifelong and puts people and care at the centre.”

Catherine’s leadership in curriculum design, development, implementation and enhancement is exemplified by the establishment of the first Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) course in NSW, along with the accompanying establishment of the Department of Health Professions, and an outstanding team of academic and professional staff.

“The DPT embodies the University’s vision for a ‘Connected Learning Community’.  I secured over $1.3 million from Health Workforce Australia to develop an innovative sustainable clinical component which included design of the Health and Wellbeing Collaboration – enabling early experiences with volunteers.”

Celebrate with your colleagues

Don’t forget to register your attendance for the event today!

The Academic Staff Awards will be held on Monday 18 November from 3pm to 5.30pm in the Graduation Hall (14 Sir Christopher Ondaatje Avenue).

Eight discipline areas have been divided into research fields, and for each field a leading researcher and institution is named. 

Thirteen Macquarie researchers have been honoured as Field Leaders, while Macquarie University is credited as the Leading Institution across five research fields. Read the complete list below.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Sakkie Pretorius also contributed to the magazine and demonstrated Macquarie’s real-world impact from seeking cures for devastating diseases to developing heat-resistant crops.

“There should always be a hunger and an aspiration to do more and do better, to push the boundaries and look for new frontiers, and that is what collaboration offers to a university such as Macquarie that embraces those ideals,” he says.

Read the full article on The Australian website, or read it on The Lighthouse here.

Social Sciences

Field Geography and Cartography
Field leader Richard Howitt

Field Early Childhood Education
Field leader Rauno Parrila

Field Special Education
Leading institution Macquarie University

Engineering and Computer Sciences

Field Computer Networks and Wireless Communication
Field leader Stephen Hanly

Field Medical Informatics
Field leader Johanna Westbrook

Field Microelectronics and Electronic Packaging
Field leader Karu Esselle

Physics and Mathematics

Field Electromagnetism
Field leader Karu Esselle

Health and Medical Sciences

Field Bioethics
Field leader Wendy Rogers

Field Child and Adolescent Psychology
Field leader Liz Pellicano

Field Otolaryngology
Field leader Richard Harvey
Lead institution Macquarie University

Field Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Field leader Karen Vickery
Lead institution Macquarie University

Humanities, Arts and Literature

Field Ethnic and Cultural Studies
Field leader Amanda Wise

Field Foreign Language Learning
Lead institution Macquarie University

Field Philosophy
Field leader Neil Levy

Life Sciences and Earth Sciences

Field Animal Behaviour and Ethology
Lead institution Macquarie University

Field Geochemistry and Mineralogy
Field leader William Griffin

Highlights

Australia’s Active Volcanoes: When Will The Next Eruption Be?
Dennis Johnson Library, Stanhope Garden
8 August, 7.30 – 8.30pm

The last volcanic eruptions in mainland Australia took place around 4,500-5,000 years ago – are we overdue for an eruption?

Associate Professor Heather Handley explores Australia’s rich volcanic history and addresses how likely a future eruption is, what the warning signals might look like and how much time we will have to prepare should we detect signs of activity.

The Science of Hoarding
Metcalfe Auditorium, State Library of NSW
8 August, 11am – 12pm

Australians spend over $10.5 billion annually on goods and services that are never or rarely used. Five per cent of the population hang onto these unused items with such tenacity that their homes become dangerously cluttered.

Join Associate Professor Melissa Norberg to learn why we are motivated to acquire and save possessions we do not need.

Are smart phones making us dumb?
Barry O’Keefe Library, Mosman
12 August, 7pm – 8pm

Professor Mark Williams explores the idea: are smart phones making us dumb? Discover how our use of digital devices may be affecting our brains and therefore the reality we ‘see’.

From Reef to Harbour: The Hidden Wonder of NSW Corals
Sydney Institute of Marine Science – Building 19
10 August, 6 – 8pm

Explore the underwater wonders of the coral reefs up and down the NSW coast with leading researchers at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science.

As you walk along the Chowder Bay foreshore, be virtually transported along the NSW coast from the Solitary Islands near Coffs Harbour, out to Lord Howe Island, down to Sydney Harbour, and along the South Coast through videos, interactive displays, coral samples and replicas and artwork. Then join in discussions with researchers including Professor Jane Williamson about the management of these precious marine resources.

The Other Side of Cannabis
Creator Space Chatswood Library
7 August, 7pm – 8pm

Increasingly, cannabis is viewed as much more than a recreational drug. Join Michael Udoh, a molecular pharmacology PhD candidate, to discover another side of cannabis. Find out medicinal purposes for cannabis and how its chemicals might affect areas of the body to combat chronic health conditions like epilepsy.

More Macquarie academics at National Science Week

ABC Science Live on Stage – Ockham’s Razor
Dr Kate Selway
Sheila Pham

Unlocking the Cosmos with Light
Nuria Lorente
Simon O’Toole
Tayyaba Zafar
Angel R. Lopez-Sanchez

Aquatic Systems: A Look Under the Microscope
Giulia Filippini

Shells – How beach ecosystems respond to the environment
Matt Kerr

“Is bigger always better?”
Professor Richard de Grijs

Exploring medical brain research
Dr Lindsay Parker

Citizen Science – science needs you!
Dr Koa Webster

Young people and e-cigarettes
Dr Samia Amin

Synthetic Cannabinoids: new psychoactive substances
Shivani Sachdev

Green building for the sea
Kate Dodds

Indigenous science experience – family fun day
Joanne Jamie

He is an integral part of the learning design team working to develop and deliver workshops, courseware, interactions, learning objects and different pedagogical approaches to address the faculty’s learning and teaching requirements. Matt is also navigating parenthood after becoming a new dad only a few weeks ago.

(1) In a nutshell, my job is to…
Support all aspects of learning and teaching within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science.

(2) The question I hear most often in my work is…
It’s broken, Matt how do I fix… ? or Matt, you’re a techo, how can I… ?

(3) The thing I find most rewarding in my role is…
Working with colleagues to plan, develop and implement some new learning and teaching content, technology, project or in-class activity. Then seeing it delivered to students and observing how it creates a meaningful learning experience. Or better yet, I get to witness that ‘buzz’ in the classroom when students engage with it.

(4) This year I want to…
Spend some quality time with my newborn daughter Violet.

(5) The bravest thing I’ve done is…
Don’t know if you would class it as bravery or stupidity. I’ve sky dived, gone paragliding, canyoning in the Swiss Alps, shark dived, motorcycled on some dodgy roads and… witnessed childbirth.

(6) My mother/father always told me…
Turn off that computer / Gameboy / Super Nintendo / PlayStation and get outside! I was very much a little gamer kid growing up. Not much has changed actually… now my wife tells me instead.

(7) I’m scared of…
Losing my creativity and designers eye! I’ve studied graphic design, multimedia and digital development but I don’t get to use those skills so much in my current role.

 (8) My hidden talent is…
Finding the back of a soccer net with a header! Horrible with shooting the ball on a run but a ball mid-air in the box… I’m in with a chance.

(9) Something I’ve never done but wanted to try is…
Going a day without a coffee. Can it be done really? I just don’t know…

(10) A moment I’ll always remember is…
The moment I became a Dad. It was only a few weeks ago but it was something I will not forget.

With a background in molecular medicine, including gene therapy, as well as orthopaedic surgical sciences, including biomechanics – Dr Raniga has a proven track record in cutting edge research with numerous publications in international peer reviewed journals. He is involved in developing and implementing a world class centre of excellence in shoulder and elbow research, that not only produces science that influences surgical practice, but also trains the academic surgeons of tomorrow.

(1) In a nutshell, my job is to…
Provide the highest standard of evidence-based management and surgical treatment of complex shoulder and elbow problems with compassion and empathy. I am the co-founder and Director of the MQ Health Translational Shoulder Research Program – building Asia-Pacific’s first six-degree-of-freedom, eight muscle actuated cadaveric shoulder simulator to allow world class biomechanical studies to improve patient outcomes through basic surgical science research.

(2) The question I hear most often in my work is…
What can I do with my shoulder?

(3) The thing I find most rewarding in my role is…
Consulting – it’s truly a privilege to have the opportunity to help people for a living.

(4) This year I want to…
Help develop our MQ Health Shoulder and Elbow Clinic to become one of the leading subspecialty orthopaedic clinics in Sydney. Achieve the primary objectives of our External Research Grant including building the prototype cadaveric shoulder simulator within our unique world class shoulder biomechanics lab.

(5) The bravest thing I’ve done
There have been quite a few situations in my career to date where my actions along with my colleague’s probably saved lives. I just did what had to be done.

(6) A place that’s special to me is…
Switzerland – my year as a Fellow in Bern University Hospital had a profound impact on my career. It’s not the worst place in the world either!

(7) My mother/father always told me…
To have lots of patience, perseverance and prayers … and that an extraordinary life requires mastering the science of achievement and the art of fulfilment.

(8) I’m scared of…
FEAR – Forget Everything and Run Vs Face Everything and Rise – I prefer the latter.

(9) My hidden talent is…
Cricket – it’s been hiding since medical school.

(10) A moment I’ll always remember is…
There are a few: The birth of my daughter; meeting Mohammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, and Sachin Tendulkar; passing my FRACS Part II exam in orthopaedics; and winning the Charles Neer Award from the American Shoulder and Elbow Society.

This week, we meet Clinical Trials Coordinator in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Luke Garcia.

1) In a nutshell, my job is to…
Facilitate and coordinate clinical research by adhering to study protocols for a variety of clinical trials. I support doctors in the management of patient care and liaise between oncologist, patient and study sponsor.

2) The thing I find most rewarding in my role is…
Hearing that a patient is responding well to a new treatment.

3) My mother/father always told me…
To treat others how you would like to be treated.

4) The bravest thing I’ve done is…
Skiing black runs at Heavenly Resort in Lake Tahoe.

5) A place that’s special to me is…
The Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens.

6) A moment I’ll always remember is…
Sailing on the Nile while looking at ancient ruins in Egypt.

7) Something I’ve never done but wanted to try is…
Travel alone overseas.

8) I’m scared of…
Spiders.

9) My guilty pleasure is…
Binging TV shows in one sitting. 

10) This year I want to…
Read more books.

There can be challenges in being a student, like balancing your study load with part-time or casual work and other commitments. But for some students, that balance can sometimes be impossibly hard to achieve.

Take, for example, our University’s Medicine and Health Sciences’ students. They undertake intensive clinical placements that may require additional travel or expense, contributing to financial stress. But imagine adding disadvantage, a background of under-privilege or unforeseen family hardships to that scenario – and the stress can be overwhelming for those students trying to complete their studies.

The MQ Health Student Support Fund serves to reduce these stresses for students in need – for example, students like Petra, pictured with her son Sawyer, who undertook a Doctor of Physiotherapy while parenting two children, one with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

Petra says she has “always wanted to make a difference”, but when her son Sawyer was diagnosed and her goal became to help him walk, she was inspired to take action and retrain as a physiotherapist.

However, the new direction and additional study meant there were times when Petra says she could have dropped out. “Being supported by the University to complete her studies helped,” says Professor Patrick McNeil, Executive Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

“For students like Petra and others, support from our University community can facilitate travel and accommodation costs for intensive clinical placements, and can help provide essential IT and study equipment, or a range of other support options,” adds Professor McNeil.

“Having clinical placement sites close to home was very important to me,” says Petra. “I would not have been able to complete placements that required long commutes away from Sawyer.”

If you are in a position to help, consider donating to the MQ Health Student Support Fund. Donations towards this fund will directly reduce the financial pressure that some students experience and ensure that they complete their studies.

Originally published in the Daily Telegraph, Professor Anand Deva tells us about new regulations protecting vulnerable patients.

“After years of pleading with the authorities about the dangers of an unregulated cosmetic medical industry, finally, some welcome news from the Council of Australian Government Health Ministers recent meeting in Canberra.

Led by NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, who has witnessed first hand the suffering and death of a patient at the hands of a “fly-in doctor” from China, there was unanimous agreement that the term ‘cosmetic surgeon’ needs to be better regulated for the sake of protecting vulnerable patients.

The cosmetic medical industry is one of the fastest growing in medicine, fuelled by a rapacious demand which is in turn fuelled by a heady mix of media, celebrity, reality television and more recently, social media.

The increasing need for recognition and attention perhaps reflects that we are becoming more narcissistic as a society but that is a whole different debate.

I have written before about the consequences of rising demand matched with medical entrepreneurs and why this is dangerous when you add desperate patients who seek ‘affordable’ treatments with those that seek to increase profit margins by disregarding standards of safety and quality in health.

With this background in mind, let us examine more closely the rise of the ‘cosmetic surgeon’ in recent years and why our health ministers have now deemed that this term is potentially misleading and dangerous.

Surgery is a profession that is rooted deep in history.

In the middle ages, surgery was actually performed by barbers who assisted monks who were prevented by the bible from spilling blood.

It was not unusual to have a barber cut your hair and also drain an infection or remove a skin tumour.

In the 1500s, Henry VII in England formed the Guild of Surgeons who split from the barbers, as procedures became more complex and required formal training.

In the 1800s, in response to a growing number of charlatans and quacks, the physicians, surgeons and apothecaries (later to become chemists) approached the government in England to introduce formal medical registration.

Parallel to this was the growth of medical schools that provided the framework for training and apprenticeship so that candidates could apply to be registered backed by a recognised degree indicating a minimum standard of skill and knowledge.

The process of ensuring that an individual has the necessary skills to perform procedures on the general public is thus a mixture of recognised medical training, selection into surgical apprenticeship and a final certification by a recognised training body as a specialist surgeon.

This infrastructure is duplicated in each country around the world and remains the gold standard in protecting the public by ensuring those that carry the title of ‘surgeon’ have successfully come through several checkpoints and are safe to practice.

In Australia, the Royal Australian College of Surgeons oversees and certifies trainees in all aspects of surgical practice. Once a doctor is successful and receives a fellowship of the RACS, they are then eligible to apply to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to be listed as a specialist surgeon.

The specialisation of surgical practice goes further to subcategorise surgical expertise into various branches eg orthopedic surgery, ear nose and throat surgery, neurosurgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Fellows of the RACS in the main, stick with their area of expertise so you won’t find a cardiothoracic surgeon starting a practice in neurosurgery, for example.

I went through this process myself and it took a fun but gruelling eight years after a basic medical school degree gaining a competitive spot in the training scheme and then being certified by my peers through examination and performing procedures under supervision by my mentors to finally earn my right to practice as a surgeon in Australia.

I now actively train and mentor candidates in order to pass on my skills and experience to the next generation of surgeons — constantly seeking to uphold and improve the highest standards of practice. I do think that most of society would therefore equate the term surgeon with this level of expertise.

The term ‘cosmetic surgeon’ and the practice of ‘cosmetic surgery’ are still not recognised by AHPRA as a specific specialised area of surgery. Herein lies the problem. There is, unfortunately, no guaranteed link to a degree of scrutiny, training and certification and yet, the term is trying to cloak itself with the perception of a high degree of expertise.

To go further, we have seen this title now increasingly used by doctors who have clearly no specialised training and/or certification to perform invasive procedures on patients but who are willing to bend the rules to further their own commercial gains.

This has ended badly for an increasing number of patients who now are seeking redress through the courts and who are facing difficult multistage reconstructive surgery at a considerable emotional and financial cost.

It’s actually a cost that we all, as Australians, will bear, as our tax dollars ultimately will be spent to treat patients in both the public and private sector.

My practice in Sydney is now spent in the main, performing reparative surgery to many women who have fallen victim to these circumstances. It is hard work, but I feel compelled to provide help (often at little or no out of pocket cost), as it is part of my remit of being a caring doctor.

What then is the way forward? I applaud the decision by our health ministers and custodians of our great healthcare engine in Australia to push for tightening of the usage ‘cosmetic surgeon’. I would go one step further to propose a ban of the term altogether.

In this area of medicine where there is a dangerous mix of commercialism with professionalism, the best way to protect patients is to ensure that quality, safety, standards of care and transparency with respect to risks and benefits are placed ahead of the needs of the business.

The best doctors always put the needs of the patient ahead of all else — it’s really quite simple.”

Dr Verity Pacey

Finalist: Award for Teaching Excellence

Dr Verity Pacey is an international clinical expert and research leader in the physiotherapy management of individuals with rare and complex disorders. As an early career academic, she has developed and delivered unique and innovative curriculum, including leading the programmatic design of the paediatric physiotherapy curriculum, within the Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) program in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Her teaching utilises a transformative learning approach to challenge students to extend their clinical reasoning skills and alter their clinical practice to provide a more holistic approach to individuals with rare and complex disorders.

Verity’s influence as an educator reaches beyond Macquarie University. Her invited presentations at leading international multidisciplinary conferences, and participation in international physiotherapy management consensus groups for rare disorders, inform health professionals and educators world-wide.

“Recognition for teaching is just as important as recognition for research,” Verity said.

“Our physiotherapy students are the graduates of tomorrow and the future of our profession. Physiotherapy is undergoing a great deal of change in Australia at present, not moving away from our traditional roles, but embracing new roles in more holistic management of individuals with complex conditions.

“Challenging students’ thinking to apply foundational skills to new and emerging areas is exciting and so rewarding to see our students shift their thinking, reflect on their previous experience in clinical placements and think more broadly about their role as a physiotherapist.”

Dr Kate Scrivener

Finalist: Vice-Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning 

Dr Kate Scrivener’s expertise lies in creating an authentic learning environment that integrates evidence and professional experiences to enhance future physiotherapists management of individuals with complex neurological conditions.

“It’s fantastic to be nominated for the Vice-Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning,” she said.

“As a passionate physiotherapist and educator, I pride myself on creating authentic learning environments to enhance future physiotherapists’ management of individuals with complex neurological conditions.

“Physiotherapy students are typically young and healthy and it is hard for them to imagine the impact of stroke and other neurological conditions. Through my teaching practices and by developing high-quality resources, I try to bridge that gap and provide an insight into real-world practice.”

Professor Gilles Guillemin and Dr Edwin Lim

Finalist: Five Future-Shaping Research Priorities

As a team, Professor Gilles Guillemin and Dr Edwin Lim have identified the first blood biomarker for the prognosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) – a debilitating disorder of the central nervous system, which affects around 23,000 Australians and 2.3 million people worldwide.

The biomarker is a world first and an Australian discovery that will be a game changer for the identification and assessment of treatment choice for MS. For someone suffering from MS, quick access to specialised treatment has the potential to slow the disease and limit damage to their brain and spinal cord. However, the treatment can only be tailored to the patient once the particular type of MS has been identified.

At present, MS prognosis requires months and sometimes years of expensive tests to determine which of the three sub-types of MS the patient has. The work and research translation undertaken by their team has resulted in an MS Biomarker testing assay which will enable a fast and accurate diagnosis of the MS sub-type affecting the patient.

This, in turn, will mean treatments for MS can be tailored to the needs of patients at a much earlier stage than is currently possible. It will allow clinicians to use a simple blood test to rapidly determine which of the three types of MS a patient has with 85-91 per cent accuracy and to immediately adapt and apply the treatment for the patient.

It will alleviate years of guesswork in terms of the sub-type of MS a patient has, circumventing the need for repeated, expensive testing via MRI scans and long questionnaires – no doubt leading to better patient outcomes.

“Being nominated for this award is a great acknowledgment of our work and our team here at Macquarie University,” Edwin said.

“We will continue to build on our successes which hopefully will have a real impact on improving quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. This work also has great potential for biomarker applications in other neurological disorders such as motor neuron disease and Alzheimer’s disease.”

Don’t forget to register for the awards ceremony to be held on Wednesday 1 November.