Menzies Bulletin, Winter 2016

Menzies Bulletin Winter 2016 1

BulletinWINTER 2016

Thanks to you, a new Community Fellowship

the community behind me providing surety of funding for the next three years as I work toward building a successful research team

focused on understanding and improving outcomes for people with neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury. Thank you.”

Determined: Dr Catherine Blizzard’s research focus is on neurodegenerative diseases.

Four hundred primary school children will undertake voluntary tests in the coming months to determine whether iodine levels in the Tasmanian population are adequate.

The Menzies researcher leading the survey, Dr Kristen Hynes, said the testing would be done through home urine collection kits distributed to students whose parents have given consent. She said results from the survey, called the Tasmanian Urinary Iodine Survey of School Children 2016,

would provide important information on the current iodine status of the general Tasmanian population. “We need to ensure that the population is not at risk of becoming deficient in

iodine as has happened in the past,” Dr Hynes said.

Iodine is an essential nutrient needed for the normal development of the brain and nervous system. Sources of iodine include dairy milk, bread baked with iodised salt and seafood.

The survey is part of the broader Tasmanian Iodine Monitoring Program led by the Department of Health and Human Services with guidance from the Tasmanian Thyroid Advisory Committee.

Time to check iodine

She is passionate about nurturing the next generation of medical researchers

Associate Professor Tracey Dickson published exciting research that identified for the first time the primary site in the nervous system for the development of motor neurone disease.

Dr Blizzard has two PhD students and one Honours student in her research team. She is passionate about nurturing the next generation of medical researchers and health professionals and co-supervises a further four PhD students.

Dr Blizzard completed her PhD with the University of Tasmania. She has held prestigious research fellowships from the Motor Neurone Disease Research Institute of Australia and Alzheimer’s Australia.

Her message for you: “It is a great opportunity to have

One year ago we asked you to support our Community Fellowship Appeal. Thanks to an incredible response of more than $70,000, we are able to announce that Dr Catherine Blizzard is the inaugural Menzies Institute for Medical Research Community Fellow.

Dr Blizzard’s research focus is on neurodegenerative diseases such as motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and fronto-temporal dementia and the money raised will go towards her salary. She is focused on determining the mechanisms underlying the role of proteins in nerve-cell death, a critical first step toward improving outcomes for people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.

In 2015, Dr Blizzard and

Sandwiches for lunch ... Grade Four children at Montagu Bay Primary School in Hobart will be among those participating in the 2016 iodine survey.

#85

2 Menzies Bulletin Winter 2016

Maintaining our talented research staff against international competition is critical to our success at Menzies.

One of our goals for 2016 is to continue to recruit and retain the best researchers. From early career to senior level, across all five research themes. So in 2016 we are committed to establishing a second Menzies Community Fellowship, valued at $125,000 per year for three years.

HELP US SECURE THE PEOPLE WHO WILL SECURE OUR FUTURE

Director’s message

Do you know someone affected by heart disease, cancer, dementia or arthritis? What about mental illness or Parkinson’s disease? It’s almost certain that you do, given how common these diseases are in the Tasmanian community.

Welcome to the Menzies Bulletin for Winter 2016.

Our focus is on the diseases with the biggest impact right here [in Tasmania]

$70,000 raised in last year’s Community Fellowship Appeal

Go to the Donate tab on our website

OR

Return the donation slip attached to this Bulletin

HOW TO DONATE

Last winter we also asked you to support a Menzies Community Fellowship, and, through your generosity, almost $70,000 was raised.

This enabled us to award the Menzies Institute for Medical Research Community Fellowship to Dr Catherine Blizzard, who is featured in this edition of the Bulletin.

The talent within our ranks will remain critical to our success, so please consider donating to our second Community Fellowship.

You can do this by clicking the Donate tab on our website (menzies.utas.edu.au) or by completing and returning the slip attached to this Bulletin, including ticking the appeal box.

In the past 25 years life expectancy in Tasmania has increased. There has been a substantial decline in deaths from coronary heart disease. Fewer secondary school students are smoking; alcohol consumption in pregnancy has halved.

The messages are not all grim. Medical research, supported by governments, corporations, philanthropists and individuals, has helped

to make these gains possible. We’re working hard to ensure they continue.

Our focus on the diseases with the most impact in Tasmania is reflected in our ‘Every Tasmanian’ campaign – you may have seen our TV commercial or online video at menzies.utas.edu.au – where we acknowledge the personal toll of these illnesses.

My thanks to those of you who came forward to participate in the TV commercial. This was another example of a great partnership at work.

Kind regards,

Professor Alison Venn

At Menzies our focus is on the diseases with the biggest impact right here.

We have included some statistics in this Bulletin that underline the importance of building the knowledge that will help with the prevention and treatment of these diseases.

But let’s not forget the flipside. Globally, great strides have been made in disease treatment and prevention in the past 100 years.

Research Week Student Showcase AUG 29 – SEPT 2, 2016

We will be holding our annual Student Showcase at the beginning of the University of Tasmania Research Week.

The 2016 Menzies Debate SEPT 7, 2016

Our annual debate is one of our most popular events. This year the debate will be held on the evening of September 7 at the Medical Science Precinct. Two expert teams will be discussing The stem cell revolution: more hype than hope?

Public events coming up

For further details keep an eye on our website menzies.utas.edu.au

Thank you again for your incredible support!


people with relapsing remitting MS are treated, with New Zealand, where fewer than 20 per cent are treated.

Another project, led by Dr Carlie Cullen, a post-

doctoral researcher at Menzies, will trial a safe non-invasive MS therapy called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

THE FACTSbehind our mission

In the past six months, with the help of our volunteers, we have produced a television commercial and a short video highlighting the fact that our research focuses on the diseases that affect every Tasmanian.

The most common diseases in Tasmania will come as no surprise – they are the diseases most prevalent across the developed world.

World-first research into whether drug treatments make any long-term difference for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of a host of research projects at the Menzies Institute thanks to new grants from MS Research Australia.

NEW MS RESEARCH

Does drug treatment make a difference?

The project leader, Professor Bruce Taylor, said although drug therapies have been effective in reducing disease relapses or attacks of MS, what is not known is whether these drugs alter the natural history of MS.

“We will be trying to find out whether those on treatment acquire less disability over the course of their disease than those who are untreated,” Professor Taylor said.

The project will compare disease outcomes in Australia, where over 95 per cent of

“Massaging the brain’s electrical activity can promote the replacement of the cells that insulate nerves as the disease progresses,” Dr Cullen said. “My research focuses on identifying the most effective patterns of stimulation to drive brain repair.”

Other funded projects include Dr Susan Dobson’s investigation into the risk factors for primary progressive MS, which accounts for about 10 per cent of MS cases, and Professor Heinrich Korner’s research on the role of genes involved in the vitamin D pathway, which are known to be linked to the risk of MS.

Here are some of the facts behind Tasmania’s biggest health challenges:

1 Cancer and cardiovascular disease are the two most common causes of death in Tasmania

6 More than one-third of Tasmanian adults are affected by arthritis or some other musculoskeletal condition, with the number rising to 1 in 2 among those 60 years and over

2 Cancer accounts for 28.3% of deaths in Tasmania

3 More than 1 in 7 Tasmanians are diagnosed with high blood pressure

5 Tasmania had 6,732 people with dementia in 2011 and, due to people living for longer and an ageing population, this number is projected to increase to 20,653 people by 2050

4 Tasmania has Australia’s highest incidence of multiple sclerosis

What is not known is whether these drugs alter the natural history of MS


brain, and how that packaging changes as neurons are born and reach maturity. We found that not only could the form of packaging explain the function of different genes, but that brain cells use different forms of packaging to control cell fate than those observed in early embryonic development.

What is the biggest challenge in your area of research? Right now, getting funding is the biggest challenge facing most scientists

in Australia. The proportion of funded grants has been on a downward trend for many years, and it’s now harder than ever to make a career in research.

What is the most interesting aspect of your work? Discovering how the brain is formed and how it functions. There’s such extraordinary complexity in our brains; it’s a privilege to be able to try to understand how they work.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Bushwalking and hiking, playing music and learning how to make wine. Tasmania is an excellent place for keeping you grounded in an occupation that can at times become obsessive.

life, whether through a neurodegenerative condition such as Alzheimer’s disease or via the normal ageing process. My research looks at how the genetic material inside nerve cells (“neurons”) is organised and packaged, and how changes to that organisation can affect the function of these neurons.

What are some of the recent findings from your work? We’ve been looking at how DNA is packaged in stem cells within the

Three Chinese PhD students from Menzies have each received a prestigious award from the Chinese Government for excellence in research.

Feng Pan, Jing Tian and Xia Wang received the 2015 Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad at a ceremony hosted by the Consulate-General of China in Melbourne in April.

The recognition of these three students by the Chinese Government is a tribute to their outstanding work. It also represents international recognition of the excellence of the research being

Young guns: Left to right, Xia Wang, Consul-General Yumin Song, Jing Tian and Feng Pan.

RESEARCHER PROFILE

Dr Owen Marshall

We’ve been looking at how DNA is packaged in stem cells within the brain

China recognises three Menzies students for excellence in research

You have recently arrived at Menzies, where have you come from? I’ve just returned to Australia after four years postdoctoral work at the University of Cambridge. Working in Cambridge, surrounded by so many great research groups in the UK and Europe, was an amazing and unforgettable experience.

What is the current focus of your research? I’m interested in understanding the changes that happen in the brain in later

The prestigious award is based on academic merit and the winners are selected by experts from China and the host country through a rigorous evaluation process.

spoke eloquently about the journey his PhD had taken him on. “By becoming interested and invested in your project and showing how dedicated you are, you will do well,” he said.

carried out at Menzies. The award honours outstanding academic accomplishments by Chinese students studying overseas across all academic disciplines. Established in 2003, the award is granted each year to no more than 500 students worldwide.

Feng Pan, a PhD student from the Musculoskeletal Health and Diseases research theme, under the supervision of Professor Graeme Jones, spoke on behalf of the award-winning students. He expressed gratitude to China for its support, to his supervisors for their guidance, and also to his family. Feng

From little things...Early and mid-career researchers at Menzies have the opportunity to apply for funds from the Institute and the University of Tasmania that will help with pilot projects. This year, the following projects will receive funds: How do rare genetic variants cause multiple sclerosis? – Dr Jac Charlesworth;

Understanding obesity trajectories from childhood into adulthood – Dr Verity Cleland;

The effect of krill oil on cartilage composition – Dr Laura Laslett;

An app platform for informed consent: making multimedia consent accessible – Dr Rebekah McWhirter.

AWARDS


A new research project at Menzies will use data collected from Tasmanian babies almost 30 years ago to investigate the role the early life environment plays in cardiovascular health later in life.

In 1988 and 1989, the Tasmanian Infant Health Survey collected data on about 10,000 babies and their mothers. This ground-breaking research showed a link between the sleeping position of babies and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Dr Seana Gall said the

HEART HEALTH

Looking back so we can look forward: clues from the first months of life

Would you prefer to receive our publications and invitations by email? If so, simply let us know by sending an email to [email protected]. Alternatively, to update postal details please tick the box on the tear-off slip attached to the Bulletin and return it to us. If you use the Reply Paid address at the bottom of the tear-off slip you won’t need a stamp.

Two different research projects at Menzies have shown that neither Vitamin D nor fish oil provides any help in reducing knee pain or slowing cartilage loss arising from osteoarthritis.

Symptomatic knee osteoarthritis happens in 10 per cent of men and 13 per cent of women aged 60 years or older. There is no treatment apart from symptomatic pain relief or joint replacement.

Evidence has shown that vitamin D deficiency plays an important role in the development of knee osteoarthritis. However, research led by Professor Changhai Ding found that correcting vitamin D deficiency through supplementation did not result in any significant improvement to cartilage volume or knee pain, compared with patients

who received a placebo. A second research project, led by Professor Graeme Jones, found a similar lack of benefit from fish oil. Fish oil has been previously shown to be effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis.

Menzies is now looking into the impact of krill oil on knee osteoarthritis. Krill oil is expected to be a more effective anti-inflammatory therapy and the study will target patients with fluid in the knee.

All three projects have received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Menzies is now looking into the impact of krill oil on knee osteoarthritis

ARTHRITIS

No quick fix for knees

We went on the road to Burnie, Launceston and Agfest in May to talk with the community about research under way in illnesses such as motor neurone disease, fronto-temporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Community interest in these research areas is always strong, and we saw this again with two wonderful audiences of about 90 people in both Burnie and Launceston.

We enjoyed meeting so many people at Agfest as

well, where we had our BioBus outside the University of Tasmania marquee. The BioBus is a mobile clinic that is based in Burnie. It visits towns all over Tasmania to collect data for the ASPREE healthy ageing study.

While in Burnie we were lucky enough to meet up with Ali MacRae. In March, Ali helped to organise the Kirk Dicker Challenge Crazy Craft Race at Boat Harbour Surf Lifesaving Club, where money raised went to motor neuron disease research at Menzies.

Spreading the word

Helping hand: Ali MacRae, right, with former Boat Harbour resident and now Menzies PhD student Emily Handley.

new study will draw on the same data to investigate how environmental factors during gestation and infancy predict cardiovascular health in adulthood. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Tasmania.

“We need to conduct studies that run over many years because the causes of heart disease are varied and complex,” Dr Gall said.

According to Dr Gall, a particular challenge will be to track down people who were in the original study.

“We’ve kept in touch with 500 or so over the years but

we’re now looking for more participants.”

Do you think you were the mother of a baby, or know you were one of the babies, who were part of the Tasmanian Infant Health Survey in 1988 and 1989?

If so, Menzies would love to hear from you.

Participants in the new study will be asked to attend our clinic for a range of standard tests that assess cardiovascular health.

Contact us on 6226 2710 or visit us on Facebook by searching for the Tasmanian Infant Health Study or visiting facebook.com/TIHS27years


The studies listed below are looking for participants now. Studies are carefully designed and therefore research participants need to meet specific criteria to be eligible. Check our website or contact the study coordinator if you are interested in finding out more.

Can you help?

Genetics of Eye DiseasesWe are seeking participants for genetic studies in a number of eye diseases: Diabetic Retinopathy (diabetic eye disease): Participants should have Type 2 Diabetes treated with medication for at least five years, or Type 1 Diabetes

Keratconus: Participants should have keratoconus diagnosed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist

Advanced Glaucoma: Participants should have any type of glaucoma with severe vision loss treated by an ophthalmologist

Contact: [email protected] or 6226 4731

AirRaterThis study is recruiting Tasmanians with asthma, hay

fever or other lung conditions, or carers of those with these conditions.Contact: 1800 322 102 or [email protected]

Using an activity monitor and smart device application to improve physical therapy after stroke – a pilot studyThis study is recruiting people in the Hobart region who have had a stroke in the past two years. We provide an activity monitor, tablet and internet connection for the duration of the study. Contact: [email protected] or Michele Callisaya 6226 4785 (Mon, Thur, Fri)

STAREE: STAtins in Reducing Events in the Elderly This community-based clinical

trial is investigating whether a cholesterol lowering medication known as a statin can prolong good health and maintain independence among people aged 70 years and older. Contact: [email protected]; Phone: 1800 770 664; www.staree.org.au

PPMS: Primary Progressive MS StudyUnderstanding risk factors for the onset and rate of progression of Primary Progressive MS.Contact: Susan Dobson 6226 4269 or [email protected] www.menzies.utas.edu.au/PPMS

AMSLS: The Australian MS Longitudinal StudyThis study is an ongoing research project designed to provide data of practical use for improving the lives of Australians living with MS.Contact: Kirsty Hawkes 6226 4739 or [email protected] www.msra.org.au/AMSLS

Thermo Cyclopad study This is a clinical study of two medical devices to treat knee pain. If you are aged 50 or more and have significant knee pain on most days we would love to hear from you.Contact: Kate Probert or Margie Green, 6226 7746 or 6226 7733, [email protected]

Caught-CAD: Reducing Risk of Coronary Artery Disease in FamiliesThis study is looking at prevention of Coronary Artery Disease in people who have a family history of this illness.You may qualify if you are: between 40-70 years of age have a close family member (parent, brother or sister) who has had a heart attack, stent or surgery under the age of 60, and

are not currently taking a statin drug.

Contact: Kristyn Whitmore 6226 4235 or [email protected]

PARTICIPATING IN OUR RESEARCH

Amanda SartoriAnn FlemingCarol WilsonDoug GroomElizabeth G. Thompson

Ethical Investment Services

G. BaileyGayna Weatherley

Graeme P. Lovett

Italian Australian Pensioners Welfare Association of Tas

Jillian DibiagioJulianne ElthamLiza Gaad

M. RoeNorth West People with Disabilities Inc

Northside Anglican Parish Ladies Guild

Richmond Golf Club Lady Members

Rotary Club of Launceston

Sam MorganStephen R. Nichols

Sue D. HickeyThe Order of the Amaranth

Tim AlbionTeisha ArcherJennifer B. BanksJan BarrenLarissa BartlettJanet BeadleKathleen B. BevisPamela K. BluntKathleen BrientJune E. ButlerSusan R. CherryEmma ClaridgeAnita ClarksonPeter CochraneNoela CopemanDon CornishRobert D. CotgroveBrendon DavidsonDiane DavisMoya T. DeiganMatty J. DoeringCarolyn DunnewijkPatricia M. EdwardsJosh and Felicity Ey

Derek FindlayPeter FountainBeverley J. GeardDon W. GoffGeoffrey GossJudy GrantGarth and Brenda Haas

Susan H. HaighPhilip C. HandTess Harvey-MountJudith HastieShirley HeathSusan L. HindsJohn W. HudsonCarol J. HurstSamantha J. Jackson

Gary and Susan Jacobson

Wendy R. JefferiesDianne R. JonesRaymond and Dianne Jones

Margaret K. KeoghMargaret KnightSabina LaneTerry and Ian LawAnne L. Le ClercJane LovibondDavid T MacLeodMarie L. MagillBetty MarshallIan McConnellyDugald G. McDougallMarcus McEwanHelen I. McKibbenFrances .J McKinlayPhilippa R. MicklemSam MollardPeter MorganWendy E. NoyeAstrid A. O’TooleSally OakleyAlison E. ParsonsJennifer A. ParsonsGlenda J. PatonAndrew J. Pitt

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR DONORS FOR YOUR ONGOING FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT TO MENZIES

Listed below are individual and community supporters who donated for the first time in February, March, April and early May.

Listed below are our Everyday Angels – our supporters who make regular gifts to Menzies.

Cleone M. ProbertPamela RabbidgeJune T. ScottSusan SluceGwynneth SperringRichard SperringAlex StanelosAmber C. SturgesCarmel D. TaylorCynthia J. TennantVictor M. ThreaderRosemary Van den BerkWalter and Robin VerthAnne L. WarrenPeter WeldonJohn and Kathlyn Wheatley

Kathryn WhitchurchBarbara WhitePatricia A. WilliamsJanice WilsonHypertronics Tasmania

I would like to make a one-off donation of $

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Note: All donations over $2 are tax-deductible

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Or, please debit my Visa MasterCard

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Please do not publish my name in the ‘Valued Supporters’ section of Menzies’ next Bulletin

Please send me information on remembering Menzies in my Will

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Yes, I would like to help the Menzies Institute for Medical Research.

Thank you for your support.Please post to Menzies Institute for Medical Research University of Tasmania Reply Paid 77465 Hobart TAS 7000

In Memoriam February 2016 to May 12, 2016

More than flowers

We gratefully acknowledge gifts made in honour of:

Mr Alan V A’Church

Mr Kurt I. Davis

Mrs Josephine Denne

Mrs Elva J. Donovan

Mr Keith Eltham

Ms Barbary I. Fahey

Ms Charlotte Gergely

Mr Graeme T. Henderson

Ms Sylvia Herbert

Mr Edward D. Lawrence

Mrs Margaret Lehner

Mr Alfred K. Moldehn

Reverend Frank Morris

Mrs Patricia Porteus

Mrs Redpath

Mr Maxwell L. Scolyer

Ms Judith R. Sealy

Ms Fay Slatter

Mr John Sluce

Mrs Suzanna M. Smith

Mr Terry Taylor

Mr Clarence G. Temple-Smith

Mr Johann Tscheppera

Miss Lin Weidenhofer

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.

Documents

Menzies Bulletin, Winter 2016