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Dean's Newsletter - February/March 2009

Australia Day Honours
Warmest congratulations also to another member of our Medical School:

Dr Susan Rutkowski AM - For service to medicine in the area of spinal cord rehabilitation as a clinician, mentor and researcher, and through contributions to advocacy groups and charitable organisations.


Congratulations to…
Professor Jim Bishop AO Chief Cancer Officer, Cancer Institute NSW on his appointment as the new Chief Medical Officer for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing succeeding Professor John Horvath.

Prior to his appointment to lead the Cancer Institute NSW Jim worked in various capacities at the Royal Melbourne, Alfred and Royal Women's hospitals in Melbourne, the MacCallum Cancer Institute, the National Cancer Institute USA, the University of Maryland Hospital Baltimore, and the Royal Prince Alfred, Concord and Dubbo Base hospitals. In the 2008 Queens Birthday honours, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to medicine, particularly in the field of cancer treatment and research and through the development of innovative policy, improved public awareness and service delivery programs. Click here for the news story.

Professor Mathew Vadas, Director of the Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology who has been awarded a Program Grant by the NHMRC (commencing 2010) of $8.02M: Inflammation, Angiogenesis and Cancer Inflammation and cancer are at the heart of many human diseases. This particularly applies to the major global problem of liver fibrosis and liver cancer affecting almost half a billion of the world’s population. This Program brings together researchers with expertise in basic science and the clinic, with the aim of exploring these issues at the cellular and molecular level. The synergistic and combinatorial use of basic and clinical skills gives a high likelihood of discoveries leading to new therapies. The news story can be found here.

Professor Peter Cistulli, a chief investigator on a successful large program grant from the Victoria Neurotrauma Initiative on Sleep Health in Quadriplegia worth almost $5M.

Professor John Prineas, Honorary Professor in Neurology, who has been awarded the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) Charcot Award for 2009 for his lifelong contribution to research in MS. This is an outstanding achievement. It underlines that we are fortunate to have research-active senior emeritus and honorary professors like John who continue their research, attract research support and mentor younger staff.

Dr Lisa Harvey of the Northern Clinical School who is part of a group of spinal injury specialists awarded almost $5 million over five years to study the effects of physical activity neurological recovery and functional outcomes after spinal cord injury. The grant, provided by the Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative (VNI), is part of more than $19 million for research in brain and spinal cord injury. Details are here.

Associate Professor Christine Clarke who has been presented with the National Breast Cancer Foundation Patron's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Breast Cancer Research. The presentation took place on Monday 9 February at Admiralty House and the award was presented by the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce.

Professor Garry Walter, our Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Northern Clinical School, for having received a College Citation, a prestigious award of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), in recognition of his exceptional contributions to clinical work, research, scholarship and educational activities particularly in relation to his tenure as Editor of Australasian Psychiatry.


TIES Large Grant Scheme 2009

  • Associate Professor Merrilyn Walton: Academic support to implement the new Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Program of the University of Sydney Medical Program ($46,160.92)
  • Professor Tim Lambert: Interactive multimedia-based training in descriptive psychopathology of the psychotic disorders ($68,950)
  • Dr Smita Shah: Medical Students as Lifestyle Educators in Schools ($55,000)
  • Professor Mohamed Khadra with colleagues from English, Engineering and Pharmacy: Piloting Innovative Pedagogy For Virtual Worlds: Can learning be enhanced using 3D environments?, a pilot study to develop cutting edge pedagogy by utilising the latest technology ($52,827.19)


Sydney Forensic Medicine and Science Network

The Medical School has just launched the Network’s website – see www.forensic.med.usyd.edu.au

The Network has been formed to identify what is good and exciting about forensic medicine and science within the Medical School and the University as a whole, and then work with the staff and students to move to the next level in terms of research, teaching and service provision. As the Network grows, it will evolve into a formal Institute of Forensic Medicine and Science.

Members of the University, its affiliated organisations and students are encouraged to join the Network. See the website for the application form, or contact Professor Ron Trent or Dr Bronwen Ross () for further information.

I am very grateful Ron’s leadership Ron, with valuable assistance from Bronwen, in continuing to drive this development.


FacIT Newsletter
To keep members of Medical School informed about rapidly changing events in IT out IT unit will be launching a web-based newsletter soon. Issues are likely to include developments with shared services in IT, the roll out of Exchange email and news stories on software under development.


Bruce Robinson
Dean