Nepean Medical Research Foundation

3 March 2003

The Nepean Medical Research Foundation continued in 2002 to take steps to establish itself. Its Constitution was approved by the University Senate; the Foundation is now formally a part of the University of Sydney.

Sadly, the Associate Dean of the Western Clinical School (Nepean campus) Professor Sirus Naraqi was forced to retire on medical grounds late in the year; Professor Michael Peek has stepped in as Acting Associate Dean. Professor Michael Peek and Professor James Wiley (Sub-Dean for Research) are continuing the work started by Professor Naraqi to promote the role of Nepean Hospital as a teaching hospital and to develop a research institute for the Nepean community.

Recently an Information Night was held in the Academic/Research Area of the hospital and Professor Andrew Coats, the newly appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine visited Nepean for the first time. The evening was designed to inform interested members of the public about current research projects at the hospital and to thank the local community for their generous contributions in 2002. Professor Coats spoke of his enthusiasm for research and his support for the advancement of research in the Penrith area.

On the night, the Chief Executive Officer of the Penrith Chamber of Commerce presented the Foundation with a cheque which has made possible the purchase of a liquid scintillation counter (Beta Counter) - a great boost to the research teams.

Local community groups, the Chamber of Commerce and other enthusiastic individuals within the community have plans for fundraising events in 2003, as support for the Foundation continues to grow.

Recent achievements of our researchers:

• Ben Gu (pictured), a scientist in Professor James Wiley's leukaemia research team was named Young Researcher of the Year in August 2002 by the Cure Cancer Australia Foundation. The award was presented at Parliament House in recognition of his work in the study of lymphocytes in relation to chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a common form of blood cancer.
• Professor Philip Boyce gained recognition in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, April 2002, being listed as contributing one of the top articles of 2001 to the journal for publication. The article was entitled 'Obstetric Risk Factors for Post Natal Depression in urban and rural community samples'.
• At the Nepean Annual Scientific Day 2001, the Nepean Medal for the Best Scientific Oral Presentation was presented to Helen Cooke, a Clinical Nurse Consultant in Midwifery for Cooke H. McBurney W. Peek M. Managing the post dates pregnancy.
• Guy Eslick, a Clinical Epidemiologist with the research group of Professor Nick Talley, was Winner of the Poster of Merit Award at the Australian Gastroenterological Week in Adelaide, South Australia in 2002. He also received Poster of Distinction (Top 10%) at the American Gastroenterological Association/Digestive Diseases Week, in San Francisco, 2002.
• Colleen-M. Cook Senior Scientist from Women & Children's Health Division, at the 31st Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine received the Giulia Franco Poster Award 2001. The poster was Cook C-M. Ellwood DA. Transvaginal ultrasound assessment of the cervix in the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in women with threatened preterm labour.
• A Ramaciotti Award of $30,000 was received by Professor James Wiley in November 2002 to assist with the purchase of a Tricarb 2100TR Liquid Scintillation Analayzer (Beta Counter). This piece of equipment will be utilised by researchers within the Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Division of Women & Children's Health, the Intensive Care Unit and Department of Nuclear Medicine.

The Foundation is making steady progress and has been very pleased to gain so much support from the local community that it aims to serve.

For further information about the Foundation please contact:
Lydia Fuhrmann
Foundation Manager
Email: