More exciting research findings out of the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), this time from lead author and head of CHIRI’s Epithelial Stem Cell Biology Group, Associate Professor Pritinder Kaur. Her team’s latest research paper, published in the journal Life Science Alliance, is a step towards developing new approaches to treating patients with severe skin defects, including burns and blistering diseases.

Since skin replacement and repair from injuries such as burns and diabetic ulcers is severely compromised in ageing skin, these findings have relevance for CHIRI’s research focus on adult diseases and for devising new ways to improve skin repair in elderly patients. Read more…

We just had to share this great photo of some Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) researchers who recently spent a weekend in the Kalbarri National Park for a winter retreat.

Six members of Professor Philip Newsholme’s lab enjoyed team building and some social fun in the form of hiking, fishing, cooking meals and some very competitive evening board games.

They took this picture while exploring Nature’s Window, one of the national park’s most iconic and stunning attractions.

At CHIRI, the group’s work days are spent focused on researching metabolic health and nutrition in relation to age-related diseases including diabetes, chronic inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s been another busy year for the group, which has published in excess of 10 research articles so far in 2018, with more currently under review. Read more…

Congratulations to Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) researcher Professor Marco Falasca on the publishing of his latest research paper on the role cannabinoid plays in the survival rates of mice with pancreatic cancer.

The research, led by Professor Falasca and Queen Mary University of London, found mice with pancreatic cancer survived almost three times longer than normal if they were treated with a naturally occurring cannabinoid as well as a popular chemotherapy medication. Given the mice form of the cancer closely resembles the human disease, the findings may be significant for the treatment of pancreatic cancer in humans.

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Curtin Health Innovation Institute (CHIRI) Research Associate Dr Jully Gogoi Tiwari has quite different research goals and seems to do exceedingly well in both. One is to find a cure for liver cancer with CHIRI, and her other passion is finding a cure for mastitis in cattle, which actually, is also relevant for human health.

Jully must be one of CHIRI’s best examples of diversity being ‘the spice of life’! This interesting mix can be explained with a bit of background about Jully, who originally trained as a veterinarian, but then diversified her research interests with a CHIRI-PhD in the Liver Diseases and Regeneration group, focusing on the role of liver progenitor cells in liver regeneration and in liver cancer.

Demonstrating her extraordinary breadth of talent, on this occasion we are celebrating Jully being shortlisted by the Dairy Research Foundation (DRF) as a finalist in the 2018 Emerging Dairy Scientists’ Program. Jully will this week present her research on “A new approach to develop an effective vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus mastitis” at a DRF symposium in New South Wales.

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When CHIRI’s Dr Josh Ramsay isn’t in the lab leading a team of researchers studying the genetics of bacteria and their spread of infectious diseases, he also finds time to contribute as committee member of the WA Branch of the Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM). Recently, he also managed to fit in story time!

In his capacity as an ASM Committee Member, Dr Ramsay attended the launch of the children’s book, My Mad Scientist Mummy.

Written and illustrated by sessional academic, Dr Rina Fu, who currently teaches biomedical sciences at Curtin, the book introduces young readers to the fascinating world of science.

Dr Fu, who completed her doctorate in malaria drug resistance in WA before having two children, wanted to fill a void in science-based children’s books and find an educational and delightful way to share her passion for lab-based science and microbes.

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The Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute’s (CHIRI’s) logo was inspired by a Japanese artist’s depiction of a cherry energy tree.

CHIRI sounds a little like ‘cherry’, but it was the story behind the energy tree that resonated with CHIRI’s Director, John Mamo.

“I wanted a logo that reflected the intent and work of the institute – our focus is on diseases that occur with older age but our intention is not only to increase longevity but also quality of life,” John said.

“I was reading some notes by the artist that explained the significance of the cherry energy tree. They said if a cherry tree was well cared for, it could bear fruit for hundreds of years. I thought, wow that captures everything we are trying to do here at CHIRI.”

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When it comes to its facilities, the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) knows sharing is caring.

Just ask our Senior Technical Officer (STO) Jeanne Edmands, who this month represented CHIRI at the annual Australasian Cytometry Society (ACS) Roadshow in Sydney, Australia.

Jeanne is the STO for CHIRI’s Flow Cytometry shared resource facility, located at the institute’s premises at Curtin University in Bentley, Western Australia.

Held at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, the one-day roadshow saw cytometry staff come together to discover emerging technologies and fields in cytometry and to discuss key components of the Shared Resource Laboratory experience.

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Attending the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce WA’s Annual ‘Dr Patricia V Kailis AM OBE Women of Achievement Lunch’ provided food for thought for some of CHIRI’s leading ladies.

The event featured an address by Diane Smith-Gander, Non-Executive Director of AGL Energy and Wesfarmers Limited, on ‘Learning to lead – one woman’s perspective’.

CHIRI’s Professor Deirdre Coombe, Associate Prof. Pritinder Kaur, A/Prof. Delia Nelson and Dr Nina Tirnitz-Parker took the opportunity not only to take home some inspiration and insights into leadership but also some photos for the CHIRI blog. One photo was with Dr Kailis and another with renowned neuroscientist, and former Chief Scientist of WA, Prof. Lyn Beazley AO FTSE CIE, who is an AICC (WA) Board Member.

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It was a golden moment for the Curtin Health Innovation Research Centre when one of its recent Honours students, Amy Woodfield, stepped onstage at the Australian Society of Medical Research (ASMR) WA Symposium Gala Dinner.

Amy was there to accept the Silver Sponsors Award for the symposium’s Best Presentation by an Honours Student for 2018.

Amy completed her Honours project at CHIRI last year, under the supervision of Associate Professor Giuseppe Verdile, whose team is working in collaboration with Prof. Paul Fraser at the University of Toronto to characterise a new preclinical model of Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes.

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CHIRI Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Federica Tomay is part of a team working to turn back the clock on immune system decline with ageing, with a particular focus on muscle repair.

Declined immune function slows healing and delays tissue regeneration, making the elderly more prone to injury and two times more likely than young people to develop complications following injury.

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