Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) cancer researcher Professor Arun (Dharma) Dharmarajan (from Curtin’s School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences) is guest editing special issues of two international research journals.

The first is a special issue on ‘Cancer Stem Cells’ for the International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (Impact factor 3.2) and the second on ‘Apoptosis in Cancer’ for the journal Cancers (Impact Factor 5.3).

Dharma says the past decade has produced remarkable advances in understanding cancer biology in particular cancer stem cells and cancer genetics. Read more…

Congratulations to the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute’s (CHIRI) Dr Mark Hackett from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences on receiving the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Division Paul Haddad Medal.

The medal recognises Mark’s research and contribution to analytical and environmental chemistry, both nationally and internationally, in particular his development of new imaging techniques for neuroscientists.

Read more…

The involvement of several Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) researchers in the recent Gastroenterological Society of Australia’s (GESA) 2018 Research Workshop in Surfers Paradise helped to ensure a swell event.

The workshop, convened by CHIRI Associate Professor Nina Tirnitz-Parker, from Curtin’s School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, and Professor Nicholas Shackel from the Ingham Institute in Sydney, provides a forum for the Australian Gastroenterology and Hepatology communities to exchange ideas and forge collaborations between GESA investigators, MD and PhD scholars, and postgraduate, basic and clinician scientists.

CHIRI’s Professor Marco Falasca was invited to speak on progress in pancreatic cancer research, while Dr Rodrigo Carlessi, Dr Ross Graham and Dr Alice Domenichini (all from the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences) chaired sessions. Read more…

Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) Work Experience Volunteer Ayeisha Milligan Armstrong has been awarded a highly-prized 2018 Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (DCRC) Postgraduate Scholarship.

Ayeisha, who is a former CHIRI Honours student, received one of only three of the highly-competitive scholarships awarded nationally this year. She will use the scholarship of $30,000 a year for three years to investigate links between chronic stress and increased risk of cognitive decline seen in cases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Ayeisha’s research will be co-supervised by CHIRI’s Associate Professor David Groth and A/Professor Giuseppe Verdile, as well as A/Professor Simon Laws from ECU and the Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute. Read more…

“We could make that little bit of hope a bit bigger,” says Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) researcher Professor Marco Falasca, on news his potential new treatment for pancreatic cancer is moving into clinical trials.

Curtin University is conducting the clinical trials, which will see pancreatic cancer patients in Western Australia offered a medicinal cannabis compound.

This step follows encouraging results in laboratory tests, which have Marco hopeful he has found a way of halting the progression of what is one of the most deadly forms of cancer.

Read more about Marco’s research and the trials in the article Cannabis compound gives hope to patients with pancreatic cancer.

 

Another successful Symposium of Western Australian Neuroscience (SWAN) may be behind us but it’s fresh in the minds of many at the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) who are celebrating their involvement in the two-day event.

A total of around 190 people participated at various stages throughout the program, which featured an impressive line-up of international, national and local speakers, covering areas of neuroscience including dementia, neurotrauma, demyelinating disorders, sensory neuroscience, neuroscience of addiction, neuromuscular conditions, stroke and movement.

CHIRI sponsored the event, including a public lecture by internationally-recognised key opinion leader and trusted advisor in nutrition and health, Professor Manny Noakes, was well-attended and, as the topic promised, provided much food for thought. Read more…

If you’re heading to the 5th WA Synchrotron Symposium at Curtin University today, be sure to catch Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) PhD student Clinton Kidman talk about how he’s using synchrotron science to explore the link between iron and fatty liver disease.

Clinton is among a team of CHIRI researchers using the Australian Synchrotron facility in Melbourne to measure the concentration and distribution of fat and other organic molecules in the liver at a resolution and sensitivity not possible with other techniques. The team also uses Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s facility at Lucas Heights to measure iron. Read more…

Three PhD students linked with the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) recently scored prizes at two national symposia.

CHIRI PhD Student Ashley Hollings won second place in the Student Talk category at the Australian Society for Molecular Imaging (ASMI) 2018 Scientific Meeting. Ashley then went on to achieve third place in the Australian Synchrotron User Meeting (ASUM) 2018 Poster Slam. Ashley is supervised by Dr Mark Hackett (School of Molecular and Life Sciences & CHIRI), Dr Tom Becker (School of Molecular and Life Sciences) and CHIRI Director Professor John Mamo (School of Public Health). Read more…

As users of the Australian Syncrotron facility in Melbourne gather for their annual meeting, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) researcher Dr Mark Hackett is shining a light on his research.

Mark is a speaker at the two-day Australian Synchrotron User Meeting 2018 on 22-23 November 2018 – an event proudly supported by CHIRI.

The meeting showcases some of the best research and investigations undertaken at the facility and provides its user community with updates on the latest developments and technical advances in synchrotron science.

Mark’s presentation is about the application of synchrotron science to his health science research, in particular his investigations into sulphur speciation in biological samples using medium energy X-rays.

Delegates received a dedicated flyer outlining how Mark and his fellow CHIRI researchers use the synchrotron facility to shed new light on age-associated diseases. Click here to download the flyer

CHIRI is also a supporter of the 5th WA Synchrotron Symposium, which will be held at Curtin University on Friday 30 November. The event will focus on current synchrotron-based research by WA scientists. Find out more on Eventbrite.

The Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) is sponsoring a public lecture by Professor Manny Noakes as part of its support of the Symposium of Western Australian Neuroscience 2018.

Manny’s lecture on ‘Mind and Diet Connections – Food for Thought’ is at 5.30pm on Thursday 29 November at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research Auditorium.

Prof. Noakes, who’s currently an Adjunct Research Professor with the University of South Australia and a member of the Nutrition Society of Australia, is a nationally and internationally-recognised key opinion leader and trusted advisor in nutrition and health. Read more…