News Archive

The John Curtin School of Medical Research Open Day gives you the opportunity to talk to scientists in their working laboratories. Researchers in fields as diverse as asthma, diabetes, HIV and cancer will be there to demonstrate their work and answer your questions.

On this one day, the doors of the School will be open to all secondary students and members of the public. The School is open during national Science Week as part of the Australian Science Festival.

Friday 22 August 2008, 10am-5pm

Bookings essential for school groups only. Please contact Madeleine Nicol on 6125 2577 or public.affairs@jcsmr.anu.edu.au

Combined Canberra Central Probus Club visited JCSMR on Wednesday 18 June as part of our ongoing guest program.
Thanks to Stephanie Palmer and Kaiman Peng (ACRF Biomolecular Resource Facility), Cathi Metcalfe (JCSMR Operations manager) and Nick Best (Technical Services Division) for hosting this group of visitors.

The Australian Society for Medical Research held it's Young Investigator's Forum of the ACT Branch at the ANU Medical School Building, Canberra Hospital, yesterday.Two JCSMR students were awarded prizes. Ivan Poon from the Division of Immunology and Genetics won the University of Canberra sponsored poster prize and Michelle Linterman also from the Division of Immunology and Genetics won the ASMR award for an oral presentation.

Mace Neve from The John Curtin School of Medical Research has won an inaugural Quinn Honours Research Scholarship. Granted by the Medical Advances Without Animals Trust, this $10,000 prize is awarded to students undertaking honours research projects that do not use animals or animal products.

Professor Judith Whitworth welcoming guests at the NuSep handover of the MF10 Benchtop Electrophoresis Separator, purchased in the latest round of small equipment funds. This is the first of these machines to be sold, with many orders placed in the US. It is an Australian invention from an Australian owned company. The equipment is located in the BRF for all groups to use. The MF10 can be used to fractionate proteins, deplete unwanted proteins from a sample, de-salting samples or protein concentration. Its advantages are rapid sample turnaround time, high throughput and high recovery from small samples.

Professor Julian Cribb gave the first of the JCSMR School seminars for 2008, speaking on Boffins and Wolverines: Science and the Media.

JCSMR hosted visitors from the ACT Branch of The Haemophilia Foundation on Thursday 17 April as part of World Haemophilia day.
The group took a short tour through the new building, and discussed various issues surrounding medical research.

On Sunday 9 March Mr Jackie Chan launched the Jackie Chan Science Centre, which will showcase the history and current research of The John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) at The Australian National University.

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A delegation from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and two representatives of the Japanese Embassy toured JCSMR laboratories this week. They were interested to discuss the differences in postgraduate medical education for students between Australia and Japan.

Professor Denis Monard, President of the Swiss Academy of Sciences, and His Excellency Mr Christian Muhletahler, Swiss Ambassador visited The John Curtin School of Medical Research last week. They are pictured here with the portrait of Professor Rolf Zinkernagel.

 
A team of researchers from The Australian National University will lead a new joint research centre with China conducting leading-edge research into treatments for Avian Influenza (Bird Flu).The new Australia-China Centre for Phenomics Research, funded by the Chinese and Australian Governments, will be located in the John Curtin School for Medical Research at the ANU. The joint undertaking – thought to be the largest funded program in biosciences between China and Australia – was instigated by the University’s Dr Edward Bertram (pictured) following his involvement in a China-Australia exchange program supported by Australian Technological Sciences and Engineering and the Australian Academy of Science.

“The funding will be used to study alterations in the genome code that lead to increased resistance to Avian Influenza,” said Dr Bertram. “It’s hoped that this work will help us to identify targets for designing new treatments to boost the immune system against Avian Influenza.” ANU Media Release

National Youth Science Forum students toured JCSMR laboratories on Monday the 21st January. Each year the NSYF brings together students moving into Year 12, who wish to follow careers in science, engineering and technology by introducing them to research and researchers, by encouraging the achievement of excellence in all their undertakings, and by helping to develop their communication and interpersonal skills.

A second group of students will visit the School on Wednesday 23th January.

Dr Amanda de Mestre was awarded The Frank Fenner Medal on Friday the 7th December at an awards ceremony in the Finkel Theatre. The Frank Fenner Medal is awarded annually for the most outstanding PhD thesis submitted in The John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University.

Amanda was also presented with the Dewar Milne Prize which is awarded to the student judged to have carried out the most significant piece of research in the field of immunology during their doctoral candidature at The John Curtin School of Medical Research.

Professor Frank Fenner and Professor Frances Shannon presented the awards. Amanda then gave a seminar entitled "Survival and function of equine trophoblast allografts: a novel approach to cell therapy?"

Director Professor Judith Whitworth pictured with Mr Brian Acworth (left) and Dr and Mrs Graham Durant at the 2007 Town and Gown end of year drinks at The John Curtin School of Medical Research.
The annual Town and Gown event was held on November 27 and brought together members of the research, health and business communities from around Canberra.

Vital Australian research into curing major human diseases has received a significant boost as The Australian National University’s John Curtin School of Medical Research, was named recipient of the $1 million Ramaciotti Research Award at a ceremony held in Melbourne on Thursday 1st November.

The John Curtin School of Medical Research will devote the funding to establish the Ramaciotti Immunisation Genomics Laboratory which will research genetic issues around vaccines for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as cancer, auto-immune diseases and heart disease.

Professor Christopher Goodnow (pictured), Head of Immunology and Genetics at The John Curtin School said he was delighted to accept the prestigious Ramaciotti Research Award on behalf of the facility. He was also joined at the ceremony by post-doctoral fellow Dr Anselm Enders who will be in charge of the new laboratory.“The Ramaciotti Laboratory will enable major landmark discoveries by providing an unprecedented Australian opportunity to uncover the genes, cells and biological mechanisms governing immunisation responses,” said Professor Goodnow.

Dr Mark Hulett, President of the Australian Society for Medical Research and leader of the Cancer and Molecular Immunology Group, JCSMR and Mr Bob McMullan MP, Member for Fraser, sign the Thank you day card.

Professor Peter Doherty, Professor Rolf Zinkernagel, Nobel Laureates, and Emeritus Professor Frank Fenner get together at the 12th Frank and Bobbie Fenner conference which was held at the JCSMR. The conference celebrated the life, achievements, and retirement of Emeritus Professor Frank Fenner who will leave The John Curtin School at the end of the year.

Winners of the prestigious 2007 NSW/ACT Young Tall Poppy Science Awards were awarded on Thursday October 18. Included in the awards is Dr Carola Vinuesa, from The John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU, who recently discovered a gene that appears to be a crucial link in the development of autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.

Winners of the Young Tall Poppy Science awards are selected on the basis of research achievement and passion for communicating their work. What makes the Young Tall Poppy Science Awards unique is that instead of winning money or prizes, the scientists win the opportunity to take their research to high school students around NSW, ACT and across Australia.

Labor Senator for the Australian Capital Territory, Kate Lundy, visited The John Curtin School of Medical Research on Thursday 30th August.

She joined Professor Whitworth on a tour through the completed Stage 1 of the new JCSMR building which includes modern, open-plan laboratories, a public display foyer, and a 200 seat lecture theatre and was then shown the plans and the start of construction for Stage 2.

Senator Lundy is currently the Shadow Minister for Local Government and Sport, Recreation and Health Promotion.

Visit JCSMR on 25th August 2007 between 9am and 3pm.

ANU Colleges jointly present career options for those interested in medical, biomedical or health science careers. All major areas of study will have booths including graduate entry medicine, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs and postgraduate research programs. A series of presentations on cutting edge research will be held throughout the day in the Finkel Lecture Theatre.More information.

The John Curtin School of Medical Research Open Day gives you the opportunity to talk to scientists in their working laboratories. Researchers in fields as diverse as asthma, diabetes, HIV and cancer will be there to demonstrate their work and answer your questions.

On this one day, the doors of the School will be open to all secondary students and members of the public. The School is open during National Science Week as part of the Australian Science Festival.

Friday 17 August 2007, 10am-5pm.

Bookings essential for school groups only. Please contact Amy Eichner on 6125 1057, or E: public.affairs@jcsmr.anu.edu.au

Congratulations to Dr Charani Ranasinghe who has been awarded the Alan and Elizabeth Finkel Prize for 2006 for her work on a Mucosal HIV AIDs vaccine.

The Alan and Elizabeth Finkel Prize is awarded every two years to recognise outstanding achievement in research carried out in The John Curtin School of Medical Research which has the potential to lead to improvements in health in developing countries.

Photo: Alan Finkel and Charani Ranasinghe outside the JCSMR. 

On Friday 6th July, a Witness seminar honoring Professor Frank Fenner took place in the Finkel Lecture Theatre. The concept of the Witness Seminar was pioneered by the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College, London. Those who have 'witnessed' the work of particular teams and individuals discuss, 'What was it like at the time?' and 'Why did things happen the way they did?'

Professor Fenner is Australia's most distinguished living microbiologist and immunologist. As the undisputed world leader on poxviruses, Fenner contributed to the eradication of smallpox, one of the greatest practical achievements in the history of microbiology.

Staff and students of JCSMR attended a "Go Red for Women" morning tea in the foyer in support of the Heart Foundation. This nationwide campaign aims to raise funds for research into heart disease, and to increase awareness of the prevalence of heart disease amongst Australian women.

The JCSMR event was also attended by Tony Stubbs, CEO of the ACT Division of the Heart Foundation, and a group of students visiting from the USA.

Congratulations to Di Yu, who has been awarded the Lupus 2007 Young Investigator Award to attend the 8th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Shanghai, China in May.

Di has recently completed his PhD studies in the Immunogenomics laboratory, JCSMR.

Professor Bruce Stillman has been awarded the 2006 Curtin Medal. A PhD graduate of The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Professor Stillman studied in the Department of Microbiology with Dr Alan Bellett and is now Director and president of the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory. This private institution in Long Island, New York, specialises in research on cancer, neurobiology, plant genetics and bioinformatics. Professor Stillman's research is focused on the mechanisms and regulation of DNA replication which he studies in both human cells and yeast. This process is essential in ensuring accurate inheritance of genetic material from one cell generation to the next.

The Curtin Medal is awarded annually to an Australian who has made an outstanding contribution to medical science, or to a person whose work has a significant Australian relevance.

Congratulations to Dr Adrian Liston on his award of The Frank Fenner Medal last Friday.

The Frank Fenner Medal is awarded for the most outstanding thesis submitted within The John Curtin School of Medical Research in each calendar year, and is one of the few such prestigious prizes available to a scientist in the early stages of their research career.

Dr Liston studied aspects of the genetic basis of human autoimmunity during his PhD studies with Professor Christopher Goodnow. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Professor Judith Whitworth took great pleasure in naming the Gordon Ada Videoconferencing Room in honour of Professor Gordon Ada this week.

With his family present, Professor Whitworth spoke of Professor Ada's great contribution to the life of The John Curtin School, and his current involvement with students in the region through National Youth Science Forum and an education program on the importance of vaccination.

Australian understanding and preparedness for biosecurity threats has taken a big leap forward today with the launch by Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb of the National Centre for Biosecurity at The Australian National University.
Led by JCSMR immunologist Professor Ian Ramshaw, the Centre pulls together microbiologists, epidemiologists, lawyers, ethicists, security analysts, infectious disease modellers, policy experts, and integration and implementation scientists.

Professor Ramshaw said the Centre would take a real world approach to the complex problems of biosecurity and provide an essential link between the many disciplines that related to biosecurity issues.

From left to right: Michael Selgelid, Thomas Faunce, Paul Kelly, Ian Ramshaw and Christian Enemark.

Elissa Sutcliffe from the Cancer and Vascular Biology Group has been awarded the "Ruth Gani Memorial Travelling Fellowship for Human Genetics" for 2006. The award will assist Elissa to attend the Keystone "Epigenetics: Regulations of Chromatin Structure in Development and Disease" Conference in Colorado, April 2007.

Elissa has also been awarded the Australian Society of Medical Research Domestic Travel Award. One domestic travel award is given nationally each year by ASMR for a PhD student to visit another laboratory to learn novel techniques. She will use this award to learn the ChIP-on-Chip technology.

Drs Alan and Elizabeth Finkel officially opened the Finkel Lecture Theatre in the new JCSMR building on Friday 27 October.
Dr Alan Finkel, neuroscientist and entreprener has long been associated with JCSMR, since his postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience in the early 1980's. Dr Elizabeth Finkel is a noted science communicator.

Winner of the Prime Ministers Prize for Science 2006, Professor Mandyam Srinivasan, presented this weeks JSCMR School seminar.The Finkel Lecture Theatre was filled to capacity as Professor Srinivasan gave an overview of his research into the science of bee vision, flight and navigation. An inaugural Federation Fellow, Professor Srinivasan is currently a director of the Centre for Visual Science at The Australian National University.

Congratulations to Lucy Palmer, PhD student in the Neuronal Signalling Laboratory, JCSMR who has been granted an American Society for Neuroscience Graduate Student Travel Award. The award will assist Lucy to attend the Society for Neuroscience 36th Annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, in October.

Mr Tom Dery, Chairman of The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ARCF), with Professor Frances Shannon, Professor Judith Whitworth and Professor Ian Chubb at the official opening of the ACRF Biomolecular Resource Facility located in the new John Curtin School of Medical Research building.
The ACRF has donated $1.3M towards set up and equipment for this Facility. This will provide a much needed resource to scientists carrying out important research into cancer in the ACT region.

The John Curtin School of Medical Research Open Day gives you the opportunity to talk to scientists in their working laboratories. Researchers in fields as diverse as asthma, diabetes, hearing, HIV and cancer will be there to demonstrate their work and answer your questions. On this one day, the doors of the School will be open to all secondary students and members of the public. The School is open during National Science Week as part of the Australian Science Festival.

Friday 18 August, 2006, 10am-5pm

Bookings essential for school groups only.
Please contact Madeleine Nicol on
T: 6125 2577 or
E: madeleine.nicol@anu.edu.au

Staff and students of the JCSMR attended a one day scientific Retreat "At Home" yesterday, hearing presentations about the current research and future plans of all areas of the school. As part of the day, all staff and students were invited to be a part of an all school photo, celebrating the move into Stage 1 of our new building. Click here for a copy of school photograph.

Open Day: Friday 18 August 2006 10.00am-5.00pm - All Welcome
For details contact: Dr Madeleine Nicol, Public Affairs Manager
T: 6125 2577 E: madeleine.nicol@anu.edu.au

The 2005 ANU Environmental Achievement awardee is John Ellison, a plumber employed in the Technical Services area of JCSMR. Mr Ellison's achievements have been remarkable; he has been responsible for highly original and continuing environmental innovations and significant changes in laboratory practice far in excess of his job requirements. These innovations have decreased JCSMR's water, power and nitrogen use, improved safety and water standards and decreased risk. These innovations are saving the ANU about $100K per year. Mr Ellison has implemented new water recirculation systems, new water purifying processes which have displaced old inefficient distillation processes, and new nitrogen gas recycling processes.

Senator Kate Lundy presented the 2005 awards in a ceremony at the new John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) on World Environment Day, Monday, 5 June.

Photo: John Ellison with Senator Kate Lundy

Today’s announcement that two researchers have been awarded prestigious Federation Fellowships to conduct vital research at ANU tops off a great week for the University,Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb said.

In Tuesday’s Federal Budget, ANU was allocated an immediate one-off grant of $125 million to undertake essential capital works on ageing buildings and facilities. Today it was announced that two ANU researchers – Professor Christopher Goodnow and Professor John Braithwaite – have received Australian Research Council Federation Fellowships, Australia’s most valuable publicly funded research fellowships.

“I’d reiterate my sentiments of earlier this week: these combined investments in the University are demonstrable evidence of the Federal Government’s commitment to maintaining ANU, its University, as a vital national institution with an important role to play on the world stage, and of the quality of its research. “I offer my congratulations to the new Federation Fellows, and my strongest thanks to the federal government for its ongoing support,” Professor Chubb said.

Professor Christopher Goodnow, Head of the Immunogenomics Laboratory at The John Curtin School of Medical Research and Director of the Australian Phenomics Facility, will build an international Immunity & Infection Genomics Consortium centred in Australia to tackle three fundamental, longstanding questions about the mammalian immune system: how does the system learn not to attack self-components, how does it enhance recall responses to vaccines, and why does it fail to eliminate formidable foreign microbes?

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian Chubb, was given a tour of the new John Curtin School Building on Tuesday 18th April. He was accompanied by Professor Judith Whitworth, Professor Steve Redman, Mr Warwick Williams and Hindmarsh Project Manager Medy Hassan. Professor Chubb was shown through the new School which includes modern, open-plan laboratories, a public display foyer, a 200 seat lecture theatre and the new Vanilla Bean Cafe. Staff are expected to be moving into Stage 1 of the new building over the next few weeks.

Dr Elizabeth Finkel was the first JCSMR School Seminar speaker for 2006. Dr Elizabeth Finkel is a former molecular biologist turned science writer.

Her recent book: Stem Cells - Controversy at the Frontiers of Science won a Queensland Premier's Literary Award and was short-listed for the Victorian Premier's literary award and the Australian Government Eureka Prize for promoting the public Understanding of Science.

Her talk entitled: "Personal agendas: how our politicians are distorting the stem cell debate", filled the Florey Lecture Theatre, and stimulated much discussion.

Nobel Laureate Dr J Robin Warren visited The John Curtin School of Medical Research to speak informally with students at afternoon tea last Friday.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2005 was awarded conjointly to Professor Barry Marshall and Emeritus Professor J Robin Warren "for their discovery of the bacterium /Helicobacter pylori/ and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease"

Professor Ian Frazer was awarded the 2006 Australian of the Year for his research on the link between papilloma viruses and cancer. Professor Frazer, who heads the University of Queensland's Centre for Immunology and cancer research, has developed a vaccine which will be able to prevent cervical cancer in women.

Professor Frazer was awarded the 2004 Curtin Medal for Excellence in Medical Research by the Director of JCSMR, Professor Judith Whitworth, at a ceremony at the School last year.

Ms Perry Sperling, the Senior Advisor on Social Policy from the Office of The Prime Minister, visited The John Curtin School on Tuesday 17th January.

She joined Professor Whitworth on a tour through the exisiting JCSMR building and was then shown through the new building which is due for completion in March.

Professor Chris Parish was featured in The Canberra Times on Saturday 10th December with an article about his breakthrough in cancer treatment. Advanced testing of the drug PI-88 has shown that it stops tumours growing and can cause them to shrink in some patients.
Professor Parish's research into the way cells behaved and how cancer cells spread using new blood vessels, led to the development of PI-88.

Researchers are now expanding clinical trials to include 650 patients with primary liver cancer and advanced melanoma, lung and prostate cancer.

An integral space in the new John Curtin School of Medical Research building was officially named by ACT Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Ted Quinlan, on the 6th December.
Xchange Place is an interactive meeting space in the multimillion-dollar first-stage of the new JCSMR building, which is due for completion in March 2006.
Mr Quinlan said Xchange Place would promote the exchange of ideas and information between research groups and once completed would be a community treasure.

Photo: Professor Judith Whitworth and Mr Ted Quinlan outside Xchange Place.

Congratulations to Dr Allison Jones who has been awarded the prestigious Frank Fenner Medal for the most outstanding PhD thesis submitted in The John Curtin School of Medical Research in 2004.
Dr Jones was a member of the Molecular Mechanisms Laboratory, Cancer and Vascular Biology Group in the Division of Immunology and Genetics and was awarded the medal on the 30th November.

Congratulations also goes to Emeritus Professor Frank Fenner who was named as the ACT Senior Australian of the Year for his excellent career in microbiology and being a world-renowned expert on pox-viruses.

At a ceremony held in Sydney on Tuesday 8th November Professor Chris Parish was awarded the 2005 Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Science.
Professor Parish is the leader of the Cancer and Vascular Biology Group and the head of the Division of Immunology and Genetics.

Photo: Professor Christopher Parish with Scott Riedel (Head of Perpetual Private Clients, on left) and David Knowles (Senior Manager, Fiduciary Services on right)

The Chief Minister of the ACT, Mr Jon Stanhope, launched the 2005 Australian Science Festival at Questacon on Wednesday 27 July.

The John Curtin School will take part in the festival with our Open Day on the 19 August. This is an opportunity for the public to talk to scientists in their working laboratories.

A new gene suspected to contribute to autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and lupus has been discovered by ANU immunologists.
The researchers found that a mutation in the gene, which they have named Roquin, causes the body’s infection fighters, T-cells, to attack their own tissue; the realisation opening the way to explore treatments that target the mutation.

“This could reveal other abnormalities that underpin autoimmunity, and open up opportunities for developing specific treatments and drugs,” said lead researcher Dr Carola Vinuesa, from The John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU.

The discovery of Roquin was revealed in the latest edition of Nature.

Congratulations to JCSMR alumnus Dr Alan Finkel, who was awarded an Ian Clunies Ross Award for 2005 late last week. Dr Finkel held a position in Professor Steve Redman's laboratory in the early 1980s. He then left the JCSMR to establish his company, Axon Instruments which has produced state of the art equipment for over 20 years, initially for the recording and analysis of neuronal activity, and more recently developing innovative equipment for neurological, genome and protein research.

The Act Government unveiled the Honour Walk 2005 on 12 April 2005. The walk, situated in Civic Square in the heart of Canberra, consists of 17 plaques which commemorate the contribution of Canberran groups or individuals who have made a significant contribution to the region.

The John Curtin School of Medical Research is proud to congratulate Emeritus Professor Frank John Fenner, an Australian Living Legend, for his inclusion in the inaugural ACT Honour Walk.

Congratulations to Professor Trevor Lamb, who was elected last Thursday as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

Professor Lamb is the leader of the Visual Neuroscience Laboratory at The John Curtin School of Medical Research.

National Youth Science Forum students toured JCSMR labs during the first week of January, visiting the Ubiquitin Laboratory, the Hearing and Synapse Laboratory, the Viral Immunology Group and our Histology Laboratory, and speaking with Professor Ada about the importance of vaccination to public health.

The staff and students of the JCSMR celebrated Professor Frank Fenner's 90th Birthday with a Garden Party lunch. Despite the rain, the guests enjoyed the opportunity to wish Professor Fenner a very Happy Birthday.

In honour of Frank's "90 Stellar Years", a rose has been dedicated in his name in the newly refurbished Old Parliament House Rose Gardens.

The Director was the host of The John Curtin's annual Town and Gown drinks on the 14th December. Staff of the School and the University mingled with guests from the business and public sector for drinks and nibbles in the University House Garden.

Image:  Judith Whitworth, Alex Bune and John Chalmers