Menzies Brief June 2017
A message from the President and Secretary
Change and challenge – now is the time to get involved
A
lot can change in a short period of time.
By now you will have received your letter or email about the changes to the Foundation’s strategic
direction.
Major change never comes without challenge. We recognise that the Menzies scholarships have played
a pivotal role in many of your careers; they certainly have in ours, and we remain very grateful
for the opportunities they delivered, and the difference they made to our lives and others.
We’re very proud of what’s been achieved by the Menzies health and medical research institutes
and by all the incredible professionals who make up our alumni. But for the first time in our
40 year history, the Menzies Foundation Board has had a full strategic review and idenfitied
the opportunity to re-align our focus – to ensure we are directing our effort where others
are not – so that recipients of future Menzies Foundation support can also make a difference.
How to get involved
We’d like to invite the alumni to take this opportunity to work with us, share your experience
and knowledge, to ensure that our new opportunities are future-focused and align with
the original tenets of the Foundation: to honour the memory of Sir Robert Menzies,
invest in initiatives of national importance, and make a difference to the lives of
Australians.
The Alumni Advisory Group has met twice in the last few months and provided terrific input
to this process, but we’d appreciate your support and contribution also.
There will be expert panels for each of the three new focus areas. For the International
Law Scholarship, a questionnaire will be put out to all law scholars to provide input
to the discussion. A separate questionnaire will go to all medical, engineering, allied
health and other interested scholars for input to the entrepreneurial leadership grant
conversation. Experts from academia, education, industry, government, peak bodies and
practice, in all three fields, will be consulted before refining the business case
and the scope of work, to then work through the nitty gritty of implementation.
Changes to the MMSA
As flagged at the November MMSA AGM in Sydney, we have been considering the future
role of the MMSA alongside the evolving direction of the Foundation. We have worked
with the Advisory Group to refine our thinking and determine if our existing structure
can be simplified. We are proposing to change the name from the Menzies Memorial
Scholars’ Association to the Menzies Alumni, with new recipients of the Menzies
Foundation grants or scholarships, continuing to add to our Alumni number and network.
This change would mean no separate association, bank account or AGM. The titles of
the MMSA President and Secretary would change to become the Chair and Deputy Chair
of the Alumni Advisory Group. These individuals will also hold ex-officio Menzies
Foundation board positions and act as alumni representatives, as they do now.
We recognise that there will not be a scholarship award ceremony this year. However,
we remain in discussion with the Foundation team about several state-based
events later this year, to allow for an update on new work, an opportunity
for contribution and a social networking occasion.
We’re also looking at the possibility of focusing on the work of our alumni
with some other form of annual event and we continue to examine options
and ideas; we welcome your opinions also.
Call for next Secretary/Deputy Chair
Each year we call for nominations to join the Alumni Advisory Group. Being
a member of the Advisory Group is a potential stepping stone to the Menzies
Foundation Board and provides the opportunity to have input into the Foundation’s
direction.
As was the case last year, we will make the call for nominations for the new
Secretary (or Deputy Chair of the Alumni Advisory Group in the new model)
from the members of the Advisory Group first. If no nominations are received,
we will put out a call to the wider Menzies Alumni. In the case of more
than one nomination, an online vote will be arranged. We are about to start
the process within the Advisory Group and we will update you on progress.
As the departing President/Chair leaves the Advisory Group, this will also
make way for an additional alumnus to join the Group. Calls for this position
will also be coordinated later in the year.
This is a time of great change for the Foundation, but change that is necessary
to ensure our ongoing relevance amidst an increasingly crowded scholarship
market. As we move towards the Foundation’s 40 years, we continue to
value your role and seek your ongoing contribution, to ensure that
we remain a driving force for impactful scholarship in the decades
to come.
If you have further questions about these changes or involvement on the
Advisory Group please contact us or the Foundation team at menzies@menziesfoundation.org.au and we will seek to answer them for you.
Sincerely,
Dr Adrian McCallum
President, Menzies Memorial Scholars’ Association
Dr Sheree Hurn
Secretary, Menzies Memorial Scholars’ Association
2016 Annual report released
We
have just released our 2016 Annual Report at the Menzies
Foundation AGM on 19 May.
A visit by Baroness Valerie Amos, who delivered the Menzies
Oration, the opening of Menzies Square in Jeparit and
highlights from the Menzies Scholars across Australia
and around the world feature in the report, along with
changes to the details of some of the Foundation’s
partnership arrangements.
You can download a copy or view it online.
If you would like a hard copy, please email AJ Epstein
at aj.epstein@menziesfoundation.org.au and we will organise for one to be sent.
|
Menzies Centenary Prize awarded
Dimboola Memorial Secondary College Dux, Courtney
Dove, has overcome a lot of obstacles to start her tertiary education
at the University of Melbourne. With a scholarship to stay on campus
at Queens College, Courtney has started a Bachelor of Arts and hopes
to major in Psychology and Media & Communications. Read about Courtney’s endeavours to deal with her own mental health concerns as well as taking the initiative
to help other young people in the Hindmarsh Shire. It is not
hard to see why Courtney is the recipient of the $10,000 Menzies Centenary
Prize for 2016.
The generosity of the MMSA has enabled the Menzies Centenary Prize to be
awarded for over 20 years now. As part of the Board’s recent decisions,
the Menzies Centenary Prize will continue with a review in 2019.
Menzies Scholars achieve amazing things
Queensland QC and 1987 Menzies Scholar in Law, Mr Roger Derrington has been appointed to the Federal Court as a Judge and has started his role with the
Brisbane registry of the court.
Dark Matter expert and Harvard Menzies
Scholar, Dr Tracy Slatyer (pictured), combines
research in particle and astro physics in her attempts to solve one of the fundamental puzzles of science.
We spoke to her recently to get a better understanding of her work
and she has a great story of resilience. The MIT Assistant Professor
was recently presented with the MIT Future of Science Award.
Recent graduate, 2015 Sir Ninian Stephen Menzies Scholar in International
Law, Patrick Wall, started a new role with the UNHCR in Geneva working on the development of the global compact on refugees.
He told us all about the importance of this next step in helping
refugees and the countries that host them.
NHMRC/Menzies Fellow Dr David Riglar,
has released his latest research on how engineered bacteria in the gut microbiome could be used
for next generation diagnostics and therapeutics. The engineered
bugs can give live diagnostics of inflammation. David is pictured
courtesy of Wyss at Harvard University.
WEHI lab head, Professor Nick Huntington, NHMRC/Menzies
Fellow, is the recipient of one of 34 research awards world
wide provided by the Melanoma Research Alliance. Nick was presented
with a Young Investigator Award recently which provides
up to $75,000 per year for
three years (up to $225,000 total)
to accomplish innovative, translational
research projects to cure melanoma.
Harnessing new technologies, using innovative teaching methods
and thinking about business, law and social impact differently,
are central to building the next generation of change-makers,
according to 2012 Menzies Scholar Jessica Roth, who
is the founder and Director of the Social Impact Hub in Sydney.
Professor John Pimanda, haematologist and
2003 NHMRC/RG Menzies Fellow, has been appointed head of
pathology at UNSW, expanding his role which already straddles
clinical and academic roles. John is head of the Adult
Cancer Program at the Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW
and a haematologist at the Prince of Wales Hospital. But
when you talk to John about his work, it’s clear his research
work is his first passion and it’s the opportunity to make
transformational change which drives him. Read more here.
From campaigning for Hilary Clinton to tutoring in a local
correctional facility, Harvard Menzies Scholar, Sibella Matthews,
is making the most of every minute on her scholarship
in Boston and so far it has exceeded all of her expectations.
Read some more about the experiences of a scholar who
wants to change the juvenile justice system.
In the media
- As reported in Melbourne’s Herald Sun, Menzies
Scholar in Medicine, Professor Robyn O’Hehir AO,
and her team at Alfred Health and Monash University,
is one step closer to a vaccine for peanut
allergy now that human trials have commenced.
- MMSA President and Menzies Scholar in Engineering,
Dr Adrian McCallum, has written
a piece for his local newspaper about living a life of adventure.
- Building on his extensive body of research and
experience with damaging virus cytomegalovirus (CMV), Professor Bill Rawlinson is one of the authors of new treatment guidelines
on CMV, recently published in the Lancet Infectious medical journal.
The paper contains consensus recommendations
for prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of CMV.
1998
NHMRC/Menzies Fellow, Professor Matthew Kiernan,
appeared as part of a special on 60 Minutes,
talking about the mechanism of MND,
the latest research into treatment options
and the challenge of communicating a diagnosis
to a patient.
- In a Boston Herald opinion piece perhaps the US President didn’t read, Harvard
Menzies Scholar, Matthew Tyler, mounted the case for a clean energy future
in the US, saying renewable energy may prove
the key to Donald Trump’s White House Legacy.
- Menzies Scholar in Medicine, Professor Jamie Vandenberg,
helped Channel 7 viewers better understand research findings on the risk of cardiac arrest associated with
ibuprofen use.
Menzies Institutes’ wrap
The Menzies Centre for Health Policy has asked us to pass on details of their call for
abstracts for its annual Emerging Health Policy
Research Conference, to be held at the University
of Sydney on Thursday, 27 July 2017. Abstracts are due Wednesday, 7 June 2017.
The conference will showcase the work in progress
of current masters, doctoral and early career research
workers, as well as those new to the field of health
policy research. MCHP is inviting research workers
from all areas of health policy - including (but
not limited to) international health, health systems,
history of public health, indigenous health, health
economics, health promotion and sociology - to
submit an abstract of their presentation. Details
are here.
The Queensland Government has announced $5 million
will go towards spinal injury research being conducted
at the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery and
Menzies Health Institute Queensland,
who are looking to cure spinal cord injuries.
On World No Tobacco Day, Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin spoke to the ABC about the research they are doing into the
potential use of social media to help reduce
smoking rates in Indigenous communities.
Menzies Institute of Medical Research has
received $1 million from former AFL Footballer, Neale Daniher’s
FightMND fund, to build on the MND research
of Institute Deputy Director, Associate
Professor Tracey Dickson. The research
is exploring potential drug therapies for
the condition.
Menzies Scholar Profile
Stephanie Ward, 2009 Harvard Menzies Scholar
Stephanie Ward was the 2009 RG Menzies
Scholar to Harvard where she completed
a Master of Public Health at the Harvard
School of Public Health. She specialises
in geriatric medicine and has recently
started a PhD looking into sleep apnoea
in older adults and cognitive outcomes.
Stephanie has some great things to
say about health and ageing.
How did your experience at Harvard shape your career? I
completed a Master of Public Health
and my degree had a focus on healthcare
management/ policy, although I also
did some more quantitative and research
oriented subjects too.
This experience has had a really significant
impact on my career. Prior to this,
I was primarily a clinician, and
since then I have been able to
broaden my career to include aspects
of clinical governance, training
and leadership, and in particular
experience in clinical trials and
epidemiology. My year at Harvard
definitely helped pave this direction.
First, there was the knowledge taught
through coursework in a variety
of subjects that expanded my viewpoint
well beyond that of an individual
clinician-doctor encounter, and
included broad areas like health
economics and ethics. Second I
was able to develop some useful
skills, in quantitative and research
aspects as well as further develop
teamwork and leadership skills.
Perhaps the greatest aspect was
just being immersed in this amazing
culture. My peers came from all
round the world, with many from
non-medical backgrounds, and made
for stimulating company both in
and outside the classroom.
The experience at HSPH was an all-encompassing
one; beyond classes, there were
regular visiting speakers and seminars.
I became really excited about being
amongst peers so active in public
health research and initiatives,
and I have sought to experience
that back in Australia.
At the time I studied at Harvard,
I had recently finished fellowship
training in geriatric medicine
and had started consultant
practise. Thus, when I returned
to Australia I had some flexibility
in the options I could explore.
So I maintained a part-time
clinical practice, but also
was offered an opportunity
to join the Monash Ageing Research
Centre (MONARC) at Monash Health,
where I was able to put my
interest and knowledge in patient
safety to work by participation
in clinical risk committees.
I also started to work with
the Monash University School
of Public Health and Preventive
Medicine (SPHPM) on one of
the largest clinical trials
ever undertaken in an older
population – the ASPREE study.
Through this I have had the
opportunity to be involved
with developing a questionnaire
on aspects of medical and social
health, join several sub-studies,
including one that I instigated
looking at sleep apnoea in
older adults and cognitive
outcomes (SNORE-ASA). I am
now a chief investigator on
3 NHMRC-funded sub-studies,
and 2 further randomised controlled
trials, that are evaluating
interventions in older populations.
Last year, I also took on the role
as a director of training for
geriatric medicine at Monash
Health, which is a really large
training site for geriatrics
in Australia with about 20
registrars, and I was also
a co-director of training for
the Victorian Geriatric Medicine
Training Programme.
Recently I relinquished these
roles to I enrol in a full-time
PhD to devote my time and
energy into analysing data
from the SNORE-ASA study,
whilst I maintain one day
a week of clinical practice.
This is a good balance
for me, in particular as
I have a young family.
How do your research interests tie in with what you learned during the MPH at Harvard? One
of my favourite classes
at Harvard was on quality
improvement and patient
safety. It was, and is,
an area I am drawn to,
particularly because of
my clinical background
in the medical care of
older adults. Promoting
high quality in healthcare
and ensuring patient safety
is really an issue for
all of us involved in healthcare,
and particularly so for
those of us caring for
older adults who are often
quite vulnerable. Harvard
was one of the pioneers
in research into patient
safety, and it was really
inspiring to been taught
by such lions in the field
like Lucian Leape, Atul
Gawande and Don Berwick,
and to attend workshops
afterhours at the headquarters
of the Institute for healthcare
Improvement with then president,
Maureen Bisognano.
When I returned to Australia,
I was really interested
initially in research
initiatives into patient
safety, and I was interested
to find out more about
the Monash University
Centre of Research
Excellence into Patient
Safety. Is was during
my investigations I
was introduced to the
ASPREE study, being
led in Australia by
the same school (so
I was slighted waylaid!).
However, I maintained
an interest in practical
aspects of patient
safety by becoming
involved in a clinical
risk committee at Monash
Health. I have also
had some initial collaborations
with the clinical registries
unit at Monash also.
My sleep disorders
interest developed
after my time at
Harvard, and stemmed
from my work with
the ASPREE study.
What is your PhD topic and why did you choose it? My
PhD is investigating
whether sleep
disordered
breathing (such
as sleep apnoea)
in older adults
is associated
with the risk
of dementia,
and with changes
in neuroimaging
and retinal
biomarkers.
As indicated
earlier,
it is based
on data
from the
SNORE-ASA
sub study
of the
ASPREE
trial.
I came
up with
the idea
when I
was putting
together
some questions
on sleep
for a study
questionnaire.
I wanted
to put
a question
about snoring
in, as
I had it
in my head
that sleep
apnoea
would increase
the risk
of dementia.
So I started
to research
this, and
I discovered
some interesting
things.
First,
that sleep
apnoea
becomes
very common
as we got
older –
some studies
would suggest
nearly
1 in 2
adults
aged 70
and over
have sleep
apnoea,
and second,
at the
time there
was really
only cross-sectional
studies
exploring
the relationship
between
sleep apnoea
and cognition
in older
adults,
and they
had conflicting
findings.
It was
wisely
suggested
to
me
that
a question
on
snoring
was
a little
inaccurate,
so
we
obtained
funds
for
interested
participants
to
be
screened
for
sleep
apnoea
at
home
(NHMRC),
and
to
look
at
the
relationship
between
sleep
apnoea
and
brain
and
retinal
measures
of
blood
vessel
health,
using
brain
and
retinal
imaging.
We
are
also
exploring
whether
low-dose
aspirin
confers
more
benefits
to
persons
with
sleep
apnoea
with
respect
to
cognitive
outcomes
and
measures
of
retinal
and
cerebrovascular
health.
An ageing population is generating many challenges for Australia both economically and socially (in the form of providing carers, attracting nurses, hospital beds etc.). What do you feel are the major challenges, and how do you feel healthcare management and policy might be used/developed/modified to help us address these issues? An
ageing
population
does
present
challenges,
indeed,
but
we
should
also
remember
that
in
part
this
reflects
our
longer
life
spans,
which
really
are
a
measure
of
successful
public
health
interventions
over
the
past
100
or
so
years.
And
being
older
is
not
a
problem
in
itself,
the
challenges
emerge
when
there
is
chronic
disease
and
disability
that
impact
upon
people’s
quality
of
life
and
independence.
And
for
the
latter,
in
my
opinion
major
issues
include
how
we
can
provide
good
quality
care
for
older
adults;
in
the
residential
setting
care
setting,
adequate
support
in
community,
and
adequate
support
for
carers
too.
It’s
important
really
also,
that
regardless
of
where
we
are
living
when
we
are
older
(at
home,
alone,
with
others
or
in
a
residential
care
setting)
and
regardless
of
whether
we
are
also
living
with
chronic
disease,
including
dementia,
or
a
disability,
we
still
have
a
chance
to
experience
a
good
quality
of
life,
and
enjoy
meaningful
engagement
in
activities
and
with
others.
Another
consideration
is
that
our
health,
and
well-being,
in
our
old
age
is
in
part
determined
from
how
our
lives
have
been
lived
in
preceding
decades,
possibly
dating
back
to
our
health
and
well-being
in
early
childhood
(and
even
in
utero).
So
a
lot
of
determinants
of
our
health
at
old
age
reflect
not
only
healthcare/
policy
interventions
throughout
our
lifespan,
but
also
really
reflect
the
other
important
levers
of
health
determinants,
many
of
which
are
actually
not
directly
health
related,
but
still
impact
health.
So
if
we
are
considering
policies
relevant
to
an
aging
population,
they
also
include
planning
around
our
cities,
environment,
and
economy
etc.
If
I
had
to
nominate
one
issue
to
focus
on
presently,
I
think
the
study
by
J
Ibhrahim
and
colleagues
from
Monash
University
about
the
rise
in
preventable
deaths
in
nursing
homes
and
published
in
the
MJA
warrants
immediate
attention.
Is there an area you hope to have a major impact in throughout your career? In 15 years’ time, what mark would you have liked to have left? This
is
a
great
question
and
so
much
better
than
questions
about
‘where
you
will
be’
or
‘what
will
you
be
doing’
-
I
think
that
type
of
question
is
quite
limiting,
and
doesn’t
take
into
account
how
the
world
and
our
own
circumstances
change.
If
I
had
been
asked
five
years
ago
what
I
would
be
doing,
I
don’t
think
I
would
have
answered
doing
a
full-time
PhD.
The
impact
I
want
to
make
is
to
improve
the
clinical
care
of
older
adults.
This
I
expect
to
achieve
by:
- providing
good
clinical
care
myself
- providing
leadership
and
modelling
to
junior
colleagues
in
the
delivery
of
excellent
clinical
care
and
improving
scientific
literacy
amongst
clinicians
involved
in
care
of
older
adults
- contributing
to
better
clinical
care
by
conduct
of
high
quality
research
that
investigates
conditions
relevant to
older
adults
- engaging
in
initiatives
that
improve
clinical
outcomes
for
older
adults,
and
- well-informed
advocacy.
Outside of work, what are your passions or interests? What is the book that has influenced you the most? Regarding
books,
I
do
keep
coming
back
to
a
wonderful
book
called
How Doctor’s Think by
Jerome
Groopman.
It’s
a
fascinating,
easy-to-read
book
really
about
the
cognitive
errors
doctors
make,
illustrated
by
many
case
vignettes.
It’s
written
for
a
lay
audience,
and
is
extremely
humbling
for
a
clinician
to
read
and
I
think
can
help
clinical
doctors
develop
an
awareness
of
their
fallibilities,
and
also
help
patients
to
engage
with
their
doctors.
Regarding
passions
and
interests,
right
now,
outside
my
clinical
work
and
study,
I
just
treasure
spending
time
with
my
family,
especially
hanging
out
with
my
4
year
old
son.
One
of
the
wonderful
gifts
from
working
with
older
adults
is
the
perspective
and
wisdom
that
is
shared
with
me,
so
I
have
a
sense
of
how
special,
but
short-lived,
time
with
a
young
person
is.
So
I
take
this
on
board!
Vale Dr James Upcher
We
have
had
sad
news
of
law
alumnus,
Dr
James
Upcher,
who
has
died
tragically
in
an
accident
in
the
UK.
James
was
the
2006
Menzies
Law
Scholar
and
was
working
as
a
lecturer
in
the
law
school
of
Newcastle
University
in
the
UK.
We
offer
our
condolences
to
James’
family
and
friends
at
this
difficult
time.