Highlights Semester One 2019 - University of Western Australia
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Highlights Semester One 2019
Global impact
UWA’s Faculty of Health and
Medical Sciences is developing
future leaders to meet the global
health challenges of tomorrow and
seize opportunities in a rapidly
changing world.
Our mission is to advance life-long
health through education, research
and innovation.
We offer world class training and Through research-led teaching, we
research opportunities in a wide encourage the lifelong adaptation
range of scientific and clinical and assessment of new theories,
disciplines to significantly benefit the treatments and diagnostic techniques
health of Australian and international that incorporate a holistic approach
communities. to health sciences and a more
sensitive interaction with patients.
We strive to deliver research-led teaching
in high-quality facilities and are
supported in this venture by leading
academics, valued alumni and expert
health professionals.
2 The University of Western Australia
UWA has acquired an international reputation for research
excellence in health and medicine, attracting world class
researchers across a wide range of disciplines and diverse fields.
Our exceptional community of researchers work across The achievements of our researchers have been globally
health and medical research institutes, hospitals and recognised in recent ranking announcements, including
other health care providers. At the core of their work is the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). UWA
translating discoveries into patient care, community also improved 5 places, from 91 to 86, in the 2020 QS World
health and health policy. University Rankings.
Clinical Medicine
at UWA is ranked
8 thin the
world and 1 st
Australia
in
(ARWU 2019)
Awarded
$19.3M 356
PhD Students (2019)
in NHMRC funding (2018) in Health and Medical Sciences
Ranked
in top 35
in the world for Biological
1059
Research Publications
Sciences and Human Biological (Jan-June 2019) in Health
Sciences (ARWU, 2019) and Medical Sciences
uwa.edu.au/health 3
Federal Funding boost
for indigenous mental
health services
The program will test models in ‘real
world’ mental health service settings
which will then be developed for primary
mental health and specialist services,
both for Indigenous and mainstream users.”
A multidisciplinary research program Lead researcher Professor Pat Professor Sean Hood, Head of the UWA
has received $5 million to improve Dudgeon, from the UWA Poche Centre Division of Psychiatry and the Faculty’s
the delivery of mental health services and School of Indigenous Studies, said Associate Dean (Community and
for Australia’s Indigenous population. the project would play a vital role in Engagement), said this is an important
improving Indigenous wellbeing and program because it leverages the
The funding is part of the Federal suicide prevention across Australia. unique breadth of experience at UWA.
Government’s Medical Research Future
Fund (MRFF) Million Minds Mission and “The program will involve researchers “As an integrated cross-faculty research
follows calls for a new approach to from many different parts of the program we have been able to use
Indigenous mental health services to University, providing a multidisciplinary cutting-edge mathematical techniques
foster and promote cultural values and approach to solving some of our we developed in public and private
strengths, as well as empowering those country’s ‘wicked’ problems,” Professor hospital settings and applied these to
who use the services. Dudgeon said. Indigenous mental health in a culturally
sensitive manner,” Professor Hood said.
Researchers will work with Indigenous “The models will feature integrated
service users to develop clinically and mental health, alcohol and drug, The multidisciplinary research team
culturally capable Indigenous mental suicide prevention and social and will be led by senior Indigenous
health service models and establish emotional wellbeing services and researchers and include partnerships
how they can best work within families enhanced workforce capabilities to with Indigenous-specific and other
and communities. They will also look at meet complex needs,” she said. mental health service providers.
how services can better prevent
mental health difficulties and suicide
and consider cultural healers’ work
with service users.
4 The University of Western Australia
Pleural medicine leader named
cancer researcher of the year
A researcher from the Medical Professor Lee led the use of a new “This award is an important recognition
School has been named Cancer drainage device (called the indwelling of the effort of my very dedicated team
Council Western Australia 2019 pleural catheter) that allows, for the of research fellows and collaborators
Cancer Researcher of the Year. first time, patients to drain their fluid at who are devoted to improving patient
home if and when they become care,” he said.
Professor Gary Lee was recognised for breathless.
his research into pleural effusion, a Professor Lee follows UWA’s
build-up of fluid in the chest which He set up the AMPLE (Australasian internationally recognised asbestos-
affects more than 8,000 cancer Malignant Pleural Effusion) network related diseases expert Professor Anna
patients a year in Australia. Pleural across hospitals in Australia, New Nowak who was awarded Cancer
effusion especially effects those with Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Researcher of the Year in 2018.
lung and breast cancers and most of Malaysia. Through the AMPLE network,
those with mesothelioma, a fatal he led two multicentre randomised Professor Nowak was also awarded
cancer of the lining of the lung caused trials that showed indwelling catheter almost $100,000 by Cancer Council this
by exposure to asbestos. treatment improves patient symptoms year to undertake laboratory testing to
and quality of life. understand why some patients with
The resulting fluid accumulation as part mesothelioma responded better to a
of these diseases often causes Most importantly it allows patients combination of chemotherapy and
disabling breathlessness and requires with advanced cancers to spend immunotherapy.
repeated invasive procedures to drain. significantly less time in hospital and
Management of cancer-related more time at home with family. From a
effusions accounts for more than 8,000 healthcare perspective, this treatment
bed days and more than 10 million care can save more than 14,000 hospital
costs in each year in public hospitals of bed days across Australia a year.
Western Australia alone.
Professor Lee divides his time between
working as a professor of respiratory
medicine at UWA and a consultant
We are proud to show
chest physician and director of pleural
services at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. that investigators from
WA could design and lead
Western Australia is the first state
where all tertiary hospitals have a
high-quality, multicentre
specialist pleural physician, all trained clinical trials that impact
by Professor Lee at Sir Charles Gairdner on clinical practice
Hospital. Professor Lee was
instrumental in setting up pleural worldwide.”
medicine as a new subspecialty in
Australia. This has significantly
improved the diagnosis and
management journey of cancer
patients with pleural effusions.
uwa.edu.au/health 5
Babies make room in
the womb for bacteria
Our exposure to bacteria begins before we’re born, according to new research led by Dr Lisa Stinson
from the division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The study, published in Frontiers in Microbiology,
used rigorous contamination controls to confirm exposure to bacteria begins in the womb.
Researchers collected amniotic fluid “Over the last decade, numerous studies have detected bacterial
samples from 50 healthy women
DNA in amniotic fluid and first-pass meconium (baby’s first poo),
undergoing planned caesarean
deliveries and found nearly all contained
challenging the long-held assumption the womb is sterile,” Dr
bacterial DNA. They subsequently found Stinson said.
all 50 newborns had bacteria in their first
bowel movement. The researchers said it was important “Interestingly, the meconium microbiome
to conclusively determine whether a varied hugely between individual
healthy womb contained bacteria newborns. The amniotic fluid
because the ‘fetal microbiome’ was microbiome for the most part
likely to have a significant impact on contained typical skin bacteria,
the developing immune system, gut such as Propionibacterium acnes
and brain. and Staphylococcus species.”
To settle the issue, the research team None of the women who
took strict measures to eliminate
took part in the study nor
bacterial contamination when analysing
amniotic fluid and meconium samples.
their babies had any sign of
infection. In fact, the fetal
For example, they purified the reagents microbiome may prove to be
used to detect bacterial DNA in the a beneficial regulator of early
samples, by adding an enzyme
which digests DNA remnants from
development.
bio-manufacturing.
“We found that levels of important
immune modulators in meconium and
“Despite these measures, we
inflammatory mediators in amniotic
still found bacterial DNA
fluid varied according to the amount
in almost all samples,”
and species of bacterial DNA present,”
Dr Stinson said.
Dr Stinson said.
“This suggests the fetal microbiome has
the potential to influence the
developing fetal immune system.”
Dr Stinson’s research was carried out
under the supervision of Professor
Jeffrey Keelan, Head of the School of
Biomedical Sciences and Dr Matt
Payne, Research Fellow in the Division
of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the
UWA Medical School.
6 The University of Western Australia
“Once the GP has this information base,
they can then work through the
platform to develop a personal care
plan for the patient,” she said. “The
platform contains 112 clinical practice
guidelines as well as the LactaPedia
glossary and 21 information sheets
that can be printed out during the
consultation or emailed to patients.”
LactaPedia is an online lactation
dictionary for science and medicine
that sets the international standard for
breastfeeding language. It was created
by Ms Boss and Emeritus Professor
Peter Hartmann to address the lack of
consistency in lactation-related
Lactamap to support terminology and help counteract some
of the conflicting advice women
GPs caring for
receive when breastfeeding.
It defines more than 560 terms
breastfeeding mums associated with lactation, including
physiology, the composition of human
milk and conditions that affect
lactation. The lactation glossary can
Researchers from the School of Allied Health have launched a world-first online be freely accessed by medical
lactation care support system called LactaMap to support GPs who are helping professionals and scientists as well as
patients who have problems breastfeeding. the general public.
Lead researcher Melinda Boss “Lactation completes the reproductive As reported in the Journal of Human
said LactaMap was developed cycle but is often considered outside of Lactation, early weaning represents a
specifically to provide doctors with the scope of modern medicine. major public health concern and
an evidence-based program they can Conflicting advice is one of the most results in an estimated $4 billion loss
use during consultations to help treat common factors that impact a to the Australian economy each year.
mothers and babies experiencing mother’s confidence in her ability to
lactation issues. initiate and sustain breastfeeding.” LactaMap is accessible to doctors free
of charge. The research team gratefully
“Unlike other medical guidelines, Ms Boss said LactaMap addresses acknowledges the support of major
LactaMap is an online lactation care breastfeeding difficulties by starting sponsor the Family Larsson-Rosenquist
support system for doctors to use at with consideration of four key areas: Foundation, as well as the support of
the point of care, to support mothers pain, milk transfer, maternal health the Rotary Club of Southern District.
and infants experiencing difficulty with and infant health.
breastfeeding,” Ms Boss said.
Our hope is to create a common medical and scientific
understanding that will help to normalise human lactation.”
uwa.edu.au/health 7
Faculty award winners
The Faculty congratulates all 2019 award winners. The following are
some highlights of staff and alumni achievements so far this year:
Senior Research Fellow Melinda Boss Professor Wendy Erber and Professor Vera Morgan
WA Pharmacist of the Year Award, Associate Professor Kathryn Fuller Raine Medical Research Foundation
Western Australian Pharmacist Awards Rio-Tinto Australia-Japan Collaborative Collaboration Awards, 2018
Program, Foundation for Australia- Australasian Epidemiological
Dr Mitali Sarkar-Tyson Japan studies (FAJS) Association (AEA) Annual Meeting
Project Leader Award, Defence Awards, 2018
Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) Professor John Newnham
Finalist Western Australian of the Year Dr Yael Perry
Dr Sally Brinkman Award, Australian Medical Association Raine Medical Research Foundation
NHMRC Research Excellence Award, (WA) Hippocrates Award Collaboration awards, 2018
2018 Career Development Fellowship
Scheme, National Health and Medical Ms Glenda Kickett Dr Lee Nedkoff
Research Council Finalist Western Australian Raine Medical Research Foundation
of the Year Award Collaboration awards, 2018
Dr Dayse Tavora-Vieira
Researcher of the Year- SMHS- Dr Angus Turner Dr Anabel Sorolla Bardaji
Excellence Awards Professionals Award, 2019 Western Raine Medical Research Foundation
Australian of the Year Awards Collaboration awards, 2018
Professor Helen Milroy
First Indigenous AFL commissioner, Professor Wendy Erber Associate Professor Lisa Wood
Australian Football League Scientist of the Year Finalist Pro Bono Australia Impact 25 Award,
WA Premier’s Science Awards Sax Institute Research Action Award,
Dr Jilen Patel 2018, 2018 Public Health Association
WA Young Achiever of the Year Professor Ryan Lister of Australia WA Branch Policy and
Masonic Care WA/Freemasons Scientist of the Year Finalist Research Translation Award for 2018,
WA Community Service and WA Premier’s Science Awards Faculty Travel Award 2019
Volunteering Award
Ms Hayley Passmore Ms Shannen Vallesi, Mr Craig
Dr Chan Cheah ExxonMobil Student Scientist Cumming, Ms Angela Gazey, Mr
Woodside STEM Excellence Award, of the Year Finalist Nick Wood and Nuala Chapple.
2019 Business News 40under40 2018 Public Health Association of
Ms Sharynne Hamilton
Associate Professor ExxonMobil Student Scientist Australia WA Branch Policy and
Lynette Fernandes of the Year Finalist Research Translation Award for 2018
Senior Fellowship to Advance Higher Dr Demelza Ireland
Education Academy, Advance Higher Ms Kirsty McLean
ExxonMobil Student Scientist Faculty Excellence in Teaching
Education Academy Award - Individual or Teams
of the Year Finalist
Assistant Professor Associate Professor
Anna Waterreus Christopher Peacock
Travel Award, Schizophrenia Faculty Excellence in Teaching
International Research Society, Award - Individual or Teams
Daniel Beck Memorial Award for
Schizophrenia Research
Please email comms-hms@uwa.edu.au with news of awards and achievements.
8 The University of Western Australia
Our Schools
Medical School School of Biomedical Sciences
Ms Amber Boyatzis UWA’s Medical School brings together The School encompasses teaching and
Faculty Excellence in Teaching the brightest students, experienced research in a range of biological, medical
Award - Early Career clinicians and committed researchers and health-related fields. Offering both
to unlock the greatest health challenges undergraduate and postgraduate
Ms Natalia Popowicz of our day. We have a renowned courses, students have the opportunity
Faculty Excellence in Teaching research program carried out in to learn about the intersection between
Award - Early Career laboratories, hospitals and in the human pathology and health, and an
community at a patient level, and awareness of the approaches and
Associate Professor Allison Imrie
we offer a range of scientific and applications of the biomedical scientific
Citation for Outstanding
clinical research opportunities across disciplines.
Contribution to Student Learning
10 divisions.
Dr Susannah Warwick
Citation for Outstanding
Contribution to Student Learning
The Noisy Guts Project
National iAwards Finalist &
WAITTA INCITE Awards Winner,
Most Innovative Enabler in Health School of Population
School of Allied Health
Care, National iAwards Finalist and Global Health
Allied health professionals work in
& WAITTA INCITE Awards Research
the health, social and psychosocial The School is a leading research,
& Innovation Project of the Year
services care team, using specialised teaching and service organisation
skills to provide evidence-based whose work influences health policies
QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS:
services to patients and other service and practices. The School comprises
Professor Richard Pestell, AO
users. The School offers professional Population and Public Health, the
MBBS ‘82, DM ‘08
entry to practice courses in pharmacy, Western Australian Centre for Rural
Professor David Mackey, AO podiatric medicine and social work, Health (WACRH) and the Raine Study.
as well as health professions We take an evidence-based approach
Dr Bill Carroll, AM
education courses for those wishing through research, advocacy and
MBBS ‘73, MD ‘85
to become educators in health. health promotion to protect and
Associate Professor improve the health of communities.
Prudence Manners, AM
MD ‘01
Professor Dao-Yi Yu, AM
PhD ‘91 Dental School
The UWA Dental School is WA’s only tertiary dental training
centre, offering aspiring and existing dentists a range of
practical and innovative postgraduate courses in a high-tech
dental and learning facility. Using state of the art dental
technology, our research contributes to the understanding
of oral diseases, their prevention and treatment.
uwa.edu.au/health 9
Doctor of Dental Medicine Career Mentor Café
Over 30 students and seventeen
alumni attended the UWA Dental
School annual Career Mentor Café on
Wednesday June 19 at Coffee
Anatomy, Harry Perkins Institute of
Medical Research. The annual
“speed networking” event is
designed to give first year dental
students the opportunity to connect
with alumni and explore professional
development and guidance as they
begin their career in dentistry.
Now in its fourth year, the Career Café
is proving to be a highly popular event
for both students and alumni. The “I was surprised to learn
format of the event facilitates
conversation and connection between just how many career
students and graduates via rotating avenues there are in
seating positions in a set time frame.
dentistry ranging from
First year DMD student Yasaman private specialist care
Mishanini found the evening a great
opportunity to mingle with passionate to general practice to
and charismatic dental alumni. epidemiology,” she said.
Fourth-generation dentist graduates from UWA
Dr Grace Cooper recently graduated
with her Doctorate in Dental
Medicine. Dr Cooper’s great
grandfather graduated as a dentist in
1920, her grandfather in 1949 and her
Dad in 1979. Her family’s connection
to the profession greatly impacted
Grace’s decision to study dentistry.
“After getting the idea from my family,
the more I learned about the
profession, the more I was sure it was
what I wanted to do”, Dr Cooper said.
“I enjoy helping people, especially if it Dr Cooper is now working in two Dental
A career in dentistry offers so many
means getting them out of pain. The Practices, Spearwood Dental Centre
opportunities, challenges and rewards
satisfaction that I get from my job, for and Harmony Dental in Morley. As a
and this is what attracted Grace to the
example from winning over an anxious new graduate, she is still enjoying
profession.
patient to improving someone’s exploring all the different aspects of
confidence in their smile, at the end of dentistry, especially aesthetic dentistry
the day is truly rewarding”, she said. and restorative dentistry.
10 The University of Western AustraliaUWA dentist honoured for
work with disadvantaged
communities
UWA paediatric dentist Dr Jilen Patel Dr Patel has continued to play an
has been named 2019 7News active role in oral health advocacy
Western Australian Young Achiever and developing oral health policy
of the Year and also awarded the and practice for underserved
Masonic Care WA/Freemasons WA communities.
Community Service and
Volunteering Award for his work “We want to reach those
with vulnerable communities.
people who have issues
Dr Patel is passionate about accessing health care
improving oral health outcomes and specifically dental care.”
among disadvantaged communities
and says his volunteering work Dr Patel has also been involved
focuses primarily on children, as with creating an integrated,
“their voices are often left unheard”. multidisciplinary oral health
education and prevention program
A graduate from the UWA Dental for refugee children. His work has
School, Dr Patel is now a specialist led to the implementation of an
paediatric dentist at Perth Children’s Australian-first, randomised
Hospital and the Oral Health Centre controlled clinical trial aiming
of WA. His journey was inspired by to slow the progression of tooth decay.
mentor and UWA alumnus Dr John
Owen AM who is the founding director “We have also translated the model
of the Kimberley Dental team and of care to provide services to other
where Jilen is now a director and vulnerable members of the
Senior Dental Officer. community, including homeless
people in the metropolitan region,
The team provides voluntary dental disadvantaged youth, refugees and
services to remote communities aged care,” he said.
across the Kimberley region and
distributes tens of thousands of
toothbrushes and toothpaste to
Kimberley Schools.
uwa.edu.au/health 11Connectivity, collaboration and opportunity
to generate healthy futures for our kids: UWA
Health Campus and Perth Children’s Hospital
The first of many milestones was recently achieved by Western Hospital is a great example of the kind
Australia’s Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) celebrating its first of partnerships that organically flourish
birthday, marking the move from Princess Margaret Hospital in through this unique colocation of
Subiaco to Hospital Avenue in Nedlands. health and education facilities in Perth.
The close proximity of the UWA Health Collaboration between clinical practice Professor Roebuck has extensive
Campus next to WA’s specialist and pedagogy creates a synergetic experience in the treatment of children
paediatric hospital and trauma centre, relationship between universities and with renovascular disease and complex
and the wider Child and Adolescent health services; a key to attracting aerodigestive problems. One of his
Health Service, provides new world-leading researchers and major medical interests is paediatric
opportunities for advancing the health teachers. Students across the Faculty cancer. He was Radiology Chair of the
and wellbeing of children, while both benefit from being surrounded by International Childhood Liver Tumour
driving research success and teaching working hospitals and internationally Strategy Group (SIOPEL) for over
excellence. renowned health organisations, having 15 years and appointed to Great
the opportunity to be embedded in Ormond Street Hospital, London in
A unique feature of a health and these facilities from early on in their 1999 to develop the Interventional
medical sciences degree at UWA is the studies; and gaining real world Radiology service.
location of the Health Campus on the practical experience through hands on
same site as the largest medical centre training with leading researchers and It is not only undergraduate and
in the southern hemisphere, the Queen clinicians. postgraduate students who are
Elizabeth II Medical Centre. This centre benefiting from this symbiotic
houses two major public hospitals The recent appointment of Derek relationship. Professional education
– Sir Charles Gairdner and the Perth Roebuck as Professor of Paediatric opportunities for staff, alumni, higher
Children’s Hospital. Radiology at UWA and Perth Children’s degree and early career researchers
12 The University of Western AustraliaA community approach is critical to answer some of
the big questions around child and youth mental health.”
also excel through the use of shared policy makers and funders to improve “What’s different about Embrace is
state of the art research facilities, the health, development and lives of that we’re looking right from early
equipment, idea generation and children and young people. Their childhood through to early adulthood,
networking. Embrace initiative is Australia’s first so that we can make sure to identify
comprehensive research centre mental health issues where they start,”
Cross cultivation of ideas from focused on mental health in people said Professor Carapetis.
academia to research and practice from birth to 25 years of age.
helps translate science into positive “We need early identification and
health outcomes enabling greater Embrace will bring together intervention strategies so kids can
knowledge, innovation and lifesaving researchers, clinicians, service enjoy a happy childhood and a
discoveries for children’s health. providers and the community in mentally healthy future.”
a collaborative effort to find new
UWA researchers Associate Professor strategies and tools to address The growing relationship between the
Ashleigh Lin and Professor Helen Milroy alarming rates of mental health University community at the UWA
are another example of how this issues in this age group. Health Campus and the Child and
synergistic relationship between clinic Adolescent Health Service is proving to
and campus is driving innovation in Director of Telethon Kids Institute, have a significant impact on the future
child health research. Together, they consultant paediatrician at Perth of child health; whether it be through
are co-leading Embrace, a new Children’s Hospital and UWA Professor offering students a world-class student
Telethon Kids Institute mental health Jonathan Carapetis said an initiative experience and education or pioneering
initiative. like Embrace is unique because of its groundbreaking research, the positive
focus on early detection and effects of this new health hub will
Telethon Kids is based at the Perth intervention of youth mental continue to create unique opportunities
Children’s Hospital and brings together health issues. to advance the health and wellbeing of
community, researchers, practitioners, children in WA and beyond.
uwa.edu.au/health 1380 percent of disadvantaged
families are not adequately
nourished
We need to understand more
comprehensively what stops
people moving out of poverty.”
A multidisciplinary study involving “The 100 Families WA study provides us The project was launched in May 2018
researchers at the School of with the opportunity to understand not and will continue until 2022, with a
Population and Global Health has only the lived experience of poverty, baseline study involving 400 families,
found two-thirds of disadvantaged but also the policy and practice and in-depth interviews with 100
families struggle to afford feeding changes needed to significantly reduce families. As part of the project, the lives
their children a balanced meal. Of levels of poverty”. and experiences of 100 families will be
these families, adults had lower food followed over time to examine the
security than children, sometimes “This research is important causes of entrenched disadvantage, its
sacrificing food or going hungry in impact and the factors that positively
because the results will
order to feed their children. contribute to exit from deep
provide a very robust entrenched poverty. A central tenet of
The 100 Families WA study, which aims evidence base on which the 100 Families WA project is that
to understand disadvantage and significant policy and practice research takes place with families,
poverty, found around 80 per cent of rather than on them.
decisions can be made.”
disadvantaged families did not have
stable access to food to meet their 100 Families WA is a collaborative The project has received in-kind
nutritional requirements. These initial research project between UWA and support from all partners, seed funding
findings are part of a wider report of eight not-for-profit organisations in the from the Centre for Social Impact
the baseline findings due to be community services sector including supported by The Bankwest Foundation
released in August. Anglicare WA, Ruah Community and the School of Population and
Services, Wanslea, Jacaranda Global Health. In 2018 the McGowan
Professor Colleen Fisher, Head of UWA’s Community Centre, Centrecare, Government announced a $1.75 million
School of Population and Global UnitingCare West, MercyCare, and grant on behalf of Lotterywest for the
Health, said living with entrenched WACOSS to complete the research. 100 Families WA project.
disadvantage had severe negative
social and health outcomes for “The School of Population and Global
individuals and families. Health is well placed to be a part of this
integral research because of our
commitment to improve health and
social outcomes. Reducing levels
of poverty is central to this,” said
Professor Fisher.
14 The University of Western AustraliaHealth Professions Education team and alumni.
Health Professions Education
celebrates 10 years of graduates
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Health Professions Education (HPE)
graduates. To celebrate this milestone, an alumni evening was held in May.
Over 40 current students, academics and alumni joined guest speaker
Ms Karen Bradley, Executive Director – Clinical Leadership and Reform from
the Department of Health to celebrate the success and growth of UWA’s HPE
division in the last 10 years.
In today’s healthcare education system, industries including higher education
many involved in teaching are institutions, public regulatory bodies,
practising clinicians who require community and healthcare service
training as managers, teachers or organisations.
policymakers. HPE at UWA has
developed a strong reputation locally Head of Division, Professor Sandra Carr
and internationally for its expertise said, “the evening was testament to the
incorporating innovative teaching and fantastic success of our graduates and
learning methodologies, across a suite their application of the knowledge and
of reputable face-to-face and online practical training they received during
postgraduate courses and professional their studies here. HPE is very proud of
short course programs. our strong worldwide alumni
community and professional friends
HPE graduates have forged exciting and it was lovely to celebrate this
careers as educators, researchers, special milestone with our current
practitioners and clinicians, and have community of students, alumni and
worked across diverse fields and valued network.”
uwa.edu.au/health 15Hospital discharges to
‘no fixed addresses’ –
here’s a much better way
Hospital and human
costs are high
One of the most costly consequences
of homelessness for any city is the
burden on the health system. Although
mental and physical health issues can
contribute to homelessness, being
homeless also increases the risk of
many health problems. These include
psychiatric illness, substance use and
chronic and infectious diseases.
Across Australia, people who are
homeless are among the most frequent
presenters to emergency departments.
“Homelessness is one of the most intractable and complex problems Their rate of unplanned hospital
facing cities around the globe,” says my colleague Dr Jim O’Connell admissions is high. The average stay is
from the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP). It is longer too.
somewhat sobering to hear that Boston is now into its third ‘ten-year
plan’ to end homelessness. Despite the success of Boston’s Housing All of this strains the resources of our
First programs housing many people who have lived on the streets for public hospitals, as shown in our recent
years, it has proven difficult to ‘turn off the homelessness tap’. analysis of data for homeless patients
seen at Royal Perth Hospital.
The reasons include the lack of affordable housing crisis and huge
affordable housing options and a public housing wait lists. Alarming Globally and within Australia, pressure
systemic failure to break the cycle of numbers of people are released from is mounting on hospitals to shorten
people leaving the corrections system Australian prisons to homelessness stays in costly hospital beds. However,
without somewhere to live. each year. post-discharge care via less costly
‘hospital in the home’ programs is not
O’Connell spent a week in Perth in 2018 So while ending homelessness in an option for patients with ‘no fixed
as a Raine Medical Foundation Visiting Australia is a vital aspiration, which addresses’.
Fellow at UWA. He recounts around half needs to be backed by a coordinated
the people entering Boston homeless national strategy, multisectoral action As a result, homeless patients face
shelters indicate that ‘a jail’ was where and greater dedicated funding, our either longer inpatient admissions or
they slept the previous night. cities also need to be better equipped are discharged when too unwell for the
to deal with the health impacts and challenges of living on the street – and
These are cautionary warnings for other consequences of homelessness that in turn results in deteriorating
Australia, where concerted efforts to until it can be eradicated. health and many unplanned
end homelessness are up against an readmissions.
This article was originally published by Associate Professor Lisa Wood from the
School of Population and Global Health on The Conversation: theconversation.com/au
This article has been adapted for print with the author’s permission.
16 The University of Western AustraliaRespite centres offer
a solution
An innovative solution to these
problems is the medical respite model
for homeless people. This originated in
the United States in the mid-1980s.
A respite centre enables people who are
homeless to recuperate after hospital in
a more home-like environment. Here
they can receive follow-up care, social
support and be linked to community
services and accommodation providers.
A more homely non-hospital
environment is a critical ingredient, as
hospitals can be traumatising for
homeless people. Many of them have
suffered violence, sexual abuse, neglect,
incarceration or other forms of trauma,
further compounded by the trauma of
Associate Professor Lisa Wood participating in the Homeless Healthcare outreach program.
living on the streets. From the Boston
experience, therapy dogs, social
connection, recreational activities, art Canada. Australia at present has housed. Linking people to a general
therapy and patient support groups are two small examples, in Melbourne practitioner through Homeless
among the healing benefits that can be and Sydney. Healthcare will be a critical part of the
provided outside a hospital model, as its GPs and nurses can
environment. In Melbourne, The Cottage is literally provide primary care and follow-up in
a cottage next to St Vincent’s Hospital the community to avert future hospital
One of our reasons for bringing Jim in Melbourne. It has six patient beds, admissions.
O’Connell to Australia was to draw on with an average stay of nine days.
his experience as a founder of the first As Dr Andrew Davies, of Homeless
medical respite centre for homeless Tierney House is a 12-bed, short-stay Healthcare, and I stressed recently in
people in the US. It began as a 25-bed respite unit run by St Vincent’s Hospital the MJA, the absence of safe and
facility in Boston in 1985 and now has Sydney. Support and care is provided secure housing lies at the core of the
124 beds. Sadly, the demand keeps for around $400 a day. This is far health disparities seen among people
growing – for every bed that becomes cheaper than the average Australian who are homeless. This is particularly
available, there are 20 calls from hospital bed cost of $2,003 a day in apparent when they are discharged
hospitals wanting a bed for homeless 2015-16. from hospital before they are well
patients. enough to return to the streets.
Perth is seeking to establish Australia’s
What facilities does first 20-bed medical recovery centre for Just imagine trying to recover from a
Australia have? people who are homeless. It’s based hospital admission without a safe place
on the US respite care model, but with to rest and sleep, nowhere to wash, no
The respite centre model has flourished a sharpened focus on connecting secure storage for medications, not to
in North America, with over 70 in cities people to housing and long-term mention poor access to nutritious food
across the US and a growing number in health and other support to remain and difficulty maintaining hygienic
wound care.
In 2019 as part of the WA Sustainable Health Review Final Report, the State Government announced funding for the
establishment and evaluation of a 20-bed medical respite centre to provide clinical care to homeless people who may
otherwise be admitted to hospital. This will be first medical recovery centre of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
uwa.edu.au/health 17Can being born blind
protect people from
schizophrenia?
Researchers in the Schools of
Population and Global Health and
“This research may have implications
Medicine have released a study that for intervention in the future. If we can
provides compelling evidence
congenital/early cortical blindness
understand what causes the protective
(when people are blind from birth or effect and artificially reproduce this, we
shortly after) is protective against
schizophrenia.
may be able to intervene early at a stage
to minimise or prevent those symptoms
The unusual discovery has fascinated
scientists and may lead to a better
that can lead to schizophrenia.”
understanding of what causes
schizophrenia – a question that has “It’s very difficult to say what the exact actually be enhanced in people
baffled scientists for decades. mechanism is but we think that the with congenital or early cortical
protective effect for schizophrenia is blindness.”
The researchers used data collected related to some kind of compensatory
from health registers between 1980 cortical reorganisation in the brain Professor Morgan said the research
and 2001 on nearly half a million that’s happening in response to had concentrated on people who
people in Western Australia and having congenital or early cortical were blind at birth or in their early
found no one with a diagnosis of blindness,” she said. years because there was greater
congenital or early cortical blindness brain plasticity at that age and
developed schizophrenia. “As a result, some functions that are greater potential for new neural
impaired in schizophrenia may connections to be formed.
Lead author Professor Vera Morgan
from the UWA Neuropsychiatric
Epidemiology Research Unit said they
also found no one with congenital or
early cortical blindness had
developed any other psychotic
illnesses.
“This leads us to think there is a link
that must be explored,” she said.
Professor Morgan said that the brain’s
plasticity could be the link.
18 The University of Western AustraliaStepping forward with ease
expert supervision by the University’s
Surgery teaching staff and other visiting
podiatric surgeons.
The DPS is a unique program in
Australia, with no other university
offering similar training.
Associate Professor Cam Wareham,
Head of the Division of Podiatric
Medicine and Surgery within the
School of Allied Health said:
“The Podiatric Surgery clinic is a
distinctive feature of our facilities
which support the education of our
The UWA Podiatric Surgery clinic podiatric technology, the clinic offers
Doctor of Podiatric Surgery students.
is a state-of-the-art surgery the best possible care to patients. In
This first class facility enables them to
facility and the first of its kind 2019, the clinic has treated many
gain expert knowledge of many foot
in the southern hemisphere. patients and performed a number of
and ankle problems and furthers their
Highly qualified and experienced procedures both simple and complex.
understanding of the theoretical and
Podiatric Surgeons consult at the
practical aspects of foot surgery.
clinic, diagnosing and treating Postgraduate students in the Doctor
a variety of foot and ankle of Podiatric Surgery (DPS) course The opportunity to comprehensively
conditions requiring surgery. undertake a substantial portion of train in our expert clinic is part of the
their training in the clinic, having the reason we continue to attract the best
With individual consulting rooms, a
opportunity to treat patients under students to our DPS course,” he said.
purpose-built operating theatre for
onsite day surgery and the latest
Medical students attend national
leadership conference
In May, a group of six Doctor of The NDLS has long been regarded as NLDS provides a unique and intimate
Medicine (MD) students attended the AMSA’s most prestigious academic forum to discuss issues integral to
National Leadership Development event, with delegates having a unique health, education, politics and
Seminar (NLDS) in Canberra. opportunity to engage with medical, leadership, and is designed to shape
Mudra Shah, Lianne Leung, social, and political issues. This the medical leaders of tomorrow, both
Mark Hoey, Jana Crous, Erin Hassett year’s NDLS theme was “Passion in a professional and personal context.
and Nicholas Leedman were for Inspiration”.
supported by the Faculty to attend Ranging from second to final year, each
the annual conference, organised Insights into effective leadership, of the Faculty’s student delegates were
by the Australian Medical Students’ problem solving strategies, sustainable competitively chosen to attend the
Association (AMSA). leadership and attaining work life conference on the basis of increasing
balance were a prime focus of the their future leadership capacity, and
plenaries, panel discussions, upskilling their leadership and
workshops, projects breakouts and teamwork skills.
social events.
uwa.edu.au/health 19Mr Michael Cornwall and Professor Schlaich
50 per cent of people do not know
they have high blood pressure
Results of a recent study involving scientists from UWA and the Royal Perth High blood pressure is the biggest
Hospital Medical Research Foundation has revealed 50 per cent of Australians contributor to cardiovascular death
living with high blood pressure do not realise they have it. and disease worldwide, affecting about
six million adult Australians and more
than a billion adults globally with the
The research was published in May “Even though effective treatments for
figure forecast to reach 1.5 billion by
in the European Heart Journal this condition are widely available, only
2025.
Supplements and found of 3817 people half of the people affected by it are
involved in the Australian component being treated, and of those treated 35-year-old patient Michael Cornwall
of the study, 31.2 per cent had high only 60 per cent are having their blood has suffered high blood pressure but is
blood pressure and only half of them pressure adequately controlled,” among those to seek detection early
were aware of it. Of those who received Professor Schlaich said. and now enjoys an improved lifestyle
treatment, 40 per cent still had blood after treatment.
pressure above the recommended
“This tells us that the
level. People who smoked, drank Mr Cornwall said since the treatment,
alcohol or had cerebrovascular disease majority of people his blood pressure had dropped from
were at greater risk of having elevated
who have high blood 140 over 90 to a more manageable 120
blood pressure. over 80 mmHg.
pressure may have
Australian study lead UWA Professor
Markus Schlaich, who holds the
never had it measured “A lot of younger people think it’s
something that typically happens to
Dobney Chair in Clinical Research at and are unaware of older people or people that aren’t
the Royal Perth Hospital Medical
Research Foundation said the results
their condition.” active but I’m proof that it can happen
to young active people,” he said.
were alarming. “Treatment is really easy and you can
still lead a normal, healthy life.”
20 The University of Western AustraliaNew collaboration to improve
treatments for cancer patients
The University of Western Australia has entered a new collaboration with Douglas Pharmaceuticals,
building on the work of researchers from UWA and the Telethon Kids Institute, to develop
immunotherapy treatments for cancer.
Cancer immunotherapy, including The team pinpointed drug “Through the partnership
the use of checkpoint-blocking combinations that would tip the we will be able to perform
antibody therapies, has shown balance and achieve favourable,
crucial laboratory studies
remarkable results in recent years, with long-lasting results.
many patients achieving long-lasting to optimise treatments and
results and the regression of their One of the identified drug combinations better understand why
cancer, approaching ‘cures’. which is shown to have far greater some patients respond to
activity than the use of a single drug
immunotherapy while others
However, while the treatment is on its own will be developed with
effective for some patients, others do Douglas Pharmaceuticals with the aim do not,” Dr Lesterhuis said.
not respond and the reasons for this of progressing into a clinical trial in 2020.
are not yet properly understood.
Dr Joost Lesterhuis said the “I think it is a fantastic example of how
Lead researcher Dr Joost Lesterhuis, partnership was an exciting approaches from very different fields of
a medical oncologist and group leader opportunity to translate highly science, in this case mathematics,
from the School of Biomedical Sciences, promising research findings into computer science and cancer medicine,
and his team, including Dr Anthony the clinic, with the potential to make can together give us unique new insights
Bosco, Systems Biologist at Telethon meaningful improvements in the with the potential to provide new
Kids Institute, used a network analysis treatment of cancer. treatments for people with cancer.”
method to look at how thousands of
genes connect with each other in a
cancer, and which needed to be
activated to respond positively to
immunotherapy.
uwa.edu.au/health 21Master of Pharmacy student wins
ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship
Master of Pharmacy student of the project is to form international
Alexander Gallo was recently guidelines on biosimilars and how they
awarded the ThinkSwiss Research should be dealt with.
Scholarship which will provide him
with financial support to undertake “It’s a fantastic achievement for Alex to
a research internship in Switzerland. be awarded the ThinkSwiss Research
Scholarship. We are also very pleased
The aim of the scholarship is to that another Pharmacy student,
promote and increase research Chelsea Harben, will be completing her
opportunities in Switzerland and to research at the University of Basel as
foster the exchange between Swiss well. To have two students undertake
and Asia-Pacific universities. their research internationally is very
exciting,” said Assistant Professor Liza
“I’m extremely excited to be representing Seubert, Head of Division of Pharmacy.
UWA in Switzerland and am very
thankful to all the staff in Pharmacy
for helping me to succeed in the course
and to receive this scholarship. It’s a “The restructure of the Master of Pharmacy
wonderful opportunity,” said Alexander.
curriculum has provided a dedicated block
Alex will be based at the University for students to undertake their research
of Basel in the Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences where his
projects. This has opened up opportunities
research will focus on biosimilar for students to complete these projects
drugs. This will involve reviewing data
collected from 10 different countries to
internationally.”
assess the current practices and laws
around biosimilars and their Alex and Chelsea will be in Switzerland
interchangeability. The overall aim for 11 weeks from 22 July to 4 October.
22 The University of Western AustraliaBroadening Units: Graduates
ready for a changing world
This semester, the Faculty received any other of UWA’s undergraduate Issues In Women’s Health Across their
record enrolments for our popular majors. The breadth of knowledge Lifespan is another unit offered in
offering of broadening units. this opportunity allows is a key Semester 2 proving to be of keen
Students from the disciplines of advantage of the unique UWA interest to students. This unit
Commerce, Engineering, Science course model. introduces students to diverse
and Arts joined health students contemporary issues in womens
to explore units in Life and Health One of the most popular broadening health such as basic advances in
Sciences. units was Mental Health and Wellbeing genetic mapping; advances in
with a record enrolment of 250 assisted reproduction, and the impact
Australian and international employer students last semester. Mental health this has on women’s health issues.
groups continually emphasise a need is one of the most important and
for graduates who have acquired a topical facets of modern healthcare Most students choose to take their
broader suite of ‘transferrable’ skills and the focus of this unit is to provide broadening units in the first and
that prepare them for employment in students with an overall understanding second year of their degree, which
a changing world. of mental health and wellbeing for can lead to the discovery of interests
themselves and others. and passions that will give them a
UWA’s flexible undergraduate course distinct advantage with potential
structure offers students the Drugs That Changed the World is employers or open up further avenues
opportunity to explore interests another unit which continues to be of study.
across a wide range of disciplines, in very popular with students across the
addition to their primary major or University, with a record number of
degree specific area of knowledge. 1000 enrolments in Semester 2, 2018.
The content of this unit examines
For example, students studying the both the future of drugs and some of
Bachelor of Biomedical Science can the most important drugs that have
choose to learn a language, take a impacted society and revolutionised
personal finance unit, or study units medicine and healthcare.
from design, management,
economics, communications,
philosophy, environmental science or
Students have the opportunity to
complete at least four broadening units
throughout their undergraduate degree.
uwa.edu.au/health 23Email Email Connect Connect Web Web
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