Professor Suresh Sundram and psychiatric neuroscience: Find out more on 30 Sep 2015

Professor Suresh Sundram at Monash Health

The School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health welcomes Professor Suresh Sundram, Unit Head for adult psychiatry at Monash Medical Centre. Prof Sundram will be speaking at the forthcoming 30 Sep Translational Research symposium hosted by Central Clinical School. See detail below.

Prof Sundram plans to establish a psychiatric neuroscience research program in the Department of Psychiatry at SCS, focussing on psychotic disorders. “I have a particular interest in schizophrenia, with a broad translational approach,” he says.

“We study cellular and molecular aspects of post-mortem human and animal brain relevant to psychotic disorders; animal behaviour studies using transgenic models of psychosis; and biomarker studies in clinical samples using genetic, protein and electrophysiological measures.”

Prof Sundram will also establish a clinical trials research group evaluating new treatments for these disorders. He says, “I hope to build a unique translational research program in psychotic disorders that utilises clinical and biomarker data to understand the molecular bases of psychotic disorders, and in turn generate novel treatments and diagnostics for this patient group".

Of his decision to join Monash, Prof Sundram says, “It was the opportunity to integrate my research vision into one space and the exceptional platform technologies that are available through the Monash Health Translation Precinct.”

Beyond his research and clinical work, Prof Sundram has a strong interest in asylum seeker mental health and mental health service system development in low and middle income countries. “In addition to running a pro bono psychiatric clinic for asylum seekers, I provide and have provided expert advice to national governments and human rights and non-government organisations.”

Prior to joining Monash Health and Monash University, Suresh was Director of Clinical Services for Northern Area Mental Health Services, Head of Molecular Psychopharmacology and the Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, and the Director of the Northern Psychiatry Research Centre.

Prof Sundram will be speaking at the Central Clinical School's Translational Research Symposium Wednesday, 30 September 2015, on the topic of "Evidence for biomarker development in schizophrenia sub-groups".

All welcome, see details:

• Time: 8.00 am registration for 9.00 am start. Drinks and canapes from 6-8 pm
• Venue: AMREP Lecture Theatre, adjacent to the BakerIDI Institute at 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, 200 metres east of the main Alfred Hospital entrance. See map.
• Cost: Free
• RSVP by Friday 25 September for catering purposes
• Enquiries: Catherine.Wong@monash.edu ph +61 3 9903 0640

Professor Eric Morand: The curse of steroids in Lupus - and a way forward. Find out more on 30 Sep 2015

Professor Eric Morand is Head of the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University. He is a Professor of Medicine and Rheumatic Diseases, research group leader in the Monash Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, the Director of Rheumatology at Monash Health and Founder of the Lupus Clinic at Monash Health. Professor Morand will be speaking at the forthcoming 30 Sept Translational Research symposium hosted by Central Clinical School. See detail below.

Trained as a specialist physician in rheumatology in Australia and at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases UK, Professor Morand has led the rheumatic diseases group of the Monash Centre for Inflammatory Diseases since the mid 1990s. He has held Program and Project grants from NH&MRC, NIH, and Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and served on the Council of the Australian Rheumatology Assocation and chaired its Scientific Program and Research Committee. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and patents. The main focus of his research has been the actions of glucocorticoid-regulated proteins in inflammatory processes relevant to rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Professor Morand founded the Monash Lupus Clinic in 2006. This is Australia's only multidisciplinary clinic focussed on SLE, and hosts the Monash Lupus database, Australia's largest longitudinal collection of clinical data and matching serum/DNA bank. In 2012 he became the Director of Rheumatology at Monash Health.

Professor Morand is Head of the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, now the largest site for clinical teaching in Australia's largest medical degree. Prior to becoming Head of School in 2011, Eric chaired the Clinical Skills Theme of the Monash MBBS degree and served as Year III MBBS coordinator at Southern Clinical School.

Prof Morand will be speaking at the Central Clinical School's Translational Research Symposium Wednesday, 30 September 2015, on the topic of "The curse of steroids in Lupus - and a way forward".

All welcome, see details:

• Time: 8.00 am registration for 9.00 am start. Drinks and canapes from 6-8 pm
• Venue: AMREP Lecture Theatre, adjacent to the BakerIDI Institute at 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, 200 metres east of the main Alfred Hospital entrance. See map.
• Cost: Free
• RSVP by Friday 25 September for catering purposes
• Enquiries: Catherine.Wong@monash.edu ph +61 3 9903 0640