Online learning event: Optimising polypharmacy and deprescribing with digital health solutions
Dr Lisa Kouladjian O'Donnell, from Sydney University, will be presenting to Frailty Nexus on the latest digital health solutions which can optimise polypharmacy and deprescribing in older adults. It will run on Zoom from 3pm on Wednesday 1 May. Details and RSVP. 

Health Translation Queensland (HTQ) Workshop
NHMRC-accredited research translation centres, including HTQ, are conducting a number of workshops across Australia until mid-May to seek feedback on the proposed amendments to NHMRC's Statement on consumer and community involvement (CCI) in health and medical research. The HTQ workshop will take place on Wednesday 24 April between 12pm and 2pm over Zoom. Register now.

View archived Events announcements

For general information about CHRC – particularly for new staff and students please review our Intranet site.

View archived announcements from CHRC

From the Director’s Desk
Our Higher Degree Research students are entering a busy period, with numerous confirmation seminars in the CHSR calendar, a Brisbane Comedy Festival appearance by Victor Gallegos-Rejas and of course the inaugural HDR retreat commencing today.  Looking ahead, I once again draw your attention to our next CHSR Seminar Series on 15 May, staged exclusively each month for Centre staff and students.  And I encourage you to take advantage of the Centre’s new AIDH membership investment.  I hope your own research will continue to be enriched through participation in as many of these diverse and vibrant Centre offerings as possible.

Best wishes, Monika 

The spirit of reconciliation
A recording of the recent Closing The Gap in the Faculty of Medicine seminar is now available here.

AIDH membership
CHSR is now a member of the Australasian Institute of Digital Health! Please use this link to register as a member of our CHSR account to take advantage of individual membership benefits incl news, events and networking.

Twitter/X
A reminder to mention @UQ_CHSR in content you’d like CHSR to share!  And an interesting Altmetric blog Since Twitter became X...

CHSR Update
To help us meet this Update newsletter’s distribution lead times, please email your events/opportunities (incl PhD seminars!) to chsr@uq.edu.au as soon as they’re scheduled.  Thank you.

Next CHSR shared lunch
Thursday 2 May
12-1pm
Level 5 Kitchen, Health Services Building, Herston
Bring a plate!

Brisbane Comedy Festival’s Future Science Talks feat. CHSR PhD Candidate Victor Gallegos-Rejas
Saturday 4 May
6:30pm

Next CHSR Seminar Series
Wednesday 15 May
1:30-2:30pm
Professor Dan Chambers, Mayne Chair and Head of Mayne Medical School
Click here to join the meeting
Attendance is strongly encouraged

Next CHSR All Staff & Student Forum
Tuesday 4 June
11am-12:30pm (followed by light lunch)
Collaborative Room 325, Mayne Medical Building, Herston
Click here to join the meeting

Conferences
Abstracts and registrations now open for Skin Cancer 2024 conference in Brisbane 11-15 September.
Call for abstracts and sponsorship opportunities AND registrations now open for the Successes and Failures in Telehealth (SFT-24) conference in Brisbane 13-15 November.
Call for abstracts and sponsorship opportunities AND registrations now open for the 13^th Health Services Research Association of Australia & NZ (HSRAANZ) Conference in Brisbane 4-6 December.

Health & Wellbeing
Following High Value Conversations training undertaken by a significant proportion of the CHSR team, staff involved in an ongoing HVC coaching community of practice have shared this short resource about psychological safety at work: What is Psychological Safety | Intro to The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety (youtube.com)

Research Support Team updates 
Please notify the CHSR Research Support Team via the online survey or email Casey and Lauren if you are applying for grants (either as CIA or collaborator). For post-award support, please contact James Reid and Trish Murray. 

Funding opportunities
NHMRC Ideas Grants – close 15 May 

MRFF Clinical Trials Activity – close 29 May

NHMRC Development Grants – close 12 June  

MRFF Innovative Trials – close 10 July  

MRFF Early to Mid-Career Researchers Grant – close 24 July

NHMRC Partnerships (PCR2) - close 7 August  

MRFF Multidisciplinary models of Primary Care (Stream 4) - close 7 August  

NHMRC Investigator Grants – close 15 August 

NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies – close 28 August 

HTQ Consumer engagement microgrants – ongoing

More funding opportunities available via the FoM CHSR teams. 


Award Opportunities
More award opportunities available via the FoM CHSR teams. 

Training opportunities
QCIF online statistics training workshops (ongoing) – register here 
Dimensions/Altmetrics Explorer training sessions (from 6 June) - zoom links available here 
More training opportunities available via the FoM CHSR teams. 

CHSR Publications 
Forbes, C., Tanner, S., Engstrom, T., Lee, W. R., Patel, D., Walker, R., Bradford, N., & Pole, J. D. (2024). Patient Reported Fatigue Among Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients Compared to Non-Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of adolescent and young adult oncology, 13(2), 242–250. https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2023.0094

Gordon, E. H., Ward, D. D., Xiong, H., Berkovsky, S., & Hubbard, R. E. (2024). Delirium and incident dementia in hospital patients in New South Wales, Australia: retrospective cohort study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 384, e077634. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077634

Kahler, S., Janda, M., Soyer, H. P., & Betz-Stablein, B. (2024). Re: Incidence of in situ vs invasive melanoma: testing the "obligate precursor" hypothesis. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 116(4), 623–625. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djae006

Pacas Fronza, G., Mitchell, L. K., Pachana, N. A., Byrne, G. J., Liddle, J., Yang, J., Brooks, D., Au, T., Pourzinal, D., Worthy, P., Comans, T., Beattie, E., Bennett, S., Russell, T., & Dissanayaka, N. N. (2024). Telehealth Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Reduce Anxiety in People Living with Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Feasibility Pilot Study. Clinical gerontologist, 1–15. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2024.2336187

Reece, J. C., Neate, S. L., Davenport, R. A., Milanzi, E., Nag, N., Bevens, W., Yu, M., Jelinek, G. A., & Simpson-Yap, S. (2024). Stressful life events and depression and fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional analysis of an international cohort. Acta neurologica Belgica, 124(2), 457–466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-023-02390-z

View archived announcements from CHSR

Medical School community achievements 

Times Higher Education top universities

UQ has been listed 20^th in the 2024 Times Higher Education’s top universities led by women list. For the first time, 25% of the world’s top 200 universities are led by women, up 4% this year. Under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AC, we continue to have a global impact through education and research, including in important areas of diversity and inclusion. Congratulations to all those women at the helm of universities in Queensland, in Australia and around the world.

People and culture

Staff appointments

We are pleased to introduce new staff within the Medical School. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to:

Academy of Medical Education

• Dr Peter Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Medical Education (MD Program Year 1 Coordinator)

Greater Brisbane Clinical School

• Dr Christopher Thambyrajah, Education Registrar (Medicine), Ipswich Clinical Unit

What’s on UQ Wellness
View the latest edition of the UQ Wellness monthly newsletter. You can subscribe to this newsletter by emailing the UQ Wellness team. More health and wellbeing resources and support for UQ staff can be found on the UQ Wellness Program webpage.

Research  

Tender opportunity: National Health Survey and the Australian Health Biobank

There is a Request for Quotation issued by the Department of Health and Aged Care to deliver the next iteration of the National Health Survey (NHS) and National Health Measures Survey (NHMS) in 2026-27. The proposed contract period is commencing 1 January 2025, ending 30 June 2029. The external closing date is Monday 29 April, 2pm AEST. If interested, please contact the Medical School Research Development Officer for documents and information.

Refresh your UQ researcher profile

Perhaps the most visible mechanism for you to profile your research to the community and other researchers is via UQ Researchers. UQ Researchers is for industry and business, the academic community, research students and the wider community. The Frequently Asked Questions – UQ Researchers page guides you through the process. Want to do more to profile your research? The Medical School Research Support Handbook is jam packed with useful information around promoting research and building your researcher profile.  

Faculty Research Alert

The Faculty Research Alert is circulated weekly via email and includes information about UQ internal schemes, external funding opportunities and awards. If you would like to receive the Alert, please email the Faculty of Medicine Research team. Detailed information on research funding opportunities and awards can be viewed on the Faculty of Medicine intranet. For previously advertised grant and award opportunities and events, please refer to the Archive Faculty Research Alert webpage. 

Education

MD Design update

Dr Peter Johnson commenced as MD Program Year 1 Coordinator on Monday 25 March 2024. At the last MD Design and Operations Project Board, it was decided that the Year 1 course design would progress to business as usual, with the transition now in progress. This means that Year 1 design oversight shifts from the Project Board to the MD Program Committee. There is however recognition that Year 1 implementation in the regional sites is yet to commence. Quality enhancement will continue, as for all programs in the School, via the newly established Quality Enhancement Sub-Committee, which reports to the Medical School Teaching and Learning Committee.

Year 2 work progresses in fine-tuning the coordinated implementation across multiple sites. The trial of synchronous Zoom delivery across the sites has been well received, and will continue until the end of Week 16, with further feedback solicited from students and staff. Detailed design of Year 2 continues with engagement from multiple stakeholders. Preferencing for Year 2 Personalised Learning Streams opened to students on Monday 11 March 2024. Final numbers in each stream will be communicated shortly.

Year 3 assessment design and structured teaching program consultation is progressing. Mapping of Year 3 workplace-based assessment in the current and new program is in progress to assess the resourcing requirements for 2025.  

A workshop on Thursday 9 May 2024, to coincide with the visit of colleagues from Ochsner Clinical School, is being planned. At this meeting, it is envisioned that there will be final endorsement of the assessment and structured teaching program for Year 3 and Year 4 course design.

Development of the Year 4 assessment plan is progressing well, with a focus on ensuring alignment across Year 3 and Year 4. Work continues on a narrative document and model for the longitudinal learning program, and this will be shared with the Clinical Schools for feedback with a particular focus on implementation. The workshop on Thursday 9 May 2024, will also include discussions on the Year 4 program.

2024 Teaching Innovation Grants are now open

UQ has committed up to $1 million in funding for Teaching Innovation Grants for projects commencing in 2024 focusing on the priority areas of student experience, academic integrity and assessment. View documentation to support the grants scheme and learn more via the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation website. Completed application forms must be submitted to teaching.grants@uq.edu.au by Friday 26 April 2024, 5pm. 

Engagement

QUEX Professional Services Staff Fellowship applications are now open
The QUEX Professional Services Staff Fellowship program is designed to provide professional development opportunities and to share best practice and experience between professional colleagues at UQ and the University of Exeter. The program is open to all UQ professional staff and funding of up to A$7,000 will be available to support travel costs. Please refer to the guidelines and application form for further information regarding the program and the application process. For any queries relating to the program, please contact the UQ Global Partnerships office. Applications must be submitted to quex@uq.edu.au by Wednesday 1 May.

Send electronic gift cards by email using Prezzee

For those who provide gift cards to research participants, UQ has an approved supply arrangement with Prezzee providing benefits including:

• Instant delivery of gift cards by email
• Ability to track spend online
• Extremely low fees ($1 per card – only when activated)
• Ability to retrieve unspent funds
• 24/7 customer care
• Dedicated Account Manager for UQ.

Set up your Prezzee account by contacting UQ's Account Manager Ramona McHarrie. Information is also available in the Where to buy guide and on the Advance payments webpage. Get help with Prezzee by contacting Prezzee's 24/7 Customer Care Team.

General Practice Clinical Unit newsletter
The General Practice Clinical Unit distributes a quarterly newsletter. Click on the Newsletters tab for the latest information regarding the Mayne Academy of General Practice and General Practice Clinical Unit, teaching tips, articles and more.

UQ Alumni Book Fair

Brisbane’s oldest book fair is back for 2024! Join us at the St Lucia campus from Friday 3 May – Monday 6 May to browse thousands of books, priced as little as $1. All funds raised support UQ students, researchers and educators. Register for free.

View archived announcements from the Medical School

View archived announcements from MRI-UQ 

Senior Manager Rural Clinical School update

Dear Colleagues

Reflecting on our collective journey, I am reminded of the story of Ignaz Semmelweis, a pioneer whose foresight in the 1840s Vienna forever changed medical practice. Ignaz Semmelweis, a young Hungarian doctor, noticed that mothers and babies in doctor-staffed wards died of postpartum infection five times more often than in midwife-staffed wards. Unlike the midwives, the doctors were also performing autopsies without washing their hands between procedures. Curious about a possible connection, Semmelweis urged the doctors to wash their hands and disinfect with a chloride solution before deliveries. The gap in death rates disappeared. Sadly, his fellow doctors dismissed the findings and refused to continue his changes. Not until two decades after his death, when Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch germ theory was championed, did Semmelweis’ monumental discovery become accepted practice.

Like Semmelweis, there are times when we are called on to show courage in the face of adversity and commitment to innovation for the greater good.

Here are a few more inspiring stories of medical breakthroughs that have had a profound impact on the world:

1. Smallpox Vaccine (1796): Edward Jenner, an English physician, observed that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox did not catch smallpox. He hypothesized that the cowpox virus could provide immunity against smallpox. Jenner tested his theory by inoculating a young boy with cowpox, and the boy became immune to smallpox. This led to the development of the first vaccine and eventually the eradication of smallpox¹².
2. Anesthesia (1840s): Before the discovery of anesthesia, surgeries were extremely painful and often impossible to endure. In 1846, William T.G. Morton, a dentist, demonstrated the use of ether as an anesthetic during a surgical procedure to remove a tumor. This groundbreaking moment allowed patients to undergo surgeries without the agony they previously had to endure¹².
3. Insulin for Diabetes (1921): Before the discovery of insulin, diabetes was a fatal disease. In 1921, Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin, which could be used to control blood sugar levels in diabetics. This discovery has saved countless lives and continues to be a critical treatment for diabetes patients².

These stories, like that of Semmelweis, highlight the importance of perseverance, curiosity, and the willingness to challenge established norms. They remind us that even when faced with skepticism, the pursuit of knowledge and the desire to improve human health can lead to extraordinary advancements.

Together, we are not just teaching and supporting medical education; we are instilling a culture of critical thinking and compassionate care that will resonate through the generations of healthcare professionals we are privileged to train.

Thank you, once again, for your remarkable contribution. It is an honour to work alongside such a dedicated team.

Riitta

Team updates
·       The MD Critical Care Team visited on 19 March involving an update sessions with BRCU staff, visit to hospital CC departments to meet the clinicians, and morning tea for teaching teams, medical students and BRCU staff. This was their first visit to Bundaberg Hospital and BRCU.

·       BRCU first SSLG Meeting was held on 19 March with Clare Butters and Riitta Partanen able to attend in person. There was great interest from the students with approximately 30 students and staff attending.  There were numerous matters up for discussion with valuable input and outcomes achieved by all.

·       Cat A Year 2 exam conducted at BRCU & RRCU on 13 April

·       Toowoomba RCS and Careers TROHPIQ Trip was held on 13 April

·       ER112 was held on 16 April at the Hervey Bay Surf Lifesaving Club

·       CQU/UQ Regional Medical Pathways high school events completed in Rockhampton, Bundaberg and online. 108 attended across the three events.

Upcoming Events
·       GP Networking & Information Evening scheduled for 18 April with a focus on engaging and feedback from Year 2 GP placement practices in Bundaberg

·       Intern Campaign Information Session will be run on 18 April at BRCU, organised by RTH WB targeting Year 4 & 3 students.

·       TROHPIQ organising a visit to Hervey Bay for Year 2 students on 20 April to help showcase what Hervey Bay has to offer students considering preferencing here for their third and fourth years.

·       UniSQ Welcome Event Year 1 Medical Pathway 24 April

·       UQ Medicine Information Session (Online) 30 April

·       UQ Medicine Information Session (In person) 1 May

·       Year 2 students will have the opportunity to travel to Hervey Bay RCU, to undertake a suturing skills session and meet the HBRU team – 2 May

·       Beef Australia in Rockhampton Sunday 5 May – Friday 10 May

·       Year 3 Trauma Workshop – 7 May in BRCU

·       UQ Ready high school event in Bundaberg 9 May

·       Cancellation of Come & Try Day (High School Engagement) scheduled for 9 May

·       Battle of Specialities Careers Event in Rockhampton 30 April and Bundaberg – 14 May

Staff movements
·       We welcome Rachael Hopper in her new role as Supervisor Administration and Engagement CQ

·       We welcome Dr Emma Friesen (Research Manager) based at Boyce Gardens

·       We thank and farewell Dr John Ridler (Course Coordinator for RRM) and Dr Sally McKenzie (Senior Lecturer in RRM)

·       Amanda from Finance on annual leave until 23 April

·       Position Available – UQ BRCU Senior Lecturer in Clinical Training (part-time 20%, fixed-term position through to 31.12.24).  Applications closing on 21 April

Research
Goondir Health Services (Opening of the community wellbeing centre, St George)
A/Prof Srinivas Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan and Dr Bushra Nasir attended the Official Opening of the Goondir St George Community Wellbeing Centre on Wednesday 10^th April. This facility coordinates 35+ services in the community and was officially opened by Hon David Littleproud, Federal Member for Maranoa. UQRCS is part of a collaborative team evaluating the long-term impact of this community-wellbeing centre.

Research Manager
On Monday 15 April 2024, Dr Emma Friesen will commence as the Research Manager (full time) for the UQ RCS. She will be based in Toowoomba, at Boyce Gardens with other members of the Research Team.

Please extend a warm welcome to Emma.

Upcoming Conference
Rural Medicine Australia (RMA 24) Conference will be held between 23-26 October 2024.

Abstracts are now open: Abstract submissions close on Friday 10 May 2024

For further information : Abstracts (acrrm.org.au)

If anyone requires help with their abstracts, please contact the research team (rcsrc@uq.edu.au)

Marketing
Facebook: March/April insights
13 published posts

2024 has already seen an 850% increase in reactions, and a 672% higher reach in posts compared to this time in 2023.

Highest reaching post for March/April : Meet Aaron, Rockhampton

Media clippings: Click here to see all articles relating to the UQRCS this March.

Training Options
Finance
Anyone who would love any refresher training on any topic to please reach out to uqrcs.finance@uq.edu.au to schedule a time to catch up. This training has been tailored for any new staff or staff who want to touch up on their finance knowledge.

Marketing
Anyone who missed out on the Vision6 training and would like a refresher/new to Vision6 – please email uqrcs.marketing@uq.edu.au to arrange.

View archived RCS announcements

Date Savers

8 April            Academic Staff Meeting, 2-4pm, Senate Room, Brian Wilson Chancellery

15 May          SBMS All Staff Meeting, 12-1:30pm, Zoom (details to come)

27 Aug           SBMS All Staff Meeting, 12-1:30pm, Zoom (details to come)

29-30 Oct     Honours Research Outcome Seminars, 9am-5pm, various locations

Queensland Cell & Developmental Biology Meeting
We are excited to announce the Queensland Cell and Developmental Biology Meeting for 2024! 
Registration for attendance is free. Please feel free to share this with your contacts and encourage your lab members to attend and support our local QLD meeting. This year we are offering discounted Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology (ANZSCDB) membership to all presenters ($10-20) which can be paid as a registration fee streamlining the payment process.

Date: Monday 3 June
Venue: Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland
Invited speakers: 

• Andrea Loreto, University of Sydney
• Larisa Labzin, The University of Queensland
• Robert Parton, The University of Queensland
• Fiona Simpson, The University of Queensland

Registration link: https://form.jotform.com/240577021261044
Registration deadline: Friday 17 May

SBMS Student Research Symposium
Join SBMS SASS for the biannual SBMS Student Research Symposium at TRI to showcase the exciting research being undertaken by SBMS students and staff. Abstract submission and registration are now open!

Date and Time: Monday 22 July, 8am- 8pm
Location: Translational Research Institute (TRI), 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba
Abstract Submission (DUE Friday 31 MAY): https://forms.office.com/r/KiGjEa0Wkw
Registration (DUE Monday 15 JULY): https://forms.office.com/r/iw2SM4eY8S

The event is fully catered so please ensure you register before Monday 15 July. Please do not hesitate to contact the SBMS Student Research Symposium Organizing Committee if you have any questions at sbmssc@uq.edu.au

All SBMS HDR students are expected to attend and submit an abstract to present at the SBMS Student Research Symposium. SBMS Honours students are highly encouraged to attend and submit an abstract. All UQ Faculty of Medicine research students are invited to attend and submit an abstract.


New SBMS Publications
Dynamic similarity and the peculiar allometry of maximum running speed
Labonte, D., Bishop, P., Dick, T. J, Clemente, C. J.
Nature Communications, 2024

There’s a discrepancy in the animal kingdom. While many key traits such as strength, limb length, lifespan and brain size tend to increase with animals’ size, maximum running speeds tend to be greatest in medium-sized animals. To explore why, we teamed up with colleagues at Imperial College London, Harvard University, The University of Queensland and to develop a physical model of how muscles, the universal animal motor, set limits on land animals’ top running speeds. Our findings suggest that there is not one limit to maximum running speed, as previously thought, but two: how fast vs by how far, muscles contract. The maximum speed an animal can reach is determined by whichever limit is reached first---and that limit is dictated by an animal’s size. These results shed light on the physical principles behind how muscles evolved and could inform future designs for robots that match the athleticism of the best animal runners.

See UQ media story here: https://biomedical-sciences.uq.edu.au/article/2024/03/cheetahs’-unrivalled-speed-explained-their-‘sweet-spot’-size

Complement C5a receptor signaling alters stress responsiveness and modulates microglia following chronic stress exposure.
Chen, Hsiao-Jou Cortina, Spiers, Jereme G., Lerskiatiphanich, Titaya, Parker, Sandra E., Lavidis, Nickolas A., Fung, Jenny N., Woodruff, Trent M., and Lee, John D.
Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, 2024

Our study investigated the role of complement C5a receptor 1 (C5aR1) signalling in stress responsiveness and microglia modulation in chronic stress. We observed that chronic stress elevates circulating C5a levels while reducing C5aR1 mRNA expression in key brain regions and the adrenal gland. Interestingly, mice lacking C5aR1 displayed enhanced adrenal sensitivity to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and mitigated reductions in locomotor activity and body weight under chronic stress. Furthermore, we found that chronic stress induces an increase in C5aR1-expressing microglia in the hippocampus, a response attenuated in C5aR1-deficient mice. These findings suggest that C5a-C5aR1 signalling plays a crucial role in stress-related metabolic regulation and neuroinflammation, warranting further exploration of C5aR1 as a potential therapeutic target for stress-related disorders.


If you are preparing a manuscript and you would like SBMS readership before submission, members of the Research Committee are willing and able to assist. Please contact the chair, Jana Vukovic.

If you have recently had a new publication accepted or published, please let us know.

Procedure When Purchasing or Requesting Software at UQ
It is crucial you follow the correct procedure when purchasing or requesting software for your UQ-owned device. This is to ensure you only access sanctioned applications from authoritative sources, safeguard from licensing and privacy issues, or harm caused by malware and viruses that may result from downloading software online. 

How do I obtain additional software for my UQ device? 
The Standard Software Catalogue lists a range of software available for staff to download. Instructions on how to download the software is available at self-installing software on UQ computers. 

 What if the software I require is not in the Catalogue? 
If the software is not listed on the Standard Software Catalogue, visit Purchasing or requesting software for information on how to proceed with your request. Any additional software, including free and cloud software must comply with UQ’s Software Acquisition and Use Procedure.  

What if I download free software I’ve found online? 
You are responsible if you access software from outside the University and must ensure the software is legitimate and complies with all University policies and standards. Failure to do so can introduce risk in the form of damaging licencing conditions, malware or harmful content that may damage your device, compromise your personal and UQ data or lead to potential security risks. 

Where can I go for more help? 
If you need assistance regarding centrally funded software, or you're from an organisational unit supported by ITS, submit an IT request. If your organisational unit is not supported by ITS, contact your local IT support team. 

For information on software for labs, visit UQ Digital Workspace . 

The UQ Library provides access and support to a number of applications on library computers. For further information on downloading files and software visit Protecting your UQ computer. 

Library Training for the month of April
Introduction to Digital Research Notebook (LabArchives)

Publishing and Research Management

Thursday 11 April, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Online
This online training via zoom will cover how to set up a LabArchives account and request a notebook in UQRDM and demonstrate major features of the notebook.

UQRDM for researchers and research students - how to use it to help with managing research data

Publishing and Research Management

Monday 22 April, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Online

The session will demonstrate how users doing research projects can set up a project record on UQRDM and use it to store, organise and share their research data and documents.

Introducing FAIR and CARE principles for responsible research

Publishing and Research Management

Tuesday 30 April, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Online

Introductory workshop looking at FAIR and CARE principles, some examples, and practices at UQ.

View archived announcements from SBMS

Head of School Update 
Dear Colleagues

It has been a couple of very busy weeks since Easter, with Academic Board, New Faculty Leadership Group Meeting and Senior Leaders Forum.

A couple of highlights from Academic Board 

• The Chancellor spoke about the Universities Accord Report, noting we are waiting a government response.
• Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) – Professor Kris Ryan presented the 2023 Academic Misconduct Report. In 2023 there were 1723 Academic Misconduct Investigations, with the majority of these cases relating to plagiarism. The Faculty of Medicine had one of the lowest proportions of Academic misconduct investigations at 1.9% (n =78). I would like to thank the team that support Academic Integrity in our school, as we have worked on content and processes to support our students to develop good academic practice. 
• There was discussion about how to further streamline processes for Academic Integrity Misconduct Investigations across the University.

The New Faculty Leadership Forum focussed on research opportunities in the new Faculty. At the Senior Leaders Forum I learnt that I will have access to PULSE quantitative data next week and will share findings with the school in coming weeks.

You may notice a few less people around this week as there is a large group of us attending the World Health Summit – Regional Meeting in Melbourne.  The Program is impressive and as a Kiwi I am looking forward to seeing Helen Clark (former Prime Minister of New Zealand) speak in the Geopolitics and Health Session.

Next month SPH is sending two of our academic staff overseas to attend UQ Info Days (amongst other activities). Simon Reid will attend the Indonesia Info Days in Surabaya and Jakarta, and Dung Phung will attend the Vietnam Info Days in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city. We’re excited to be able to have some of our people on the ground, liaising with our collaborators and meeting with our future students in two of our important partnership countries. We’ll hear from Simon and Dung about their experiences later in May.

Finally, Thursday this week is ANZAC Day, where we take the day to recognise all the people and loved ones in our school who have served their country. We will remember them.

 
All the best 
Sheleigh & Sarah 
 
Sheleigh Lawler                                                                  Sarah Piper 
Acting Head of School                                                     SPH School Manager  
 

 
Dates for diaries 
22 April – UQ Influenza vaccination program commences 

23 April – Yoga in the Mayne Level 3 boardroom (315), 12pm – 1pm 

24 April – HTQ’s Review of the national CCI statement workshop

25 April – ANZAC Day public holiday

26 April – RCD and emergency lighting testing. More details below. 

26 April – International Guide Dog Day - This day celebrates Guide dogs, which provide opportunities for social interaction and greater independence for legally blind adults. International Guide Dog Day pays tribute to the dogs and trainers who do this impressive work.

29 April – Public lecture by Rector, Professor Widodo (Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia). More details below.  

SPH Showcase notes from April 3
Chairs: Allyson Mutch, Nina Lansbury

Purpose: A monthly communication of activities in the School, and a place to celebrate achievements

Research – Cheneal Puljevic described her process in securing a new grant with the Queensland Police Service.

Research Communication – Meron Lewis shared her process and involvement in a podcast on her PhD work. You can access it here.

Engagement –Katherine Cullerton outlined the new engagement process with external partners working with SPH. She also provided a quick summary of her published tool to help researchers navigate conflicts of interest and reputational risks, to make informed decisions, and minimise adverse outcomes. Read the article here.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion– Lisa Fitzgerald introduced UQ’s investment in supporting neurodiversity and opportunities to support our students.

Higher Degree Research – Marina welcomed new HDR students commencing this quarter.

 
Worth the read – recent articles from our people
Closing the gap on access to safe drinking water (A/Prof Nina Lansbury)

Historic grant to improve intersex people’s health and wellbeing (Dr Ingrid Rowlands)

Potentially deadly substances hidden in drugs at Queensland music festival (Dr Cheneal Puljevic)

Research Updates
Sage Policy Profiles tool was launched on 7 December. It allows any researcher to register and search their name or unique ORCID identifier, and search for policy documents that cite their papers or mention their name. The search sifts through a database of around 10.2 million policy documents The tool returns a summary of Users that can export those data in a spreadsheet or as a PowerPoint file.

Wiley Open Access article publication charges (APC’s) agreement
Find out if your institution or funder will cover your open access APCs. (Wiley)

NHMRC Ideas grant writing workshop 
Who - Particularly suited for first time scheme applicants – usually EMCRs, who can attend whether they are applying this year or next year. 

When – Today, Monday 22 April, 1- 4pm 

Where – Public Health Building please contact Emma McLennan for the invite 

Rough structure (3 hrs – less if the peer-to-peer aspect is removed) 

Introduction, structure - including what makes a standout first page – Dr Emma McLennan  

Tips from an Ideas winner in the last (2023) round – Dr Dwan Vilcins - Providing evidence to guide public health messages during bushfire smoke events (2024–2026) 

Depending on interest (and other School involvement)  – peer to peer feedback which involves bringing a printed copy of your application so far (only relevant for this round applicants).

SPH Space update 
The working group has now compiled the results from the survey and you should have received an email with a summary, plus a link to a Padlet for further thoughts and input. You can post to the Padlet here.

In addition, you may have noticed that you no longer need to swipe to access Level 0 offices. This is because the 015 teaching room is no longer required as an open plan office, and has been returned to the Central teaching and timetabling team for Semester 2 teaching. Thanks to everyone on Level 0 for putting up with the hassle of swiping in.

School Review Recommendations Updates  
The working group responding to Recommendations 1 & 2 (on leadership and governance) has begun work in two mini working groups to explore possible actions on these Recommendations - with one focused on organisational structure possibilities, and the other on possible committee structures. The intention of this work is to offer options for deliberation by the wider SPH staff. Please contact Nina Lansbury if you’d like to be part of one of these groups, or for more details.

RCD & Emergency Light Testing – this Friday 26 April
P&F’s contractor UGL will be undertaking critical testing during April.  There will be power shutdowns and is a requirement under the Electrical Safety Act 2002.  

The Public Health Building will be tested this Friday, April 26 between 6-8am. 

Test 1: RCD Testing 
There will be a loss of power supply to power outlets (RCD testing) from 6-8am, unless there are any failures. This work will result in the loss of power to power points, other equipment (including computer servers), and lighting. Please make sure to turn off computers and other electrical devices during the power outage. The loss of power is estimated to last from 10-20 minutes. If non-conforming devices are found, the power outage time may be extended due to the time required to replace the defective device. 

Test 2: Emergency Lighting Testing 
There will be a loss of power supply to lighting circuits between 6-8am. During the Exit and Emergency lighting tests, disruptions will be kept to a minimum. However, due to the building design in some cases, only emergency lighting will be available during the test (which typically lasts 90 minutes). 

Test 3: Thermoscanning 
This is a non-invasive test and there will be no power shutdown. 
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sarah Piper in the first instance. 

Metro North HHS Ethics and Governance fees 
MNHHS is implementing a new Ethics and Governance fee schedule effective 1 May 2024. Overall, the changes comprise an increase to the submission fees applying to commercially sponsored studies, but also include a new fee structure for investigator-initiated research that is led by a non-Metro North Institution. This is to manage the growing complexity and workloads associated with the review of these projects. From 1 May 2024 an investigator-initiated study that is externally led (this would include unfunded collaborative projects and student projects) requiring MNHHS governance review will incur a fee of $165 per submission. Please contact Nyree Divitini for more information.  

Guest Lecture 
Universitas Brawijaya in Indonesia will be visiting UQ on Monday 29 April to sign a university-wide agreement on research collaboration. 
  
The Faculty of Medicine has the pleasure to host a public lecture by the Rector, Professor Widodo, at the St Lucia campus. Feel free to register if you are interested and available to attend:

 All the info  

• 2024 Academic Calendar - Academic Calendar 
• Changes to parking at Herston - Campus Parking Changes - Herston January 2024 
• Herston Campus
• CAHP - CAHP Information & Services 
• Research News - UQ Research Main Page 
• Current Funding Opportunities - Current Funding Opportunities 

SPH LinkedIn Page 
Continue to help build our SPH LinkedIn community by following and inviting others to follow our School of Public Health LinkedIn page. Please send Ailsa Bolton any content you would like uploaded to LinkedIn. Alternatively, you can post on your own personal LinkedIn page and tag the School of Public Health by simply typing @UQ School of Public Health and clicking the SPH page that appears as a tag option. 

SPH Research Dissemination Toolkit 
Keen to disseminate your research publicly? The SPH Research Dissemination Toolkit can help you do this. 

View archived SPH announcements

From the Director’s desk
Please note that the first UQCCR forum will be on Thursday 21 March at midday in the auditorium on level 1. This is open to all staff and students, and also to our other stakeholders in the building (e.g. CTC and HIRF). We hope to see as many of you there as possible.
A reminder that APDs are due to be completed by the end of February. If you are still wrapping them up, please endeavour to do so quickly.

Want to be included in the newsletter?
Email your updates, event, awards to news@uqccr.uq.edu.au for inclusion.

Are you a wellbeing?
Check out UQCCR’s Wellbeing committee Initiatives and other Centre news on the Staff hub.

Exciting news: Seminar Series returns in person!
Exciting news! Our Seminar Series begins on Wednesday 28 February with the ODeSI group taking the stage. Join us to learn more about the newest addition to UQCCR's research community! Don't miss this opportunity to attend in person, engage with our dynamic research community, and enjoy refreshments from the tea trolley.
Date: 28 February 2024, 12-1pm
Location: UQCCR Auditorium and Zoom (https://uqz.zoom.us/j/85978624849)
Title: Operational Research and Decision Support for Infectious Diseases (ODeSI)

Publication of the Month
Melissa Hardy – ECR Category
Title: Win ratio analyses of piperacillin-tazobactam versus meropenem for ceftriaxone non-susceptible Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections: Post-hoc insights from the MERINO trial 
Journal: Clinical Infectious Diseases

Luis Furuya Kanamori – General Category
Title: Causes of death among international travellers in Peru, 2017 to 2021
Journal: Journal of Travel Medicine
Applications close 7^th of each month.
 

UQCCR's standing items 

Sweet treats
The UQCCR Social Club has restocked the chocolates with Cadbury Fundraiser treats. Chocolates are selling for $1 each, which is great value for the size of the chocolates. We have a new white container just for the chocolate money. We also understand that people may want to pay via bank transfer, so you can find the Social Club bank details on the chocolate sign. Also, due to inflation, the soft drinks are now $2 each. The money for drinks and the chips will still be placed in the old plastic cash box or via bank transfer.

Faculty’s Research and Statistical Support Services (RASSS)
Need help with study design, data analysis, manuscript, grant application or PhD supervision? To discuss bespoke statistical support at UQCCR, please complete a request form or email Mark Chatfield. See more information under the Research Support banner.

UQ clinical trials procedure
If you are establishing a clinical trial, please check the UQ Ethics page to ensure that you are familiar with UQ requirements, such as submitting additional notifications, obtaining any additional insurance for international sites, completing the UQ template Risk Assessment and Management Plan (RAMP) and ensuring your GCP training is current. Sabine is happy to assist with any enquires. Alternatively, please visit the Research Support team in Room 735 for any questions.
 
Budgets
Many research contracts submitted for signature are not using the UQ costing and pricing tool and do not factor in overheads or provide a relevant independent exemption reference, such as the funding body’s rules on their website. Failure to confirm these aspects early can mean delays in getting your contract signed or GRL issued. If you have any questions about the CPT or overheads, please contact Roheen.
 
COIs
FACs and research contracts require confirmation that your online COI disclosures, if applicable, have been approved by UQ, before a GRL can be issued or a research contract signed. Online approval happens via Workday in consultation with your line manager. As the COI process can take a few weeks, please ensure that you attend to your annual COI and updates, and factor in the timing required to avoid delays.
 
Research infrastructure
You can now access a spreadsheet on the UQCCR intranet that lists all current core equipment available in the Clinical Trials Support Unit on Level 3 and that which can be borrowed from individual research groups. In addition, the equipment wish list is now live and can be viewed and added to as required.
 
Research funding support
Visit the Faculty website for current research funding opportunities. Please contact Roheen Gill well ahead of any deadline if you are planning to apply for upcoming opportunities and Sara Gollschewski to discuss strategic funding alignment. You can find a summary of funding support and assistance available to researchers for administration, reporting and closing out of existing funding in this document under 'Research Resources'.

Twitter blitz – Career Development Committee
Interested in becoming a UQCCR Twitter Champion? If so, please contact Kate Matthews. The role includes:  

• Keeping and following all UQCCR Twitter handles and being available to help others with Twitter questions
• Always using #UQCCR and @UQMedicine
• Promoting your work and that of others in the building
• Sharing and adjusting the template tweets posted on Microsoft Teams  
• Tweeting once a week 

View archived announcements from UQCCR

 View archived announcements from The Frazer Institute