Staff Hub

Operational

Audits
The Faculty of Medicine (FoM) OHS team is currently conducting the 6 monthly audits of  UQ - CSC- chemicals of security concern to check stocks, update Chemwatch and identify any missing/misplaced material to be reported to authorities. For more information please contact med.ohs@uq.edu.au.

Prescription safety glasses
Workers with prescription eyewear performing tasks where a risk assessment indicates eye protection is required are eligible to apply for prescription safety glasses at no cost to them – apply via FoM OHS intranet site. Contact med.ohs@uq.edu.au if you have any questions.

Health monitoring system
UQs health monitoring system is for monitoring the health of workers in particular roles, where a risk assessment indicates potential exposure to hazards including hazardous noise, chemicals and dust, and lab animal allergens. The system has recently been integrated into Workday which provides improved functionality, integration and reporting. More info on the new system is available here.

Teaching and Learning

Faculty of Medicine EMCR and HDR Consumer and Community Involvement (CCI) Kickstart Funding Scheme
Applications for the 2024 EMCR CCI Kickstart Funding Scheme opens Friday 15 March. FoM is committed to supporting best practice consumer and community involvement in research. Are you an HDR student or EMCR? Would you like to know more about involving consumers in your research? This seminar recording will tell you all you need to know from the perspectives of previous kickstarter grant recipients and their consumer advocates.For more information, contact jo.maxwell@uq.edu.au.

Call for expressions of interest for rural health journal
The Australian Journal of Rural Health is calling for expressions of interest for a special issue called Digital Interventions to Improve Rural Health Outcomes. More information here.

Events 

Research to value workshop
Translational Research Institute (TRI) is hosting a CSIRO ‘Research to Value’ workshop on Monday 18 April. This free workshop is open to all publicly-funded researchers from any discipline.  The workshop is designed to get researchers thinking about what the need is for issues/problems and to engage with the wider ecosystem, particularly industry, to design research projects that will have greater impact and societal value. Register here. 

Data management and analytics for health care
In this seminar you will gain insights into data management planning in the early stages of research projects, using analytics and artificial intelligence to improve health care. It will take place on Tuesday 26 March 11am–12pm online. Register here.

World bronchiectasis conference
The 7th world bronchiectasis conference is scheduled to take place in Dundee, Scotland, from Thursday 4 July to Saturday 6 July. Bronchiectasis has emerged from its history as a neglected condition to now being a dynamic field experiencing rapid progress, it now stands on the threshold of a new age of exciting science and therapeutic development. Further information is available here.

NACE symposium
Are you interested in the latest allergy research? Register for the National Allergy Centre of Excellence inaugural symposium on Thursday 16 May. Plus, hear from internationally renowned speakers on how digital health, living evidence and consumer engagement can elevate your projects. Registrations are free and close on  Friday 26 April, but places are limited so please book early to avoid missing out. Register here.

Advance Queensland industry research fellowship grants 
Advance Queensland will discuss the scheme in detail as well and provide a comprehensive overview of the industry fellowships and information about the application process. You will also hear from two recipients who will share learnings, expert tips and will share how they established collaborations with industry to create a compelling application. This is a free event, and no registration is required. It will be held Friday 22 March between 2–3pm at TRI Seminar Room 2003.  

Mater research lunchtime seminar
A seminar involving Mater pathology and the cancer cell biology research group will take place Monday 25 March at TRI seminar room 2003 between 12–1pm. Find out more.

Consumer involvement in health research workshop
A workshop titled ‘Introduction to Consumer Involvement in Health Research’ will take place in Herston on Thursday 2 May. Register by Tuesday 12 April.

Health research consumer expo
The Translational Research Institute (TRI) and The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine welcome consumers, community members, clinicians, and researchers to join a health research  consumer expo on Monday 29 April at TRI. More information and registration here.

 


View archived announcements

Research to value workshop
Translational Research Institute (TRI) is hosting a CSIRO ‘Research to Value’ workshop on Monday 18 April. This free workshop is open to all publicly-funded researchers from any discipline.  The workshop is designed to get researchers thinking about what the need is for issues/problems and to engage with the wider ecosystem, particularly industry, to design research projects that will have greater impact and societal value. Register here. 

Data management and analytics for health care
In this seminar you will gain insights into data management planning in the early stages of research projects, using analytics and artificial intelligence to improve health care. It will take place on Tuesday 26 March 11am–12pm online. Register here.

World bronchiectasis conference
The 7th world bronchiectasis conference is scheduled to take place in Dundee, Scotland, from Thursday 4 July to Saturday 6 July. Bronchiectasis has emerged from its history as a neglected condition to now being a dynamic field experiencing rapid progress, it now stands on the threshold of a new age of exciting science and therapeutic development. Further information is available here.

NACE symposium
Are you interested in the latest allergy research? Register for the National Allergy Centre of Excellence inaugural symposium on Thursday 16 May. Plus, hear from internationally renowned speakers on how digital health, living evidence and consumer engagement can elevate your projects. Registrations are free and close on  Friday 26 April, but places are limited so please book early to avoid missing out. Register here.

Advance Queensland industry research fellowship grants 
Advance Queensland will discuss the scheme in detail as well and provide a comprehensive overview of the industry fellowships and information about the application process. You will also hear from two recipients who will share learnings, expert tips and will share how they established collaborations with industry to create a compelling application. This is a free event, and no registration is required. It will be held Friday 22 March between 2–3pm at TRI Seminar Room 2003.  

Mater research lunchtime seminar
A seminar involving Mater pathology and the cancer cell biology research group will take place Monday 25 March at TRI seminar room 2003 between 12–1pm. Find out more.

Consumer involvement in health research workshop
A workshop titled ‘Introduction to Consumer Involvement in Health Research’ will take place in Herston on Thursday 2 MayRegister by Tuesday 12 April.

Health research consumer expo
The Translational Research Institute (TRI) and The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine welcome consumers, community members, clinicians, and researchers to join a health research  consumer expo on Monday 29 April at TRI. More information and registration here.

 

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 
Thank you for your input to the biennial UQ Pulse survey, with outcomes remaining central to continuous improvement of our culture as a Centre. New Faculty project planning has also progressed in the past fortnight, and I urge you to stay informed via regular Steering Committee email updates – if you missed the latest, it’s available on FOM CHSR Teams. 2024 is a busy conference year in South East Queensland, with the Australian Frailty Network Summit just concluding as the Innovation & Technology Across Care Conference begins on the Gold Coast, with the CHSR team represented at both. I value your contributions across all these channels in addition to your core roles, as we approach a well-earned Easter break. 

Best wishes,
Monika 

The spirit of reconciliation 
Following topline updates about development of the Faculty’s Indigenous Knowledge Strategic Intent at our March All Staff Forum, Thelma Parker, Associate Dean (Indigenous Engagement) has been confirmed as guest speaker at our next forum on Tuesday 4 June. 

Please note additional UQ Core Cultural Learning modules can be completed at your own pace whenever you like (Modules 1-2 are mandatory for all UQ staff).  

Marketing and Communications 
Our new Administration Officer, Anna Jones, will be coordinating this CHSR Update and supporting CHSR Twitter/X moving forward.

CHSR Update
To ensure your events and publications are included, please email them to chsr@uq.edu.au anytime, and we will remind relevant team members of fortnightly lead story deadlines, also viewable on FOM CHSR Research Development Teams

CHSR Twitter/X: To assist us to share your relevant news, please mention @UQ_CHSR in your post, and ensure your own Twitter/X handle is listed on FOM CHSR Teams.  Questions/feedback welcome via chsr@uq.edu.au

Finally, please feel welcome to cc chsr@uq.edu.au on any media requests sent to the marketing and communications team.

CHSR Intranet Highlight
We’ll be sharing a handy resource from our Intranet with each CHSR Update – this fortnight, it’s Jason Ferris’s 2023 CHSR Seminar Making Social Media Work for You.

Upcoming CHSR Events 
QDHeC Digital Health Grand Rounds:
Title: Representative Synthetic EMR Data: Current Methods and Applications
Presenter: Dr Sebastiano Barbieri
Date: Tuesday 26 March
Time: 12:30-13:30pm
Register here

AFN Geriatric Seminar Series
Title: Major depression & suicide in older adults
Date: Wednesday 10 April
Time: 12-1pm
Speakers: A/Profs Anne Ward & Ajay Macharouthu
Click here to join the Zoom meeting

Conferences
Call for abstracts is now open for the 13th Health Services Research Association of Australia & NZ (HSRAANZ) Conference in Brisbane 4-6 December.

Save the date for the Success and Failures in Telehealth (SFT-2024) conference in Brisbane 13-15 November with more info to come.

Other opportunities
Call for Expressions of Interest for a special issue of the Australian Journal of Rural Health: Digital Interventions to Improve Rural Health Outcomes here

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 Trish Murray. 

Funding opportunities
NHMRC Partnerships (PCR1) - close Wednesday 3 April 

NHMRC Synergy Grants – close Wednesday 3 April 

MRFF Multidisciplinary models of Primary Care (Streams 1, 2, 3) – close Wednesday 10 April 

NHMRC Ideas Grants – close Wednesday 15 May 

MRFF Clinical Trials Activity – close Wednesday 29 May

NHMRC Development Grants – close Wednesday 12 June  

MRFF Innovative Trials – close Wednesday 10 July  

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

NHMRC Partnerships (PCR2) - close Wednesday 7 August  

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

NHMRC Investigator Grants – close Thursday 15 August 

NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies – close Wednesday 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 Thursday 6 June) - zoom links available here 

More training opportunities available via the FoM CHSR teams

CHSR Publications 
Canfell, O. J., Woods, L., Meshkat, Y., Krivit, J., Gunashanhar, B., Slade, C., Burton-Jones, A., & Sullivan, C. (2024). The Impact of Digital Hospitals on Patient and Clinician Experience: Systematic Review and Qualitative Evidence Synthesis. Journal of medical Internet research, 26, e47715. https://doi.org/10.2196/47715

Catapan, S. C., Bruckmann, G., Nilson, L. G., Caffery, L. J., Kelly, J. T., Calvo, M. C. M., & Boing, A. F. (2024). Increasing primary care capacity and referral efficiency: A case study of a telehealth centre eConsult service in Brazil. Journal of telemedicine and telecare, 1357633X241235426. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X241235426

Htay, H., Choo, J. C. J., Huang, D. H., Jayaballa, M., Johnson, D. W., Koniman, R., Oei, E. L., Suai, T. C., Wu, S. Y., & Foo, M. W. Y. (2024). Rapid point-of-care test for diagnosis of peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients. Peritoneal dialysis international : journal of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis, 8968608241234728. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/08968608241234728

Law, L., Kelly, J. T., Savill, H., Wallen, M. P., Hickman, I. J., Erku, D., & Mayr, H. L. (2024). Cost-effectiveness of telehealth-delivered diet and exercise interventions: A systematic review. Journal of telemedicine and telecare, 30(3), 420–437. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X211070721

Puljević, C., Meciar, I., Holland, A., Stjepanović, D., Snoswell, C. L., Thomas, E. E., Morphett, K., Kang, H., Chan, G., Grobler, E., & Gartner, C. E. (2024). Systematic review and meta-analysis of text messaging interventions to support tobacco cessation. Tobacco control, tc-2023-058323. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1136/tc-2023-058323

Snoswell, C. L., De Guzman, K. R., & Barras, M. (2024). Advanced-scope pharmacist roles in medical outpatient clinics: a cost-consequence analysis. Internal medicine journal, 54(3), 404–413. https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.16280

Thomas, E. E., Taylor, M. L., Ward, E. C., Hwang, R., Cook, R., Ross, J. A., Webb, C., Harris, M., Hartley, C., Carswell, P., Burns, C. L., & Caffery, L. J. (2024). Beyond forced telehealth adoption: A framework to sustain telehealth among allied health services. Journal of telemedicine and telecare, 30(3), 559–569. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X221074499

View archived announcements from CHSR

Medical School community achievements 

Australia Day Honours
Two researchers from the Medical School have been recognised with Australia Day Honours for 2024. Professor Carmel Mary Hawley from the PA-Southside Clinical Unit has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to kidney medicine as a researcher, clinician and mentor. Associate Professor Zarnie Lwin from the Royal Brisbane Clinical Unit and Centre for Lung Cancer Early Detection has received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to medicine in the field of neuro-oncology. Congratulations to both Professor Hawley and Associate Professor Lwin on their achievements.

Associate Professor Lucy Burr recognised for exceptional contributions to lung health
Congratulations to Associate Professor Lucy Burr who has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Professor Christine Jenkins AM Woman of Influence in Lung Health Award, presented by the Board of Lung Foundation Australia. Associate Professor Burr’s exceptional contributions to the field of lung health through her clinical endeavours, research pursuits, mentorship initiatives, and leadership roles are recognised by this award.

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 for Medical Education

  • Dr Kimberly Haladyn, Lecturer in Medical Education (Student Critical Thinking & Research Coordinator)
  • Ms Shannon O'Brien, Learning Designer, MD Curriculum Design

Mayne Academies

  • Dr Vidya Navaratnam, Senior Lecturer & Course Coordinator (Medicine), Mayne Academy of Medicine

Greater Brisbane Clinical School

  • Dr Kat Abeykoon, Team Based Learning Facilitator, MD Learning Hub
  • Dr Bryan Ang, Education Registrar, Greenslopes Clinical Unit
  • Dr Anthony Carpenter, Team Based Learning Facilitator, MD Learning Hub
  • Dr Chiara Chadwick, Education Registrar Surgery, Royal Brisbane Clinical Unit
  • Dr Kelly Chee, Post-doctoral Fellow, UQ Thoracic Research Centre at The Prince Charles Hospital, Northside Clinical Unit
  • Mr Mitchell Eckert, Student Coordination Officer, MD Learning Hub
  • Mr Tim Edwards, Education Registrar Psychiatry, PA-Southside Clinical Unit
  • Dr Roderick Gavey, Education Registrar Year 2 and Year 4 Medicine, PA-Southside Clinical Unit
  • Dr Mahia Ghodosi, Education Registrar Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Brisbane Clinical Unit
  • Dr Sarah Goh, Education Registrar Year 2 Clinical Coaching and Medicine, Royal Brisbane Clinical Unit
  • Dr Sophie Gong, Education Registrar, Greenslopes Clinical Unit
  • Dr Louisa MacGinley, Education Registrar Intern Readiness, Royal Brisbane Clinical Unit
  • Dr Susan Mathew, Education Registrar (Redland), PA-Southside Clinical Unit
  • Dr Alexandra Matthews, Education Registrar Medicine, PA-Southside Clinical Unit
  • Dr Jacqueline Mattison, Medical Education Fellow, Children’s Health Queensland Clinical Unit
  • Dr Melissa Prang, Medical Education Fellow, Children’s Health Queensland Clinical Unit
  • Dr Zahraa Saldanha, Medical Education Fellow, Children’s Health Queensland Clinical Unit
  • Dr Bethan Salmon, Education Registrar (QEII), PA-Southside Clinical Unit
  • Dr Tas Singh, Senior Lecturer Obstetrics and Gynaecology, North Learning Community
  • Dr Liz Wootton, Education Registrar, Royal Brisbane Clinical Unit

Ochsner Clinical School

  • Dr Michelle Puzdrakiewicz, Clerkship Director, Paediatrics and Child Health

Rural Clinical School

  • Mr David Bourke, Lecturer, Toowoomba Regional Clinical Unit
  • Dr Melissa Bourke, Senior Lecturer, Hervey Bay Regional Clinical Unit
  • Dr Jane Chaplin, Senior Lecturer, Hervey Bay Regional Clinical Unit
  • Dr Jordan Fox, Lecturer, Rockhampton Regional Clinical Unit
  • Mrs Stephanie Williams, Administration Assistant, Bundaberg Regional Clinical Unit

Research 

The University of Queensland's cLinical TRials cApability group
The University of Queensland’s cLinical TRials cApability (ULTRA) group, a key component of the Health Research Accelarator (HERA) initiative, is committed to working with UQ researchers to maximise UQ’s success in clinical trial research and funding opportunities. The ULTRA group leaders comprise experts in Biostatistics and Innovative Trial Design (Professor Andrew Martin); Implementation Science in Trials (Associate Professor Ingrid Hickman); and, Qualitative Methods in Trials (Dr Nathalia Cordeiro Da Costa).  

The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) innovative trial grant scheme presents an ideal opportunity for ULTRA to help develop UQ researchers’ promising ideas for adaptive platform trials and registry trials into highly competitive applications.  If you are planning to submit to the MRFF innovative trial grant scheme (or elsewhere for adaptive platform trial funding) and would like to engage with ULTRA, please indicate this in the Notice of Intent (NOI).  The UQ Research Office would like to encourage researchers interested in applying to this grant opportunity to complete the mandatory NOI as soon as possible. For further information and support, contact the Medical School Research Support Team.

Upcoming UQ Clinical Trials Centre Q&A session
UQ Clinical Trials Centre (CTC) is pleased to extend an invitation to their next UQ CTC Q&A session on Thursday 21 March, 3-3:45pm, which will be held via Zoom. Professor Nadine Foster will provide a short update, with the remaining time dedicated to answering questions. Please send your questions in advance to UQCTC@uq.edu.au or feel free to ask during the session.

UQ Clinical Trials Centre Collaboration Request process pilot
UQ Clinical Trials Centre (CTC) has launched the pilot of the UQ CTC Collaboration Request process. The Collaborate with Us Guide and Request Form link will be forwarded. The UQ team welcome proposals for collaboration on trials that are currently funded and on trials that are being developed for funding deadlines, including trials that are being reworked for resubmission to funding bodies. Results of the pilot will be shared at a forthcoming Q&A session. For further information, contact the Medical School Research Support Team.

Research Partnerships upcoming workshop
Research Partnerships is hosting a workshop on Thursday 16 May, 11am-12pm in Room 273, Building 20, UQ St Lucia campus, for UQ researchers and professional staff on how to set up a successful Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). CRCs are large-scale, flagship industry-based research centres that aim to solve industry-identified problems. The workshop is the first in a series of three planned for 2024 designed to give researchers the tools they need to develop, engage, and champion a CRC from conception to award and beyond. This one-hour workshop will feature two UQ researchers who have recently been successful in putting together a UQ-led CRC. Register to attend.

Medical Research Future Fund webinar
The next Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) webinar is on Thursday 14 March, 11am-12:30pm AEDT. The webinar will discuss how health practitioners, researchers and health services can use research to address health needs in rural, regional and remote communities. This includes building research capability and sustainability, mechanisms and strategies for engaging in research and the MRFF support available for this research. Register to attend.

Including Year 1 and 2 medical students in your research
The process for including students in Year 1 and 2 of the MD program in research has been revised in line with the MD Design. The information is found on the Student Research Portal under the heading ‘Student Research Options in the NEW MD’ and For Researchers: Including Year 1 and 2 MD students in your research.

Including Year 3 and 4 medical students in your research
The dedicated and mandatory process for medical students in Years 3 and 4 undertaking extra-curricular research has remained unchanged. Please follow the steps detailed on the Student Research Portal under the heading ‘Extra-curricular Unpaid Research Work Experience’ and For Researchers: Promote your research and attract students to your projects.

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
The Year 1 cohort is settling in, and classes are running well. The Year 2 course is also up and running, with troubleshooting of any issues taking place as they are identified. The course team is conducting a short trial in which clinical plenaries and symposiums will be facilitated via Zoom, as it has been challenging to deliver parallel sessions at different sites. It is hoped that this will allow for more inclusivity and collaboration for students at all sites. Feedback will be sought in order to inform the future mode of delivery of these learning formats.

In Year 3, detailed planning of the structured teaching program and assessment strategy is in progress and the course team is in the process of developing a spreadsheet with input from the Mayne Academies to articulate the learning objectives for the clinical immersion experiences. This will be incorporated into the curriculum framework document, which will also be provided to the Mayne Academies for feedback. All curriculum elements will be mapped against the new Australian Medical Council standards, which will be put in place next year.

The Year 4 course team is currently working on a high-level document regarding the longitudinal learning program to foster intern preparedness. Discussions are in train to ascertain how this might be implemented in each of the Clinical Schools.

Engagement 

2024 UQ Alumni Award nominations now open
Nominate a UQ alum who inspires you, has accomplished outstanding success in their field and has made exemplary contributions to their community! Nominations close Friday 17 May, 5pm. Nominate an alum today.

General Practice Clinical Unit newsletter
The Summer edition of the General Practice Clinical Unit (GPCU) GP Newsletter is now available. The GPCU distributes a quarterly newsletter with the latest information regarding the Mayne Academy of General Practice and General Practice Clinical Unit, teaching tips, articles and more.

 2024 Marfan and Aortopathy Conference
Join us for a special one-day conference dedicated to raising awareness of Marfan Syndrome, aortopathy, and associated conditions. Tailored to people impacted by these conditions, this conference is an opportunity to gain insights from leading specialists as they come together to share knowledge, foster understanding, and promote advancements in the field. Facilitated by esteemed expert, Dr Yong Shen Wee, the conference will be held on Saturday 20 April, 8am at The Prince Charles Hospital, Chermside. Register to attend.

 Online Volunteer Opportunity | Rise Selector Recruitment with UQ Ventures
UQ Ventures is seeking passionate individuals to become a selector for Rise, a program that finds promising young people and provides opportunities as they work to serve others. As a Rise Selector, you will be involved in a unique assessment process. Rise offers two types of selector roles – Project Reviewers and Finalist Day Selectors – both of which can be fulfilled remotely. Sign up to be a selector. For more information, contact Rise’s selection team.

Ilab Pitch Night
Join UQ Ventures at The Princess Theatre for ilab Pitch Night on Thursday 21 March, 5:30-9pm, where UQ’s startup entrepreneurs will present their cutting-edge innovations – from AI-driven platforms and digital cameras to the future of the electrical grid. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the future being made right here in Queensland. Find out more and grab your ticket.

View archived announcements from the Medical School

 

 

Senior Manager Update
Hello Team,

March has been another bustling month for our communities with over 15 engagement activities, showcasing our commitment to excellence and community involvement.

We joined our partners in welcoming the new undergraduate CQU UniSQ students and we have information sessions for future students and parents scheduled to share insights on studying medicine and working in our regions.

At the AMA Careers Event, we sponsored the coffee cart, fostering connections within the medical community and helping to promote intern opportunities with our HHS partners. The Bundaberg team ran Silver Q in partnership with CQU nursing students to promote interprofessional learning. TROHPIQ organized a skills day in Brisbane promoting multidisciplinary learning and has run the Wide Bay RCS tour.

In celebration of International Women's Day, the Bundaberg RTH delivered networking, games, and breast screen fundraising, while in Toowoomba local services supporting women were showcased and cupcakes were served. Our first student-staff liaison group meetings for 2024 have provided valuable feedback and our students and staff are being offered plenty of feedback opportunities around the Year 2 course implementation.

There have been opportunities to catch up in person with our research team who have travelled to each site, engaging with local clinicians and students and showcasing innovative research in our communities.  Riitta and I will conclude the first round of 2024 staff workshops in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay just before Easter.

I have enjoyed seeing everyone in the purple check RCS shirts.  If you missed out, want to exchange sizes, or order more, follow the links included.

Finally, to end with some exciting news! In recognition of the team's hard work and dedication, we have been able to share the 2023 UQ Service Excellence Prize with you all – current continuing and fixed-term staff will receive a $250 gift voucher to enjoy. If you haven't received your email, please check your junk mail or contact us.

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter long weekend!


Kind regards,
Clare
RCS Senior Manager

Event recap for February/March  
·       The first session of Silver Q was run at BRCU on Tuesday 12 March with UQ Year 4 medical students and final year CQUni nursing students.  Feedback from all students was that it was a valuable experience and they learnt a lot from working with each other. 

·       AME Team led by Professor Nalini Pather, visited BRCU on Friday 15 March.  Feedback sessions with staff and students provided the team with valuable advice and responses especially for the Year 2 Program.

·       BRCU Research Meet and Greet on Tuesday 27 February was well attended especially by students.

·       CQUni Year 1 RMP Welcome on Wednesday 6 March was attended by BRCU Head who addressed the new cohort, parents and guests on behalf of RCS.

·       TROHPIQ Wide Bay Careers trip went ahead on 16 and 17 March with a small number of Year 3 and 4 medical and allied health students attending. 

·       Number of local meetings took place in March including BRCU Education Meeting (5 March) and CAG Meeting on Monday 11 March, and our first local SSLG on Tuesday 19 March.

Staff movements
·       Katherine Munyard starting as RRM Student Coordinator on Monday 18 March

·       Anne-Maree Lucht will also be starting as RRM Team Lead (backfill Bridget Lowe parental leave starting 28 March).

·       BRCU Head, Dr Gina Watkins will be on leave from 25 March and returning to BRCU on Monday 29 April

·       TRCU Head, Dr Doogie Whitcombe is on leave from the 7 March returning on the Tuesday 2 April.

RTH Update
·       RTH Wide Bay held a Networking & Games Event for International Women’s Day on Saturday 9 March where Medical Professionals also were given an opportunity to receive education from Dr Denise Powell on current Breast Cancer Diagnosis/Screening, almost $700 was raised which will go towards Breast Screen Wide Bay and will be used towards free screening to and making their waiting rooms more comfortable for clients. We had 27 attendees which were a great mixture of Medical Students, RMP Students, Junior Doctors, General Practitioners and Local Health Professionals.

·       RTH DD-SW held an International Womens Day event. To acknowledge the day, and the important part that women play in our community, the UQ Regional Training Hub collated information about a number of local community groups that support women in need.

·       Madison and Kim from the RTH Wide Bay attended the Wide Bay Hospital Health Service Showcase on Monday 4 March.

Upcoming Events
·       Year 2 Break Week 25 – 29 March

·       Year 3 Trauma Workshop in Bundaberg - Tuesday 7 May

·       Come and Try Day will be held on Thursday 9 May at the UQ RCS Bundaberg RCU – Aimed at Y10 Indigenous High School Students from Bundaberg and Hervey Bay. Invitations have gone out to schools across the Wide Bay.

·       Battle of the Specialties events will be held on Tuesday 14 May in Bundaberg and Wednesday 15 May in Hervey Bay.

Finance Tip – Gift Vouchers
When providing Volunteers with a Gift Card or Voucher, both the UQ representative and volunteer must always complete and sign an Honorarium Declaration.

A copy of this UQ Form can be found in the RCS common finance drive Honorarium Declaration

This completed form should be sent to fbs-tax for their information, and should also be attached when reconciling the purchase in ExpenseMe Pro.

NOTE:  All Gift Vouchers need prior approval from the Budget Holder and in some instances also from the Director, Rural Clinical School.

Research Update
INSIST Study NHMRC Recognition
The UQRCS led INSIST study is now recognised by NHMRC as the one of the 10 best funded in 2014. See pages 16 and 17. Read more.

Research Meet and Greet
Over the past month, the research team has travelled to all RCU’s for the annual Research Meet and Greet events. It was encouraging to see many students and clinicians attend these events to find out how they can be involved in research and discuss what they are seeing in their day-to-day work and how they can incorporate research activity into this.  The research team looks forward to continuing these conversations into the future and working alongside both students and clinicians in their various research endeavours.

Upcoming 2024 Conferences
ANZAHPE Conference in Adelaide between 1-4 July
Abstracts have now closed.
Theme: Cultivating Innovation

17th National Rural Health Conference in Perth between 16-18 September
Abstracts due: 7 April 2024
Themes: Imagine, inspire & innovate

RMA 24 in Darwin between 23-26 October
Further details about abstract deadlines coming soon.

IT Update
ChatGPT is not to be used for any student data as this is a breach of our privacy policy. Any Research or UQ information that is given to ChatGPT is no longer IP of the University. The recommended AI is Copilot. Copilot comes in multiple forms and will continue to grow into everyday applications such as Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint. To access Copilot, go to https://copilot.microsoft.com/ and sign in with your UQ credentials. AI needs to go through ITS CAB to be approved to be used within UQ. This process considers all legal, software rights and storage of data.

 Wellness Update
Flourish Magazine:
Flourish Magazine - March 2024

EAP – Exercise, Finance & Nutritional Support: 
To support your Mental Health, the Altrius Group offers free financial, nutritional and exercise support, as well as counselling. Further details are included below:

EAP Wellbeing - Nutrition Support Program

EAP Wellbeing - Exercise Support Program

EAP Wellbeing - Financial Support Program

View archived RCS announcements

Date Savers

3 – 4 April                         Honours Research Proposal Seminars, 9am-5pm, various locations

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

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

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

Core Facility Questions??
Do you have questions about your light microscopy experiments? Or Flow Cytometry? Need advice on sample preparation, or which instrument is the best tool to answer your research questions? Perhaps you would like advice on image analysis, or quick software support questions. 

The Core Research Facility Virtual Drop-in Clinic runs weekly on Mondays via Zoom from 11am to 12noon, where facility staff will be on hand to answer your questions. Students, staff and faculty are all welcome to pop in to ask questions or seek advice on all things facility related. 

Click the LINK to join any given Monday’s at 11am.

SBMS Microscopy Image Competition.
The School of Biomedical Sciences invites you to participate in our 2024 Imaging Competition. Unleash your creativity and showcase your talent by producing captivating images using the SBMS Imaging Core Facility Microscopes. You will have a chance to win prizes, and your work will be prominently displayed on Level 1 MacGregor. The submission deadline is 5pm, Friday 20 September! More information here. 

Chemicals of Security Concern
Chemicals of Security Concern (CSC) audits are coming up in the next month. Please ensure they are easily located when Robyn comes around.  Watch your email for dates of inspection.

Fire Warden Checklists
Fire Warden checklists are due – If you haven’t already returned yours please do so ASAP to either Robyn or Jenyl.

UQU Morning Marmalade - free breakfast for students
Morning Marmalade is offered every morning on St Lucia campus, and evening meals by Kampus Kitchen on St Lucia and Herston campuses . If you hear about fainting students due to lack of a meal, perhaps recommend them to have a brekkie on campus before class? More about Morning Marmalade here.

International Women’s Day – GAF
In the midst of our busy teaching schedule the GAF still managed to celebrate International Women’s Day with some cupcakes. Thanks to all involved and Kylie, Tracey and Telena for also joining us at short notice!!

RACS Dissection Awards
Congratulations to Nathalie Tan, Nancy Xu and Sunny Fan, the three recipients of the ‘2022 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Dissection Award’ from the ‘2022 SBMS Summer Dissection Scholarship’. Each recipient receives three highly prized anatomy textbooks and these were recently presented by Prof Mark Midwinter.

Their dissection work was of the highest quality, and each will now be offered the opportunity to join the GAF prosection team, assisting in the production of specimens for the GAF collections that support undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in anatomy.

New SBMS Publications
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. 
 
From the Library
SAGE Policy Tool 
SAGE offers a new, free tool using Overton to identify where your work has been cited in policies. The same tool is used in Scopus/PlumX to identify altmetrics. 

·       Some info in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-04070-7 

·       A video demonstration by SAGE: Sage Policy Profiles Demonstration 

Python Workshops & Collaborative User Group Meetings 
The Library created four new Python workshops and monthly group sessions, starting Monday 4 March with “Python Training (1 of 4): The Fundamentals”.  

The UQ Python User Group is a monthly skill-sharing and collaborative problem-solving session for the UQ Python user community.  

More information can be found on the Library’s training page and on StudentHub.

SBMS Microscopy Facility Announcements
The next seminar in the Light Microscopy @ UQ seminar series will be held on Wednesday 27 March in the QBI Auditorium from 2-4pm.  This workshop will cover the fundamentals of light microscopy, including:

·       The differences between Brightfield, Widefield and confocal fluorescence microscopy, and when to use each. 

·       Sample preparation and staining tips for optimal imaging results.

·       Tips for acquiring the best images for your research, and common mistakes to avoid.

All SBMS staff and students are welcome.  Please register by clicking the link https://forms.office.com/r/E6d6BKfga9

Training Reminder
Cryogen facility inductions are run on the first Monday of each month from 10 – 11am.  The next induction will be held on Monday 1 April. Training requests and records are managed via the SBMS-Analytical page in RIMS.  To request an induction, please go to the RIMs homepage (https://rims.uq.edu.au/start/) and login using your UQ login.  Navigate to the SBMS Analytical page, and submit a Cryogen Facility training request form, found by clicking on the Request tab.  Core facility staff will send an email reminder out to confirm attendance before the next scheduled training.

If you have any difficulties, or questions, please email sbmscorefacilities@uq.edu.au 

View archived announcements from SBMS

 

 

Head of School Update
Congratulations to those staff and students who participated in the International Women’s Day fun run on Sunday 10 March. By the end of the event, the team raised $2,367 towards breast cancer support and research, meaning they placed 7th amongst school teams for fundraising and 1st amongst teams from UQ. Well done on such an amazing result, and thank you to those who contributed, or put in the training and participated.

The SPH Space working group meets weekly to make recommendations for how best to use the space within our Public Health building. They are now calling for interested parties to have input into a Quiet Room. This room would be available for anyone who requires a quiet space away from colleagues to refresh or to pray. If you feel you would use such a space and would like to assist in the planning, please can you get in touch with Simon Reid this week? Thanks.

The end of this week is Easter followed by the mid-semester break. Please remember to take some time to relax and recharge. We’re both taking the four days off after Easter, Sheleigh to spend with her family at the beach, Sarah to a rural property north of Toowoomba.

And just a reminder that Adele will be on leave until mid-April, so please be patient with the core professional team as they cover her role for the next four weeks.

Finally, we send our heartfelt congratulations to Dung Phung, Amalie Dyda, Tracey Disipio and Louise Marquart-Wilson for completing their final review yesterday with LCPC with everyone confirmed. It is a privilege to have you as part of the SPH Team.

 
All the best
Sheleigh & Sarah

Sheleigh Lawler                                                                  Sarah Piper
Acting Head of School                                                     SPH School Manager 

Monday 25 March
Guest Lecture
SPH and Doctors for the Environment host climate change
Today SPH hosts Professor Jonathan Patz, M.D., MPH – the inaugural director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Lead Author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and co-Chair of the health expert panel of the U.S. National Assessment on Climate Change. At 5:30pm this evening, Professor Patz will deliver a public lecture on ‘Solving the climate crisis offers potentially the largest health opportunity of our lifetime’, introduced by Sheleigh and co-hosted with Doctors for the Environment (details here). Many thanks to Nina Lansbury for orchestrating this visit.

Dates for diaries
26 March
– Yoga with Jo Maxwell. Mayne boardroom, room 315, 12–1pm. Please bring your yoga mat & water bottle. If you don’t have a yoga mat, one can be provided. Class limit 15 people. Contact Jenyl.brady@uq.edu.au

29 March – Good Friday

31 March – Easter Sunday

1 April – Easter Monday Public Holiday

1-7 April – mid Semester 1 break

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

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

Well-deserved recognition
A new textbook has been published that is co-edited by Allyson Mutch and Lisa Fitzgerald, and features chapters by many SPH staff and PhDs: Nina Lansbury, Katherine Cullerton, Kerri Gill and Linda Selvey. Details here. This will be presented at an SPH seminar in July.

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:

School Review recommendations
This section will feature updates each fortnight on the School’s progress on the Review recommendations. Working groups will continue to meet to discuss options around our School’s governance and community. However, these groups have not met since the School meeting and at the time of writing this newsletter there are no new updates.
.  
SPH Space update
A massive shout out to Christina Balmori for all the hard work and efforts that have gone into the recent moves. Gail Garvey’s group had a successful move just last week from SPH Level 1 to SPH Level 3. It was a big task and thanks to Chris and her team, it all went very smoothly! The SPH Space working group are now working on the student common room project.

UQ Psychology Clinic – waitlists now open
The UQ Psychology Clinic is currently welcoming referrals (including self-referrals). Our waitlists have recently opened, offering accessible and affordable therapy and assessment services to children, adolescents, and adults. Those interested in the Clinic’s services can connect via the referral form found on our website: https://clinic.psychology.uq.edu.au

Our services are provided by provisional psychologists or counselling trainees who receive regular supervision from qualified senior psychologists and counsellors. Services are available for staff, students, and members of the community.

All the info

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.

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 7th 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

     

    Seminars

    Frazer Institute Seminar Series: Dr Tanjina Kader
    Wednesday 28February, 9:30 10:30am; TRI Auditorium or via Zoom.
    Tanjina will be presenting Multimodal spatial profiling revels the emergence of an immune suppressive microenvironment at the initial stages of high-grade serous cancer development.

    JDE and Unifi Requisitions and UQ Procurement Policy
    Both JDE and Unifi requisitions follow the UQ Procurement Policy. Please ensure you upload the appropriate documentation as detailed in 7.3 Appendix 3 – Procurement activity, documentation, and approval requirements when raising a requisition and review the procurement decision guide. Any queries can be directed to the Frazer Institute finance team.

    Expressions of Interest – Infrastructure items
    The Frazer Institute Research Committee is seeking expressions of interest for a wish list of external grant opportunities, philanthropic opportunities, TRI new and replacement scheme, Faculty capital replacement and general needs. Expressions of interest are encouraged at any time. Please use the new form and submit at any time with the words 'General Equipment EOI' in the subject line.

    Frazer Institute Morning Tea – Every Friday
    All Staff and Students are welcome to the Frazer Institute Morning Tea held every Friday 10-11am in the Level 7 lounge room. This event is supported by the ED&I Committee.

     View archived announcements from The Frazer Institute