Operational 

Involving UQ medical students in research
Please be aware there is a mandatory process for involving UQ medical students in extra-curricular research to help ensure a safe and quality experience for everyone involved. Please discuss this with students before they commence any research with you and refer them to the Student Research Portal for further information.

UQMedicine Magazine
Got a story to tell? Know of a colleague doing great things? We’re looking for articles to include in the Faculty’s annual magazine, UQMedicine. Check out previous editions to see tales of students, staff, alumni and partners. Email med.media@uq.edu.au with your thoughts.

View archived Operational announcements

People and culture

Queensland 40 Under 40 Awards
Nominations are now open for the inaugural Queensland 40 Under 40 Awards to recognise young leaders and entrepreneurs aged under 40. Hosted by  InQueensland and The Weekend Edition, the awards aim to acknowledge the movers and shakers, ground-breakers, visionaries, quiet achievers and game changers helping to shape the future of our state. Find out more and nominate today. Nominations close Friday, 16 June. 

National Reconciliation Week
This year's National Reconciliation Week theme is 'Be a Voice for Generations'. Join a free morning tea event hosted by the School of Public Health on Thursday 1 June, 10–11am, and be a part of a conversation around the upcoming Referendum about the Voice to Parliament.

Vampire Cup
Do you regularly donate blood? Help UQMS win the Vampire Cup and save lives! Find out your eligibility and register. 

View archived People and culture announcements

Teaching and learning

Project funding summary templates
The Med Advancement team have developed a one page template to help summarise projects that need philanthropic funding. These plain English summaries help the team understand the research across the Faculty, and provide a starting conversation for our donors. If you would like to receive the template, or get in contact regarding a donor to your research, please email med.advancement@uq.edu.au.

View archived Teaching and Learning announcements

Professional development 

Professional Staff Forum
View the key take outs from the Faculty's Professional Staff Forum held on Friday 19 May. 

View archived Professional Development announcements

Research

2023 Stroke Care Champion
Nominations for the 2023 Stroke Care Champion are now open. This annual Stroke Foundation event recognises an individual who has gone above and beyond to make life better for Australia’s stroke community. Nominations can be made via the Stroke Foundation website and close 30 June. The winner will be announced at the 32nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Stroke Society of Australasia in Melbourne between 22-25 August. Find out more.

Pathways to Higher Education Academy (HEA) Fellowships 2023
Expressions of interest for UQ's HEA Fellowship Program are open year-round and can be submitted online. There is an online Edge course to support Associate Fellows, Fellows and Senior Fellows develop their applications. Five face-to-face and online HEA Application Intensive Workshops will be held across the calendar year. In completing this one-day workshop, it is possible to come away with a significantly completed draft.
Anyone working towards Fellowship in 2023 as a part of their Annual Appraisal process, must apply by 14 July. More information can be found on SharePoint site for Aspiring Fellows. For more information, contact the Professional Learning Team.

The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation National Research Grants Scheme
Australia’s leading non-government funder of ovarian cancer research is looking for research projects which must satisfy one of the four key research pillars:

• Early Detection: saving lives through early-stage diagnosis
• Treatment: improving treatment options to increase survival rates
• Prevention: reducing disease prevalence through preventative research
• Managing Recurrence: better management of recurrent disease to enhance survival and quality of life

More information. Applications close at 9am on Monday 17 July.

View archived Research announcements

Event approvals

Anyone planning an event should begin by visiting the UQ events information page here to ensure they get the latest information about the events approval process, and access to the current application forms. Following current procedures and using the latest forms will avoid delays in the approval process.

UQ Mayne Events Space

Need a space to host your next event? Close and convenient to the Brisbane CBD, The Mayne Events Space boasts rooms perfect for private dinners, conferences, or workshops. Event booking information and room details can be found in our event compendium and via the Mayne Events Space website. Contact the team today for a personalised event proposal.

Events

How to get your research published
As part of their writing and publishing series, the Clinical Knowledge Network (CKN) and Elsevier Research will be present a webinar on strategies to get your research published. Register online to attend. Wednesday 7 June, 4:30pm.

Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA)’s Medtech Initiative breakfast
Brisbane Deputy Mayor, Cr. Krista Adams and the Brisbane Economic Development Agency invite you to hear about the next phase of Brisbane’s MedTech Initiative on Thursday 15 June. The year two cohort of the Global Accelerator will be announced during the event and provide a progress update on the year one cohort following the global investor pitches at J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and BIO International Convention. RSVP by Friday 2 June. 

Animal ethics at UQ: update and writing workshop
The SBMS is holding an interactive forum on the latest MyResearch updates and animal ethics processes at UQ, and help to optimally prepare your animal ethics applications. More information is available on the Staff Hub. Friday 26 May, Room 348, Building 63 – St Lucia. RSVP if you are planning to attend and ensure you download the calendar invite.

Consumer and Community Involvement in Health Research
The Faculty is proud to collaborate with Anne McKenzie AM of the Telethon Kids Institute to facilitate this virtual workshop on how clinicians and researchers can better involve consumers in their research. There are only 30 spots available and expressions of interest must be registered online before Monday 5 June. Pre-course training will be available from 12 June, followed by two workshops on Thursday 22 June and Thursday 29 June from 11am–1pm. 

View archived Events announcements

Congratulations
A big congratulations to the following people:
 
Professor James Scott on the release of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study Report. The Study randomly surveyed 8503 randomly selected Australians aged 16-65+. It generated the first nationally representative rates of all types of child maltreatment and their associated outcomes in Australia. These findings demonstrate the imperative for Australian governments to develop a coordinated long-term plan for generational reform.

Dr Ayaho Yamamoto on leading a study highlighting links between air quality and COVID-19 severity, published in Experimental Biology and Medicine. This article addresses the mechanisms by which air pollution worsens COVID-19, highlighting the apparent protection offered by a dietary antioxidant, astaxanthin.

Dr Dwan Vilcins for receiving the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand’s Peter Phelan Paediatric Research Award. This award recognises Dr Vilcins’ recent grant success and launch of the new book Eddie the EPFR.

CCHR Seminar Series – UQ presenters
You are invited to the following CCHR Seminars on Wednesdays from 12-1pm:

• 12 July – Kids Sleep Research
• 23 August – Ian Frazer Centre for Children’s Immunotherapy Research
• 4 October – Children’s Health Environment Program
• 15 November – Acquired Brain Injury in Children 

View archived announcements from CHRC

Leading the way on skin cancer prevention targets
As part of the Australian Skin and Skin Cancer Research Centre, the CHSR Behavioural Sciences team recently helped organise the annual Skin Cancer Prevention Queensland Research, Policy and Practice Forum. The forum allowed researchers, policymakers and practitioners to exchange findings, ideas and actions to increase Queensland’s focus on skin cancer prevention. Together we want to reduce skin cancer incidence by 5% in 2030 and 25% in 2050.

From the Director’s Desk
Preparations for the Building 33 refurbishment are well underway. The decant is a big process so thank-you to all for starting the clean-up now so that the transition out of the building will be as smooth as possible. You will have received an email recently with instructions on storage and disposal of items but please reach out to Tracey or Chris if you have any questions or require help during this process. Please also remember to put details of all your requirements in the relocation schedule on the teams site so that we can accommodate you should need space on campus during the refurbishment.

You will be aware of the recent amendment to the WHS Regulations and legislation ‘Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice’. According to the risk management cycle recognising risks, assessing risks, and implementing measures to reduce the risks are the first steps followed by evaluation. UQ has developed the UQ Psychological Safety and Wellbeing Guide to help you understand psychological safety in the workplace and outline the risk management approach to psychological hazards, as well as ways to promote positive well-being amongst UQ staff.

Best wishes
Monika

The spirit of reconciliation
UQ Core Cultural Learning modules can be completed at your own pace whenever you like (Modules 1–2 are mandatory for all UQ staff).

Upcoming CHSR Seminars
How valuable is revision of total knee arthroplasty? by Charles Okafor, HERMU. Wednesday 24 May, 12:30–1:30pm, Zoom.

Finding Grant Opportunities with Pivot-RP by Lars Erikkson and Nicole Rayner. Tuesday 30 May 2023, 11–11:30am. Zoom details to follow.

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

Funding opportunities
RACP Research Fellowships (various opportunities) – close 27 June 
MRFF Early to Mid-career researchers – close 21 June 
MRFF Clinical Trials Activity – applications close 28 June 
MRFF Chronic Respiratory Conditions – close 5 July 
MRFF Consumer-Led grants – close 5 July 
MRFF National Critical Research Infrastructure – 31 July 
MRFF Clinician Researchers: Applied Research in Health – close 2 August 
MRFF Primary Health Care Research – close 16 August 
MRFF Dementia and Aged Care – close 30 August 
HTQ Consumer engagement microgrants – ongoing.

More funding opportunities available via the FoM CHSR teams.

Award Opportunities
Women in Technology Awards – nominations close 31 May 
Research Australia Awards – nominations close 31 July 

More award opportunities available via the FoM CHSR teams.

Volunteers for grant pitching panels
CHSR will be running grant pitching sessions in August to help our researchers prepare for 2024 granting rounds. Researchers will pitch their grant ideas to an internal panel who will provide feedback, help and support with the proposal's development. We are asking for volunteers from across CHSR. We encourage all academic staff including EMCRS to volunteer (great service to centre opportunity!). If you are interested please get in touch.

Consumer Renumeration in Research
The Faculty have just released new guidelines on Consumer Renumeration and how to submit claims for Consumer Renumeration. Documents have been uploaded to the FoM CHSR Teams site.

Training opportunities
Career consultations for UQ academic researchers Level A-E and research professionals. Consultations can be booked online, are confidential and are tailored to one-on-one advice.

QCIF online statistics training workshops – register online

Dimensions/Altmetrics Explorer training sessions - Zoom

Pivot-RP with Lars Erikkson and Nicole Rayner – 30 May, 11–11:30am.

More training opportunities available via the FoM CHSR teams.

Upcoming Symposium Deadlines
PAH Symposium Abstracts Due – 26 May.

Marketing and Communications
Medicine Marketing and Comms are currently in the process of streamlining social media requests. Please send through all your social media requests to the marketing and communications team.

Twitter – Please follow your CHSR colleagues on Twitter. You can find their twitter handles on FOM CHSR Teams.

CHSR Publications
1.     Engstrom T, Baliunas D, Smith A, Dean JA, Pole JD. Immediate and Ongoing Impact of COVID-19 on Chlamydia Treatment in Australia. Sex Transm Dis. 2023 Jun 1;50(6):363-369. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001785. Epub 2023 Feb 20. PMID: 36806221.
2.     Laurie JG, Wilkinson SA, Mcintyre HD, Snoswell C. Gestational diabetes mellitus care re-imagined - A cost-minimisation analysis: Cost savings from a tertiary hospital, using a novel, digital-based gestational diabetes management model. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2023 May 5. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13695. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37144760.
3.     Russell AW, Adkins P, Hayes L, Prior E, McCormack C, DiGregorio J. Electronic consultations (eConsults): a proof of concept trial in Australia. Intern Med J. 2022 Dec;52(12):2150-2156. doi: 10.1111/imj.15495. Epub 2022 Jun 29. PMID: 34432347.
4.     Young A, Kozica-Olenski S, Mallen K, McRae P, Treleaven E, Walsh Z, Mudge A. Developing and validating a novel staff questionnaire to identify barriers and enablers to nutrition and mealtime care on hospital wards. Nutr Diet. 2023 May 11. doi: 10.1111/1747-0080.12815. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37169361
5.     Mattison G, Canfell OJ, Forrester D, Dobbins C, Smith D, Reid D, Sullivan C. A step in the right direction: the potential role of smartwatches in supporting chronic disease prevention in health care. Med J Aust. 2023 May 15;218(9):384-388. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51920. Epub 2023 Apr 12. PMID: 37182214 No abstract available.
6.     van der Vegt AH, Scott IA, Dermawan K, Schnetler RJ, Kalke VR, Lane PJ. Deployment of machine learning algorithms to predict sepsis: systematic review and application of the SALIENT clinical AI implementation framework. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2023 May 12:ocad075. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocad075. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37172264

View archived announcements from CHSR

Crazy Socks 4 Docs
Crazysocks4docs Day is on Friday 2 June. Crazysocks4docs Day aims to raise awareness, reduce  stigma and normalise  conversation around the mental health challenges experienced by doctors and health practitioners around the world. Many Medical School sites have organised a Crazysocks4docs Day event, such as a morning tea. We encourage you to support this important initiative by attending an event at your local site.

The Honourable Mark Butler, Minister for Health, and Dr Ben Bravery will be speaking at a Crazysocks4docs event on Friday 2 June, 6:45–9am. All doctors, medical students and colleagues interested in doctors' health and wellbeing will gain great value from this in-person and online event. For further information and to purchase tickets, visit the event page.

Medical School community achievements

Faculty of Medicine Prizes and Scholarships Awards
Over 100 staff members, donors, student awardees and guests attended the 2023 Faculty of Medicine Prizes and Scholarships Awards evening on Wednesday 19 April. Congratulations to all students within the Medical School and Faculty who received an award, and a big thank you to our donors for their support and generosity. View photos from the evening.

Research  

Resources for researchers
Did you know that the UQ Library offers lots of resources for researchers? View the Services for Researchers page to find out more.

UQ Medical students in your research
Please be aware there is a mandatory process for including UQ medical students in extra-curricular research to help ensure a safe and quality experience for everyone involved. Please discuss this with students before they commence any research with you, and refer them to the Student Research Portal for further information.

Education

MD Design update
The draft Year 2 syllabus is close to finalisation, and implementation planning has commenced with colleagues from the Greater Brisbane and Rural Clinical Schools. Once finalised and approved, a copy of the Year 2 syllabus will be made available on the Medical School intranet. As previously advised, focus groups are being established to work on the detailed design of each Year 2 learning experience. The Year 2 Assessment Framework is also being developed in parallel with these learning experiences. Given the importance of clinical placements in Year 2, a working group will be established with representation from the Learning Communities (urban and rural), to ensure the Year 2 assessment design is suitable for all learning experiences and aligns with clinical placements.

The Year 1 Course Coordinator and course team continue to communicate with students via the Year 1 course discussion board. Feedback from students is being collated and this data will be analysed and addressed by theme as we continue to refine and improve Year 1 of the new MD program.

Teaching awards support mechanisms
ITaLI provides workshops, guidance and support for staff interested in seeking recognition for their distinctive, outstanding or excellent teaching and learning practices. They can help you apply for the UQ Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and for national award schemes like the Australian Awards for University Teaching. Find out more.

Engagement

New flexible work policy and procedures
The University’s Flexible Work Policy and Procedures have been updated and are available via the UQ Policy and Procedures Library (PPL). Under the new policy, there are three different flexible work request types:
Flexible Work – Request under the Fair Work Act
Workplace flexibility
Local flexibility

The flexible work arrangement options remain much the same (e.g. flexi-time/VBT, work from home arrangements, change of working hours). Staff are asked to add their new or existing arrangements into Workday via the My Flexible Work app. Information on how to do this is available in the My Work Arrangements section of the Systems Training Hub. 

New UQ Leadership Programs – expressions of interest closing soon
Looking to broaden your leadership skills and experience? Expressions of interest are open for the four newly refreshed UQ Leadership Programs: Learning to Lead, Leadership in Practice, Leading UQ and Manager’s Toolkit. To find out more about the programs, how to submit your expression of interest and when submissions close, visit the Leadership Development at UQ webpage.

Ventures Curiosity PhD applications now open
Applications for UQ Ventures Curiosity PhD are now open to all UQ PhD candidates and early career researchers. Join the six-week program to attend a combination of weekly workshops, listen to a series of inspirational speakers and gain key entrepreneurial skills. Applications close Monday 29 May at 12 midday.

Data Governance: what is it and how can it help you?
Data Governance involves the organisation of people, processes, and technology to enable effective data management. It increases UQ’s data value, quality, transparency and reliability, and enables effective data management. Find out more about data governance and how can it help you.

View archived announcements from the Medical School

View archived announcements from MRI-UQ 

Senior Manager Rural Clinical School update
Director, Rural Clinical School update

Dear Colleagues, 

I can’t believe we are already in May. With the halfway point of 2023 fast approaching, there is lots of activity and future planning going on across all our sites – clearly evident in the many team successes and achievements. Thank you to all of you involved.

Collaboration is again a key theme for May as we had the privilege of hosting the FRAME Conference in Hervey Bay earlier this month. The Federation of Rural Medical Educators (FRAME) is the peak body representing Rural Clinical Schools and Regional Training Hubs funded through RHMT. Special thanks to all involved in making the conference a very successful and seamless event. We had overwhelmingly positive feedback from all attendees, so thank you!

It was a thought-provoking and collaborative full two days and, from the presentations, it was particularly evident that all universities in the rural and regional space are working hard to achieve the same goal. The delivery of programs across university networks was a common theme and seen as a great strength.  As we prepare our applications for CSP funding, we are measured on our formal partnerships.  As partners, we should be open and transparent with our best practices and research, and continue to work together to achieve our shared goals.

The barriers and enablers of each university were somewhat similar, with enablers including variety (clinical exposure to a wide variety of conditions), meaningfulness (resilience developed through the shared humanity of working with people from the bush), pathways to MD (end- to-end training), partnership and collaborations and mentorships, all areas, I believe, we are doing well in. High school recruitment and starting with Rural Training Pipeline in the earlier years of high school are also important. With our new High School Engagement Strategy Document, we know that high school engagement activities involve a lot of groundwork and that all Clinical Units are already, and will continue to do, a lot in this space. Every high school visit, career fair, student, visibility is key, and we thank you for your work to attract and retain medical graduates in rural areas to ensure that the healthcare workforce reflects the communities it serves.

The recent Medicine Information Online Event was a great success with an audience of over 500 potential future regional doctors watching live and an additional 550 online views since the recording was shared on YouTube. This event was in collaboration with the Faculty and the Future Students Team and allowed us to discuss The Medical Pathways and the RCS to a wider audience. TROPHIQ were also there to present the following night at the in-person event to showcase rural and remote medicine. We were bombarded with questions after the panel with some very interested students, which is always great to hear.

With the colder months coming up, remember to look after yourself. Take care and keep warm!

Riitta

Associate Professor Riitta Partanen
Director, UQ Rural Clinical School

Team successes and achievements
Congratulations to Wayne Williams on his academic appointment as Lecturer in Indigenous Health. This role recognises the valuable work Wayne does in the provision of First Nation curriculum for the Faculty of Medicine.

UQ RTH teams in Southern Queensland, Wide Bay and Central Queensland partnered with James Cook University and Queensland Health to deliver an Intern Information Evening Webinar on Tuesday 2 May. This online event attracted over 200 online participants and provided medical students the opportunity to understand the Queensland Health Internship application and ballot processes. UQ RTH teams supported our local Hospital and Health Services to showcase their facilities, career pathways, culture and community attractiveness outside metropolitan areas.  

UQ RCS hosted the FRAME Meeting from 3–4 May. Well done to all involved and congratulations Riitta on a well-organised, presented and attended meeting. The HBRCU tours were appreciated by the attendees. Special thanks and congratulations to Melanie George for her organisation and technical support skills and to Claire Cresswell who worked very hard in the background pulling together the presentations right up till the last minute.  They both showed such grace under pressure and were a credit to the team!

All our clinical units warmly welcomed the Year 2 students on the TROHPIQ site visits in April and May. Students had a wonderful time sightseeing and catching up with current medical students to talk about what it's like to live and study in a regional centre. All trips were oversubscribed and the feedback since is that there is keen interest in attending the RCS in 2024.

The RTHWB held a Come & Try session with local Indigenous high school students to inspire a career in healthcare on Tuesday 9 May. Well done to the RTHWB and our clinical team for a very successful event.

RTHWB held two ‘Battle of the Specialties’ careers events to promote regional medical careers and provide pre-med students, medical students and junior doctors the opportunity to speak with Career Champions (HB 15 May, BB 16 May).

The TRCU Clinical Skills Team supported the delivery of the Aspire2Health program in Kingaroy (April 18), Chinchilla (9 May) and Dalby (10 May). This high school engagement program is designed for Year 10-11 students interested in health careers across medicine, paramedicine, nursing, midwifery and allied health.

ER112 was delivered at the Hervey Bay Surf Club and on the beach area in front. The training day was a successful collaboration of RCU staff, students, Emergency clinicians, ambulance representatives and simulated patients.

NF Awareness Month
Staff member Millee Barr has a son born with this condition and the Bundaberg site will be holding a “We are going Blue & Green Day” to show support and help raise NF awareness. Students have shown interest in the education around the condition and donations have already raised $750 so far. Read more about NF Awareness Month.

Research Update

• We have established a partnership arrangement with Goondir Health Services, one of the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in our footprint to develop new models of care in primary health.  We have also provided a quote to develop Goondir’s business plans for a community wellbeing centre in St George
• The RCS research team is also working on a consultancy project with Shell and Queensland Gas Corporation on health service delivery for their staff and contractors based in rural and remote areas. The interim report is due on the 15 May
• Research Team and Bruce Chater recently presented research outcomes on longitudinal placements to Martin Rocks at DoH. We have been invited to present to the whole department towards the end of July

Media
Facebook post with the most reach and engagement in May.

Staff Movements
Welcome to:

• Trudy Stone – new TRCU Team Leader (commenced 2 May)
• Peter Wallace – new RRM Team Leader (commenced 15 May)
• Jess Geddes has returned from parental leave back to the RCS Marketing Team and her role will focus on the RTH

We thank and farewell

• Dr Kim Bonk - Primary Care Workforce Lead RTH SQ
• Dr Jae Choi - Primary Care Workforce Lead RTH CQ
• Dr Fiona Stonely  -Senior Lecturer, Clinical Skills and Simulation TRCU
• Rosie Wagner – Principal Program Officer RTHSQ (last day 26 May) – Rosie has been with the RTH for 5 years (from the very early days) and has played an important role in the establishment and evolution of the RTH.  We look forward to continuing to work with Rosie as she steps into the Program Coordinator role with the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway (QRGP) team in Darling Downs Health

Upcoming Events
The UQRCS will be sponsoring a session and hosting a trade booth at RDAQ in Cairns in June.

15 UQ RCS sponsored Rocky students to enter in the Rocky River Run on the 21 May. Lots of Purple will be showcased on the day.

RTHWB abstract submission for the local Supervisor Training Series was accepted for presentation at the National Regional Training Hub Forum in Sydney, 1–2 June.

Planning for Semester 2 Intro Week is well underway along with finalising Semester 1 Exam Week and end-of-block assessments for students.

Finance Tips
UQ prioritises support for local jobs and positive outcomes for our communities and this aligns with our RHMT funding parameters. We can all contribute by actively considering opportunities to purchase from socially responsible enterprises, including indigenous businesses. Before undertaking purchasing or procurements please apply the local benefits test to evaluate the benefits a supplier would bring to the local area. This test also considers broader strategic factors such as stimulating local employment, socio-economic development in local regions and supporting social objectives when making procurement decisions.

For further information, please review the new content on Socially responsible procurement page. Socially responsible procurement reflects UQ’s intentions toward social, environmental and ethical purchasing, and reinforces our commitments to Indigenous procurement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

IT Update
Congratulations to Chris Camilleri, Kiri and new big sister Emily who welcomed baby Annika Ivy to their family on the 22 April. Chris has some leave around this exciting time. While Chris is on leave, could all staff email Jason with all IT support requests and CC the request to help.its@enquire.uq.edu.au. This will ensure that all requests can be tracked and managed properly. All jobs, no matter how small should be logged before they will be actioned. This will help us understand our IT needs as we continue to extend our offerings over the next few years.

Below are warning signs of failing lithium-ion batteries (found in laptops and mobile phones):

• Swelling of the battery – if the shape of your battery has changed, bulged or looks swollen
• High heat – batteries commonly generate some heat when charging or in use, but if the battery feels extremely hot to touch it may be defective
• Noise – failing batteries may make audible hissing or cracking sounds
• Odour – unusual or strong odours coming from the battery
• Smoking – any signs of smoke being released

Please contact the RCSIT team if you have any concerns and for more information read the safety alert about lithium-ion batteries. You can read more about disposing IT e-waste on the UQ website. 

Wellness Updates
App of the month: Sleep Cycle – would you like to track and analyse your sleep? Find your perfect wake-up window and more with Sleep Cycle. For more details and to download, visit Sleep Cycle | Sleep Tracker, Monitor & Alarm Clock

Push-Up Challenge: UQ is taking part in this event between 1–23 June, the goal is to complete 3,144 push-ups to help shine the spotlight on the number of lives lost to suicide in 2021 and raise awareness of mental health. It's ok to aim for half of the push-up target if 3,144 is too many. You're also welcome to do alternative exercises (sit-ups, squats, etc.) if push-ups aren't your thing. Registrations are now open for you to create/join a team (of up to 10) as part of the UQ Community and help push for better mental health. UQ teams have the option to raise funds for Lifeline. The team that raises the most money by the end of the challenge will win a massage therapist in the workplace for a day! Find out more and join the UQ Community.

Flourish Magazine: The May issue includes some healthy work and life topics such as: Don’t forget to move; Do you need a work detox, Digital accessibility; and Making your financial health and wealth better. Read more.

Desktop Wallpaper: Looking for a change of scenery on your desktop? Check out the EA Institute May background downloads.

View archived RCS announcements

From the Head of School
As we head into cold and flu (and COVID) season, I suggest everyone willing and able to get their vaccinations up to date, not just for your own protection, but for herd immunity for our colleagues and students who may not be able to be vaccinated.

I’ll be away for a week co-chairing a Gordon Research Conference – so email with urgent matters for Mark M or for me on my return.

And please remember to redo your yearly mandatory training e.g., fire safety when you get the email reminders.

Lizzie Coulson

Date Savers
26 May - National Sorry Day
07 July - Academic Staff Meeting, 10–11:30am, venue TBA
14 August - All Staff Meeting, 12–1:30pm, venue TBA

Australian Society for Stem Cell Research - ECR Symposium Series
The ASSCR presents Breaking Boundaries in Regenerative Medicine and Developmental Biology 
Postdocs, PhD, Honours, and Masters students are all encouraged to apply! 10 July 2023, 10am–5pm. QBP Auditorium (80). Registration deadline for abstract submission is 26 May. Register for this event before 16 June.

New SBMS Publications

1. Cortical activity emerges in region-specific patterns during early brain development, PNAS, 2023. Suárez R, Bluett T, McCullough MH, Avitan L, Black DA, Paolino A, Fenlon LR, Goodhill GJ, Richards LJ.
   
   We described the onset and maturation of spontaneous activity in the developing neocortex using marsupial joeys as live models of prenatal embryos. Evolutionarily conserved patterns of patchwork- and wave-like activity in somatosensory and visual cortices emerge in a rostral-to-caudal direction and could serve as early biomarkers of brain health. Marsupials allow pioneering studies combining in-pouch electroporation of genes of interest (e.g., the calcium reporter GCaMP6s) and live microscopy (e.g. two-photon) through the transparent skull at stages equivalent to prenatal mice and humans. The study included work performed at QBI and SBMS facilities.
2. Embryonic stem cell-derived neurons as a model system for epigenome maturation during development, Genes, 2023. Sally Martin, Daniel Poppe, Nelly Olova, Conor O'Leary, Elena Ivanova, Jahnvi Pflueger, Jennifer Dechka, Rebecca K. Simmons, Helen M. Cooper, Wolf Reik, Ryan Lister, Ernst J. Wolvetang
   
   In this study we show that mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neurons, in contrast to human stem cell derived neurons, can recapitulate the unique DNA methylation landscape of adult neurons in vitro over experimentally tractable timeframes, allowing their use as a model system to study epigenome maturation over development.

If you are preparing a manuscript and 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.

Expressions of Interest Open for Visualise Your Thesis Competition 2023 
Graduate researchers, the Visualise Your Thesis competition is back at UQ. Get involved to showcase your research and develop skills in visual storytelling and communicating complex ideas to a general audience. Get inspired by the 2022 UQ entries. Submit your expression of interest to participate in the competition this year. 

Attend the Information and Questions Session on Tuesday 30 May, 10–11 am or Tuesday 6 June, 2–3 pm. Expressions of interest opened on 8 May. Read more about the competition and key dates from UQ Library Blog. 

SBMS Friday Socials
Our next Friday networking events for this semester are scheduled for 26 May and 9 June from 4pm. Come along for some beverages, snacks, and chats with fellow SBMSers on the Level 1 MacGregor deck. Both cash and cashless payment options will be available.

View archived announcements from SBMS

Head of School / School Manager Update

We are pleased to let you know that our Faculty will soon be introducing a pilot Career Support Program for Women. The new scheme will support female, research-focused academics to enable them to maintain and progress their research careers if they experience career disruptions due to primary caring responsibilities.

A key component of the program will be matching successful participants with a dedicated mentor, who will work with them to develop an individualised career continuity plan and provide general support. Female researchers at Level B or above will be eligible to apply and, at this stage, we are seeking mentors from Mid-Career to Senior Academics to get involved. If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a mentor for this program, please email our Associate Dean, Research, Professor Karen Moritz. More details will follow for researchers interested in the program.

Further events are now being planned for National Reconciliation Week (27 May–3 June) including a morning tea in our Reconciliation Garden on Thursday 1 June, 10am. An invitation be sent around soon. Please do consider coming along to this important event.

Finally, congratulations to MPH student Gem Allison, who was awarded an Advocacy internship with CAPHIA. This is a new scheme from CAPHIA where interns take up a paid six-month appointment and we understand the first round was very competitive. Well done Gem on your success!

Regards,

Liz Eakin                                                                       Sarah Piper
SPH Head of School                                                    SPH School Manager 

Dates for diaries
May 25 – UQ All Staff Forum, Room 325 Mayne Medical Building Herston
                SPH Postgraduate Showcase - register your attendance                      
May 26 – National Sorry Day
May 30 – SPH Seminar Series: Suliasi Mekerusa Batikawai
June 1 – National Reconciliation Week morning tea, Reconciliation Garden, 10am
June 13 – SPH Seminar Series: Intergenerational Health - Leigh Tooth

Research News
Nina Lansbury and Lisa Buckley were involved in a UQ Student-Staff Partnership to explore how to teach undergraduate Bachelor of Health Science students in PUBH1110 (Exploring Wicked Problems in Health) about health problems linked to climate change - while maintaining motivation for change for the better. The result is a pedagogical case study journal article, recently published in Case Studies of the Environment with the whole student and staff team listed as co-authors. Read it online. Great work Nina and Lisa.

May: The Tobacco Endgame CRE is hosting a World No Tobacco Day Symposium on Wednesday 31 May, 9am–4:30pm. Join us in-person or online to hear from leading experts in the field about the latest tobacco endgame strategies, research and policies. Presenters include Tobacco Endgame CRE and Interdisciplinary Tobacco Endgame Research Network (INTER-Net) researchers from Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, South Korea and The Netherlands. Register for free or view the program.

June: The Queensland Women's Health Forum, hosted by UQ and Mater Research, will explore The first 2000 days of life and its impact on women's health across the lifecourse, covering topics such as pregnancy, mental health, reproductive health, healthy lifestyles, obesity, sexual health, Indigenous health, violence and abuse, healthy ageing and research impacting policy change. 8–9 June, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. Register now.

September: Early Bird registration is open for the 6th Southern Cross Travel Medicine Conference and the 2nd Southern Cross Tropical Medicine Conference, to be held in Sydney 1–3 September. Participate in focused workshops and hear global experts speak about vaccine preventable diseases, mosquito-borne diseases, malaria prophylaxis, Japanese encephalitis in Australia, rabies, long-term and expatriate travellers, travel medicine guidelines and laboratory diagnostics.

School review
A draft School review submission has now been completed and will be sent to the Chairs of our committees this week for comment. There will be a very tight turnaround for feedback, so please get in touch with the relevant committee chair if you’d like to be involved in this process:

Research and Research Training - Coral Gartner and Megan Ferguson
Teaching and Learning - Lisa Hall
Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity - Lisa Fitzgerald
SEC or First Nations Leadership Group - Liz Eakin

NAIDOC Week Challenge
At the All School Forum that was recently held, Associate Professor Lisa Fitzgerald, Chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, challenged all staff to complete the 10 modules in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Core Cultural Learning by NAIDOC week, 2–9 July. Most of us have completed Modules 0 and 1 and we’d like to see many more complete ALL the modules.  Set aside some time in your diary and let’s get this job done and over the line! Complete module 0 online. All courses are available online in Workday.

Space Update
Amnesty call out: If you have any unused or unwanted computer equipment/docking stations in your office, please let Ailsa know and we can have them collected. We’re particularly keen to get any unused laptops so we can make a Laptop Library available for short term usage.

Look after your body - Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes according to the season. People with SAD have symptoms of depression or mania at roughly the same time each year.
SAD usually develops in autumn and winter, then disappears in spring and summer. In some people, the symptoms develop in spring and early summer. Symptoms usually start out mild and get worse as the season progresses. When the season changes, people normally become completely well again.

Symptoms of SAD include:

• Lack of energy
• Sleeping too much
• Finding it hard to wake up in the morning
• Feeling very tired all the time
• Overeating and craving carbohydrates
• Gaining weight
• Losing interest in normal activities

Ways to ease Seasonal Depression

1.      Talk to your Doctor
2.      Get moving - go for a walk, try some gentle stretching
3.      Let the sunshine in
4.      Prioritize social activities
5.      Add aromatherapy to your treatment plan
6.      Use dawn simulators and stick to a sleep schedule
7.      Consider avoiding alcohol
8.      Try light from a box
9.      Keep a journal

Teaching and Learning
Writing about Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Seminar
On Thursday 1 June, 1–3pm Dr Kathleen Mahon (Senior Lecturer, Higher Education Innovation, ITaLI) and Dr Karen Sheppard (Manager, Learning Design, ITaLI) are facilitating a workshop for SPH staff to support the writing of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. This will be a face-to-face session at Herston campus and a calendar invitation has already been circulated.

Benefits for attendees:

• Receive support for an idea you might have for writing up a SOTL project (as a peer-reviewed paper, or perhaps for a HEA Teaching Fellowship application)
• Generate ideas for future SOTL projects (AND a 2023 SOTL Enabler Grant Scheme application)
• Foster our SOTL community of practice within SPH

Workshops, Events and Short Courses
Learning Design Community and eLearning Operational Forum | 25 May
What's working? - Generative AI and assessment (Zoom) | 29 May
Graphics and slide decks for teaching and learning video | 30 May

UQ Finance drop-in session
Visit us virtually at the UQ Finance drop-in session where our Procurement and Payment Services team will be on hand to help staff with specific questions or issues on:

• Procurement planning
• EMS ProMaster
• UQeMarket
• Maintaining suppliers and supplier invoicing.

Join online, Tuesday 30 May, 9am–12pm.

Food for thought
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin

MRFF Grant Opportunities
Consumer-led research - applications close 14 June
Chronic respiratory conditions - applications close 14 June
Maternal health and healthy lifestyles - applications close 14 June
Early to Mid-career researchers - applications close 21 June
Clinical trials activity - applications close 28 June
National Critical Research Infrastructure - applications close 31 July
Primary Health Care Research - applications close 2 August
2023 Cardiovascular Health grant opportunity - applications close 30 August
2023 Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care grant opportunity - applications close 30 August

Learning and safety courses
Do you know how to set up closed captions for your meetings?
Captioning in meetings and classrooms promotes an accessible work and teaching environment. They benefit not just those who are hard of hearing or d/Deaf, but also people with conditions that affect listening comprehension, who are not native English speakers, or who are tuning in from a noisy environment. Learn how to enable captions in Zoom, Teams and PowerPoint with this guide from UQ’s Workplace Diversity and Inclusion team.

The below courses are available on Workday in Quarter 2, 2023. These courses are designed to help staff with managing the risks and understanding the responsibilities of working in the UQ environment. 

May courses:

• Managing Unconscious Bias Online Modules
• Provide CPR (HLTAID009)
• Provide First Aid (HLTAID011)
• UQSafe System Training for Safety Coordinators (HSW_OHS_007)
• Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response 101
• Calling Out Bad Behaviour in the Workplace
• Supporting students with mental health conditions
• Ally Workshop - Face to Face
• Fire Extinguisher Training
• Ethics Awareness Workshop
• Budgeting & Forecasting Workbook

UQ Research Data Manager (RDM) Training opportunities
25 May - Managing sensitive data
31 May - Introducing FAIR and CARE principles for responsible research
9 June - Introduction to Digital Research Notebook (LabArchives)

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: UQ School of Public Health | LinkedIn. 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

EMRC Away Day
The Frazer Institute’s early career academic network is organising a professional development day for early and mid-career researchers from the Institute, Mater Research and The Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence.

Register online by 5 June for interactive workshops on career planning, wellness and writing for grants. As well as networking and more. Friday 9 June, 9am – 3:30pm, Mayne Events Space, Herston.

Academic Promotion
For information outlining the specific processes for promotions to level C, D, and E, as well as they key dates and timelines, please visit the Academic Promotion webpage. This page also provides information on the new process for promotions to Level B.

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.

UQ RIIS not proceeding – to be replaced by a UQ continuous EOI
The UQ Research Infrastructure Investment Scheme (UQ RIIS) for the purchase of research infrastructure and equipment for collaborative use will not be running in 2023. This is to be replaced by a UQ continuous EOI. Details of the Frazer Institute process for submitting a UQ EOI and how this will integrate into the Frazer Institute EOI process will be communicated once more is known about the UQ scheme.

 View archived announcements from The Frazer Instittue