News Archive 2006

Latest News - 2008

February

The Bradley Norman Honours Scholarship Award is ongoing

The Bradley Norman Honours Scholarship awarded by Wendy & Robert Norman in the name of their late son Bradley will be continuing in 2008. The RCRH is proud to carry on Bradley Norman's name in this initiative and assist RCRH Honours students in contributing to reproductive health research.

In 2007 the scholarship was awarded to Alice Georgiou, for her work supervised by Dr Michelle Lane , for her project entitled: The Role of Metabolic Sensors in Embryo Development.

We gratefully appreciate the Waikerie community's support, and the support of Wendy & Robert Norman's friends and family.

View Full story in The River News (Riverland)>> (pdf 159kB)

January

$1 million for research into intellectual disability

Dr Paul Thomas has been awarded $1 million to support his cutting-edge research into the genetic basis of some intellectual disabilities

View Full story in the Adelaidean November 2007 Issue>>

Cadence Minge explains the implications and impact of obesity on fertility and how she conducted her award winning research with Nance Haxton in an ABC Radio interview - 03/11/07

Cadence Minge winner of the Young Investigator of the Year Award for 2007 explains the correlation between her research on obesity, high fat diets and the consequential impact on fertility. Cadence explains how this research was conducted and the simple message to women behind her findings.

Listen to the program>>

News for 2007

December

And the winners are....

The Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology held its annual awards for 2007 presented by the Head of Discipline Prof Alastair MacLennan, congratulations to the following members for their awards and contribution to the field:

• Most Outstanding Honours Student 2007 - Amanda Poprzeczny
• Robert Seamark Postgraduate Award - Kylie Dunning
• Early Career Researcher Award - Wendy Ingman
• Mentorship Award - Lyn Harland and Jeremy Thompson
• Lifetime Contribution to the Field of Reproductive Biology - David Armstrong
• Outstanding Contribution to the Discipline - Val Kuliwaba and Andrea Duessan
  

Most Outstanding Paper in the Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

2006
Most Significant Novel Discovery Awarded to Robert Gilchrist and Lesley Ritter for the paper published in the Journal of Cell Science titled Molecular basis of oocyte-paracrine signalling that promotes mouse granulosa cell proliferation. Journal of Cell Science 119(18): 3811-3821.

Most Potential to Impact Clinical Practice Awarded to Melinda Jasper for the paper published in the Journal Fertility and Sterility titled Singleton births after routine preimplantation genetic diagnosis using exclusion testing (D4S43 and D4S126) for Huntington's Disease. Fertility and Sterility 85:597-602

2007
Most Significant Novel Discovery Awarded to Wendy Ingman for the paper published in the Journal Endocrinology titled TGFbeta1 null mutation causes infertility in male mice associated with testosterone deficiency and sexual dysfunction. Endocrinology 148(8):4032-4043

Most Potential to Impact Clinical Practice Awarded to Alastair MacLennan for the paper published in the British Medical Journal Main morbidities recorded in the women's international study of long duration oestrogen after menopause ( WISDOM ): a randomised controlled trial of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women British Medical Journal 335 (7613): 239-+ AUG 4 2007

View Collin Matthews Research Grants Winners for 2008 please go to Members Resources >>

November

Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Staff & Student Awards 2007: Nominations Open

The Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology is calling for nominations for several awards including the Early Career Research Award and the Most Outstanding Honours Student Award.

View the categories and guidelines>>

**NOTE** prizes open to O&G members only. Password required to view document

October

Cadence Minge Named South Australia's Young Investigator 2007 31/10/07

Ms Minge, a University of Adelaide researcher who discovered scientific evidence that high-fat diets can cause infertility in obese women has become South Australia's 2007 Young Investigator of the Year. She has won $12,500 in prizes at the finals of the 2007 Young Investigator Awards , held at the Adelaide Convention Centre last night. The award promotes excellence in science and communication among young researchers. Ms Minge, a PhD student in Obstetrics & Gynaecology and the Research Centre for Reproductive Health, was named the Young Investigator of the Year by a panel of media judges.

Read the media release>>

Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Staff & Student Awards 2007: Nominations Open 20/10/07

The Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology is calling for nominations for several awards including the Early Career Research Award and the Most Outstanding Honours Student Award.

Read the categories and guidelines>> **NOTE** prizes open to O&G members only. Password required to view document

Cadence Minge: Making the Link Between Obesity and Infertility 10/10/07

Ms Cadence Minge, a PhD student at the Research Centre for Reproductive Health is a finalist in the 2007 Young Investigator Awards for her work into the effects of obesity and 'fat eggs' on fertility and reproduction. Each of the three finalists must present their work in front of a lay audience, and a judging panel of media (television, print and radio) representatives on Wednesday October 31st at a ceremony at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Cadence was also named a 2007 Fresh Science Finalist for her work.
Read the media release>>

Professor Rob Norman - A Great Mind in Australian Research 4/10/07

Professor Rob Norman has been named one of the top 10 minds in Australian research by the National Health and Medical Research Council, for his pioneering research into fertility. The Great Mindsprogram servies to highlight outstanding and too often unaknowledged research being conducted in Australia.
Read the full Great Minds document>> (pdf 2MB)
Read the media release>>

September

RCRH Members Share in $8.8 million Grant Funding Success. 25/9/07

RCRH members obtained more than $8.8 million from Australia's premier funding bodies, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council. This totals more than a third of the University of Adelaide, and more than a quarter of the State of South Australia's entire funding. The grants will be used to fund a range of projects including predicting pregnancy risks, the genetics of cerebral palsy, obesity in pregnancy and transgenic research.
More information and the full list of recipients>> (pdf 41kB)

Sperm - the seeds of the next generation. Dr Kelton Tremellen. Catalyst (ABC) - 20/9/07

For couples experiencing difficulty in falling pregnant, most often this is though linked to the female's reproductive system. However, increasingly male fertility is falling under the spotlight, and occurs at a much more frequent rate than thought previously. Dr Kelton Tremellen discusses the factors that contribute to male infertility, paticularly sperm quality, and whether reproductive treatment is placing the fertility of future generations at risk.
View the program "Sperm - the seeds of the next generation">>>

Reproductive Technology and IVF. Professor Rob Norman. 2UE with John Laws - 19/9/07

Professor Norman discusses the professional, technical and ethical issues involved with modern IVF and reproductive technology processes. How do the clinics and the patients decided how many embryos to use? What is the pregancy rate when reproductive technology is used? What happens when a patient does not become pregnant after several treatments?
Listen to the program>>

August

Professor Alastair MacLennan discusses the use of Bioidentical Hormones and Hormone Replacement Therapy.
Catalyst (ABC) - 16/8/07

For women experiencing the effects of menopause, bioidentical hormones are being marketed as a safe and natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and it is being taken up by many women. However, 'natural' does not necessarily mean 'safe', and there is no clinical trial data to support their safety or efficacy. Professor MacLennan explores these issues and exposes some of the myths about these 'natural' treatments
View the program "Natural HRT - magic bullet or clever con?" here>>

Applications Open for 2007 Colin Matthews Grants

Applications are now open for the early career researcher Colin Matthews Research Grants. For more information, please contact Virginia Furness.

>>CLOSING: FRIDAY NOV 2<<

Download the guidelines and application forms (password required)>> **Password Required**

Professor Rob Norman Presents The Reproductive Revolution: Have we gone too far? University of Adelaide - Research Tuesday 14/08/07

Professor Rob Norman, Director of the Research Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Adelaide addressed an audience of more than 130 including the public, researchers, ethicists and VIP guests including The Vice-Chancellor, Professor James McWha, The Chancellor - Hon John von Doussa QC, Deputy Chancellor - Mr Ross Adler, and the Minister for Health - Hon John Hill MP. The presentation covered the early origins of reproductive intervention and technology, the present state of assisted reproduction and research, future hopes with stem cells and artificial sperm and eggs, and the moral, ethical, legal, and political implications underpinning all of these.
Listen to Professor Norman's Presentation and view his slides >>

June

RCRH Grant & Scholarship Presentations

• Bradley Norman Honours Scholarship awarded to Ms Alice Georgiou.
• Colin Matthews Research Grants awarded to Dr Robert Moyer, Dr Carmela Ricciardelli, Dr Miles de Blasio, Dr Sheryl de Lacey, Dr Wendy Ingman, Dr Kelton Tremellen, Dr Theresa Hickey and Dr Rebecca Robker.
• Ossie Petrucco Honours Scholarship awarded to Ms Amanda Poprzeczny.
• RCRH Honours Scholarships awarded to Mr Jared Campbell, Ms Kate Frewin, Mr Michael Djukic and Ms Astrud Tuck.

Pictured L to R: Bradley Norman recipient Ms Alice Georgiou with Mr & Mrs Norman. Colin Matthews Research Grants recipients. Honours Scholarship recipients.

RCRH Staff & Students win Awards at ASMR Scientific Meeting

On 6 June 2007, 2 postgraduate students and an Early Career Researcher won awards at the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) SA division Scientific Meeting held in Adelaide at the Entertainment Centre.
The Ross Wishart Memorial Award for most outstanding postgraduate presentation was awarded to Cadence Minge. Cadence works within the Ovarian Follicular Environment & Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Group.
Presentation: Obesity-induced female infertility arises from impaired oocyte developmental competence and can be reversed by peri-ovulatory rosiglitazone treatment.

The Clinical Research Award for most outstanding clinical oral presentation was awarded to Hassan Bakos. Hassan works within the Oocyte and Early Embryo Development Group.
Presentation: Sperm DNA damage and carbohydrate metabolism: Is there a link?

The Early Career Researcher Award for most outstanding clinical poster presentation was awarded to Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri. Amanda works within the Placental Development Group.
Presentation: Early pregnancy maternal endocrine IGF-1 programs the placenta for increased functional capacity throughout gestation.

RCRH Members awarded NHMRC Healthy Start to Life grants

On 1 June 2007, a total of seven grants were awarded to identify and reduce the impact of conditions occurring in adulthood which have their origins in the early stages of life. The award focuses on innovative research which has an interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral approach to child health.

• A/Prof Vivienne Moore; Prof Jeffrey Robinson; A/Prof Michael Davies; Dr Megan Warin; A/Prof Philip Ryan; Prof Anthony Worsley have been awarded $1,090,725 for the 3 year project: Early life influences on obesity and fat patterning in children: critical periods, environmental determinants, and socio-cultural context.
  Discipline of Public Health, Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Research Centre for Reproductive Health - University of Adelaide. The project will test the proposition that pre-birth and infancy is a critical period for the development of obesity. It will investigate whether there is a distinct period in early life for acquiring the predisposition to harmful forms of fatness. The project also aims to identify practical opportunities for prevention, focusing on mothers and their infants.
• A/Prof Michael Davies; A/Prof Vivienne Moore; Prof Jeffrey Robinson; Prof David Phillips; Prof Robert Norman and A/Prof Bianca De Stavola have been awarded 1,961,375 for the 5 year project: Intergenerational growth and risk of metabolic disorders.
  Research Centre for Reproductive Health, Discipline of Public Health, Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology - University of Adelaide.
  The Lucina study was established thirty years ago. It aimed to study intergenerational health among women, and how conditions in pregnancy can affect the reproductive health of offspring in successive generations. This current study will include enrolling the traced mothers to study how their clinical experiences in pregnancy may contribute to contracting diabetes. It will also seek to enrol the siblings of the daughters so that events in their pregnancies that predict which sibling is at increased risk of diabetes can be identified. The study will also seek to enrol the grandchildren to investigate if pre-pregnancy and pregnancy weight contributes to a higher risk of diabetes and intergenerational growth patterns.

May

South Australian Cerebral Palsy research wins international recognition

On 23 May 2007, research into cerebral palsy causation by the SA Cerebral Palsy Research Group led by Professor Alastair MacLennan and his research scientist Dr Catherine Gibson from the Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Adelaide has been recognised by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives.
This Alliance is a non-profit organisation of more than 260 leading neuroscientists, and is committed to advancing public awareness about the progress and promise of brain research. Published annually, the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives Progress Report describes the top findings in brain research during the previous year affecting areas such as disorders of development, aging, and movement, as well as mental and thought disorders.
In the 2007 Report on Brain Research, the South Australian research showing the association between cerebral palsy and viral exposure to herpes viruses was nominated as the highlight of international research into cerebral palsy. The group has since found common genetic susceptibility factors in children with cerebral palsy that may increase their vulnerability to infection that can damage the developing brain before and after birth.
Click here for media release>>

April

Sex Cells - Reproductive Technology for Today's Market

On 19 April 2007, BioInnovationSA and Healthy Development Adelaide co-hosted a special networking forum on 'Sex Cells - Reproductive Technology for Today's Market' to an audience of researchers, industry and business leaders. Three highly regarded speakers presented on their current research and commercialisation aspects in reproductive technology. The forum was chaired by Prof Robert Norman, Director of the Research Centre for Reproductive Health and Co-Convenor of Healthy Development Adelaide.

Dr Elaine Stead is General Manager of Reproductive Health Science Pty Ltd a company spun out of the University of Adelaide's Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology that focuses on the development of diagnostic devices in the area of reproductive health and fertility. The lead technology being a micro-array based prenatal screening which aims to replace conventional karyotype screening by amniocentesis. Dr Stead presented results from current karyotype screening for chromosomal abnormalities (eg: Down's Syndrome) that take up to two weeks, but a new micro-array based diagnostic being developed can provide a result within 24 hours.

Dr Robert Gilchrist is Head of the Oocyte Biology group and senior NHMRC researcher at the Research Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Adelaide. Dr Gilchrist and his group investigates fundamental physiological aspects of oocyte-granulosa cell interactions in an effort to improve understanding of mammalian oocyte biology and to better implement assisted reproductive technologies. Dr Gilchrist presented on ? Oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM): a new technology for treating infertility'. Currently with traditional IVF hormone therapy has a cost to PBS of ~$100 million/year in Australia with IVM there is no need for hormone therapy. Other applications of IVM discussed included artificial breeding in farm animals, reproductive and therapeutic cloning, and as a research tool for reproductive and developmental biology.

Dr Michelle Lane is Head of the Embryology Laboratory at Repromed Pty Ltd and NHMRC Fellow in the Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of Adelaide. Dr Lane has considerable experience in the commercialisation and protection of Intellectual Property and has been involved in the commercialisation of more than 10 products that are now routinely used in clinical IVF laboratories throughout the world. Dr Lane presented on 'Freezing of eggs: a baby step closer' and the emerging social need of delaying child birth and its associated implications in declining fertility with a possible solution in preserving and freezing of young eggs.

Pictured L to R: Speakers Dr Michelle Lane, Dr Robert Gilchrist, Dr Elaine Stead and Chair Prof Robert Norman. Michelle Lane presents her work.

March

RCRH and Healthy Development Adelaide (HDA) kicks off inaugural School Education Program

On 19 March 2007, HDA and the Research Centre for Reproductive Health (RCRH) kicked off its inaugural Reproductive Health and Healthy Development Education Program for high schools (years 9-10) at Seaton High School. The session on "IVF and assisted reproductive technology - how does it work?" was presented to a class of 25 year 10 students with presenters Dr Michelle Lane and her PhD student Hassan Bakos from the Research Centre for Reproductive Health.
More information on the Program>>

January

NHMRC Program Grant for RCRH

The Research Centre for Reproductive Health has been awarded a Program Grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of $10.4 million over 5 years. The Program Grant will focus on Periconceptual Foundations for a Healthy Start to Life.

The Chief Investigators are Professor Robert Norman, Associate Professor Sarah Robertson, Associate Professor Raymond Rodgers, Associate Professor Jeremy Thompson, Dr Michelle Lane, Dr Michael Davies and Professor Gustaaf Dekker.

RCRH has made significant strides in its aim to become the leading group in reproduction research in Australia and one of the most outstanding of its type in the world. RCRH seeks to make important scientific discoveries and foster very close clinical-based science ties.

Colin Matthews Grants Awarded

• Rebecca Robker $5,000
• Robert Moyer $10,000
• Wendy Ingman $10,000
• Theresa Hickey $5,000
• Sheryl de Lacey $5,000
• Kelton Tremellen $8,000
• Carmella Ricciardelli $8,000
• Miles de Blasio $8,000