The Tri-University Distinguished Guest Speaker Evening would not have been possible without the very generous support from our speakers, host, sponsors and many other members of our Universities involved in making our inaugural event such a successful evening!
We would like to recognize everyone involved by highlighting our 2015 event below. We look forward to seeing you all again for 2016!
Sincerely, your 2015 Tri-University committee
We would like to recognize everyone involved by highlighting our 2015 event below. We look forward to seeing you all again for 2016!
Sincerely, your 2015 Tri-University committee
Meet the Speakers - 2015
Keynote Address
Emeritus Professor J Robin Warren, AC
I was born in North Adelaide in 1937: my father, Roger Warren, was one of Australia’s leading winemakers and my mother, whose father was Sydney Verco, belonged to a dynasty of doctors. In fact, she wanted to become a doctor herself, but when her father died there was only enough money to send her brother, Luke, to medical school – and only just. I cannot remember ever being pressured to study medicine, but somehow this was always my aim and, after matriculating from St Peter’s College, I went on to study medicine at the University of Adelaide, in spite of discouragement from some quarters after I was diagnosed with grand mal epilepsy in my matriculation year.
The medical school was set apart from the main university buildings and most of our time in the first years was spent in the anatomy department, dissecting a cadaver or learning bone and joint structure, then the inner organs and the brain. We also learned physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, embryology, and
(Photography by Frances Andrijich Photography) histology. In those days, the Royal Adelaide Hospital was the only general teaching
hospital in South Australia, and it was something of a living museum. Students were assigned patients to study, and were treated as the bottom of the social ladder by everyone but the nurses and the patients. The clinical years of surgery, medicine, and obstetrics and gynaecology, passed very quickly.
After medical school, life as a junior resident medical officer (or JRMO, the equivalent of today’s interns) was very busy. JRMOs worked about 100–120 hours per week, for very little payment (I received £17.10 per week). Nevertheless, I was young and fit, and the constant work was actually very enjoyable. It was at this time that I met (and then married) Winifred Williams, who was studying medicine. Winifred went on to work as a GP, and then a psychiatrist – a career path that was then very difficult for a woman, particularly if she was married with children and, as the years passed, we were fortunate to be blessed with five. While pursuing her own career, she was also tremendously supportive of mine, and encouraged me, when no one else did, in the work that was to win Barry Marshall and me such wide (if slow) recognition.
At the end of my resident year, and after missing out on my initial first choice of psychiatry, I took a position as registrar in clinical pathology at the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, attached to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, and then as a temporary lecturer in pathology at the University of Adelaide, which in turn convinced to go for membership of the then new College of Pathologists of Australia, and went on to work as clinical pathology registrar at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
After four years in Melbourne, I was a fully-fledged pathologist, and was planning to go to work at Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, but the government red tape was extraordinarily slow and, as I was working in my room one afternoon, a thickset man with a strong Germanic accent walked in and said, “You are working with me next year,” and walked out. I discovered he was Professor Rolf ten Seldam, the Professor of Pathology at the University of Western Australia and the Royal Perth Hospital. He was
apparently a man no one argued with, or at least not twice, and I ended up accepting the position. It was not a decision I was to regret.
We arrived in Perth in January 1968, and I found the pace was much more leisurely. I developed an interest in the new gastric biopsies and attempted to develop improved bacterial stains for use with histological sections. Then, in 1979, I noticed bacteria growing on the surface of a gastric biopsy. From then on, my spare time was largely centred on the study of these bacteria. I collected numerous examples and showed that they were usually related to chronic gastritis. In 1981, I met Barry Marshall, and we agreed to undertake a more complete clinico-pathological study. This resulted in our papers linking the infection to duodenal ulcer and the discovery of Helicobacter pylori. My last major work was the pathology for a large study by Barry Marshall et al to show the effect of eradicating the bacteria on the relapse rate of duodenal ulcer. It clearly showed that, after successful treatment of the infection, recurrence of peptic ulcer was rare; otherwise, it was usual. It soon became clear that active gastritis was very closely related to the infection.
By 1990, our findings began to be recognised by the medical community. We started to receive increasing numbers of honours and requests for attendances at meetings and lectures. A wealth of further studies appeared, and none proved us wrong. Yet in spite of this, no one but patients and local GPs appeared to believe our findings. With lecture tours in Japan and Germany and adjacent countries, we started to gain some recognition for our work. It seemed the fighting was over. In 2005, our work was recognised with a Nobel Prize for Medicine
This article is an edited version of the biography of Professor J. Robin Warren published in ChemMedChem 2006, Volume 1 issue 7 (p672-685)
The medical school was set apart from the main university buildings and most of our time in the first years was spent in the anatomy department, dissecting a cadaver or learning bone and joint structure, then the inner organs and the brain. We also learned physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, embryology, and
(Photography by Frances Andrijich Photography) histology. In those days, the Royal Adelaide Hospital was the only general teaching
hospital in South Australia, and it was something of a living museum. Students were assigned patients to study, and were treated as the bottom of the social ladder by everyone but the nurses and the patients. The clinical years of surgery, medicine, and obstetrics and gynaecology, passed very quickly.
After medical school, life as a junior resident medical officer (or JRMO, the equivalent of today’s interns) was very busy. JRMOs worked about 100–120 hours per week, for very little payment (I received £17.10 per week). Nevertheless, I was young and fit, and the constant work was actually very enjoyable. It was at this time that I met (and then married) Winifred Williams, who was studying medicine. Winifred went on to work as a GP, and then a psychiatrist – a career path that was then very difficult for a woman, particularly if she was married with children and, as the years passed, we were fortunate to be blessed with five. While pursuing her own career, she was also tremendously supportive of mine, and encouraged me, when no one else did, in the work that was to win Barry Marshall and me such wide (if slow) recognition.
At the end of my resident year, and after missing out on my initial first choice of psychiatry, I took a position as registrar in clinical pathology at the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, attached to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, and then as a temporary lecturer in pathology at the University of Adelaide, which in turn convinced to go for membership of the then new College of Pathologists of Australia, and went on to work as clinical pathology registrar at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
After four years in Melbourne, I was a fully-fledged pathologist, and was planning to go to work at Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, but the government red tape was extraordinarily slow and, as I was working in my room one afternoon, a thickset man with a strong Germanic accent walked in and said, “You are working with me next year,” and walked out. I discovered he was Professor Rolf ten Seldam, the Professor of Pathology at the University of Western Australia and the Royal Perth Hospital. He was
apparently a man no one argued with, or at least not twice, and I ended up accepting the position. It was not a decision I was to regret.
We arrived in Perth in January 1968, and I found the pace was much more leisurely. I developed an interest in the new gastric biopsies and attempted to develop improved bacterial stains for use with histological sections. Then, in 1979, I noticed bacteria growing on the surface of a gastric biopsy. From then on, my spare time was largely centred on the study of these bacteria. I collected numerous examples and showed that they were usually related to chronic gastritis. In 1981, I met Barry Marshall, and we agreed to undertake a more complete clinico-pathological study. This resulted in our papers linking the infection to duodenal ulcer and the discovery of Helicobacter pylori. My last major work was the pathology for a large study by Barry Marshall et al to show the effect of eradicating the bacteria on the relapse rate of duodenal ulcer. It clearly showed that, after successful treatment of the infection, recurrence of peptic ulcer was rare; otherwise, it was usual. It soon became clear that active gastritis was very closely related to the infection.
By 1990, our findings began to be recognised by the medical community. We started to receive increasing numbers of honours and requests for attendances at meetings and lectures. A wealth of further studies appeared, and none proved us wrong. Yet in spite of this, no one but patients and local GPs appeared to believe our findings. With lecture tours in Japan and Germany and adjacent countries, we started to gain some recognition for our work. It seemed the fighting was over. In 2005, our work was recognised with a Nobel Prize for Medicine
This article is an edited version of the biography of Professor J. Robin Warren published in ChemMedChem 2006, Volume 1 issue 7 (p672-685)
On the panel
Professor Julio Licinio
Julio Licinio, M.D., FRANZCP, is Deputy Director for Translational Medicine and Head, Mind and Brain Theme at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and Strategic Professor of Psychiatry, Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia. He is also a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at University of Adelaide, Visiting Professor of Psychiatry at University of Minho, in Braga, Portugal and Professeur Associé at Université de Paris – Descartes. He was previously Professor and Director, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University (ANU). Professor Licinio is originally from Brazil and lived for over 25 years in the United States, where he had clinical and research training in endocrinology and psychiatry at University of Chicago, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Cornell. He worked for over 20 years at Yale, NIH, UCLA, University of Miami and ANU, with leadership positions in those institutions. He is founding and Chief Editor of three Nature Publishing Group journals, Molecular Psychiatry (Impact Factor: 15.147 number 1 worldwide), The Pharmacogenomics Journal (Impact Factor 5.5) and Translational Psychiatry (Impact Factor 4.36). Professor Licinio’s translational and genomics research spans the lab and clinic examining obesity, depression, and their interface.
Professor Wayne TIlley
Professor Tilley is Director of
the Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories and the Adelaide Prostate
Cancer Research Centre, University of Adelaide. He has developed an
internationally recognized research program on hormone action in prostate and
breast cancer. Prof Tilley’s laboratory has made a major contribution to
understanding androgen receptor (AR) mediated molecular mechanisms of
resistance to hormonal therapies used in the treatment of metastatic prostate
cancer. Prof Tilley’s laboratory has highlighted the critical role of the
amino-terminal domain of the androgen receptor (AR) in driving receptor
function, including evidence for oncogenic potential of the AR in prostate
cancer. He has also pioneered research into understanding the pivotal role of
the AR in counteracting the proliferative effects of estrogens in the breast. His
current major research focus is on the development of novel combinatorial
treatments for prostate cancer that target the AR, especially the NTD, and to
elucidate the mechanisms that underpin the tumour suppressive or oncogenic
activity of AR within breast cancer cells. His laboratory has developed a
unique ex vivo preclinical model of prostate cancer, which will facilitate the
assessment of AR variant function and identification of biomarkers of response
to new treatments targeting the AR.
Associate Professor Sandra Orgeig
Professor Orgeig is a respiratory biologist with a strong focus on the evolution and function of the pulmonary surfactant system. To understand how this complex lipid-protein mixture regulates the surface tension at the air-liquid interface of lungs and promotes efficient lung function, I have taken at times a comparative, an evolutionary as well as a biomedical approach. In the School of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences and in the Sansom Institute for Health Research, she leads the 'Molecular & Evolutionary Physiology of the Lung Laboratory'. Prof Orgeig's laboratory uses a range of animal models to understand the evolution, development and regulation of molecular systems in the realm of cardio-respiratory physiology. The laboratory’s major focus is on the pulmonary surfactant system, but recent work has focused on vascular endothelial growth factors and the process of lymphangiogenesis.
Professor Orgeig was originally schooled in Biochemistry at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. After immigrating to Australia in 1990, she completed a PhD in Human Physiology at Flinders University. Since then she has worked in various research fellowship positions at the University of Adelaide, both in Physiology and in Zoology/Environmental Biology before moving to the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences in January 2007.
Professor Orgeig was originally schooled in Biochemistry at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. After immigrating to Australia in 1990, she completed a PhD in Human Physiology at Flinders University. Since then she has worked in various research fellowship positions at the University of Adelaide, both in Physiology and in Zoology/Environmental Biology before moving to the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences in January 2007.
Professor Paul Arbon AM
Professor Arbon is Chair of Nursing
(Population Health), Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery and Director
of the Disaster Research Centre: Flinders University. In addition, Paul
is the Director of the Torrens Resilience Institute, and President of the World
Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine.
Professor Arbon’s current research is focused on community capacity building and resilience and includes the study of mass gatherings and disaster prevention.
Professor Arbon is a member of the World Health Organization's Virtual International Advisory Group on Mass Gathering and Pandemic Influenza and member of the International Health Regulation's Roster of Experts. He is an Editorial Board Member of the refereed journal Pre Hospital and Disaster Medicine and a Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing.
Professor Arbon’s current research is focused on community capacity building and resilience and includes the study of mass gatherings and disaster prevention.
Professor Arbon is a member of the World Health Organization's Virtual International Advisory Group on Mass Gathering and Pandemic Influenza and member of the International Health Regulation's Roster of Experts. He is an Editorial Board Member of the refereed journal Pre Hospital and Disaster Medicine and a Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing.
Dr. Michelle Fraser
Dr Michelle Fraser joined Reproductive Health Science Ltd as the inaugural chief executive officer in 2007 and became a member of the Board in 2012. In this role, she has been responsible for key achievements including securing venture capital investment and leveraging State and Commonwealth Government Grants, in-licensing and out-licensing activities, intellectual property management and building the company’s commercial and clinical network. In 2014 RHS listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and launched its first product.
Michelle has a Bachelor of Science majoring in Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Honours in Microbiology and Dentistry and a PhD in oral mycology through the Department of Dentistry. Michelle also has a Graduate Diploma of Science and Technology Commercialisation from the University of Adelaide and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Prior to joining RHS, Michelle was employed as a Business Development Manager at Bio Innovation SA for 4 ½ years. In this role, as part of the Business Development Team, Michelle provided advice and assistance to South Australian bioscience companies, Universities, research institutes and Hospitals and was part of the team that secured funding to establish the venture capital fund Terra Rossa Capital. Michelle has previously been the CEO for two other start-up companies, Viswa Biotechnology and Benephex Biotechnologies.
Michelle has a Bachelor of Science majoring in Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Honours in Microbiology and Dentistry and a PhD in oral mycology through the Department of Dentistry. Michelle also has a Graduate Diploma of Science and Technology Commercialisation from the University of Adelaide and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Prior to joining RHS, Michelle was employed as a Business Development Manager at Bio Innovation SA for 4 ½ years. In this role, as part of the Business Development Team, Michelle provided advice and assistance to South Australian bioscience companies, Universities, research institutes and Hospitals and was part of the team that secured funding to establish the venture capital fund Terra Rossa Capital. Michelle has previously been the CEO for two other start-up companies, Viswa Biotechnology and Benephex Biotechnologies.
Host
Dr Paul Willis
RiAus Director Dr Paul Willis is well-known as a science broadcaster with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, presenting and producing on ABC television science shows including Quantum and Catalyst. Recently Paul has narrated and appeared in the series Monster Bug Wars on SBS TV for Beyond Production.
Paul is passionate about informing, educating and amusing people of all ages and backgrounds about science and is keen to seize the opportunity to talk about science in a variety of public forums. He was rewarded for his passion in 2000 when he was joint recipient of the Eureka Prize for Science Communication.
Dr Willis brings a solid research career in vertebrate palaeontology to his work as a science communicator and now as Director of RiAus. He has produced many academic reports and papers, has authored or co-authored seven books on dinosaurs, rocks and fossils, and has written many popular science articles for a variety of publications.
Paul was the resident palaeontologist on seven Antarctic expeditions and brings this enthusiasm and keen sense of adventure to his role as Director of RiAus. He is ready and willing to engage with non-scientists and to stimulate community conversations about science, life, and everything.
Paul is passionate about informing, educating and amusing people of all ages and backgrounds about science and is keen to seize the opportunity to talk about science in a variety of public forums. He was rewarded for his passion in 2000 when he was joint recipient of the Eureka Prize for Science Communication.
Dr Willis brings a solid research career in vertebrate palaeontology to his work as a science communicator and now as Director of RiAus. He has produced many academic reports and papers, has authored or co-authored seven books on dinosaurs, rocks and fossils, and has written many popular science articles for a variety of publications.
Paul was the resident palaeontologist on seven Antarctic expeditions and brings this enthusiasm and keen sense of adventure to his role as Director of RiAus. He is ready and willing to engage with non-scientists and to stimulate community conversations about science, life, and everything.
The Power of Three - 2015 Committee Members
The Tri-University Distinguished Guest Speaker Evening was independently organised by
postgraduate students representing each of the three South Australian universities.
postgraduate students representing each of the three South Australian universities.
Heather Armstrong
Heather is the founder of the Tri-University Distinguished Guest Speaker Evening, although it would not have been possible to organize such a fantastic evening without the help and support of the other members of the Tri-University committee and its many generous sponsors. Heather also currently holds the position of event coordinator for the University of Adelaide Health Sciences Postgraduate Association (HeSPA).
Heather began her research career at the University of Alberta in Canada where she completed an MSc in Cell Biology studying molecular chaperones, protein pathways, and their role in disease. She is currently entering her third year of PhD study through the University of Adelaide at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories where she is examining the efficacy of Heat Shock Protein inhibitors for the treatment of prostate cancer. Upon completion of her PhD she hopes to pursue a career in which she can express her passion for helping patients to overcome their medical struggles, along with aiding to determine the mechanisms of disease and assisting in the development of better methods of treatment.
Heather can be contacted via LinkedIn, Research Gate or email.
Heather began her research career at the University of Alberta in Canada where she completed an MSc in Cell Biology studying molecular chaperones, protein pathways, and their role in disease. She is currently entering her third year of PhD study through the University of Adelaide at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories where she is examining the efficacy of Heat Shock Protein inhibitors for the treatment of prostate cancer. Upon completion of her PhD she hopes to pursue a career in which she can express her passion for helping patients to overcome their medical struggles, along with aiding to determine the mechanisms of disease and assisting in the development of better methods of treatment.
Heather can be contacted via LinkedIn, Research Gate or email.
Susan Christo
Susan is completing her write up for her PhD candidate, studying within the field of immunology at the Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory. Her interests are developing an automated assay that can measure the responsiveness of T cells; an immune cell that fights infection and cancerous cells. Susan hopes to use her PhD to continue in a career of immunology research, and one day plans to work abroad to gain global scientific experience. Susan is also currently a part of the South Australian Australian Society for Medical Research committee and Australian Society for Immunology.
Susan can be contacted via LinkedIn, Research Gate or email
Susan can be contacted via LinkedIn, Research Gate or email
Naeema Syedi
Naeema is a currently in her first year of Higher Degree by Research, undertaking research on Lung alterations in Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD), in the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences at University of South Australia (UniSA). Her project aims to uncover the underlying mechanisms causing respiratory manifestations across a range of LSD. She plans to take her research further to develop adjunct therapies to improve the survival and quality of life of patients suffering from of these devastating groups of diseases. She is very keen on expanding her research skills and knowledge in broad range of areas as she has embarked on a challenging yet rewarding expedition to an excellent research career.
Naeema can be contacted via LinkedIn, or email.
Naeema can be contacted via LinkedIn, or email.
Natalie Stevens
Natalie is completing her third-year of PhD study at the University of South Australia in the Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory. While her group has a wide array of focuses centered on immunological therapies to treat cancer, infectious disease and hypersensitivity conditions, her own research focuses on passive immunotherapeutics and their application to influenza and life-threatening septic shock. Natalie is also also currently a part of the South Australian Australian Society for Medical Research committee and Australian Society for Immunology.
Natalie can be contacted via LinkedIn, Research Gate or email.
Natalie can be contacted via LinkedIn, Research Gate or email.
Renae Fernandez
Renae is currently a 3rd year PhD student in the Life course and Intergenerational Health Research Group at the University of Adelaide. Her PhD research focusses on occupational and environmental factors that contribute to adverse perinatal outcomes among children conceived using Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). Upon completion of her PhD, Renae hopes to pursue a career in reproductive epidemiology. Renae is currently the treasurer of the Health Sciences Postgraduate Association at the University of Adelaide and the Tri-University Committee.
Renae can be contacted via email
Renae can be contacted via email
Emma Stewart
Emma is nearing the end of her PhD in the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. Her research looks at the way we process different types of visual information and how the brain uses this visual information to plan accurate hand movements and how this allows us to interact with our environment. She is President of the Health Sciences Postgraduate Association at the University of Adelaide. She hopes to move overseas to continue researching the interaction between vision and action once she finishes her PhD.
Emma can be contacted via email.
Emma can be contacted via email.
Anna Hall
Anna is currently in the second year of her PhD at Flinders University, School of Nursing and Midwifery. She is studying the factors that influence decision-making for people in an emergency. Anna hopes to develop theory on decision-making in an emergency, which will influence policy, procedure and education. Anna currently teaches in the Bachelor of Nursing at Flinders University and volunteers on the Flinders University Postgraduate Society, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery Research and Scholarship Committee, Student Consultative Committee, Sturt Honor Society, Golden Key International Honors Society – Flinders University Chapter and the Flinders University Student Association.
Anna can be contacted via LinkedIn, Research Gate or email.
Anna can be contacted via LinkedIn, Research Gate or email.
Ankur Singh
Ankur began his research studies at the University College London in the United Kingdom where he completed an MSc in Dental Public Health studying clustering of oral health related behaviours among British adults according to socioeconomic positions. He is currently completing his first year of PhD study through the University of Adelaide at the Australian Research Center for Population Oral Health. His PhD project aims to explore the role of social theories in explanation of the association between social inequalities and population oral health. Ankur is also currently volunteering as an event coordinator for the University of Adelaide Health Sciences Postgraduate Association (HeSPA).
Ankur can be contacted via LinkedIn, Research Gate or email.
Ankur can be contacted via LinkedIn, Research Gate or email.
Lara Escane
Lara is currently in her first year of her PhD at Flinders University in the School of Medicine. She is studying the molecular mechanisms underlying therapy resistance and refractory disease in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia. Lara hopes to identify novel genes and pathways for the development of targeted, and therefore, more effective therapies. Lara currently volunteers on the Flinders University Postgraduate Society, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.
Lara can be contacted via LinkedIn or email.
Lara can be contacted via LinkedIn or email.
Tri-Uni Sponsors - 2014
The Tri-University Distinguished Guest Speaker Evening cannot be made possible without the generous support of our Sponsors: