UWS graduates and staff report on paediatric lung infection rates in Mt Isa
Dr Elisabeth Janu, together with graduate colleagues and academic staff from the School of Medicine, Centre for Health Research and the Royal Brisbane Children's Hospital and Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, have published research in a recent Medical Journal of Australia article.
OLT Award for Teaching Excellence
Dr Joanne Lind was recently recognised by the the Office for Learning and Teaching
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for her sustained commitment and contribution to teaching. Teaching Excellence Awards form part of the Australian Awards for University Teaching program which is an important part of the Australian Government's commitment to promote and advance learning and teaching in Australian higher education.
This year, a total of thirteen Teaching Excellence Awards out of a possible sixteen were granted across Australian states and territories. Only three New South Wales universities received Teaching Excellence Awards, marking Dr Lind's achievement as outstanding.
Synopsis: Dr Joanne Lind is an early career academic in the field of medical genetics; training our future doctors to integrate the sciences with clinical reasoning. She has designed and implemented the genetics curriculum within the medical school at the Western Sydney University using
a variety of teaching delivery strategies, including interactive lectures and online modules, to transition students from rote to constructivist learning in a problem-based course. Joanne links the processes at the cellular level to disease, connecting the dots between science and medicine, and draws
on her own experiences as a researcher in the field of genetics, reinforcing that knowledge learned from the foundational sciences is critical in the advancement of medicine.
Researchers from the School of Medicine were recently successful in being awarded competitive funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. We congratulate Professor Jens Coorssen, Dr Vita Birzniece, and Professor Louisa Jorm & Ms Deborah Randall from the Centre for Health Research.
Other staff were successful as investigators on grants held by other institutions.
Access the headline link for more information about each of the projects in more detail.
Investigating the anti-inflammatory properties of foods
Professor of Pharmacology from the School of Medicine, Gerald Muench's research was recently presented in a story on the ABC Science website. It examines specific properties in different foods and is part of a wider research program into the role of healthy nutrition in delaying the onset of Alzheimer's.
Dr Slade Jensen, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and Conjoint Associate Sebastian van Hal have contributed to public discussion through The Conversation website (opens in a new window).
Western Sydney University Graduate finalist for NSW Junior Medical Officer of the Year award
Dr Elise Maher, a member of the inaugural cohort of the Western Sydney University MBBS program has been named as a finalist in the NSW Minister for Health/Cutcher & Neale Junior Medical Officer of the Year. She is the nominee from the Bankers and Campers training network which incorporates
Campbelltown Hospital where Dr Maher has been working since graduating at the end of 2011.
Australia Day Honours
The Western Sydney University's School of Medicine was delighted to discover that Emeritus Professor Neville Yeomans and Professor Brad Frankum were listed among those who received recognition for their contribution to the Australian community. Emeritus Professor Yeomans, the Foundation Dean of the School was awarded an AM for significant services to tertiary education, research and clinical practice in the field of medicine. Professor Brad Frankum, Deputy Dean and Professor of Clinical Practice was awarded an OAM for service to medicine
as an educator and administrator. Two conjoint Professors with the School, Professor Sally Redman and Professor Helen Zorbas were recognised with AOs for their contribution to health service delivery development and research. | |
Year 5 Prize Night - 2012
The School of Medicine Year 5 Prize afternoon was held on the 7th December 2012. The purpose of this event is to congratulate and celebrate the most outstanding students in the School's 2012 graduating cohort and acknowledge the generous support of prize donors to the School of Medicine who formally
present the awards.
The prize ceremony is held at the end of the academic year to ensure that medical students have their prizes awarded prior to Graduation which was held on the 20th December 2012 and before graduates commence their internships in 2013.
The Dean, Professor Annemarie Hennessy and the Deputy Dean, Professor Brad Frankum expressed their pride in the achievements of the graduating cohort and were especially pleased to recognise and congratulate some of those most outstanding graduating students.
On behalf of the School of Medicine, the Dean also thanked the School's Donors and Community Partners for their generous support in sharing the School's commitment to academic excellence and recognising the achievements of our students and contributing to the School more broadly.
Congratulations to all our prize winners for your hard work and dedication to your medical education. You have set a very high standard and are a real credit to the School of Medicine and to Western Sydney University. We wish our students all the best for your careers and in the next
phase of your endeavours.
Congratulations to all Year 5 Graduating Students of 2012!
Lots of buzz at the Brain Bee Challenge
124 of the brightest Year 10 students in NSW converged on the Western Sydney University's School of Medicine to compete in the State Finals of the Australian Brain Bee Challenge on Thursday 26 July.
Individual and team competitors battled out each round, to the sounds of their school cheer squads, with the ultimate prize of Brain Bee NSW State champion ultimately being awarded to Vivienne Qingyu Zhang, from Ascham School.
Second and third places were awarded to Suvercha Khattar from Blacktown Girls High School and Jasmine Nguyen from Cabramatta High School, respectively.
For the team competition, James Ruse Agricultural High School was awarded first place, Penrith High School second place, and Baulkham Hills High School secured third place.
As the winner of the State Final, Vivienne will compete as the NSW representative at the National Brain Bee Challenge in Melbourne in February, 2013, during the annual Australian Neuroscience Society conference.
The top three students will receive conditional academic excellence scholarship offers, providing $5000 per year for up to four years study at Western Sydney University.
Other prizes included :
- A Primostar microscope for the winning team's school, provided by Zeiss;
- Books and iPods for the top three students and the members of the winning team from the NSW event major sponsor, Western Sydney University;
- iTunes vouchers from national sponsor ADInstruments;
- Each student attending received a Brain Bee t-shirt and a show bag, also supplied by Western Sydney University.
33 high schools from as far afield as Kempsey, Wagga Wagga and Orange participated in the NSW Finals.
The students competed in live question and answer rounds where they were tested on topics relating to the functions of the human brain such as intelligence, memory, emotions, sensations, movement, stress, sleep and addiction.
Vivienne says she prepared by studying the whole week prior to the competition. "I like most subjects at school but I would really like to be a neurosurgeon one day," says Vivienne. "My philosophy teacher put me forward for the competition and I am really glad that I got to compete in the
Brain Bee Challenge. I would encourage students to enter the competition next year. I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of great people and I really got a lot out of the day."
Professor Vaughan Macefield, from the Western Sydney School of Medicine and NSW Coordinator of the Australian Brain Bee Challenge, says the competition was a great success.
"For the last five years, Western Sydney University has proudly hosted the Australian Brain Bee Challenge. These very bright students get to test their knowledge of the brain and participate in engaged learning that will hopefully inspire a new generation of neuroscientists," says Professor Macefield.
Schools in the NSW Finals of the 2012 Australian Bee Challenge were Abbotsleigh, Ascham School, Baulkham Hills High School, Bethlehem College, Birrong Girls High School, Blacktown Girls High School, Burwood Girls High School, Cabramatta High School, Canterbury Girls High School, Caroline Chisholm College,
Hunters Hill High School, Hurlstone Agricultural High School
James Ruse Agricultural High School, Kempsey High School, Kinross Wolaroi School, Kirrawee High School, Macquarie Fields High School, Mary Mackillop College, Meadowbank Educational Trust, Muirfield High School, Parramatta High School, Penrith High School, Presbyterian Ladies College, Randwick Girls
High School, Rosebank High School, St Scholastica's College, St Vincent's College, Stella Maris College Manly, Sydney Secondary College Balmain, Tara Anglican School for Girls, Tempe High School, The Hills Grammar School, The Illawarra Grammar School.
Prize Presentation 2011 Academic Year
A Combined Schools Prize Night was held with the School of Science and Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery and School of Medicine on 3 July for students who completed Years 1, 2 or 3 in 2011. The evening was attended by Academic and Professional staff from all three schools, as well as, by Donors,
Students and their guests.
Prize recipients from the School of Medicine were:
College of Health & Science Dean's Medal for the 2011 Academic Year was awarded to Elise Maehler.
- ADInstruments Award for the most outstanding students in Physiology in the first year of the MBBS course was awarded to Yashutosh Joshi, Tarini Srivastava and Casey Chan.
- Blacktown Medical Practitioner's Association Award for the most outstanding Indigenous student to complete the first year of the MBBS course was awarded to Artiene Tatian.
- Calvary Award in Fostering Personal and Professional Development to a first year medical student who demonstrates academic excellence, compassion and professional behaviour in regards to medical ethics, legal responsibilities and cultural values was awarded to Aaron Johnson.
- Dickerson Gallery Award for First Year Medicine for the most outstanding overall results in the first year of the MBBS course was awarded to Aaron Johnson.
- Inner Wheel Club of Camden & Rotary Club of Camden Prize in Medicine for the most improved second year student enrolled in the MBBS course was awarded to Sarah Rashid.
- Mark Richardson Award for Second Year Medicine for the most outstanding student in the second year of the MBBS course was awarded to Sukhi Hegde and Abdullah Ibrahim.
- Wollondilly Shire Council Prize for Medicine in Context for a Year 3 student who has completed Medicine in Context, demonstrating local leadership, community advocacy, teamwork and responsiveness to health inequalities was awarded to Ayesha Siriwardena.
Congratulations to all our prize winners for your hard work and dedication to your medical education.
We also thank our Donors for their generous support and interest in the success of our students.
The School of Medicine is very proud to be recognising the achievements of students across academic excellence and professionalism, both of which are highly valued by our staff, conjoint supervisors and your future patients.
The musical interlude on the evening was provided by current Year 2 students from the School, Mr Alex Garner on Guitar and Ms Danielle Klingberg on Clarinet who kept the audience entertained with their talents.
Visit the link to see previous
prize winners for 2008-2010 (PDF, 176.46 KB)
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Jens Coorssen - Brock University Alumni of Distinction Award
Jens Coorssen, Professor of Molecular Physiology has recently been recognised by Brock University in Canada where he obtained his bachelor and masters qualifications as one of their 'alumni of distinction'.