Head: Professor M L Wahlqvist
Address: Department of Medicine, Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, 3168
* Cardiovascular Heart failure - regional sympathetic nerve activity. The role of cardiac afferents. Endogenous vasoactive hormones - ANP, AVP, ANG II. Cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. Regional blood flow at rest and during exercise. Factors influencing exercise tolerance in heart failure. Studies in animal models of heart failure, eg AVP analogues, dopamine agonists. Clinical trials. Nitrate-ACE inhibitor interaction. Drug treatment of angina. Heart failure in Thalassaemia minor. Non-invasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Cardiovascular pharmacology. Clinical trials. Clinical research: monitoring progression and regression of atherosclerotic plaques (using B mode ultra sound scanning) in response to modification of cardiovascular risk factors - hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, smoking, diabetes. Biochemical and nutritional determinants of angiographically assessed coronary artery disease. Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols) supplementation in hypercholesterolaemia. Determinants of fatness and coronary risk factor status in adolescents and adults. Comparison of lipoprotein (a) in Anglo-Celtic, Greek, Chinese and Indian Australians. Fish intake and arterial compliance. Food intake in Greek and Chinese Australian pre/post menopausal women and effect on macrovascular risk factors via hormonal status. Dietary changes and cardiovascular risks in Chinese Australians.
* Clinical nutrition See Cardiovascular, endocrinology, gastroenterology, respiratory, neurology, immunology, and oncology.
* Public health nutrition Food intake methodology. Food beliefs and behaviours. Food intake and health status of elderly Greek and Anglo-Celtic Australians. Food, health and lifestyle profiles of Anglo-Celtic Australians in region 8 served by Monash Medical Centre - act as database and reference group for migrant studies. Coordinating department for international study on food intake and health of elderly in ten countries.
* Body composition Alcoholic cirrhosis. Alcohol intake and body composition in general population. Spatial sensitivity total body nitrogen facility. Low dose D20 assay using FTIR. Measurement of bone mineral density, fat and lean mass using dual energy xray absorptiometry (DEXA). Use of bioelectrical impedance in the young and old. Whole body potassium counter. Infrared spectroscopy.
* Respiratory Development of fetal cardio-respiratory system and reflex control of pulmonary circulation. Effect of nutrient supplementation on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
* Neurology The role of peptides in the central and peripheral system, especially in relation to pain. The neuropathology of disorders of memory. L-dopa containing foods and Parkinson's disease.
* Immunology Nutritional intervention in the aged with immunodeficiency. Nutrition and AIDS. The immunological basis of diseases including glomerulonephritis, vasculitis and arthritis. Immunological mechanisms of injury in atheroma and other vascular diseases.
* Oncology Nutrition and colorectal cancer (Australian Polyps Prevention Project).
Monash Medical Centre and Alfred Hospital
* Endocrinology Anterior and posterior pituitary hormone, diabetics, growth, adrenals, thyroid, gynadotrophins, sexual structure, infertility, water and electrolyte homeostasis. Bone turnover during corticosteroid therapy and b-carotene supplementation. Phytoestrogen-containing foods and endogenous oestrogenic status. Testerone implantation and bone loss. Measurement of bone mineral density and osteoporosis.
* Nephrology Pathophysiology of glomerulonephritis, renal transplantation. Body composition in chronic haemodialysis.
Monash Medical Centre and Peninsula Campus
Peninsula campus, McMahons Road, Frankston, 3199
* Gastroenterology GI hormones, gastric function, drugs and peptic ulcer, lower oesophageal sphincter function, bile acid function. Helicobacter pylori and peptic ulcer disease in Chinese and Anglo-Celtic Australians. Hepatitis. Chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Nutritional prevention of large bowel cancer.
Alfred Hospital
Head: Professor N M Thomson
Address: Department of Medicine, Monash Medical School, Alfred Hospital, Prahran, 3181
* Cardiovascular Growth factors, hyperplasia and hypertrophy in hypertension and re-stenosis after balloon angioplasty, sodium-hydrogen exchange, noradrenaline release in myocardial ischaemia, mechanisms of the effects of physical training in experimental hypertension, effects of lipoproteins on vascular reactivity, heart failure. Cardiac and vascular hypertrophy in hypertension, novel risk factors, risk markers for coronary disease. Sympathetic activity in hypertension, heart failure. Autonomic activity and sudden death. Non-pharmacological treatment of hypertension, cardiovascular effect of exercise. Endothelial dysfunction in hyperlipidaemia and hypertension.
* Nephrology Growth factors in experimental and human glomerulonephritis. Chronic renal allograft rejection. Peritoneal dialysis.
* Medical oncology Clinical trials and programs involving the study of prognostic factors and systemic therapy in various malignancies, including solid tumours and lymphomas. Phase II and III collaborative studies of systemic therapy alone or as part of a combined modality treatment program in various malignancies. The role of supportive psychological counselling in the prognosis of women with early stage breast carcinoma who are also receiving adjuvant treatment.
* Haematology Characterisation of von Willebrand factor variants. Clinical studies of transfusion transmitted viral infection in haemophilia. Clinical transfusion studies of new plasma derived products for the treatment of haemophilia.
* Clinical pharmacology In vitro simulations of aminoglycoside concentration-time profiles and effect on gram negative bacterial kill. Hepatic interactions of beta-blockers and calcium antagonists, food effect on drug bio-availability, heavy metal excretion by the kidney and liver. Aminoglycoside pharmacokinetics: oxygen supplementation and vasodilator use in patients with cirrhosis, audit of antibiotic prescribing, parenteral nutrition, drug-related hospitalisations.
* Dermatology Sunlight in the causation of melanocytic naevi, biological behaviour between different morphological sub-types of basal cell carcinoma, skin surface microscopy in the early diagnosis of melanoma, cyclosporin in psoriasis, spironolactone in acne.
* Rheumatology Medical diagnostic index program, heat shock proteins in rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug interaction, chondroprotective agents, bone mineral density.
* Geriatrics Drug usage in the elderly, changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics with ageing, drugs in the causation of falls in the elderly, anti-rheumatic drugs and their effect on leucocyte function, osteoarthritis, dementia, nocturia and incontinence in the elderly.
* Respiratory disease Immunobiology of asthma, molecular epidemiology of asthma, physiology of pulmonary function, cystic fibrosis, lung transplantation.
Box Hill Hospital
Head: Professor H H Salem
Address: Department of Medicine, Box Hill Hospital, Clive Ward Centre, Box Hill, 3128
* Hemostasis (general) Purification and analysis of a novel peptide platelet activator. Analysis of a novel platelet inhibitory mechanism involving secretory phospholipase A2. Characterisation of a plasma inhibitor of von Willebrand factor-dependent platelet aggregation. Structure and function of a new serine proteinase inhibitor located in platelets, endothelial cells and smooth muscle. Study of a phospholipase and coagulation inhibitor, annexin V - assessment of its therapeutic potential. Study of the relationship between apolipoproteins and the protective effect of estrogens on atheromatous. Participating centre in an international, triple-blind clinical trial of the safety and efficacy of a platelet inhibitor, Clopidogrel, versus aspirin in patients at risk of ischaemic events (Capri).
* Natural anticoagulants Role of activated protein C and thrombomodulin in transplantation rejection and septic shock. Molecular analysis of thrombomodulin structure and function. Regulation of the thrombomodulin gene in endothelial cells and during development. Purification and characterisation of circulating (soluble) thrombomodulin, and analysis of levels in health and disease.
* Fibrinolysis Regulation of the tissue plasminogen activator gene. Regulation of the plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 gene. Construction and characterisation of novel plasminogen activators.
* Signal transduction Cell biology, biochemistry and molecular analysis of enzymes mediating inositol polyphosphate turnover. Identification of proteins interacting with key receptors and phosphoinositol 3 kinase in platelets.
Research in conjunction with Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research
Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, 3168
* Molecular endocrinology, steroid hormone action including resistive syndromes, intestinal biology including studies on the molecular basis of intestinal adaptation. Molecular oncology. Infertility, menopause, osteoporosis, hormone replacement therapy, reproductive biology.