Degrees Awarded 2002

PhD NM Alitheen PhD An in vitro model of B lymphocyte development in the Peyer's Patches of fetal lambs J Attema PhD Role of HMG-I(Y) and Chromatin in Cytokine Gene Transcription   2002 Graduands: Dr Chris Reid, (awarded 1999), Dr Robyn Otway, Dr Joanne Attema, Dr Jade Forwood

M Bunce PhD
Chromatin Architecture and Transcription of the HIV-1 Promoter: The Role of HMGA

D Cakouros PhD
Transcriptional regulation of GM-CSF in transgenic mice

M Estcourt PhD
Studies on the immunobiology of prime-boost immunisation

C Haarmann PhD
Regulation of the ryanodine receptor by segments of the dihydropyridine receptor and other factors

N Hamilton PhD
Characterisation of the murine interferon-inducible T cell alpha chemoattractant (I-TAC)

AS Henderson PhD
Recruitment of HMG 1 and BRG-1 to the Activated HIV-1 Viral Promoter

W Hu PhD
Importin -NLS Interaction in Nuclear Protein Import

T Juelich PhD
Nuclear Import Pathway of Interleukin-5

S Martin PhD
B cell antigen receptor isotypes: Implications for immune memory

N O'Brien PhD
The role of NO in the pathogenesis of EAE in the Lewis rat

R Otway PhD
Germline mutations causing hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer

J Wang PhD
Transcriptional regulation of the mouse and human interleukin-5 genes in T-lymphocytes

F Willard PhD
Functional roles of growth factor receptor signal transduction pathways

 

Honours

N Hart BSc (Asian Studies) Hons
The role of b2 microglobulin (b2m) in type 1 Diabetes

E Hawkins BSc (Otago) Hons
The role of MHC class 1 in type 1 Diabetes

S Jaya BSc Hons
The effects of congenital deafness on the morphology and physiology of neurons in the brainstem auditory system

Z Jumpka BSc (Hons)
Chromatin remodelling of the Interleukin 2 gene

T Murase BSc Hons
Characterisation of the Role of Eosinophils in the Pathogenesis of Dextran Sulphate Sodium-Induced Colitis

I Parish BSc Hons (University Medal)
Chromatin remodelling of the GM-CSF gene in T cells

E Sutcliffe BSc (NTU) Hons
The structure and function of the mouse deubiquitinating enzyme Usp2-41

SL Woo BSc Hons
Macrophage inflammatory protein-1a (MIP-a) in viral immunity

 

Training Future Medical Researchers

One of the primary aims of the School is to train the medical researchers of the future. Most of our postgraduate students are carrying out research directed towards the production of a thesis for a PhD degree. However, in the last few years we have been fortunate to attract a number of Honours students. We share supervision of these with the ANU Faculties and occcasionally with the University of Canberra. The JCSMR policy is to increase student numbers in line with the School's operating budget, anticipated new funding through the Australian Government's Research Training Scheme and staff capacity to provide high quality supervision.

Position of Convenor of The Medical Sciences Graduate Program
As a part of the continuing commitment to research training in JCSMR a part time academic appointment was made in 2000, specifically as Convenor of the Medical Sciences Graduate Program. A submission to the University's New Plan for Growth Scheme, based on the School's research training plan, won funds for the Convenor's position to become full time for 2001-2003. As well as taking responsibility for student research training the position covers student recruitment and Postdoctoral Fellow mentoring and career development.

Progress in 2002
A detailed plan for the development of research training covering the next three years has been formulated. This includes a strengthening the assessment of student progress throughout their course and the completion of a comprehensive survey of students on their PhD experience, to better plan further action. The aims are to enhance the student experience, thus better equipping them for their careers and improving completion times. Augmentation of the supervision skills of academics is also a priority and the Convenor collaborated with CEDAM on the Supervision Training Program to enhance these skills amongst this School's academics in particular but also in a University-wide and Australia-wide scheme. The Postdoctoral Fellows particularly, are being encouraged to take on formal advisory roles and to take CEDAM courses and workshops on supervisory methods and skills. Postdoctoral Fellows are now being formally recognised for their contributions to student supervision.

Student recruitment is now a focus for the School and as part of this focus the student pages on the School's web site have been substantially upgraded.

PhD, MPhil, Honours, Summer Research Scholarships

PhD, MPhil
The course for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is for a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years full-time study. Applicants should be of high scholastic calibre and should have a capacity for research. Applicants normally would have or expect to have one of the following minimal qualifications: BSc (not only in biological sciences), BEng, BVSc, BAgrSc, or their equivalent (at the standard of upper second class honours at least), MBBS or MSc. In special cases, applicants with other qualifications or research experience of a high order may be considered. Successful applicants whose first language is not English are required to pass an English test before admission will be confirmed. Australian Government visa regulations also require an English test for overseas students. A panel of a minimum of three, usually consisting of a main supervisor and two or more advisers, supervises each student. Their progress is assessed at regular intervals and they attend seminar programs devised to give them a broad overview of current medical research as well as more specialised technical courses and more general seminars on topics such as planning and writing a thesis, giving research seminars and writing a scientific paper. Overall student welfare and training is monitored and coordinated by the Program Convenor.

Admission to a Master of Philosophy research program (for one to two years) is also available.

Graduate programs

As members of the ANU Graduate School, students working in the John Curtin School can elect to belong to any of the Programs of the Graduate School. Most (about 90 per cent) join the Medical Sciences Program, but there are a significant number of students in the Neurosciences Program and a few in other biologically-orientated Programs, such as Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The University is in the process of re-aligning these programs to better reflect the University's research priorities as envisaged by the new National Institutes and we expect this change to occur for 2003.

ANU PhD Scholarship Awards
A number of Australian National University scholarships that provide a stipend (but do not cover the tuition fees payable by overseas students) are available for students taking a PhD course in the JCSMR. The School hosts each year a number of students holding Australian Postgraduate Awards. These are for Australian citizens or permanent residents. In addition, the School hosts International Postgraduate Research Scholarships for students of other nationalities for PhD research courses (these are discussed below). A scholarship is normally tenable for three years, subject to satisfactory progress. These are extendable to three and a half years. Subject to the agreement of the Head of the Division concerned, University scholarship programs may be commenced at any time during the year. A scholarship provides a basic living allowance (or stipend) which from January 2002 will be $A17,609 per annum (tax free). Grants for travel to Canberra are paid for a scholarship holder and for a dependent spouse and children if the scholar is married before taking up the award; some removal expenses may also be reimbursed. Travel and removal grants at the conclusion of the award may also be paid to scholars recruited from overseas.

Australian Government policy since January 1990 has been that overseas students (other than New Zealand citizens) will be admitted only on a full-fee paying basis. The tuition fee in 2002 for PhD courses in the JCSMR is $A17,500 per annum. Overseas applicants are encouraged to apply to their own governments and other granting agencies able to provide scholarships to cover the tuition fees. There are a limited number of Australian Government International Postgraduate Research Scholarships available.

The Eccles Scholarship is designed to attract overseas students of high calibre to pursue postgraduate research at the John Curtin School of Medical Research. The Scholarship provides for payment of the annual tuition fees for overseas students, an annual living expenses stipend set at the rate of a supplemented ANU PhD Scholarship, plus other benefits as provided under the award of the ANU PhD Scholarship, including travel and removal expenses.

Applications for admission or ANU Scholarships should be made on forms available from the Head, Human Resources Section, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 Australia. There is no set closing date for applications for admission or for ANU scholarships. Applicants from overseas for Australian National University Scholarships are advised to apply at least six months before they expect to be able to take up a place, if offered. These benefits are currently under review.

Australian Postgraduate Awards
The Australian Government Department of Education Science and Training each year makes available Australian Postgraduate Awards for full-time study leading to a post-graduate degree. These awards are available to Australian whether resident in Australia or overseas at the time of application, New Zealand citizens and to persons from overseas who have permanent resident status. They are normally offered at the Australian National University only to applicants intending to undertake courses leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Further particulars and application forms are available from any Australian university, or any office of the Department of Education, Science and Training. Applications for these awards close on October 31 each year. The selection committee normally meets in early-December to decide first offers of award at the ANU but selection often continues into the following January or February.

Doherty Scholarship
The Doherty Scholarship has been funded by the Australian National University Endowment for Excellence, The John Curtin School of Medical Research and the National Health Sciences Centre to facilitate the interactions between basic science in the medical research area and the clinical development of such scientific enterprise. The purpose of the Scholarship is to attract Australian students of high calibre with clinical qualifications to pursue postgraduate research for a PhD degree at the John Curtin School of Medical Research involving a clinical research project. This is a supplementary scholarship, intended to be held jointly with a stipend scholarship such as an Australian Postgraduate Award, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Award, or ANU Postgraduate Scholarship. The total value of the scholarships in 2001 was $30,000. The eligibility criteria are being reviewed.

Zinkernagel Scholarship
JCSMR has established a named scholarship in honour of Professor Rolf Zinkernagel, who shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Professor Peter Doherty in 1996 for the work done in the JCSMR. One Zinkernagel Scholarship will be awarded annually to an overseas PhD student who is an applicant for the International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS). The Scholarship provides for payment of an annual living expenses stipend set at a normal rate of the ANU PhD scholarship for the duration of the IPRS award.

James Rice Scholarship
This PhD Scholarship has been endowed in memory of James Rice. It is available for either an Australian citizen or and international student to pursue postgraduate research for a PhD degree at the JCSMR in a research field broadly related to Multiple Sclerosis. The award will be commensurate with standard ANU PhD scholarships and include tuition fees for an international student in line with IPRS awards. First awarded in 2001.

Medical Science Fourth Year Honours Scholarships
Eligible students may compete each year for several awards that may be offered to students with strong academic records to provide encouragement and assistance to undertake at the ANU the fourth year of a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in medically related science fields. Successful applicants must meet the normal Faculty of Science requirements for entry to fourth year Honours. Students will be enrolled in the appropriate academic area in The Faculties, but supervision will be shared with the JCSMR. The Honours research project is normally conducted in the JCSMR or in the School of Life Sciences in The Faculties. Each scholarship has a value of $A6000, with an additional relocation allowance of $A4,000 for a student whose normal place of residence is outside Canberra. Applications close on 30 November each year.

Paul Bunyan Memorial Scholarship in Medical Sciences
This is an Honours scholarship endowed in memory of Paul Bunyan. The Scholarship provides a stipend of $6,000 per annum for one year for a Medical Science Fourth Year (Honours) student in a medical science field normally related to cancer research. First awarded in 1999.

Alexander McTaggert Memorial Scholarship
This is an Honours scholarship endowed in memory of Alexander McTaggert. The Scholarship provides a stipend of $6000 per annum for one year for a fourth year (Honours) student in medical science related to cancer research and allied fields. First awarded in 2001.

Joyce Fildes Honours Scholarship
This is an Honours scholarship endowed by Dr Joyce Fildes. The Scholarship provides a stipend of $6000 per annum for one year for a fourth year (Honours) student in a medical science field. To be awarded for the first time for 2003.

ANU Fourth Year Honours Scholarships
The University now provides a substantial number of Honours scholarships that may also be taken for projects in the School. A substantial proportion of those taken in the School are co- funded by the School.

Summer Research Scholarships
Summer Research Scholarships are normally offered to currently enrolled undergraduate students from Australia and New Zealand who will have completed two to three years of a full-time undergraduate course when they take up the scholarship. The scholarships are primarily awarded to interest students in the possibility of later enrolment as a postgraduate scholar and to test the students capacity. The Summer Research Scholarships offer full board at an affiliated University College, a weekly allowance of $135 (tax exempt) and return travel to Canberra. There are approximately 25 scholarships each year.

Vacation Research Scholarships for International Students
The School receives enquiries each year from students wishing to undertake internships or short research projects within the School. During 2002 the School decided that it would support a small number of international Vacation Scholarships. These would gain the equivalent financial support as the New Zealand applicants but would not be limited to the southern hemisphere summer. We accepted our first such international Vacation Scholar, a student from Sweden.

Correspondence
All correspondence concerning postgraduate courses, admissions, PhD Scholarships, Medical Science Honours scholarships and Summer Vacation Scholarships should be addressed to The Head, Human Resources Section, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia.

 

Students Enrolled during the reporting year

PhD Scholars

Abdellatif Y MS in Life Sciences, BSc, Pharm Sci (Egypt)

Alsharifi M BBioMedSci (Hons) (Monash)

Attema J BSc, B Health Sci (Hons)

Barlow V BSc(Hons), LLB , LLM (UTS), GradDip Legal Practice (College of Law, NSW)

Beard N BAppSci(Hons) (La Trobe)

Bunce M BSc (Hons) (Lincoln)

Bunting K BSc (Hons)

Cakouros J BSc, B Health Sci (Hons)

Calanni S BSc (MedSci) (Syd), BSc (Hons)

Chen X BSc (Hons)

Dixon C BSc (Hons)

Eichner D BSc (Hons)

Estcourt M BSc (Hons) (Monash)

Everitt A BSc

Farnsworth M BSc (Wollongong) BSc(Hons)

Foong Y BSc (UWA) BSc (Hons)

Forwood J BSc (Hons) (James Cook)

Franklin A BSc (Hons) (Wollongong)

Gousseva N BSc (Moscow)

Green D BSc (Hons)

Gustiananda M BSc (Bandung)

Haarmann C MSc (Heidelburg)

Haddock R BSc (Wollongong) (Hons)

Halliday D BSc (Townsville)

Hamilton N BSc (Hons) (Lincoln University )

Harley N BSc (Hons)

Harrison J BSc (BiomedSci) (Hons) (Adel)

Henderson A BSc (Hons) (NSW)

Hu W MB (China) MSc (Kings College, London)

Hyun YM BSc MSc (Yonsei)

Johnson-Saliba M BSc (Hons) (UC) MSc (UC)

Jones A BScAgr (Hons) (Syd)

Juelich T (Dipl Biol) (Stuttgart, Germany)

Jun J BMedSc (Hons) (Syd)

Kampa B Dip Biology, Diploma Biology (Uni Freiburg)

Khoury R BSc (Hons) (Adelaide)

Leao R BSc, MD (UFU, Brazil)

Leck K-J BSc (Hons)

Lim C BTech (Hons) (Auckland, NZ)

Linnett P BSc (Hons) BVSc (Sydney)

Liston A BSc (Hons) (Adel)

Luu T (Cindy) BMedSci (Hons) (Syd)

Martin S BSc (Hons) (Otago)

McColl C MBBS (Melb) FRACP

Melton J BSc (Hons) (Auckland)

Miosge L BSc (Hons)

Moerman K BMedChem (Hons) (Wollongong)

Moore A BSc (Hons) (Massey)

Murphie A BVSc (Hons) (Syd)

Murphy J (BSc) (Hons) (Canterbury) (jointly with RSC)

O'Rance L BMedSci (Hons) (Syd)

Panchanathan V MBBS MPhil (University of Malaya)

Pang J BM (Luzhou Medical College) MHSc (Auckland)

Papathanasiou P BSc (Hons) LLB

Premzl M DVMed MSc (Zagreb)

Robbins S BSc (Hons) (Canb)

Rui L MS (Shanxi Medical University) BM (Wannan Med Col)

Rummery N BSc (Hons) (Charles Sturt)

Schmuck E (BSc) (Hons) (Nancy-France) (DiplIngBiotechnology/Germany)

Scott B BSc PGDip (UQld)

Sharkhuu T BSc (Mongolia) MSc (UK)

Simson L BSc (UCanb)

Smart V BSc (Hons)

Soboleva T MSc (Hons) (Moscow)

Solomon MF BBTech (Hons) (Flinders)

Taylor M BSc GradDipSci MPhil

Tetlow N BSc (Hons)

Theodoratos A BSc (Hons) (Syd)

Titmuss S BSc BCompSc MSc (Woll)

Tran T BSc (Hons) (jointly with CAMBIA)

Wang J MSc (Weizmann Institute)

Wang Y MB (Beijing Medical University) MM (Syd)

Warden-Hutton P BBiomedSci (Hons) (Griff)

Wei L Master of Clinical Medicine (Liaoning Uni of TCM China)

Weible M BSc (Hons) (Uni Michigan)

Whitbread A BSc (Hons) (Qld)

Willard F BSc (Hons) (Victoria University)

Woodruff A BSc (Hons)

Yang M MD (China)

Yates A BSc (Hons)

Davy D BSc (Hons) (ANU)

Zeid OA MD (Cairo)

Zelensky A BSc MSc (Kiev-Mohyla)

 

MPhil Scholar

Rana PM BMLT (Tribhuwan University, Nepal)

 

Honours Scholars
(enrolled -but not completed- in 2002)

Gormly K
DipBioSci (CIT) BAppSci (UC)(from March) (jointly with Gadi Res Centre, UC)

Rubin T
BSc

Sjollema G
BSc

Tindall A

 

Summer Vacation Scholars

Brown H, Auckland
Chuang WC-M, Auckland
Goh X-L, NSW
Harley T,Otago
Kaltourimidis D, Northern Territory
Kelliher S, Murdoch
Laycock C, Queensland
Lee S, Sydney
Lynch J, Curtin
Majewski I, Western Australia
Mathavan V, Auckland
McIntosh S, Otago
Newcombe R, Adelaide
Ng WK, Western Australia
Park S, ANU
Raja E, Western Australia
Smith M, Melbourne
Thompson R, ANU
Young M, Otago