News and Events

Melbourne students win Colgate international dental research awards

Students from the Oral Health CRC and the University of Melbourne won the highly coveted Colgate Travel Awards at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Australia and New Zealand Meeting.

Student winners were Shao Bing Fong (1st place, Senior competition), Jacqueline Heath (1st place, Junior competition) and Gareema Prasad (2nd place, Senior competition). As winner of this award, all three students have received funding from Colgate to represent the Oral Health CRC and the University of Melbourne at the IADR Global meeting in Brazil in 2012.

Melbourne Laureate Professor Eric Reynolds AO, CEO of the Oral Health CRC and Head of the Melbourne Dental School, said the result reflected the quality of the research performed by the students.

"It's a fantastic result for the Melbourne Dental School to have our students win both first places and second place in the competition", said Professor Reynolds.

"Both Shao Bing and Jacqueline are studying how the chronic disease periodontitis is caused. This disease affects the tissues surrounding teeth and can lead to tooth loss".

"Shao Bing and Jacqueline's research could benefit the estimated 20% of Australians who suffer from a moderate to severe form of the disease", said Professor Reynolds.

The International Association for Dental Research is a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing research and increasing knowledge to improve oral health. The IADR Australian and New Zealand Division Travel Awards were proudly supported by Colgate.

 

International role for CRC Board Member

Associate Professor Neil Hewson, Independent Oral Health CRC Board Member, has been elected as Speaker of the General Assembly at the FDI World Dental Federation.

The FDI World Dental Federation is a federation of approximately 200 national dental associations and specialist groups representing more than one million dentists worldwide. The organisation's vision of "leading the world to optimal oral health" acknowledges that oral health is an integral part of general health and well-being.

As part of his new role, Associate Professor Hewson will play an influential role in the development of world oral health policy.

Associate Professor Hewson is an Independent Board Member with the Oral Health CRC, providing a valuable practitioner perspective based on his distinguished career as a practising dentist.

He is the immediate past President of the Australian Dental Association (ADA), was Victorian Branch Chairman of Professions Australia, is an Australian Dental Council Director and is a Clinical Leads for the National E-Health Transition Authority.

 

Australia's oral health set to benefit with new research centre

The new $31.6 million Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) will help address the nation's dental health issues.

Oral diseases and disorders cost Australians $6.7 billion per annum, with one in three adults having untreated dental decay, and one in four with moderate or severe cases of gum disease.

The Oral Health CRC, opened by Minister for Industry, Innovation, Science and Research, Kim Carr, will include major research projects including the development of a vaccine for the gum disease periodontitis, and incorporating Recaldent™ technology into products to help prevent tooth decay.

CEO of the Oral Health CRC Laureate Professor Eric Reynolds AO said Australians needed to take oral health more seriously.

"The centre allows us to shine the spotlight on oral health. Research here will focus on prevention and early diagnosis of oral diseases and improved management plans for those already affected," he said.

"The funding and support provided to the CRC by government, means we can focus on innovative approaches to preventing and treating oral diseases."

The Oral Health CRC combines Australia's foremost oral health researchers with manufacturers and global marketing to make Australia a global leader in oral health.

Major collaborators in the Oral Health CRC include the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland, Monash University, CSL Limited, Colgate Palmolive Pty Ltd, GC Australasia Dental Pty Ltd, Cadbury Enterprises Pty Ltd (a division of Kraft Foods) and Murray Goulburn Cooperative Limited.

 

Professor Eric Reynolds AO appointed Melbourne Laureate Professor

Professor Eric Reynolds AO, CEO of the Oral Health CRC, has been appointed a Melbourne Laureate Professor.

This honour, rarely bestowed, is reserved for the most distinguished members of academic staff at the University of Melbourne. The appointment was made by the University of Melbourne Council, on the recommendation of the Honours Committee.

The appointment indicates the extraordinarily high standing that Professor Reynolds enjoys within the University of Melbourne, as well as both nationally and internationally.

 

Student Social Group

The first gathering of the Oral Health CRC student social group was held on 1 July 2011.

Student coordinators, Kheng Tan and Jacqui Heath, said the gathering was planned to allow students across different areas of the CRC to get to know each other better.

"The gathering provided an opportunity to promote collegiality amongst the students of the Oral Health CRC and discuss how students thought their experience could be enhanced," said Kheng. "We also discussed how students could help achieve the goals of the CRC."

The gathering included presentations from past students Dr Elena Toh, Dr Zamirah Zainal Abidin and Mr Kheng Tan. All three shared their experiences and lessons learnt from their PhD experience.

"The student group also had several ideas about what we can do as a group to improve our learning experiences. We're looking forward to having more events for students in the future," said Jacqui.

 

Oral Health CRC Annual Research Conference

The inaugural Oral Health CRC Annual Research Conference (ARC) was held 30 - 31 May 2011. Researchers from the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the University of Queensland gathered to present their research outcomes to date.

The ARC provided an opportunity for the ~150 research staff and students to meet and discuss their work. Feedback on the ARC has been very positive, with a particular highlight being the presentations by students. Congratulations go to Gareema Prasad for her winning 10 minute presentation, "The development of a robust method for microRNA analysis of potentially malignant oral mucosal lesions", and to Jacqueline Heath for her winning 5 minute presentation, "The Kgp adhesin binding motif ABM1".

The next ARC will be held 24 - 25 May 2012.

 

Oral health represented on VicHealth board

Professor Mike Morgan, from the Oral Health CRC and the University of Melbourne, has been appointed to the Board of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth).

VicHealth works in partnership with organisations, communities and individuals to promote good health and prevent ill-health. Professor Morgan's appointment highlights the increasing evidence base showing links between oral health and systemic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.

Professor Morgan (pictured at right) has a particular interest in dental public health and preventive dentistry, and currently leads the Oral Health CRC's program evaluating Australia's oral health problems.

Research within this program aims to expand current knowledge of oral health status and related behaviours, improve understanding of the links between oral health and systemic diseases and identify molecules which are associated with oral diseases.

Appointing the new members of VicHealth's Board, Health Minister David Davis said the new board members were leaders in their particular fields, with the expertise which will be used to guide VicHealth in the coming years.

For more information on VicHealth, please visit www.vichealth.vic.gov.au 

 

CRC Student Professional Development Day

Oral Health CRC postgraduate students came together on 11 April 2011, for a day of professional development activities.

CRC students participated in workshops on intellectual property, project management and networking skills. Particular thanks go to Dr Charlie Day (UoM Commercial) and Dr Cindy Pan (Murray Goulburn Cooperative) who made time to share their expertise on the day.

A major outcomes of the day was the creation of a CRC social group, encouraging increased interaction and collaboration between students across the CRC's different areas.

 

Health Minister supports dental research and innovation

The Victorian Health Minister David Davis launched the Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) Research and Innovation Grants Showcase in May 2011. Following the Minister's address, Professor Eric Reynolds shared the latest research being conducted by the Oral Health CRC.

DHSV offers funding for research projects to improve the oral health of the population. Pictured (L-H) Dr Deborah Cole (CEO, DHSV), Professor Mike Morgan (Colgate Chair of Population Oral Health, Melbourne Dental School and Oral Health CRC), Mr Mick Ellis (Board Chair, DHSV) and Dr John Rogers (DHSV, Oral Health CRC).

For more information, please visit www.dhsv.org.au

 

Milk may help prevent gum disease

Current treatments for gum disease are expensive and painful. But now Dr Elena Toh of the Oral Health CRC has discovered in milk the key to a new low cost, pain-free solution that may help prevent the disease. Dr Toh was recently awarded the Early Career Researcher Award from the Cooperative Research Centres Association (CRCA). To see her winning presentation, please see below.

 

 

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National Oral Health Alliance: Planning for next year's Budget must start now

Members of the National Oral Health Alliance (NOHA) have welcomed this week's announcements on dental health, in the belief they are precursors to major action promised by the Government for 2011-12 and for the Budget in May 2012.

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Registrations to open soon for IADR ANZ meeting, September 2011

The Oral Health CRC is pleased to be part of the upcoming 51st IADR Australia and New Zealand Division meeting, to be held 26 - 28th September 2011 at the University of Melbourne.

Speakers include Dr Dianne Rekow, recently appointed as the global IADR President, Colgate Eminent Lecturer Professor David Beighton from King's College London Dental Institute and Professor Svante Twetman from the University of Cophenhagen. A particular highlight will be the Reception on Sunday evening 25 September.

Session topics for the IADR ANZ meeting include: dental materials, oral health and systemic disease, cariology, new approaches to understanding polymicrobial diseases and public health.

For more details and registration, please visit http://www.dent.unimelb.edu.au/dsweb/research/iadr.html

 

Eric Reynolds receives IADR Distinguished Scientist award, March 2011 

Professor Eric Reynolds has received the 2011 International Association for Dental Research award for Basic Research in Periodontal Disease. Pictured at right, Professor Reynolds receiving the award from IADR President Professor Maria Fidela de Lima Navarro. The award is supported by Colgate-Palmolive Company and is designed to recognise, encourage, and stimulate outstanding achievements in basic research in periodontal disease.

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Award for decay prevention, March 2011

An Oral Health CRC research project has won the prestigious IADR Colgate Community based research award for caries prevention. Led by Denise Bailey, the study investigates the use of general medical practitioners for providing information on preventing dental caries.

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