Category: <span>Blog</span>

Bellberry are pleased to share with you details of PRAXIS upcoming education evening event. Come along for an evening of networking over drinks and canapes and hear from thought leaders in areas relevant to the health and medical research community.

Bellberry is delighted to share the announcement of 3 Medical Research Fellowships in conjunction with Equity Trustees.

The prestigious annual Sylvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation Senior Medical Research Fellowships have been announced for 2017, committing just over $3.6 million to three researchers undertaking leading edge research into fighting cancer, schizophrenia and antimicrobial resistance.

The Bellberry-Viertel Fellow for 2017 is Associate Professor Di Yu from the Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Australian National University.  A/Prof Yu will work on investigating the differentiation and function of novel cytotoxic T cell subset, with the aim of harnessing this newly identified cell type to come up with new ways to treat diseases including HIV and B cell lymphoma.

Click here for the full Media Release – 15 Nov 2017

Applications for 2018 open: Annually on the first day of February .

Applications close: Annually on the last day of April.

Information about the application process can be found here

Thursday 9th November, The Science Exchange, Adelaide

The topic for the evening was Cancer Immunotherapy and the Gardasil Story both presented by Professor Ian Frazer AC. 

Professor Ian Frazer AC was trained as a renal physician and clinical immunologist in Edinburgh Scotland, and immigrated to Australia in 1985. In 1991, along with Chinese colleague, Dr Jian Zhou, he developed the virus-like particle technology which has become the basis of vaccines to prevent cervical cancer. Dr Frazer was founder CEO and Director of Research of the newly created Translational Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia. He now pursues research on skin cancer and on immunotherapy for cancer as head of the cancer immunotherapy program at TRI.

Dr Frazer provided an interesting and thought provoking talk on cancer immunotherapy and the Gardasil story. The event was extremely well received with over 60 people, many from interstate, in attendance.  Many thanks to all our members for their invaluable input and to our guest speaker who made the session  both entertaining and stimulating.

Michael James has kindly chaired Committee H since its establishment in May this year, in addition to his regular Committee C Chair role.

Bellberry are now delighted to announce that Associate Prof Mark Slee, of Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre, has been appointed as the dedicated Chair for Committee H.

Mark is a senior consultant neurologist and clinical academic at Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University. Mark’s main clinical interest is in immune mediated nervous system disease, especially multiple sclerosis. He completed fellowships in Oxford, UK, and Austin Hospital, Melbourne in clinical neuroimmunology and neurophysiology. Mark established the Flinders MS service in 2007, which has grown into one of the largest services of its kind in SA, combining basic and clinical research with clinical care. Mark was the inaugural Chair, Australian MS Clinical Trials Network and he served on the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network ethics committee from 2007 to 2013.  He is current Vice-Chair of MS Research Australia grants management committee and has had recent roles as Associate Dean, Director of the Flinders MD and Associate Dean, Head of Medical Science and Technology at Flinders University.

Mark’s work history and academic output can be viewed at http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4323-2453 .

Bellberry will be exhibiting at the AusBiotech conference this week with Kylie Sproston (Bellberry CEO) and Melanie Gentgall (PRAXIS CEO) both speaking at key sessions. Please come and pay us a visit!

AAHMS Annual Meetings 2017

18-20 Oct, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Adelaide

Our September issue contains the latest news about our 8th HREC, our new IT partner, the IMNIS programme, PRAXIS and much more – give it a read!

We are pleased to announce that NHMRC funding for the National Scientific Committee’s (NSC) pilot project has been extended for a further 12 months.

The NSC’s were launched by the NHMRC in January and provide scientific review for the areas of Complex Genetic Research and Medical Devices. Based on the queries received from the initial pilot period, the review areas have also now been extended to include early phase clinical trials. The Committee’s, hosted by Bellberry, provide advice to HRECs, sponsors and researchers on the scientific merit and integrity of a research protocol.

Three applications have been submitted so far with two of these being reviewed at the inaugural NSC meeting held in June. The NHMRC funding extension will enable the project to continue until June 2018.

If you are interested in submitting a proposal to the NSC or for further information about the Committee’s please visit the NSC website or contact the NSC administrator at nsc@bellberry.com.au

2017 ARCS Annual Conference, 22 – 24 August, Sydney

This year Bellberry will again be exhibiting at the ARCS annual conference. Kylie Sproston (Bellberry CEO), Trina O’Donnell (Operations Manager) and Melanie Gentgall (Praxis Australia CEO) will all be in attendance to chat with you and answer and questions that you may have.

Melanie will also be chairing the session on Thurs 24 August entitled ‘Where does Research Fit in? A Panel Discussion of Emerging Issues’

Please come along and see us for what is expected to be another thought provoking and stimulating event!

27 July 2017, The Science Exchange Adelaide

The topic for the evening was Navigating the murky waters of data banks & registries and application of the National Statement.  This topic was selected as Bellberry are receiving a growing number of data bank/registry submissions for review; some simple and some more complex.

The format of the evening were 2 presentations by a Senior Manager at a leading clinical research facility and Associate Professor Annette Braunack-Mayer, Professor of Health Ethics in the School of Public Health at University of Adelaide and Chair of Bellberry Committee F, followed by a Q&A session.

The event was extremely well received with over 50 people, many from interstate, in attendance.  Many thanks to all our members for their invaluable input and to our guest speakers who made the sessions both interesting and thought provoking.

International Clinical Trials Day is held on 20 May each year to commemorate the day that James Lind began his trials into the causes of scurvy.

Each year on May 20 we pause to remember James Linds work and to acknowledge the major improvements in health outcomes that have come since thanks to clinicians who are dedicated to finding answers to important clinical questions and members of the community who participate in clinical trials.

In celebration of International Clinical Trials Day this year, Bellberry joined forces with PRAXIS to offer a number of $1000 scholarships to all students across the research workforce as part of our mission to support research and ethics in Australia.

The day was also celebrated in the Bellberry office with a ‘clinical trials’ themed morning tea.

BELLBERRY/PRAXIS $1000 SCHOLARSHIPS

Committee G’s inaugural meeting will take place tonight with Professor Ben Canny as the newly appointed Chair.

Ben is Head of Medicine at University of Tasmania where he is responsible for the Divisions of Medicine, Pharmacy, Psychology and Paramedicine.  Prior to this he was Associate Dean in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University and President of the Academic Board.  Ben is an experienced researcher and we welcome the breadth of research and ethics experience he brings to Bellberry having Chaired the Monash University HREC for five years.  Ben will commute to Adelaide for the monthly Committee G meetings.

Click here to read our exciting March newsletter with details of our new Committee’s, donation information, NHMRC adverse events reporting changes, staff changes and much more!

The Bellberry team bid a fond farewell to Executive Assistant Christine Weinert who retired this month. Chris is a long standing member of the team who started working at Bellberry in 2009 as a Committee Secretary. Since then, Chris has become an invaluable member of the team whose extensive knowledge and experience will be sorely missed. Bellberry wishes Chris all the best on her retirement and happy travelling!

Following the retirement of Chris, Bellberry are delighted to introduce Charmaine Symons as our new Executive Assistant. Charmaine has previously worked in various administrative roles within Medical Administration at both the Port Lincoln and Royal Adelaide hospital; as an extension of this experience Charmaine was appointed Executive Assistant/Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer at BioSA for six years.  Charmaine is excited at her recent appointment as Executive Assistant and to work with the Bellberry Board, Chief Executive Officer and the team at Bellberry. Welcome to the team Charmaine!