NEWSLETTER OF CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL WESTMEAD CLINICAL SCHOOL, AND THE SPECIALTY OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT HEALTH
October 2020

Education
SUPS Career Night
The Sydney University Paediatrics Society (SUPS) is a society of post-graduate medical students with an interest in paediatric medicine, aiming to promote paediatric health and medicine within the Sydney Medical Program. We run a variety of events, workshops and fundraisers throughout the academic year to promote the specialty, support Sydney medical students, and raise money for charities.
On the 28th of July, SUPS hosted their inaugural SUPS Research Symposium Night, which was a huge success! There was a significant turnout from medical students from all across Australia. Thank you to Prof. Louise Baur, A/Prof Hasantha Gunasekera, Dr Philip Britton and A/Prof Patrina Caldwell for taking time out of their busy schedule as paediatricians to judge the event and provide insightful feedback on everyone’s projects. Thank you as well to all those presented at the night - special mentions go out to Isabelle Ramos from University of Notre Dame Fremantle whose talk on RSV infections won the prize for the best talk of the night, as well as Gonzalo Mariscal Ruiz-Rico for his talk on congenital scoliosis classification, all the way from Valencia!
The annual SUPS Paediatrics Careers was held on Monday 7th of September. Students heard from four practicing paediatricians across a range of subspecialties. Thank you to A/Prof Jonathan Karpelowsky, Dr Brendan McMullan, Dr Yvette Vella and A/Prof Hasantha Gunasekera for sharing their journey through specialty training and providing advice and insight into what it’s like to practice as a paediatrician. Despite being held over Zoom, it was a very informative and engaging night, with many things to take away for the students.
SUPS is committed to promoting the field of paediatric medicine and the amazing fulfilling career it can be to students at the University of Sydney. We are looking to establish partnerships with clinicians from the Children’s Hospital Westmead and would appreciate your support as we strive to hold more educational and inspiring child and adolescent health themed events in the future!

Events
Online Graduation Celebration Event - Save the Date
The face to face large scale graduation ceremonies in the Great Hall cannot proceed due to COVID-19 restrictions. The University has arranged online formal ceremonies and photograph opportunities for students in their academic gowns and mortarboards.  In addition, SMS Executive and Clinical School Managers have arranged an on-line event on the evening of Thursday November 19 to have some form of COVID-safe celebration to congratulate the Graduating MD Class of 2020. Professor Maree Teesson from the Matilda Centre and Aspasia Manos (final year student/former SUMS President) will give short addresses. If you would like to register to attend the online event with the students and their families, please register your interest with my office at medicine.hosdean@sydney.edu.au.  
Life as a Clinician Scientist – Recent Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences Webinars
The Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences ran some online events in August about the work of clinician scientists during the pandemic. The videos are now available online and be freely accessed.
Full videos can be viewed at the below link:
https://aahms.org/news/catch-up-on-our-recent-online-lacs-events/
Webinar 1; The Prep and the Pivot – responding to a pandemic as a clinician scientists
Clinician scientists have been leading the charge in tackling the pandemic and during the webinar, at this event we heard from some of Australia’s leading clinician scientists about how it’s going, and the opportunities and challenges they have experienced in their research and clinical lives during the pandemic.
 The webinar featured renowned experts:
  • Professor Sharon Lewin AO FAHMS Director, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
  • Professor Steve Webb FAHMS Senior Staff Specialist in Intensive Care, The Royal Perth Hospital and the University of Western Australia; Professor of Critical Care Research, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
  • Professor Ian Hickie AM FASSA FAHMS Professor of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School; Co-Director, Health and Policy, Brain and Mind Centre; NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow
Webinar 2; On the Front Line and in the Lab – driving forward research in a pandemic
Our clinician scientists are using their expertise and experience to confront a once in a hundred year global health threat and manage a public health emergency.
Whether they are searching for new treatments and vaccines, advising on public health measures or addressing the broader impacts and ensuring that patients with other conditions continue to receive the best possible care, they have been crucial to the response so far. 
Our expert speakers included:
  • Professor Ian Frazer AC FRS FAA FTSE FAHMS;
  • Professor Tim Hughes FAHMS; and
  • Associate Professor Asha Bowen.
 Chaired by Professor Ingrid Scheffer AO FRS FAA PresAHMS and Professor Louise Baur AM FAHMS.
The Academy of Child and Adolescent Health Webinars
The Academy of Child and Adolescent Health is a new organisation bringing together health professionals, trainees and students interested in child and adolescent health. It spans disciplines and has representation from across Australia and internationally. We have delayed our face to face conference to Oct 14th to 16th 2021 (Doltone House Hyde Park, Sydney), however, we are happy to announce the first in a series of free open-access Webinars as follows:

Webinar 1; Fri 9th Oct 1-2pm Nobel Prize winner Peter Doherty AC
“Covid, careers and kids”    (Chaired by Dr Jenny Proimos)
To register (free) click on the PDF icon or use Chrome to go to: https://events.humanitix.com/peterdoherty

Plus save the dates for the following:

Webinar 2; Thu 22nd Oct 7-8pm (zoom) Nobel Peace Prize winners A/Prof Tilman Ruff AO and Dr Sue Wareham OAM:   “75 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the prevention of war”    (Chaired by Emeritus Professor Kim Oates AO)

Webinar 3; Thu 12th Nov 6-7pm (zoom) Prof Gillian Triggs, Assistant Secretary General, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, United Nations  “Refugee child health rights”    (Chaired by Professor Elizabeth Elliott AM)

Webinar 4; (likely to be Fri 11th Dec 1pm) Prof Zulfi Bhutta, former President International Paediatric Association and Prof Sue Sawyer, Chair Adolescent Health, University of Melbourne    “Global child and adolescent health”

ACAH Webinars are free and open access (membership of the Academy of Child and Adolescent Health is not required). However, pls visit www.acah.org.au to join (NB: students join for free) and support the ACAH community.

Please contact Has Gunasekera if you have any questions or suggestions for speakers and/or topics for future Webinars:  hasantha.gunasekera@health.nsw.gov.au
Happy 25th Anniversary to RAHC, NCH and CHW!
The hospital was newly built and incorporated the Royal Alexandra for Children (which had been at Camperdown since 1905) and the Dept of Paediatrics at Westmead Hospital. The hospital flourished in its new site, with growth in patient numbers, clinical services and a range of educational and research activities. 

Construction on the new hospital had commenced in May 1990. As may be expected, the move to the new site required a major cultural transformation for staff and patients. 

Staff of what is now the CHW Clinical School of the University of Sydney (and then termed the University Dept of Paediatrics & Child Health) moved in to the new site somewhat ahead of time and kept student teaching and research activities happening. At the time of the move Kim Oates was the Professor and Head of Paediatrics & Child Health, and other academic staff included three senior lecturers - Elizabeth Elliott, John Christodoulou and Louise Baur - as well as Prof David Sillence and Diane Hanlon was the senior administrative officer for the Dept at the time of the move. 

The Clinical School has long enjoyed a close relationship with the hospital. We celebrate 25 years on site at the amazing Westmead Precinct!

Grants

Australian Laureate Fellowships - Applications Open

The Australian Laureate Fellowships scheme reflects the Australian Government’s commitment to excellence in research by supporting world-class researchers to conduct research in Australia. The scheme encourages applications from the highest-quality researchers by providing eligible Australian Laureate Fellows with project funding in addition to a salary supplement and salary-related (on-cost) support.

Two successful Australian Laureate Fellows may be named as the Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellow and the Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellow. The Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship may be available to a highly ranked female candidate from the humanities, arts and social science disciplines. The Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship may be available to a highly ranked female candidate from the science and technology disciplines. Recipients will be provided with additional funding to undertake an embassadorial role to promote women in research.
Applications must be submitted through an Administering Organisation’s Research Office (USYD or UNSW)
Closing date is 4 November 2020.
More information here

Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Applications Open

The Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) grant opportunity provides focused research support for early career researchers in both teaching and research, and research-only positions.
The DECRA scheme objectives are to support excellent basic and applied research by early career researchers; support national and international research collaboration; enhance the scale and focus of research in Australian Government priority areas; advance promising early career researchers and promote enhanced opportunities for diverse career pathways; and enable research and research training in high quality and supportive environments.
Applications must be submitted through an Administering Organisation’s Research Office (USYD or UNSW)
Closing date is 25 November 2020.
More information here