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Summer Edition of IMPACT THE NEWSLETTER OF BURNET INSTITUTE | SUMMER 2013 TIMOR!LESTE: FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS HIV IN THE BRAIN THANK YOU: YOUR GIFTS ARE MAKING A BIG IMPACT burnet.edu.au DIRECTOR’S REPORT INSIDE FEATURES elcome to the summer issue of IMPACT. Between the ages 3 PHILANTHROPY of 15–24 is a remarkably risky time of life. Because of this, 6 HIV IN THE BRAIN an important area of our work is focused on communicating health promotion messages to young people; especially in the areas 8 TUBERCULOSIS IN TIMOR-LESTE of HIV prevention, sexual health, alcohol use, and the prevention of harm relating to drug use. How best to get these messages across to the 10 ELIMINATING MALARIA tech-savy youth of today in an era of communications clutter is no easy 12 SOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTH task. Our Centre for Population Health has implemented a number of 14 NEWS IN BRIEF world-!rst studies using SMS technology to engage with young people and has revealed some interesting data on how to achieve cut through in communication FRONT COVER IMAGE: and resultant behaviour change. This fascinating work shows that we need to be creative An image of an x-ray in our approach to health prevention, ensuring we use relevant and e"ective methods of suggesting tuberculosis communication for the target groups most at risk. infection. Photo: David Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be of major concern to health professionals and researchers Rochkind, World Health alike. A rise in the numbers of cases globally and the development of multiple drug-resistant Organization. strains means more than ever we need to make sure we have the tools necessary to combat this re-emerging infectious disease. Our end-of-year appeal is focused on this major global Burnet Institute is an Australian not-for-pro"t, health challenge, and we hope with your support, to be able to progress our research and unaligned and independent public health activity in helping to reduce its impact. As with TB, malaria is also fast becoming organisation whose purpose resistant to the last of the drugs available on the market. The development of new treatment is to improve the health and prevention strategies are a major focus of the Institute’s work and we highlight some of of disadvantaged, poor or this work on both these major health challenges in this issue. otherwise vulnerable people I would like to express my sincere thanks to many of you who have supported the throughout the world. Institute’s research and public heath programs during the year. Your support has been instrumental in the purchase of our new super resolution microscope, the roll out of our HIV VISITECT® CD4 rapid point-of-care test for measuring the immune system of people living with HIV, and the support of many of our research programs. Without this support we are unable to undertake many of these new initiatives. Your continued support is really critical to the Institute’s #ture. On behalf of the board, sta" and students of the Institute, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a happy, healthy and safe festive season and I look forward to providing you with #rther updates in the New Year. Best wishes, Professor Brendan Crabb, Director and CEO All donations over $2 are !lly tax deductible. Where possible people who appear in images included in this newsletter were photographed with their permission. There is no implication that these people have any infectious diseases. If you would like to discuss any issue from this edition of the Burnet Institute’s newsletter, IMPACT, please call Paul Rathbone on +61 3 9282 2113. Photo Credits: Brett Balalas, Corey Wright, Catherine Somerville, Karen McComiskey, Suman Majumdar, Lachlan Gray, Alex Umbers, Tracy Parish, Leigh Atkinson Photography, Tim Vainoras, Paul Scott Photography. Managing Editor: Karen McComiskey Contributor: Catherine Somerville. Design: Kelly Watson Design. 2 IMPACT Summer 2013 PHILANTHROPY IN ACTION THANK YOU! TECHNOLOGY TO CHANGE THE WORLD APPEAL We’re thrilled to report that we have reached $240,000 OUR TARGET our target of $240,000 from more than $240,000 600 kind supporters. This is all thanks to $200,000 the incredible generosity of people like you! Together we’re making a real di"erence in the lives of people living with HIV. $100,000 Your donations allow us to put our groundbreaking HIV VISITECT® CD4 point-of-care test through its paces by conducting clinical trials in Papua New Guinea. This is an essential step that opens the way to supply the test to communities across the developing world and save millions of lives. Thank you! The support you have given to our Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies program has been magni#cent! When we told you the compelling story of maternal health in Papua New Guinea you responded with compassion. Because of you we are able to reduce the numbers of women and children who die during or a$er childbirth. Thanks to your big-hearted gi!s, our work has begun. Currently, women in PNG have an 80-100 times greater chance of dying during childbirth than a woman in Australia. Our Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies program aims to identi% the most e"ective ways of improving survival rates. Since launching in December last year, we have received over HEALTHY MOTHERS, $1 million but there is still so much more to be done to reach our HEALTHY BABIES $5 million target. We need you. We welcome your support. – your support is To discuss any aspect of this program please making an impact! call Paul Rathbone on +61 3 9282 2113. IMPACT Summer 2013 3 PHILANTHROPY IN ACTION CELEBRATING MILESTONES IN HIV RESEARCH We thank all our supporters who joined us for lunch. Professor Sharon Lewin with President of Living Positive Victoria, Sam Venning, and Burnet supporter Shirley Carn. It was fantastic to see so many of Keynote speaker Professor Now we’re very much focused Australia, we still have a long you at our recent Towards a Cure Sharon Lewin, Co-Head of on !nding a cure and making way to go! There is an amazing for HIV events. Burnet Institute’s Centre for signi!cant headway in this area. amount of progress being made, It’s important to us to share Biomedical Research, spoke of Burnet HIV Ambassador, elite much of this as a result of with you the progress of our work the signi!cant progress being athlete and mother of two, your support. and keep you up-to-date with made on !nding a cure for HIV. Deanna Blegg, who is living how your gi$s are being spent. Professor Lewin said that this with HIV, inspired us as she You can join us in the Our research into HIV year marks 30 years since HIV spoke about her life journey. quest to "nd a cure. and AIDS is recognised was actually discovered. Over Spokesperson John Manwaring, For more information internationally as innovative this time we’ve made huge who is also living with HIV, also and progressive and accounts progress in understanding the passionately told us of the on how you can support for almost 60 per cent of virus and in the development impact HIV has had on his life. our HIV programs please our research and public of treatments that keep people While the response to the contact Jason Smith health activities. living longer and healthier lives. HIV epidemic has been swi$ in on +61 3 8506 2401. Travel awards bene"t We’d like to give our sincere out on this opportunity for thanks to The Ian Potter career development. young researchers Foundation, CASS Foundation, Fortunately, we have the the Hon Geo"rey Connard bene!t of a number of donors Foundation and the Harold who see the value of providing Mitchell Foundation for #nds for travel fellowships. generously providing travel Travel fellowships range support to some of our young in value, but assistance up and coming researchers. of $1,500 to $5,000 can Providing opportunities for make a huge di"erence in young researchers to present progressing research programs their research !ndings at and the careers of our international conferences is younger scientists. a critical component in the transfer of knowledge and the You can get involved. For ongoing advancement of our more information on how research programs. to #nd a travel fellowship Regrettably, #nding is and possible naming rights, an issue far too o$en. Many please contact Paul Rathbone young researchers miss on +61 3 9282 2113. One of our many talented young scientists, Sushama Telwatte. 4 IMPACT Summer 2013 PHILANTHROPY IN ACTION CELEBRATING MILESTONES IN HIV RESEARCH An extraordinary legacy keeps on giving For much of his life Jim Beever was a committed supporter of Burnet Institute. In a loving tribute to his wife, Jim generously le$ an extraordinary legacy to Burnet – a gi$ in his Will. Through his bequest, the Jim transmission in social networks tackle hepatitis in countries and Margaret Beever Fellowship of injecting drug users. with higher incidence was established. The fellowship Dr McBryde is also involved and lower resources. Above: Dr Emma McBryde, Head of Modelling and Biostatistics. will be awarded in perpetuity with epidemiology work By understanding disease Below: Jim Beever was a to outstanding early career on tuberculosis (TB) in the transmission we can maximise committed supporter. researchers at Burnet Institute Asia and Paci!c region, and the impact of treatment,” and will help retain and develop has recently undertaken she said. the talents of our most brilliant research into the incidence of Just like Jim, you too can young scientists.
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