Health Check Issue 4 2005 ( PDF 255k) - Griffith University

HEALTH CHECK
Griffith Health Newsletter
Issue 4 September 2005
Griffith Health Vision
Promoting Health, Enabling Communities
Griffith Health will, through leadership and innovation in teaching, research and
community engagement, create sustained improvements in all aspects of health
and health care for the local, national and international communities.
Inside this issue:
School of Physiotherapy
and Exercise Science 2
School of Pharmacy 2
Griffith Psychological
Health Research Centre 2
Staff Profiles 3
Group News 4
Staff News 4
Student News 4
Conferences/Events 4
T & L Report 5
Conference Presentations 5
Publications 6
Research 6
www. griffith.edu.au/health/
Outstanding Research Achievements by
Students in Medical Science
PhD Students in the School of Medical Science have performed exceptionally at recent scientific meetings,
showcasing the strength of their research supervised by Dr Nigel Morrison and creating opportunities for
their future research careers.
About 5000 delegates met recently in Nashville, USA to hear the cutting edge of bone research at the
2005 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) conference.
This prestigious meeting has a challenging abstract submission procedure and securing a place on the
scientific program is extremely competitive so it was an accomplishment for the student’s abstracts to
result in two oral presentations, a plenary poster and two posters.
As further evidence of the high scientific standard of our research students, Alex Stephens was awarded an
“ASBMR Young Investigator”, making him a world-leading young scientist in his field of bone research.
Alex Stephens, James Doecke, Rouha Granfar, Tina Selinger (pictured at left), Michael Kim and Chris Day
(pictured below) also won travel grants from the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society
(ANZBMS) to attend its annual scientific meeting in Perth recently.
Griffith created history there as it was the first time that all abstracts submitted by a single research group
have been selected as contenders for the Young Investigator Awards.
James Doecke was ultimately awarded the 2005 ANZBMS Young Investigator Award but he had some stiff
competition from his colleagues.
Rouha Granfar has already won this award in 2003 and was awarded a competitive PhD scholarship from
Osteoporosis Australia. Chris Day has published nine papers to date and was a strong contender.
All presentations were highly rated with Michael Kim recently published in the Journal of Biological
Chemistry.
Other outcomes from these meetings included Michael Kim accepting
employment at Yale University and Chris Day being offered a place at
Edinburgh University.
Griffith can be justifiably proud of this research team and their outstanding
achievements.
From the Office of PVC (Health)
This issue of HEALTH CHECK celebrates major Health Group achievements with respect to Program
accreditation in Nutrition and Psychology, prestigious student awards at major national scientific meeting
and staff successfully completing their doctorates to highlight a few. The Group is performing at a high
level in research with further research grant successes, peer reviewed publications and conference
presentations. Grants of over half a million dollars have been awarded over the past two months.
I invite you to visit the new Griffith Health website at www.griffith.edu.au/health.
Professor Allan Cripps
Pro Vice Chancellor (Health)
Editorial Co-ordinator: Sue Gibbons s.gibbons@griffith.edu.au phone 5678 0796

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HEALTH CHECK
School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science
Head of School – Dr Lewis Adams
The School of Physiotherapy and Exercise
Science introduced its Bachelor of
Exercise Science in 1995 with an intake of
around 30 students. Since then the degree
has been linked with other relevant areas
of study generating double degrees with
Education, Psychology, Business, and
Physiotherapy. Last year the School had
an undergraduate intake of 200, while
maintaining a high ranking in an expanding
marketplace of exercise-related programs
across Australia.
In 1999, the School was the first in Australia to start a graduate
entry physiotherapy program, which, with our undergraduate
program, now graduates about 60 qualified and highly sought
after physiotherapists annually.
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Research in the School spans a broad spectrum of activity ranging
from the biochemical basis of hypoxic tolerance in sharks to injury
prevention and management in top class golfers. The School’s
excellent research facilities allow state-of-the-art analysis of
physiological, structural and neurobiomechanical responses to
exercise, enabling research targeted at improving performance in
athletes as well as quality of life in clinical populations.
School of Pharmacy
Head of School – Prof Nerida Smith
Griffith University commenced a pharmacy
programme to assist the pharmacy
profession to meet the current and future
pharmacist workforce shortage, particularly
in the Gold Coast and rural areas. Our
pharmacy programme comprises a 3 year
BPharmSc followed by a 3 semester MPharm.
After completing university studies, all
pharmacy graduates in Australia undertake a
48 week Pharmacist Internship Training
programme, then apply to the Board to register and practise as
pharmacists.
In mid-2006 our first 50 MPharm graduates will graduate and
commence their Internships. Our articulated pharmacy
programme has received preliminary accreditation from the
Council of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities. We apply for
provisional accreditation next year. Recently we re-located to
new premises in G16 (Clinical Sciences 2) where we now enjoy
“state of the art” teaching facilities and look forward to getting
the research programme underway.
Director – Prof Kim Halford
The Griffith Psychological Health
Research Centre (GPHRC) was
established in 2003, is directed by
Professor Kim Halford, and includes 15
academic staff and 50 PhD students. The
GPHRC aims to develop, evaluate and
disseminate programs that promote
psychological health.
Our dedicated staff of 15 includes academic, clinical practitioners and
administration staff, and they are ably supported by academic staff
from other School teaching into our programme and the many
community and hospital pharmacists in the local and rural areas
providing clinical placement experiences for our students.
Griffith Psychological Health Research Centre
In August the GPHRC held its annual conference including
presentations from 10 staff, 35 PhD students and leading guest
researchers Professor Tom Ollendick (Virginia Polytechnic Institute)
on child anxiety, and Professor Christina Lee (University of
Queensland) on the Longitudinal Australian Women’s Health
project.
The Centre has graduated over 20 PhDs,
attracted over $2 million in external
funding, hosted 7 international visitors, and held two
conferences in the last two years. Current externally funded
projects include work on amphetamine abuse, predicting
relationship satisfaction in the early years of marriage, helping
couples make the transition to parenthood, and enhancing
parenting in families with a history of drug and/or child abuse.
Prof Tom Ollendick (centre)
from Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Prof Christina Lee from UQ

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Staff Profiles
Dr Chris Barclay BSc MSc(Hons) PhD
Senior Lecturer, School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science
Chris Barclay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science. Chris is a Physiologist
with a particular interest in cellular and molecular aspects of energy use by muscle. Chris completed his PhD in
1989 in the Department of Physiology, University of Auckland and then, as a Wellcome-Health Research
Council (NZ) Fellow, worked in the UK investigating the cellular causes of muscular fatigue. In 1992, he moved
to the Physiology Department at Monash University where his research was focussed on the efficiency of
different types of mammalian muscle. In 2002, Chris took up his current position at Griffith University and
established the Muscle Energetics Laboratory.
Current projects in the laboratory include mathematical modelling of diffusive oxygen supply to isolated
muscles, characterising the energetics of mouse cardiac muscle and its responses to ischaemia and investigating
how the interaction between muscles and their tendons can save energy and enhance power generation. The
main technique used in this research is measurement of thermodynamic changes that accompany muscle contraction and this
laboratory is one of just two in the world carrying out this type of research.
Chris aims to keep his laboratory at the forefront of international muscle research by extending the range of techniques used and by
linking with the PES Biomechanics group (headed by Dr Rod Barrett) that studies related aspects of muscle function in humans.
PAGE 3
Dr Enoch Chan BPharm(Hons), PhD(Pharm and Chem) UQ, RPharm (Qld), MPS, MAPPS, JP (Qual)
School of Pharmacy, Lecturer
Dr Enoch Chan has been a practising community pharmacist for a number of years before completed a PhD in
pharmacy and chemistry at The University of Queensland under the supervision of Prof Istvan Toth in 2005. He
previously worked for the biotech company, Alchemia Pty Ltd, and later travelled to the Uppsala University in
Sweden as a visiting researcher working with Prof Per Artursson. His research was directed at the enhancement
of peptide absorption using chemical strategies. This involves organic synthesis of novel carbohydrate and lipid
conjugates of immunomodulating peptides.
He also utilises Caco-2 intestinal epithelium, artificial membrane (PAMPA) models and pharmacokinetic studies in
animals to evaluate oral absorption of peptide drugs. Other research interests include the use of M-cell model to
investigate vaccine delivery, LC-MS/MS of drug analysis and Chinese traditional medicine.
A/Prof Sharon Dawe
Griffith Psychological Health Research Centre
Sharon Dawe is an Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology at Griffith University. She has been working as a
researcher and clinician in the field of substance misuse and mental health for over 15 years starting at the
University of London where her PhD thesis was an investigation of the neurochemical basis of drug reward in
humans. She then moved onto postdoctoral work at the University of London investigating neuropsychology of
schizophrenia with Professor JA Gray.
Sharon came to Australia in 1995 to the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (UNSW) to conduct a
randomised controlled trial of cue exposure in problem drinkers. She moved to her current position at Griffith
University in July 1996. Her work has included a number of randomised controlled trials of psychological
treatments, in particular cue exposure in opioid dependence, alcohol dependence and women with comorbid
alcohol disorders and bulimia. She has recently been involved in the development and evaluation of the Parents
Under Pressure program in collaboration with Paul H Harnett (UQ). This program targets multi problem families
with substance use problems and has been funded by the NH&MRC, NSW Health and Qld Health. She has retained her interest in the
biological basis of personality and has continued to work within Gray’s theoretical model of personality to investigate the relationship of
impulsivity to drug addiction.
She is currently collaborating with colleagues at the University of London to establish a longitudinal study of personality, family and peer
factors in the development of problem substance use in young people. She is the chief investigator on a multi site, prospective study of
the development of psychosis in amphetamine users, collaborating with colleagues from University of Melbourne, University of
Queensland and the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW. This is also funded by the NHMRC. Sharon, the mother of
two young children, combines work and family life successfully much of the time. Her ambitions include becoming a “good enough”
tennis player and a professor one day.

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Group News
ACCREDITATION
Public Health: Full accreditation of the Master of Nutrition and Dietetics (MND) Program on the Gold Coast awarded for the next 5
years by the Dietitians Association of Australia.
This a significant step for the Masters program (having been only provisionally accredited since the program began in 1998). The
decision was made following an extensive review process by the Dietetic Standards and Accreditation Committee which included a site
visit in early August. Ben Desbrow would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the program, especially Dr Roger
Hughes (the original program convenor) for the energy and support they bring to the program. With the expanding demand for places,
the calibre of our graduates and this new accreditation announcement, Ben believes the MND program is well positioned for a
prosperous future.
Psychology: Full accreditation for Undergraduate, Fourth Year, and Clinical Postgraduate degrees programs on Gold Coast campus
awarded for the next 5 years by the Australian Psychological Society.
Staff News
RECENT APPOINTMENTS
Public Health: Dr Glen Shaw, Senior Lecturer (Environmental Health).
Nursing and Midwifery: Dr Melanie Jessup commenced as an associate lecturer.
Medical Science: Dr Alfreda Stadlin has recently joined the School of Medical Science. Her research interests are on the genes
involved in substance abuse and she already has an NHMRC and a NIH grant submitted this year for funding.
Visiting Academic
Dr Kristin Natalier is on study leave from the School of Sociology, Social Work and Tourism at the University of Tasmania and is
working in the School of Public Health during September on research looking at the question of private health insurance choices, and
how these are affected through people's risk perceptions.
ACTIVITIES, AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Psychology: Dr Debra Bath was awarded Griffith Teaching Fellowship, Semester 2, 2005 for project “First-year learning environment”.
Human Services: Dr Karen Noble and Dr Stephen Larmar were both awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, from the
Queensland University of Technology and Griffith University respectively.
Public Health: Mark Quinn (Work and Health graduate 2004) has been awarded the Safety Institute of Australia Medal Award. This is
a prestigious award and is recognised by industry as a very high achievement in occupational health and safety practice.
Student News
PRIZES AND AWARDS
Prizes and Awards Ceremonies were held on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane on 19 August and 13 September respectively. In total 36
awards were presented to Griffith Health Students.
PHYSIOTHERAPY OVERSEAS PLACEMENT
Master of Physiotherapy students Adam Daniels and Shane Tompson spent their supervised hospital placement working as team
physiotherapists for the MRF Cricket Academy in India during July with financial assistance from Griffith International and Griffith Sports
College.
HONOURS OPTION IN HEALTH
Honours programs are available across a wide range of Griffith’s undergraduate health (bachelor) degrees. An information page for
prospective honours students is available on the Griffith Health website.
Conferences / Events
ANZAME : The Association for Health Professional Eduction “Fill the Gap” Conference 29 June-2 July 2006. Abstract closing
date 10 February 2006. Further information: www.anzame.unsw.edu.au.
Denise Polit Seminars : Internationally acclaimed researcher and author of “Nursing Research” and “Essentials of Nursing Research”
who is the 2005 Griffith University Sir Allan Sewell Visiting Scholar will be presenting the following seminars during October.
“Developing composite scales”; “Establishing Content validity”; “Conducting a critical review of the literature”; “Developing and testing effective
clinical interventions”; “External validity; The importance of generalizability in an EBP environment”; “Tips for successful grantsmanship”.
RSVP essential by email to p.kennedy@griffith.edu.au.

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Dean Teaching and Learning Report
I wish to congratulate Dr Debra Bath (Psychology, Gold Coast) who was awarded a Griffith Teaching Fellowship and acknowledge Dr
Alf Lizzio’s appointment as chair of the University’s Student Orientation and Engagement Committee. Also, on 13 September, 2005 I
was delighted to present prizes and awards to 9 students from the Health Group enrolled in the Schools of Human Services, Nursing
and Midwifery and Public Health. Congratulations to all recipients.
The Discipline Review of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry will occur on 24-28 October, 2005. Professor Peter Dunkley from
Newcastle University has accepted the role of chair. Professor Simon Manley, formerly of QIMR, and Dr Ron Swann from the
University of Western Australia have accepted panel membership. The following academics will lead the Discipline Teams to provide
information and lead the consultation processes leading up to meetings with the Discipline Review Panel: Dr Jay Browning – Physiology;
Dr Helen Massa – Anatomy; and Dr Dean Pountney – Biochemistry.
The inaugural Griffith University Learning and Teaching Committee, chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor T&L Professor John Dewar,
was held 5 September. The Health Group is represented by myself, Dr Heather Alexander and Dr Alf Lizzio.
Professor Stephanie Short
Conference Presentations
Ansariardi, Howard, PF. The epidemiology and burden of disease of typhoid in Makassar City,
Indonesia. The 13 th World Congress of Epidemiology Bangkok, Indonesia, 22-25 August 2005.
Brammer J, Carmosino. H. Patient understanding, knowledge and use of PCA for pain management.
IASP 11 th International Congress, 21-26 August 2005.
Carmosino H, Brammer J. Patient controlled analgesia – Misleading misnomer. IASP 11 th International
Congress 21-26 August 2005.
Chan KW, Lee PY, Lam AKY, Law S, Wong J. Fas expression in a favourable prognostic factor in
oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Fourth Asia-Pacific IAP Beijing, China 23-26 August 2005.
PT112, p296-297.
Clarke J, Foxwell R, Kyd J, Cripps A. Cytokine and Chemokine regulation during nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae lung infection. ASM
2005, Canberra, 25-29 September 2005.
Cook M. Research in the clinical field: the joys and pitfalls. Research Centre for Clinical Practice Innovation, School of Nursing and
Midwifery, Griffith University, 18 August 2005.
Coyne E, Rogers Clark, C. Breast cancer in young women: Psychological challenges. Annual Oncology Nurses Group 7–10 August 2005.
Cripps AW. Infections of the Middle Ear in Childhood and Their Sequelae. Australian Society for Microbiology Annual Conference,
Canberra, September 2005.
Easton DM, Foxwell R, Cripps A, Kyd J. Characterisation of M35, a Porin Protein from Moraxella catarrhalis, and Identification of an
Immunodominant Surface Loop. ASM 2005, Canberra, 25-29 September, 2005.
Jessup M. ‘All at Sea': staying afloat when the diagnosis is cystic fibrosis. 6 th Australian & New Zealand Cystic Fibrosis Conference 21-23
August, 2005.
Krishnamurthy A, Ellett R, Cripps A, Kyd J. Cytokine Otitis media: A polymicrobial approach and protein expression. ASM 2005,
Canberra, 25-29 September, 2005.
Lam A. Pathology and molecular biology of thyroid carcinomas: updates on clinicopathological correlations. Fourth Asia-Pacific IAP Beijing,
China 23-26 August 2005. OP27, p90-91.
Lam A. Pathology of thyroid cancer. Department of Pathology, Beijing Miliary Hospital. 25 August 2005.
Lam A. Update on thyroid carcinomas in children and adolescents. 2005 Concurrent meetings of the Australasian Association of paediatric
surgeons, society of paediatric anaesthesia in New Zealand and Australia and Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Pathology Group
Townsville 18-21 August 2005. p26.
Mitchell ML, Valks K, Inglis-Simons. The current status of family bereavement programs in Australian intensive care units. 9 th World
Congress of the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine Buenos Aires, 27 th – 31 st August, 2005.
Mitchell ML. Improving transfer from intensive care for families and nurses by using a structured individualised format. 9 th World Congress
of the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine Buenos Aires, 27–31 August 2005.
Moyle W. Australian Aged Care. Japanese Study Tour Group, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University. 7 July 2005.
Moyle W & Allen G. An Australian University’s response to ethics education of researchers and students. Second International
Conference on Teaching Applied and Professional Ethics in Higher Education. Real World. Real People: Ethics in a Virtual World
Roehampton University, London, UK. 30 August-1 September 2005.
Moyle W, McAllister M, Venturato L, Goopy S, Adams T, Iselin G, Hingst M. Determining QOL in people institutionalised with dementia.
International Psychogeriatric Conference Stockholm, Sweden, 20–25 September 2005.
Patterson E & Forrester K. Clinical Risk Management: The role of the medical receptionist and triaging. Ipswich and West Moreton Division
of General Practice 10 August 2005.
Patterson E & Fenwick C. Developing current & future practice nurses. Gold Coast Division of General Practice 24 August 2005.
St John W. Invited presentation. Daily-living self-management of persistent urinary incontinence: Strategies for older women, younger
women and men who live in the community. Pelvic Health Interest Group Gold Coast 23 August 2005.

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Publications
Cooke M, Chaboyer W, Hiratos M, Schluter P. The effect of music on pre-operative anxiety in day
surgery. J Adv Nurs 2005;52:47-55.
Creed, PA & Klisch J. Future outlook and financial strain: Testing the personal agency and latent
deprivation models of unemployment and well-being. J Occup Health Psychol. 2005;10:251-60.
Curtain R, Sundholm J, Lea R, Ovcaric M, MacMillan J, Griffiths LR. Association analysis of a highly
polymorphic CAG repeat in the human potassium channel gene KCNN3 and migraine
susceptibility. BMC Med Genet 2005;6:32.
Davis C, Cooke M, Holzhauser K, Jones M, Finucane J. The effect of aromatherapy massage with music on the stress and anxiety levels
of emergency nurses. Aust Emerg Nurs J, 2005;8:43-50.
Day CJ, Kim M, Lopez CM, Nicholson GC, Morrison NA. NFAT expression in human osteoclasts. J Cell Biochem. 2005;95:17-23.
Granfar RMS, Day CJ, Kim MS, Morrison NA. Optimised 18S rRNA reference and real-time quantitative PCR assays for RANKL
regulated genes. Mol Cell Probes. 2005;19:119-26.
Heather, N., and Dawe, S. Level of impaired control predicts outcome of moderation-oriented treatment for alcohol problems.
Addiction. 2005;100:945-52.
Hoyal CR, Kammerer S, Roth RB, Reneland R, Marnelloa G, Kiechle M, Schwarz-Boeger U, Griffiths LR, Ebner F, Rehbock J, Nelson
MR, Braun A. Genetic polymorphisms in DPF3 associated with risk of breast cancer and lymph node metastases. J Carcinog
2005;4:13.
Johnson MP, Lea RA, Colson NJ, MacMillan JC, Griffiths LR. A Population Genomics Overview of the Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase
(nNOS) Gene and it’s Relationship to Migraine Susceptibility. Cell Molec Biol 2005;51: 285-292.
Kim MS, Day CJ, Morrison NA. MCP-1 is induced by RANKL, promotes human osteoclast fusion and rescues GM-CSF suppression of
osteoclast formation. J Biol Chem. 2005;280:16163-69.
Mitchell ML & Courtney M. An intervention study to improve the transfer of ICU patients to the ward – evaluation by family members.
Aust Crit Care 2005;18:61-69.
Mitchell ML & Courtney M. An intervention study to improve the transfer of ICU patients to the ward – evaluation by ICU nurses. Aust
Crit Care 2005;18:123-128.
Morrison NA, George PM, Vaughan T, Tilyard MW, Frampton CM, Gilchrist NL. Vitamin D receptor genotypes influence the success of
calcitriol therapy for recurrent vertebral fracture in osteoporosis. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2005;15:127-35.
Sabapathy S, Schneider DA, Morris NR. The VO2 slow component: relationship between plasma ammonia and EMG activity. Med Sci
Sports Exerc. 2005;37:1502-09.
Salkeld G, Solomon M, Butow P, Short L. ‘Discrete-choice experiment to measure patient preferences for the surgical management of
colorectal cancer’, Br J Surg. 2005;92:742-47.
Selinger C, Day CJ, Morrison NA. Optimized transfection of diced siRNA into mature primary human osteoclasts: inhibition of
cathepsin K mediated bone resorption by siRNA. J Cell Biochem 2005 [7 Sep Epub ahead of print].
Shaban RZ & Brandenburg E. Book Review: Nursing Research, Methods, Critical Appraisal and Utilization. J Emerg Prim Health Care
2005;3:12.
Tajouri L, Ovcaric M, Curtain R, Lea R, Johnson M, Csurhes P, Pender MP, Griffiths LR. Allelic Variation in the Vitamin D Receptor
Gene is Associated with Multiple Sclerosis in an Australian Population. J Neurogenet. 2005;19:25-38.
Tilbury C. Child protection services in Queensland, poste-Forde Inquiry. Children Australia. 2005;30:1-7.
Research: Funded Projects
Cooke M, Moyle W, Shields L, Jenkins V. The outcomes of a home based pulmonary maintenance program for
individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a pilot study. Research Centre for Clinical Practice
Innovation, School of Nursing and Midwifery (2005/06:$5000).
Fu C, Moyle W, Cooke M. An investigation of complementary therapy on disruptive behaviour in people with
dementia. Qld Nursing Council Research (2005/6:$5000).
Griffiths L. Gene Expression Studies on Multiple Sclerosis. CBio (2005/2006:$335,844).
Griffiths L & Nyholt D. Migraine ESR and PGR Gene Analysis. QIMR-GU (2005/2006:$30,000).
McCarthy S, Martin-McDonald K, Shaban R, Fairweather C. Reconceptualising client adherence to peritoneal
dialysis regiments in rural areas. Research Centre for Clinical Practice Innovation, School of Nursing and Midwifery (2005/06:$5000).
Mitchell. M. The effective of Family-Centred-Care in improving care of families of adult ICU patients. Research Centre for Clinical Practice
Innovation, School of Nursing and Midwifery (2005/06:$5000).
Paterson J, St John W, Thorogood C, Watt L. Consultation, Consensus and Commitment to Guidelines for Inclusion of Continence into
Undergraduate Nursing and Midwifery Curriculum. Department of Health & Ageing (2005-2007:$93,754).
Szvetko A. Determination of gene expression profiles in MS affected brain tissue. MS Society Scholarship (2005-2007:$58,000).
Tajouri L. Molecular Genetic Studies of Multiple Sclerosis. GU Postdoctoral Fellowship (2005-2007:$55,000pa).