Meet our Researchers

Professor Christoph Hagemeyer profile

The second leading cause of death worldwide is stroke. Most strokes happen when a blood clot forms and blocks a blood vessel in the brain. Doctors currently use specific therapies that bust open and dissolve the clot, allowing blood flow to be returned to the brain, and hopefully, allowing the person to recover. However, such therapies are associated with severe, sometimes life-threatening adverse bleeding complications. A/Prof Christoph Hagemeyer’s research uses nanotechnology to improve how well this medicine works, while reducing the risk of any side effects.

Christoph is our current ASMR President. As a nanotechnology expert and protein biochemist, he has a number of patented discoveries under his belt, which spans across stroke therapies, to improving diagnostic imaging and targeted drug delivery. “The overall goal of our research program is to provide highly specific and targeted therapies to patients that will benefit most. This can be achieved with coupling drugs and diagnostic agents to recombinant antibodies to bring the payload only to the intended area in vivo”.

“After a PhD in fundamental neuroscience research I was interested to work on projects that have high translational potential so my focus shifted to drug delivery and diagnostic molecular imaging”.

Working at the interface between biology and chemistry has always been something that excites Christoph. “To drive projects that utilitises the skills and talent of researchers with very diverse backgrounds (engineering, material science, biology, medicine and chemistry) is challenging and highly rewarding at the same time”.

Originally completing his PhD in Germany, Christoph was based at a number of prestigious institutes in Europe and Australia (including the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute), before taking his current position as research lead in the NanoBiotechnology Group at the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases (Monash University).

“With a training background in Chemistry and several postdoctoral years in medical research, I often find myself in the role of an interpreter between the various disciplines working towards the common goal of improving outcomes for patients with the most serious diseases”.

Profile Associate Professor Christoph Hagemeyer April 2020

Profile Dr Alice Saul

Dr Alice Saul – Multiple Sclerosis Research Flagship Team, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania

Many people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) modify their diet in hopes of changing the course of the disease, but there is limited evidence that changing diet can have an effect on MS. Alice Saul is examining the role of diet in MS progression as part of her doctorate at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania.

Alice is using data from the AusLong study – a cohort of people with MS who had a first clinical diagnosis of demyelination and have been followed annually for 10 years. Demyelination is a flare up of the condition, and it occurs when the protective insulation around neurons – called myelin – begins to degenerate. She will examine whether diet quality and inflammation are associated with relapses, disability progression, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and signs of demyelination on brain scans.

“This is an important area of research as this knowledge will be used to provide dietary advice to people with MS and to design diets that could be tested in intervention studies.”

Alice enjoys her role at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research. “I was inspired to get involved in MS research as I have experienced firsthand the impact that MS can have on individuals and their families. I understand the challenges that MS presents, and I am passionate about making a difference in the lives of others by tackling these problems.”

Alice has published and presented her previous work in international journals and conferences. Alice was the sole winner of the Golden Key’s 2018 Asia Pacific Postgraduate Study Award and was awarded an MS Research Australia Postgraduate Scholarship (2019), one of only three scholarships awarded nationally. Alice is also an entrepreneur and produced an iPhone app and founded a successful alpaca and sheep wool business.

Social media handles: LinkedIn.

Collaborations on research projects are available with Alice, contact her for details at alice.saul@utas.edu.au or via LinkedIn.

Media contact OK – alice.saul@utas.edu.au or directly via LinkedIn.

Social media handles: LinkedIn.

Profile Alice Saul April 2020

Researcher Profile

Researcher name and title: Chantal Attard Bsc (Hons), PhD, Senior Research Officer;

Area of research: Haematology Research

Researcher affiliation/s: Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Victorian State Convenor 2019 | Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR)

 Meet Dr Chantal Attard from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, the researcher whose efforts have a direct impact on the lives of children living with complex heart disease.

The coagulation system prevents the body from bleeding after injury, but what you might not know is this system continuously develops with age. This means children are different from adults in terms of their blood clotting and bleeding risk and how they react blood-thinning medications. “How can we protect our most vulnerable children?” This is the research aspiration that Chantal pursues in her daily life.

Chantal is a Senior Research Officer at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute where she has investigated the impact that common anti-clot drugs have on the life of children with complex heart disease. These patients are often prescribed life-long medications as they have an increased risk of having blood clots and stroke.

“I am excited about the direct translational impact that my research has for patients and their families.” This is where Chantal finds her motivation, while investigating how patients, with only half a functioning heart, are responding to medications such as warfarin and aspirin. She found that stroke rates were similar for children receiving either warfarin or aspirin however bone health was poorer in patients prescribed warfarin. Given that warfarin is a difficult medication to manage, particularly in children, her findings have broad implications for both patient health and cost for the healthcare system.

“I love that my research spans across clinical and laboratory research which allows me to work with people of really diverse research experience. I am passionate about nurturing strong and independent thinkers”

Chantal is also a really proud mother of two young girls, Allegra who just started reading and Francesca who is incredibly chatty at the age of 2!

Given the urgency if the COVID19 crisis, Chantal and the MCRI Haematology Research team have taken a detour from their usual research. Chantal’s message to the world: “Given the urgent and devastating effects of COVID19 across the globe, our research team has joined forces with leading experts to fight against COVID19. We are interested to know why children are less effected by the disease. We hope to identify an effective treatment until we have a successful vaccine for COVID19.  “

https://www.mcri.edu.au/users/chantal-attard

Researcher profile, Dr Chantal Attard 24th May 2020