Dear [[FirstName]],
The most important
message this month is that the ABSTRACT deadline for the ASM is the 8th of
October.
The winner of the best student presentation will win
a trip to the UK to present their work at the BHS meeting in 2006
So, encourage all students to submit abstracts NOW
!!!!!!
All
the details of the meeting are in Jaye’s section (see below). This month we are
featuring the hypertension research from The Endocrine Hypertension Research Centre at
Princess Alexandra Hospital Brisbane (see feature article) deftly written by the
Michael Stowasser. Each months article is placed on the HBPRCA website in case
you would like to look at them again. If your group would like to contribute
future articles please let me know. Also note that the Experimental Biology
meeting in San Francisco will be in April and the deadline for this meeting’s
abstracts is coming up shortly
(November 2) (see meetings in 20056 section).
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE from Stephen Harrap
You
will all now have received your invitation for our very special Annual Scientific Meeting in December. To help us make this
a memorable event we need your support.
You can do that in no better ways than
submitting your best work for presentation and swelling the numbers with your own presence and
introducing new colleagues to the
HBPRCA. The more the merrier! As
you know, your Executive is making efforts to raise the profile of our Council in Australia and
internationally. An important part of
this strategy is to build closer ties with like-minded societies. Kate Denton and I have been working on this
and you'll be delighted to know that in
addition to our success with the British Hypertension Society we are in active
discussions with the American Heart
Association Council for High Blood Pressure Research and the
Canadian Hypertension Society. Indeed,
Doug McKitrick will be speaking with
the President of the Canadian Society Dr Richard Lewanczuk when he
attends the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in October as a guest of the Canadians. Through these links we hope
to achieve mutual benefits for our
members and foster interational collaboration and collegiality.
27TH ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING NEWS from Jaye Chin Dusting
The countdown begins. The invitation for Abstracts for the
2005 HBPRCA Annual Scientific Meeting has been sent. Information, registration
and abstract submission are avaliable via the Meetings First website.
The Key Dates are:
|
Abstract deadline |
Saturday, 8th October 2005 |
|
Early bird registrations close |
Friday, November 4 2005 |
|
Accommodation bookings close |
Friday, November 4 2005 |
|
Meeting Commences |
Wednesday, 7th December 2005 |
|
Annual Dinner |
Thursday, 8th December 2005 |
|
Meeting Closes |
Friday, 9th December 2005 |
We are planning a superb meeting. Profs Anna Dominiczak, Terry Dwyer and Shaun Jackson are our highly
anticipated keynote speakers and together with our 13 Foundation Fellows, an
inaugural appearance by our first top student exchange from the British Hypertension
Society, a first student prize of a
reciprocal appearance at the next BHS, a clinical workshop led by the
experts and innovative moderated poster sessions - most pieces are
certainly in place for an extravaganza. All we need is your enthusiastic
participation. And if the science hasn't yet whetted your appetite, let
me highlight the fact that dinner (at Melbourne's Showpiece : The Melbourne
Museum) for ALL full registrants is on the Foundation. Let me repeat: IT'S A FREEBIE, everyone! I look
forward to all those abstracts pouring in....
MEMBERSHIP MESSAGE from Doug McKitrick
With
the HBPRCA annual general meeting coming up we once again remind supervisors
that your graduate students can enjoy free membership in the HBPRCA. This year
is a significant year celebrating the close ties of the Foundation for High
Blood Pressure Research and the HBPRCA, particularly their support of
Foundation Fellows, a privilege that your post docs and graduate students might
aspire to. For either group demonstrated membership in relevant scientific
societies factors into outside assessments for positions, awards and funding.
As
we are starting to strengthen our clinical ties, we again remind you to start
thinking about who of your clinical colleagues might be interested in
membership with Australia’s premier society for hypertension-related research
and information. More information on clinical membership will follow in the
coming months.
If
you have specific comments or concerns with your membership, or issues
affecting membership generally, accept the invitation to communicate them
directly to the Membership Secretary, Dr Doug McKitrick, via contact details
available on the HBPRCA website.
The Endocrine
Hypertension Research Centre at Princess Alexandra Hospital Brisbane
The
Endocrine Hypertension Research Centre
within the Southern Clinical Division of the University of Queensland School of
Medicine at Princess Alexandra Hospital conducts clinical research into, and is
a major referral centre for, the investigation and management of hypertension,
with particular expertise in endocrine varieties, including primary
aldosteronism (PAL), renovascular hypertension, pheochromocytoma,
renin-secreting tumors, and the syndrome of hypertension and hyperkalemia with
normal glomerular filtration rate, also known as pseudo-hypoaldosteronism type
2 or Gordon's syndrome (named after the Centre's founder). The Centre has in
recent years placed particular emphasis on epidemiological, biochemical,
morphological and genetic aspects of PAL and has attracted much attention for
its work in this area. The Centre demonstrated 14 years ago that PAL is
approximately ten times more common that previously thought, a finding which
has led to the identification of thousands of patients who would otherwise have
gone undetected, and in whom hypertension has been cured or markedly improved
following surgical or specific medical treatment. It also described the
phenotypic characteristics of a common but rarely recognized tumorous form
(angiotensin-II responsive aldosterone-producing adenoma) and a new and more
common familial variety (familial hyperaldosteronism type II, FH-II). It has
contributed to the diagnosis, pathophysiology and treatment of the first
described, rare, familial form of PAL (FH-I) which is glucocorticoid-remediable.
The
Centre has co-directors in A/Prof Michael Stowasser
and E/Prof Richard (Dick) Gordon, who
established the Endocrine-Hypertension Research Unit (later to become the
Centre) at Greenslopes Hospital in 1970 and has over 40 years of clinical and
research experience in the pathogenesis, diagnostic workup and management of
various forms of hypertension and especially of endocrine varieties. Dr
Stowasser has 15 years experience and is Director of the Hypertension Units at
Princess Alexandra Hospital and at Greenslopes Private Hospital, where the
Centre's laboratory was based until 2000.
Clinical and research activities
Three
Hypertension Clinics weekly (two at PAH and one at GPH) provide a sophisticated
diagnostic and treatment service for patients from all over Queensland and
Northern NSW, with occasional referrals from further afield including Asia.
Detailed and rigorous inpatient studies are scrutinized by dedicated
“Hypertension Unit” nurses (Di Cowley and Christine Ossenberg at PAH and Di
Robson and Cynthia Kogovsek at GPH). More than 1000 thoroughly studied and
documented patients with PAL provide a unique resource for further research
into causes, diagnosis and treatment.
The
Centre offers opportunities for training of medical graduates (FRACP or
advanced trainees) in hypertension investigation, treatment and research and of
science graduates in clinically relevant basic research. For further
information contact A/Prof Michael Stowasser, Hypertension Unit, Princess
Alexandra Hospital 4102 (Tel 07-32402694; Fax 07-32402969; email m.stowasser@uq.edu.au)
or E/Prof Richard (Dick) Gordon, Consultant Physician in Hypertension and
Endocrinology, Suite 29, Specialist Centre, Greenslopes Private Hospital 4120
(Tel 07-33941700; Fax 07-33941900; email Gordon.rd@bigpond.com).
The
Centre offers genetic testing for the rare familial variety of PAL (FH-I) which
can cause severe hypertension and early death from stroke, but which is easily
controlled by partial suppression of ACTH using small doses of
"glucocorticoid" medication.
Research
at the Centre has demonstrated evidence of non-blood pressure related adverse
cardiovascular effects of aldosterone excess in normotensive subjects with FH-I
in collaboration with Professor Tom Marwick,
University of Queensland Department of Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital
using state-of-the-art echocardiographic techniques to study fibrosis and remodelling
of the heart.
In
collaboration with Dr David Duffy of
the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, the Centre is seeking genetic
mutations responsible for a second, more common, familial variety of PAL
(FH-II) described by the Centre in 1991.
Detailed
pathophysiological and genetic studies are performed in new families with Gordon's syndrome in collaboration with A/Prof Kevin O'Shaughnessey, Cambridge
University, UK.
Some Recent Publications from EHRC
Position Available – Cardiovascular Neuroscience Group – RMIT University
The cardiovascular neuroscience group is headed by Dr Emilio
Badoer and consists of a postdoctoral Fellow, research academics and
postgraduate and undergraduate research students. The research focus of the
group is in gaining an understanding of the role of the central nervous system
in cardiovascular disease, temperature regulation and neuropathic pain. We are
looking for a person who has molecular biology experience, preferably with
experience in extracting RNA from small quantities of brain tissue. The
applicant should be self driven and with the expertise to trouble shoot. A BSc
(hons) is mandatory but the position would suit a PhD student who has recently
completed /submitted their thesis or graduated. The position is available
immediately for 12 months in the first instance. All expressions of interest
should be directed to Dr Emilio Badoer (emilio.badoer@rmit.edu)
and should include a CV and the names of three referees.
With best wishes,
A/Professor Geoffrey A. Head
________________________________________________________________
Website
Meetings
First
t 61 3
9739 7697
f 61 3 9739 7076
MEETINGS IN 2005
|
|
European Society of Cardiology
Annual Scientific
Meeting Stockholmsmässan,
Stockholm, SWEDEN Saturday, September
3 – Wednesday, September 7, 2005 Click here for the meeting
website Click here for the
society website
|
Canadian Cardiovascular Society
Annual Scientific
Meeting Quebec, CANADA Saturday, October
22 – Wednesday, October 26, 2005 Click
here for meeting website Click here for
society website |
|
American Heart Association 59th Annual Fall
Conference and Scientific Sessions of the Council for High Blood Pressure
Research in association with the Council on the Kidney in Cardiovascular
Disease Click here for the meeting
website Click
here for the society website |
American Heart Association Scientific
sessions Click here for the meeting
website Click here for the
society website
|
|
High Blood Pressure Research Council 27th Annual Scientific Meeting
Wednesday 7th
December 2005 for the Clinical Workshop starting at 4:30 pm. Thursday-Friday
8-9th December for the Main Scientific meeting Bio21, 30
Flemington Road, Carlton Victoria 3053 Australia. Click here for Meeting
website and Society Web Page |
ASMR National Scientific Conference
On Hormones, Fertility and Cancer Couran Cove, Queensland November 20-23 2005 Click here to view the Conference notice
Click here for society
website |
|
The
Beilin Symposium December 6-7,
2005 Alan Gilbert
Building University of
Melbourne, Melbourne Click here for Meeting
website Click here for the
flyer |
Asian Pacific Society of Nuclear Cardiology
Annual Scientific Meeting
Annual scientific
meeting Mumbai, INDIA Thursday,
December 1 – Sunday, December 4, 2005 Click here for meeting
website Click
here for Asian Pacific Society of
Nuclear Cardiology website
|
MEETINGS IN 2006
|
|
International Conference on Healthy Ageing and Longevity
3rd Annual
Meeting Friday, April 28 –
Sunday, April 30, 2006 Melbourne
Convention and Exhibition Centre – Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Click
here for meeting website
|
International Society of Hypertension
21st Scientific
Meeting Saturday, October
15 – Wednesday, October 19, 2006 Fukuoka International Congress
Centre – Fukuoka, JAPAN Click
here for
meeting website Click here for
International Society of hypertension web page |
|
American Heart Association Obesity,
Lifestyle, and Cardiovascular Disease Symposium. Grand Hyatt
Washington - Washington, DC Jan 18-20, 2006 Click here for the meeting
website Click here for the
society website |
American Stroke Association
A Division of American Heart Association
International Stroke Conference, Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee,
Florida February
16-18 2006 Click here for the meeting
website Click here for the
society website |
|
American Society of Hypertension Annual meeting New York City,
Hilton Hotel Click here for the meeting
website Click here for the
society website |
European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure 2006 17 June 2006 - 20 June 2006
Helsinki, Finland
Click
here for the meeting website
Click here for the society website
|
World Congress of Cardiology 2006
2-6
September 2006 “Bringing together the European
Society of Cardiology Congress 2006 and the World Heart Federation's XVth
World Congress of Cardiology.”
Barcelona, Spain
Click here for the
meeting website
Click here for the society website
|
Experimental Biology 2006 1-5 April 2006 Moscone Convention centre,
San Francisco, CA, USA Click
here for the meeting website
Click here for the society website |