Good news

Aparna Lal departs for Ushuaia and then Antarctica as part of the 2018 Homeward Bound Women in Science Leadership voyage, in mid-February.

Kathryn Bowen has been selected as a Lead Author (Human Health) for the Sixth Assessment Report for the IPCC.

Papers accepted/published:

1. Phinney KW, Sempos CT, Tai SS et al (including Lucas RM) Baseline Assessment of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Reference Material and Proficiency Testing/External Quality Assurance Material Commutability: A Vitamin D Standardization Program Study. J AOAC Int 2017, 100(5):1288-1293

2. Lingham G, Milne E, Cross D, English DR, Johnston RS, Lucas RM, Yazar S, Mackey DA. Investigating the long-term impact of a childhood sun exposure intervention, with a focus on eye health: protocol for the Kidskin-Young Adult Myopia Study. BMJ Open (accepted 1 Dec 2017)

3. Simpson S, van der Mei I, Lucas RM, Ponsonby A-L, Broadley S, Blizzard L, Taylor BV. Sun exposure across the life course significantly modulates early MS clinical course. Frontiers in Neurology (accepted 10 Jan 2018)

4. Langer-Gould A, Lucas RM, Xiang AH, Wu J, Chen L-H, Gonzales E, Haraszti S, Smith JB, Quach H, Barcellos LF. Vitamin D-binding protein polymorphisms, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, sunshine and multiple sclerosis. Nutrients (accepted 2 Feb 2018)

Grants

Ponsonby A-L, Lucas RM and colleagues. A randomised placebo-controlled trial of combined mitochondrial agents for the treatment of fatigue and depression in multiple sclerosis with an assessment of the impact on kynurenine pathway metabolomics. $887,000 MRFF

Other

PFAS Health Study

Cathy Banwell, Tambri Housen, Kayla Smurthwaite and Sue Trevenar will be running focus groups in Oakey, Qld and Williamtown, NSW from 30 January to 8 February. This is the first study in the four component PFAS Health Study, and will help identify health and social issues that are affecting community members in the PFAS contaminated towns. The results from the focus groups will be reported back to the Commonwealth Department of Health and will also help to design a questionnaire for the cross-sectional survey that will be conducted later this year.