Monthly Archive: October 2020 

Dr Stephen Kao (second from right in photo) completed his PhD in ENT Surgery under the supervision of Associate Professor Alkis Psaltis and Dr Mahnaz Ramezanpour. His PhD thesis "Nasal mucus: friend or foe? The effect of mucus on mucosal barrier dysfunction in chronic rhinosinusitis" has just been conferred by The University of Adelaide and he also received a Dean's Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence. Stephen was supported by three scholarships, a Research Training Program Stipend and Bertha Sudholz Research Scholarship from The University of Adelaide and an Academic Surgeon Scientist Research Scholarship from The Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation. He is currently working as an ENT registrar at the Women's and Children's Hospital in North Adelaide. Stephen writes "The BHI has been an amazing, supportive and friendly environment for me to cultivate and enhance my knowledge on snot. A runny nose is snot a laughing matter!" [photo: TQEH Research Expo 2018. L-R: Chair Dr Tania Crotti with presenters in the Junior PhD student (Laboratory) session Dr Michael Gouzos, Dr Giri Krishnan, Dr Stephen Kao, and Dr Maryam Nakhjavani]..

The 29th TQEH Research Expo, part of CALHN Research Week, was held on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 October 2020. Undergraduate, honours and postgraduate research students presented the results of their research in either mini-oral presentations (3 minutes plus questions) or oral presentations (10 minutes plus questions). This year's Plenary Lecture was given by Professor Toby Coates in a session chaired by Professor Guy Maddern, Director of Research at the BHI, TQEH. Overall 8 prizes were awarded to 8 different students from 5 different research groups based at the Basil Hetzel Institute, TQEH, with both the University of South Australia and The University of Adelaide represented. Full details of winners, sponsors and a slideshow of photos taken during the expo can be found here..