Collaborations With ALF and ALA Members
in Australia and Abroad
• Associate Professor Grant Ramm of The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) collaborates extensively with the paediatricians at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), has a National Institute of Health grant with Dr Peter Lewindon of RCH and Professor Ross Shepherd, now at St Louis University, USA.
As treatments for lung and pancreas problems improve in Cystic Fibrosis, these children are being diagnosed far more frequently with chronic liver complications such as scarring of the liver and cirrhosis.
Associate Professor Ramm investigates how children and young adults with cystic fibrosis develop serious liver disease, which ultimately may lead to death or liver transplantation.
• Professor Prithi Bhathal, Melbourne, a strong advocate of ALF, has collaborated over a long period of time with Professor Lawrie Powell AC, member of the ALF Board, on iron storage disease and fatty liver disease and is now collaborating also with surgeons in Melbourne on liver diseases associated with obesity, namely with Professor Paul O'Brien and Dr John Dixon.
• Dr Andrew Clouston collaborates extensively with the Queensland Liver Transplant Service and the Pittsburgh Liver Transplant Program to study aspects of post-transplant fibrogensis, and with the Brisbane Group led by Dr Elizabeth Powell and Dr Julie Jonsson at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane.
This group has an international reputation as leaders in the field of fatty liver disease and its interaction with hepatitis C.
• The ALF and the ALA foster extensive collaboration across the nation among groups involved in liver transplantation. The leaders in the field are Dr Stephen Lynch in Brisbane who was a member of ALF Steering Committee, Dr Geoff McCaughan in Sydney and
Dr Peter Angus in Melbourne.
• Dr John Olynyk in Perth is again a strong supporter and member of the ALF and the ALA and is collaborating in the area of iron storage disease with the Strong group at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research as well as with researchers at St Louis University, USA.
His particular contribution in recent years has been the use of magnetic resonance imaging to detect iron concentrations in the liver and also hepatic fibrosis.
• Dr Graeme Macdonald in Queensland is a liver expert, a member of the GESA and the ALF and collaborates extensively with Professor Michael Kew in Johannesburg, South Africa, on liver tumours and also with researchers in Melbourne, specifically at the Alfred Hospital and notably with Professor Dudley and colleagues on primary liver cancer.
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