Postgraduate Opportunities

Menzies Research Institute

Postgraduate students make a significant contribution to the research output of the Menzies Research Institute. The research topics of PhD and Masters students currently studying at the Institute focus on some of the most common and chronic diseases affecting Australians today, ranging from osteoarthritis to mental illness, physical activity and prostate cancer and factors which may influence breast cancer.

The University of Tasmania offers research scholarships to suitably qualified and highly motivated applicants to undertake PhD or masters studies in the research areas of the Institute.

Applicants may be Australian citizens, permanent residents or international students. International students may be required to pay tuition fees. They should hold at least an upper second class Honours degree or equivalent with a major from a relevant discipline, such as health, social, biological or biomedical science, psychology or mathematics. Applicants must be able to work cooperatively in a multi-disciplinary team.

We currently have projects available for PhD and Masters students in a number of our research programs and projects including:

* Genetics
The Genetics Program conducts research into the underlying genetic causes of disease. There are potential projects available involving the study of genetic control of response to infectious disease, underlying genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis, cancers of the blood (leukaemias and lymphomas) and prostate cancer.

* Childhood Determinants of Adult Health (CDAH)
We have a number of potential projects within the broad aims of the study including respiratory health and diabetes risk.

* The Tasmanian Older Adult Cohort study (TasOAC)
TasOAC is believed to be the world's largest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research project focusing on osteoarthritis. It aims to determine the use of MRI and as an assessment technique to predict the development and/or progression of osteoarthritis; whether physical activity is protective against the development and/or progression of osteoarthritis; and whether bone area change is a factor in the development of osteoarthritis.

* The T-Bone study
T-Bone aims to identify factors associated with the development of healthy bones in children.

* Biostatistics
The Biostatistics group has projects available in a number of areas supporting the genetics program and the analysis of cohort data.

Details on each of these research programs and the project leaders can be found on our web site at http://www.menzies.utas.edu.au.

Applications for the next round of scholarships for Australian citizens and permanent residents close on 30 June 2006.

More information can be found at http://www.research.utas.edu.au/gr or contact the University's Graduate Research Unit on (03) 6226 2766, facsimile (03) 6226 7497 or email scholarships@research.utas.edu.au

For additional information on postgraduate opportunities at the Institute contact:

Dr Leigh Blizzard
Graduate Research Coordinator
Telephone: (03) 6226 7719
Email: Leigh.Blizzard@utas.edu.au