Bulletin

Issue: October 2005

News

Blood clot research recognised

Research by La Trobe University PhD candidate, Kaylene Pritchard, investi-gating molecules that may help prevent blood clots in heart attack patients, has received national recognition.

Ms Pritchard, from the Bendigo Campus, was selected from postgraduate students from throughout Australia to present her work at the recent Australian meeting of the International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry.

The conference, held in September each year in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, brings together delegates from Australia and overseas including Ireland, India and the United States.

Professor of Pharmacy and Head of the School of Pharmacy and Applied Science, Kenn Raymond, said only two postgraduate students from Australia were selected to present at the conference.

Professor Raymond said the research, in medicinal chemistry, hoped to improve drugs that 'thin the blood' for heart attack, strokes and angina (chest pain) sufferers.

He said Ms Pritchard's work was an example of collaborative research between academic staff at Bendigo and researchers on the main Melbourne campus at Bundoora.

'She is working with the medicinal chemistry group of researchers, led by Dr Jasim Al-Rawi and Dr Chris Bradley, to identify compounds that have good anti-clotting activity,' Professor Raymond said.

'We are very pleased that this research is yielding positive early biological results and hope to help develop new drugs that may overcome several of the side effects associated with existing drugs.'

Ms Pritchard said the conference was a great opportunity to demonstrate the research and make contacts with scientists from around the world.