Showcase highlights research innovation
April 19
On Tuesday the Clifford Craig Foundation hosted its annual Research Showcase, highlighting the work of our dedicated health professionals and the latest medical research projects to receive grant funding.
Laruent Willemot demonstrating the Virtual Reality technology.
For the first time Tasmanian medical students are now utilising virtual reality technology as a part of their surgical training, thanks to a new medical research project led by Orthopaedic surgeons Laurent Willemot and Jonathon Mulford.
Laurent said feedback from medical students often reflected the difficulty of getting ‘hands-on’ surgical experience during orthopaedic rotation.
“A simulated experience gives the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. However, VR has not previously been used in the Tasmanian School of Medicine, despite other settings taking on the technology for educational purposes,” he said.
“Demonstrating enhanced learning via Virtual Reality technology, could open the gates to integrating this type of training in all surgical disciplines, medical specialties, and even to nursing and allied health.”
This project, alongside an Australian-first sleep study examining links to neurodegenerative diseases, and a pilot phase trial testing an inpatient physiotherapy program, make up the Foundation’s 2023 medical research program.
2023 Medical Research Grants:
Prevalence and profiles of Isolated REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (iRBD) in Tasmania – Samantha Bramich - $24,983.20
Does the dosage of acute physiotherapy management of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease affect OUTcomes - COPD OUT – Chris Hall – $86,108
Influence of immersive virtual reality on medical student - Orthopaedic surgery –Jonathan Mulford & Laurent Willemot – $36,850
The Showcase also provided the opportunity to update our community of supporters on some of the Foundation’s most recent appeals and education initiatives.
Guests enjoyed presentations from Gastroenterologist Professor Nicholas Shackel, who spoke on the Foundation’s Advanced Trainee and Introduction to Research courses and the positive impacts these initiatives are having on staff at the Launceston General Hospital.
Cardiology Registrar Savvy Nandal also provided an update on the portable echocardiogram the Foundation has purchased for the LGH, thanks to the generous support received from our recent Christmas Appeal.
This piece of equipment is expected to take cardiology services at the LGH to new heights, reducing the need for patients to be moved throughout the hospital and increasing the number of assessments performed in a day.
The achievements of the Parry to Pinnacle team were also celebrated, after the team’s inspirational journey raising funds for Motor Neurone Disease Research in Northern Tasmania.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this event and to our broader community of supporters.
