Cabrini Monash University Department of Surgery

Background

The Chair of Surgery at Cabrini Hospital was established in 1998, as a first of its kind in the Victorian private medical sector and one of the first in Australia, and as a joint venture between Cabrini Clinical Education & Research Institute and Monash University. Adrian Polglase was appointed as Professor of Surgery and Chairman of the Cabrini Monash University Department of Surgery with the chair being endowed as the Fröhlich West Chair of Surgery in 2004.

Our Department

The Cabrini Monash University Department of Surgery headed by Professor Adrian Polglase has a demonstrated commitment into research and education. Bowel health and disease provide a primary focus for the department, however, research into surgical developments that improve patient outcomes are also embraced.

Education

The teaching focus of the Department of Surgery embraces undergraduate, postgraduate, as well as para medical and lay public programmes. The department has a role in undergraduate and post-graduate medical education. Mr Paul McMurrick is the Clinical Dean and with Associate Professor Michele Levinson is responsible for organising the teaching of undergraduate Monash University medical students.

Mr Peter Carne, Mr Stephen Bell, Mr Chip Farmer, Mr Andrew Smith, Mr R Berry, and Mr M Chin are appointed senior lecturers.

In addition, the Department has established post-graduate surgical seminars and with the support of Johnson and Johnson administers the Sir Edward Hughes Memorial Clinical Research Prize in Surgery. This prize, awarded annually, is the first to be established in Australia and New Zealand to provide a forum whereby clinical research among surgical trainees can be presented, adjudicated and a prize awarded.

The department has developed “Let’s beat Bowel Cancer” www.letsbeatbowelcancer.com or know as the Tackling Bowel Cancer Foundation. It is a Community Awareness program which aims to reduce the incidence of, and deaths related to bowel cancer in Australia by raising awareness and increasing the use of a faecal occult blood screening test; as well as supporting our on-going clinical research which focuses on the prevention, early detection and treatment of bowel cancer.

Research

The department has an active research program, which explores the areas of prospective trials in surgical practice predominantly around colorectal and upper gastrointestinal surgery, development of new surgical equipment and technologies, and fostering genetic studies into bowel cancer. The department is supported by an Honorary Research Fellow.

The Cabrini Monash University Department of Surgery is grateful for the support of private benefactors and institutions.

For current research activities go to: www.med.monash.edu.au/surgery/cabrini/research/