Australian Prime Minister visits PNGIMR headquarters | Mr Rudd congratulates PNGIMR for its outstanding work | AusAID Minister Counselor thanks PNGIMR | AusAID officials visit Yagaum | Australian Prime Minister's visit in pictures | EPO project officially closes | Government team visits Yagaum to outline assistance on relocation | This quarter in pictures | RD Canners Assistant Nursing officer recieves microscopy training in Yagaum | Knowledge on malaria exchanged | New staff | Staff gone finish | Ms Gare returns from Switzerland

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NEW STAFF

DR PATRICIA RARAU

Docter Patricia Rarau comes from Toma in East New Britain Province.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from UPNG in 2005 and did her 2 years residency at Port Moresby General Hospital before joining PNGIMR in January 2008.

Dr Rarau is the Junior Study Physician/Coordinator of the IPTI Study in Maprik.

“I am attached to the IPTI project, looking after Maprik site. I work under the supervision of a senior Physician who is based in Madang; coordinate the field work and incoming research data, do clinical follow-up of study participants and of course provide medical supervision and training for local medical staff,” said Dr Rarau.

“We enroll eligible study participants, give them study drugs in the first year of life and follow them up during their second year of life. The study is designed to go along with EPI in PNG and so the mobile teams work alongside with MCH staff when doing clinics in study villages.”

Dr Rarau said research was a totally new field for her. She decided to try something new like research, before proceeding further into her medical/clinical career, that is why she has come to work with PNGIMR.

“PNGIMR is an Institute that is recognized internationally. This is really important because whatever PNGIMR produces must be of international standard, which I have no doubt PNGIMR has been producing in the past years and of course will continue producing in the years to come. I just started this year so I really don’t know much about PNGIMR but judging from the few months I’ve been with the Institute, I reckon PNGIMR is a great place to learn about research and of course do research in PNG since it’s the only Research Institute in our country. The most important thing about PNGIMR is that whatever study or research outcome it produces will greatly benefit the people of PNG,” said Dr Rarau.

Dr Rarau concluded by saying that she will continue working for PNGIMR as long as the IPTI project is running.

Andrew Greenhill comes from Tasmania, Australia.

Before joining PNGIMR on March 10th 2008, he was working at the James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland.

Whilst working and studying at the James Cook University Andrew developed a strong affinity for PNG and its people. He was aware of the work of the IMR for some years so when the opportunity to work at IMR came up he saw it as a great opportunity to hopefully improve the health status of the people of PNG.

“I have worked and studied at James Cook University for the previous 9 years. During that time I have had somewhere in the order of 15 trips to PNG, mostly to conduct fieldwork for my PhD but also to supervise Medical Laboratory Science students on placement and for one brief consultancy project at Tabubil Hospital,” said Andrew.

“My PhD was on the food safety of sago starch. I was investigating a rare (but often fatal) disease that has been associated with the consumption of old sago. I now claim to know more about sago than your average white man!” he added.

Andrew is attached to the Infection and Immunity Unit, Microbiology and Immunology Laboratory in Goroka as a Senior Research Fellow.

“I am in the Infection and Immunity unit and I will be working in bacteriology within that unit. I have only been here a short time, but the staff in bacteriology have been very helpful in telling me what they are currently doing and teaching me the relevant methods. Most of the work currently being conducted is on the pneumococcal vaccination trials, in collaboration with the Telethon Institute of Child Health Research,” said Andrew.

He said he looks forward to working closely with everyone in the Infection and Immunity group on a number of projects and also plans to pursue International collaboration.

“I have only been here a short time, but I am looking forward to my time working here, as I think it will bring with it much joy (and at times challenges) in my professional and personal life. The IMR seems to me to be an adequately funded and well staffed research institute, and I am impressed by the friendliness of everyone,” he concluded.

Suzie Greenhill comes from Townsville in Queensland, Australia and is Andrew Greenhill’s wife.

She joined PNGIMR on March 10, 2008 and is the new Study Coordinator of the GIDRTP.

She has a Bachelor of Commerce and worked in business banking and corporate business advice for almost a decade, however she later joined the James Cook University to gain a Graduate Bachelor of Education.

“As I am an educator, I hope to contribute to the honours student’s work as much as they need me too. I am a true believer that education is one of the most important assets one can gain, so hopefully we can build on a training program here,” she said.

Before coming to work at IMR Suzie stayed at home with Lucas, their 10 month old baby.
Suzie says that the staff at the Institute have been very welcoming and friendly, which has made her transition from parenting to work, very comfortable and easy.

Irene Semos is 22 years old and is part Bougainville and Manus.

She is a Graduate Scientific Officer attached to the Computing and Database Section where she is currently doing her Honours under the Fogarty program in Goroka.

“During this time I have been attached to the Computing and Database Section, I have learnt some new and practical ways of analyzing data using the programs William Yeka (Senior Statistician) and Namarola Lote use. It has taught me that there is so much more to learn and that hands-on-experience teaches you more than you can learn in theory or when you are doing your undergraduate studies,” said Irene.

Irene said that she was happy to be given the opportunity to contribute to Medical Research in PNG. She hopes that she will be able to contribute towards better health outcomes for all Papua New Guineans with the research she is currently working on.

“When I first came to PNGIMR for work experience, I was really impressed with the research work carried out by the Institute. IMR has really good research resources such as the library, the internet and the research personnel,” she said.

VALENTINE SIBA

Valentine Siba is 22 years old and is part Morobe and Madang.

He completed a Bachelors Degree of Education at the University of Goroka in 2007, where he majored in Science and Agriculture.

He is now a Scientific Officer attached with the Infections and Immunity Units Bacteriology Laboratory in Goroka.

“I’m attached to the Infection and Immunity Unit and am working in the Bacteriology Laboratory. The bacteriology lab is always busy. We sometimes have to come in and work during the weekends, but for me, I really enjoy it. Working here has taught me a lot in this short time, and I know that I still have a lot more to learn in the future,” he said.

“I also think that PNGIMR is a highly professional institution. I also see it as an important tool for the future of Papua New Guinea,” he said.

Leah Tekis is 25 years old and comes from Alexisaphen in Madang Province.

She is an Office Clerk attached to the IPTI project in Madang, but before coming to work for PNGIMR she worked in Best Buy Madang.

“I am now attached with the IPTI Study, where I assist sorting out forms coming in and going out from the field and do general administrative duties related to the IPTI study and also help in other projects,” she said.

She studied an Accounts and Clerical Assistant course at the Institute of Professional Studies and says she’d like to further her Clerical and Accounting career while she is with IMR.

Hector Morris is 23 years old and is part Southern Highlands and East Sepik.

He joined IMR in December 2007 and graduated this year with a Bachelor Degree in Health Administration from the Divine Word University.

Hector is the Microscopy Section Manager at Madang.

His job involves managing the Microscopy section on a daily basis, liaising with Data Management to integrate reading results, liaise with Principal Investigators for slide prioritization and coordinate the flow of slides.

“I am working in the Microscopy Unit. At the unit we read slides in a timely manner according to priorities results, we enter and edit the database system when slides come in from the field. The work load is usually taken on well by our workers in the Microscopy Unit,” he said.

Hector says that he wants to be triumphant in attaining a gold medal in a couple of year’s time in terms of improving the Microscopy Section through improved slide storage flow and retrieval.