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Academic Research

At Melbourne Weight Loss Surgery, our team believe that evidence based practice and participation in surgical research are important in offering the most up to date and effective care for patients.

Below are listed the publications, presentations and current research interests of our surgeons.

Mr. Michael Hii

Publications

Current research interests:

  • Health related quality of life after oesophageal cancer surgery
  • Outcomes after revision bariatric surgery
  • Effectiveness of hiatal hernia repair
  • Effectiveness of anti reflux surgery
  • Novel bariatric procedures

Dr. Salena Ward

Publications

Ward SM, Mobsby CJ, Wilkinson S. Capsule endoscopy: a surgical perspective. ANZ J Surg. 2008 Jan-Feb;78(1-2):28-33

Huang JG, Lim W, Ward SM, McLaughlin SJ. Education and Imaging. Hepatobiliary and pancreatic: splenic autotransplantation. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Jul;23(7 Pt 1):1662

Pilgrim CH, Satgunaseelan L, Ward SM, Evans PM. Gallbladder carcinoma as a long-term complication of cholecystojejunostomy. J Gastrointest Surg. 2009 Dec; 13(12):2330-2

Local Presentations

  • Annual Scientific Meeting, Tasmanian State Committee, RACS. Oct 2005
    • Ward SM, Mobsby CJ, Wilkinson S. “Capsule Endoscopy: The Tasmanian General Surgical Experience.” Oral Presentation
  • Annual Scientific Meeting, Victorian State Committee, RACS. Nov 2006
    • Ward SM. “Operative Assessment: Is it appendicitis or not?” Poster display.
  • Annual Courses in Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Austin Health & The University of Melbourne. Melbourne, Australia. Sep 2008
    • “Choledocholithiasis post bile duct reconstruction.” Case presentation
  • ANGZOSA/ANHPBA Annual Conference, Queenstown, New Zealand. Sep 2010
    • Ward S, Mackay S, Cade R, Hassen S, Banting S, Gibson P. “Pancreatic Exocrine Function post Oesophagetomy, Gastrectomy and Pancreato-duodenectomy.” Oral presentation

Overseas Presentations:

  • Annual Scientific Congress, RACS, Hong Kong. May 2008
    • Ward SM, McLaughlin S. “Colonscopy: Do Surgeons Do It Better?” Oral presentation
  • European Pancreatic Conference, Stockholm, Sweden. June 2010
    • Ward S, Mackay S, Cade R, Hassen S, Banting S, Gibson P. “Pancreatic Exocrine Function post Oesophagectomy, Gastrectomy and pancreato-duodenectomy. Oral poster presentation + electronic poster display
  • European Pancreatic Conference, Magdeburg, Germany. June 2011
    • Ward S, Mackay S, Cade R, Hassen S, Banting S, Gibson P. “Pancreatic Exocrine Function measured post Major Upper Gastrointestinal Resections.” Oral Presentation
  • DDF / AUGIS Conference, Liverpool, United Kingdom, June 2012
    • Ward S, Mackay S, Cade R, Hassen S, Banting S, Gibson P. “Pancreatic Exocrine Function after Major Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery tested with a Carbon 13 Mixed Triglyceride Breath Test.” Poster Display

Current Research Interests:

  • Topic: Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency Post Gastrectomy, Oesophagectomy and Pancreato-duodenectomy

Completed Higher Degree

  • Topic: Completed a Master of Surgery at Monash University

Involved in the beginning of a randomised controlled trial: Oral pancreatic enzyme supplementation vs placebo in patients post oesophagectomy, gastrectomy and pancreato-duodenectomy.

Consultant Supervisor at the Eastern Health Surgical Research Group, supporting research projects by colleagues, junior doctors and medical students.

Mr. Matthew Read

Publications

  • Read MD, Krishnadath KK, Clemons NJ, Phillips WA. Preclinical models for the study of Barrett's carcinogenesis. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2018 Jul 5. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13916. 
  • David S. Liu, Cuong P. Duong, Sue Haupt, Karen G. Montgomery, Colin M. House, Walid J. Azar, Helen B. Pearson, Oliver M. Fisher, Matthew Read, Glen R. Guerra, Ygal Haupt, Carleen Cullinane, Klas G. Wiman, Lars Abrahmsen, Wayne A. Phillips & Nicholas J. Clemons. Inhibiting the system xC/glutathione axis selectively targets cancers with mutant-p53 accumulation. Nature Communications 2017. DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS14844.
  • Liu DS, Hoefnagel SJ, Fisher OM, Krishnadath KK, Montgomery KG, Busuttil RA, Colebatch AJ, Read M, Duong CP, Phillips WA, Clemons NJ. Novel metastatic models of esophageal adenocarcinoma derived from FLO-1 cells highlight the importance of E-cadherin in cancer metastasis. Oncotarget. 2016 Dec 13;7(50).
  • Liu DS, Read M, Cullinane C, et al. APR-246 potently inhibits tumour growth and overcomes chemoresistance in preclinical models of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Gut 2015. DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2015-309770.
  • Read M, Liu D, Duong CP, Cullinane C, Murray W, Fennell C, Shortt J, Westerman D, Burton P, Clemons NJ, Phillips WA. Intra-muscular transplantation improves engraftment rates for esophageal patient-derived tumor xenografts. Annal of Surg Onc. DOI: 10.1245/s10434-015-4425-3.

Local Presentations

  • M Read. Barrett’s Oesophagus. ANZGOSA Training Day, Melbourne, 2019.
  • M Read. Surgical Academia. SUGGS Meeting, Sydney, 2017.
  • M Read, A Correia, D Liu, D Straub, N Clemons, C Duong, K.K. Krishnadath & W Phillips. Reversing Barrett’s Metaplasia in a Novel Organoid Model. Combined ANZGOSA / SUGGS Meeting, Sydney, 2016.
  • M Read, S Calpe, D Liu, D Straub, N Clemons, C Duong, K.K. Krishnadath & W Phillips. Targeting the BMP pathway in Barrett’s carcinogenesis for molecular imaging & therapeutics. General Surgeons Australia, Annual Scientific Meeting, Cairns, 2015.
  • Matthew Read, David Liu, Nicholas Clemons, Christina Fennell, Cuong Duong & Wayne Phillips. A novel xenograft model for investigating Barrett’s carcinogenesis. Australian Health and Medical Research Congress, Melbourne, Australia. 2014.
  • Matthew Read, Nicholas Clemons, Christina Fennell, Cuong Duong & Wayne Phillips. Patient derived tumour xenografts and the development of personalized medicine in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Combined IsDEAS & ANZGOSA Meeting, Melbourne. 2013.

International Presentations

  • M Read. The Generation & Validation of Four New Esophageal Cancer Cell Lines. Translational Meeting for the Management of Barrett’s Esophagous and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma. Bologna, 2020.
  • M Read. Fundoplication in the Management of GERD. OESO, Beijing, 2019. 
  • M Read. Fundoplication in the Management of Barrett’s Esophagus. OESO, Beijing, 2019. 
  • M Read. Barrett’s Esophagus and the Bariatric Patient. OESO, Beijing, 2019. 
  • M Read. The Importance of a Structured Training Program for Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Oesophagectomy. Robert-Bosch Hospital, Stuttgart, 2019. 
  • M Read. Oesophageal Cancer. ANZGOSA Meeting, Wellington, 2018.
  • M. Read. Esophageal Stem Cells (Invited Talk). OESO, Geneva, 2017.
  • M. Read. Surgical Academia. SUGGS Meeting, Sydney, 2017.
  • M. Read, A. Correia, S. Calpe, N. Clemons, D. Liu, W.A. Phillips, K.K. Krishnadath. Remodeling Barrett’s Metaplasia in a Novel In Vivo Organoid Model. Digestive Diseases Week, Chicago, 2017.
  • M. Read, Krishnadath KK, Liu DSH, Duong CP, Clemons NJ, Phillips WA*. A novel xenograft model of human Barrett’s esophagus. Digestive Diseases Week, San Diego, 2016.
  • Phillips WA, Read M, Liu D, Fennel C, Duong C, Clemons N. Patient Derived Tumor Xenografts: Preclinical Models for Personalising Therapy for Esophageal Cancers. 14th World Congress of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus, Vancouver, Canada. Abstract published in Diseases of the Esophagus. 2014; 27 (Supp): 64A.
  • M Read, D Liu, MP Bernardi, C Duong, N Clemons, W Phillips. A novel pre-clinical model for the study of Barrett’s oesophagus. Annual Scientific Congress of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Singapore. 2014. Abstract published in ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2014; 84: 209.
  • Matthew Read, Nicholas Clemons, Wayne Phillips, Christina Fennell & Cuong Duong. An improved xenograft model for testing novel therapies in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Annual Scientific Congress of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Auckland. 2013. Abstract published in ANZ J. Surg. 2013; 83 (Suppl. 1) 98-104.
  • Read, M., Croagh, D., Clemons, N. J., Fennell, C., Duong, C., Phillips, W. A. Developing a novel in vivo tissue reconstitution system for the study of Barrett’s oesophagus. 13th World Congress of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus, Venice, Italy (oral presentation). Abstract published in Diseases of the Esophagus. 2012; 25 (Supp.1): 57A.

Poster Presentations

  • Matthew Read, David Liu Glen Guerra Cuong Duong Kausilia Krishnadath Nicholas Clemons Wayne Phillips. The Generation & Validation Of Four New Esophageal Cancer Cell Lines With Matched Patient-Derived Tumor Xenografts. International Society of Diseases of the Esophagus, Vienna, 2018. Diseases of the Esophagus, Volume 31, Issue 13, 1 September 2018, Pages 177. https://doi.org/10.1093/dote/doy089.PS02.194 
  • Kausilia Krishnadath, Sanne Hoefnagel, Silvia Calpe, Matthew Read, Danielle Straub, Ana  Correia, Carmen Sancho-Del Serra. Specific Inhibition Of Bone Morphogenic Protein (Bmp4) As A Potential Therapeutic Strategy For Esophageal Adenocarcinoma. International Society of Diseases of the Esophagus, Vienna, 2018. Diseases of the Esophagus, Volume 31, Issue 13, 1 September 2018, Pages 190. https://doi.org/10.1093/dote/doy089.PS02.239 
  • M. Read, S. Calpe, MC. Sancho-Serra, D. Straub, N. Clemons, D. Liu, W. Phillips, K.K. Krishnadath. Expression of Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP4) in esophageal cancer is regulated by stroma-dependent Sonic Hedgehog Signals. Digestive Diseases Week, San Diego, 2016.
  • M. Read, S. Calpe, MC. Sancho-Serra, D. Straub, N. Clemons, D. Liu, W. Phillips, K.K. Krishnadath. The Function of the Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression. Digestive Diseases Week, San Diego, 2016. 
  • M. Read, S. Calpe, MC. Sancho-Serra, D. Straub, N. Clemons, D. Liu, W. Phillips, K.K. Krishnadath. Tumor-stroma crosstalk upregulates the in vivo expression of Bone Morphogenic Protein 4 (BMP4) in esophageal cancer. BMP Signaling in Cancer, Cambridge, 2016. 
  • M. Read, S. Calpe, MC. Sancho-Serra, D. Straub, N. Clemons, D. Liu, W. Phillips, K.K. Krishnadath. Chemoresistance in a SMAD4 esophageal adenocarcinoma xenograft model is modulated by BMP4 inhibition. BMP Signaling in Cancer, Cambridge, 2016.
  • Liu DSH, Clemons NJ, Read M, Fennell C, Cullinane C, Duong CP, Phillips WA. Restoring wild-  type p53 activity using APR-246/PRIMA-1Met significantly suppresses tumor growth and overcomes resistance in esophageal adenocarcinoma. Digestive Diseases Week, Washington DC, 2015. 
  • Liu DSH, Clemons NJ, Read M, Fennell C, Cullinane C, Duong CP, Phillips WA. APR-246/PRIMA- 1MET has significant anti-tumour activity in oesophageal adenocarcinoma expressing mutant p53. Australian Health and Medical Research Council, Melbourne, 2014. 
  • M Read, MP Bernardi, D Liu, C Fennell, R Ramsay, A Heriot, C Duong, W Phillips, N Clemons. Development of Esophageal and Anal Cancer Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft (PDTX) Models Using a Novel Implantation Technique. Digestive Diseases Week, Chicago, 2014. Abstract published in Gastroenterology. 2014; 146(5) Suppl. 1 S-695. 
  • M Read, N Clemons, C Fennell, C Duong & W Phillips. An improved xenograft model for identifying a cancer stem cell population in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Australian Gastroenterology Week, Melbourne. 2013. Abstract published in J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013; 28 (Suppl. 2) 11-18. 
  • Matthew Read, Nicholas Clemons, Christina Fennell, Cuong Duong & Wayne Phillips. Improved Engraftment of Oesophageal Patient Derived Tumour Xenografts Using a Novel Intramuscular Technique. Australian Health and Medical Research Congress, Adelaide, Australia. 2012.

Current research interests:

  • Biology of Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma
  • Development of novel treatments for Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma
  • Development of clinical guidelines for upper gastrointestinal conditions (OESO)
  • Developing a robotic upper gastrointestinal surgical program
  • Outcomes following fundoplication in lung transplant recipients

Dr. Nicole Winter

Publications

  • 2020 Badgery H, Read M, Winter NN, Taylor ACF, Hii, MW “The role of oesophagectomy in the management of Barrett’s oesophagus” – accepted for publication Ann NY Acad Sci
  • 2019 Hwang Y, Gartrell R, Winter N, 2019 “Laparoscopic Management of Abdominal Apoplexy” Cureus 11(3): e4324. doi:10.7759/cureus.4324
  • 2017 Winter NN, Guest GD, Bozin M, Thomson BN, et al. “Laparoscopic or open appendicectomy for suspected appendicitis in pregnancy and evaluation of foetal outcome in Australia” ANZ J Surg. 2017 May;87(5):334-338
  • 2016 Crispin, M.D., Chan, K.J., Winter, N. and Hii, M., 2016. Esophageal Apoplexy. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, pp.1-2.
  • 2008 Wentworth, J.M., Gao, N., Sumithran, K.P., Maartens, N.F., Kaye, A.H., Colman, P.G. and Ebeling, P.R., 2008. Prospective evaluation of a protocol for reduced glucocorticoid replacement in transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy: prophylactic glucocorticoid replacement is seldom necessary. Clinical endocrinology, 68(1), pp.29-35.

Presentations

  • 2020 “Improving outcome with cancer care co-ordination” ANZMOSS-ANZGOSA Virtual conference, Oct 2020
  • 2020 “Long term followup and nutritional considerations post Bariatric surgery” FRACS Fellowship Course, August 2020
  • 2020 “Hiatus Hernia” FRACS Fellowship Course, August 2020
  • 2020 “Management of Bariatrics surgical complications during COVID Crisis” ANZMOSS Webinar, 18 May 2024
  • 2019 “Early postoperative oral feeding post oesophagectomy” 15th OESO World Congress, Beijing November 2019
  • 2019 “Boerhaave – update on oesophageal perforation” Princess Alexandra Hospital, Feb 2019
  • 2014 “Appendicitis in Pregnancy” Invited presenter, RACS Annual Scientific Congress, Singapore May 2014
  • 2013 “Laparoscopic or Open Appendicectomy in Pregnancy” Geelong Hospital Journal Club, November 2013

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