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Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation

Chair in Human LactologyInformation for candidates

The University of Western Australia 1

Appointment ofFamily Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Chair in Human Lactology

Contents

Introduction | 2

Role, key responsibilities, selection

criteria and conditions of employment | 4

School of Chemistry and Biochemistry | 6

Faculty of Science | 7

The University of Western Australia | 8

Perth, Western Australia | 11

Applications | 12

Faculty of Science School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

be focused in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UWA, and the Faculty of Medicine at UZH.

The School of Chemistry and Biochemistry is a comprehensive research-intensive school that spans the broad disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology, chemistry and genetics. Housed in the iconic Bayliss Building on the Crawley campus, it is responsible for the BSc majors that fit within its broad discipline base. The Bayliss Building is somewhat unique in Australia in co-locating the research and teaching disciplines of biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology and molecular genetics, as well as the University’s facilities for nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction and mass spectrometry.

With the establishment of these new collaborative research centres at

On behalf of the University of Western Australia, I welcome your interest in the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Chair in Human Lactology, created to provide academic leadership and direction in world-class fundamental research in human lactation.

The University is now ranked 4th in Australia and has a significant reputation internationally as a result of being ranked 87th in the world

This important new Chair at the University of Western Australia will be complemented by a Chair and supporting positions at the University of Zürich (UZH) in Switzerland, also funded by the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation, with the two research centres working collaboratively to advance global knowledge of breastfeeding and its long-term health benefits to mothers and babies. The research centres will

by the internationally recognised Academic Ranking of World Universities published by China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Our success continues a trend that has seen UWA leap 40 places globally since 2008.

The University continues to build on its reputation for excellence and is a major research contributor in the medical and health sectors and other areas that align with national research and innovation priorities.

This new Chair in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the world’s first biochemical professorship for human lactation research, provides a challenging and exciting opportunity for a suitably qualified person whose research focus is, or can be directed towards, gaining a fundamental understanding of human lactation. We are seeking to appoint a leading academic to build

on our strong academic presence in this discipline and develop a team in their specific area of interest.

The Professor in Human Lactology will facilitate linkages to research projects within the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry to benefit from substantial collaborative opportunities and augment existing programs.

I invite you to consider the exciting opportunities available for this new position in a University with a reputation for international excellence and the vitality and excitement of innovative research in a 21st century environment.

Professor Paul Johnson Vice-Chancellor

two of the world’s top 100 universities, medical practitioners will soon be able to draw upon new evidence which will allow them to improve the diagnosis and treatment of mothers experiencing breastfeeding difficulties.

The Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Professor in Human Lactology will have the opportunity of making a major impact in the area, and will play a key role in creating a world-class team of high quality investigators focused on human lactation research.

On behalf of the School, I welcome your application.

Professor Mark Spackman Head, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Introduction

2 chembiochem.uwa.edu.au

fragile preterm infants. In response, Professors Karen Simmer and Peter Hartmann set up the Perron Rotary Express Milk Bank, the first contemporary human milk bank since the closure of Australian Milk Banks in the 1980s in response to the HIV ‘epidemic’. The bank provides donor milk for preterm infants whose mothers are unable produce enough milk to meet their infant’s needs.

Professor Susan Prescott, a renowned immunologist at UWA, has long realised the importance of investigating human milk in the context of infant allergy and leads the active Developmental Origins of Disease Society of Australia and New Zealand. Similarly Professor Yvonne Hauck, the first Western Australian Professor of Midwifery at King Edward Memorial Hospital, has a strong breastfeeding research focus.

Perth is a thriving hub of human lactation research, with several international leaders in the field. The University of Western Australia has a long tradition of lactation research with the large multidisciplinary group founded by Emeritus Professor Peter Hartmann, and currently led by Dr Donna Geddes. This group uses a systems approach to investigate milk synthesis, milk ejection, milk composition (e.g., appetite control hormones, micronutrients, microRNA), mammary anatomy and function, milk removal during pumping and feeding, as well as the physiology of feeding in both the term and preterm infant. The ability of the group to combine different methods of measurement has led to a cutting edge research program.

Human milk is considered the optimal source of protection and nutrition for

Scientific opportunitiesEminent human lactation researchers, Professors Colin Binns and Jane Scott, have exceptional track records in public health nutrition and nutritional epidemiology, and are located at nearby Curtin University. Several researchers with a focus on breastfeeding, alcohol and infant nutritional outcomes are located at the Telethon Kids Institute.

At the community level, the Australian Breastfeeding Association is an extremely active group that supports mothers and babies during their lactation, and has a long history of being involved in local research projects. Perth also boasts a large number of lactation consultants that provide support to breastfeeding mothers and actively participate in research in the local area.

The Foundation is the first in the world with a prime focus on promoting and supporting human milk and breastfeeding. Based in Zug, Switzerland, it was founded in 2013 with the aim to promote the scientific and public recognition of human milk as the best nutrition for newborns and infants. It considers itself as

an instigator and promoter of new knowledge about human milk and breastfeeding. The foundation invests globally in projects and scientific activities in human milk research and breastfeeding promotion. It places high value on interdisciplinarity and sustainable impact for the well-being of mother and child.


Key responsibilities• Develop and implement a high

quality successful research program focusing on projects relevant to human lactation;

• Prepare competitive funding proposals to support and expand the research program, and publish outcomes in highly-ranked peer-reviewed international journals;

• Recruit and supervise additional graduate research students and postdoctoral researchers working on projects relevant to human lactation;

• Lead the strategic initiative of a postgraduate accredited course in human lactation;

• Contribute to teaching in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Selection criteriaThe successful candidate will demonstrate:

Qualifications and knowledge

• A PhD and appropriate level of research experience in a relevant area;

• Recognition at an international level as an authority in their field, and broad knowledge and expertise in other relevant areas.

The appointee will have an established research track record in areas of biochemistry, cell or molecular biology, cell signalling, physiology, or the ‘omics’ fields of study, and will build and lead an internationally-recognised research program focused on projects relevant to human lactation. The research program will be strongly supported by Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation funding for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and a PhD Scholarship.

The appointee will contribute to the undergraduate teaching program and graduate student training (PhD and MPhil) within the School. The position offers the appointee the unique opportunity to assemble and lead a team in the development of a postgraduate accredited course in human lactation.

Role The Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Chair in Human Lactology provides an exciting opportunity for an outstanding individual whose research focus is, or can be directed towards, gaining a fundamental understanding of human lactation. The School of Chemistry and Biochemistry is seeking a person with energy, vision, leadership and a commitment to excellence in research and teaching.

Research and scholarship

• Ability to independently build and lead a successful research program through the attraction of external research funding, research staff and graduate research students;

• Ability to build effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders, enriching their research program through a wider collaborative environment;

• Ability to foster the research of others and to work harmoniously with colleagues and students;

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the communication of research outcomes;

• An outstanding track record of publications in highly-ranked, peer-reviewed international journals.

Teaching and learning

• A proven track record and demonstrated commitment to the development and delivery of high quality coursework teaching and curriculum design;

• Evidence of an active role in maintaining academic standards in the development of educational policy.

Service

• Ability to provide leadership in both academic and service environments;

• Ability to communicate effectively with members of the academic and medical community and, where appropriate, professional bodies, industry and the public.

Role, key responsibilities, selection criteria and conditions of employment


The appointment will be tenurable and subject to annual performance reviews. An attractive and flexibly constructed remuneration package will be negotiated and will include:

• Professorial salary;• Employer contribution to

superannuation of 17% (standard employee contribution is 7%);

• Recreation leave of 20 working days per annum;

• Long service leave;• Eligibility for sabbatical leave;• A substantial funding package

comprising an attractive allowance for research support staff, consumables and a generous start-up budget;

• Relocation assistance, including air fares, will be offered for the appointee and dependants.

Conditions of employment


School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

The School of Chemistry and Biochemistry is one of the nine Schools in the Faculty of Science. Housed in the state-of-the-art Bayliss Building on the main University campus, it is responsible for teaching in the BSc majors that fit within its broad discipline base of chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, and genetics. It has a staff complement of more than 80, research income exceeding $6 million per annum, more than 80 PhD students, and enrolments in undergraduate units exceeding 3000. The Bayliss Building is unique in Australia in co-locating the research and teaching disciplines of chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, and genetics, as well as the University’s facilities for nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction and mass spectrometry.

The School’s researchers work across the areas of metabolic pathways; molecular genetics, structure, synthesis and catalysis; biological, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry; materials and nanoscience; and theory and computation. Of particular importance to this appointment is the School’s very strong research profile in human lactation developed in the Human Lactation Research Group by Emeritus Professor Peter Hartmann, and currently headed by Dr Donna Geddes.

Faculty of Science: www.science.uwa.edu.au

School of Chemistry and Biochemistry: www.chembiochem.uwa.edu.au

School research areas: www.chembiochem.uwa.edu.au/research


staff world-leading researchers and winners of numerous national and international science awards. UWA is rated above the world standard in 38 fields of research, and 79% of those are in science fields.The Faculty and the unique natural environment of Western Australia provide excellent opportunities for research. The Faculty of Science draws on the interdisciplinary strength of our Schools, affiliated Institutes and Centres to bring about change for the world and humanity in five key areas:• Feeding the world;• Preventing, diagnosing and

treating disease;• Furthering human knowledge and

serving humanity;• Harnessing resources and energy

for a sustainable future;• Restoring and maintaining balance

in our natural environment.

The Faculty of Science was one of the three founding Faculties at the University, commencing teaching in 1913. The Faculty has since grown significantly and now maintains teaching and research specialisations through its nine Schools:• Agricultural and Resource

Economics;• Anatomy, Physiology and

Human Biology;• Animal Biology;• Chemistry and Biochemistry;• Earth and Environment;• Physics;• Plant Biology;• Psychology;• Sport Science, Exercise

and Health.

The Faculty has more than 5000 students from across Australia and overseas and more than 800 staff members. The Faculty is research-focused and includes among its

Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science and its member Schools and research Centres, together with the UWA Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences and the Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research, undertakes research, research training, coursework education, and communication in a wide range of biomedical sciences. The excellence of UWA’s research in this broad area is internationally recognised, as evidenced by the University’s 2015 ARWU rankings of 25 in Life and Agriculture Sciences, and 63 in Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy.


with industry, the professions and industry. It operates in collaboration with other research intensive universities in Australia and around the world. The University of Western Australia’s graduates are highly competitive internationally, achieving success in higher study and in wide-ranging fields of employment. Many graduates have risen to prominence in leadership roles in industry, government, education and the professions, in Australia and internationally.

www.uwa.edu.au

The University of Western Australia is a high-quality research-intensive university with a broad and balanced coverage of disciplines in the arts, science and major professions. It is Western Australia’s oldest university, established in 1911, and currently has a student population of approximately 24,500.

The University of Western Australia

The University has an international reputation for the excellence and enterprise and is regarded as one of Australia’s top research institutions. Its strong research focus culture sees it attract high levels of competitive research funding. At the same time the University places great emphasis on high quality teaching and learning, and is committed to the development of innovation and responsive programs. It has focused on the teaching-research nexus, so that teaching and learning take place in an atmosphere of research scholarship.

The University’s high quality teaching and research ensure it remains the university of preference for Western Australia’s highest achieving school leavers, as well as attracting high-calibre undergraduate and postgraduate students from around the nation and overseas. The quality of the student population is high by national and international standards.

The University is recognised nationally and internationally for the quality of its academic staff and has strong strategic partnerships


For more information see: tourism.wa.gov.au

Perth is well served with art galleries, theatres and cinemas and is home to the WA Symphony Orchestra, the WA Ballet and the WA Opera - uwa.edu.au/perthfestival

Western Australia’s five universities and wide variety of public and private schools, vocational institutions and English language colleges provide quality assured education with flexible study pathways and state-of-the-art facilities. Perth continues to build its reputation as a destination for international students seeking a quality education – studyperth.com.au

The resource-rich State of Western Australia is the principal Australian supplier of natural resources and energy to international partners, including China, India, Japan, South Korea and much of South-East Asia. Western Australia’s diverse inventory of minerals and energy, as well as its agricultural and fisheries resources, account for 25 per cent of the nation’s exports and place the State at the heart of Australian economic growth and transformation.

Perth, Western Australia

Western Australia and its capital Perth occupy the same time zone as 60 per cent of the world’s population and the nations that promise the greatest economic growth of the 21st century. Western Australia is also Australia’s largest state, covering some 2.5 million square kilometres and 12,500 kilometres of coastline, including some of the most ancient landscapes in the world.

Perth is a cosmopolitan city, with wide ethnic and cultural diversity. The city enjoys a Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and dry and the winters mild and wet. Perth’s world famous beaches, extensive parklands and variety of restaurants and cafes provide a superb living environment.


Please also note: If you are the successful candidate for this position and you are not an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or a permanent resident of Australia, you will be required to obtain an entry visa to work here. The University of Western Australia will sponsor you for employment in Australia under the Employer Nomination Scheme.

Lodging your application

Application must be submitted online at: jobs.uwa.edu.au/executive

Closing date

Monday 16th November 2015

Enquiries and further information

If you wish to discuss the position in confidence, please contact: Professor Mark SpackmanHead, School of Chemistry and BiochemistryTel: +61 8 6488 4699 [email protected]

Thank you for your interest. If you wish to proceed, the following information will assist you with your application. Refer also to the selection criteria on page 4.

There are no specific application forms to complete. Your application must include the following:• A statement that clearly

demonstrates the extent to which you satisfy each of the selection criteria;

• A curriculum vitae that provides your personal details, qualifications, grants, graduate student supervision, publications and work history;

• Applicants with teaching experience are requested to submit a teaching portfolio;

• The names, email, mailing addresses and the telephone contact details of three referees who can be contacted for a confidential report. Please note that your permission will be sought before referees are contacted.

Applications


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