Emerging from the Chrysalis...

For those of you who remember your biology, the Chrysalis the is the hard case enclosing the larva of the butterfly before it emerges into a fully grown adult butterfly. So, the analogy of emerging from the lockdown is reminiscent of us all emerging from the chrysalises of the Covid lockdown. Despite the long months of painful isolation, mandatory mask wearing and careful social distancing, we should all be very grateful that we are free of community transmission and proud of what we have achieved. No other city or state has managed this worldwide.

As we start getting back to the new normal, we realize that a lot of our meetings can be online or virtual, using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, etc. Now, we have to focus on the mental health issues that have been uncovered and the progression of other chronic disease that has occurred because of isolation.

Some of our exciting developments over the next few months

1. Encouraging work on megadose Vitamin C in combating sepsis and some effects of Covid illnesses

2. Preliminary work suggesting the benefit of Zinc in reperfusion injury

3. Our landmark study showing that Radial Artery grafts are significantly better than Saphenous Vein grafts as bypass material in Coronary Artery Surgery

4. Steady improvements in our work in Chemical Imaging using a combination of Multi-modal spectroscopy & computation - in detecting and quantifying fibrosis in the heart. Collaborations with Prof Rohit Bhargava and the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois & Prof Bayden Wood at the Monash BioSpectroscopy lab continue apace. We have a Tissue Bank that will help provide samples for study and a PhD student, Dr Varun Sharma, who will be starting to study this field soon.

5. Flow characterization of ECMO cannula using mock circulatory loops at the Baker Institute.

Here's hoping 2021 will be much better as we overcome the terrible pandemic and its effects!