Research Success

Supporting primary healthcare in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas (PDF File 260.4 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Jennifer Reath and Dr Ronald Brooker of the School of Medicine have received funding from the Australian National University’s Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute to develop and implement a support model to assist General Practices deliver quality care with socially disadvantaged populations.

The link between inflammation and cancer development (PDF File 199.9 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Tara Roberts from the School of Medicine has been awarded a grant from the Cancer Institute of NSW to research the link between chronic inflammation and the development of cancer. The project aims to examine the mechanism by which SMG1 deficiency increases the susceptibility to cancer development by understanding the pathways it regulates and how these roles relate to cancer development.

Identification of anti-inflammatory compounds from mushrooms (PDF File 251.3 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Gerald Muench and Dr Ritesh Raju from the School of Medicine have received Research Partnerships Program funding to identify anti-inflammatory compounds in white button mushrooms. This research is in partnership with the Australian Mushroom Growers' Association.

A new twist to an age-old partnership (PDF File 155.5 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Jonathan Plett of the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment has received a prestigious ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award to investigate the relationship between fungi and plants. This research aims to better understand beneficial tree-fungi relationships in economically important forest trees and crops. Exploiting these interactions has the potential to substantially increase the profitability and sustainability of agro-forest and agricultural systems.

A new integrated healthcare model in Western Sydney (PDF File 288.1 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Jennifer Reath, Dr Penny Abbott, and Dr Ronald Brooker from the School of Medicine have received funding from the Western Sydney Local Health District to evaluate a new integrated healthcare program. This program aims to better integrate primary and secondary/ tertiary health care in Western Sydney, streamlining patients’ experience and reducing cost.

Dance, cognition and creativity: What can the physical tell us about the mental? (PDF File 240.0 KB) (opens in a new window)
Choreographers and contemporary dancers create art collaboratively, a process that provides a wealth of information to neuroscientists and psychologists. Professor Catherine Stevens has received ARC and Australian Dance Theatre funding to conduct research that aims to highlight the role of memory and distributed cognition in improvising, and what this means for models of human cognition.

Understanding family homelessness (PDF File 115.7 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Elizabeth Conroy from the Centre for Health Research has received funding from Mission Australia to investigate family homelessness in NSW. The research aims to determine the risk and protective factors of family homelessness across different family types. An assessment tool to reliably measure these factors will be created for Mission Australia to use as part of its work in preventing homelessness.

Promoting community participation in NSW planning (PDF File 279.1 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Dallas Rogers from the School of Social Sciences and Psychology has received funding from the University of Sydney’s Henry Halloran Trust Blue Sky Project to investigate community engagement in civic and political planning processes in NSW. The aim of the research is to better understand how communities participate in city planning.

Saving Australia’s drylands (PDF File 311.8 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Uffe Nielsen from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment has received ARC Discovery Projects funding to measure ecosystem responses to varying levels of rainfall in arid areas of Australia. The aim of the project is to determine how rainfall variability moderates dryland ecosystems by investigating how historical rainfall regimes influence above and belowground ecosystems, and their resistance and resilience to imposed climate variability.

Five big ideas for healthier, happier Indigenous children (PDF File 286.7 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Janette Perz and Professor Jane Ussher from the Centre for Health Research, along with Professor Kerry Robinson from the School of Social Sciences and Psychology, have been granted funding from the Gunawirra organisation to evaluate the effects of a pre-school program aimed at improving the wellbeing of Indigenous Australian children.

Manufacturing practices in Blacktown City – keeping pace with rapid technology advances (PDF File 373.5 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Wayne Fallon has received funding from Blacktown City Council to analyse manufacturing businesses in the Blacktown local government area. The aim of the research is to analyse practices of local manufacturing businesses, their supply chain networks, and their digital technology use.

Recalibrating culture (PDF File 303.9 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professors Deborah Stevenson and David Rowe from the Institute for Culture and Society are leading a research team to examine the changing modes of cultural activity and participation in Australia. This project is funded by the Australian Research Council through its Linkage Projects scheme, in collaboration with seven industry partners.

Evaluating homeless healthcare programs (PDF File 308.2 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Elizabeth Conroy from the Centre for Health Research has received funding to evaluate the current health services provided to homeless people through St Vincent’s Hospital. The study aims to document the health needs of homeless individuals who use the services, analyse how well those needs are being met, whether the inter-agency referral processes are appropriate, and measure the impacts on health of this highly marginalised population.

Reducing the burden of military spending in the Middle East (PDF File 181.2 KB) (opens in a new window)
Associate Professor Partha Gangopadhyay from the School of Business has received funding from Synergy IT Solutions to investigate the financial and economic burden of military spending in the Middle East. The aim of the research is to produce a working model of the origins and variables involved in creating these burdens, and create a practical way to minimise them.

Sexual health beliefs, practices and concerns for recent migrant women (PDF File 300.8 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Janette Perz from the Centre for Health Research and an international team have received ARC Linkage Projects funding to investigate the sexual health beliefs and practices of recent migrant women in Australia and Canada. The project will look at how these beliefs and practices vary among women from different backgrounds, and whether agencies can improve these women’s health outcomes.