National Science Week 2020

Western Sydney University Allied Health Research Showcase

This three hour event for health professionals provides an avenue for like minded people to discuss the future of health in Western Sydney and beyond.

How integrative medicine can keep your heart healthy

Researchers from the NICM Health Research Institute will host a one-hour Zoom session, discussing how integrative medicine can keep your heart healthy.

Guest speakers and their topics include:

• Dr Phoebe Zhou: How the synergy works in herbal medicines to lower the risk of heart diseases
• Dr Angelo Sabag: How regular exercise can improve your heart health
• Dr Emily Yang: Does tai chi improve psychological well-being and cardiovascular functions in people with cardiovascular diseases

Tracking space junk, building brain-like computers and self-playing pinball machines

The International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems will open its doors to showcase the exciting science and research currently underway using biology inspired technology to solve real-world problems.

This interactive forum will provide insights into a diverse range of research projects from tracking space junk to building brain-like computers and self-playing pinball and foosball machines (see pic above).

Making Maths fund with Music (9-13 years)

What connects fractions, bicycle wheels, and social distancing at dinner parties? Music! In this online talk you will see and hear how maths, engineering, and table seating arrangements (!) can be explained by musical rhythms and melodies. Understand how to add fractions with funky beats, design bicycle wheels with a dance groove from the Congo in Africa, and arrange your party guests with beats from Western Africa and Eastern Europe.

Join us for a fun online demonstration with Dr Andrew Milne and find out how music, maths and science interconnect!

Once participants are registered a separate email will be sent with details about how to login to the online workshop.

BabyLab Webinar

Babylab is a webinar for early childhood language and communication development by MARCS Institute at Western Sydney University. Their new communication checklist for Australian kids under three asks parents to select which words their child says or understands.

Ever wondered how your child’s language development is going, but didn’t know where to look?

Watching this 30-minute webinar as MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour & Development launched its new short communication checklist for Australian kids under three.

This checklist, the OZI-SF, asks you as a parent – the expert on your child – to select which words your child says or understands. The checklist is online, safe, and takes 10 minutes, and you get a free report plus tips from our website.

The checklist has been developed by Western Sydney University researchers at The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour & Development and the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, in collaboration with speech pathologists at Liverpool Hospital, and with special thanks to Western Sydney University Early Learning.

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Citizen Science: Wombats, turtles and more

Learn how ordinary citizens can help our scientists discover more about our terrific turtles and wonderful wombats in this video featuring talks with Dr Ricky Spencer & Dr Julie Old from Western Sydney University - presented by City of Parramatta Libraries.

Send in your questions by 20 August to be part of the interviews. Email by Monday 10 August 2020 for your questions to be part of the interview discussions.

The online event will feature an introduction to Citizen Science and where you can find out more; and, presentations by and interviews with Associate Professor Ricky Spencer & Associate Professor Julie Old.

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Getting to know your friendly neighbourhood microbiologist

JAMSpod is a microbiology-themed series of podcasts (check out #JAMSpod @jamsorgau) named Getting to Know Your Friendly Neighbourhood Microbiologist for National Science Week. We will interview national leaders in microbiology about their research, establishing a career and some of the issues they’ve faced. We will discuss with scientists in different microbiology fields how have they been impacted by COVID19, and whether it has helped or hindered their careers in infection and microbiology.

This podcast is run conjointly by Macquarie University, Western Sydney University, Department of Primary Industries and the Joint Academic Microbiology Seminars (JAMS) Organisation.

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Nine ways to keep your brain healthy as you age

Western Sydney University and Parramatta Libraries presents this fascinating webinar, available for free online during National Science Week.

Researchers from the Western Sydney University MARCS AgeLab will discuss a series of practical, evidence-based strategies you can use to keep your brain healthy as you age.

Covering physical, cognitive, and social aspects of brain health, the experts will tell you about the latest research findings on how to age well, how what you do in midlife matters, and how you can make changes for brain health at any stage of your life.

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Ornithologist Julie Ryeland Chats with Artist Tully Arnot

For National Science Week, Parramatta Artists' Studios will release a special podcast in their Studio Conversations series. This podcast will feature Parramatta Artists' Studios artist Tully Arnot and Western Sydney Unversity Ecologist, Biologist and Ornithologist Julia Ryeland in a conversation about shared interest in local bird life.

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