Research Success

The neurological basis of genetic diseases (PDF File 318.4 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Vaughan Macefield from the School of Medicine is collaborating with an international team of scientists to study a group of genetic diseases in order to understand their neurophysiological basis. This research has been funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Measuring the digital capacities of everyday Australians (PDF File 250.0 KB) (opens in a new window)
In collaboration with Google Australia, a research team led by Associate Professor Amanda Third from the Institute for Culture and Society has been awarded Research Partnerships Program funding to create a Digital Capacities Index. The tool will be piloted with Australian families to measure their ability to maximise the benefits of connectivity.

Finding a cure for Best Disease – how understanding the effects of a single genetic mutation could hold the key (PDF File 207.4 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Michael O’Connor from the School of Medicine and a leading research team have been granted funding to investigate the role of a specific genetic mutation in the development of the blinding disorder Best Disease. The aim of the research is to establish how a mutation in the BEST1 gene might lead to key Best Disease symptoms such as fluid and waste-product build-up in the retina.

UNICEF is paving the way for child friendly cities (PDF File 179.1 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Karen Malone from the Centre for Educational Research has received funding from UNICEF to help implement a program promoting child inclusion in Albania. The research aims to outline steps the Albanian government, community stakeholders and NGOs can take to make their cities more 'child friendly', and how to coordinate their respective services more effectively to protect children's rights.

Identifying the link between obesity and dental decay in preschool children (PDF File 225.9 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Amit Arora from the School of Science and Health has been awarded an Early Career Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to assess the relationship between dental decay and obesity in disadvantaged preschool children. This research will provide vital clinical information to assist health professionals to better manage obesity and dental decay.

Blast-resistant technology: The surface sprayed material protecting Australia’s infrastructure (PDF File 202.0 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Chunwei Zhang from the Institute for Infrastructure Engineering will lead an international research team in investigating the properties of a surface sprayed material that may shield structures from damaging explosions. This research is funded by the Australian Research Council through its Linkage Projects scheme.

Parent engagement in child learning: Linking education and parenting (PDF File 156.0 KB) (opens in a new window)
Associate Professor Christine Woodrow from the Centre for Educational Research is working in partnership with the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) to explore the ways families and schools work together to support children’s learning and wellbeing. The research will focus on understanding the many ways families are already engaged in their children’s education and support their learning at home.

Improving farm resource management (PDF File 251.9 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Dharma Hagare from the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics has received funding from Dairy Australia Ltd and partnered with other organisations to improve the effluent management system of dairy farms to maximise the resource recovery cycle. Dr Julian Fyfe has joined the project as a post-doctoral fellow.

Fighting obesity in body and mind (PDF File 330.4 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Evelyn Smith from the School of Social Sciences and Psychology has received a Ramaciotti Health Investment Grant from the Ramaciotti Foundations to investigate the link between obesity, inflammation and cognition deficits. The aim of the study is to determine whether therapies that improve cognition, when used with behavioural weight loss programs, are more effective at reducing obesity and improving cognition than the behavioural programs alone.

From acute to chronic pain (PDF File 64.6 KB) (opens in a new window)
Mr Wei-Ju Chang from the School of Science and Health has been awarded a Postgraduate Scholarship from the National Health and Medical Research Council to study the transition from acute to chronic low back pain. His PhD research is supervised under the direction of Dr Siobhan Schabrun and Dr Matt Liston from Western Sydney University and Dr James McAuley from UNSW.

Evaluating the FIFA 11+ program (PDF File 92.7 KB) (opens in a new window)
Associate Professor Jason Siegler, Dr Richard Lovell and Dr Paul Marshall from the School of Science and Health have partnered with WorkCover NSW to examine the optimal implementation of the FIFA 11+ injury prevention program in training sessions. The outcome of this research has the potential to contribute to our understanding and prevention of hamstring injuries as well as determining the usefulness of the FIFA 11+ program as a warm-up routine for young soccer players.

The genetic diversity of fig trees (PDF File 122.7 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Paul Rymer, Professor James Cook and Dr Jane DeGabriel from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment have been granted funding from Australian Flora Foundation Inc to characterize the genetic variation amongst Moreton Bay fig trees. The findings will inform land managers efforts to conserve local and regional biodiversity in this important species.

Putting carbon nanotubes through their paces (PDF File 118.9 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Yang Xiang and Dr Qinghua Zeng from the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics have received funding to investigate the properties of carbon nanotubes when added to other materials to improve their strength. This research is funded by the Australian Research Council through its Discovery Projects scheme.

Unlocking the secrets of the koala (PDF File 279.9 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Ben Moore from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment together with Professor William Foley from the Australian National University and Professor Phillip Hugenholtz from the University of Queensland have put together an international team of scientists to increase our understanding about the health of one of Australia’s most iconic animals – the koala.

Supporting the wellbeing of individuals with intellectual disability: An Australian evaluation of trauma-informed practice (PDF File 215.9 KB) (opens in a new window)
Associate Professor Tonia Gray and Dr Danielle Tracey from the Centre for Educational Research have received funding from the Department of Family and Community Services to investigate the impact of a new framework for supporting Australians with an intellectual disability.