Research Success

Keeping kids in school through experiential learning (PDF File 261.7 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Chwee Beng Lee, along with Mark Smith and Paul Borodin from Lomandra School in NSW, has been granted funding through the Research Partnerships Program to investigate the benefits of using both experiential learning and an integrated curriculum in a school with unique challenges.

Musical health: Understanding the neurophysiology of group music (PDF File 255.5 KB) (opens in a new window)
Associate Professor Peter Keller from the MARCS Institute has been awarded Australian Research Council Future Fellowships funding to investigate the underlying neurological mechanisms of group music creations and behaviour, which may have major implications for health treatments.

Opening Your Mind (PDF File 505.5 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor André van Schaik and Dr Runchun Wang from the Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience Research Program in the MARCS Institute will develop a platform to replicate functions of the brain and share it with researchers across the world. This project is funded by the Australian Research Council through its Discovery Projects scheme.

Motherhood and fertility planning among young Aboriginal mothers (PDF File 183.6 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Jane Ussher and Professor Janette Perz from the School of Medicine, and Cate Osborn from Gunawirra Ltd, have been awarded Research Partnerships Program funding to examine the construction and experience of motherhood of young Aboriginal women attending an early intervention program for Indigenous mothers and babies.

Recovering creativity: Understanding the role of art in mental health recovery (PDF File 189.2 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Sheridan Linnell and Associate Professor Debbie Horsfall of the School of Social Sciences and Psychology have received Research Partnerships Program funding to investigate the role of art in mental health recovery. The project is a partnership with RichmondPRA.

Watching, waiting for healthy hearing (PDF File 99.8 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professors Jennifer Reath and Wendy Hu, and Dr Penelope Abbott of the School of Medicine, with A/Professor Federico Girosi of the Centre for Health Research and research partners are investigating ways to manage ear infections in urban Aboriginal Children. This NHMRC funded project will compare a 'watchful waiting approach' used for non-Aboriginal Children with the immediate use of antibiotics recommended for Aboriginal Children living in remote areas.

Australian Cultural Fields (PDF File 209.3 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Tony Bennett of the Institute for Culture and Society, together with an international team, is examining the forces changing the production and consumption of contemporary Australian culture. This interdisciplinary project is funded by the Australian Research Council through its Discovery Projects grant scheme.

Understanding the impact of human induced environmental changes on the decline of the Murray River turtle (PDF File 120.6 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Ricky Spencer of the School of Science and Health and Tim Barlow of Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority have been awarded $25,000 in UWS Partnership funding to investigate the ecological function of turtles in the Murray River and the impact their potential extinction would have on the structure of local food webs.

Start making sense (PDF File 95.0 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Anthony Uhlmann of the Writing and Society Research Centre with Professor Nicholas Jose of the University of Adelaide and Professor Bruno Clément of the University of Paris 8 are examining the fiction of the Nobel Prize winning South African-Australian novelist J.M. Coetzee. This project is supported by the Australian Research Council's Discovery Projects scheme.

Mysterious sugarcane conditions (PDF File 393.7 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Brajesh Singh and Dr Pankaj Trivedi of the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment are leading a team of researchers to investigate Yellow Canopy Syndrome in sugarcane. This project is supported by Sugar Research Australia Limited. The UWS research team includes Professor Ian Anderson, Associate Professor Paul Holford, Dr Amit Khachane and Dr Jasmine Grinyer.

Low back pain – is it all in your brain? (PDF File 151.3 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Siobhan Schabrun of the School of Science and Health, together with an international team of researchers, has been awarded an NHMRC Project Grant to investigate how the brain is altered with persistent low back pain.

What are the mechanisms of drought tolerance in plants? (PDF File 228.5 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Zhong-Hua Chen of the School of Science and Health has been awarded a prestigious Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) to investigate the effects of drought on photosynthesis and stomatal behaviour of plants under stress.

Residential Property Investment (PDF File 256.2 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Graeme Newell and Dr Chyi Lin Lee of the School of Business, along with Dr Valerie Kupke of the University of South Australia are investigating ways to meet Australia's housing needs. This project is funded by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).

Protecting cotton from insect pest attack (PDF File 83.7 KB) (opens in a new window)
Associate Professor Robert Spooner-Hart from the School of Science and Health, together with a team of researchers, has received funding to identify and develop novel botanical insecticides for use in the cotton industry. This 5-year project is being supported by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC).

Platform Urbanism (PDF File 173.8 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Sarah Barns of the Institute for Culture and Society is examining the role of technology, government data and citizen participation as a platform for urban innovation and development. This project is funded by the Urban Studies Foundation through their Fellowship Postdoctoral Research Fellowship scheme.