Dr Tamara Davis
Astrophysics, The University of Queensland 2011 Queensland Young Tall Poppy of the Year Dr Davis’ research uses supernovae (exploding stars) to trace the expansion history of the universe, and measure how galaxies grow from the primeval soup that was the hot, dense early universe. She is testing the fundamental laws of physics, like Einstein’s theory…
Read More »Associate Professor Matthew Davis
Physics of Ultra-Cold Quantum Gases, The University of Queensland In the last fifteen years the trapping and cooling of tiny samples of gases down to temperatures a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero has become routine. Under these extreme conditions a new state of matter known as a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) may form. Associate…
Read More »Dr Corneel Vandelanotte
Population health / Health Promotion, Central Queensland University Dr Vandelanotte’s research is focused on finding effective and innovative methods to increase physical activity in large numbers of Australians at a low cost. He has designed and evaluated several innovative website-delivered physical activity interventions. Corneel is investigating three novel approaches to evaluate long-term physical activity improvements: computer-tailored…
Read More »Dr Erik Streed
Quantum Physics, Griffith University Dr Streed’s work focuses on building optics to get information into and out of single atoms in a quantum computer. Quantum computing offers revolutionary solutions to the limitations of current computers by taking advantage of quantum physics. At the level of a few atoms the classic laws of physics stop working and…
Read More »Dr Kristy Vernon
Optics, Plasmonics and Nanoparticles, Queensland University of Technology Dr Vernon’s research is in plasmonics, the study of the interaction of light with metallic nanostructures. By using a variety of metals of different shapes and sizes, we can make all the colours of the rainbow. Nanostructures are finding applications in environmental sensing, information processing and health. Nanoparticles…
Read More »Dr Mariana Fuentes
Conservation planning, Marine Biology, James Cook University – ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Dr Fuentes’ broad scientific interest lies in the conservation and management of threatened marine mega-fauna in a changing climate, spatial risk assessments for conservation and management planning, and the impacts of environmental change on threatened species. She has specifically…
Read More »Dr Natalie Ban
Marine Conservation, James Cook University – ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Dr Ban explores how conservation planning can be improved to protect biodiversity while minimizing impacts on humans. Realising that the marine environment is not static, Natalie’s research is innovative because it incorporates patch dynamics into conservation planning. A further challenge is that…
Read More »Dr Siobhan Schabrun
Brain plasticity and Rehabilitation, The University of Queensland In the last few decades, researchers have discovered that the brain is able to change or ‘rewire’ throughout life. This rewiring includes the creation of new connections between brain cells, strengthening important, commonly used connections and removal of inefficient or unused connections, known as plasticity. Using powerful non-invasive…
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