Dr Soniya Yambem
Queensland University of Technology Research Field: Bioelectronics Imagine a prosthetic hand that functions like a real hand – think of Luke Skywalker’s hand in Star Wars. This would require seamless integration of electronics with the biological world and very effective communication between the brain and the integrated electronics. Soniya Yambem is a device physicist with…
Read More »Dr Adam Taylor
Griffith University Research Field: Virology, vaccine Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne virus that has emerged as a major global human pathogen, causing explosive outbreaks of debilitating and sometimes fatal disease. Worldwide, CHIKV affects 3.4% of the population each year with no vaccine currently available. Dr Taylor’s research has shown that disrupting the movement of…
Read More »Dr Amanda Rebar
Central Queensland University Research Field: Psychology, Behaviour, Habits Why do people do what they do instead of doing what they should? Amanda Rebar aims to understand motivation and habits – the drivers behind at least half of our behavioural choices. With strong partnerships with community and industry, Amanda has applied behaviour change science to help…
Read More »A/Prof Divya Mehta
Queensland University of Technology Research Field: Mental Health, Stress Over 45% of Australians (11 million people) experience a mental disorder during their life. Stress affects everyone, but a key question is – why do we all respond differently to stress? Dr Divya Mehta studies Australian students, veterans and emergency responders to investigate why people react differently…
Read More »Dr Aideen McInerney-Leo
University of Queensland Research Field: Genetics, Cancer Cancer is caused when new genetic changes occur in a group of cells. Genomic testing of cancers provides valuable information about diagnosis, prognosis and treatments. However, this testing is new and complex, and both cancer clinicians and patients have low confidence in their ability to understand genomic tests,…
Read More »Dr Hayley Letson
James Cook University Research Field: Trauma, Injury Traumatic injury is responsible for 10% of deaths worldwide every year and is the leading cause of death among people under 45-years. Importantly, up to half of these deaths occur before the patient reaches hospital. Time is the killer. There is an urgent unmet need for improved treatments…
Read More »Dr Adam Frew
University of Southern Queensland Research Field: Ecology Mitigating the damage caused by insect herbivores to crop plants represents a significant challenge as we work to maintain food production for a growing population. A reliance on synthetic pesticides is unsustainable due to their negative environmental impacts, their expense and increasing restrictions on their use. Most crops…
Read More »Dr David Flannery
Queensland University of Technology Research Field: Astrobiology Does life exist elsewhere in our solar system, our galaxy, and beyond? Dr David Flannery aims to find out! While the Earth is the only habitable planet in our solar system today, it is likely that the Earth, Venus and Mars were all habitable billions of years ago. …
Read More »Dr Yaqoot Fatima
University of Queensland / James Cook University Research Field: Sleep Health, Sleep Epidemiology Despite the established success of sleep health programs in reducing the risk and severity of mental health issues, evidence-based interventions to improve the sleep health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are non-existent. Mainstream programs that fail to recognise the strengths…
Read More »Dr Laura Diamond
Griffith University Research Field: Biomedical Engineering, Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis has a significant negative effect on quality of life and often causes pain and dysfunction during walking. Non-surgical and non-drug interventions are recommended, but often fail to achieve satisfactory symptom relief and rarely lend themselves to patient self-management. Dr Diamond’s biomechanics research has proven people with hip…
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