Dr Michelle Tate
Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University Research Field: Innate Immunity & Infectious Diseases Every year, 5-10% of our community will be infected with influenza and become sick with flu. When we have a severe flu season, this can reach 30-50%. The influenza virus can mutate very easily, which makes preventing infection with effective vaccines…
Read More »Dr Nishar Hameed
Swinburne University of Technology Research Field: Materials Science & Engineering Carbon fibre composites are stronger than steel and lighter than aluminium, and as such have potential to significantly reduce vehicle weight, which would significantly reduce fuel requirements of those vehicles. These high-end composites are not currently cost-effective, or produced at a high enough rate for…
Read More »Dr Megan Lim
Burnet Institute Research Field: Public Health The emergence and expansion of mobile phone technologies and social networking sites has revolutionised how young people communicate. The impacts of the rapid social changes brought about by this new media are poorly understood. Dr Lim’s research aims to understand the impact of these new technologies on young people’s…
Read More »Dr Bianca Brijnath
National Ageing Research Institute Research Field: Mental Health, Culture Timely diagnosis of depression and dementia can positively affect older people and their families, yet timely diagnosis of both conditions remains a challenge among older Australian migrants. Dr Brijnath’s research has identified key barriers to getting timely diagnoses for these groups, including language barriers, stigma, issues…
Read More »Dr Erin McGillick
Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University Research Field: Neonatology/Obstetrics & Gynaecology In Australia, 1 in 5 babies need assistance to successfully make the transition from fetal to newborn life, including breathing interventions. There is a need to identify the safest and most effective treatments to improve newborn lung function in babies born too soon…
Read More »Dr Gemma Sharp
Monash University Research Field: Psychology and Medicine Body image issues have increased worldwide in the last few decades, and are affecting people of all ages. To try to fulfil the “ideal” body type, we may restrict the amount we eat, start going to the gym every day or even consider cosmetic surgery. Surprisingly, labiaplasty was…
Read More »Dr Andy Casey
Monash University Research Field: Astrophysics & Statistics Stars live for billions of years, and they can travel huge distances during their lifetime. This can make it difficult to understand the history of our galaxy, because we don’t know where stars were formed or how they have moved through the galaxy. Dr Casey’s research uses high-resolution…
Read More »Dr Kathryn Backholer
Deakin University Research Field: Nutritional Epidemiology & Public Health We cannot tackle disease and death without tackling food; poor diet is the number one risk or disease burden both in Australia, and globally. The influence of an unhealthy diet is worse for the poor and socially disadvantaged, in Australia the poor can expect to live…
Read More »Dr Roslyn Hickson
University of Melbourne Research Field: Applied Mathematics Infectious diseases can spread rapidly throughout communities, and in an increasingly interconnected world, a local outbreak in one country can easily spread across national borders. Understanding how diseases spread can help people control outbreaks, and Dr Hickson has worked on models to inform how to best control diseases….
Read More »Dr Scott Griffiths
University of Melbourne Research Field: Psychology Eating disorders are a debilitating and potentially lethal category of psychiatric illness. However, an intrinsic assumption in theories of eating disorders is that the attitudes and behaviours that characterise these illnesses are geared toward the pursuit of thinness, rather than muscularity. Dr Griffith’s research on the new psychiatric disorders…
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