As non-surgical cosmetic procedures grow in popularity, accessibility and affordability, new Griffith University research has created two new measures to assess people’s attitudes and motivations towards cosmetic procedures.
In 2024, more than 20 million non-surgical procedures were conducted globally, which was 8.5 million more than the yearly total in 2015.
PhD Candidate Grace Barker
PhD Candidate from Griffith’s School of Applied Psychology, Grace Barker, said the two new measures were needed as non-surgical treatments had become much more common, and attitudes towards them may differ from attitudes towards surgery.
“Additionally, non-surgical procedures may involve different perceptions of risk, reversibility, accessibility and normalisation,” Miss Barker said.
“By measuring these attitudes separately, the study aimed to better understand how people think and feel about each type of cosmetic procedure, both surgical and non-surgical.”
The study investigated surgical cosmetic procedures such as rhinoplasty, breast augmentation and face lifts, and also non-surgical procedures where the skin may be pierced rather than cut, such as botox and filler injections.
The assessment tool measured attitudes, which were formed by beliefs and evaluations toward an object, behaviour or person.
Dr Veya Seekis
The tool comprised intrapersonal considerations including self-esteem and confidence, plus interpersonal considerations such as forming bonds with others, and finally consideration of risk, cost and pain.
Co-author on the paper, Dr Veya Seekis, said the study involved 723 individuals identifying as women from Australia and internationally.
“Women were selected as the focus of the study because they are disproportionately exposed to appearance-related messaging across social and digital media environments,” Dr Seekis said.
“This is influenced by systemic pressures, societal expectations, and gendered appearance norms.
“Women also comprise the majority of cosmetic procedure patients globally, with the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimating 84 per cent of surgical and non-surgical procedure patients identify as women.”
Co-author, Professor Caroline Donovan, hoped the two new measures would help researchers gain a clearer and more detailed understanding of people’s attitudes towards cosmetic procedures as well as social factors which could shape and influence attitudes over time.
“Importantly, the scale focuses on an individual’s own views rather than broad or generalised opinions, allowing for a better understanding of personal differences,” she said.
“This improved insight may also support the development of more targeted prevention and intervention efforts, particularly for individuals who may be more vulnerable to appearance-related distress such as complex body image concerns of psychological conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder.”
The paper ‘Cosmetic procedure attitudes scale (CPAS): Development and validation’ has been published in Body Image.
Taiwanese biotechnology company Intelligene will set up a home base at Griffith University to work in partnership with researchers to potentially deliver new therapies for infectious diseases.
The partnership between Griffith’s Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics and Intelligene will see five Intelligene scientists based at Griffith to collaborate on commercial research, further enhancing the Gold Coast and Griffith’s capacity and capability to fast-track therapeutic candidates.
Professor Nigel McMillan
Professor Nigel McMillan said working with Intelligene will strengthen the Institute’s global biotechnology reputation while simultaneously expanding the development of gene-based treatments using RNA technology.
“The collaboration reflects Griffith’s investment in world-class facilities such as our PC3 labs which are designed for our researchers to safely study infectious agents and pathogens,” Professor McMillan said.
“By boosting our RNA technology, we can advance efforts to combat viral infections by creating vaccines which train the immune system to fight viruses that cause the flu and COVID.
“It presents a unique opportunity for our students to work on cutting-edge projects which will benefit the community for generations to come.”
Executive Director of the Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, Professor Paul Clarke said embedding a global biotech company at Griffith would accelerate the translation of research into real-world outcomes.
“Intelligene’s decision to base itself at the Institute is a strong endorsement of the world-class research capability we are building here on the Gold Coast and the great work at the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct,” he said.
“This partnership will accelerate innovation in RNA therapeutics while creating new opportunities for research collaboration, research translation, and global impact.”
CEO of Intelligene, Jerry Huang, said: “The company sees strong long-term opportunity in the region.”
“We are excited to establish our presence within the Institute and collaborate with Griffith University,” Mr Huang said.
“This expansion reflects our confidence in the region’s growing biotech ecosystem and its strength in RNA and extracellular vesicles research and development.”
An international team of scientists has documented, for the first time, humpback whales travelling between breeding grounds in eastern Australia and Brazil, crossing more than 14,000 kilometres of open ocean.
PhD Candidate Stephanie Stack collecting humpback whale photo-identification images in Australia. Credit: Pacific Whale Foundation
The findings set new records for the greatest distances ever confirmed between sightings of individual humpback whales anywhere in the world.
“Discoveries like this are only possible because of investment into long-term multi-decadal research programmes and international collaboration,” Griffith University Phd Candidate and co-lead author Stephanie Stack said.
“These whales were photographed decades apart, by different people, in opposite parts of the world, separated by two different oceans, and yet we can connect their journey.”
By comparing tens of thousands of photographs of whale tails, also known as ‘flukes’, the team identified two individual whales that had been photographed in both eastern Australia and Brazil.
One whale was first photographed in Hervey Bay, Queensland in 2007, and was seen again in the same area in 2013 before turning up off the coast of São Paulo, Brazil in 2019.
These two breeding grounds are separated by a minimum straight-line ocean distance of about 14,200km – roughly the distance from Sydney to London.
Because only the start and end points of the whale’s journey were documented, the actual route taken, and therefore the true distance swum, remains unknown.
The other whale was first photographed in 2003 at the Abrolhos Bank – Brazil’s main humpback whale nursery off the coast of Bahia – in a large, boisterous group of nine adults.
Twenty-two years later, in September 2025, it was spotted alone in Hervey Bay, Australia, representing a travel distance of 15,100km, making this the longest distance ever documented between sightings of the same individual humpback whale on record.
The study drew on 19,283 high-quality fluke photographs collected between 1984 and 2025 from eastern Australia and Latin America, contributed by both scientists and citizen scientists through the global platform Happywhale.
By running these photographs through an automated image-recognition algorithm, and then independently verifying every potential match by eye, the team found the two humpback whales that had been photographed in both regions.
“This kind of research highlights the value of citizen science. Every photo contributes to our understanding of whale biology and, in this case, helped uncover one of the most extreme movements ever recorded.”
The researchers said these findings highlighted these crossings were very rare: in more than four decades of data covering nearly 20,000 individual whales, only two such animals were found, representing just 0.01 per cent of identified individuals.
“Despite their rarity, these exchanges matter for the long-term health of whale populations,” Ms Stack said.
Tail fluke photograph taken in Hervey Bay, Queensland in 2007. This image was later matched to a photograph taken in Brazil in 2019 through the Happywhale photo-identification platform, confirming the same individual had been sighted in both locations— distinct breeding grounds separated by approximately 14,200 km. Credit: Pacific Whale Foundation
“Occasional individuals moving between distant breeding grounds can help maintain genetic diversity across populations and may even carry new song styles from one region to another – humpback whale songs are known to spread culturally across ocean basins, much like music trends in human populations.”
The team added these findings also supported what scientists called the ‘Southern Ocean Exchange’ hypothesis: the idea that humpback whales from different breeding populations occasionally met on shared Antarctic feeding grounds, and that some individuals then followed a different migration path home – ending up, perhaps for the rest of their lives, in an entirely new breeding region.
Climate-driven changes to the Southern Ocean, including shifts in sea ice and the distribution of Antarctic krill (the whale’s main prey), may be making such crossings more likely over time.
Griffith University researchers will partner with beverage manufacturer Suntory Oceania to perform critical research that aims to transform how we protect rivers, waterways and drinking water for future generations.
Suntory Oceania’s Swanbank site in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley.
The $1 million three-year partnership is Suntory’s largest local water commitment to date, reinforcing its goal to keep waterways healthy and return more water to nature than it uses across its operations.
Griffith University’s Australian Rivers Institute (ARI) researchers will examine how climate change has impacted Australia’s waterways and whether environmental ‘safe zones’ – Safe and Just Earth System Boundaries – hold true for protecting river and wetland health.
“Climate change is changing in unprecedented ways,” co-lead researcher Dr Ben Stewart-Koster said.
“We cannot keep making decisions the way we have in the past.
“An exciting aspect of this research is it will chart a course to incorporate these changing conditions into our natural resource planning.”
The research team will analyse global data to understand how altered rainfall patterns, floods and prolonged droughts are affecting water flows.
They will also examine the connections between land and water systems, and how these interactions impact the health of the water bodies.
These insights will help develop practical actions to keep water systems healthy and resilient.
“Around the world aquatic ecosystem health is declining. We need targeted actions to stop them from reaching critical tipping points, such as crossing Earth system boundaries, where their biodiversity and provision of nature’s benefits decline rapidly. Research like this provides a fantastic opportunity to guide ecological management to arrest that decline.”
Dr Liliana Pagliero, Australian Rivers Institute
The research will draw evidence from Suntory’s water replenishment work in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley – one of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions and a vital catchment for the Brisbane River.
Working with local landholders, Suntory is restoring waterways, improving soil health, and strengthening biodiversity to support the ecosystems that supply its new Queensland site.
These on-ground projects help secure the region’s water resilience and advance the company’s goal to replenish more water than it uses.
Suntory Beverage & Food Oceania CEO Dai Minato said: “For more than 125 years Suntory has been Growing for Good – inspiring the brilliance of life in harmony with people and nature.
Australian Rivers Institute Director Professor David Hamilton and Dr Liliana Pagliero.
“Our partnership with the Australian Rivers Institute continues that commitment.
“By working together, we can safeguard water for communities and for future generations.”
When the program concludes, ARI will apply its findings to model quality and quantity of water flows and establish refined ‘safe zones’ across Australia’s waterways.
This will pinpoint areas where catchment and river flow restoration can improve water quality and ecosystem health.
The research will also help inform policymakers in strengthening the long-term resilience of rivers and lakes, and the communities that depend on them.
The partnership also complements Suntory’s global Mizuiku water education program, newly launched in Australia in 2025, designed to teach primary school-aged students about the importance of water conservation.
“We are thrilled to partner with Suntory to conduct research with application to rivers, lakes and reservoirs locally and globally,” ARI Director Professor David Hamilton said.
“These systems are sentinels of what is happening in their catchments.
“They are the ‘canary in the coal mine’, ringing the alarm bell for where human activities and climate change are causing the greatest stress on our ecosystems.”
Image: Nick Ciner
The process of creating art can have huge benefits for individuals and communities.
Over three weekly sessions, a group of young men worked collaboratively to design and install the 7m x 3m mural in the gaming room at the centre.
Dr Simon Degroot, artist and Director of LiveArt at Griffith University, who led the project, said it was born out of a desire to give young men the opportunity to engage in artistic self-expression and build a sense of pride in their community.
Dr Joe Liang, Dr Simon Degroot and Associate Professor Tasha Riley
“Not all young men are drawn to traditional outlets like sport – art is a powerful alternative that deserves to be taken seriously and actively encouraged,” Dr Degroot said.
“Mural painting is surprisingly physical work, and that hands-on energy makes it a genuinely great outlet for young men who might not see themselves in more conventional creative spaces.
“As a male artist myself, I think it matters that young guys who are interested in art can look around and see themselves represented – both in the people leading these projects and on the walls of their own community.”
Associate Professor Tasha Riley, a collaborator on the project, encouraged discussions during the sessions and interviewed the participants about their experiences.
It was the first time some of the students had painted on such a large scale, and one 17-year-old participant said he was surprised to have enjoyed it so much.
“I found it really relaxing,” he said.
Image: Nick Ciner
“Through the collaborative process of painting, these young men appeared to feel more comfortable speaking about the social issues shaping their lives, including their experiences at school, peer relationships, social pressures, and social media, as well as the things they felt proud of,” Associate Professor Riley said.
“The arts can be a great facilitator for talking about things people have a hard time saying.”
Dr Joe Liang worked with the other researchers, bringing his expertise in promoting psychosocial well-being of vulnerable individuals and groups from a social work perspective.
“The workshop played a significant role in promoting a sense of belonging amongst the young men and was a step forward in increasing their participation in community,” Dr Liang said.
As demand for premium imported food continues to grow across Southeast Asia, Australian exporters are under increasing pressure to prove not only where their products come from, but why consumers should trust them. A major research initiative led by Griffith University is helping answer that challenge through a large-scale traceability project focused on trade between Australia and Vietnam.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)-funded project, Evaluation and resource development to advance Australian agriculture export traceability: A study of seafood and horticulture trade with Vietnam, has now entered its final phase following the successful completion of its three major research components: national consumer survey and auction experiment and the Pilot Demonstration Study studying traceability of Australian fresh fish and horticulture in a real time supply chain context.
Professor Robin E Roberts
Led by Robin Roberts, Principal Investigator and member of the Griffith Asia Institute, the project has brought together researchers, retailers and technology specialists to evaluate how traceability systems operate in real-world supply chains and influence consumer trust, engagement and purchasing behaviour.
Valued at $320,000 and running from 2024 to 2026, the study forms part of DAFF’s broader $3.9 million national initiative aimed at strengthening agricultural traceability and credentials across Southeast Asia. The Griffith-led research has focused specifically on high-value exports to Vietnam, including Murray Cod and premium horticultural products such as nectarines and cherries.
At the centre of the project is a simple question: can traceability strengthen Australia’s premium food export trade volumes to Vietnam?
According to Associate Professor Roberts, the answer is yes — but only if consumers understand what the technology is showing them.
“The project began with recognition that product authenticity is a global issue,” she explained. “It has focused on how data-enabled, evidence-based traceability can strengthen trust and support Australian agricultural export development in Vietnam.”
Vietnam’s rapidly expanding middle class has created strong demand for premium imported produce positioned as safe, authentic and high quality. Australia already enjoys a positive reputation in the region, but the research explored whether traceability could further reinforce that premium positioning.
The project involved interviews with Vietnamese retailers and consumers, alongside partnerships with premium retailers including Annam Gourmet and Klever Fruits. Researchers also conducted four major studies, including a national online survey of 1,500 consumers and an auction experiment designed to measure willingness to pay for traceable products.
Photo supplied.
The traceability system itself was highly detailed. Australian growers, freight operators and Vietnamese retailers uploaded supply chain information into dynamic QR codes that consumers could scan in-store. The system allowed shoppers to see when fruit was packed, when it was transported to Vietnam and when it arrived on retail shelves.
Yet one of the project’s most important findings was that technology alone does not automatically create consumer trust.
“What we found was that simply saying ‘scan here to find out where your fruit is from’ doesn’t cut it,” Associate Professor Roberts said. “QR codes alone are not enough.”
Instead, the research revealed a gap between supply-chain investment and consumer understanding. When consumers were actively guided through how and why to use the traceability system, engagement and trust increased significantly.
The auction experiments showed consumers were willing to pay a premium for products when traceability information was clearly explained and verified at the point of purchase. Retailer reputation, visible quality and country of origin remained key drivers of trust, but traceability strengthened those perceptions when presented in a meaningful way.
The project has also highlighted the importance of collaboration across academia, industry and government. Partners have included Flinders University, TraceVerified, Beak Analytics, Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod, Cherry Hill Orchards and Montague Farms.
As final analysis and reporting now get underway, the project is expected to deliver important insights for Australian producers, exporters and policymakers seeking to strengthen trade relationships in Southeast Asia’s premium food markets.
For Griffith Asia Institute, the initiative demonstrates the growing role of applied research in solving practical international trade challenges. By combining technical innovation with consumer behaviour insights, the project is helping build more transparent, trusted and resilient agricultural supply chains between Australia and Vietnam.
Malaria is a deadly disease killing more than half a million people every year, but a new vaccine is showing promise as it not only offers long-lasting strong protection but also inhibits transmission of malaria by mosquitos.
The vaccine, developed using an animal model, is predicted to be low cost and its cold-chain independence strongly enhances its deployability.
Professor Bernd Rehm
Professor Bernd Rehm, Director of the Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers within Griffith University’s Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, and his team led the development of a next-generation malaria vaccine.
“Existing vaccines offer only partial and short-lived protection and are difficult to distribute across the globe as they require strict refrigeration,” Professor Rehm said.
“The difference with our vaccine is that not only does it not require refrigeration, but it also takes a different approach when targeting the malaria parasite.
“It attacks two critical stages at once – before infection and during transmission by stopping the parasite from reaching and infecting the liver, and also by preventing parasites from developing inside mosquitoes and spreading to others.”
The vaccine works by using tiny, safe particles made by engineered bacteria.
The particles acted like a scaffold which displayed key malaria proteins on their surface, training the immune system to recognise and destroy the parasite.
The dual-target strategy gave the immune system more ways to fight malaria and reduced the chance of the parasite escaping from the mosquito into the human body.
Results showed the vaccine reduced malaria infection in the liver by up to 80 per cent, completely protected one in four from developing malaria, produced antibody levels well above those needed for protection, and strongly reduced parasite transmission by mosquitoes by around two-thirds.
Furthermore, the vaccine offered immunity protection for at least six months, exceeding the longevity of many existing malaria vaccine candidates.
Lead author on the research paper, Dr Nivethika Sivakumaran, said: “One of the biggest challenges in malaria-affected regions is keeping vaccines cold and viable while in storage, and during transportation.”
Co-author Dr Shuxiong Chen said: “This new vaccine remains stable and effective for at least a month in 37°C degree weather, drastically improving access to rural and remote areas.”
The paper ‘Robust bioconjugated antigens induce immune responses preventing malaria infection and its transmission’ has been published in Small.
A new Griffith University spin-out company called Flo Axiom has been established to develop innovative technology to make medicines for cancer treatments, vaccines, and immune therapies easier and more affordable to produce.
Based on research led by Professor Bernd Rehm and Dr Stefanie Buchholz from Griffith’s Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, and with investment from biotech company creator Proto Axiom, the spin-out will focus on improving one of the most important steps in how these medicines are made.
Many modern medicines, known as biologics, are produced by living cells, however, once they are made, they must be carefully separated from everything else in the cell before they can be safely used in patients.
Professor Bernd Rehm
Professor Rehm said: “This step is both complex and expensive as specialised materials are used that act like a fishing net, catching the medicine we want while letting everything else wash away.”
“We’re developing new materials which can do this faster and more efficiently, which could help lower the cost of producing these medicines.”
Biological medicines were used to treat a wide range of serious and chronic conditions.
Dr Stefanie Buchholz said the work being done by Flo Axiom would have potential positive implications for many diseases such as breast cancer, lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis, COVID-19 and multiple sclerosis.
Dr Stefanie Buchholz
“If we reduce manufacturing costs and speed up production, it means more people can access these life-saving treatments when they need them,” she said.
“It also opens the door to developing and manufacturing new medicines, especially for rare diseases where high costs often make it more difficult to invest.”
CEO of Flo Axiom and Operating Partner at Proto Axiom Anthony Haddad said: “At Proto Axiom, we focus on identifying research with clear commercial application and building companies around it.”
“Flo Axiom reflects that model, with a clear pathway to more efficient and scalable manufacturing operations that can be developed and deployed from Australia.”
Inventing, developing and commercialising new biomedical technologies is the core mission of the Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics to improve the health of communities globally.
Professor Rehm’s research team received $540,000 in funding from the Australian Research Council and $500,000 from the Australian Economic Accelerator program to conduct critical research and development activities enabling formation of the spin-out company, Flo Axiom.
From long‑distance transport to chemical preservatives, most cut flowers come with a hidden environmental cost – something a new Griffith University experiment aims to rethink.
Griffith researchers used atmospheric plasma to extend the life of cut flowers, building on existing work in agriculture, seed treatment and food preservation.
The team used three sets of flowers – roses, gerberas and dahlias – and separated them into five different test groups, ranging from no treatment to full treatment with atmospheric plasma, and monitored them over a two-week period.
Day one of the experiment to treat cut flowers – including gerberas, roses and dahlias – with atmospheric plasma. The team split the flowers into five groups, from no treatment to full treatment with plasma.
At the end of the experiment, the team found the plasma-treated flower bunches had largely maintained their colour and freshness.
“Our exploration to discover whether atmospheric plasma – a technology already used in medicine and agriculture – could extend the life of cut flowers without chemicals has shown positive results,” Dr Maksym Rybachuk said.
“Most cut flowers sold in Australia are imported and chemically treated, creating environmental and supply‑chain impacts; this research explores a cleaner, chemical-free alternative to traditional flower preservatives, offering a more sustainable approach.”
Dr Maksym Rybachuk
Plasma is an energised state of gas that can neutralise bacteria and pathogens without chemicals, already used in medicine and agriculture.
While plasma has been studied for wound treatment, seed germination and food preservation, this was one of the first applications focused on cut flowers.
“The flowers used in the experiment were sourced locally and untreated, and were then exposed to plasma, flower food, or plain water as controls,” Dr Garland said.
“We then monitored the changes daily, including weight loss, water uptake, colour and physical decline.
“It was wonderful to see the flower integrity of the plasma-treated bunches maintained at the end of the experiment.”
Following this initial success, the team is hopeful of expanding the project into native species, seeds and other delicate biological materials, and providing a chemical-free alternative for flower preservation for the floristry industry.
Virtual tourism is evolving alongside traditional travel, creating hybrid tourism experiences that combine physical and digital worlds. Researchers at the Griffith Institute for Tourism are exploring how this shift can support more sustainable, accessible and regenerative tourism models.
Professor James Higham
Leading this work is James Higham, Distinguished Professor and Climate Change Action Cluster Co-Leader, whose latest international research project investigates how immersive technologies can complement rather than replace travel.
“This opportunity is not substitution – it is integration,” Professor Higham said.
His research explores how virtual and in-person experiences can work together to create a “between worlds” tourism model that expands access to destinations while reducing pressure on fragile, remote and culturally sensitive environments.
Professor Higham is part of a five-year New Zealand research collaboration, He karapitipitinga mariko – immersive regenerative tourism experiences in Aotearoa, funded through the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Endeavour Programme. The project brings together Indigenous studies, computing and tourism researchers to explore how extended reality technologies can reshape the visitor economy.
One innovation emerging from this work is Tōka Whānau, a digital marae platform enabling Māori living overseas to stay connected with their communities when physical return is not possible.
Running from 2024 to 2028, the project aims to support a more resilient, low-carbon tourism industry grounded in local aspirations and regional identity. Researchers are working closely with tourism operators, communities and policy-makers to develop immersive experiences that reflect local cultural values and community priorities.
“Delivering traveller experiences between physical and virtual worlds requires more than technology – it requires collaboration grounded in place.”
Professor James Higham
Co-designed with place and community at the centre
PhD students Lisa Loehr and Briana Yue Liu removing invasive exotic gorse to encourage native regeneration (Dunedin) and the Kiwi conservation project (South Westland).
“At the heart of our research programme are partnerships,” Professor Higham said. “The project embeds local communities, tourism operators and destination managers, in partnership with world-leading researchers.”
The research comes at a time when the tourism sector is facing growing pressure to reduce emissions, meet sustainability expectations and respond to workforce shortages, while also creating opportunities for new low-impact tourism markets and more accessible visitor experiences.
Through a Living Labs approach, this project is embedding innovation in communities, where new experiences are co-designed with tourism operators, Indigenous knowledge holders, and policy-makers to explore the possibilities of immersive experiences.
“This ensures both physical and virtual expressions of place reflect local values, cultural protocols and community aspirations, not just technological capability.”
Professor James Higham
Meet James in person, at the upcoming Industry Showcase
Register now to hear from James and other world-leading tourism researchers from Griffith Institute for Tourism, at their upcoming Industry Showcase, “Better Tourism Brighter Futures” on Tuesday 26 May 2026 2:00-4:00pm, online or in-person, South Bank Campus, Brisbane.
If attending in person, stay on to enjoy industry networking from 4:00-5:00pm.
Further updates on the regenerative tourism experiences project can also be explored through Professor Higham’s fortnightly Checking In podcast, now in its third year, where he shares research-informed perspectives on sustainable tourism and global tourism transformation.
To read the full Tourism Research News article, visit the Griffith Institute for Tourism LinkedIn eNewsletter. Subscribe for free regular eNews updates, to stay informed.
