Two Griffith Business School researchers say Aotearoa New Zealand is entering a pivotal moment in reimagining tourism, following a nine-day, 2,400-kilometre research trip across the South Island as part of the MBIE-funded project He karapitipitinga mariko – Immersive regenerative tourism experiences in Aotearoa.
Griffith PhD candidates Lisa Marie Loehr and Yue Liu joined research partners across four regions to explore how immersive technologies and local knowledge could help create more sustainable, community-led visitor experiences.
“We have to be brave enough to change the paradigm we’re working with,” Ms Loehr said.
“Tourism can no longer be about the relentless pursuit of growth — it must be about designing a system that strengthens communities, culture and the environment.”
Between 2024 and 2025, New Zealand welcomed an estimated 3.41 million international visitors, but the researchers say the post-pandemic landscape has accelerated calls for a “tourism reset”. Workshops with operators, iwi and community groups revealed strong enthusiasm for new models that blend in-person and virtual experiences while ensuring benefits stay local.
“Everywhere we went, people shared their aspirations for a regenerative tourism future,” Ms Liu said.
“What stood out was the importance of partnership — listening first, observing, and only then speaking. That approach is essential for designing solutions that genuinely reflect place-based needs.”
9 days, 5 locations, 4 workshops, and 1 great team
Within the MBIE research programme, the team began to build its collaboration with operators, iwi, communities and destination managers to reimagine South Westland tourism and co-create a regenerative future. Discussions focused on:
Co-creation: collaboration across agencies, iwi, communities, politics, visitors, academia and environmental capacities
Locally defined priorities: immersive technologies as tools for shaping tourist stewardship
Measurable outcomes: defining “regeneration” and metrics beyond economic outcomes
The first ‘Living Lab’ explored aspirations for a resilient, knowledge-intensive and low-carbon tourism system, providing a critical step for ongoing research.
A stay at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff offered a powerful experience of manaakitanga, hosting the first ‘All-Team Meeting’ and reinforcing the central role of Māori worldviews in shaping regenerative models.The visit also provided significant professional insights. “Relationship-building, reflection and continuous engagement are crucial,” Ms Loehr said. “Data sovereignty and protecting local knowledge must sit at the centre of our work.”
Loehr and Liu will continue developing their research through a summer program at the University of Otago, strengthening their understanding of Māori knowledge systems before returning to work with communities on technology-supported regenerative tourism solutions.
As Ms Liu reflected, “Aotearoa showed us its full richness — from snowy peaks to glacier valleys to the warmth of shared kai. The experience has set a powerful foundation for long-term collaboration.”
Hei konā mai.
Griffith University has launched a landmark three-year research project in conjunction with Swimming Australia that aims to transform how Australia understands and engages with its swimming population.
A/Prof Popi Sotiriadou
Led by Associate Professor Popi Sotiriadou (Chief Investigator) with Dr Wayne Usher (Co-Investigator), the study is being delivered in close partnership with swimming’s national body Swimming Australia, marking one of the most significant collaborations between academia and a national sporting organisation in recent years.
Although swimming is Australia’s most participated-in sport, with more than 4.4 million people taking part, more than 90% of these swimmers fall outside traditional club structures.
This makes their motivations, behaviours, and barriers largely foreign to national policy, program design, and strategic planning. Under Popi’s leadership, this project takes a new approach to uncovering those stories and closing the gap between formal membership data and the lived reality of all our swimmers.
The study uses a phased, mixed-method design: large-scale demographic profiling in Year 1, qualitative exploration of lived experiences in Year 2, and real-world ethnographic observation in Year 3.
Together, these stages will generate the first comprehensive national picture of both member and non-member swimmers, enabling Swimming Australia to design more inclusive programs, strengthen participation pathways, and improve long-term retention.
This partnership reflects Swimming Australia’s commitment to becoming a more inclusive, data-driven, and community-connected organisation. It also showcases Griffith University’s leadership in sport management research and its ongoing contribution to national sport policy, water safety/education and community wellbeing.
Popi’s vision positions this project as a foundation for lasting, evidence-based change, ensuring every swimmer in Australia is seen, understood, and supported.
“We’re excited to partner with Griffith University to deepen our understanding of swimmers across the full participation spectrum. As Australians become more selective in their sport and physical activity choices, it’s essential that we truly understand our participants.”
CEO of Swimming Australia Rob Woodhouse.
Rob Woodhouse
Swimming Australia is eager to gain clearer insight into emerging and alternative ways people are engaging with swimming. “Working with a leading research institution like Griffith University gives us the confidence to share robust insights with our member organisations and the broader swimming community, ultimately strengthening the participant experience and supporting the health and wellbeing of all Australians,” Rob Woodhouse said.
“The data and knowledge generated through this project will underpin future work within the Swim Well Strategy and play a critical role in driving our current Sport Growth Action Plan.”
This project strengthens communities, creating healthier, safer, more connected Australians through one of our nation’s most important lifelong activities, and it cements Griffith University’s leadership in national sport and community research, driving evidence that will shape safer aquatic environments, stronger participation pathways, and healthier communities across Australia.
Griffith Business School has reaffirmed its position as a national research leader, with the latest edition of The Australian Research Magazine recognising the School as Australia’s leading institution in Marketing, Tourism & Hospitality, and Strategic Management.
The prestigious rankings highlight outstanding performance across the past five years, based on a methodology that considers top-tier research publications, citation impact and research volume. The School’s discipline of Marketing maintained the top national position having held it in 2022, 2024 and 2025, while Tourism & Hospitality secured the #1 spot for the second consecutive year. The School also celebrates #1 in Strategic Management, marking excellence in research shaping real-world business transformation.
Griffith Business School Dean (Research), Professor Christopher Fleming said the results speak to the depth and breadth of the research undertaken in pursuit of the School’s vision to create a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable future for all.
“These rankings recognise much more than academic output, they reflect research that empowers industry, informs policy and creates real social and economic outcomes. Behind every publication is a team of scholars, partners and PhD candidates working to solve the most pressing challenges facing business and society. I am immensely proud of our research community and the impact they are making nationally and globally.”
Australia’s top researcher in Marketing
Associate Professor Sara Thaichon
Among this year’s standout achievements, Associate Professor Sara Thaichon has been named Australia’s leading researcher in Marketing, acknowledging her pioneering work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital consumer relationships and ethical technology use.
Her current Australian Research Council-funded project investigates the influence of virtual influencers and AI-generated personas on young Australians, with a focus on wellbeing, self-image and digital literacy.
Speaking about her work, Associate Professor Thaichon said,
“We are living in an era where AI and digital platforms shape how people make decisions, connect with brands, and understand themselves. My goal is to ensure these technologies support wellbeing rather than compromise it. By collaborating with industry and policymakers, we can build responsible digital environments that protect users while enabling innovation.”
Tourism research enabling community transformation
The magazine also showcases the impact of the School’s tourism expertise, recognising the work of Associate Professor Brent Moyle, whose research focuses on sustainable economic development in regional and remote communities through tourism.
His projects have supported the establishment of culturally and environmentally significant tourism attractions across Australia.
About the rankings
The Australian Research Magazine 2026 identifies the nation’s top 250 researchers and top performing institutions, using publicly available data to evaluate excellence across eight years of publication and citation analysis. The ranking framework highlights areas of national significance and recognises exceptional pockets of capability that contribute to Australia’s research future.
In an Australian-first, researchers have been able to map inflammatory pathways and genetic signatures in Australian veterans who have been diagnosed with Gulf War Illness (GWI).
The study, led by Griffith University’s National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED), uncovered immune gene activity, offering new insights, additional evidence and fresh hope for veterans.
GWI effects up to one-third of veterans deployed during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, with the illness causing debilitating symptoms such as chronic fatigue, pain, brain fog, and sleep disturbances.
Despite decades of research, the biological mechanisms of this condition remain elusive.
Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik
NCNED Director Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik said the research involved the use of cutting-edge NanoString transcriptomic technology to analyse the expression of immune-related genes in blood samples from Australians with GWI.
“Research into the pathomechanism of GWI is limited in Australian cohorts,” Professor Marshall-Gradisnik said.
“Ongoing research in this area is critical to improve health outcomes for many Australian veterans living with GWI.
“Our team is dedicated to using multidisciplinary and innovative technologies to enhance our understanding of GWI.”
Dr Natalie Eaton-Fitch
This novel study identified 33 significant gene changes pointing to chronic inflammation and immune activation perhaps decades after the exposures reported during the Gulf War.
First author, Dr Natalie Eaton-Fitch, said the findings marked a path forward for future research into biomarker identification and targeted treatment development.
“The study underscores the urgent need for large-scale investigations to validate potential biomarkers and explore therapeutic interventions,” Dr Eaton-Fitch said.
“With no current diagnostic test or approved treatment for GWI, this research offers additional breakthroughs in this area.”
About 170 years ago a large bundle of stone tools was deliberately buried close to a waterhole in the hard dirt of the remote outback.
Who buried them and for what purpose? Why were they never retrieved?
Archaeologists from Griffith University, who discovered the hoard, believe they are evidence of planning and trade by those that stashed them.
The research team spotted a handful of stones poking out of the soil in an area just north of the town of Boulia, Central West Queensland.
After investigating further, they discovered a pile of 60 large Aboriginal stone “tulas”, special flaked stone tools that were hafted onto a handle and used for woodworking.
‘Tulas’ were hafted onto a handle to form a useful woodworking implement
They were important tools, used across most of the continent to make objects such as boomerangs, wooden coolamon dishes, shields and clapsticks.
“This region’s climate is harsh.” Dr Perston said.
“Even while we were excavating, bushfires raged to the north, preventing some of the team from joining us.
Once we found the cache, we knew were in a race against time to recover the tools before they were washed away in the next flood”.
Excavating the cache
The team used scientific methods to analyse the tools, working closely with the Pitta Pitta, who hold Native Title for the area where the collection was found.
“Innovation and connection helped the Pitta Pitta people survive the region’s harsh climates.
If they could not find resources locally, they bartered along vast trade routes.
It’s possible this cache was a bundle of specially-made artefacts that were intended for trading.” Dr Perston proposed.
The team attempted to figure out when, how and possibly why these tulas were buried.
Quartz grains in the soil can be dated using a method called optically stimulated luminescence, or OSL.
This technique uses decay rates in quartz to calculate when the grains were last exposed to sunlight.
Using this method meant the team had to collect samples from the centre of the cache on a dark and moonless night.
Dating revealed a 95% probability the tulas were buried sometime between 1793 and 1913.
The nearby town of Boulia was established around 1879, and the Burke River police camp operated from 1878 to 1886.
“We think the Pitta Pitta ancestors were likely planning to trade the tools in these caches when the time came, but for some reason never retrieved them.” said Dr Perston.
“One possible reason for this may be due to disruption caused by European arrival – but the dates aren’t precise enough to be sure.
“What we can say, is that this cache reveals how planning, resource management and collective cooperation allowed Aboriginal people to not only survive, but thrive, in this harsh environment.”
To explore 3D models of each tool in the cache, visit here.
The pain of the dancer in George Michael’s Careless Whisper, the hope in the Titanic classic My Heart Will Go On, and the vulnerability in Princess Leia’s Theme from Star Wars.
The emotions in these three iconic pieces of music owe much of their impact to a group of instruments that have sadly fallen in popularity over recent years….woodwind.
Griffith University’s Conservatorium of Music is playing a key role keeping these instruments relevant, with some of the top woodwind teachers in the country helping students gain mastery over saxophone, flute, clarinet, oboe and bassoon.
With dozens of ensembles, more than 200 concerts annually and music being played every single day of the year, The Con is a one-stop shop for every conceivable type of musical experience, and woodwind is no exception.
Bassoon student Ethan Henke
Ethan Henke was studying a Bachelor of Music at The Conservatorium and played one of the most difficult of all the woodwind instruments.
“When I was in high school, one of my music teachers told me there was a worldwide shortage of bassoon players,” Mr Henke said.
“At that time, I was playing saxophone, and I hadn’t a clue what a bassoon was.
“But it got me thinking.
“I liked the fact that there were more opportunities for playing in orchestras with a bassoon and that’s something I really wanted to do.
“It is a challenging instrument to play.
“There are 9 different positions for your thumb alone.”
Associate Professor Tim Munro is a triple Grammy-winning flautist and brings a wealth of performing and teaching expertise to his role as Head of Winds at The Conservatorium.
Associate Professor Tim Munro
Having worn many musical hats, as curator, broadcaster, writer and artistic consultant, Associate Professor Munro is attuned to the needs of students working towards a career in music and understands the importance of a wide range of opportunities.
“These young musicians can play in symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, musical theatre pit bands, film orchestras, jazz groups and even a gamelan ensemble,” he said.
“They play with conductors, without conductors…and can even learn to become a conductor!
“There is great demand for wind teachers, and the students all learn pedagogical tools during their degree.”
Bassoonists, such as Mr Henke, had access to the ‘bassoon room’ at The Conservatorium, where cane was available for reed-making.
“The saxophone and clarinet use one reed, whereas oboe and bassoon use two,” Mr Henke said.
“You can use ready-made reeds, but most professionals make their own.”
James Kukulies, a music teacher at Indooroopilly State High School, who encouraged Mr Henke to take up the bassoon, said the double-reeded instruments had not changed in design for hundreds of years, because there was nothing that had been invented that was better for generating their unique sounds.
“Each instrument has a role to play within the orchestra and to lose any of them would negatively impact the whole,” Mr Kukulies said.
“If you think of the orchestra as a rainbow, with each instrument being a different colour, losing instruments is like saying to an artist painting a picture, well, you can’t have green and you can’t use orange.
“The art won’t be as rich and varied.”
The Conservatorium is looking forward to welcoming new Bachelor of Music students onto campus at South Bank next year.
The leading study of political attitudes and behaviour in Australia has identified factors which influenced the Labor Party’s landslide victory in the 2025 election.
The 2025 Australian Election Study (AES), conducted by Griffith University and the Australian National University (ANU), shows Labor had a clear advantage on policy issues and received strong support from women and younger voters.
Study co-author, Dr Sarah Cameron from the School of Government and International Relations said the 2025 AES found there was a clear gender gap in those who voted for the Coalition, and this trend had continued to rise in the last decade.
Co-author of the 2025 Australian Election Study (AES), Dr Sarah Cameron.
“In the 2025 federal election, nine per cent fewer women than men voted for the Coalition,” Dr Cameron said. Co-author of the 2025 Australian Election Study (AES), Dr Sarah Cameron.
“This gender gap has been observed in other democracies with women now more likely to vote for parties on the left, while men are more likely to vote for parties on the right.
“In Australia, the decline in vote share for the Coalition has been driven by both men and women shifting their votes to other parties over the past decade.”
Study co-author ANU Professor Ian McAllister said until this year, the Coalition had a long-term advantage on economic policy.
“The cost of living was the major issue in the election, identified as the top election concern by all major voter groups,” Professor McAllister said.
“Housing affordability was the second most important election issue among renters with one-in-five renters indicating it was their top concern.”
Younger voters demonstrated an overwhelming preference for Labor and the Greens in 2025, at levels not seen in the nearly 40-year history of the AES.
Previous AES studies have shown the Coalition had lost support from millennials in every election since 2016.
The study also found Australians were more satisfied with how democracy was working.
“Voters are more satisfied now than in the late 2010s, when there were frequent changes of prime minister brought about by party leadership spills,” Dr Cameron said.
“We’ve seen a jump from 59 per cent satisfaction in 2019 to 70 per cent in 2025.
“Australians are more satisfied with democracy when they have a greater say in the formation of government, including leadership.”
The 2025 AES included findings on this year’s federal election as well as 38 years of trends in political opinion.
Teenagers with an eating disorder may be overlooked and miss out on accessing critical support services due to a strict reliance on a questionnaire to assess eligibility.
Dr Renata Mendes
Dr Renata Mendes from Griffith University’s School of Applied Psychology researched how adolescents with Atypical Anorexia Nervosa (AAN) and Anorexia Nervosa (AN) were being identified in primary care through the use of the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), a self-report form used by GPs.
The self-report form is then used to assess if young people are eligible to access the Medicare-funded Eating Disorders Plan (EDP).
“We found one in four adolescences with a confirmed eating disorder diagnosis scored below the EDE-Q cut-off, which means they would not meet the EDP eligibility requirements,” Dr Mendes said.
“Rates of non-endorsement were similar in AN (33 per cent) and AAN (23 per cent), which shows AAN adolescents were just as likely to under-report their systems.
“This means many adolescents who need treatment may appear ‘fine’ when screened, therefore making them ineligible to access the EDP.”
The research showed the primary barrier was the strict reliance on the EDE-Q score for AAN eligibility in the EDP.
Because many adolescents did not endorse their symptoms they may fail to meet the required cut-off, be deemed ineligible for subsidised treatment, or may be overlooked in primary care due to the reliance on the EDE-Q.
Dr Mendes said: “This makes the current system especially risky for AAN as their weight may appear ‘normal’ but is masking a severe illness.”
“If this remains unchanged, a substantial portion of young people with AAN will continue to fall through the cracks and miss out on timely, affordable treatment.
“The research highlights the need for a policy revision and to strengthen primary care assessment to improve early detection, ensure equitable access to evidence-based care, reduce illness severity by enabling treatment to begin sooner, and support GPs with clearer and more flexible guidelines.”
Professor Sara Davies of Griffith University has been elected to the World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Health, Migration and Displacement for the 2025–2027 term. The TAG was officially launched on 25 November 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland, marking the beginning of a new phase of global collaboration to improve health outcomes for migrants, refugees and displaced communities.
Professor Davies joins a cohort of 16 international experts appointed following an open global call. The group brings together specialists in health, migration, public policy, epidemiology and humanitarian practice from across all WHO regions. Members serve in their personal capacities, providing independent scientific and technical advice to support the implementation of WHO’s Global Action Plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants.
“I am honoured to contribute to WHO’s efforts to reduce health inequities and strengthen the evidence base for policies affecting displaced and migrant populations.”
“Ensuring that health systems respond inclusively and effectively to displacement is one of the defining public health challenges of our time.”
Supporting global action on migrant and refugee health
The TAG’s mandate is to advise WHO on policy development, research priorities, program implementation and the creation of robust, accessible technical guidance. Its key functions include:
providing expert input on WHO reports, guidelines and recommendations
ensuring WHO knowledge products are scientifically rigorous and relevant to diverse national contexts
advising on strategies that address the social, economic and environmental drivers of poor health among migrant and displaced populations
supporting the generation of evidence to inform global and national policy
The group will meet quarterly—virtually or in person—with additional sessions convened when required. Meeting outcomes will be published on the WHO website to support transparency and global knowledge-sharing.
Strengthening international public health collaboration
Professor Davies is widely recognised for her expertise in global health governance, epidemic preparedness and the protection of vulnerable populations. Her appointment reflects both her academic leadership and her long-standing contribution to research on migrant and refugee health, gender and crisis response.
The TAG’s formation comes at a critical time, as countries grapple with rising displacement driven by conflict, climate disruption and economic instability. WHO’s strengthened advisory mechanisms aim to support governments and partners to develop evidence-informed, context-specific approaches that ensure displaced and migrant communities are not left behind.
By contributing to WHO’s technical and strategic guidance, Professor Davies and her fellow TAG members will play an essential role in shaping global efforts to improve health equity and build more inclusive health systems. For further information about the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Health, Migration and Displacement, visit the WHO website https://www.who.int/groups/technical-advisory-group-on-health–migration-and-displacement
A unique scholarship scheme at Griffith University is fostering a growing cohort of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students with disability who are driving research that reimagines inclusion and are strengthened by an inclusive research community.
Launched in 2023, The HDR Disability Scholars Program has grown into a supportive network of scholars at different stages of their PhD journeys.
Beyond academic support and mentoring, the program fostered peer connection and shared experience in an environment where inclusion was embedded.
Dean of the Griffith Graduate Research School Professor Rebecca Ford said the students were supported by a unique scholarship scheme which provided a living stipend and an additional research support fund.
“Griffith University is excelling through inclusive investment, fostering a growing cohort of PhD candidates with disability,” Professor Ford said.
“It is truly fantastic to offer this support to our PhD candidates with diverse needs, and we are excited about the societal benefits that will arise from the extensive knowledge they will gain and contribute during their studies.”
The strength of the program had been evident in the diverse research topics explored which included accessible transport, mental health, neurodiversity in the workplace, disability visibility in advertising, inclusive practices within organisations, the inclusion of youth in leisure activities, and rebuilding identity through storytelling.
Pallav Pant’s research explored accessible emergency communication for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) communities in Queensland.
With a background in crisis management and journalism, his work engaged a co-design approach to strengthen emergency response, ensuring equitable access to vital information.
Mr Pant was previously recognised for leading the development of Nepal’s first Disability-Inclusive Get Ready Guidebook and a breakthrough mobile app for accessible communication during emergencies, both focused on minimising the impact of disasters on people with disabilities.
“Griffith University has provided an inspiring platform to advance disability-inclusive research, collaborate across disciplines, and give voice to those most often unheard in disaster planning,” Mr Pant said.
Julia Robertson’s research explored how artificial intelligence–enabled wearable technologies could deliver personalised mental health monitoring for people living with brain tumours, a group facing significantly elevated risks of depression and suicidality.
Drawing on her own lived experience of a brain tumour, Ms Robertson has been a passionate advocate for early intervention and improving quality of life.
“The Griffith disability scholarship for me has been a lifeline,” Ms Robertson said.
“Without it I would not be able to continue my PhD and would have more than exceeded the standard number of sick-day claims under other scholarships or employment.
“The Disability scholarship has enabled me to take the time I have needed to recover from recent health events without having to worry about my PhD timeline being negatively impacted.”
The Disability Scholars Research Scholarship is available to both full-time and part-time candidates who are registered with the University’s Disability Support Unit, and to those who meet the entry requirement of at least an Honours 2A qualification or equivalent.
