(L-R) Professor Bernd Rehm and Phd candidate Stefanie Buchholz socially distanced in the GRIDD courtyard.
Scientists from the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD) have won a worldwide search for new ways to recover lifesaving antibodies from human plasma.
Global biotechnology leader CSL Behring, has awarded $40,000 to a team led by Professor Bernd Rehm, Director of the Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers for their early research work that may have future implications for the isolation of immunoglobulins and other plasma-derived proteins to meet future demands of these products.
Professor Rehm says creating something in the lab that can be translated into real world solutions with a major biotechnology company is an exciting moment for his close-knit research group.
“It is very rewarding to have our research valued and considered one of the top innovations in this space against competitors internationally and in Queensland.”
Despite the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, biotechnologist and PhD candidate Stefanie Buchholz developed an impressive first-round pitch that resulted in the recognition of the work in the Rehm lab.
Stefanie had to start her research locked down and unable to access the GRIDD laboratory.
Stefanie’s research was delayed after arriving from Germany in 2020, only to be met with a hard Queensland lockdown soon after.
Confined to her Nathan student accommodation and restricted from entering the laboratory, Stefanie joined a generation of research scientists put on hold.
“It was really tough in the beginning, not being allowed to get set up properly, not meeting friends and you have to keep going with your PhD.”
“But we got a lot of support from Bernd and others in GRIDD, they put a lot of effort into checking in on us.”
Professor Rehm recalls the challenges it imposed, but his research group used the time to delve into scientific literature, develop detailed hypotheses and have in-depth discussions.
“We are experimental in our approaches and it was holding us back. But the students were still motivated hoping to get back into the lab,” he said.
“Everyone has been keen to be in the lab and do what we have extensively discussed on paper during that lockdown.”
(L-R) Stefanie and Bernd working together in the lab.
After returning to the lab and helping to win the Plasma Protein Purification Challenge, Stefanie finally feels more at home in Australia, encouraged by a chance to work side by side with a major industry partner.
“GRIDD has a supportive culture, you can draw from different skills across all the research groups to get help.”
“We have a lot of promising data about what we’re doing and I’m confident about the next steps for our research.”
Teenagers who spend a few hours online after a stressful experience fare better than those who frequently use this strategy or not at all a Griffith University-led study published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science has found.
Researchers from the “How do you feel” project conducted “in vivo” in-the-moment research with adolescents living in low socio-economic areas, and lent them new iPhones to report on their technology use, stressors, and emotions five times daily for a week.
“Because adolescents in disadvantaged settings have fewer local supports, the study sought to find out whether online engagement helped reduce their stress,’’ said lead researcher Associate Professor Kathryn Modecki, from Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Applied Psychology.
“In the face of daily stressors, when adolescents engaged in emotional support seeking, self-distraction or information seeking online in a moderate capacity, they experienced better short-term stress relief,’’ she said.
“Teens showed smaller dips is happiness and smaller surges in emotions like sadness, worry and jealous in the hours after a stressor when they used online coping techniques for some of their stress relief.
However, adolescents who didn’t use technology or who routinely used technology as a coping mechanism did not experience these benefits.
“There has been a tendency to assume that technology is negative and harmful, but such a broad assumption isn’t borne out by what we know about the developmental stage of adolescence.”
Dr Modecki wanted to test the “Goldilocks Hypothesis,” where moderate health-seeking behaviour is beneficial but extreme use or non-use less so.
When adolescents engaged in moderate amounts of emotional support seeking online in the hours after a stressor, they were protected against dips in happiness and against surges in loneliness. Likewise, moderate use of online self-distraction versus high or no distraction resulted in reduced worry, jealousy and anger, while moderate amounts of online information-seeking protected against dips in sadness.
“This study works to reframe technology’s effects towards potential benefits for adolescents, in this case enhancing their ability to cope effectively with day-to-day stressors,’’ Dr Modecki said.
“The online space is an unequalled resource for adolescents to find support and information about what is troubling them as well as short-term distraction.”
She said it was even more pertinent for teens living in low-income settings where technology can help even the playing field for accessing helpful systems of information and additional supports.
“Teenagers benefit from the online space when managing stressors encountered in everyday life; they can discover accurate information, connect with support systems and take a break from daily hassles.”
The study has been published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science.
One of Griffith University’s newest students says without the lifeline it provided, her International Baccalaureate (IB) achievements would have counted for nothing.
Australian born Dubai based high school student Lucy Watson was turned away from several Australian institutions earlier this year, advised her IB results as a Course Candidate student were not recognised and unable to be converted to any useful metric that would allow her to begin tertiary studies.
“Everything kind of felt like it was falling apart, because everything that I’d worked for (at school), for the past two years, suddenly didn’t exist anymore,” she said.
“There was never any sort of sign that there was going to be an issue with my grades.”
Lucy Watson with her brother Jonah in Dubai
She was looking to return to her birthplace after 14 years living in Dubai with family. A partial completion of her IB Diploma was rejected by at least four NSW based universities.
“It was a massive shock to everyone in my family, because we had planned my return to Australia and we were just waiting for the acceptance.”
Griffith University is one of the only Australian universities to recognise the efforts of IB students who, for a range of reasons, have performed highly across core subjects but did not receive a full Diploma or are classified as Course Candidate students.
Keen to follow her heart and study drama and literature, Lucy has now been offered a place in a Bachelor of Arts at Griffith, based on the number of core subjects she completed towards the IB, which is known internationally for its unique academic rigour and emphasis on students’ personal development.
“Ironically, Griffith was the first university that my mum actually suggested to me, but we were looking at somewhere in Sydney, because then I could be closer to the family.
“Thankfully, as a Course Candidate student, I got just the amount of points that I needed to automatically get in to Griffith.”
“I had to speak to a few people, I had a zoom meeting but once they heard about my issues, I was accepted and it’s honestly so easy and really comforting after the absolute mess that happened in regards to my grades with the other universities.”
Professor Liz Burd
Griffith University Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education), Professor Liz Burd, said their new Guaranteed Admission Schemeprovided more opportunities for students from a range of backgrounds.
It has expanded guaranteed admission forATAR90+ orIBScore 33 students to include those who have anATAR80+ orIBScore 28 and a completed VET qualification.
“Griffith University recognises that some IB students will experience circumstances that prevent them from being awarded the full Diploma,” Professor Burd said.
“We strongly encourage all tertiary-bound IB students to focus on completing the Diploma to obtain a tertiary selection rank but if for some reason they are unable to, students can apply to QTAC for a place at Griffith and will be assessed on the study that has been completed towards the Diploma.
“You don’t need to apply separately for the Safety Net, as you will automatically be considered when you apply to QTAC. Any eligible adjustments will also be applied to your rank.”
Cleveland District State High School Deputy Principal and IB Schools Australasia Association Standing Committee member Karen Abraham said Lucy Watson’s story was unfortunately all too common and she hopes other universities follow Griffith’s lead.
“Fortunately for these talented students Griffith takes the time to consider the whole picture of a student’s school life, not just casting them aside because they may not have finished all of the requirements for the complete IB Diploma,” she said.
“The IB is a prestigious program preparing students globally for not only University entrance but also success in tertiary studies.
“IB graduates are critical thinkers with a true social conscience and global perspective who are fluent in two languages.
“In recent years, the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) has flourished in Queensland schools and many talented students now study this program. It isn’t just overseas institutions who offer it.
“In Queensland alone we have 12 schools (independent and government) who deliver the IBDP. Between them we have approximately 500 Year 12 students preparing to graduate, with a similar number coming through in the 2022 graduating class.”
Griffith University Vice-Chancellor Professor Carolyn Evans has welcomed news that three leading tech companies have based themselves in the growing Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP), home to the University’s Gold Coast campus.
BiVACOR, a US-based company behind the world’ first rotary artificial heart, another developing novel surgical laser technology in the San Francisco Bay area, Precise Light Surgical (PLS), and Netherlands-founded blockchain technology company TYMLEZ,will each establish a presence in GCHKP.
Strong research collaboration opportunities at Griffith University, together with investment attraction incentives endorsed by City of Gold Coast, helped attract the companies into the Precinct, where they join a growing cluster of medical, health and digital technology businesses.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Carolyn Evans feels the pulse on the BiVACOR total artificial heart
Professor Evans, who joined Gold Coast Mayor Tate on a visit to the university’s mechanobiology lab to view the BiVACOR artificial heart being tested for optimum blood-flow, said industry co-location was critical to taking research out of the lab and providing jobs for graduates.
“There is an increasing focus on linking university research with industry for commercial outcomes and social impact,” Professor Evans said.
“Working with these co-located companies, our researchers will be able to directly contribute to translating improved healthcare and initiatives for a sustainable future, while our students will have access to internship and training opportunities, and our graduates will have great local job opportunities.”
BiVACOR, founded in Brisbane by biomedical engineer and CEO Daniel Timms and headquartered in Houston Texas, has based its international office and software, electronic hardware, and blood compatibility R&D in the Precinct as it collaborates with the university’s world-class Mechanobiology Research Laboratory, and prepares its durable total artificial heart for use in the first patients.
Precise Light Surgical (PLS) will base its CEO, Australian R&D and commercial team in the Precinct and plans to roll-out Australian manufacture of its patented Optical Scalpel (O-Pelâ„¢) system that precisely removes selected tissue while sparing surrounding anatomy such as nerves and blood vessels. PLS has approval in Australia, the US, and Europe for more than 80 different surgical indications, across eight specialties.
Mayor Tom Tate views the artificial wrist model being tested for strength and durability
ASX-listed TYMLEZ, founded in the Netherlands and also operating in Germany, offers enterprise-grade blockchain solutions with a focus on supporting clean energy sustainability, along with other opportunities to develop healthcare products that rely on secure, trackable and traceable data transfer.
Mayor Tom Tate and the Vice-Chancellor also viewed Griffith-developed artificial wrist technology being tested on a specialised orthopaedic robot. He said the GCHKP provided the perfect place for innovative companies to scale-up and grow knowledge-based jobs for the city.
“These companies are in the growth industries of the future and will build the ecosystem of innovation that is developing in the Precinct alongside Griffith University and the hospitals,” Mayor Tate said.
“Our incentives are aimed at supporting their early growth phases so that they can expand highly-skilled jobs here and undertake collaborative research locally to commercialise these exciting new technologies.”
BiVACOR CEO Daniel Timms said the company, which has recently raised a further $22milion to develop its device as a viable alternative to transplantation for end-stage heart failure, was confident in the opportunity on the Gold Coast for successful research translation, and a smooth pathway to bringing the technology to the first Australian patients, as part of a consortium of universities and hospitals.
“After coming back from the US where we work very closely with the world-renowned Texas Heart Institute, to see the expansion of this area was really attractive for us to bring our technology back to work with a world-leading laboratory at Griffith, which didn’t exist when we started almost 20 years ago,” Mr Timms said.
“Central to our device is one spinning disk that pumps the blood, and we use magnetic levitation technology so that it is suspended in the blood and there is no mechanical wear, which has been the limitation of artificial hearts to date, with pulsing sacs that will eventually wear out and break.
“We’re going to be able to have a situation where the heart device is unlikely to fail, and the patient is able to rely on their implanted artificial heart to pump the blood they need for the rest of their life.”
(L-R) Professor Evans with Precise Light Surgical CEO Richard Nash and Mayor Tom Tate
Precise Light Surgical CEO Richard Nash, an experienced medical technology executive with more than 10 years in management with industry giant Medtronic, said support from City of Gold Coast added to the attractiveness of the Medtech ecosystem in Southeast Queensland as an Asia Pacific base, working alongside their global headquarters in Silicon Valley.
“The GCHKP offers a unique opportunity for medical device companies, in having major hospitals and a reputable university,” Mr Nash said.
“Combined with all resources within Southeast Queensland, the region provides everything required to establish and commercially scale a technology company.
“There is a significant opportunity for future market validation clinical trials, with an initial company focus on robotic urology procedures in Australia.
“In five years, we hope to have built a successful international HQ on the Gold Coast, with local APAC manufacture and significant employment.”
TYMLEZ CEO Daniel O’Halloran said local connections and support, together with its growing Australian investment base, were key factors in the decision to shift the Rotterdam-based company’s global headquarters down-under.
“Our software is designed to create enterprise-grade solutions that can build and manage blockchain-based ecosystems as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible, replacing traditional databases with decentralised records that can’t be disputed,” Mr O’Halloran said.
“We are focusing our product development on disruptive applications to enhance sustainable green energy through smart buildings and smart cities, while also enabling the exploration of major healthcare opportunities for our platform software.
“Our aim is to attract and train local talent as much as possible and transfer knowledge from our senior development staff in Europe.”
The three new companies join Belgian-based global 3D printing pioneer Materialise, who located key Australian staff onto the Griffith campus in 2018 to work alongside experts at the University’s Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies (ADaPT) facility and grow opportunities for medical additive manufacturing.
The Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct is a unique partnership between City of Gold Coast, Griffith University and Gold Coast Health, in conjunction with the Queensland State Government.
From baristas to barristers, Griffith University experts insist it will require the efforts of people from all walks of life to fight climate change.
Students from Years 10 to 12 attending the recent virtual Climate Action Leadership Conference heard from a panel of Griffith voices speaking about the importance of cross-disciplinary collaborations to climate action.
Panel members said there were a myriad of challenges in motivating people to do their part, as many accept climate change is an issue but felt powerless to help or that it was not an urgent priority.
Professor Paul Burton.
“They accept the science but they are not sure how they can use that information in their day to day job as a town planner, social worker, GP, barista or even barrister,” Cities Research Institute Director Professor Paul Burton said.
“I think one of the biggest challenges is to persuade people that it’s happening now.
“We’re always setting dates in the future, which is important for some things, but it can create this impression that it’s not with us yet… and we’re not very good at taking seriously big global threats that are a long way into the future.”
Professor Burton was joined on the expert panel by School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science journalism expert Associate Professor Kerrie Foxwell-Norton, Griffith Law School Deputy Head (Research) Professor Elena Marchetti, School of Health Science and Social Work Deputy Head (Learning and Teaching) Associate Professor Jennifer Boddy and Climate Action Beacon Head of Practice Sam Mackay.
Sam Mackay
With climate change set to impact everything from the kinds of cars we drive and where we live, to the meats we can produce and the way we consume goods, Mr Mackay said it was vitally important to build resilient economies that could support a sustainable future for all.
“Much of society has not had the realisation that we’re not talking about just an environmental issue,” he said.
“We’re talking about an issue that goes to the core of how we function as a society and what we value, how we value things in an economy, and how those values may impact on basic stable decisions we would have made in the past.
“Let’s think about it as what type of economy and what type of society we want to envision being in 10, 20, 30 years’ time, and what are the actual measures that we can put in place.
“The only way we can do this is if we do it together.”
Associate Professor Jennifer Boddy.
Associate Professor Boddy, a social worker, said while it could be felt by everyone, the immediate effects of the changing climate would be more devastating for certain groups.
“The effects of climate change will be disproportionately felt by those who are marginalized and vulnerable, but the reality is that climate change affects all of us, every single one of us,” Associate Professor Boddy said.
“We all need to be taking action in multiple ways to address it and it is just as relevant for those in the health professions, as it is for those in the sciences or the arts and elsewhere. “
Professor Elena Marchetti.
Professor Marchetti said law played a significant role, from the implementation of The Paris Agreement and regulations that impacts climate change, to holding those who do wrong to account.
“When it comes to law, I think people think they’re powerless over changing policy or how corporations behave, but I actually think that, as a society, we have a lot of power,” Professor Marchetti said.
“We can exercise that power by making different choices in terms of what we consume and that affects the laws, and we can do it in the way we vote.
“We can also lobby (and) it really does force governments to think differently about how they’re addressing this climate change issue.”
Communication of information about climate change by journalists was also fundamental to the public’s understanding of what needs to be done and how they can take part.
“A more sophisticated understanding of communication certainly is able to identify where science communication can play a role, and where other types of communication might be better poised to engage people in communities, who aren’t so interested in science, in climate action,” Associate Professor Foxwell-Norton said.
Professor Burton said by people from all areas chipping in, major progress could be made.
“Whilst we need to recognise the enormity and the urgency, incremental changes are a sensible way forward – taking lots of small rapid steps rather than waiting and anticipating a great leap forward.”
One of the state’s most esteemed public health professionals, who is currently completing a PhD at Griffith University, has been appointed to the World Health Organisation (WHO) as Senior Consultant Epidemiologist to lead the contact tracing component of the global pandemic response.
Epidemiologist Noore Alam
Noore Alam will lead the WHO contact tracing team virtually for the next six months in a prestigious appointment. Like many, he is working from Brisbane instead of fulfilling the role in Geneva at the WHO headquarters.
Immediately before taking up his new role, Alam was working for Queensland Health in the Queensland Government’s COVID-19 Incident Management Team, where he was Epidemiologist Team Leader.
A combination of state and global COVID-19 responsibilities means Alam will feed a wealth of experience into his PhD at Griffith’s Centre for Environment and Population Health (CEPH).
“I have been appointed as Senior Consultant Epidemiologist with WHO but more specifically, I’m leading the epidemiologic component of contact tracing, which is a crucial component of the global pandemic response,” Alam said.
“I don’t want to reinvent the wheel as much work has already been done around the world but I’m more interested in identifying country specific needs and providing guidance to improve their response.
“The COVID situation is so rapidly evolving, particularly the variants of concern such as the Delta, for example, which is highly transmissible compared to other variants, so your response strategy needs to be adjusted accordingly.”
“The contact tracing guidelines should always be dynamic, so that we can change and adjust as the virus changes its genetic code (mutation) and becomes more transmissible, for example, the Delta variant, and also taking into consideration the vaccination uptake at the population level, so these are some of the key issues I’m working on.
“I’m looking at country capacities globally — which countries have what level of strength and how we can utilise some of those resources or experiences to help others, because contact tracing is an enormous task and most countries struggle to deal with contact tracing.
“As you can see, even in Australia, one single case in the community can trigger hundreds of contacts to be tracked in a very timely manner with accuracy and completeness.”
Alam’s PhD at CEPH directly relates to his WHO work and focuses on the One Health approach.
His PhD research investigates the enablers and barriers to implementing One Health as a novel approach to prevent the pandemic risk, like COVID-19.
“One Health is basically the collaboration of human health, animal health and environmental health,” he explained.
“About 75% of emerging diseases in humans originate in animals, and environment plays a key role in disease transmission. So, there is clearly a close link between the three sectors.”
CEPH Director Professor Cordia Chu AM said Alam’s appointment to the WHO as Epi Pillar Contact Tracing Lead in the WHO HQ COVID-19 Response Team, was significant.
“Alam was chosen because of his wealth of experience and his outstanding work as an Epidemiology Team Leader at the Queensland Government’s COVID-19 response team,” Professor Chu said.
“Queensland has garnered a reputation globally for mounting an exceptional public health response and Alam’s position at the WHO will have truly global implications.”
His appointment to the WHO runs until the end of 2021.
Dicky Budiman
Another epidemiologist also doing a PhD through CEPH is Dr Dicky Budiman, whose work focuses on global health security and pandemic. His research aims to improve international health regulations, leadership and risk communication.
In demand foroften dailymedia comment on COVID-19 matters, particularly across South East Asia, Dr Budiman alsoadvises the Indonesian government on its pandemic strategyand WHO Indonesia on health policy and planning.
“CEPH is proud to have contributed to nurturing many health emergency leaders who are playing critical roles in leading pandemic responses in countries like China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam,” said Professor Chu.
Three out of four Queensland green turtle populations risk harmful effects from cadmium found a Griffith University-led study using a new tool to determine chemical exposure limits for marine animals.
In collaboration with Utrecht University (Netherlands), Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) and the University of Queensland, the researchers developed a virtual turtle model to simulate cadmium uptake and its effects over a turtles’ lifetime.ÂÂ The model was used to reveal at what concentration cadmium in their primary food source, seagrass, is potentially toxic.
Lead researcher & PhD candidate Gulsah Dogruer, Australian Rivers Institute.
“Marine animals are exposed to an array of toxic chemicals entering the oceans,” said lead researcher and PhD candidate Gulsah Dogruer from theAustralian Rivers Institute.
“Yet policy makers are basically in the dark about the limits these animals can endure before health effects threaten their survival.
“We developed a framework that sheds some light on this issue for policy makers. By defining the chemical exposure limit for a particular marine animal before there is harmful effects, we can help policy makers identify potentially toxic areas.”
When applied to cadmium in green sea turtles, the researchers revealed a concerning 72% of the Great Barrier Reef’s green turtle populations were at risk from cadmium contamination.
“Our results show that a green turtle population foraging on seagrass with more than 0.1 milligram of cadmium for every kilogram of seagrass, is exposed to potential health risks,” said co-author and supervisor Dr Jason van de Merwe, a marine ecologist and eco-toxicologist at theAustralian Rivers Institute.
“As seagrass is green turtles’ primary source of food, this is a real concern, but knowing this threshold level of cadmium is crucial to identify potential exposure sites.”
To discover the cadmium threshold in green turtles, the researchers used a generic three-step framework that can be adapted to other marine species and other chemicals.
The framework involved firstly developing a green turtle and cadmium-specific model to predict how much cadmium the turtles are likely to accumulate over their lifetime under various environmental conditions.
The virtual turtle model consisting of seven body compartments connected by the circulating blood flow (red arrow). The liver and kidney represent the elimination and detoxification routes (green arrow). The blue arrow represents the exposure route.
“The model we developed used the physiology of the turtles and the chemical properties of cadmium to simulate its absorption, metabolism, excretion, and distribution in the turtles’ liver, kidney, muscle, fat, brain, scute, and ‘rest of the body’,” Ms Dogruer said.
“The second step was to link these contaminant concentrations in the turtles to toxic effects seen in laboratory-based studies and in free-ranging turtles.
The researchers ran the model in reverse, using the cadmium concentration that is toxic in turtles’ body, to determine the amount of cadmium in seagrass above which turtles are likely to have a toxic response (0.1 milligram of cadmium for every kilogram of seagrass).
The researchers lastly compared their results to real-world cadmium exposure conditions for green turtle populations globally.
“Three out of the four globally distinct green turtle populations assessed in Australia, Japan and Brazil are exposed to cadmium levels above the threshold seagrass limits we reported,” Dr van de Merwe said.
“Our framework for determining chemical exposure limits will help managers of conservation sites better understand and minimise the risk to marine animals and hopefully begin to turn the tide for green turtle populations worldwide,’’ Ms Dogruer said.
Musicians, composers and artists from Griffith University are part of a blockbuster exhibition at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA).
The European Masterpieces show features iconic works from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York — a collection worth around $1 billion.
From sound installations to live performance and a host of workshops and presentations, Griffith University’s creative arts expertise is adding another dimension to the exhibition.
Rhoslyn Carney
Musicians from the Queensland Conservatorium perform daily two-hour concerts in the heart of the exhibition and honours student, flautist Rhoslyn Carney, is one of a dozen students being paid to perform during the four-month exhibition.
“People want to interact with the music as well as the art,” she said.
“It’s great to see different art forms enhancing each other, and I think it creates a really unique experience for people coming along to the exhibition.”
Rhoslyn said the opportunity to share music with a wider audience was a highlight of studying at the Queensland Conservatorium.
“For me, performing live and playing for an engaged audience is the end game – when you’re in the practice room, that is what you’re working towards,” she said.
“We are so lucky that we get that complete educational experience at the Con — we’re encouraged to take our music out into the community.”
“I’m always thrilled when I perform, whether it’s at the art gallery or in a concert hall, to see people responding to the music directly.”
James Tudbull performing at GOMA
Fellow Bachelor of Music student James Tudball has been wowing gallery visitors with weekly violin recitals.
“It’s been incredible, we’ve been given an opportunity to play this amazing music that was composed hundreds of years ago, in the same space where these historical artworks hanging on the walls that were also painted around the same time,” he said.
“It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime experience — a little slice of the Met right here in Brisbane.
“I was lucky enough to play on the opening day of the exhibition —we’re getting crowds of 50 to 60 people at a time coming in and listening to that music.
“We’re on stage in a big open studio space in the heart of the gallery, with amazing acoustics.
“The music rings out across the whole exhibition space, and I think it does set the atmosphere.
“You’re looking at these artworks accompanied by music that was composed in the same time period.
“One of the biggest perks is being able to stay on and explore the exhibition after our performances are finished.
“We’re so lucky to get these opportunities — I’ve just come back from a performance with Ensemble Q in regional Queensland, and these performances at GOMA have been a highlight.
“It’s a really good stepping-stone for us as we get closer to graduating and enter the professional music world.”
Professor Bernard Lanskey
Queensland Conservatorium Director Professor Bernard Lanskey said the partnership with GOMA had created exciting opportunities for students.
“The chance to share their music with hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the country is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said.
“These kind of performance and engagement opportunities are an integral part of the world-class music education we offer at the Queensland Conservatorium.”
The partnership also includes a unique sensory experience, with Queensland Conservatorium Head of Composition Dr Gerardo Dirie leading a team of students who composed and recorded period music that responds to sensors ‘tripped’ by gallery patrons.
The music syncs with a series of animated replicas of iconic paintings featuring musicians, making it appear as if they are performing together.
QCA lecturer Dr Bill Platz delivering a workshop at QAGOMA.
In addition, the Queensland Conservatorium has loaned a selection of period instruments to the exhibition, with a flute, viol and viol da gamba showcased in a bespoke display, with text provided by Emeritus Professor Peter Roennfeldt.
Queensland College of Art lecturers are also part of the public programming, from drawing workshops by Dr Bill Platz to lectures by Dr Chari Larsson and Dr Julie Fragar.
European Masterpieces runs at GOMA until October 17.
Griffith University is excited to announce the names of the students, alumni and coaching staff who will represent Australia at the upcoming Paralympics.
One of the three student athletes preparing to compete in Tokyo will be representing Australia for the first time and two of the six alumni will also make their debut.
Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans said Griffith was thrilled to play a part in helping so many Paralympic and Olympic athletes achieve personal bests and global accolades.
“We congratulate these elite athletes and coaching staff who have been selected to perform at the highest level for their country,” Professor Evans said.
“It takes both talent and dedication to reach this sporting milestone and represents years of hard work, sacrifice and commitment, particularly given the challenges of a pandemic.”
“Representing Australia on the world stage is a rare honour and we stand behind them as they give their all.”
Griffith Sports College Manager Naomi McCarthy OAM said their selection for Tokyo was the result of many years of training and dedication.
Griffith Sports College member and High Performance Rowing Coach Lincoln Handley
“Griffith student and alumni para athletes will represent Australia in Tokyo in the sports of canoe-sprint, athletics, swimming, taekwondo, wheelchair basketball and triathlon,” McCarthy said.
Wheelchair basketball athlete and Bachelor of Industrial Design alumnus Matthew McShane
“They’re also joined by Griffith Sports College member and High Performance Rowing Coach Lincoln Handley, selected to coach the Australian PR2 Mixed Double Sculls.
“Many of these elite athletes have been part of the Griffith community for years, including Bachelor of Business student Madison De Rozario and Bachelor of Industrial Design alumnus Matt McShane.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have the chance to watch them pursue opportunities at the highest level and incredibly proud of the role Griffith Sports College has held in assisting these elite athletes to continue their training and competition commitments alongside study opportunities.
“The determination of these elite athletes to push themselves to the limits of human endeavour holds them in great stead for their careers after representative sport.”
Selected student athletes:
| Madison |
De Rozario |
Athletics (Para) |
B Business |
| Curtis |
McGrath |
Canoe – Sprint (Para) |
B Aviation |
| Tom |
Gallagher |
Swimming (Para) – Debut |
B Business |
Selected alumni:
| Janine |
Watson |
Taekwondo (Para) – Debut |
B Exercise Science/B Education |
| Ella |
Sabljak |
Wheelchair Basketball – Debut |
B Education |
| Katie |
Kelly |
Para-Triathlon |
B Leisure Management |
| Tom |
O’Neill-Thorne |
Wheelchair Basketball |
B Int Business/ B Government & International Relations |
| Matthew |
McShane |
Wheelchair Basketball |
B Industrial Design |
| Rowan |
Crothers |
Swimming (Para) |
B Public Relations and Communications |
Selected coaching staff:
| Lincoln |
Handley |
Rowing Coach |
Griffith Sports College Staff member / High Performance Rowing Coach |
The Paralympics start on 24 August and finish on 5 September.
They follow an incredibly successful Australian Olympic campaign which featured 34 Griffith student athletes and 9 alumni athletes, along with High Performance Swimming Squad coach Michael Bohl. Read more about their efforts online.
Griffith University has received more than $2.6 million in funding for six Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards (DECRA) announced by the Federal Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge this week.
Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans said the awards demonstrated the impact of Griffith’s research in providing research solutions which expanded human knowledge and understanding.
“Those awarded DECRAs represent the future of Australian research. Their diverse projects will produce high-impact research for the betterment of Australia and the world,’’ Professor Evans said.
Dr Michael Sievers (Australian Rivers Institute, Sciences) awarded $423,582; for the project Redefining success in marine ecosystem restoration. Using automated monitoring via artificial intelligence, this project aims to improve evaluations of marine ecosystem restoration and how animal data can improve future restoration projects.
Dr Jillian Huntley (Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, AEL) awarded $468,027 for the project Colour change: Artistic/ritual responses to climate flux in Australasia. Characterising ancient ochre records across Sunda, Wallacea and Sahul, this project aims to understand peoples’ use of art and ritual in the most climatically dynamic region on Earth.
Dr Navid Kashaninejad (QLD Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Sciences) awarded $433,000 for the project Engineering micropatterned surfaces for cell mechanics and mechanobiology. This project aims to engineer a highly versatile micropatterned surface that can be used to culture and study cells.
Dr Kaya Barry (Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, AEL) awarded $444,548 for the project Momentarily immobile: the futures of backpacking and seasonal farm workers. This project will examine the experiences of backpackers and seasonal migrants who live in communal hostel accommodation while doing farm work in regional Queensland.
Dr Munkhbayar Batmunkh (Centre for Catalysis and Clean Energy) awarded $415,000 for the project titled Engineering semitransparent perovskite solar cells for smart solar windows. This project aims to develop highly efficient and stable semitransparent perovskite solar cells for innovative smart solar windows.
Dr David Saxby (MHIQ Disability and Rehabilitation, Health) awarded $468,582 for the project titled Fusing wearables and advanced computational models for real world analysis. This project expects to, for the first time globally, integrate wearable sensors with neuromusculoskeletal computational models and artificial intelligence, and validate this technology.
