People newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may require more support to improve their diet quality after diagnosis, especially current smokers.
New Griffith University research published in the journal Nutrition and Diabetes (part of Nature Communications) is the first study to examine the diet quality changes of people with type 2 diabetes early after diagnosis.
The researchers found certain lifestyle behaviours rather than demographic characteristics were associated with diet quality changes.
PhD candidate and registered dietician Emily Burch
“Improving your diet quality and other lifestyle behaviours (such as exercise) is the first step in managing type 2 diabetes,’’ says lead researcher and PhD candidate Emily Burch from Menzies Health Institute Queensland.
“Specific diets can help control type 2 diabetes, but research has shown many people with type 2 diabetes have poor quality diets, which is profoundly affecting their quality of life and risk of developing diabetes-related complications such as cardiovascular and renal disease.”
She said when people are diagnosed, they receive considerable amounts of conflicting dietary advice which can be overwhelming and confusing.
“We wanted to find out whether people change their diet quality after diagnosis with type 2 diabetes and what factors, if any, are associated with improvements. We found those who made improvements to their diet quality had poor diet quality early after diagnosis, were non-smokers, exercised regularly and had a lower body mass index (BMI).”
The researchers interviewed 225 Australian adults newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes to collect demographic, diet, physical and health data at baseline and at three months. Participants were categories into those who improved their diet quality by three months and those who did not.
“Strategies targeted at better supporting smokers, those with low physical activity and a higher BMI are required. This work can help shape future research interventions that can better support all individuals to have long-term success in improving their diet quality and help reduce the risk of complications.”
This research comprises part of the 3D case-series studyconducted over 12 months and reports onoutcomes from baseline to three months only. Longer term study outcomes will be available in coming months.
Industry change-maker Communications alumnus Alanna Bastin-Byrne is the Director of Femeconomy, a national membership organisation that educates how purchasing decisions can create gender equality.
Femeconomy’s approved companies have at least 30% women on the Board of Directors or 50% female ownership, ‘Companies with female leaders are more likely to have workplace flexibility and less likely to have a gender pay gap, helping to create gender equality for their employees and communities.’
‘Griffith University taught me to innovate. Using purchasing decisions to advance gender equality is a new solution to a global issue. It also complements gender equality strategies within corporate, government and not-for-profit organisations. My communications and marketing has background has enabled Femeconomy to gain traction and build a community of change makers.’
Alanna has been involved with a number of community-based activities to extend the Femeconomy ethos, including a TEDx Talk, mentorships and guest speaking,‘I strive to inspire and create positive outcomes for the wider community, through activities that create change for good.’
With years of industry experience in both international and national markets, she has welcomed student interns to support their growth, development, and provide her skills and knowledge in the sector. ‘My Griffith University internship was instrumental in building my industry network and securing my first position in my communications career. I saw it as my responsibility to give other Griffith students that same opportunity. Sometimes this was a formal placement through the university. Other times it was meeting with current students for a coffee, so they could ask about my career, to help guide their own path.’
‘My advice for prospective students wanting to study Communications is that it allows you to have a rewarding and diverse career. You can experience so many different industries that align to your purpose. You are continuously learning as the way we receive and use communication evolves. And, if you ever want to start your own business, you will develop skills that you definitely need to build your audience.’
Saffi Abad has always believed in giving back – and now her community spirit has been recognised with a scholarship from the Lions Club.
“I’m so shocked that I won – it’s really humbling,” she said.
“It will make a huge difference. I work two jobs, I volunteer at two places and I study full-time, so every little bit counts.”
Rewarding community values
Brisbane Lions Club Macgregor member Narelle Wyvill-Anstey
Lions Club Brisbane Macgregor members Baska Desha and Narelle Wyvill-Anstey said the scholarship was created to honour late Lions Club member Ron Ould and celebrate the values he lived by.
“Ron had a passion for service and helping those in need,” they said.
“He had been active in the local community for 40-odd years, and this scholarship rewards young people who share his passion for giving back to the community.”
Saffi will receive her scholarship award at a ceremony next month, attended by the Ould family and representatives from Lions Club of Brisbane Macgregor.
Changing lives
The Community Internship program is designed to give Griffith students hands-on experience in a range of community organisations.
Dr Faith Valencia-Forrester
Director of the Service Learning Unit Dr Faith Valencia-Forrester said the program had been running at Griffith since 2012 and now involved around 700 students a year.
The multi-discipline course partners with a range of non-governments (NGO) and not-for-profit organisations at a local and global level.
“It’s all about authentic experiences that make a difference – students develop the kinds of skills that will make them employable and become better citizens,” Dr Valencia-Forrester said.
“We get amazing feedback from our students – they go into it expecting to change other people’s lives, and it ends up changing theirs.”
Many of the internships have pivoted online due to coronavirus restrictions.
The Service Learning Unit has also just launched a series of webinars that showcase impact projects around five key areas: digital inclusion for education and employment, mental health and wellbeing, homelessness, disability and sustainability.
Lending a hand
Saffi volunteers with the Refugee Association of Queensland, helping refugees and asylum seekers navigate the visa application process. She has also taken on a volunteer position with the United Nations Association Peace and Security program.
“It’s been a big eye-opener, and you have to learn how to separate yourself from the work and still have compassion,” she said.
“It can take an emotional toll – you are dealing with people who have been through so much and their stories can be heartbreaking to hear, so you want to give them the best chance possible.”
Griffith University Community Internship Program participant Saffi Abad
“I’ve always been interested in politics and making a difference and helping people,” she said.
“My studies at Griffith have also opened up new pathways that I never knew existed – my dream is to work for an NGO or the UN.
“The internship program has definitely been one of the highlights of my time at Griffith.
“It gave me the kinds of hands-on, practical experience I need.”
A values-led education
Saffi says she chose to study at Griffith University because of the institution’s long-standing commitment to social justice, equity and sustainability.
“The values that Griffith is built on really attracted me – these are the values I live by, and studying here, they are ingrained in every course,” she said.
“There are so many opportunities out there, and you have to be willing to put yourself out there.”
Thinking of studying music at university? As a Bachelor of Music graduate, you will be highly skilled, musically adaptable and equipped to enter professional life as a creative and flexible twenty-first century musician. A degree in music can open many doors and provide you with a valuable set of skills and qualities.
Time management and discipline
Studying music at a tertiary level can be quite demanding of your time and every day can look different. From lectures, tutorials and private lessons to orchestral rehearsals, finding time to practice and having a social life, your day can get full quite quickly. You’ll soon find that being organised and disciplined is essential to having a successful university career.
Classical guitar student, Jeremy Stafford shares his advice:
If you plan to come to the Con straight from school, I remember how tough that was. The academic workload in Grade 12 is hardcore, let alone preparing for the Conservatorium’s audition on top of that. The most important thing I’d advise you to do, is learn how to manage your time better. Not only will it help you get through your last year of school, but good time management skills are absolutely essential when studying an instrument at a tertiary level.
Critical reflection and problem solving
While studying music, you’ll learn and be able to think outside the box while trying to solve the task at hand. You’ll learn the importance of improvising and how to deal with challenges that may arise before or during a performance. You’ll be able to handle stress and any challenges that may get thrown your way!
Collaboration and the ability to communicate effectively.
At university, you’ll be constantly working with others whether it be at studio recordings, ensemble practice or orchestral rehearsals. Through your studies and performances, you will learn to communicate both verbally and non-verbally, which will also enhance your effective listening skills. While working with others, you’ll be communicating ideas and working on projects together. No matter what industry or job you apply for after university, communication is a key skill employers look for.
Creativity
Studying music opens up your creativity not just musically, but also in understanding and identifying music’s broader uses and connections in society and creating opportunities. With a collaborative approach to learning, you will have the opportunity to connect with musicians and creatives across a range of instruments and genres to discover your creative passion.
Have a question about studying music at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University? Join us online for Open House this year to get all your questions answered!
We’ll be online every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 – 6 pm, featuring one-on-one chats with study area experts, live webinars on different study areas each week, virtual classes, and more
Contributions by Dr Leah Coutts and Kendal Alderman
Griffith University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with award-winning independent technology company Everledger, founded by CEO Leanne Kemp, the current Queensland Chief Entrepreneur.
Everledger is an independent technology company helping businesses surface and converge asset information, using a symphony of secure technologies, including blockchain, artificial intelligence, intelligent labelling and Internet of Things.
The new partnership is expected to deliver a wealth of opportunities for researchers within Griffith Business School, given Everledger’s strong global market position and network.
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Mario Pinto
Griffith Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Mario Pinto said the collaboration was an exciting opportunity to extend the reach of innovative research being undertaken at Griffith.
“The MoU outlines our mutual intention to work together over the next three years in addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) challenges, in line with our shared values and goals around a circular economy, sustainable enterprise, and responsible leadership,” Professor Pinto said.
“It will include joint research projects and development of innovative technology or service delivery of interest and benefit to both Griffith and Everledger across a range of subject areas.
“As part of the post covid-19 economic recovery strategy, Australia needs to invest and focus on responsible manufacturing and recalibrate our workforce to be more digital-ready and innovative to differentiate our impact on production and consumption.
“Griffith has a solid reputation for working in partnership with industry to mobilise knowledge and deliver cutting-edge and practical solutions that make a positive and lasting difference to society.”
Leanne Kemp – Everledger CEO and Queensland Chief Entrepreneur
Everledger CEO Leanne Kemp said the work underway with Everledgerand Griffith University provided a unique position to affect change.
“It will foster the move from the wasteful linear economy model to a more viable and sustainable circular economy,” Kemp said.
“Recycling technology isn’t good enough! Most plastics that are recycled are shredded and reprocessed into lower-value applications, such as polyester carpet fibre; only two percent are recycled into products of the same or similar quality. This is largely due to limitations in how plastics can be sorted by chemical composition and cleaned of additives. We need better recycling technology that can maintain quality and purity so that product manufacturers are willing to use recycled plastics.
“We use the wrong business models! Companies should also design products for circularity. For example, if lithium ion battery manufacturers designed their products with similar mixtures of chemicals, it would allow for more recycling because recyclers could standardize their process.
“Together we’ll shape a more circular future with our global network. This is an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ moment in history–and early movers are likely to capture significant market opportunities. The coalitions are forming. If you run a major company, investment vehicle or government agency, you should be securing your seat.”
The partnership will deliver development opportunities for Everledger staff including seminars, workshops and professional education and the opportunity for university coursework or curriculum development utilising Everledger expertise.
It will also provide unique and compelling benefits for Griffith University students through research-led, industry-engaged, and market shaping collaboration towards achieving inclusive economic growth.
Professor Dian Tjondronegoro is Deputy Head (Research), Business Strategy and Innovation at Griffith University.
Already, work has begun on a series of Research and Development projects to co-develop technology-enabled tools to identify and trace objects in various industries, led by Everledger head of ANZ region Peter Hughes and Griffith’s Business Strategy and Innovation researcher Professor Dian Tjondronegoro.
“Mapping the journey of a tyre (as a precious material) for instance, is very important to maximise its lifetime and value,” Professor Tjondronegoro, from Griffith Business School, said.
“Our project will focus on combining AI into a supply chain system for enabling a faster process of tracking a tyre from its original/manufactured state, to its subsequent use over time until its end of life.
“The outcome will contribute towards both economic and waste management impacts.
“The supply chain system will integrate end-customers to improve transparency and traceability. The AI will help capturing and identifying a tyre’s unique features, and its conditions variations (e.g. wear and tear of the threads) to provide a more transparent tracking of its lifetime and usage.
“Using a sophisticated combination of AI and technology-enabled tools, we also want to be able to detect replica luxury watches without dissembling them, which is an important capability to protect the reputation and prestige of the manufacturing companies.”
Other future partnership opportunities will include a joint webinar featuring Griffith Business School’s Professor Anne Tiernan, who will discuss how jointly designed solutions can influence the policy and governance of circular economy and other industries.
Professor Tiernan is respected for her independent, professional and research-informed analysis and commentary on national politics, public administration and public policy. She consults regularly to Australian governments at all levels.
Stories of resilience will be collected and transformed into interactive exhibits for key sites in the Scenic Rim impacted by the devastating 2019 bushfires.
Griffith University with community stakeholders, including strategic partner Binna Burra Lodge, will collaborate to tell first-hand accounts of survival and recovery and unearth important insights for future natural disaster preparedness.
“By collecting the lived experiences from across the Scenic Rim community, we will get many different perspectives on how stakeholders dealt with the aftermath and recovery from the bushfires.”
She said the memories will be weaved into two exhibition pavilions educating the public about bushfire disasters, their impacts and community stories.
“Our aim is to create a platform for social learning for the community by focusing on the different phases of disaster management: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
“These shared memories will powerfully inform four community workshops to discuss best practices, opportunities and recommendations for recovery to strengthen the existing resilience in the Scenic Rim community.”
The project involves key partners impacted by the bushfires — Binna Burra Lodge, Mount Barney Lodge and Scenic Rim Regional Council — as well as the wider community including residents, emergency services, local businesses and visitors.
Binna Burra Lodge chairperson Steve Noakes says the research will help improve the capacity and capability of the local community to respond to future disasters.
“This research is underpinned by our community’s recovery and the first-hand knowledge we’ve collectively gained through this experience. At Binna Burra we lost our heritage lodge and eleven houses were also destroyed in our Beechmont community.”
Earlier this year Griffith signed a long-term strategic partnership with Binna Burra Lodge to collaborate on research and education initiatives.
The Fire memories: gathering stories about the fire impacts and responses to build resilience project is funded under a Commonwealth and Qld Government bushfire recovery program.
Griffith University has announced the 16 academic group winners of its 2020 Outstanding Alumni Awards, who will now progress as finalists for the overall University Outstanding Alumni Awards which will be announced in September.
The winners are currently located in eight countries around the globe and represent the remarkable impact Griffith alumni are making to their chosen professions and communities.
Dr Maxwell Moody
Alumnus Dr Maxwell Moody was deployed in Afghanistan when he received the news that he was named the 2020 Griffith Health Outstanding Young Alumnus.
“I feel extremely humbled and honoured to have been selected as the Griffith Health Outstanding Young Alumnus for 2020!
“I’d like to congratulate my fellow alumni and celebrate the achievements of all alumni nominees. I’m also grateful to the people that have helped shape this journey so far, including family, friends, teachers, colleagues and mentors,” said Dr Moody.
On a rainy day in Germany, Professor Norbert Lenz was delighted to learn that he was named the 2020 Outstanding Alumnus for Griffith Sciences.
Professor Norbert Lenz
“Even though I live and work many miles away from Australia now, back in Germany, I think of my years as a PhD student at Griffith often and consider that time as one of the best of my life.
“To receive this award tells me that not only do I appreciate how important Griffith University has been for my career, it also tells me that Griffith appreciates I had been there!” exclaimed Professor Norbert Lenz.
Jayde Geia
Arts, Education and Law’s Outstanding First Peoples Alumnus, Jayde Geia, has recently relocated back to the Gold Coast and hopes her award will inspire others.
“Griffith University and the GUMURRII Student Success Unit really set my career up for success, so I am so grateful to receive this award and am proud to be among an inspiring group of First Nations alumni.
“My time at Griffith provided me with the skills to make a positive impact in the community,” Jayde said.
Griffith University wishes to congratulate all academic group winners:
Director, Development and Alumni, Ms Gillian French
Director, Development and Alumni Ms Gillian French congratulated the winners and expressed her delight that alumni achievements could still be celebrated despite the global pandemic.
“This year’s award nominations opened during particularly challenging times, however we decided to proceed as normal and were extremely pleased to receive such a high calibre of nominations.
“Once again, the University awards program has unveiled truly unique and inspiring individuals who we can all be incredibly proud to call Griffith alumni,” said Ms French.
Nominees were assessed on their alignment with the broad selection criteria including their sustained remarkable success in, and contribution to, their chosen industry/profession and their substantial contribution to the community at local, state, national or international levels.
Also assessed was their demonstration of outstanding character with attributes in alignment with the values of Griffith University.
The Griffith University Alumni Relations Team is working towards a hybrid gala event model with further details to be released in early August.
Griffith librarian Raelee Lancaster juggles her day job with a burgeoning creative practice that includes performance, poetry and playwriting.
The talented writer has been selected for the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Playlab Theatre’s Sparks artist development program.
The 12-month program celebrates emerging Indigenous playwrights, giving six talented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers access to mentors, masterclasses and a showcase of their work at QPAC’s annual Clancestry event.
Making a contribution
“As a young Aboriginal writer, having my voice heard makes me feel validated,” Raelee said.
“I bring a different perspective and this program will allow me to contribute to the theatre world in a really interesting and new way.
“I look forward to seeing my work appear on a bigger scale, and the fact I’ll be collaborating with other Indigenous writers and performers is a huge thing for me.”
Up close and personal
Raelee will create and workshop a new play that is loosely based on Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw.
“I wanted to write a ghost story that explores themes of mental illness,” she said.
“It is a very personal issue to me, and in our community we see the effect of mental illness every day.
“Indigenous people in Australia are among some of the most at risk in the world for mental illness and suicide.”
A different perspective
Raised on Awabakal land in Newcastle, Raelee is descended from the Wiradjuri and Biripi peoples and says her identity is always front and centre in her work.
“My Aboriginality is always present in my work and my experience growing up black in Australia informs everything I do.”
Her work has featured in The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Overland and arts events in Australia and Berlin.
“I’ve got a stutter, and when I was young, writing was a form of communication that was easy for me and I felt comfortable with,” she said.
“I started writing poetry and branched into feature writing and now plays.
“Over the past couple of years I’ve started performing my poetry, and leaning into the uniqueness of my voice – I just take every opportunity that comes my way.”
Griffith a perfect fit
After studying ancient history at Macquarie University in Sydney, Raelee is completing a Masters in Information Management and said her job at Griffith University provided the perfect foil for her creative practice.
“I’ve always been interested in libraries, archives and museums,” she said.
“I recently took on a permanent role with Griffith, and work in the libraries at Nathan and Logan campuses.
“My colleagues here are so supportive and have taken a real interest in my writing.
The ADG Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of homegrown film directors. They are the only peer-judged awards for directors in Australia, recognising everything from feature films to documentary, television, animation and music videos.
National industry recognition
Dr Peter Hegedus
Dr Hegedus received a nod for Direction in a Feature Documentary, alongside some of the country’s top filmmakers.
“I’m very proud of the film, and to have my peers recognise my work at this level is amazing,” he said.
“There are some phenomenally talented directors nominated this year, so I’m just excited to be in their company.”
International acclaim
Lili premiered at the Sydney Film Festival last year and has just debuted internationally at the Krakow Film Festival. The film has struck a chord with audiences and critics, taking out a raft of awards, including Best Documentary at the Hungarian Film Critics Awards.
“I’m just enjoying riding the wave that this film has created,” he said.
“We’ve had interest from national broadcasters, and a European production company is keen to turn this story into a feature film.”
A creative journey across three continents
A scene from the award-winning feature documentary, Lili
The feature documentary follows a young mother who fled Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, leaving behind her first born child.
Decades after she settled in Australia, Lili’s second daughter, Edie, began the search for her dislocated family, travelling across three continents to confront the past.
Dr Hegedus wrote and directed the film, which was shot in Hungary, Canada and Australia.
“This film is about how history shapes the fate of families,” he said.
“What happens to families who are torn apart and how that trauma is passed on to the next generation.”
He said making the film had been a rewarding creative journey.
“To shed light on issues that affect millions around the globe has been a real honour and to have the film recognised on the world stage is particularly special,” he said.
Griffith alumnus comes full circle
A Griffith University alumnus, Peter is Deputy Director (Research and Engagement) and a senior lecturer at GFS. He is an award-winning writer, director and producer whose films have garnered critical acclaim around the world. His documentary Inheritance: A Fisherman’s Storywas short-listed for an Academy Award in 2004.
Dr Hegedus received funding from Screen Australia, Screen Queensland, Griffith University, FocusFox Studio and Hungarian television to complete Lili.
Griffith University researchers have used human hair waste to develop sustainable organic hi-tech devices for water quality testing of contaminants.
Professor Qin Li and a team of researchers from the School of Engineering and Built Environment and Queensland University of Technology synthesised carbon dots from human hair waste which can detect trace amounts of chloroform in water, a major by-product of water disinfection.
Published in Sustainable Materials and Technology, the researchers created highly fluorescent carbon dots CDs in a sustainable chemical-free process by heating up the hair at 180 ºC in an oxygen-deficient environment.
Carbon dots are small carbon nanoparticles (less than 10nm in size) with varying functional groups on the surface and the ability to fluoresce when exposed to a range of chemical and biochemical contaminants.
The intensity of the fluorescence changes when surface functional groups on the carbon dot interact with the particular chemical species, making them perfect for chemical sensor applications.
Professor Qin Li from the School of Engineering and Built Environment
Professor Li said the contaminants the carbon dots target could be as unique as the individual whose hair from which they are made.
“It might sound strange, but hair is an extremely valuable waste product,” Professor Li said.
“Being rich in protein and full of carbon and nitrogen, it is an excellent precursor for transformation into useful materials like carbon dots.
“Because hair is rich in nitrogen, when we altered the thermal treatment conditions, we produce carbon dots with different nitrogen-containing functional groups on their surface which bind specific contaminants.”
Remarkably the researchers also found that different coloured hair produced carbon dots that responded preferentially to differing pollutants.
“The dark hair showed a high specificity for sensing chloroform pollution in water, while the blond hair we tested was more sensitive to metal species like magnesium,” said former Griffith University Research Fellow Dr Ehsan Eftekhari.
These dark hair-derived carbon dots, with nitrogen-based sensing antennae on the surface, were so sensitive they could detect chloroform present in as few as three molecules per billion water molecules.
“Chlorination is a widely-adopted disinfection method in drinking water treatment used to reduce pathogen risks and waterborne diseases, but it can also create by-products, such as chloroform, that at high concentrations have been implicated in increased rates of some forms of cancers,” said Professor Fred Leusch, a co-author who chairs the Australian Water Quality Advisory Committee.
“So, developing sensors to monitor the amount of chlorine used in treatment and the by-product concentrations in real-time is of critical importance to public health.”
The carbon dot sensors could even tell the difference between very similar chemical contaminants.
“In this study, we found the nitrogen-based sensing antennae on the carbon dots surface was sensitive to chloroform, but not to the chemically similar contaminant bromoform, due to the subtle difference in their electronic structures,” Professor Li said.
“I’m constantly amazed by how much biological materials can teach us on designing functional products, such as carbon dots-based nano-sensors.
“Using bio-waste to make carbon dots for water quality sensors without employing any harmful solvents, makes it a sustainable technology that truly adheres to the principles of green chemistry.”
Everledger is an independent technology company helping businesses surface and converge asset information, using a symphony of secure technologies, including blockchain, artificial intelligence, intelligent labelling and Internet of Things.
