High-performance coaches are central to the success of Australia’s elite sporting system, yet their own wellbeing has often been overlooked. New research involving Griffith University is helping change that, providing the evidence base for a national shift towards supporting coaches to perform and thrive.
Led by the University of the Sunshine Coast in partnership with Griffith University, Australian Catholic University and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), the Coach Performance Wellbeing Research Program was established in 2021 to better understand the challenges facing high-performance coaches and identify practical ways to improve their wellbeing.
The research aligns with the AIS HP2032+ strategy, which aims to “Win Well” by recognising wellbeing as a driver of sustained performance, rather than a competing priority. Before this research, however, there was limited evidence available to guide organisations in supporting coach wellbeing at a system level.
The three-part research program examined athlete transitions out of elite sport, coach wellbeing needs, and the role organisational cultures and leadership decisions play in shaping coach experiences. Across the program, researchers engaged with athletes, wellbeing practitioners, coaches, CEOs and performance directors from across Australia’s high-performance sport system.
One of the most significant findings was that coaches consistently prioritised athletes’ wellbeing ahead of their own. A national survey of 118 high-performance coaches and co-design workshops involving 40 coaches from 29 sports highlighted a strong demand for psychological safety, mentoring, clear boundaries around work, and structural rather than tokenistic support.
“What makes this work particularly important is that it has moved beyond identifying challenges to creating practical, evidence-based solutions that sporting organisations can implement. When coaches are supported to thrive, athletes, teams and organisations all benefit.”
The research findings have already influenced policy and practice across the sector. The recommendations developed through the project have been embedded in the Australian Sports Commission’s Coach Development Strategy and informed the AIS Coach Performance Wellbeing Framework, which supports coaches through referral networks, wellbeing resources, organisational support and personal development opportunities.
The research has also contributed to operational resources including the AIS Guidelines on Optimising Athlete Transition, the Athlete Transition Journey, and the High Performance Coach Development Capability System Tool.
Perhaps the most tangible example of impact is the South Australian Sports Institute’s Performance Wellbeing Lead pilot. Designed using insights from the research, the pilot embedded a dedicated wellbeing practitioner alongside elite coaches, providing relationship-based support within a high-performance environment. The success of the pilot has led to an extension of the program and plans for further pilots across the National Institute Network.
The work is also attracting international attention, with findings informing discussions through organisations including Sport Ireland and the International Council for Coaching Excellence, which has established a new research group focused on Winning Well and safe coaching practices.
As Australia looks ahead to major international competitions over the coming decade, the research is helping ensure that the people responsible for developing and supporting athletes receive the support they need as well. The program continues to generate new opportunities for research translation, policy development and practical implementation across the high-performance sport sector.
Visit the Winning Well project webpage and download the full publication to explore the research findings, impact and practical applications for high-performance sport.
From the rock ‘n’ roll and punk scenes, milk bars and schoolies, surfies, skaters, ravers and the modern-day Eshay, generations of young Australians have been creating culture, but much of it risks disappearing from the historical record.
A new archive dedicated to Australian youth culture could help unlock a richer, more inclusive national history, according to research from Griffith and Monash Universities.
Dr Feldman-Barrett’s membership to Medusa’s nightclub in Chicago
Dr Christine Feldman-Barrett, from the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, said a formal national archive celebrating the culture young people have created, collected and shared would provide a dynamic “third space” for youth to better understand themselves and their contributions to society.
“An archive like this could give young Australians a new way into Australian history, through the music, fashion, places, objects and experiences that actually mattered to them,” Dr Feldman-Barrett said.
“Youth culture has often been treated as fleeting or frivolous, but those throwaway trappings of teenage life, a diary, a T-shirt, a mix tape, can become powerful historical artefacts.”
The proposed archive would bring memories and objects together while also embracing the digital culture that increasingly defines young people’s lives, including gaming, websites and social media platforms.
The research suggested closer observation of young people’s experiences across time helps illuminate a wider scope of socio-historical realities such as the role and experience of different genders and ethnic communities.
“These are not traditional archives, but dynamic spaces dedicated to collecting and sharing youth culture using exhibitions, workshops, digital projects and community participation,” Professor Long said.
The work highlighted an archive could also help bridge generations, helping young people see themselves as part of Australia’s history, while validating the experiences of older generations as worthy of historical attention.
“Everyone has been young,” Dr Feldman-Barrett said.
“That gives youth culture an extraordinary power to connect generations.”
The researchers argued this intergenerational exchange could be particularly valuable at a time when questions of belonging and social cohesion are increasingly important.
One of Australia’s most comprehensive assessments of endemic, rare or threatened freshwater fish has found numerous species were severely at risk of extinction due to multiple threats including habitat loss, invasive species and warmer waters.
The species facing the highest risk was the diminutive Daintree rainbowfish (Cairnsichthys bitaeniatus), found only in small rainforest streams in the Daintree region in Far North Queensland, with up to 10 unique threats to its population.
“These freshwater fish species are unique,” lead author Dr Kaitlyn O’Mara said.
“Many are found nowhere else on Earth.
“If they are lost from the Wet Tropics, they become globally extinct.
The Bloomfield River cod is among the freshwater fish facing high threat of extinction. Credit: Brad Pusey
“Freshwater fish are also important components of stream ecosystems and are indicators of ecosystem health.
The study of 22 freshwater fish species across the entire Wet Tropics region was led by Griffith University’s Australian Rivers Institute and funded by Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and the Australian Government under the National Environmental Science Program’s Resilient Landscapes Hub.
The team of 18 experts representing Australian universities, government agencies, consultancies and regional natural resource management organisations, assessed published and grey literature, and conservation listings as well as previous research on species biology, distribution and threats to identify the species most at risk and the actions needed to save them.
They assessed 24 separate threats ranging from climate change and invasive species to water extraction, habitat degradation and hybridisation, and for every species they considered not only the threat itself but its likelihood, consequence, extent, timing, trend and confidence level before assigning risk ratings.
“You can’t save what you can’t see, so understanding the risk of impacts of historical, emerging, and intensifying threats to these species is a critical knowledge gap that has hindered conservation planning,” Dr O’Mara said.
“Extreme climate events, altered river flows, habitat clearing, poor water quality, invasive fish, and hybridisation with introduced native fish are a high-risk threat to many species, but the species with smallest ranges or lowest numbers were the most vulnerable.”
Lake Eacham rainbowfish (Melanotaenia eachamensis)
Utchee rainbowfish (Melanotaenia utcheensis)
Other highly threatened species
Bloomfield River cod (Guyu wujalwujalensis)
Mulgrave goby (Glossogobius bellendenensis)
Several cling gobies, including:
Opal cling goby
Emerald cling goby
Black Stiphodon
Orange cling goby
Discord goby
Fehlmann’s Sicyopus
Frog goby
Opal cling gobies are also an facing extinction threat due to habitat degradation. Credit: Brendan Ebner
The assessment identified invasive species, climate‑driven changes to temperature and hydrology, habitat and water quality degradation, and hybridisation with translocated native fishes as among the most severe threats, particularly for narrowly distributed rainbowfishes and migratory cling gobies.
The research team called for urgent conservation planning and recovery actions such as habitat restoration, invasive species control, improved riparian management, and captive breeding.
“We hope our study can inform the development of a multi-species recovery action plan to guide on-ground management to reverse declines and help recover these unique fish species,” said project leader Professor Mark Kennard.
What if a 10-minute virtual escape could help you recharge during the working day?
That is the question being explored by Griffith University PhD researcher Minh Nhan, who is investigating whether short, immersive virtual tourism experiences could provide some of the restorative benefits of travel — without leaving the workplace.
Imagine walking through a World Heritage-listed forest or relaxing on a beach in your dream island destination. Ten minutes later, you remove the virtual reality headset and return to work.
Minh describes this concept as ‘microdosing tourism’ — experiencing short bursts of virtual travel regularly, rather than taking part in one long virtual reality experience.
Travel has a unique way of helping us recharge, learn new things and come back feeling different.
“What if we could bring some of those positive experiences to people who can’t travel frequently due to time, money, or other constraints? That curiosity led me to my research.”
Griffith Institute for Tourism PhD Student Minh Nhan presenting his research on virtual tourism microdosing at the 2026 Griffith Business School Research Conference.
A new role for virtual tourism
While virtual tourism has traditionally been explored as a way to preview destinations or provide an alternative to physical travel, Minh is investigating whether it could also have a role in everyday wellbeing.
His PhD research examines the experiences and wellbeing of full-time workers as they engage with a series of immersive virtual reality tourism experiences over time.
The research is still underway, so evidence of its impact is emerging. However, Minh hopes it will help identify how virtual tourism could be designed and applied as a workplace wellbeing approach.
“It creates opportunities for the tourism industry to position and develop virtual tourism as a wellbeing-focused product.”
The concept is not intended to replace physical travel. Instead, virtual tourism could complement everyday wellbeing, particularly for people who have limited time, resources or ability to travel regularly.
Shorter experiences may also help address some of the challenges associated with longer virtual reality sessions, including cybersickness.
“Since work is such a central part of our lives, even small improvements in how people feel at work could have a real impact on individuals, organisations and society.”
Short bursts of virtual travel in the workplace has potential wellbeing benefits, currently being explored by Minh Nhan
Exploring what tourism could become
Minh’s research brings together tourism, wellbeing and emerging technology to explore a relatively new question: can the positive effects associated with travel be experienced in small doses, wherever we are?
For the tourism industry, it could open new possibilities for developing immersive experiences focused not only on destination discovery and entertainment, but also on wellbeing.
“What excites me is that this is still a relatively new area, with many opportunities to work closely with industry to explore new applications.”
Minh is undertaking his PhD in the Department of Tourism and Marketing at Griffith University under the supervision of Associate Professor Anna Kralj and Professor Brent Moyle, members of the Griffith Institute for Tourism, with Associate Professor Sebastian Filep as an external supervisor.
To read the full Tourism Research News article, visit the Griffith Institute for Tourism LinkedIn eNewsletter. Subscribe for free regular eNews updates, to stay informed.
What happens when Indigenous knowledge holders from northern Australia, a geneticist from India, an archaeologist from Indonesia and early career researchers sit down at the same table?
The Centre aims to weave a multivocal story of the human story that connects us to our past and shapes our future. Awarded in 2025 and led by Griffith University, the Centre will position Australia at the forefront of global human origins research, uniting Australia’s world-class research expertise, Indigenous knowledge and international partnerships to address some of humanity’s biggest questions.
The Centre will create new opportunities for researchers and early career scientists, and build enduring partnerships across Africa, Asia and Australia. It will also establish new opportunities for Indigenous communities and global institutions to shape research into humanity’s shared past.
At the Centre’s pre-establishment workshop in Brisbane, more than 50 researchers, community partners and cultural leaders from Australia and around the world came together to shape the Centre’s research agenda and develop new projects. The group’s shared challenge was to transform the way in which we understand the human story, while ensuring the knowledge, capabilities and partnerships generated through the Centre delivered lasting benefits for Australia and global communities.
“Our conversations moved beyond fossils, genetics and archaeology, and focused on a bigger question: how can research be done differently?,” Centre Director Professor Michael Petraglia said.
“Across three days, our teams explored how Indigenous knowledge, community priorities, scientific innovation and international collaboration could work together to answer some of humanity’s oldest questions.”
The ARC Centre of Excellence for Transforming Human Origins Research united researchers from around the world.
They discussed data governance, museum collections, cultural heritage, new technologies and the importance of ensuring communities are partners in research.
“Transformation means creating a two-way partnership in which Indigenous knowledge, including knowledge held within traditional Vedda communities, can help shape the questions we ask and how we understand human history,” said Dr Oshan Wedage, a Partner Investigator within the Centre from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka.
For many attendees – who came from diverse research backgrounds including genomics and ancient DNA, repatriation of human remains, Indigenous knowledge systems, archaeology, palaeontology, geography and climate science – the workshop represented a new model for research built on co-design, respect and shared decision-making.
Dr Dipuo Kgotleng with Professor Michael Petraglia.
Early career researchers worked alongside established Australian and international leaders, gaining access to new research networks, technologies and collaborative opportunities. International partners from Africa and Asia brought regional expertise that will strengthen Australia’s capacity to lead globally connected human origins research.
“International collaboration, especially with a country like Australia, which has been a very important partner in the development of our Institute, is very important to developing a young research institute like ours,” said Dr Dipuo Kgotleng from the University of Johannesburg and a Centre Partner Investigator.
“Through research and training collaboration that we foresee with the establishment of this Centre of Excellence, our students will be provided opportunities to learn from global leaders in human origins research while establishing research networks for the future.”
Indigenous representatives helped shape conversations about what meaningful collaboration should look like in practice.
The workshop has spurred the generation of new research projects that combine Australian and international expertise across disciplines, regions and knowledge systems. Professor Petraglia said the Centre would strengthen Australia’s knowledge economy by building research capability, developing highly skilled researchers, attracting international collaboration and creating new opportunities for science and innovation.
“Because transforming human origins research is not simply about uncovering where our ancestors came from,” Professor Petraglia said.
“It is about bringing together the people, perspectives and communities needed to understand our shared past and, in doing so, help shape a more connected future.”
New research using citizen science and social media records reveals humpback whales are feeding regularly along Australia’s east coast migration route, particularly in southern New South Wales and Tasmania.
PhD Candidate Sarah McCulloch.
This is despite traditional assumptions that whales largely fasted between Antarctic feeding grounds and tropical breeding areas.
Led by Griffith University PhD Candidate Sarah McCulloch, analysis of more than a decade of observations identified 199 feeding events involving 1,417 whales, revealed supplementary feeding during migration may be far more common than previously understood.
By analysing social media posts from 2013-2024, researchers compiled the most extensive dataset to date of humpback whale feeding behaviour in Australian coastal waters.
Most feeding observations occurred in waters off southern New South Wales (45 per cent / 91 events); eastern / southern Tasmania (28 per cent / 56 events); Victoria (12 per cent / 24 events).
Together, these regions accounted for about 85 per cent of all feeding observations that were documented.
“Feeding also occurred outside expected times and places,” Ms McCulloch said.
“We found feeding happened during both northbound and southbound migrations.
“In Tasmania and Victorian waters feeding also took place during almost every month of the year, even during the summer months when whales are generally expected to be feeding in Antarctica.”
Ms McCulloch said the feeding hotspots aligned with areas influenced by the East Australian Current dynamics, coastal upwelling, nutrient-rich waters, and concentrations of krill and baitfish prey species.
Dr Olaf Meynecke, who co-led the research, said the team also found evidence of large-scale feeding groups in New South Wales waters, with multiple sightings involving up to 100 whales feeding together.
“One event near Bermagui involved about 150 feeding whales,” Dr Meynecke said.
“These observations support the growing evidence that large ‘super-group’ feeding events happen regularly in eastern Australian waters.”
Dr Olaf Meynecke
The authors argued understanding where and when whales fed had important management implications, as these feeding areas often overlapped with fishing, shipping and offshore energy development activities.
They also highlighted the expanding population of humpback whales was under pressure from changes in Antarctica that resulted in a higher variability of krill supplies.
The study ‘Citizen science data reveal humpback whales feeding along the eastern coast of Australia’ has been published in Marine Mammal Science and was conducted as part of the Whales and Climate Research Program.
Professor Lennert Veerman
Millions of cases of tooth decay could be prevented if Australia introduced a 20 per cent tax on sugar, new Griffith University research has found.
Professor Lennert Veerman from Griffith’s School of Medicine and Dentistry said a sugar tax could significantly improve the oral health of Australians.
“It could prevent 3.7 million cases of tooth decay, 191,000 cases of gum disease, and 115,000 cases of complete tooth loss,” Professor Veerman said.
“The study also estimates a 20 per cent sugar tax would generate approximately half a million health-adjusted life years for the 2019 Australian population over their lifetime, both from dental health improvements and reductions in weight-related illness.”
Oral diseases affect about 3.5 billion people globally and nearly 32 per cent of Australians adults have untreated cases of tooth decay.
Males were projected to experience the most health benefits from a sugar tax as they currently consume more sugary drinks and have higher baseline levels of some oral diseases.
Adjunct Research Fellow Mishel Shahid said this was the first Australian study to quantify the impacts of a sugar tax beyond tooth decay.
Adjunct Research Fellow Mishel Shahid
“Previous modelling examined dental caries, but this study also encompassed periodontitis and edentulism, commonly known as complete tooth loss, which add significantly to the overall impact of the tax,” she said.
Professor Marco Peres from SingHealth Duke-NUS in Singapore said the findings reinforced the importance of considering oral health when assessing the broader benefits of policies targeting sugar consumption.
“The potential benefits of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax extend well beyond reducing obesity and diabetes,” Professor Peres said.
“Our findings show such a policy could also prevent a substantial burden of oral disease across the Australian population.
“Importantly, a sugar tax is a population-level measure.
“It does not rely solely on individuals changing their behaviour, but helps create an environment in which healthier choices become easier.
“This is particularly important if we want prevention strategies to reach the whole population and reduce health inequalities.”
The paper ‘Impact of a sugar sweetened beverage tax on dental caries, periodontitis and edentulism in Australia: A modelling study’ has been published in BMJ Public Health.
Christian Adamson, Matt Redenbach, The Hon Andrew Fraser, Uncle John Graham, Professor Carolyn Evans, The Hon Hermann Vorster MP, John C. Schroder, Tracey Horton, Maree Wilson
Hundreds of Griffith University students will benefit from secure, purpose-built accommodation following the opening of a new student accommodation tower at the Gold Coast campus.
The addition of 460 new beds will increase on-campus accommodation capacity to almost 1000 beds, providing greater housing certainty for students and helping to ease housing pressure across the Gold Coast.
The new tower was developed in partnership with student accommodation specialist Campus Living Villages, owner and operator of Griffith University Village.
Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans said campus living offered students the opportunity to be close to classes and university facilities, while enjoying a vibrant community and amenities designed with the student lifestyle in mind.
“It is a great pleasure to celebrate the opening of this new student housing facility, knowing the difference it will make to the university experience for its residents,” Professor Evans said.
“Griffith’s Gold Coast campus offers students the opportunity to study in one of Australia’s most desirable locations, and with the G:link light rail on the campus doorstep, residents can access the Gold Coast’s beaches and attractions.
“It is wonderful to see accessibility features thoughtfully incorporated throughout the development, including wheelchair friendly rooms and modified bathrooms, as well as the swimming pool which features ramped wheelchair access and an aquatic wheelchair.
“Increased on-campus accommodation provides another high-quality housing option for regional, interstate, and international students choosing to study at Griffith.”
Featuring a mix of studio, two-bedroom and accessible apartments, all residents have access to a range of shared facilities including a resort-style swimming pool, yarning circle, landscaped green spaces, gym and yoga studio, collaborative study spaces, cinema and recreation room, laundry, and a shared cooking and dining space.
Renowned for creating a vibrant living environment for students to thrive, Group Managing Director and CEO of Campus Living Villages John Schroder said: “We are very pleased to expand our existing village footprint to allow for more residents to benefit from living on campus at Griffith University Village.”
“Our long-standing partnership with Griffith University has benefited thousands of students over the years, and our new shared amenities and collaborative spaces will support thousands more as they step into the next chapter of learning, socialising and building friendships.”
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA), commonly known as drugs for diabetes and weight loss, may have additional mental health benefits, especially for people with bipolar disorder, new Griffith University research has found.
Diabetes, obesity, and bipolar disorder often co-occur and may have shared pathophysiology with the latest World Health Organisation data estimating one in 200, or 37 million people, live with bipolar disorder.
GLP-1 medications treat diabetes and obesity, but their impact on bipolar disorder is unknown.
Professor Mark Taylor
A large Swedish nationwide study was conducted whereby researchers, led by Professor Mark Taylor from Griffith’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, analysed data from nearly 15,000 people with bipolar disorder who were prescribed GLP-1 medications over a 15-year period.
“People with bipolar disorder who were taking semaglutide (otherwise known as Ozempic or wegovy), a type of GLP-1 medication, had significantly lower rates of psychiatric hospitalisation compared with periods when they were not taking GLP-1 medicines,” Professor Taylor said.
“The findings add to growing evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonists may have benefits beyond diabetes and obesity treatment, and could represent a promising new avenue for bipolar research.”
Semaglutide was associated with a 21 per cent lower risk of psychiatric hospitalisation.
The study suggested GLP-1 signalling may help to protect the brain by reducing inflammation, cellular stress and other biological processes which have been linked to bipolar disorder.
This could potentially improve mood stability and reduce the risk of relapse.
While semaglutide was associated with reduced psychiatric hospitalisation risk, liraglutide and dulaglutide were not, suggesting the effect may not apply to all GLP-1 medicines.
Professor Taylor hoped the research findings would be further tested in a randomised controlled trial.
The paper ‘Use of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and the associated risk of hospitalisation in bipolar disorder, from a nationwide cohort, 2009-2024’ has been published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.
Ten presenters, ten absorbing research subjects, three minutes each — and one winner.
Griffith University’s 2026 Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Final delivered on all fronts at South Bank’s QCAD Lecture Theatre.
In a closely fought final, the judges found PhD candidate Yasmin Khan to have delivered the best presentation for her subject titled ‘Behind the Bridal Henna’.
The runner-up was Minh Nhan (Griffith Business School) for his presentation titled ‘Virtual Tourism for Workforce Wellbeing’.
While there was a feeling in the room that Ms Khan would present strongly, the Arts, Education and Law candidate admitted the result caught her off guard.
“I was surprised, actually,” she said.
“I’ve always got confidence in myself, but I was surprised, and pleasantly surprised.”
Ms Khan’s research examines the experiences of South Asian women in Australia and the domestic abuse they can face — not from husbands, but from mothers-in-law.
A series of podcasts was her method of shining a light on this issue; they’ll be made available at the end of her thesis journey.
“The old trope of the nasty mother-in-law was always there, but all these women were coming to me and saying, ‘It’s not really my husband who’s the problem — it’s my mother-in-law,’” she said.
“I thought there’s got to be something in that.
“Nobody had researched it.
“Nobody had looked at what these women had been through — what sort of humiliation and disrespect they’d experienced.”
Her presentation gave voice to women often cloistered within communities bound by honour and respect, and to behaviour that carries new weight in an Australian context.
“It’s all right if you’re doing that back home, because nobody cares,” she said.
” But if you’re doing that in Australia, a lot of those things are against the law..
“These micro-aggressions or macro-aggressions are all of a sudden illegal.
“How do we navigate our way through that system?
“And what are these women actually saying?”
Far from struggling to find participants, Yasmin was inundated with women calling from as far away as Perth to share their stories.
“They weren’t only willing to tell their story — they wanted to break the cycle and they wanted to educate people,” she said.
“They were quite proud, not of what they’d been through, but of the fact they could now stand up and fight back against the patriarchal system that put them in that situation.
“Something’s got to break the cycle otherwise you’re going to be the nasty mother-in-law next time for your daughter-in-law.”
Ms Khan paid tribute to her supervisors, Professor Susan Ford, Associate Professor Heather Anderson and Dr Zoe Rathus, who attended each of her heats, along with colleagues across the humanities.
“They’ve been very, very supportive,” she said.
”It’s been terrific — they’ve all been great.”.
A woman of faith, she also thanked “the good Lord above — I’m sure my mother was sitting in the audience praying immensely. I know I was praying.”
With her win, Ms Khan takes home $1,500 and will represent Griffith at the Asia-Pacific 3MT Final in October, aiming to become the University’s second-ever winner of the overall title after Sienna van Rossum’s 2024 triumph.
“Let’s hope I can represent Griffith really well,” she said.
