Griffith University Communications graduate Alana Jones has secured her dream job as Communications Manager for DonateLife, encouraging people to register as an organ or tissue donor.
And she hopes that her story goes some way to ensuring that no other family has to go through what she did.
DonateLife Week’s annual awareness campaign runs this week until August 4.
In this episode of the Griffith University podcast Remarkable Tales, Alana tells how she was a teenager when her Mum died at just 41 years old, after she had waited seven years for a transplant.
Alana went on to complete her studies, and work her way through different government positions, until she landed this role in Melbourne.
She hopes her story can encourage more organ donor registrations.
“Organ donation, it’s been something that’s been in my life pretty much forever, since I was really little,” Alana says.
“My Mum was waiting for a heart and kidney transplant and sadly she didn’t get her transplant. She passed away when I was 13. From the time I was seven years old, she was on dialysis and I pretty much only remember her being sick.
“When I was younger I used to get quite angry about the fact that there wasn’t enough organ donors and used to say things like, “If more people were organ donors, then I wouldn’t have lost my Mum,” which as a kid was quite hard to grapple with.
“As I grew up, I started to think `What can I do that could actually make a difference?’, and I was really fortunate that through the networks I’d formed in previous jobs, when this job came up, someone flagged it with me and it’s just the most perfect role for me.”
Alana coordinates all the awareness raising campaigns about organ donation, which on any given day could involve working with nurses and doctors caring for patients undergoing surgery, to meeting media or mourning families.
DonateLife Week also happens to fall on Alana’s mother’s birthday, creating a bittersweet synergy between her personal bereavement, professional success and passion to help others.
Alana says she loves her work, as it hopefully goes some way toreducing the number of families who lose a loved one while they are on the organ donor waiting list.
“I take a lot comfort in the fact that we’ve come such a long way as a country, in terms of organ and tissue donors,” she says.
“Since my Mum passed away, the year that she died there were only about 200 kidney transplants that happened in Australia that year. These days there’s over 1000 every year. It’s gone up an awful lot.
“And there’s also been a lot of work that’s gone into it by the DonateLife staff, and last year in Victoria for example, we had 193 organ donors. Ten years ago that’s what we had in the whole country.
“It’s a real change, so I think that if my Mum were going through what she went through today, she probably would have gotten a transplant. It’s a completely different world and we’re seeing less and less people end up in that kind of situation, and more people whose lives are being saved.”
While the majority of Australians believe it’s important to be an organ and tissue donor, Alana says only a few take the necessary steps to register.
“I think people used to be quite afraid of talking about organ donation and now it’s something that’s a lot more widely accepted,” she says.
“If you register and you talk to your family early on, no-one is expecting that this is going to happen anytime soon. If you decide now, then you don’t have to think about it again. It’s said and forget. You tell your family about it and then they know and then if something were to happen, they don’t have to decide for you. You decided for yourself.”
This year the campaign is focussing on the stories of survivors.
“For us it’s really about telling beautiful stories of recipients who have had their life saved,” she says.
“We’ve got a couple of beautiful little kids up on our posters. They actually wouldn’t be alive today if they didn’t get an organ donation.
“The other thing that’s really important for us at DonateLife is to represent donor families and to try and tell those stories, as well, so the stories of people who’ve lost someone, always in very tragic and unexpected circumstances, and they’ve made the decision at that point to think about other people and donate their organs.”
She says Griffith University helped her find her passion in life.
“It’s so rewarding being able to help to contribute to something to stop families from having to go through what I went through,” Alana says.
“I don’t have it in me to be a nurse or a doctor. I wish I could, but unfortunately that’s just not me.
“I figure if I can use what I’m good at, which is writing and influencing people, and bringing all the other pieces together to do something that contributes to that in some little way, then hopefully that helps someone at some point.”
A new scientific discovery, thanks to one of the research groups at Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics, is providing new hope for the development of an effective treatment of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD).
Led by the Institute’s Founder and Director, Professor Mark von Itzstein AO, the research group has just published a paper in ACS Infection Diseases.
The researchers have discovered potent small molecules which block the early stages of EV71 infection and opens up the potential for novel drugs for treatment.
“We are hopeful that the findings of this research project will lead to an effective treatment to fight HFMD in its very early stages, and in turn offer peace of mind to millions of people around the world, especially concerned parents.” Professor von Itzstein said. Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a large family of viruses that is a major cause of HFMD, a highly contagious, generally self-limiting illness. Although EV71 can infect both children and adults, it is most commonly observed in children under 5 years of age, with those aged under 2 years at higher risk of developing a severe EV71 infection.
As the name suggests, the disease is characterised by mild rashes on the hands, feet and mouth; however, in severe cases, HFMD can lead to meningitis, encephalitis, polio-like paralysis, and even death. There are currently no drugs on the market to effectively treat HFMD.
EV71 has caused outbreaks of HFMD worldwide and has been increasingly prevalent across the Asia-Pacific region, where it has become a major public health issue. In China alone, there were some 9 million cases of HFMD reported between 2008 and 2013, with nearly 2,500 confirmed deaths. More recent findings report that between 1 and 31 July 2018, a total of 377,629 cases of HFMD and four deaths were reported in China, which is a 27% increase from the same period in 2017.
“In recent years there appears to have been a significant increase in HFMD in Asia,” said Dr Benjamin Bailly, lead virologist on the study.
In Australia, large outbreaks of EV71 infection have been reported and all outbreaks included cases of patients with severe neurological disease. Significant outbreaks have been reported in major Australian cities over the past three years with childcare centres and kindergartens being at higher risk.
“The increasing incidence of HFMD outbreaks, and the potential for severe complications, is now driving antiviral drug discovery research to combat enterovirus A infection, in particular EV71,” said Dr Chih-Wei Chang, lead chemist and joint senior author on the study.
New research has found about one-quarter of oceanic shark habitat is actively fished, leaving sharks with few places to hide from the longlines they frequently get caught in.
Published in Nature, the study highlights the urgent need to protect pelagic sharks, which are reported to be in decline, via increased conservation efforts.
Pelagic (or oceanic) sharks are highly migratory, covering vast areas of the ocean – including areas targeted by fisheries. Large pelagic sharks account for around half of all identified shark catches from fisheries.
The extent of habitat overlap with industrial fisheries has been so far difficult to determine, as data from fisheries about catch numbers can be incomplete.
The team also monitored the movements of global fishing fleets to see where their paths crossed with the tagged sharks.
This process found the areas frequented by protected species had much higher overlap with longline fisheries, suggesting that more protected areas were needed to sustain these populations of sharks.
The results revealed that 24% of the space used by sharks in an average month falls under the footprint of pelagic longline fisheries, which are responsible for catching most sharks from the open ocean.
Areas of ocean that are frequented by protected species, such as great white sharks and porbeagle sharks, had higher overlap with longline fleets (around 64%).
“This study shows the high overlap and mortality rates of unregulated longline AIS-equipped fishing fleets throughout all oceans, and the impact it can have on an already stressed shark population,” Gustafson said.
“Commercial drift longlines can be many kilometers long and contain thousands of hooks and are responsible for the majority of shark catches, including the White, Oceanic whitetip, tiger, bull, Mako and hammerhead sharks.
“Almost two-thirds of these species are listed as either endangered or vulnerable and near threatened. Coupled with the low growth rates or sharks, recovering populations (ie. White and porbeagle sharks) are being further hindered, and further decreasing other shark species populations.
“Areas of low hotspot-fishing overlap occur in areas of low productivity, and sharks seems to be in transit through them, though more low overlap areas may exist and we need to determine their value to shark populations and how to incorporate them into marine protected areas.
“Management is a complex issue – how do we police large areas of the high seas? How do we monitor the fishing fleets from multiple nations? How do we make sure the catch data is accurate and unbiased?
“These are the future issues we are facing, and it may take some time and technological advancements to undertake unbiased and fair monitoring of the high seas fishing fleets.”
The study was led by Professor David Sims, who is part of the Global Shark Movement Project based at the Marine Biological Association Laboratory in Plymouth, UK.
“Our results show major high seas fishing activities are currently centred on ecologically important shark hot spots worldwide,” Professor Sims says.
The shark hot spots identified in Australian waters were found to be the South Australian Basin, northwest Australia, the southern Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand shelf waters and around the Kermadec Islands northeast of New Zealand.
The twists and turns of life have taken Griffith University students John Akol Maluk and Jennefer Simon along very similar pathways since they fled the violent conflict and political unrest of their native South Sudan.
For each of their families, the first step to safety and a new future came through refugee camps in Kenya. While Jennefer was little more than five years of age at the time, it was here that Akol completed Years 1-8 of his schooling before moving to Australia.
Their paths would cross again and they would eventually meet at Griffith University where they enrolled to study. In July, they both graduated, Akol with a Master of Public Administration and Jennefer a Bachelor of Business.
To complete their serendipitous story, Akol and Jennefer also share the distinction of being the first students to complete Griffith University’s Humanitarian Internship Program, after their selection for and completion of the pilot.
The Program is run by Griffith’s Careers and Employment Service / Student Diversity and Inclusion in association with the Federal Government’s Department of Social Services (DSS). It aims to improve employment outcomes for students who originally arrived in the country through Australia’s refugee and humanitarian program. The opportunity comes in the form of a 6-week, hands-on internship at the busy state office of the DSS.
Akol’s story
“I’m optimistic about the future after the internship,” Akol (35) said.
John Akol (right) at his graduation in July
“The experience has made me confident about going for job interviews. I can now show I have relevant experience along with my university qualifications.”
Akol initially completed a Bachelor of Government and International Relations at Griffith Business School, and built on this by studying a Master of Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Policy Analysis. He is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Integrity and Anti-Corruption. “Through the internship I could apply the skills I learned during my undergraduate and postgraduate studies.”
Akol and Jennefer gained public service work experience, operating across a number of different teams in the Queensland State Office of the DSS. They also benefited from the guidance of mentors, training workshops and from extensions to their roles after the internship period had elapsed.
Jennefer’s story
Jennefer (22), a Human Resource major at Griffith Business School, found out about the internship program while networking at a Stepping Out Program event at university.
“The flexibility meant I could still study while gaining paid work experience,” she said.
“I was able to implement specific skills from the classroom on a number of projects including a redevelopment of the induction/orientation process for the Transitions Centre of Expertise.”
“I have grown so much as an individual and I am very much looking forward to starting my professional career with the skills I have gained through the internship.
Apply
Applications open shortly for the 2019 Humanitarian Internship Program, which again offers two 6-week work placements at the DSS offices in Brisbane for students who meet the eligibility criteria.
The Humanitarian Internship Program aims to attract and develop high quality students who will contribute effectively to the work of DSS and the Australian Public Service. It supports students in expanding their formal qualifications and personal capabilities, and provides a range and variety of informal learning and developmental experiences.
For Humanitarian Internship Program (HIP) 2019 intake, students can apply via Griffith University CareerBoard.
Griffith students can contact Tina Donaghy at [email protected] or Troy Dobinson Manager, Careers and Employment Service [email protected] for more information.
By Professor Brett Freudenberg
Professor Tax Law
Griffith University was successful in securing a $100,000 grant from the Federal Government to establish one of ten student run tax clinics in Australia. The Griffith Tax Clinic opened its doors in July 2019 and is ready to assist taxpayers in navigating Australia’s tax system. Currently, there are 14 student advisers undertaking internships at Griffith Tax Clinic under the supervision of experienced tax practitioners.
Griffith University has a strong and proud history of striving for social justice, and the Griffith Tax Clinic aims to provide free tax assistance to unrepresented taxpayers so they know their rights and obligations in complying with Australia’s complex tax system. The Griffith Tax Clinic is a friendly, student-run clinic where the public (including small businesses) can receive free tax advice from Griffith University taxation students under the supervision of experienced tax practitioners.
In its first weeks of operation the Griffith Tax Clinic has started providing advice, including the student advisers assisting with a one-on-one tax workshop for the Sisters Project. The Sisters Project aims to empower women by building their confidence and skills to start a small business. The student tax advisers sat with the women to assist and explain to them a case study that explored some of the tax issues that they will need to consider for their businesses. In addition, the student tax advisers started booking in client meetings to assist otherwise unrepresented individuals with their tax, including people who are new to Australia or have just commenced their first job and are uncertain about what deductions they may be entitled to.
Additionally, the student tax advisers developed and delivered a workshop on ‘tax and your small business’ for the Queensland Government as part of a free Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business capability workshop. This workshop discussed some of the common misconceptions that can occur with tax and running your business.
The Griffith Tax Clinic is located at Griffith University’s Logan campus (Building L08 Room 1. 11) and operates Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
It’s one of the most costly and debilitating issues for older women, but Griffith University researchers are offering free trial treatments in the hopes that their studies will help reduce burden of osteoporotic fractures in Australia.
Osteoporosis is a major healthcare problem leading to a high incidence of fragility fractures in the ageing population.
While often considered an “old person’s disease”, in Australia, one in two women over 60 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture. Hip fractures are particularly costly financially and in terms of pain and suffering.
Griffith Allied Health researchers Prof Belinda Beck and PhD candidate Melanie Fischbacher are offering free exercise treatments at Brisbane and Gold Coast locations as part of an osteoporosis research trial.
The normal cost of this type of treatment is valued at more than $2000.
Currently, medication is the primary therapy to improve bone mass and prevent osteoporotic fractures. However, most hip fractures occur due to falls.
“The medications, while helpful for bone mass, won’t improve muscle strength or boost balance to prevent those falls” Fischbacher said, who runs the Brisbane-based trial.
“But a combination of medication and exercise could help osteoporosis sufferers both increase their bone mass and prevent falls by boosting muscle strength and balance.”
Prof Beck’s Gold Coast-based trial incorporates whole body vibration (WBV), which is a novel therapy that has been shown to improve bone mass in animal studies.
“Some human research has also reported promising findings, but a large enough study has not yet been conducted to know for sure. Exercise is known to be beneficial for bone, but its effect in combination with vibration is unknown,” Prof Beck said.
“These two novel strategies to enhance the efficacy of bone medications could change the accepted course of osteoporosis therapy.”
The VIBMOR trial at the Gold Coast campus.
Participants in theBrisbane-based MEDEX-OP trialshould be on osteoporosis medication and will receive a free supervised exercise program and a free bone, muscle and fat assessment.
Participants in theGold Coast-based VIBMOR trialcan be on or off medications and will receive either a free home-based or supervised exercise program and may also be allocated awhole bodyvibration (WBV) device to use in their home.
Participants will also receive a series of free bone, muscle and fat scans. All study participants will receive a full interpretation of their results.
Participants of both trials need to be healthy postmenopausal women with low bone mass (this can be tested by the team).
Professor Peres said he was proud of being part of the international team who authored the study.
“We are challenging policymakers in the health sector and dental professional bodies for taking radical actions to tackle oral diseases globally,” he said.
The social and commercial determinants of oral diseases are discussed in the series and opportunities are identified for future action on these health issues.
The environmental artist travels the globe documenting endangered species, from the icy tundras of Greenland to the high desert country of the United States and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Inspiring change
Dr Emma Lindsay on a field trip in Iceland
The artworks recreate Emma’s up-close encounters with threatened, endangered and extinct species during her visits to national parks, wildlife refuges, zoos and natural history museums. She aims to capture a sense of wonder at the many and varied species that roam our planet.
“My work isn’t about making people feel guilty and pointing fingers,” she said.
“It’s about inspiring change and appealing to people’s empathy.
“I’m so in love with our planet and we don’t have a plan B, so we need to take care of it.
“This work lets me align my life values and my artistic practice.”
A different perspective
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) graduate took part in Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps initiative in Brisbane earlier this year, an experience that has allowed her to build a network of fellow eco-warriors.
“It was First Nation leaders, representatives from industry, government, entrepreneurs, teachers, scientists, artists – all of us talking about what is being done to combat climate change,” she said.
Al Gore, centre, and Emma Lindsay, right, at the Climate Corps event in Brisbane.
“My particular interest is in endangered species, and recovery can sometimes seems like an impossible task.
“But it was so valuable as an artist to make connections with people who are trying to solve the same problems from different perspectives.
“I’m looking at partnering with industry on a number of projects and I’ve set up an Instagram account called @greenartivists to connect artists and creatives working in environmental, climate, science or sustainability projects.”
Making dreams a reality
Emma’s work has also caught the eye of music superstars Alicia Keys and her husband Swizz Beatz (Kaseem Dean), who recently awarded her a grant as part of their TDC 20 St(art)up.
The power couple are the founders of the Dean Collection, which has amassed an enviable collection of contemporary art from around the world. The celebrity couple worked with a curatorial team to pick 20 artists around the world, each of whom received a $5,000 grant.
Endangered Sonoron Pronghorn. Photo: Jon Linkins
The grant helped fund Emma’s recent exhibition,Life on Earth, at Metro Arts. The exhibition featured video works, photography and paintings from her global field trips over the past decade.
“Being one of just 20 artists chosen was an amazing opportunity,” she said.
Dr Emma Lindsay at her exhibition, Life on Earth
“They were looking for projects with heart and integrity, and I think they saw that my work is a real labour of love.
“Receiving this grant really lifted my game, and it set this dream project into motion.
“This was the best show of my life.”
‘This journey started at the QCA’
Emma credits her studies at the Queensland College of Art with helping her find her niche in the art world.
“This journey all started at the QCA.
“I was struggling with portraits and landscapes, then a chance conversation with one of my lecturers about a rare species called the night parrot led to a massive project on extinct animals, and that set me on this path.
“My lecturers encouraged me to create work that I was passionate about and was true to what I value.”
Australia Awards scholars from Indonesia recently met in Jakarta for the final post course of their Short Term Award program, Labour Market Needs Forecasting for Education Policy, delivered by Griffith University.
Belinda Mulcahy and Dr Dean Biron are recipients of a new Open Universities Australia (OUA) teaching award, created to recognise course convenors who receive outstanding student satisfaction ratings.
Ms Mulcahy was recognised for her work on Psychology of Crime, Evolutionary Criminology, Offender Profiling, and Social Science Research Methods, while Dr Biron was awarded for his work on Youth Justice and Homicide.
Dr Biron, a former police detective and child death analyst with a PhD in music criticism, is pleased that his students are getting value out of the courses he convenes. He hopes it inspires them to make a difference.
“My main aim is to make students feel like they have a stake in improving society through their accumulation of knowledge, as well as hopefully also in their future careers and endeavours,” he said.
Dr Dean Biron, right, accepts his Open Universities Australia Teaching Excellence Award.
“As such, an important general goal of students studying these units — Homicide and Youth Justice — ought to be a reduction in violence and homicide and improvements in youth justice outcomes.”
Since 2017, OUA has recognised subjects with outstanding student satisfaction ratings and provided recognition letters to the subject convenors to acknowledge the achievement.
The Teaching Excellence Award is a new award for convenors who have been recognised on multiple occasions in the previous year.
Professor Nick Barter, Academic Director Griffith Online, said the awards were well-deserved recognition for the pair.
“It’s fantastic that students have provided Belinda and Nick with such excellent feedback. Griffith University prioritises high-quality online teaching that meets student expectations, and awards like this show we are achieving that goal,” he said.
She says Griffith University helped her find her passion in life.
Griffith Allied Health
