An international team of researchers has been working on an innovative framework using movement-assistive robots designed to help mobility-impaired individuals to enhancing athletic performance.
Researchers from Griffith University, University of Twente in the Netherlands, and McGill University in Canada have announced the release of CEINMS-RT, Calibrated EMG-informed Neuromusculoskeletal Modelling Software – Real-Time.
Associate Professor Claudio Pizzolato
Associate Professor Claudio Pizzolato from Griffith University’s School of Health Sciences and Social Work and the Australian Centre for Precision Health and Technology (PRECISE) was part of the team which designed the ground-breaking real-time, neuro-mechanical movement-assistive robots such as exoskeletons, exosuits, and bionic limbs.
“There is incredible potential for using wearable robots to support humans during rehabilitation,” Associate Professor Pizzolato said.
“Neural information from the wearer is combined with a human digital twin to precisely assess how muscles are coordinated to generate movement.
“Practically, this allows us to create smarter wearable robots which can better understand the user and act as natural extensions of the human body, also compensating for neurological injuries.”
In clinical trials, patients with neurological impairments successfully regained volitional control of their limbs by using robotic exoskeletons.
CEINMS-RT also enabled real-time biofeedback for personalised rehabilitation, optimising muscle and joint load to prevent injuries and enhance recovery outcomes.
In addition, CEINMS-RT has been used to create adaptive control systems for back-support exosuits, reducing lumbar spine loads during heavy lifting tasks, and bionic limbs, allowing users to achieve natural and intuitive movement.
“This is an exciting milestone for the use of wearable robotics in rehabilitation,” Associate Professor Pizzolato said.
“We are now deploying this technology for rehabilitation after spinal cord injury as part of our BioSpine project, further broadening its impact.”
The Governor-General has announced the 2025 Australia Day Honours List, with several members of the Griffith University community recognised for their distinguished and conspicuous service.
Mrs Lisa Ann Cox was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division for her service to people with disability.
Mrs Lisa Cox, OAM
A member of the Inclusive Futures Engagement Council with Griffith University since 2021, Mrs Cox has worked to tackle modern challenges facing humankind to create a just, inclusive and equitable future for those living with disability.
Griffith has seen a marked increase in enrolments of students with a disability since the introduction of Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability, with the 10 per cent of the student cohort who identify as having a disability now enjoying physical access, digital access and inclusive learning environments.
Mrs Cox has also taken on multiple disability advocate roles including being on the advisory panel for the Disability Employment Summit, a TEDx Speaker, and a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce for the Advertising Council of Australia.
Ms Leesa Ann Watego was also honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia in the General Division for significant service to Indigenous business and media sectors, and to the community.
Ms Watego has a long history with Griffith University, starting as a research assistant in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit back in 1991.
She then worked as an administration assistant in the same unit before becoming Associate Lecturer in the School of Commerce and Administration, then for the Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art up until 2008.
Additionally, Mr Laurie Joseph Lawrence was named Officer of the Order of Australia in the General Division in recognition of his distinguished service to water safety education and to swimming as a high-performance coach.
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate with Griffith University in 2012, Mr Lawrence is known for founding the Kids Alive ‘Do the Five’ Water Safety Program and World Wide Swim School, plus being a three-time Olympic Swim Team Coach among his many other achievements.
Other recipients included:
Ms Grace Lowden Brown: Master of Marketing alumnus – awarded Medal of the Order of Australia for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Olympic Games 2024
Mr Thomas James Gallagher: Bachelor of Business alumnus – awarded Medal of the Order of Australia for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024
Miss Shayna Louise Jack: Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice alumnus – awarded Medal of the Order of Australia for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Olympic Games 2024
Mr Cameron James McEvoy: Bachelor of Science (Honours) alumnus – awarded Medal of the Order of Australia for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Olympic Games 2024
Ms Lani Glen Pallister: Bachelor of Biomedical Science – awarded Medal of the Order of Australia for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Olympic Games 2024
Ms Clare Elizabeth Polkinghorne: Master of Criminology and Criminal Justice – awarded Medal of the Order of Australia for service to football
Dr Keith Graham OAM: Bachelor of Education, Advanced and Graduate Certificate in TESOL alumnus – awarded a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service in leading Queensland and national school sports recovery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Mr David John Mackie: Bachelor of Commerce alumnus – awarded a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to public sector administration and policy reforms in Queensland
Lieutenant Commander Dean James Dvornicich: Bachelor of Engineering – awarded Conspicuous Service Medal for meritorious achievement as the Marine Engineer Officer HMAS Supply
Mrs Kaye de Jersey: Former staff member of the Griffith University Library – awarded Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the Crown, and to the community of Queensland
An early human ancestor of our species successfully navigated harsher and more arid terrains for longer in Eastern Africa than previously thought, according to a new study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment.
Homo erectus, the first of our relatives to have human-like proportions and the first known early human to migrate out of Africa, was the focus of the new study led by the international research team.
Selected stone tools from Engaji Nanyori.
The researchers analysed evidence from Engaji Nanyori in Tanzania’s Oldupai Gorge, revealing Homo erectus thrived in hyper-arid landscapes one million years ago – well before our species, Homo sapiens, emerged.
“Now extinct, Homo erectus existed more than an estimated 1.5 million years, marking them as a species survival success in the human evolution story when compared with our own estimated existence of around 300,000 years to date,” Professor Michael Petraglia said, Director of the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University.
“That success came down to their ability to survive over a long period marked by many changes to the environment and climate,” noted the lead author, Professor Julio Mercader of the University of Calgary.
Using biogeochemical analyses, chronometric dating, palaeoclimate simulations, biome modelling, fire history reconstructions, palaeobotanical studies, faunal assemblages, and archaeological evidence, the research team reconstructed an environment dominated by semidesert shrubland.
Despite the challenges of these conditions, Homo erectus repeatedly occupied landscapes created by rivers and streams, leveraging water sources and ecological focal points to mitigate risk.
These findings suggest archaic humans possessed an ecological flexibility previously attributed only to later hominins.
“Debate has long centred on when the genus Homo acquired the adaptability to thrive in extreme environments such as deserts and rainforests,” said Dr Abel Shikoni of the University of Dodoma, Tanzania.
Excavations in foreground and background at Engaji Nanyori, Oldupai Gorge, Tanzania, in 2022, conducted by Masai landowners and project members. Credit: Julio Mercader
“Traditionally, only Homo sapiens was thought capable of sustained occupation in such ecosystems, with archaic hominins seen as restricted to narrower ranges”.
“However, the biogeochemical, palaeoenvironmental, and archaeological evidence we analysed suggests early Homo had the ability to adapt to diverse and unstable environments from the East African Rift floor and Afromontane areas as early as two million years ago,” Professor Petraglia said.
“This adaptive profile, marked by resilience in arid zones, challenges assumptions about early hominin dispersal limits and positions Homo erectus as a versatile generalist and the first hominin to transcend environmental boundaries on a global scale.”
“This adaptability likely facilitated the expansion of Homo erectus into the arid regions of Africa and Eurasia, redefining their role as ecological generalists thriving in some of the most challenging landscapes of the Middle Pleistocene,” said Professor Paul Durkin of the University of Manitoba.
Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) bans are effective in reducing smoking prevalence which has seen a drop of 20 per cent, according to new research out today.
The purpose of the Griffith University study, published today in Tobacco Control, was to discover if TAPS bans influenced smoking rates and behaviour.
The authors conducted a pooled analysis of published studies evaluating the effectiveness of TAPS bans with data from 71 countries.
Lead author Ms Christina Saad, a final-year medical student from Griffith’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, said the study found the ban also reduced the risk of taking up smoking by 37 per cent.
“According to the 2022 Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than one in ten Australian adults currently smoke,” Ms Saad said.
“Tobacco use continues to be the second leading cause of preventable disease and death in Australia, so the results from our study are heartening to see the TAPS bans are influencing smoking behaviour.
Dr Leopold Aminde
“However, it is important to note our research found no clear evidence that the TAPS ban significantly helped people to quit smoking.”
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s statistics found nearly 20,500 Australians died from tobacco use in 2018, equating to one death related to tobacco use every 26 minutes.
Senior author Dr Leopold Aminde said the results emphasised the importance of tobacco control through advertising, promotion and sponsorship bans for countries yet to implement such bans as part of efforts to stem smoking behaviour.
“For countries such as Australia with existing bans, it is imperative these are reviewed regularly and strengthened to address any emerging media trends and tobacco industry tactics which undermine these efforts and the benefits from reduced smoking rates,” Dr Aminde said.
A new study led by Griffith University has tracked two invasive fish species – the Mozambique and spotted tilapia – and found them established in the Mitchell River catchment in Northern Queensland, which flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Dr Kaitlyn O’Mara holds a spotted tilapia caught in Bruce Weir on the Walsh River.
The study’s lead authors say that is concerning, because tilapia can tolerate saltwater as well as freshwater, meaning they could exit the Mitchell River catchment during wet season floods and invade other Gulf rivers and their native ecosystems.
“For decades, Biosecurity Queensland has been trying to keep tilapia – a group of ornamental African and Middle Eastern freshwater fish some people keep illegally as pets – out of Australian rivers,” said Dr Kaitlyn O’Mara from Griffith’s Australian Rivers Institute.
“But it’s been a losing battle – despite harsh penalties for illegal possession and expensive eradication efforts, many eastern Queensland and West Australia rivers have become invaded by tilapia.
“Attempts to keep tilapia out of Gulf of Carpentaria rivers have been dampened by their invasion of the Mitchell River.”
Dr Kaitlyn O’Mara
The researchers found tilapia established in three locations within one sub-catchment of the Mitchell River.
The movement patterns observed in the study demonstrated habitat seeking behaviour, mostly by juveniles, that could lead to the successful establishment of tilapia at new locations within a catchment following introduction.
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries tilapia fact sheet showing the native species (banded grunter) that is commonly confused with juvenile tilapia. Credit: DAF
Both species of tilapia mostly ate a commonly found food source – aquatic plants – which allowed them to dominate fish communities.
They were also found to eat the eggs of native fish.
Tilapia can be aggressive towards native fish and damage riverbed when they feed and built nests.
They can also be better at surviving tough conditions than many natives, making them well suited to the harsh conditions of the Gulf of Carpentaria in the dry season.
Dr O’Mara said the pristine wetlands on the floodplains of the Gulf rivers produced a lot of the food native fish ate, but they also provided ideal tilapia habitat.
“It’s in these wetlands that most of the food for Mitchell River fish is made, and they are culturally significant places that are home to rare native fish species,” she said.
“We could see tilapia move here next, using wet season floods to swim there from the upper part of the catchment where they live at the moment.
“Detecting them early will be key to protecting these wetlands and other Gulf rivers.
“Separately, Biosecurity Queensland is now investigating a new public sighting in a separate subcatchment of upper Mitchell (around Mareeba) after cyclone Jasper.
“This sighting and our new study have sparked action for further surveys in the Gulf rivers to understand how they have expanded their range after the cyclone Jasper floods.”
As Australians emerge from the festive break where most indulge in sugar-laden treats and drinks, new research has provided a stark reminder of the devastating health impacts of sugar-laden beverages.
The research was spearheaded by an extensive team of international academic institutions including Griffith University, making it one of the most comprehensive studies to ascertain the global impact of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption on Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Professor Lennert Veerman from Griffith’s School of Medicine and Dentistry was part of the international team which assessed 184 countries and their SSB consumption, which includes commercial or homemade beverages, soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, punch, lemonade and aguas frescas.
“The results show that in 2020, 2.2 million cases of diabetes and 1.2 million cases of cardiovascular disease were attributable to the consumption of SSBs,” Professor Veerman said.
“That constitutes ten per cent of diabetes cases and three per cent of cardiovascular disease cases.
“Alarmingly, SSB consumption contributed to the deaths of 80,000 who had diabetes, and to the deaths of 250,000 people who had cardiovascular disease.
“We’re seeing a rapid rise in SSB consumption in low- and middle-income countries.”
The research found Latin America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa had the greatest rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease due to SSBs.
While Australia sat in the middle of the pack, there was still a sizeable number of cases of diabetes, heart disease and stroke which could be attributed to the consumption of SSBs.
This global research had prompted calls for effective interventions to be introduced, similar to those implemented for tobacco including taxes, marketing regulations, front-of-package warnings and education campaigns.
While Australia is leading the way on tobacco control, Professor Veerman said more could be done to educate the community on the health impacts of sugar-laden drinks.
“Urgent action is needed to prevent needless disease and death, starting with a tax on SSBs to discourage overconsumption, and encourage the industry to produce and market healthier drinks,” Professor Veerman said.
The paper ‘Burdens of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 184 countries’ was published in Nature Medicine.
New research co-authored by a Griffith University researcher into the lifespans of baleen whales has yielded boom-or-bust results for two well-known species, with one species’ age estimates almost doubling from what was previously thought and the other drastically reduced due to human-driven impacts.
Dr Peter Corkeron in the field.
The international research team has given new lifespan estimates to southern right whales and North Atlantic right whales, both of which are baleen (filter feeding) whales whose previous documented ages were, it turns out, estimated low. Centuries of whaling had killed off old whales, leading to an inaccurate picture of how long these whales could live.
The study, led by Dr Greg Breed from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, with Dr Els Vermeulen of the University of Pretoria and Dr Peter Corkeron from Griffith University, used ongoing 40+-year mark-recapture databases from the thriving southern right whale (SRW) and highly endangered North Atlantic right whale (NARW).
The team found the median lifespan for SRW was 73.4 years, with 10% of individuals surviving past 131.8 years.
Southern right whale. Credit: Dr Els Vermeulen
NARW lifespans were likely shortened due to human impacts, with a median lifespan of just 22.3 years, and 10% of individuals living past 47.2 years.
The researchers said using the context of extreme longevity recently documented in another whale species, all balaenid and perhaps most great whales had an “unrecognised potential for great longevity that has been masked by the demographic disruptions of industrial whaling”.
Dr Corkeron, an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at Griffith’s Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, said this unrecognised longevity had considerable implications for basic biology and conservation of whales.
“Received wisdom is that the longest that right whales live is into their 70s,” Dr Corkeron said.
“This work shows that they can live to about twice that – models estimate that 10% of them live to over 130, and the tail of the best-fit model stretches out to past 150.
“A major reason why scientists haven’t realised how old whales can be is because whaling killed all the old ones long before we could start trying to understand this, and it seems that there may have been, or perhaps still is, an unwillingness to believe that whales could live that long.”
Dr Peter Corkeron
“We have better ways of modelling whales’ ages, combined with populations of whales that are recovering after industrial whaling, so we have far more information to assess how long these whales could live.”
A southern right whale mother and calf. Credit: Dr Els Vermeulen
Dr Corkeron and the team also reanalysed the lifespans of female North Atlantic right whales, which he said painted a “very different story” – models estimated that few of these whales now survived past 50 years.
The median longevity for NARW was estimated as being in the early 20s. This meant that the lifespan of half all female NARW was about one-third that of half of southern right whales.
“This is down to human-caused deaths – entanglements in fishing gear and being hit by vessels,” Dr Corkeron said.
“North Atlantic right whales used to start calving at 9-10 years and had a calf every 3-4 years. Now most females who start calving do so in their mid-teens, and their calving interval is about 7 years.
“So, females could just produce enough calves to replace themselves when things were going well for North Atlantic right whales.
“Putting these two findings together underlines when we get the biology wrong, it’s harder to get management right.
“In some ways, it’s a tale of how one conservation disaster – whaling – has contributed to our failure to solve another conservation disaster – North Atlantic right whales’ current plight.”
The study was led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks with the University of Pretoria and Griffith University.
The findings ‘Extreme longevity may be the rule not the exception in Balaenid whales’ has been published in Science Advances.
One of the world’s biggest pop stars has just had a blockbuster biopic made about his life, and Griffith University Musical Theatre alumnus Liam Head was there for the ride.
Starring as Robbie William’s Take That bandmate Howard Donald, this was the 23-year-old’s first foray into feature films, having already played a collection of on-stage roles since graduating, including Fiyero in the current Australian season of Wicked.
Better Man tells the story of Robbie Williams’ meteoric rise to success and fame, his dramatic fall from grace, and then remarkable resurgence, with Mr Head saying it was a warts-and-all type of story.
“People are going to absolutely love this film because we haven’t held any punches—we really went the whole hog, which is, I think, a real service to the story,” he said.
“It’s been rated as the best biopic of all time, which is phenomenal, and to have played a part in it just feels truly incredible.”
Liam Head
With the lead character portraying Robbie Williams as a monkey, it was a whole new experience for Mr Head to be working alongside his co-star in a motion capture suit, and even seeing himself alongside the monkey in the movie for the first time.
“It could have been really tough if it was anyone but Johnno Davies who played Robbie, but Jonno is world-class and his performance was just breathtaking,” Mr Head said.
“The performance capture was done by the team at Wētā FX, who did Avatar and Planet of the Apes, and they captured even the smallest details including what his eyes did underneath the eyelids, so everything you see is still Jonno and it’s simply divine.”
While Mr Head has just wrapped up the media circuit for Better Man, he is now back in Australia and fronting the Wicked stage as Fiyero alongside fellow Griffith alumni Courtney Monsma, Emily Monsma and Jordan Malone.
Talent even runs in the family, with Liam’s older brother Jackson Head also graduating from Griffith’s musical theatre program two years earlier, with the pair often enjoying either sharing the stage, performing lead roles in different shows concurrently, or running their own production company, The Head Bros.
It is a testament to how well the Bachelor of Musical Theatre program prepares students for a career in the performing arts, with Mr Head saying the teachings, mentorship and life advice he received during his degree made him the well-rounded performer he is today.
“It’s pretty common for everyone from Griffith Uni to walk away going ‘wow, that was a great time’,” he said.
“Great education, great learning, great faculty and now world class facility as well.
“We also came out with some very close-knit friendships that I can’t see going away anytime soon.
“I’m very, very grateful, and very blessed.”
A Griffith Film School alumnus and his partner are the masterminds behind the hilarious and heartfelt new Australian feature film ‘Santa Hunters’.
The mockumentary-style movie tracked the escapades of three individuals as they each tried to capture the jolly man, using deft tactics and ingenuity while those around them rolled their eyes.
Available for viewing now on Amazon Prime, writer/director duo Richard Jamze and Natalie Rose have also now signed on with Channel 9, meaning you’ll be able to watch it on television every Christmas from 2025.
Originally written as a 10-minute play back in 2019, Santa Hunters was reworked and made into a feature film with the aim of lifting people’s spirits during 2020.
“We’d been looking at developing an indie film around that time, something very arthouse and achievable for us,” Mr Jamze said.
“Then COVID-19 and lockdowns happened and we just thought, no-one wants to watch a sad arthouse film right now so let’s do something fun.”
Griffith Film School alumnus Richard Jamze and partner Natalie Rose
Having written but not produced the play themselves, Mr Jamze and Ms Rose didn’t get to see the play until it was finished but were elated when they joined the audience who were all laughing out loud and enjoying the show.
They’ve been far more involved in the film’s production though, filming and editing it, and even briefly appearing in it themselves.
Beneath its comedic surface, Santa Hunters delivers a poignant message, reflecting a feeling of resilience for those who dare to dream.
“It starts as a goofy tale, but then pulls the rug out from under you,” Mr Jamze explained.
“Our goal was always to have people who are going for a bit of a laugh come out thinking, ‘why am I feeling emotional and sulking at this silly Santa movie?’
“For us, there are a lot of parallels between the film’s plot—of three people trying to achieve a goal that no one around them necessarily believes is possible—and the creative arts.
“Filmmaking is a particularly difficult industry and a lot of people look at you as if you’re crazy if you want to pursue it, but despite near impossible odds, we have big dreams and we push on.”
Originally hailing from Townsville, Mr Jamze moved to Brisbane to study at Griffith Film School, where he met many of the film’s crew and collaborators, and where they even returned to film some scenes in Santa Hunters.
“We were looking for a university location and Nat and I made it a competition between us on whose uni would be more supportive, and Griffith won big time,” he said.
“They let us run amok on campus for two weeks, taking over whole rooms and hallways, trashing the place to film police raid scenes (obviously we cleaned up afterwards), without any hesitation.
“My lecturers were always so encouraging and I think one of the key differences with Griffith is these people have actually worked in the field and really know what they’re talking about and that made a huge difference.
“Griffith has been absolute supporters and I don’t think we would have been able to achieve this without them.”
A new study led by Griffith University has unveiled a machine learning-based framework to accurately estimate groundwater recharge in the Perth Basin, with a particular focus on the Gnangara groundwater system.
Located in southern Western Australia, the Gnangara aquifer system is one of the region’s most critical water resources but also among the most vulnerable to climate change.
The Perth Basin served as the training site for the downscaling operation, while the Gnangara system served as the calibration site to estimate recharge.
The Gnangara system lies within the Perth Basin, which provides 35%-50% of Perth’s drinking water and supports key industries such as agriculture and mining.
Groundwater recharge is the process of water from the surface (e.g. from rain, rivers or lakes) replenishing groundwater reserves.
Declining precipitation and recharge, coupled with projections of continued declines, have posed significant challenges to managing this essential resource.
The study, led by Griffith’s Australian Rivers Institute PhD Candidate, Ikechukwu Kalu using the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data, combined advanced random forest regression models with groundwater storage anomalies to overcome the current limitations in spatial resolution.
By downscaling GRACE data to a fine resolution of 0.05° (~5 km), researchers achieved reliable recharge estimates over the Gnangara system, which is a relatively small calibration site of approximately 2,200 km².
“This improved GRACE data allows us to track groundwater changes in the Gnangara system and estimate recharge more accurately,” said Dr Christopher Ndehedehe, an ARC DECRA Fellow at Griffith University and co-author of the study.
Understanding groundwater dynamics within the Perth Basin’s complex aquifer system – which comprises the Superficial, Leederville, and Yarragadee aquifers – had been a long-time challenge.
The study revealed the response of these aquifers to rainfall varied significantly. The Superficial aquifer, which directly recharged from rainfall, showed a response of 44%, while the confined Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers, which recharged in specific areas, responded at 23% and 14%, respectively.
Lead author Mr Kalu emphasised the importance of integrating remote sensing with ground-based bore monitoring for a holistic understanding of groundwater dynamics.
“These findings underscore the potential of leveraging emerging remote sensing technologies for groundwater monitoring, management, and policymaking, offering tools to safeguard the Perth Basin’s groundwater systems in the face of escalating climate pressures.”
PhD Candidate Ikechukwu Kalu
“Understanding groundwater recharge at local scales is crucial, as many productive aquifers are relatively small and lack sufficient in-situ monitoring.
“We must invest in more efficient, low-cost, and accurate technologies to manage our groundwater systems, ensuring the sustainability of this vital resource for the benefit of our ecosystems and communities.”
