An international typography conference will be hosted in Australia for the first time in 67 years, with the Queensland College of Art and Design (QCAD) featuring heavily in the line-up.
ATypI (Association Typographique Internationale) was founded in 1957 to celebrate typography and typeface design, facilitate dialogue with related professional bodies, improve understanding of global typography, and promote typography education.
Connected to the conference will be an exhibition featuring the typography work of 36 artists, displayed as posters viewable in the Grey Street Galley from 10-20 April 2024.
The works have been selected from 1710 pieces of the world’s best lettering, calligraphy and type design featured across nine years of Typism books, curated by QCAD’s Associate Professor Dominique Falla.
Associate Professor Dominique Falla
Starting as an online type and lettering community, the annual Typism book project has given many first-time published artists a chance to have their work showcased to a global audience, with contributions coming from Ukraine, the Netherlands, Poland, Bolivia, Germany, Brazil and many more countries.
“I created Typism for my students after realising of lot of them were interested in type and lettering, but didn’t realise it could actually be a career path,” Dr Falla said.
“I started enlisting professional lettering artists to share their career journeys and experiences which led to the idea of curating some of the best type and lettering in the world in a book.
“The poster show is the ‘creme de la crème’ of the thousands of pieces of work published in the book over the last decade.”
Dr David Sargent
With the official opening night of ATypI being hosted at QCAD’s Grey Street Gallery and day one of workshops hosted at Griffith University’s South Bank campus, participants will hear from Dr Falla about her 10-year journey creating the Typism books and community, as well as several other QCAD academics in talks and workshops.
Dr Libbi Reed
Senior lecturer Dr David Sargent teaches visual communication courses related to publication layout, the history of type, typeface design, and expressive lettering, and will speak about a typeface he has revived.
Graphic design teaching fellow Dr Libbi Reed will lead a workshop introducing participants to the concept of visual sense-making through sketch-noting and expressive lettering, providing participants with a comprehensive toolkit for creative expression and effective communication.
Pascale Schmid
Doctoral candidate and sessional tutor Pascale Schmid used to be a flight attendant, and will be sharing her research and journey to designing a typeface for pilots to use in the cockpit.
Finally, QCAD graduate and sessional lecturer Aurelie Maron will close the conference with a keynote speech on how a lifelong love for drawing and a dedication to mastering the art of typography helped her build a thriving community and fulfilling career.
Aurelie Maron
With QCAD recently renamed to reflect its strong design contingent, Dr Falla said the university boasts more type-focused PhD and Masters students than any other Australian Institutions.
“We have a full contingent of type and lettering courses and some of the best type teachers in the world as part of our Bachelor of Design,” she said.
“We’re very proud to be a part of the ATypI conference and can’t wait to see what our students and other artists design next.”
PhD researcher Luis Villegas Aguilar conducting the experiment.
In a significant milestone for quantum communication technology, an experiment has demonstrated how networks can be leveraged to combat disruptive ‘noise’ in quantum communications.
The international effort led by researchers from Griffith University’s Centre for Quantum Dynamics highlights the potential of quantum networks in revolutionising communication technologies on a quantum level.
The study delves into the intricate world of quantum entanglement—a phenomenon where particles maintain a connection regardless of the distance between them. Quantum entanglement, which has long been recognised as a cornerstone of quantum technology, has intrigued scientists due to its potential applications in hyper-sensitive sensors and ultra-private communication channels.
CQC2T PhD Researcher Luis Villegas-Aguilar, alongside the team at Griffith University, embarked on a journey to explore the relationship between quantum entanglement and nonlocality—mysterious correlations that Einstein famously referred to as “spooky action at a distance.”
Dr Nora Tischler, Dr Emanuele Polino, PhD Luis Villegas Aguilar, Dr Farzad Ghafari and Dr Sergei Slussarenko.
The degradation of these quantum effects due to noise has posed a major challenge in realising their practical applications. The experiment conducted by the research team addressed this challenge head-on.
“In essence, our experiment demonstrates how networks can be utilised to overcome noise in quantum communications,” explains Villegas-Aguilar. “By simulating real-world conditions within a controlled environment, we aimed to enhance noise tolerance and ‘activate’ quantum nonlocality within a network structure.”
To realise this goal, they joined forces with researchers from the University of New South Wales, Sorbonne University, France, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the US. The team set up a three-station quantum network in their laboratory, mimicking configurations one might find in a future quantum internet.
“In our experiment, we sent the entangled particles to different stations inside the lab. We used entangled single photons, which are quantum particles of light,” Dr Tischler said.
“The three-station quantum network, simulating noisy conditions that one might encounter in a larger, field-deployed network. First, we started with only two entangled photons and proved they could not produce quantum nonlocality past a specific noise limit.”
Then, through meticulous design and implementation, the researchers observed a remarkable phenomenon: the previously lost quantum nonlocality could be recovered by adding an extra connectivity link.
“We observed that adding the third station to the network configuration allowed us to overcome the effects of noise and activate quantum nonlocality,” said Dr Emanuele Polino, a Postdoctoral Researcher involved with the experiment.
The team are confident that their results not only advanced our understanding of quantum phenomena, but also paved the way for the development of resilient and robust quantum technologies.
As the world continues to progress towards an era of quantum computing and communication, this research represents a significant milestone in harnessing the full potential of quantum mechanics.
The study ‘Nonlocality activation in a photonic quantum network’ has been published in Nature Communications.
Dr Fawad Ali and Dr Guilherme Vieira da Silva (third and fourth from left) receiving their Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships.
Three Griffith University researchers are among the 19 scientists who will propel discoveries in their respective fields by sharing in $5.56 million of funding.
The 2023 Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships have been awarded to Griffith researchers:
Dr Arun Everest-Dass from the Institute for Glycomics – his project aims to advance mRNA vaccine technology development, characterising glycosylation to improve immunogenicity, valued at $240,000;
The fellowships are awarded to Queensland-based PhD-qualified researchers.
The program supports researchers partnering with industry to complete original research that will have a positive impact on Queensland and is focused on establishing and/or maintaining meaningful collaboration between researchers and industry.
A major component of the program is that the fellows must have an industry partner to conduct research that improves Queensland’s agricultural industry, health outcomes, the environment and renewable energy.
Dr Fawad Ali’s project will focus on enhancing the variety and commercial viability of new ‘coffee hybrids’ he is aiming to develop.
“This project will develop novel coffee hybrids for the distinct conditions of the Tablelands region in Tropical North Queensland,” he said.
“The focus will be on new grafted coffee hybrids with lower nitrogen input and better flavour.
Dr Guilherme Vieira da Silva.
“This has the potential to increase profitability and sustainability for the regional Queensland coffee industry, develop new technology and on-farm jobs, and create a prototype model of the distinct ‘Queensland coffee flavour’.”
The project Dr Guilherme Vieira da Silva will work on aims to develop a coastal erosion assessment framework that will improve on and complement the existing plans and policies for assessing coastal erosion in both the short and long terms.
“Queensland is the most vulnerable state in Australia to coastal damage, with the highest number – over 7,500 – of suburbs listed as ‘most at risk’, according to CoreLogic,” Dr Vieira da Silva said.
“Among the top 20 Australian suburbs with the highest erosion rates, Queensland has eight. So addressing coastal erosion in Queensland is crucial. The City of Gold Coast has successfully managed the beaches using a series of coastal protection measures over decades.
“This makes it the ideal spot to develop the coastal erosion risk assessment framework which will then be transferred to other locations along Queensland.”
Dr Arun Everest-Dass.
Dr Arun Everest-Dass’s project seeks to understand how glycosylation affects antigens as this is critical for designing successful mRNA vaccines.
“This research project, in collaboration with Sanofi, aims to develop a comprehensive approach to studying glycosylation in mRNA vaccines,” Dr Everest-Dass said.
“We will use advanced mass spectrometry techniques at Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics to track these changes in a mouse model.
“By studying how glycosylation patterns impact the immune response, we hope to improve the design of mRNA vaccines and ultimately develop more effective vaccines for various diseases.”
The Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland initiative supports the state’s innovators and scientists to develop the products and services that will make Queensland a global industrial powerhouse.
The Queensland Government has invested more than $53 million in the Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships since 2016.
Researchers at NCNED directly compared brain neurochemical levels in long COVID and ME/CFS patients with healthy controls using MRI.
The study’s first author Dr Kiran Thapaliya said “People with long COVID and ME/CFS have significantly elevated neurochemical levels, compared with healthy controls potentially causing multiple symptoms in both conditions.
“Long COVID and ME/CFS have a remarkably similar neurochemical signature, providing further evidence for a significant link between the two conditions.
“This novel study reveals the level of neurochemicals in the brain were associated with symptoms such as cognitive impairment, unrefreshing sleep, pain, and physical limitation in long COVID and ME/CFS patients.”
Director of the NCNED, Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik, said: “These findings build upon our published novel findings in ME/CFS and long COVID.
“These latest findings published in the American Journal of Medicine, provide greater insight into how neurochemicals may play a key role in the development and progression of these conditions.
“The NCNED has a critical mass of exceptionally talented researchers and clinicians who are committed to these patients.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have access to state-of-the-art technologies that enable us to produce wonderful scientific discoveries.
“We are uniquely positioned internationally to undertake scientific laboratory and MRI research in long COVID and ME/CFS in tandem, and monitor the health and economic impact of the patients as well as undertake clinical trials.”
The first cohort of Griffith University’s new climate risk management short course for local government will be on their way to making their organisations ‘climate ready’ when the course launches today.
The 8 course modules will provide foundational knowledge and build staff capability for climate risk management in local government across Australia.
Cheryl Briars.
It is designed for executives, senior leaders, and managers of local councils across all service areas such as service delivery, corporate strategy and finance, risk and disaster management, community and economic development, and sustainability and climate change, and will offer professional development to help organisations become ‘Climate Ready’.
Amy Lomax.
Course Co-Convenor Professor Brendan Mackey said: “Local councils are at the heart of the community, and the services provided are critical to support the foundations for people across Australia to build a prosperous economy, liveable communities, and a healthy environment.”
Course Developer Cheryl Briars said: “Proactively managing climate risk through adaptation and transitioning to a net zero economy can not only help to respond and manage climate risk, but also take advantage of the opportunities that arise from a changing climate.”
Participants will develop knowledge and skills to be able to:
Understand the role of executive leadership, governance arrangements and responsibilities that are needed to support climate risk management.
Identify how to communicate and engage others in climate risk management.
Identify physical and transition climate risks and how they relate to different service areas in local government.
Integrate climate risk into existing corporate risk management practices.
Examine climate risk capacity and capability gaps and opportunities across the organisation.
Understand the opportunities for monitoring and reporting on climate risk management, and the increasing requirements climate financial risk disclosure.
Climate Ready Initiative Program Manager Amy Lomax said: “CRI is a partnership-based social impact initiative that works with society to help shape a prosperous and just future for all. We seek to enable climate action by unlocking the economic and social development pathways that value net-zero emissions and climate resilience.
“The course draws on practical experience and expertise from some of our CRI Associates and academics across Griffith University.”
Seeking interest for future cohorts now!
2024 cohorts: April (commenced), August, September, and October.
Course Duration – 10 weeks
Online Learning – Mix of self-paced learning modules and three (3) interactive workshops and activities.
Participants will earn a Griffith University accredited Digital Badge upon completing the course which can be shared across various online platforms showcasing demonstrated skills and achievement.
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Dr Pizzolato will join the intensive 14-week LuminaX (LX) program, together with BioSpine Coordinator Kyle Mullholland and with support from co-investigator Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM, Griffith’s commercialisation office, Griffith Enterprise, and an almost 30-strong multi-disciplinary GCORE research team, who continue to advance the novel rehabilitation technology through a second round of clinical studies.
LuminaX helps validate and commercialise early-stage, high-growth activities applying tech or AI solutions to healthcare, medtech and wellness, and draws start-ups from around Australia through a competitive application process.
Dr Dinesh Palipana being cyber-scanned to create a virtual reality avatar
BioSpine is a digitally-enabled rehabilitation system for spinal cord injury (SCI) that brings together non-invasive technologies – assistive exercise devices, electrical stimulation, a brain computer interface that uses AI to help interpret a participant’s intention to move and virtual reality to create an immersive rehab environment, all controlled through an advanced digital twin.
Through coordinating this powerful combination of technologies, BioSpine seeks to harness neuroplasticity to stimulate residual neurons in paralysed individuals and restore sensory and motor function.
As research and clinical studies progress, Dr Pizzolato is eager to take a parallel focus on the pathway to translating BioSpine into the clinic through commercial investment.
“We are extremely excited to have been selected for LuminaX,” Dr Pizzolato said.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to fast-track the translation of our BioSpine technology for every person that might benefit from it.
We look forward to building our network by getting to know all the LuminaX mentors and learning how to pitch for investment and scale globally.
Our team is backed by Griffith Enterprise (the University’s commercialisation arm), a demonstration of the commitment of Griffith to making an impact.”
BioSpine rehabilitation study participant
Last year BioSpine was boosted with a $3.8m grant from the Queensland Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), following initial MAIC funding of over $2.2m in 2019. The grant supports expansion of the protocol to include direct electrical stimulation of the spine, as well as expanded clinical studies across a larger cohort of participants and continued co-development and design with the goal of making BioSpine clinic-ready.
Director of Griffith Enterprise Dr Mark Ashton said that while BioSpine is complex ‘deep tech’, there are a number of different commercial opportunities.
“Bringing BioSpine into widespread clinical practice in a global market is a massive undertaking, however Griffith Enterprise is working closely with the research team to protect intellectual property and seek commercial partners for the technology,” Dr Ashton said.
“The additional support from the LuminaX program and mentors, access to venture capital networks and the peer support of being part of an entrepreneurial program are really invaluable for the team and our commercialisation efforts.
We are excitted to support the BioSpine team through the process.”
Now in its fourth year, the LX program, delivered by Cohort, is supported by Major Partners: Economic Development Queensland, the City of Gold Coast, and Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), alongside Griffith University, Mater Hospital, QLD AI Hub, and IntelliHQ.
Backed by the Queensland Venture Capital Development Fund (VCDF) program, participants will have a unique opportunity to connect with some of the largest VC funds and investors in Australia.
Griffith University’s Vice President of Industry and External Engagement, Professor Bronwyn Harch, said having a successful health tech accelerator in the GCHKP gave researchers easy access to a sophisticated and powerful innovation ecosystem.
“Last year we had two teams from Griffith University participate in LuminaX, both focused on technologies that benefit children,” Professor Harch said.
“One team. AlignUs, is successfully commercialising surgeries for children with complex hip deformities, supported by Griffith’s Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Institute (ADaPT), while the team behind YourTrack, which actually won the LuminaX 2023 top award, is rolling out neurodevelopmental assessment tools to help children in remote, Indigenous and disadvantaged communities, and has since secured $6.5m in additional government funding.”
“These outcomes demonstrate the importance of gaining industry knowledge and connections through innovation programs, and as a leading research initiative, BioSpine has great scope to significantly extend Griffith’s impact globally.”
Approximately 20,800 Australians are living with SCI, with 350-400 people sustaining a new injury each year. BioSpine also has potential to help individuals suffering other types of neurotrauma.
Presenters and organisers of the event: (L-R) Muthuraj Guruswamy, the Honourable Paul Lucas, Dr Lili Mi, Charlie Shandil, Associate Professor Tess Newton Cain, Graeme Kerridge, Dr Andrea Heafner, Associate Professor Rob Hales, Shawn Hunter, Professor Christoph Nedopil Wang, Ingrid Valladares, Colin Forrest SC and Gabriela Hernandez.
“Well I can say one thing for sure, we will be having Griffith Asia Institute back” commented Paul Lucas, President of Australian Institute for International Affairs (AIIA) Queensland as he opened the Q and A session at the joint event held Tuesday April 9th at Holding Redlich in Brisbane.
Like a well-oiled machine, seven presenters took the audience on a journey through the recently launched “Griffith Asia Pacific Strategic Outlook” in what GAI Director called a “tour de force”.
GAPSO offers fresh insights and actionable recommendations for peace, inclusive and equitable growth, and a green sustainable future in the region as the most pressing issues across the 17 sustainable development goals.
The Asia-Pacific region, a vibrant mix of cultures and economies, stands poised for global leadership in sustainable development. Despite its immense potential, the region faces daunting challenges, including climate change, democratic resilience, and shifting geopolitics.
The report, crafted by 24 researchers in collaboration with esteemed regional institutions like the Asia Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), delves into the unique challenges faced by the Asia-Pacific, and the opportunities and resources available within the region that can be mobilised to address them.
GAI Director Professor Christoph Nedopil emphasised the pressing need for sustainable development strategies in the region, stating,
“Challenges such as climate change, democratic resilience, and equitable development are pressing issues for policymakers, leaders, and businesses who must prepare for sustainable development and prosperity in the region.”
Moderator Paul Lucas led the distinguished panel comprising Christoph Nedopil, Robert Hales, Tess Newton Cain, Lili Mi, Shawn Hunter, Andrea Haefner, and Mohammed Avi Hossain. More than 60 people attended (online and in person) including the Chinese Consul-General, Dr RUAN Zongze and the Chinese consul Mr WANG Lin.
Paul Lucas leads the panel discussions: (L-R) Associate Professor Tess Newton Cain, Dr Andrea Heafner, Dr Lili Mi, Associate Professor Rob Hales, Shawn Hunter and Professor Christoph Nedopil Wang.
The panel presented core challenges and recommendations on the six themes of the report:
Green and just transition
Inclusive growth
Labour market challenges
Pacific development
China and the region
Southeast Asia
The vibrant discussion, fueled by questions and answers from the audience, underscored the imperative of embracing green, inclusive, and peaceful development. Australia, as a core economy in the Asia-Pacific, must step up its responsibility in this regard. Importantly, the themes and recommendations discussed will shape GAI’s future strategy, guiding its efforts to deliver impactful programs and research that contribute to sustainable development in the region. This aligns with Australia’s role as a leader in fostering regional cooperation and knowledge exchange.
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