A new Griffith-led study has explored whether a vegan diet for cats provided more benefits for our feline friends’ health than a carnivorous diet.
The results revealed decreases in veterinary visits, medication use, health disorders and severe illnesses after the feline study participants were fed a vegan diet for at least one year.
Professor Andrew Knight, an adjunct in Griffith’s School of Environment and Science, said increasing concerns about environmental sustainability, farmed animal welfare and the development of alternative pet foods provided a catalyst for the research.
“Alternatives include raw meat diets, in-vitro meat products, and diets based on novel protein sources such as terrestrial plants, insects, yeast, fungi and potentially seaweed,” Professor Knight said.
Professor Knight and the team surveyed 1,418 cat guardians, asking about one cat living with them, for at least one year.
Among the 1,380 respondents involved in cat diet decision-making, health and nutrition was the factor considered most important when choosing diets.
Of these, 1,369 respondents provided information relating to a single cat fed a meat-based (1,242 — 91%) or vegan (127 — 9%) diet for at least one year.
“We examined seven general indicators of illness,” Professor Knight said.
After controlling for age, sex, neutering status and primary location, the following risk reductions with a vegan diet occurred for average cats, for all seven general illness indicators:
increased veterinary visits (which may indicate illness) — 7% reduction;
reported veterinary assessment of being unwell — 4% reduction;
reported veterinary assessment of more severe illness — 8% reduction;
guardian opinion of more severe illness — 23% reduction;
number of health disorders per unwell cat — 16% reduction.
The team also examined the prevalence of 22 specific health disorders, using reported veterinary assessments. Forty two percent of cats fed meat, and 37% of those fed vegan diets suffered from at least one disorder.
Of these 22 disorders, 15 were most common in cats fed meat, and seven most common in cats fed vegan diets.
“Considering these results overall, cats fed vegan diets tended to be healthier than cats fed meat-based diets,” Professor Knight said.
“This trend was clear and consistent and these results largely concur with previous, similar studies. A sizeable body of studies have been published within the last two years, exploring health outcomes of vegan diets in cats and dogs, and the environmental impacts of meat-based pet food. This evidence is remarkably consistent — nutritionally sound vegan diets produce health outcomes as good or better, and are associated with major environmental benefits.”
The worlds of live orchestra and film screening will come together again as FilmHarmonic brings a symphonic sensory spectacle to Brisbane Festival.
A journey through powerful storytelling, breathtaking visuals and enchanting melodies, FilmHarmonic is a celebration of art, culture and collaboration, combining the power of live orchestral music by the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra with compelling cinema by Griffith Film School students as well as Hollywood works.
More than just a concert, FilmHarmonic provides students and emerging talent a platform to showcase their skills through a meticulously curated program that speaks to the heart while providing a feast for audiences’ senses.
Now in its third year, 2023 will see the event run for two nights due to overwhelming demand.
Orchestra conductor and Deputy Director of Engagement at Queensland Conservatorium Professor Peter Morris said this year’s concert will touch on a range of themes but have a strong focus on social justice and sustainability.
Head of Ensembles & Orchestral Conducting, Professor Peter Morris
“This year we’re doing Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin, celebrating its 100-year anniversary, as well as Australian film Blueback which was only released last year,” he said.
“Australian composer Nigel Westlake created the score for Blueback and it’s just going to be the most amazing spectacle seeing all the film’s beautiful underwater scenes and powerful conservationist messages while the orchestra plays his music.”
There will be plenty of fun to be had too, with scenes from kids’ favourite Bluey (created by Griffith Film School alumnus Joe Brumm and Conservatorium alumnus composer Joff Bush) as well as an intimate behind-the-scenes documentary piece on the making of the Oscar Award-nominated and ultra-quirky “An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It” by Griffith Film School’s Lachlan Pendragon.
An animation piece created by Griffith Film School academics and students at the recent Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival in Winton will also be showcased, with a soundtrack written by Conservatorium student Zachary Miezio.
“Kolperi Sky – A Journey into First Australians’ Astronomy is an inspiring look into First Nations and Aboriginal storytelling and Aboriginal astronomy and is particularly meaningful at this point in our political history” Professor Morris said.
“It was shown on the final night of the Outback Film Festival in Winton but we also recorded it with the Symphony Orchestra a few months ago, so the students have gained the experience of both recording the work and having their names on the credits but also the chance to play it for live audiences.”
The original concept for FilmHarmonic was sparked by Dr Morris’s reflection on his doctoral research at the University of California, Los Angeles on visual technology in the concert hall, as well as a desire to give students the best experience preparing them for a contemporary career in music.
“Audiences are increasingly interested in seeing films with a live orchestra, so giving students the experience of playing using the technology used for this type of show ensures they’re industry ready, and when an opportunity arises, they’ll know exactly what it’s all about,” Professor Morris said.
“The students really love it, so while it started as a personal goal of mine, there have been so many benefits for them and it’s just a great opportunity for collaboration across the Conservatorium and the Film School as well as the wider industry.
“We still love our traditional concerts, but collaborating, re-imagining and doing something different just really excites us.”
Only a handful of tickets are still available for this year’s shows.
International student Shelley Karkoodi is working hard to create a new sustainable building material that is a composite of timber and steel. “Australia has very good sources of timber. I came to Griffith to do PhD research on creating a new building material with timber and steel that is more sustainable and robust,” she says.
Her research currently revolves around structural analysis, computer simulation and trying to find design rules for the new material. And recently she’s had the benefit of undergoing a block research internship at Geoinventions to help her gain transferable skills that she can use in her projects.
“It’s an Australian company trying to develop a new product,” she explains. “So we’re doing structural analysis and computer simulations of a composite material that can be used as pavements, which is quite similar to what I am doing in my PhD.”
Shelley says doing an internship during her PhD has helped put her career in perspective. “I enjoyed my internship so much. It gave me confidence in the workplace and networking and certainly motivated me,” she says.
“Doing the internship helped me see my future outside of academia and I could see that someday I could use my knowledge in practice. I was more confident in what I was doing because I could see my future more clearly. It had a very valuable impact on me.”
She recommends that any students thinking about doing an internship as part of their Griffith PhD should take advantage of the opportunity.
“As an international student, I didn’t have any work background in Australia, so my internship helped me to understand the local culture and how to communicate with people in the industry.
“Sometimes it’s going to be challenging but taking an internship is helpful. It makes you ready for the workplace and you can see the bigger picture of what you are doing outside of academia. You can see what’s going on in the real world. I would say go for it.”
Two architects will share the sandy stage amongst more than 70 artists to showcase their thought-provoking piece at this year’s SWELL Sculpture Festival, held on Currumbin Beach, Gold Coast.
Griffith University Architecture Lecturer and PhD Researcher Despina Linaraki and Bond University Architecture Lecturer Brice Pannetier united to create their submission piece titled The Radical Materiality of Oystertecture — Emerging Atmospheres.
The timber structure is netted with oyster shells and assembled into a spiral design that follows the sun-path, allowing the viewer to walk through the pavilion.
Linaraki said developing and producing the artwork for the iconic SWELL Sculpture Festival had provided the opportunity to create a piece that artistically highlighted the theme of her research, which is the “symbiosis between Architecture and Ecology”.
“The art installation enhances the interplay between the user, the structure, and the light,” she said.
Pannetier said: “It aims to challenge traditional notions of materiality in art and architecture, push the boundaries of what is possible in design, construction, and sustainability, and inspire new possibilities.”
Linaraki teaches Architectural Design Studio, Life-Cycle Assessment and Sustainability at Griffith University. Her research interests lie in the symbiosis between Architecture and Ecology, with a particular focus on Climate Change adaptation.
Her PhD research involves enhancing the growth of corals to grow living islands in the tropics, with a case study in the Maldives. She is also a researcher at SeaCities lab at Griffith University, where they explore urban design solutions for the adaptation of coastal cities to sea-level rise and floods.
Pannetier teaches Digital & Computational Design subjects in Fabrication, Sustainability, and Urban Design at Bond University. He runs his own studio called Atelier Designa, which aims to assist architects and builders with computational design and Building Information Modelling (BIM) , including computer applications that support environmental design and BIM processes.
The design duo thank the time and efforts from Griffith students Nicka Bazvand, Fos Geyre, Emily Bohan, Mason Cree, Sissel Morley, Caleb White and Sarah Barnes.
Professor Bronwyn Harch
Griffith University has named five winners at its prestigious Outstanding Alumni Awards 2023 at a ceremony on the Gold Coast, with Professor Bronwyn Harch and Jasmina Joldić PSM jointly taking out the top gong.
Interim Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Bronwyn Harch received the award for her illustrious and wide-ranging career in science which began as a curious helper on the family’s Lockyer Valley farm where she helped her father to crop cabbages, cauliflowers, potatoes and onions.
Jasmina Joldić PSM
Farming sparked the interest of the budding statistician in the making, but it wasn’t until a cohort of visiting Griffith University lecturers came to her school to talk about STEM-based courses that she found a pathway to her passions, and a Bachelor of Science degree based at the Nathan campus.
Her degree led to career opportunities at the CSIRO, Griffith, various state and federal government advisory committees and eventually her role as Interim Queensland Chief Scientist.
Master of Public Administration (Policy) graduate from Griffith’s School of Government and International Relations, Jasmina Joldić’s career trajectory exemplifies the transformative power of education.
Dean Gibson
Ms Joldić’s family fled the war in Bosnia when she was just a teenager, and moved to Germany before resettling in Brisbane where she finished her final year of High School with little or no command of English.
Fast forward more than two decades and Ms Joldić now holds five tertiary degrees, scaled the heights of the public service to become the Acting Director-General of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General in Queensland, and received a Public Service Medal for her leadership in delivering critical functions and outcomes for Queenslanders during COVID.
The Overall Outstanding First Peoples Alumnus Award was given to Dean Gibson, a Digital Media Production graduate, for his impressive resume as a multi-award winning and proud Guugu Yumithirr film-maker.
Dr Sultan AlNeyadi
Mr Gibson has more than 20 years of experience creating, writing, directing, editing, and producing content which gives a voice to Indigenous people with a story to tell.
His vision is to create films that will be around for future generations to watch, enjoy and most importantly, learn from, through his company Bacon Factory Films.
Dr Sultan AlNeyadi, who spent six months orbiting earth as part of a mission aboard the International Space Station, was named as the Overall Outstanding International Alumnus for 2023.
Dr Sultan studied a Master’s degree in Information and Network Security on the Gold Coast campus, before going on to complete his PhD in data leakage prevention technology.
Raymond Siems
His studies served him well as one of the flight engineers with NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6.
The Overall Outstanding Young Alumnus Award was presented to Raymond Siems, a Bachelor of Engineering graduate who has produced powerful outcomes for workplace diversity and gender equality, reducing material waste, and supporting frontline healthcare workers.
Mr Siems’s aptitude for identifying problems and creating solutions for both business and community has taken him across the world, earning him immense success as a software and social entrepreneur.
Of the many projects he’s been pivotal to, the most personally impactful has been the Healthcare Workers Foundation in which Mr Siems and his team created a secure website which provided critical support for frontline NHS workers in the UK, raised millions in donations and provided more than 550,000 items from PPE to meals and childcare.
A project designed to help screen children and adolescents at risk of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) has been awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Grant worth $1.49 million.
Professor Dianne Shanley
Professor Dianne Shanley from Griffith University’s School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland is one of the Chief Investigators on the Tracking Cube which her team co-designed.
“The Tracking Cube originated when community members from remote Queensland voiced their concern around long waitlists for children,” Professor Shanley said.
“They wanted to ensure their children were supported close to home and placed on local treatment pathways as quickly as possible.
“The Tracking Cube is a culturally responsive, tiered neurodevelopmental screening approach that can be integrated with child well-health checks.
“Ultimately, it’s about screening at risk children and young people in primary healthcare so we can start them on early pathways of support and catch those who might otherwise fall through service gaps.”
A pilot implementation was conducted at an Indigenous remote primary health service which found neurodevelopmental concerns were four times more likely to be identified using the Tracking Cube compared to usual care.
The pilot was also able to place the 11 per cent of children identified as at-risk of FASD on local pathways of support.
Professor Shanley said the project will follow a Type 1 hybrid design using a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial to measure the effectiveness of the Tracking Cube at eight diverse Indigenous primary healthcare partner sites.
“The Tracking Cube will increase identification of neurodevelopmental concerns which will enable early support for children at-risk of FASD in primary healthcare,” she said.
“It will also increase the appropriateness of specialist referrals without further overburdening waitlists.”
Chief Investigators on the Tracking Cube project are Dr Erinn Hawkins, Professor Ngiare Brown,Kurt Towers,Professor Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck,Professor Robert Ware, Professor Joshua Byrnes,Dr Natasha Reid,Professor Sheena Reilly, and ProfessorDoug Shelton.
Associate Investigators are Associate Professor Marjad Page, Professor Naila Khan, Associate Professor Joan Marshall, and Jacinta Marshall.
In urban stormwater, particles from tyre wear were the most prevalent microplastic a new Griffith-led study has found.
Published in Environmental Science & Technology, the study showed that in stormwater runoff during rain approximately 19 out of every 20 microplastics collected were tyre wear particles with anywhere from 2 to 59 particles per litre of water.
Lead author Dr Shima Ziajahromi, a research fellow at the Australian Rivers Institute.
“Pollution of our waterways by microplastics is an emerging environmental concern due to their persistence and accumulation in aquatic organisms and ecosystems,” said lead author Dr Shima Ziajahromi, a research fellow at the Australian Rivers Institute.
“Stormwater runoff which contains a mixture of sediment, chemical, organic and physical pollutants, is a critical pathway for microplastics to washed off from urban environments during rain and into local aquatic habitats.
“But to date, our knowledge of the amount of microplastics in urban stormwater, particularly tyre wear particles, is limited, as is the potential strategies we can use to minimise this source.”
Tyre rubber contains up to 2500 chemicals with the contaminants that leach from tyres considered more toxic to bacteria and microalgae than other plastic polymers.
“Due to the analytical challenges in measuring this source of microplastics in stormwater, research to date often lacks information about the actual number of tyre wear particles water samples,” said Dr Ziajahromi.
Quantitative information of this type is crucial to improve our understanding of the amount of tyre wear particles in stormwater, assess the risk to the environment, and to develop management strategies.
“Our study quantified and characterize microplastics and tyre wear particles in both stormwater runoff and sediment of stormwater drainage systems in Queensland,” said co-author Professor Fred Leusch, who leads the Australian Rivers Institute’s Toxicology Research Program.
“We also assessed the effectiveness of a stormwater treatment device to capture and remove these contaminants from stormwater and evaluated the role of a constructed stormwater wetland for capturing microplastics in the sediment, removing it from stormwater runoff.
“The device is a bag made of 0.2 millimetre mesh which can be retrofitted to stormwater drains. Although originally designed to capture gross pollutants, sediment, litter and oil and grease, it significantly reduced microplastics from raw runoff, with up to 88% less microplastics in treated water which had passed through the device.”
Professor Frederic Leusch who leads the ARI Toxicology Research Program (ARITOX) at the Australian Rivers Institute
Sediment samples collected from the inlet and outlet of a constructed stormwater wetland contained between 1450 to 4740 particles in every kilogram of sediment, with more microplastics in the sediment at the inlet than the outlet, indicating the wetland’s ability to remove them from stormwater.
“Microplastics that enter constructed wetlands for stormwater drainage systems settle in the sediment and form a biofilm, leading to their accumulation over time, removing them from stormwater runoff,” said Dr Ziajahromi.
“Urban stormwater runoff typically requires treatment for the removal of suspended solids and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in many jurisdictions in Australia, with some also requiring the removal of gross pollutants. However, regulations are lagging behind when it comes to microplastics and tyre wear particles.”
“Our findings show that both constructed wetlands and the stormwater capture device are strategies that could be potentially used to prevent or at least decrease the amount of microplastics tyre wear particles being transported from stormwater into our waterways.”
Earlier this month, I caught up with Masters in Civil Engineering student Mercy Atukunda and her mentor, Rob Mcilwraith, Director at Axter Australia Pty Ltd., to learn about their mentoring partnership and some recent exciting developments in Mercy’s career.
Mercy is no stranger to the power of mentoring, having participated in mentoring programs back in her home country of Uganda. When she came across information about Griffith’s Industry Mentoring Program, she jumped at the chance to get involved. Her primary intention was to learn from experienced professionals and to expand her local network. As an international student, Mercy recognised the importance of gaining insights into trends and practices specific to Australia’s engineering landscape. She found exactly that when she requested Rob McIlwraith to be her mentor.
International student Mercy Atukunda, hailing from Uganda, jumped at the chance to get involved in Griffith’s mentoring program.
Rob joined the IMP in 2018 and has a wealth of global engineering experience and technical knowledge. He is passionate about the power of networking and providing students with a broader perspective on their future careers. His unwavering commitment to helping Mercy expand her networkin Australia resulted in Mercy gaining a part-time role with Engeny, where she is now gaining valuable industry insight and experience while continuing with her studies. When asked how this came about, Mercy said, “Rob generously extended invitations to me for several networking events and site visits, helping me make many connections that I would not have found otherwise.” It was one of these networking opportunities that eventually landed Mercy the opportunity to deepen her learning about the Australian engineering industry with Engeny.
Rob and Mercy’s great rapport was obvious during our catch up, and I witnessed firsthand how Rob’s generous and insightful advice has helped empower Mercy to make informed decisions about her career path. Mercy expressed hergratitude for the support, guidance, and encouragement that she has received from both Rob and the IMP Team and said that participating in IMP was “an amazing experience”. Rob warmly added, “Being part of Mercy’s career journey has been a rewarding experience and I look forward to our paths converging in the future”.
In a world where information and connections are key drivers of success, the partnership between Rob and Mercy is a timely reminder of the way thatmentoring can bridge the gap between potential and achievement.
The outcomes from this connection are a testament to the impact of a dedicated mentor on the trajectory of a mentee’s career, and that through mentoring, any professional can contribute to the future of the entire industry.
For more information please contact:
Breeda Crowley
Industry Mentoring Coordinator, Student Success, Griffith University
With the 2022 floods hitting close to home for many living and working in the coastal zones of Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales, communities — and even famous pro surfers who reside within them — leapt into action to support one another.
In the aftermath, questions around what the future could hold for our coastal communities and much-loved beaches in a changing climate has inspired a collective of thought leaders to unite for a unique public panel event with a creative twist.
The evening panel and film event brings Indigenous knowledge, climate and coastal sciences, beach cultures and the arts together to support people and their communities in responding to climate changes.
Altered Tides co-creator Associate Professor Kerrie Foxwell-Norton said uniting this range of voices opens a space for creative and local voices to think about how we can address climate impacts.
“The ocean, surf and beaches are somewhere we love, part of our identity and how we live, whatever our style of recreation,” she said.
“Altered Tides reflects on these relations, our custodianship with the ocean and some of the creative solutions we can explore in a changing climate.”
The Altered Tides: Creative Coastal Recreation in a Climate Changed Future events are a partnership between Griffith University, Gecko Environment Council and SWELL Sculpture Festival.
“We really want our communities who live by and love our beaches to get involved and help ignite conversations about being authentic custodians of our ocean in a changing climate,” said Sara Hicks from Gecko Environment Council.
“Climate impacts are not something happening in the distance; it’s happening to everyday people in everyday places now, so this event really aims to engage people and empower them to shine a light on their experiences and share their ideas about climate issues and our ocean.”
In 2023, the Altered Tides team are collaborating with Surfers for Climate and Surfrider Foundation.
Altered Tides is part of a series of events at SWELL and elsewhere under the banner of ‘Creative Solutions’, which seek creative thinking and/or creative arts to foster innovation in climate action.
Event details:
If you’re an ocean lover, beach goer, fisher, diver, or board rider, drop in to the free panel and film event or register here.
When | Monday 11th September
Time | 6pm — 8pm (6pm arrival for a 6.30pm start)
What | A casual evening by the beach, with an engaging panel of ocean goers, advocates, scientists and artists, audience interaction and film screening
Where | Fringe Pavilion, Wallace Nicoll Park, Currumbin Beach
Topics ranging from the future of cruise tourism and the detection of a new species of irukandi jellyfish to developing an effective vaping cessation program were all part of the 2023 instalment of Griffith University’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) presentation final held at South Bank campus in early September.
Twelve current PhD confirmed candidates, three from the University’s four Academic Groups, presented their research study summing up years of work of more than 80 thousand words into a succinct three minute ‘elevator pitch’ to the three-person judging panel.
In the end it was a passionate three minute explanation of his country’s overfishing problem in his native Sri Lanka which saw Griffith Business School PhD student Krish Gnanapragasam impress the judging planel to take out the top award as well as the audience-voted People’s Choice Award.
Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans and 3MT winner Krish Gnanapragasam
Professor Lee Smith (DVC, Research) remarked the judging panel found Krish had a clear articulation of a world-wide issue supported by a compelling visual slide. The judges also noted how Krish had excellent audience engagement offering them a clear description of the research being undertaken and potential impact outcomes.
Krish, who has spent many months in his native homeland talking to local fishing communities about overfishing, is developing new ways to stem the growing threat of dwindling fish stocks in south Asian waters.
“I lived in a place in the north of Sri Lanka where now I go back and it’s all changed. There are smaller fish populations and communities, which rely on this commodity, are hurting. So I really want to do something to my community and to my country. So that’s the real engagement and motivation in doing this research project.”
Krish now heads to the 3MT Asia-Pacific Final in October looking to become Griffith’s first ever winner of the regional decider.
Krish Gnanapragasam (GBS) and Nicola Rahman (Health) scoop the awards at the 2023 3MT Final.
The runner-up prize was awarded to Nicola Rahman from Griffith Health for their presentation on vaping cessation practices, The twelve finalists and their thesis presentations for the 2023 3MT final were:
Sciences
Katie Turlington – ‘The Heartbeat of Freshwater Streams’
Emmanuel Makinde – ‘Mitochondrial Modulators: The Defenders’
Jessica Strickland – ‘Detecting Irukandji Jellyfish at Ningaloo Using Environmental DNA’
Health
Maria Shilova – ‘Scar Wars: Using Lasers to Treat Scars in Children’
Jannatul Shimul Ferdousi – ‘Buying into Body Ideals’
Nicola Rahman – ‘Co-designing a Vaping Cessation Program: Helping a New Generation of Vapers to Quit’
GBS
Lisa Smith – ‘Leading Employee Wellbeing‘
Krish Gnanapragasam – ‘Where Have all the Fish Gone? The Crisis of Overfishing’
Johnnel Smith – ‘Crisis on the High Seas!’
AEL
Steve Grififths – ‘Instructor Visibility and Familiarity in Video Lessons’
Kathryn Ambrose – ‘How does anxiety impact the social and academic outcomes of autistic children?’
Caitlyn Fields – ‘Degrees of Change? Higher Education and Political Attitudes’
The 3MT class of 2023 and Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans
Griffith University 
Her PhD research involves enhancing the growth of corals to grow living islands in the tropics, with a case study in the Maldives. She is also a researcher at 
In the aftermath, questions around what the future could hold for our coastal communities and much-loved beaches in a changing climate has inspired a collective of thought leaders to unite for a unique public panel event with a creative twist.
