Griffith University researchers will benefit from close to $3 million in Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards (DECRA) funding, announced by the Federal Government in Round One of the national funding scheme.
Six Griffith researchers from Health, Sciences and Arts, Education and Law will collectively receive $2,647,686 for their projects.
Nationally, more than $86 million in funding for 200 new research projects will be undertaken as part of the ARC DECRA scheme.
Among Griffith’s researchers awarded a DECRA is Dr Andrea Jalandoni, who will further explore the concept of ‘digital archaeology’ in her DECRA project in which she aims to develop a detailed 3D record of Injalak Hill in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.
“Increasing Australia’s research and innovation capacity generates new knowledge and results in the development of new technologies, products and ideas, the creation of jobs, economic growth and an enhanced quality of life in Australia,” said (ARC) Chief Executive Officer, Ms Judi Zielke PSM.
Round One 2024 Griffith DECRAs include:
Dr Andrea Jalandoni (Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, AEL) awarded $437,774. Digital archaeology can be used answer fundamental questions about rock art that reflect key cognitive behaviour. This project aims to develop innovative digital archaeology techniques to allow for more data to be collected along with more sophisticated tools for analyses that leads to a more holistic interpretation of rock art. This project expects to generate a state-of-the-art detailed 3D record of Injalak Hill, a methodology that can be tested and replicated worldwide, and new techniques that advance rock art research. The benefits of this project are improving methods to manage cultural heritage, and exploring new ways for Indigenous communities to engage with their cultural heritage using digital products.
Dr Antony McNamee (Griffith Health) awarded $463,583. This project aims to create the first biophysically accurate artificial blood cells through fabrication of novel synthetic particles that mimic the complex layers of red blood cells. Using innovative methods from engineering and biology, this project expects to advance biofabrication techniques for biosynthetic microparticles. Expected outcomes from this project include the development of a portable, cost-effective platform technology to immediately advance foundational understanding of cell membrane dynamics, interactions, and integrity. We anticipate that the new bioengineered blood product will provide significant future benefits for blood storage and transfusion, including potentially alleviating global blood shortages
Dr Bridget Backhaus (Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, AEL) awarded $452,727. With 20,000 volunteers, almost six million weekly listeners, and 50 years of history, Australia has one of the most well-established community radio sectors in the world. Yet discussions about community radio are limited to debates about media. Community radio stations are diverse and community-engaged organisations, with much more to offer than just what’s on air. This research aims to explore community radio as a model for successful, sustainable, and diverse community organisations. The findings of this project will help other community organisations improve their community connections and engagement, and articulate their value, which will contribute to re-engaging Australians in civic life.
Dr Tuan-Khoa Nguyen (Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, SCI)awarded $446,411. Flexible bioelectronics is an emerging technology for real-time monitoring of vital signals on skin and in the body. Microfluidics is a technology for fluid handling in microscale. This project aims to develop the first platform technology with both flexible bioelectronics and microfluidics for enhanced sensing, thermal management and actuation. The project is expected to establish new fundamental knowledge in sensitivity boosting mechanisms with nano-thin semiconducting films, practical prototypes for long-lasting bioelectronics with integrated microfluidics and their large-scale manufacturing processes. Outcomes include step changes in designing innovative wearable and implantable devices and their massive commercialisation opportunities.
Dr Michelle Rourke (Law Futures Centre, AEL) awarded $413,974. COVID-19 highlighted the fragmented and poorly defined state of international virus regulation. This project aims to investigate the range of international institutions, structures, laws and stakeholders that regulate virus samples and viral genetic sequence data. The project expects to generate a comprehensive understanding of the international legal landscape and will recommend reforms to create a cohesive approach to international virus regulation. Expected outcomes include a robust legal framework to help stakeholders navigate the complex web of international laws about viruses. Benefits include improved access to viruses and viral genetic sequence data for scientists and the more equitable dissemination of the results of virus R&D.
Dr Lei Zhang (Centre for Catalysis and Clean Energy, SCI) awarded $433,217. Battery failure is mainly derived from uncontrollable lithium dendrite formation. This project aims to investigate fundamental lithium dendrite formation mechanism by utilizing a novel in-situ transmission electron microscopy cell. This project expects to build a new set up which is capable of simultaneous in-situ electrical and nanomechanical measurements of lithium dendrite growth. This project aims to reveal how lithium dendrite growth is affected by different surface modifications on the commercial graphite electrodes. The success of the project will lead to a fundamental understanding of the lithium dendrite formation mechanism, enabling the construction of significantly safer batteries.
A team of researchers led by the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research in collaboration with The Sarawak Museum Department have become the first to date drawings in Gua Sireh Cave in Sarawak, uncovering a sad story of conflict in the process.
The limestone cave of Gua Sireh in western Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo) is famous for the hundreds of charcoal drawings lining the walls of its main chambers, attracting hundreds of visitors each year.
Approximately 55km southeast of Sarawak’s Capital, Kuching, the site is managed by the Bidayuh (local Indigenous peoples) in collaboration with The Sarawak Museum Department, with the drawings depicting Indigenous resistance to frontier violence in the 1600s and 1800s AD.
Radiocarbon ages for the drawings date them between 280 and 120 cal BP (AD 1670 to 1830), corresponding with a period of increasing conflict in the region when the Malay elites controlling the region exacted heavy tolls on Indigenous hill tribes, including the Bidayuh.
To the best of the team’s knowledge, these radiocarbon dates are the first chronometric age determinations for Malaysian rock art.
A digital fly-though of the Gua-Sireh Caves byAndrea Jalandoni
Study co-lead, Dr Jillian Huntley said the first step was establishing what had been used to make the drawings.
“We wanted to confirm the images were drawn with charcoal, as there are a limited number of substances you can actually radiocarbon date,” she said.
“We were looking at the decay isotopes of carbon, which meant the material had to be carbon bearing, and our analyses (with collaborator Dr Emilie Dotte-Sarout at University of Western Australia) determined charcoal from different species of bamboo had been used.
“Being drawn on limestone, they’re remarkably well preserved.”
Dr Jillian Huntley and Mr Mohammad Sherman Sauffi William. Image by Paul S.C. Taçon.
The art at Gua Sireh is part of a wider distribution of black drawings found from the Philippines through central Island Southeast Asia across Borneo and Sulawesi to Peninsular Malaysia.
They are thought to be associated with the diaspora of Austronesian speaking peoples.
Previous dating work, also led by the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, has established similar drawings in the Philippines were made as early as ~3500 cal BP and ~1500 cal BP in southern Sulawesi.
“Black drawings in the region have been made for thousands of years,” Dr Huntley said.
“Our work at Gua Sireh indicates this art form was used up to the recent past to record Indigenous peoples’ experiences of colonisation and territorial violence.”
Co-lead Distinguished Professor Paul Tacon said the team knew from previous work in the region that northwest Borneo’s rock art (the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak) is dominated by drawings of people, animals, ships and abstract geometric/linear design.
“At Gua Sireh, people are drawn wearing headdresses — some armed with shields, knives and spears, in scenes showing activities such as hunting, butchering, fishing, fighting and dancing,” he said.
“We had clues about their age based on subjects such as introduced animals, but we really didn’t know how old they were, so it was difficult to interpret what they might mean.”
Bidayuh descendant and curator at The Sarawak Museum Department Mr Mohammad Sherman Sauffi William said understanding of the dates had been informed by the oral histories of the Bidayuh who have continuing custodial responsibilities over the site today.
“The Bidayuh recall Gua Sireh’s use as a refuge during territorial violence in the early 1800s when a very harsh Malay Chief had demanded they hand over their children,” he said.
“They refused and retreated to Gua Sireh, where they initially held off a force of 300 armed men trying to enter the cave from the valley about 60 meters below.
“Suffering some losses (two Bidayuh were shot and seven taken prisoner/enslaved), they saved their children when most of the tribe escaped through a passageway at the back of the largest entrance chamber which leads hundreds of meters through the Gunung Nambi limestone hill.
“The figures were drawn holding distinctive weapons such as a Pandat which was used exclusively for fighting or protection, as well two short-bladed Parang Ilang, the main weapons used during warfare that marked the first decades of white rule in Borneo.”
Infographic showing the dated rock art. Digital tracing and design by Lucas Huntley.
Griffith University researchers are on the brink of a technological breakthrough in vaccine development with a possible new vaccine modality.
Professor Bernd Rehm and Dr Shuxiong Chen from the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD) and Griffith’s Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers have succeeded in developing a new vaccine modality that is a stable particulate vaccine.
Professor Bernd Rehm
The new vaccine modality is at proof-of-concept stage and in early development.
To demonstrate this vaccine approach, it was tested with a more established Griffith vaccine against Strep A that is currently performing strongly in human clinical trials in Canada.
Professor Rehm said the tests we’ve run so far show this technology facilitates development of vaccines that are safe and induce strong immune responses against Strep A.
“It’s a synthetic vaccine based on our innovative technology that uses reprogrammed safe Escherichia coli cells to assemble vaccine particles at high yield,” he said.
“To develop the vaccine, we reprogrammed bacterial cell factories to assemble biopolymer particles coated with the Griffith Strep A antigens and found the particles were safe and protected against infection.
“We developed a cost-effective manufacturing process and the resulting vaccines are ambient-temperature stable, strongly facilitating stockpiling and dissemination in developing countries where refrigeration is not always available.”
Dr Chen said this advancement has the potential to be a medical breakthrough for developing many vaccines.
Dr Shuxiong Chen
“The next steps are to produce vaccines at high quality and to evaluate their performance in clinical trials,” Dr Chen said.
Group A Streptococcus is a global human pathogen that leads to a wide range of infections from illnesses such as mild pharyngitis and impetigo to invasive diseases such as toxic shock syndrome, necrotising fasciitis, and cellulitis.
Mortality due to Strep A is indirectly caused by the development of antimicrobial resistance resulting from the massive consumption of antibiotics.
Globally, Strep A causes 700 million human infections each year and there are more than 500,000 deaths.
Professor Bernd Rehm and his team collaborated with Professor Michael Good from Griffith’s Institute for Glycomics whose team provided expertise to test the technology in a model of Strep A infection.
Professor Good’s team developed a Strep A vaccine which is currently being tested in a human clinical trial in Canada.
The paper ‘Polymeric epitope-based vaccine induces protective immunity against group A Streptococcus’ has been published in NPJ Vaccines.
The 2023 Children’s Book Week theme is Read, Grow, Inspire! A Griffith University researcher is using the latest in a series of children’s books to do just that by breaking down gender stereotypes and encouraging children to be the scientists of the future.
The That’s RAD! Science project – developed by malaria researcher Professor Katherine Andrews – has released a new children’s book in 2023 titled My Stepmum is a Project Engineer, That’s RAD!
The book, the fifth in the series, was written with engineer Tamara Champ and supported by the project delivery and engineering firm Ausenco.
The cover of the latest That’s RAD! book.
Written from a child’s perspective, the book uses fun and engaging examples to inspire children to learn about how engineering applies science to “make or create things that are useful in our everyday lives”, for example thinking about how aeroplanes fly or how smart devices are made.
Professor Andrews is an internationally known expert in malaria drug discovery and Director of the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery. While her schedule is often full, she highly values inspiring young children through her science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) That’s RAD! Science series.
“I am an advocate for STEM engagement and passionate about promoting diversity in STEM. As a scientist, I believe it is essential to encourage young people, particularly girls and other underrepresented people, into STEM based careers,” Professor Andrews said.
“To achieve this, I founded the That’s RAD! Science project, through which I and four other female STEM professionals have written books for primary school-aged children on our respective work in parasitology, nanotechnology, forensic science, protein crystal science and engineering.”
Despite significant growth of STEM-related occupations requiring STEM skills and knowledge, only low numbers of secondary students are currently undertaking STEM-related subjects in Australia.
The That’s RAD! Science books use female role models to inspire a love of STEM in young children and build awareness of STEM careers. This allows children to visualise themselves as scientists and breaks apart gender stereotypes that can influence children’s assumptions of who can undertake STEM careers.
Engineer Tamara Champ.
The author of the latest book in the series, Tamara Champ, is a licenced chemical engineer who has built a career in project engineering by delivering large scale engineering projects in the mining and chemical plant industries.
“I am passionate about inspiring children to follow in my footsteps through pursuing a career in STEM. I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by scientists and engineers who encouraged me to study science and mathematics. This early learning provided me with the strong foundation required for a successful career in engineering. I encourage all children to ask questions, be curious and imagine new solutions! I enjoyed writing a book on engineering for the That’s Rad! Science Series! and hope it might help inspire readers to consider a career in STEM,” Tamara said.
“Ausenco is extremely proud to have been part of this book series. As engineering professionals, we aim to inspire the love for STEM in children, with the hope that one day they aspire to be professional engineers or designers. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Griffith University and inspiring the next generation of female engineers,” said Chris Pitman, Vice President, Queensland, Ausenco.
To date, more than 9,000 That’s RAD! Science books have been given to children and libraries across Australia through the support of Griffith University, a Queensland Government Engaging Science Grant, the Australian Society for Parasitology, the Australian Nanotechnology Network, the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society, the Society of Crystallographers in Australia and New Zealand and Ausenco.
Griffith University is in the spotlight after winning three of seven categories at the 2023 Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards.
Griffith was the only university to win more than one award, a commendable achievement.
Dr Johanna Nalau from Griffith’s School of Environment and Science, who teaches the university’s world-first master’s degree in climate change adaptation, was named as the joint winner of the Emerging Leadership Award alongside an academic from the University of New South Wales.
Griffith’s second win was in the Employability Category for the program Inspiration to Music Employment — My Life as a Musician with Dr Diana Tolmie from the Queensland Conservatorium at the helm.
A winner of numerous teaching awards, Dr Tolmie created My Life in 2011 as a Musician suite of units recognising student musicians’ need to be vocationally prepared for a career in music.
IOA could serve as a potential alternative to essays and written exams whereby a student verbally demonstrates their understanding of the course topic, an idea stemming from the need to combat cheating and plagiarism.
IOA is spearheaded by Dr Popi Sotiriadou from the Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management and Danielle Logan-Fleming from the Arts, Education and Law group.
Griffith was also shortlisted as finalists in two other categories:
Community Engagement Award – Last Seen (QCA) a poignant and inspiring creative showcase, pairing vision-impaired Australians with renowned artists and composers to depict their last, or most cherished, visual memory. The multisensory exhibition and performance bring to life powerful stories through art, music, soundscapes, and short film
Equity and Access – Griffith’s Tutoring for Success program is a tailored academic tutorial initiative designed to enhance First Peoples students’ experiences at university.
As Griffith University prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025, the institution is looking ahead with an ambitious plan to bolster its ranks with 100 new academics.
Griffith Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans
Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans said the plan will see the best and brightest new early and mid-career researchers take up ongoing positions across Griffith’s campuses in South East Queensland.
“We have the maturity, the comprehensiveness and the deep roots that allow us to do first-rate research, but we’re still young enough to be agile, ambitious and an exciting place to work,” Professor Evans said.
“This is a serious investment in our future, and I invite Level C and B academics from across many of the disciplines at the university to make their career here at Griffith.
“Our university has great momentum at the moment, making it an exciting time to be here on campus.
“We’re beginning to see enormous achievements in research to match our already outstanding reputation in teaching and learning, and the student experience.
“We’re engaging with communities across Queensland, and I believe the next 10 years are going to be very exciting leading up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane.”
Professor Evans extols the virtues of working at Griffith, describing it as a warm, caring and inclusive environment.
“It’s one of the loveliest workplaces I’ve ever had the opportunity to work in and it lives and breathes its values,” she said.
“Griffith really believes it is important to make a difference in the world, to reach out to people that education has sometimes left behind, and to do research that will impact and benefit communities that often are not a top priority for others.”
Dr Johanna Nalau
Dr Johanna Nalau from Griffith’s School of Environment and Science teaches the university’s world-first master’s degree in climate change adaptation, and just this week was announced as the winner of the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Emerging Leader award.
“The university has a uniquely inclusive and diverse culture with a lot of focus on support, and I also think there’s a culture of innovation,” Dr Nalau said.
“There’s a lot of focus on how to support emerging leaders and get ideas off the ground while at the same time supporting staff so they can excel.
“I have amazing mentors who understand what it means to be a woman in a demanding career with significant childcare responsibilities.
“Griffith Sciences has a fund for people who are sole carers, which helps us go to conferences.
“Having that financial support is important, it enables us to have those informal discussions and expand our networks with colleagues at other universities.”
Professor Evans said ultimately, this plan for 100 new ongoing recruits will benefit every aspect of Griffith’s culture.
“Students will gain more opportunities to engage with permanent staff and our university’s research performance will reap the benefits,” she said.
“Even in these financially constrained times, the very best place to put money is into people.”
Last year was a grim season for sea turtles in Queensland’s Wide Bay-Burnett region with more than 10 times the usual number of sick and dying animals, including over 100 turtles, pulled from the water.
The Australian Rivers Institute Toxicology Research Group (ARI-TOX) is investigating the potential role that chemical pollution had on the elevated green turtle strandings on the Fraser Coast following the major flooding events in early 2022.
“At this stage, we don’t know if these strandings were related to disease, parasites, changes to quantity and quality of food sources, chemical pollutants, or a combination of multiple factors,” said ARI-TOX marine ecologist and eco-toxicologist Dr Jason van de Merwe.
Dr Jason van de Merwe, a marine ecologist and ecotoxicologist at the Australian Rivers Institute
“During large flooding events, chemical pollutants, such as pesticides and industrial chemicals, are often washed into coastal areas, where they can then accumulate in the resident sea turtles.
“Many of these chemicals have known effects on humans and other animals, so we are looking into if and how they’re contributing to the observed elevated strandings of green turtles.”
Researchers at ARI-TOX collaborated with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science to capture green turtles foraging in the waters of Hervey Bay adjacent to pollution sources in river mouths and urban outflows, while also assessing turtles in the eastern bay areas, further away from potential pollution sources.
With assistance provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, the general health and demographics of the green turtle population were recorded during these sampling events, including size and age, indicators of health and body condition, and breeding status.
Blood samples were also collected from each turtle for investigations into health and toxicology, the latter to be performed by ARI-TOX researchers.
“Full credit must be given to the Australian Government and the Queensland Department of Environment and Science for initiating such a swift and comprehensive investigation into the potential impacts of the 2022 floods on the health of marine wildlife,” Dr van de Merwe said.
“They did a great job in assembling a multi-disciplinary team of sea turtle experts, wildlife veterinarians, pathologists and toxicologists. As toxicologists, our role in this project is to determine the amount and types of metals and organic contaminants found in these sea turtles, and investigate whether there are any links to the health and demographic data collected.
“We measure metals using well established analytical techniques, however, due to the vast array of organic pollutants that are found in the marine environment, we measure the toxicity of the specific mixture of organic contaminants extracted from each individual turtle sampled, using a cell-based test.
“To test the combination of contaminants that the turtles accumulate, we concentrate the mixture of organic contaminants found in a sea turtle blood sample, perform a series of dilutions of this concentrate, and, using a novel sea turtle specific cell-based toxicity assay, expose sea turtle cell cultures from ARITOX’s Marine Wildlife Cell Bank to this concentration gradient.
“These assays will allow us to understand if the level of pollutants currently found inside the turtles is toxic to their cells, and if not, how much it has to increase to cause a toxic response.”
In a separate component of the project investigating the impacts of flooding on marine wildlife, the ARI-TOX team are also collaborating with Sea World and other wildlife hospitals to measure the chemical contamination of sea turtles, dolphins and dugongs that are currently being stranded in South East Queensland.
“The goal of this aspect of research is to again determine what the potential role of chemical pollution is in causing the elevated levels of marine wildlife strandings we have been seeing in the region in recent years,” Dr van de Merwe said.
A team of researchers has found a shared penchant for sewing reflective shell beds onto clothing and other items across three Indonesian islands that dates back to at least 12,000 years ago.
The team, led by Griffith University’s Associate Professor Michelle Langley and the Australian National University’s Professor Sue O’Connor, used advanced microscopic analysis to investigate Nautilus shell beads from Makpan Cave on the Indonesian island of Alor, and that the trends in style were shared with at least two other islands.
Intact beads recovered from Makpan. Credit: Michelle Langley
Striking similarities between the beads of Alor, Timor, and Kisar indicate that there was a shared affinity for sewing the reflective beads onto clothing or other items, therefore, the team deduced that there must have been shared ornament traditions across the sea in the region from the Terminal Pleistocene (late Ice Age) around 12,000 years ago.
Recent DNA evidence has shown how people on different Indonesian islands were genetically related, but until now it wasn’t known how culturally similar the populations were.
To answer this question, the Griffith and ANU teams analysed the beads from Makpan and found that not only were they incredibly consistent in their method of production, but also similar to beads previously found on the islands of Timor and Kisar.
“The time and skill required to create the tiny shiny beads in the numbers found archaeologically must have been extensive, suggesting that the beads were an important part of the Makpan community’s repertoire of adornment,” said lead author Associate Professor Langley, from Griffith’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution.
There was also an intensification in fishing technology during this period with shell fishhooks appearing at associated sites, as well as exotic obsidian and artefacts appearing in the assemblages.
Associate Professor Michelle Langley.
The similarity between the beads and fishhooks from different islands coupled with the skill and effort required to produce them implies that the practice was a tradition shared between islands, indicating frequent interaction across the sea.
Furthermore, the team who excavated at Makpan found thousands of shells in the food waste.
“What is interesting,” said ANU’s Dr Shimona Kealy, “is that Nautilus shells, which were used to make the beads, are almost entirely absent from this discard pile of ancient shellfish feasts, indicating that Nautilus was not collected for food but specifically for crafting.”
Professor Sue O’Connor recalls: “When we were excavating at Makpan Cave in Alor we were amazed at how many shell beads we were finding, and how we just kept on finding them even into the lowest levels of the excavation. In view of the great depth of the excavation we thought that there was a high likelihood that the oldest beads would be in Pleistocene-aged deposits.”
Importantly, this means that Makpan’s occupants were collecting Nautilus purely for the purpose of making beads. This presents a society that was secure enough to invest effort into harvesting and processing resources for aesthetic uses without any obvious practical benefit.
All of these factors combine to create “an image of an inter-island ‘community of practice’ with shared values and worldviews” said Associate Professor Langley.
“It is likely that the populations of these islands shared a distinctive culture, exchanging style, goods, technology and genes across the sea.”
The Oceania Paralympic Committee (OPC) is building on a powerhouse partnership with Griffith University in the lead up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, taking up head office residency at the Gold Coast campus.
Emphasising the shared commitment to excellence, innovation and community engagement, a memorandum of understanding was officiated at Griffith’s Nathan Campus on 10 August.
The partnership between Griffith and the OPC includes:
International Relations and Partnerships
Visibility, Reputation and Branding
Research and Innovation
Education and Training
Advocacy
Tourism and Events
Community Engagement and Participation
Sport
Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability
Griffith Director of Games Engagement and Partnerships, Dr Caroline Riot, said the allegiance aims to increase participation and opportunities for para-athletes.
Dr Peter Binks, Mr Paul Bird OAM, Dr Caroline Riot and Mr Atma Maharaj.
“Griffith is partnering with the OPC to support governance and development work, ensuring all athletes and coaches have a sport pathway, classification, talent identification and development opportunity that paves the way for performance excellence,” she said.
President of the OPC, Mr Paul Bird OAM said its robust relationship with Griffith has been demonstrated by an enthusiastic commitment to collectively delivering para-sport opportunities across Pacific communities.
“This MOU solidifies our relationship and will help us deliver an evidence-based research and insight-led approach towards equality for people with a disability living within Oceania,” he said.
Dr Riot recently returned from a trip with the OPC to Palau in the Pacific, having been invited to support the program delivery of a Paralympic committee.
Griffith and the OPC together helped to establish Palau’s first Paralympic Committee in a recent trip.
“I was fortunate to work with the OPC on-the-ground in Palau, holding conversations to encourage engagement with national sport federations, celebrate local sport success, and identify and develop the talent of young people,” she said.
One of these young people was Palauan senior student and athlete Koko, who lives with cerebral palsy.
Following interactions with the OPC and Griffith, Koko is now considering studying at Griffith and hopes to qualify for the Paris Games next year.
Dr Riot said: “The opportunities that lie ahead because of this partnership will open up disability and inclusion conversations and action across the region and will work to engage our local communities and experts in ways that strengthen the region and deliver strong legacies arising from the Brisbane 2032 Games.”
In a values-based exchange, the OPC will support Griffith in paralympic-related activities through data exchange and access to insights around Oceania-based para-sport development and performance.
Reciprocally, a central office space at Griffith’s Gold Coast campus will support the OPC’s local presence and reputation, enabling the joint delivery of world-class programs, sporting, coaching and research initiatives.
Vice-President of Industry & External Engagement at Griffith University, Dr Peter Binks, said: “Griffith already has long-standing relationships in the Oceania region, is recognised as Australia’s leading university for high-performance sports, and has a growing profile in accessibility.”
“Working alongside OPC gives us a much stronger platform for using these strengths, we have been very impressed by OPC’s leadership at all levels, and their vision for finding and supporting the ‘hidden people’ of Oceania.”
The partnership is underpinned by widespread support from Griffith’s leading researchers and groups.
“The OPC has the stated ambition to fly 17 flags at the Brisbane 2032 Games and to ensure every country of Oceania is represented,” Dr Riot said.
“Griffith is working with OPC hand-in-hand to strengthen and revitalise National Paralympic Committees in the region, and building Paralympic committees in countries that don’t have one.”
Associate Professor Chris Carty
Two Griffith University-led research projects have been successful in gaining grants from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) worth $2.9 million.
Associate Professor Chris Carty from the Griffith Centre of Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering (GCORE), and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, received $2.49 million to collaboratively lead a national data linkage to inform personalised diagnostic and clinical management for ambulant children and young people with cerebral palsy.
“The linkages include clinical gait analysis (CGA), physical exam, motor capacity and performance, and diagnostic and treatment history data from all six CGA services across Australia,” Associate Professor Carty said.
“The project will enable innovative bioinformatic and predictive simulation technologies to be developed and deployed to answer unresolved clinical questions relating to the orthopaedic treatment of individuals with cerebral palsy.”
Dr Jacinta Hawgood
Dr Jacinta Hawgood from Griffith’s Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention received $474,051 for the Million Minds Mental Health Research Mission, to collaboratively lead a team of investigators from Griffith, University of Melbourne and Monash University, and involving industry partners Monash and Queensland Children’s Hospitals and 14 Headspaces.
“The grant will be used for the adaption, feasibility and utility of Systemic Tailored Assessment for Responding to Suicidality protocol (STARS-p) for youth and parent populations,” Dr Hawgood said.
“The project will adapt the existing, adult-based STARs-p so it can be used with young people. Importantly, it will involve co-design with those who have a lived experience of suicide”.
“The outcome will be co-design best practice assessment protocol to identify young people at risk of suicide, as well as engage them in a safety and management plan.”
The Chief Investigators working with Dr Hawgood include Professor Kairi Kolves, Professor Caroline Donovan, Dr Karl Andriessen, Dr Kylie King, and Professor Emeritus Sue Spence.
Dr Andrea Jalandoni (Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, AEL) awarded $437,774. Digital archaeology can be used answer fundamental questions about rock art that reflect key cognitive behaviour. This project aims to develop innovative digital archaeology techniques to allow for more data to be collected along with more sophisticated tools for analyses that leads to a more holistic interpretation of rock art. This project expects to generate a state-of-the-art detailed 3D record of Injalak Hill, a methodology that can be tested and replicated worldwide, and new techniques that advance rock art research. The benefits of this project are improving methods to manage cultural heritage, and exploring new ways for Indigenous communities to engage with their cultural heritage using digital products.
novel synthetic particles that mimic the complex layers of red blood cells. Using innovative methods from engineering and biology, this project expects to advance biofabrication techniques for biosynthetic microparticles. Expected outcomes from this project include the development of a portable, cost-effective platform technology to immediately advance foundational understanding of cell membrane dynamics, interactions, and integrity. We anticipate that the new bioengineered blood product will provide significant future benefits for blood storage and transfusion, including potentially alleviating global blood shortages
Dr Bridget Backhaus (Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, AEL) awarded $452,727. With 20,000 volunteers, almost six million weekly listeners, and 50 years of history, Australia has one of the most well-established community radio sectors in the world. Yet discussions about community radio are limited to debates about media. Community radio stations are diverse and community-engaged organisations, with much more to offer than just what’s on air. This research aims to explore community radio as a model for successful, sustainable, and diverse community organisations. The findings of this project will help other community organisations improve their community connections and engagement, and articulate their value, which will contribute to re-engaging Australians in civic life.
real-time monitoring of vital signals on skin and in the body. Microfluidics is a technology for fluid handling in microscale. This project aims to develop the first platform technology with both flexible bioelectronics and microfluidics for enhanced sensing, thermal management and actuation. The project is expected to establish new fundamental knowledge in sensitivity boosting mechanisms with nano-thin semiconducting films, practical prototypes for long-lasting bioelectronics with integrated microfluidics and their large-scale manufacturing processes. Outcomes include step changes in designing innovative wearable and implantable devices and their massive commercialisation opportunities.
Dr Michelle Rourke (Law Futures Centre, AEL) awarded $413,974. COVID-19 highlighted the fragmented and poorly defined state of international virus regulation. This project aims to investigate the range of international institutions, structures, laws and stakeholders that regulate virus samples and viral genetic sequence data. The project expects to generate a comprehensive understanding of the international legal landscape and will recommend reforms to create a cohesive approach to international virus regulation. Expected outcomes include a robust legal framework to help stakeholders navigate the complex web of international laws about viruses. Benefits include improved access to viruses and viral genetic sequence data for scientists and the more equitable dissemination of the results of virus R&D.
Dr Lei Zhang (Centre for Catalysis and Clean Energy, SCI) awarded $433,217. Battery failure is mainly derived from uncontrollable lithium dendrite formation. This project aims to investigate fundamental lithium dendrite formation mechanism by utilizing a novel in-situ transmission electron microscopy cell. This project expects to build a new set up which is capable of simultaneous in-situ electrical and nanomechanical measurements of lithium dendrite growth. This project aims to reveal how lithium dendrite growth is affected by different surface modifications on the commercial graphite electrodes. The success of the project will lead to a fundamental understanding of the lithium dendrite formation mechanism, enabling the construction of significantly safer batteries.
