Congratulations to our doctoral student Athena Brunt who was named recipient of this year’s Enid Dowling Foundation Bursary. The Bursary gives a young person an opportunity to further their knowledge and leadership potential to the benefit of others. Athena epitomises what this Bursary is about and those present could not help but be inspired by her speech about the amazing medical research she’s involved in which has the potential to be life changing for millions of Australians.
“One of the objectives of the Enid Dowling Foundation is to support youth of courageous ambition. It is my life’s ambition to better the lives of others through medical research. This research is my first step towards achieving this mission, and I now have a very real chance of succeeding thanks to the generosity of the Enid Dowling Foundation and the Liberal National Party”
Athena Brunt, Liberal National Party Convention, July 2015.
Athena’s doctoral research seeks to revolutionise bone transplantation and transform orthopaedic surgery outcomes. Athena will use the Enid Dowling Foundation Bursary to travel to prestigious research institutes in Lyon, France, and Sydney, Australia to carry out vital research in support of her endeavours to transform bone transplantation, provide better surgery outcomes, and improve the lives of the millions of people who suffer from bone diseases, trauma, and cancer.
Firstly, Athena will travel to Lyon, France, where she will undertake research at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) — the INSERM is the premier national research institute of France, and here she will learn and practice new scientific methods in the very lab in which they were invented, under the direction of Prof Roland Chapurlat, head of the INSERM Unit 1033.
Secondly, Athena will travel to Sydney to undertake a xenograft implant study in Prof Bill Walsh’s Surgical and Orthopaedic Research Laboratory within the Prince of Wales Clinical School at the University of New South Wales.
The Enid Dowling Foundation Bursary has given Athena the opportunity to undertake these important experiments that are essential to completing her doctorate, and will provide networking opportunities with leading international researchers in the field. In addition to her research, Athena is passionate about science and health policy and believes that public engagement in science has never been more important. She hopes to use this opportunity to learn more about practical medical research, international scientific collaboration, and interact with leaders around the world to become a more informed policy contributor in Queensland.
Tooth decay in children is a major problem across Australia, especially so in rural, remote and Indigenous communities. Children in the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) have a particular problem partly because the plant to add fluoride to the water system is no longer in use.
The good news is that these children will be able to access a special annual dental treatment and preventative program as part of an innovative research project from August this year.
The research, led by Griffith University and funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, will investigate the cost-effectiveness of a single annual dental visit to apply known preventative measures to all children.
This involves application of an antiseptic, filling grooves in susceptible teeth with resin or dental cement, and painting fluoride varnish onto tooth surfaces.
“It is necessary to treat all existing decay before application of the preventative measures,” says Emeritus Professor Newell Johnson from the Menzies Health Institute Queensland and the leader of the project.
“The research team will supplement Queensland Health resources and treat all children enrolled in NPA schools by the end of the year. There will be follow-up by the research team once a year for the next few years.
“The team believes that the model can apply to remote communities across Australia, especially where it is difficult to have permanent dentists or dental therapists in such places.”
Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service are supporting the research by providing access to a dental surgery at Bamaga Hospital and to the health service mobile dental van which will be located at Bamaga Primary School.
“We are very pleased to be able to support this research,” says Dr Jill Newland, Health Service Chief Executive, “as it could potentially have a big impact on the oral health of young people in our region”.
The researchers have conducted extensive community consultation with stakeholders and received permission from relevant authorities. These include the Community Elders, Queensland Health Chief Dental Officer, Cape York Health Council (Apunipima), Torres and Cape Health and Hospital Service, Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC) and the Northern Peninsula Area State College (NPASC).
Dr Newland says she is impressed with the researchers’ strong community focus.
“We are always ready to assist researchers who follow the due process and whose work can lead to an improvement in health for our communities.”
Griffith University is proudly hosting an Australian first initiative to improve the early development of children in Logan city, particularly in the areas of health and education.
The Logan Together project, a flagstone project from the Logan’s City of Choice Action Plan, brings together all levels of government, community agencies and the university . The launch at Logan campus coincides with the release of the State of Logan’s Children and Young People report which has highlighted the need for a range of improvements for children across the city.
Improving life outcomes
Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of Logan campus, Professor Lesley Chenoweth AO said the project will target children from birth to eight years old with a view to improving their life outcomes.
“In this city we have pockets of extreme disadvantage and within these neighbourhood or suburb pockets there are children who are missing out on a whole lot of opportunities,” Professor Chenoweth said.
The project, which has been two years in development , is a collaboration of more than 40 funding and community partners including federal, state and local governments. Led by newly appointed Director, Matthew Cox, and employing several key staff, Logan Together is based at Griffith’s Logan campus.
Collaboration key to success
A professor of social work, Lesley Chenoweth says this collaboration and the shared expertise of all involved this collaboration will be at the heart of the project’s success.
“This will involve the very people who are working directly with families, directly in classrooms, directly in early childhood centres.
“At Griffith it will enable our midwifery, early childhood education and the whole raft of health and human services researchers and students to work alongside our Logan Together staff on campus and in the community
“I believe it will also generate increased research funding to enable specific studies that might look at, for example, pregnant women and then project better outcomes for babies at birth, or early intervention to improve literacy .”
“These important research projects will be very grounded in the local community and deliver solid knowledge and evidence so that people can pick that up quickly and implement change,” Professor Chenoweth said.
Long term benefits
Professor Chenoweth is confident significant change will be seen in just a couple of years but the real long term benefits will be evident at the end of the decade long project.
“But we will certainly see the most significant results in ten years’ time. Those kids who come into the project when they are five will be 15 by then, and they’ll be making their choices for years 11 and 12 and hopefully they will have increased life aspirations and be so much better equipped to make them a reality.”
Bloomberg is a word associated with financial trading and stock markets throughout the world and it’s a word that Open Day visitors to the Nathan campus trading room will associate with Griffith Business School.
State-of-the-art Bloomberg terminals have opened up a world of market data and financial information for finance-focused business students at Griffith since its opening in early 2015.
The scope of information and data accessible through the terminals will be demonstrated during a series of trading room activities on Open Day, starting at 9am.
Commerce student Daniel Herr has eagerly embraced the opportunity to use the Bloomberg facility at Griffith University.
“It gives students the opportunity to obtain valuable first-hand experience in a real trading environment,” he says.
“Being familiar with Bloomberg is an invaluable skill which has helped me tremendously with research for the CFA challenge and the capstone unit of my degree.”
Daniel believes this type of classroom experience, which incorporates true industry practice, will distinguish his Griffith degree from other degrees into the future.
“This experience has been looked upon very favourably by recruiters.”
For example, the Bloomberg Professional service yields access to the location of every cargo ship in the world, including information about its cargo, its route and the ports where each ship docks.
The trading room offers a wealth of knowledge and financial data beyond standard library catalogues.
Along with the financial trading room activities on Open Day, Griffith Business School lecturers will also deliver a series of presentations on commerce, international business, the Asian landscape, government and policy, and tourism and hotel management during Open Day.
Two sessions on the value and far-reaching impact of a business education in a globalised environment will be delivered at 10am and 1pm. These sessions are titled ‘Be a modern business success story’.
The Summit, held in June with the support of the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) and the Queensland Deans of Education (QDE) Forum, aimed to equip teachers with skills to inspire positive and meaningful numeracy learning experiences in today’s classrooms.
Delegates from across the school, university and government sectors heard from inspiring keynote speakers and engaged in event polling throughout the day to identify issues and develop strategies, with media personality and science expert Adam Spencer facilitating the sessions.
Delegates engaged in group activities throughout the day to identify issues and develop strategies around numeracy education
EPS Dean Professor Donna Pendergast says the Summit provided the opportunity for a sharpened focus on numeracy learning and teaching, with a particular focus on Initial Teacher Education (ITE).
“The links and collaboration between our School, QCT, the QDEF and the full range of education stakeholders in Queensland and beyond was clearly evident on the day, and feedback extremely positive,” she says.
“Through the event polling delegates could exchange ideas and co-construct a shared philosophy and strategies for engaging pre-service students with numeracy, which they can now bring to their classrooms.
“Drawing upon prior learning experiences, encouraging positive attitudes towards mathematics, and developing children’s confidence and resilience were identified as key actions by the participants.”
Strategies discussed for numeracy learning and teaching in ITE included:
Designing real life contexts in lectures, tutorials and ITE learning experiences
Making explicit linkages between content in learning areas/subjects
ITE students developing an appreciation that there can be more than one answer and more than one way of teaching numeracy
Continued professional learning and development of a ‘feedback culture’
Danielle Nash (left) and Joel Anderson (right), two third year Griffith Bachelor of Primary Education students preparing to be interviewed by Channel 10 Studios. They came to the Summit to find out more about the most effective ways that numeracy can be taught in the classroom.
Professor Pendergast says developing action plans to progress this numeracy improvement agenda is the next phase, and will involve the QDE and QCT.
“There are important roles and actions needed by all stakeholders — Government, Higher Education Institutions, school systems, schools, teachers and ITE students — to positively enact this commitment,” she says.
To find out more about the event outcomes and future strategies that arose from the Summit, read the 2015 Numeracy Summit Communiqué.
Associate Professor Susan Harris-Rimmer has joined the Griffith Law School as an Australian Research Council Future Fellow.
Her Future Fellow project is called ‘Trading’ Women’s Rights in Transitions: Designing Diplomatic Interventions in Afghanistan and Myanmar’.
“At Griffith I am inspired by the social justice foundations of the university; the commitment to human rights, gender equality and environmental sustainability; and the willingness to engage in public conversations and policy-making,’’ she said.
“I am proud to be part of a university that is Asia-facing and ready for Asia’s rise, respectful of culture and diversity and nimble and global in outlook.
“At the Griffith Law School, there is deep academic accomplishment but also a real commitment to teaching our students, and helping their lives and careers after they leave campus.
“The lawyers here also work towards justice in Queensland, they are doers and joiners and the sort of folk who speak up for human rights and the rule of law. Griffith law believes in practicing law with a global conscience.”
In 2014 she was named one of the Westpac and the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence in the Global category.
She has been a board member of UN Women National Committee Australia and former president of the voluntary non-governmental organisation Australian Lawyers for Human Rights.
In October 2013, Associate Professor Harris-Rimmerwas appointed to the national board of the Refugee Council of Australia, and an Ambassador for the Australian Refugee Trust, and in 2014 joined the board of the International Women’s Development Agency.
The first cohort of undergraduate Chinese students in Biomolecular Science completed their program of study with the School of Natural Sciences at Griffith in semester 1, 2015.
Following thisprogram, students from the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (NJUTCM) Bachelor of Science articulate into the Griffith Bachelor of Biomolecular Science with advanced standing.
The students attended an informal gathering on July 30which was presided over by NJUTCM’s Vice President, Professor Guicheng Huang and Professor Sarah Todd, Pro Vice Chancellor (International), Griffith University. The students also attended the formal Griffith Graduation Ceremony held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Established in 1954, NJUCM is one of the earliest established universities of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in China, and is a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine.
TCM’s are central to health care in China, and Griffith’s School of Natural Sciences and the Eskitis Institute collaborate with ongoing projects and initiatives with Chinese institutions in this area.
Further cohorts of students under the joint undergraduate program in Biomolecular Science commenced study in semesters 1 & 2, 2015.
As the next generation of students gets a glimpse of university life at Open Day, Griffith University is celebrating 40 years of teaching at Nathan campus.Old and new will come together to mark the celebration at Open Day on August 9.
One-hundred and twenty students and staff from 1975 will attend a champagne brunch at the Sir Samuel Griffith Building with special guest Emeritus Professor Colin Mackerras.
“It was a wonderful and memorable experience working at Griffith in the early days. Everybody was excited about doing something that had never been done before, a radical new form of education based on interdisciplinarity,’’ Professor Mackerras said. Read more about Colin Mackerras here.
In 1978, the first cohort of 170 Griffith students graduated from the Schools of Humanities, Modern Asian Studies, Science and Australian Environmental Studies.
Elizabeth Stevens was part of the original cohort and recalls a time of close learning, collegiality and collaboration. Studying a Bachelor of Arts in comparative literature and history, she remembers her undergraduate days with fondness.
“They say your school years are your best, but that’s not true. Those three years at Nathan campus were a phenomenal experience,’’ she said.
After graduating with her BA, Elizabeth completed a Graduate Diploma of Applied Linguistics and then a Master of Philosophy, also at Griffith, some years later.
Over the years, she’s maintained contact with the university working in education as a research assistant and lecturer. She is currently working with the Griffith Institute for Educational Research as a research assistant.
“I’m looking forward to connecting with former students and lecturers at the event on Sunday,’’ she said.
Another 1978 graduate, Colin Noy, credits Griffith for his successful career as a science teacher.
“Griffith gave me an excellent grounding in all of the sciences,’’ the Brisbane Boys College teacher said.
“I studied with a great bunch of people, it was such a close-knit group and absolutely fabulous.”
But a degree wasn’t the only thing Colin obtained from Griffith. He also met his wife Denise (nee Phillips), who was studying modern Asian languages, on his second day of university.
“I came from Manly, she came from Wynnum and a mutual friend put us in touch and told me to give her a lift to and from uni as it was taking her two hours each way on public transport. We’ve been married for 36 years.”
Colin is part of a group of science graduates who have been meeting regularly for the past 40 years and is looking forward to catching up with old friends and new on Sunday.
Food security, high quality freshwater, and health standards were among the issues discussed at the Griffith hosted Australia Awards Fellowship climate change program for the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE).
The Australian Government funds Australia Awards Fellowships administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They aim to build capacity and strengthen partnerships between Australian organisations and partner organisations in eligible developing countries in support of key development and foreign affairs priorities. By providing short-term study, research and professional development opportunities in Australia, mid-career professionals and emerging leaders can tap into Australian expertise, gaining valuable skills and knowledge.
Climate change is a pressing environmental concern in Vietnam with the Mekong Delta likely to be one of three river systems in the world most impacted by rising sea levels.Deforestation caused by dioxins sprayed during the Vietnam War has heightened its impact.
Attendee and vice head of MONRE’s Science-technology and International Cooperation division, Ms Pham Lan Anh, said: “Vietnam is one of the countries which is most affected by climate change. Those areas contaminated by dioxin are spectacularly affected due to the loss of rainforest.”
“Extreme weather conditions occurring in these areas include: hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and more. Moreover, dioxin from those contaminated lakes, rivers and land are gradually spreading out further.”
MONRE requested that Griffith University run the program because of the University’s reputation as a key training provider to professionals working in the area of environment and climate change. Griffith is home to one of the largest groups of environment academics, researchers and professionals in Australia.
MONRE Department of Organization and Personnel (DOP) Director General Mr Ta Dinh Thi said the program had taught the fellows how to: “mainstream climate change issues into the sectoral planning developed by ministries and line-ministry agencies.”He said it would also, “strengthen training, research and international cooperation for responding to climate change.”
Mr Thi hoped the fellowship would “further strengthen the cooperation between MONRE and Australian relevant partners, especially Griffith University.”
Since 2011, nine Vietnamese delegations have chosen to undertake a Griffith University hosted Australia Awards Fellowship or short course.
Griffith University’s Cameron McEvoy has finished second in the final of the 100m freestyle at the 2015 world swimming championships in Kazan, Russia.
The silver medal was Australia’s only medal on the fifth day of competition, although more are likely as the meet continues, especially after excellent performances from Mitch Larkin — fastest qualifier for the men’s 200m backstroke final — and sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell in the women’s 100m freestyle.
A Bachelor of Science/Advanced Honours student at Griffith, McEvoy was the fastest qualifier for the 100m final but was overtaken in the final strokes to finish behind gold medallist Ning Zetao, from China.
McEvoy told media the result, his first individual medal at a world titles, has him well placed in the lead-up to next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
In other events, Madi Wilson finished sixth in the 50m backstroke final, while Emma McKeon and Jess Ashwood were part of the women’s 4 x 200m relay team that finished sixth.
Griffith has a strong contingent of students and alumni among the Australian Dolphins swim team in Russia. All students are members of the Griffith Sports College.
