Investigating Linguistic Factors Associated with Stuttering in Cantonese. The aim of this research is to gain new knowledge about the cause of stuttering. The project is a collaboration between experts in stuttering in Australia and Hong Kong. Despite decades of study, the cause of stuttering is still not well understood. Research in English has suggested that changes in emphasis from syllable to syllable can trigger individual moments of stuttering. However, Cantonese is very different from Eng ....Investigating Linguistic Factors Associated with Stuttering in Cantonese. The aim of this research is to gain new knowledge about the cause of stuttering. The project is a collaboration between experts in stuttering in Australia and Hong Kong. Despite decades of study, the cause of stuttering is still not well understood. Research in English has suggested that changes in emphasis from syllable to syllable can trigger individual moments of stuttering. However, Cantonese is very different from English, being a tonal and syllabic language, and uncovering the linguistic triggers of stuttering in Cantonese will yield new insight into the complex causality of this disabling condition.Read moreRead less
Memory and the temporal lobes. This project will use brain imaging techniques to investigate how humans perceive, combine and access stored knowledge about the world via different senses. This information will not only provide information on normal brain processes, but will also provide vital data on what happens to memory if certain regions of the brain become damaged.
The role of threat expectancy and attentional bias modification in promoting attentional capture and disengagement in acute experimental pain. This study will test the effectiveness of a number of variants of a promising new treatment in changing responses to an experimental pain task, the cold pressor. The aim is to develop a novel treatment, with preliminary evidence for its efficacy, that can be tested as a treatment for the prevention and treatment of chronic pain.
Regulation of lung immune-epithelial networks sensing environmental change. This study aims to uncover how lung epithelial cells engage with immune cells and determine their cellular and molecular wiring to ensure homeostatic maintenance and essential repair processes of lung tissues. Maintenance of lung epithelial-immune networks is essential to maintain normal lung tissue structure and function, and to induce immune responses to protect against microbial challenges or inhaled potentially toxic ....Regulation of lung immune-epithelial networks sensing environmental change. This study aims to uncover how lung epithelial cells engage with immune cells and determine their cellular and molecular wiring to ensure homeostatic maintenance and essential repair processes of lung tissues. Maintenance of lung epithelial-immune networks is essential to maintain normal lung tissue structure and function, and to induce immune responses to protect against microbial challenges or inhaled potentially toxic substances. Understanding this molecular program of epithelial-immune cell-mediated sensing/repair will be essential to understand how tissue-repair processes can be driven in the lung, an organ critical for respiration and thus life.Read moreRead less
Relative efficacy of self-help treatment for insomnia. This project aims to improve available non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia by determining the relative efficacy of various forms of self-help treatment compared to standard, therapist-led, treatment. Sleep disorders have serious consequences and are widespread. Drug therapies are costly and ineffective and, while psychological treatments have a well-established evidence base, they are not utilised by many. Self-help is a potential ....Relative efficacy of self-help treatment for insomnia. This project aims to improve available non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia by determining the relative efficacy of various forms of self-help treatment compared to standard, therapist-led, treatment. Sleep disorders have serious consequences and are widespread. Drug therapies are costly and ineffective and, while psychological treatments have a well-established evidence base, they are not utilised by many. Self-help is a potential solution, but has not been properly evaluated. This project will determine the efficacy of self-help, the best delivery methods, and should result in more individuals with sleep problems receiving better and cheaper help with benefits for them and society in general.Read moreRead less
Regulating Medical Nanotechnology in Australia: Developing Practical Improvements in Safety and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. This Project will provide policy makers with previously unavailable detailed information and well developed, innovative regulatory options, on how best to ensure safe and cost-effective use of one of the fastest growing areas of Australian research and development: medical nanotechnology. The Project will benefit Australian healthcare workers and patients who will increasi ....Regulating Medical Nanotechnology in Australia: Developing Practical Improvements in Safety and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. This Project will provide policy makers with previously unavailable detailed information and well developed, innovative regulatory options, on how best to ensure safe and cost-effective use of one of the fastest growing areas of Australian research and development: medical nanotechnology. The Project will benefit Australian healthcare workers and patients who will increasingly be exposed to, and concerned about, the risks of medical nanotechnology. It will help to facilitate export and institutional uptake of Australian medical nanotechnology products, by ensuring they comply with world's best practise safety standards and offer value for public expenditure. Read moreRead less
Design features for correct use of child car restraints. This project aims to minimise incorrect use of child restraints, which triple the risk of injury to children in car crashes. One in two children travelling in cars are incorrectly restrained. Using naturalistic and epidemiological studies, this project will characterise child restraint design features that minimise errors related to the real world interaction between restraint design, parents and children, and determine the effectiveness o ....Design features for correct use of child car restraints. This project aims to minimise incorrect use of child restraints, which triple the risk of injury to children in car crashes. One in two children travelling in cars are incorrectly restrained. Using naturalistic and epidemiological studies, this project will characterise child restraint design features that minimise errors related to the real world interaction between restraint design, parents and children, and determine the effectiveness of using optimally designed restraints. This research will help child restraint manufacturers to improve their products and design better child restraint systems, that reduce injury to children in crashes.Read moreRead less
Social networks, identity and recovery. Relapse rates for alcohol and drug dependence are high, with limited understanding of what factors promote abstinence and wellbeing over the longer term. To address this gap, the proposed project will systematically examine the role of social networks and group memberships on recovery from drug dependence. In a world’s first, this project will examine whether individuals who successfully recover undergo a social identity transformation, and if so, how this ....Social networks, identity and recovery. Relapse rates for alcohol and drug dependence are high, with limited understanding of what factors promote abstinence and wellbeing over the longer term. To address this gap, the proposed project will systematically examine the role of social networks and group memberships on recovery from drug dependence. In a world’s first, this project will examine whether individuals who successfully recover undergo a social identity transformation, and if so, how this occurs. Novel insights from this project will inform our understanding of how individuals recover from addiction, with opportunities for informing current treatment approaches and developing innovative interventions. Read moreRead less
Towards safe care and consumer engagement: addressing the complexities of communication processes for managing medications in hospitals. Ineffective communication is the most common cause of medication problems in Australia. This study focuses on how health professionals of various disciplines including medicine, pharmacy and nursing communicate with each other about medications. Integral involvement of consumers and family members will ensure that health and social outcomes are considered from ....Towards safe care and consumer engagement: addressing the complexities of communication processes for managing medications in hospitals. Ineffective communication is the most common cause of medication problems in Australia. This study focuses on how health professionals of various disciplines including medicine, pharmacy and nursing communicate with each other about medications. Integral involvement of consumers and family members will ensure that health and social outcomes are considered from different perspectives, which are therefore likely to be successful. Examination of communication processes will help lead to safe care and consumer involvement. The unique knowledge obtained will inform policies in various clinical settings and identify strategies for better communication. Health professionals and consumers can adopt these strategies to improve medication safety. Read moreRead less
Beyond successful ageing: Longevity & healthy ageing among Australian women. This project has three key aims. First, to test and contrast two empirical models of successful ageing. Secondly, to compare these empirical models with women’s own perspectives of their ageing gained from prospective qualitative data. Thirdly, provide insights into women’s experience of very old age through interviews with women in their 90s. In addition to interview data, the project will analyse data from the 1921-2 ....Beyond successful ageing: Longevity & healthy ageing among Australian women. This project has three key aims. First, to test and contrast two empirical models of successful ageing. Secondly, to compare these empirical models with women’s own perspectives of their ageing gained from prospective qualitative data. Thirdly, provide insights into women’s experience of very old age through interviews with women in their 90s. In addition to interview data, the project will analyse data from the 1921-26 and 1946-51 cohorts of the Australian longitudinal study on women’s health. The expected outcomes will provide significant benefits, such as projecting potential health trajectories as women enter their later years.Read moreRead less