Testing our knowledge on the dawn of animal life: evidence from the fossil record against modern ecological and morphological analogues. The Cambrian 'Explosion', half a billion years ago, is regarded as one of the most important events in the history of the Earth, when most major animal groups first appear in the rock record, and for which South Australia has recently become a significant source of spectacular fossils. However, important questions remain regarding their Ediacaran roots, the spe ....Testing our knowledge on the dawn of animal life: evidence from the fossil record against modern ecological and morphological analogues. The Cambrian 'Explosion', half a billion years ago, is regarded as one of the most important events in the history of the Earth, when most major animal groups first appear in the rock record, and for which South Australia has recently become a significant source of spectacular fossils. However, important questions remain regarding their Ediacaran roots, the speed of evolution at the time, and the environments in which the radiation took place. Studying the fossil evidence in the light of present-day ecological frameworks, and in comparison with modern behavioural and morphological analogues, as well as living relatives, can help us better assess our understanding of this first radiation of animals.Read moreRead less
Adaptive Morphology and Evolution of Invasive Rabbits and Hares. This project aims to uncover the morphological variation that allows rapid adaptive evolution in two invasive species, the rabbit and hare. This project expects to generate new knowledge at the interface between invasion biology and evolutionary biology, using cutting-edge methods to phenotype widespread populations. This project will address key inter-related hypotheses of rapid adaptive evolution at temporal, spatial and phylogen ....Adaptive Morphology and Evolution of Invasive Rabbits and Hares. This project aims to uncover the morphological variation that allows rapid adaptive evolution in two invasive species, the rabbit and hare. This project expects to generate new knowledge at the interface between invasion biology and evolutionary biology, using cutting-edge methods to phenotype widespread populations. This project will address key inter-related hypotheses of rapid adaptive evolution at temporal, spatial and phylogenetic scales, particularly about changing morphologies involved role in locomotion and dispersal ability. Expected outcomes of this project include a comprehensive phenotypic database of these two species and identifying how these invasive species are adapting to the Australian landscape.Read moreRead less
Going beyond genetics: the shape of marsupial evolution and conservation. This project aims to explain the past and protect the present biodiversity of endangered marsupial mammals such as bilbies and koalas. It will generate new knowledge using an interdisciplinary combination of 3D analysis of skull shape, reflecting a mammal’s ability to feed and sense its surrounds, with the fast-moving fields of marsupial conservation and evolutionary genetics. This will help to anticipate if, and how, chan ....Going beyond genetics: the shape of marsupial evolution and conservation. This project aims to explain the past and protect the present biodiversity of endangered marsupial mammals such as bilbies and koalas. It will generate new knowledge using an interdisciplinary combination of 3D analysis of skull shape, reflecting a mammal’s ability to feed and sense its surrounds, with the fast-moving fields of marsupial conservation and evolutionary genetics. This will help to anticipate if, and how, changing environments and declining numbers reduce these species’ ability to adapt. Benefits include better information to support improved conservation decisions and identification of genes underlying the evolution of marsupial skull diversity.Read moreRead less
Building child health through maternal wellbeing. Chronic diseases partly originate in the health & social circumstances of previous generations, during pregnancy, and in conditions during infancy and childhood. This project will draw from three community studies the researcher established to investigate how aspects of women's health affect their children's health and identify new opportunities for disease prevention.
Realising socio-economic rights: law and the politics of access to public services in Indonesia. This project seeks to identify the conditions under which justiciable legal frameworks or socio-economic rights are effective in promoting realisation of these rights in developing countries. The empirical focus is on Indonesia during the post-Suharto era and rights related to free basic education, water, and free health care for the poor.
From Baskets to Boomerangs: Knowledges, Lifeways and Colonial Legacies. This project aims to transform our understanding of Australian Aboriginal lifeways by undertaking a comprehensive study of objects made from fibre and wood, from iconic boomerangs through to woven basketry. Although crucial to toolkits for millennia, systematic research about plant-based technologies has been limited, even though knowledge about their creation has been passed down across generations. This project, initiated ....From Baskets to Boomerangs: Knowledges, Lifeways and Colonial Legacies. This project aims to transform our understanding of Australian Aboriginal lifeways by undertaking a comprehensive study of objects made from fibre and wood, from iconic boomerangs through to woven basketry. Although crucial to toolkits for millennia, systematic research about plant-based technologies has been limited, even though knowledge about their creation has been passed down across generations. This project, initiated by River Murray Traditional Owners, will employ innovative archaeological science techniques, explore colonial legacies and use creative engagement methods to provide new insights into the diversity of Aboriginal experiences and connect Traditional Owners with their material cultural heritage housed in museums.Read moreRead less
Indigenous Living-Legacy Archives: Memory Story Innovations for our Time. This project aims to investigate Indigenous community and colonial archives as powerful sites of social and cultural memory, and creative intervention. These sites can locate, repatriate, and transform fundamental narratives of history and collective memory to reassert and determine Indigenous voice and agency. This work partners with peak Indigenous arts and archive networks to demonstrate the value of Indigenous living-l ....Indigenous Living-Legacy Archives: Memory Story Innovations for our Time. This project aims to investigate Indigenous community and colonial archives as powerful sites of social and cultural memory, and creative intervention. These sites can locate, repatriate, and transform fundamental narratives of history and collective memory to reassert and determine Indigenous voice and agency. This work partners with peak Indigenous arts and archive networks to demonstrate the value of Indigenous living-legacy archive innovations and initiatives for cultural preservation and renewal, through unique community-led modes of storytelling. It benefits community wellbeing and healing through self-determined knowledge production and memory stories of local and global impact, and truth-telling legacy work for future generations.Read moreRead less
Defining and controlling seawater intrusion in threatened coastal aquifers. This project aims to improve knowledge of coastal aquifer processes and management practices in order to increase the security of highly vulnerable freshwater. In particular, it aims to address critical barriers to the regional-scale investigation of coastal aquifers, including island lenses – the most vulnerable freshwater resources on earth. Threats to coastal aquifers are intensifying globally, and key knowledge gaps ....Defining and controlling seawater intrusion in threatened coastal aquifers. This project aims to improve knowledge of coastal aquifer processes and management practices in order to increase the security of highly vulnerable freshwater. In particular, it aims to address critical barriers to the regional-scale investigation of coastal aquifers, including island lenses – the most vulnerable freshwater resources on earth. Threats to coastal aquifers are intensifying globally, and key knowledge gaps prevail in our current understanding and representation of transient, regional-scale seawater intrusion. The project plans to use coastal aquifer case studies from Australia and overseas to evaluate seawater intrusion reversibility, intermittent pumping effects, offshore aquifer processes, and management approaches. The project may improve coastal aquifer practices globally by unravelling the driving forces of transient seawater intrusion and developing new seawater intrusion models.Read moreRead less
Social relations and social engagement in older adulthood: implications for health, well being and cognition. This project will examine the nature of changes in peoples social networks that occur with age and the effects of these changes on health and well being in later life. The project will use information collected as part of several ongoing Australian studies of ageing and will have implications for social policy.
Molecular hallmarks of androgen receptor targeting in prostate cancer. There is a critical need in oncology drug development for better biomarkers of response to prostate cancer therapies, clinically to assist with treatment decision making, and pre-clinically to facilitate translation of emerging agents into clinical practice. Using a unique explant culture model, this project will identify protein and lipid markers that can be used to accurately and reliably assess response to androgen recepto ....Molecular hallmarks of androgen receptor targeting in prostate cancer. There is a critical need in oncology drug development for better biomarkers of response to prostate cancer therapies, clinically to assist with treatment decision making, and pre-clinically to facilitate translation of emerging agents into clinical practice. Using a unique explant culture model, this project will identify protein and lipid markers that can be used to accurately and reliably assess response to androgen receptor (AR)-targeting therapies in human prostate tumours. The identification and functional assessment of these biomarkers will identify those that can be used as surrogate endpoints in clinical trials, facilitate earlier approval of investigational agents and lead to improved options for therapeutic management of prostate cancer.Read moreRead less