Environmental quality and health in the elderly; The Australian situation and international comparison. The elderly are a vulnerable population group that should receive particular attention in health policy. They are a group of considerable and growing size that contributes disproportionately to total health burden. Although residential environment is likely to influence health and well-being among the elderly, the evidence-base for appropriate policy and practice is lacking. Improved understa ....Environmental quality and health in the elderly; The Australian situation and international comparison. The elderly are a vulnerable population group that should receive particular attention in health policy. They are a group of considerable and growing size that contributes disproportionately to total health burden. Although residential environment is likely to influence health and well-being among the elderly, the evidence-base for appropriate policy and practice is lacking. Improved understanding of the role of relevant environmental factors could lead to substantially reduced morbidity and mortality (and associated costs) for the key outcomes: falls, and cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Results will contribute to the international evidence-base in this increasingly critical area of research, policy, and practice. Read moreRead less
Trauma and Unwanted Memories. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a potentially debilitating condition that affects survivors of trauma. Intrusive memories of the trauma is the key problem in people with PTSD. This project will attempt to understand intrusive memories and will clarify why these memories persist. Outcomes from this project will directly assist people with PTSD because it will enhance understanding of a key symptom that maintains the disorder.
Redefining bullying and adjustment to school: Japanese and Australian. School violence is an all too prevalent physically, socially, and psychologically damaging aspect of the everyday life of a significant portion of school students around the world. The aim of this collaborative Linkage Award is to compare Australian and Japanese school students's understanding of bullying, its stability over time and its association with school adjustment. This comparative research breaks new ground in inve ....Redefining bullying and adjustment to school: Japanese and Australian. School violence is an all too prevalent physically, socially, and psychologically damaging aspect of the everyday life of a significant portion of school students around the world. The aim of this collaborative Linkage Award is to compare Australian and Japanese school students's understanding of bullying, its stability over time and its association with school adjustment. This comparative research breaks new ground in investigating the particularly damaging form of bullying known as indirect/relational bullying. The research is part of a larger international consortium including China, Canada and Korea. The outcomes from this research will be reported back to the consortium, presented at international conferences , published and used to inform school intervention programsRead moreRead less
The impact of crime on the mental wellbeing of communities. Considering not only the direct impact of crime on the victims but also the indirect consequences of living in a community with a higher crime rate may in fact lead to a more accurate analysis of the size of the consequences of criminal activities on the society. Further, it may also be the case that the negative externality of crime on non-victims is much larger for some crimes than for others. If this were the case, it could have impl ....The impact of crime on the mental wellbeing of communities. Considering not only the direct impact of crime on the victims but also the indirect consequences of living in a community with a higher crime rate may in fact lead to a more accurate analysis of the size of the consequences of criminal activities on the society. Further, it may also be the case that the negative externality of crime on non-victims is much larger for some crimes than for others. If this were the case, it could have implications for the way in which police resources are presently distributed across different crimes. Better understanding the total societal cost of crime - to both victims and non-victims - could therefore help improve public policy. Read moreRead less
Physical factors affecting deposition of combustion submicrometer particles in the human lung. Particles generated from combustion sources have a profound effect on human health, yet there is lack of scientific understanding of the role of different physical mechanisms on particle deposition in the lung. This program will advance scientific knowledge in this field through multidisciplinary efforts of a team from QUT and the University of Salzburg, Austria. It aims at quantification of particle d ....Physical factors affecting deposition of combustion submicrometer particles in the human lung. Particles generated from combustion sources have a profound effect on human health, yet there is lack of scientific understanding of the role of different physical mechanisms on particle deposition in the lung. This program will advance scientific knowledge in this field through multidisciplinary efforts of a team from QUT and the University of Salzburg, Austria. It aims at quantification of particle deposition in human lung through experimental studies and advanced modelling. The program will enhance and strengthen the existing collaboration between the universities and its outcome will be of significance in the vital area of human health and risk assessment.Read moreRead less
The Australian-Netherlands project on work and stress research. Rapid changes in the nature of work globally require critical surveillance for effects on worker well-being and productivity. Occupational health policy trends in Australia and The Netherlands support continuous monitoring of the work environment. This project therefore provides a timely opportunity structure for intellectual exchange and capacity building for Australian and Dutch work and organisational psychologists, specifically ....The Australian-Netherlands project on work and stress research. Rapid changes in the nature of work globally require critical surveillance for effects on worker well-being and productivity. Occupational health policy trends in Australia and The Netherlands support continuous monitoring of the work environment. This project therefore provides a timely opportunity structure for intellectual exchange and capacity building for Australian and Dutch work and organisational psychologists, specifically in work stress and unemployment research. Highly experienced and emerging researchers together will develop and implement projects transnationally. Outcomes will include: joint doctoral-post doctoral supervision; joint publications and grants; advanced knowledge and applications, with international policy implications for improving working life and productivity.Read moreRead less
Cross-cultural analysis of constructions of health and fitness in lives of young people. This project aims to extend our understanding of how young people in Canada and Australia construct notions of health and fitness and the implications of these constructions for the ways they see themselves and the choices they make about how they live their lives. The data collected at six sites in Australia and Canada covers a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, from questionnaires to interviews ....Cross-cultural analysis of constructions of health and fitness in lives of young people. This project aims to extend our understanding of how young people in Canada and Australia construct notions of health and fitness and the implications of these constructions for the ways they see themselves and the choices they make about how they live their lives. The data collected at six sites in Australia and Canada covers a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, from questionnaires to interviews, activity observations, and visual media such as photographs. The cross-cultural comparison will serve to highlight aspects of Anglophone, Francophone, Canadian, Australian and global culture that examining in isolation may not appear 'important' to those immersed within a given culture. By bringing the existing Australian project together with a newly established Canadian project, the different expertise of the Australian and Canadian Investigators can be drawn on for the analysis and interpretation of the data.Read moreRead less
Male germ line transgenesis and siRNA technology for manipulating genes in domestic species. Professor Shemesh has successfully developed male germ line transgenesis in species such as bovine and chicken. This technology allows genes to be manipulated via sperm in a wide range of animals besides mice, avoiding the need for a female in vitro fertilization regimen. He is curently applying interference RNA (siRNA) transgenically to manipulate genes in vivo. Together these two technologies offer imm ....Male germ line transgenesis and siRNA technology for manipulating genes in domestic species. Professor Shemesh has successfully developed male germ line transgenesis in species such as bovine and chicken. This technology allows genes to be manipulated via sperm in a wide range of animals besides mice, avoiding the need for a female in vitro fertilization regimen. He is curently applying interference RNA (siRNA) transgenically to manipulate genes in vivo. Together these two technologies offer immense possibilities to manipulate a wide range of species for economic, biotechnological or medical research purposes. Professor Shemesh wishes to come to Adelaide to establish these technologies there as parts of ongoing research projects, related to the physiology of the ovarian hormone relaxin in aging research.Read moreRead less
The development of a two-colour flow cytometric assay for the detection of whole cell biosensors in environmental samples. Macquarie University and the University of Copenhagen have expertise in fluorescence detection and whole cell biosensors respectively. The project will take advantage of these skills and develop a sensitive assay for monitoring biosensor bacteria in soil. The technology will be significant as it will enable real time analysis of antibiotic production in situ through the de ....The development of a two-colour flow cytometric assay for the detection of whole cell biosensors in environmental samples. Macquarie University and the University of Copenhagen have expertise in fluorescence detection and whole cell biosensors respectively. The project will take advantage of these skills and develop a sensitive assay for monitoring biosensor bacteria in soil. The technology will be significant as it will enable real time analysis of antibiotic production in situ through the detection of GFP expression. This work will then be used to isolate new antibiotic produces and will be extended to research into the bioavailability of toxic compounds and stress. An existing collaboration between the two institutions will be extended enabling the transfer and application of biosensor technology to Australia.Read moreRead less
A philosophical and empirical approach to the nature of perception and belief. This project offers substantial benefits - intellectual, practical, and ultimately economic - to the nation. On the intellectual side, the project will contribute to research output and will further enhance the national research strength in the study of delusions, rationality, and agency, within both philosophy of mind and inter-disciplinary cognitive science. On the practical side, the project offers the prospect of ....A philosophical and empirical approach to the nature of perception and belief. This project offers substantial benefits - intellectual, practical, and ultimately economic - to the nation. On the intellectual side, the project will contribute to research output and will further enhance the national research strength in the study of delusions, rationality, and agency, within both philosophy of mind and inter-disciplinary cognitive science. On the practical side, the project offers the prospect of considerable benefits for the community as improved theories of the nature and causes of delusions generate strategies for earlier detection or even prevention of the development of delusions, new methods of therapy for patients, and better understanding for families.Read moreRead less