Predicting the movement speeds of animals. The project seeks to reveal how marsupials modify their movement patterns and speeds as they navigate risky environments, and show how movement contributes to vulnerability and resilience. Movement is central to animal behaviour and the survival of species, because it underlies feeding, mating and the ability to escape from predators. However, we lack a framework for predicting how fast animals should move through their habitats given their needs to con ....Predicting the movement speeds of animals. The project seeks to reveal how marsupials modify their movement patterns and speeds as they navigate risky environments, and show how movement contributes to vulnerability and resilience. Movement is central to animal behaviour and the survival of species, because it underlies feeding, mating and the ability to escape from predators. However, we lack a framework for predicting how fast animals should move through their habitats given their needs to conserve energy, avoid detection by predators and minimise risks of injury or death. This project aims to develop mathematical models to predict how fast animals should move and then test these predictions using native species of conservation concern. This is expected to extend the field of performance ecology as well as inform management strategies for vulnerable marsupials.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
Enhancing wellbeing over the family life course. This project aims to investigate the impact of family life transitions, such as relationship formation and dissolution or births, on wellbeing over the life course. It will do this by analysing data following people over time and will provide information about the negative and positive effects of family transitions for wellbeing, track changes in wellbeing before, during and after transitions, and highlight the intersections of the family life cou ....Enhancing wellbeing over the family life course. This project aims to investigate the impact of family life transitions, such as relationship formation and dissolution or births, on wellbeing over the life course. It will do this by analysing data following people over time and will provide information about the negative and positive effects of family transitions for wellbeing, track changes in wellbeing before, during and after transitions, and highlight the intersections of the family life course with gender, age and socioeconomic status. This will considerably enhance understandings of wellbeing over the family life course, providing insights for targeted policies and interventions to improve health and wellbeing.Read moreRead less
A community-based approach to the problem of underage drinking. This project will aim to reduce the frequency and amount of alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related harms, among young people aged 12-17 years by addressing social norms regarding underage alcohol consumption. Using a multi-component intervention it will engage the Illawarra community in strategies to encourage and empower young people not to drink.
Mental health, job quality and workforce participation: evidence from population health research to address complex problems and conflicting policies. Mental disorders such as depression are a major cause of disability. Improving mental health can increase productivity and workforce participation. However, the psychosocial quality of work is a factor that overlays the relationship between work and health. Poor quality work (for example, unreasonable time pressure, insecurity) increases the risk ....Mental health, job quality and workforce participation: evidence from population health research to address complex problems and conflicting policies. Mental disorders such as depression are a major cause of disability. Improving mental health can increase productivity and workforce participation. However, the psychosocial quality of work is a factor that overlays the relationship between work and health. Poor quality work (for example, unreasonable time pressure, insecurity) increases the risk of poor mental health, absenteeism, and exit from the workforce. This project will analyse data following people over time to investigate the long-term health and employment consequences of poor psychosocial job quality, and consider the special case of mature age workers. It will identify those individuals at greatest risk, and factors that can buffer against the adverse effects of poor quality work.Read moreRead less
Reading the isotopic archive: carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratios as recorders of plant physiological processes. This project will investigate how plant physiological processes are reflected in stable isotope ratios of carbon and oxygen in plant tissues. Results will contribute towards a mechanistic understanding of the processes that cause isotopic modifications, thereby enabling an improved interpretation of naturally occurring stable isotope signals.
Microbiome Regulation of the Host Mitochondrial Genome. This project aims to describe newly discovered processes by which bacteria that reside in the gut of an animal influences host mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell. Using advanced genetic and molecular methodologies, this project aims to generate new knowledge on improving mitochondrial function as well as advance our understanding of the emerging field of microbiome research. Expected outcomes include a novel and universal technology ....Microbiome Regulation of the Host Mitochondrial Genome. This project aims to describe newly discovered processes by which bacteria that reside in the gut of an animal influences host mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell. Using advanced genetic and molecular methodologies, this project aims to generate new knowledge on improving mitochondrial function as well as advance our understanding of the emerging field of microbiome research. Expected outcomes include a novel and universal technology platform in which to engineer small molecules and probiotics to improve mitochondrial health and enhance fitness in a range of animals. This should provide significant benefits, through both scientifically relevant outcomes and economic benefits through technological advancements.Read moreRead less
Transforming charity to reduce persistent poverty. This project aims to produce empirical knowledge to assist charities to reduce persistent poverty in Australia. In Australia people in poverty use charity to subsidise limited incomes and survive on a day-to-day basis. Recently charities are expected to assist in disrupting poverty in addition to poverty relief. However there is limited knowledge about how charities work with people who are poor and how they can change to work better. This proje ....Transforming charity to reduce persistent poverty. This project aims to produce empirical knowledge to assist charities to reduce persistent poverty in Australia. In Australia people in poverty use charity to subsidise limited incomes and survive on a day-to-day basis. Recently charities are expected to assist in disrupting poverty in addition to poverty relief. However there is limited knowledge about how charities work with people who are poor and how they can change to work better. This project expects to provide knowledge that governments, social service providers, and charities can use to transform their work with people in poverty. Read moreRead less
Towards a new understanding of the reproductive system. The proposed analysis of the reproductive system will provide important new knowledge of gene regulation driving organ development. The insights and technologies developed in this program will be widely applicable in biotechnological and pharmacogenomic research in Australia and worldwide, and assert Australia's leadership in this area of research.
Understanding the importance of lianas for forest health and management. This project aims to assess the impact of lianas (woody vines) and their removal on forest health and value. New field infrastructure, removal experiments and global datasets will be used to compare forest health under varying liana dominance, determine whether lianas are preventing recovery, and to predict regional and global impacts. The project expects to generate new knowledge regarding ecosystem function and global cha ....Understanding the importance of lianas for forest health and management. This project aims to assess the impact of lianas (woody vines) and their removal on forest health and value. New field infrastructure, removal experiments and global datasets will be used to compare forest health under varying liana dominance, determine whether lianas are preventing recovery, and to predict regional and global impacts. The project expects to generate new knowledge regarding ecosystem function and global change biology, building collaboration between ecologists, economists and forest managers. The project expects to have significant implications for forest health and the global economy. The expected benefit will be implementation of restoration methods in priority areas and subsequently improved forest health.Read moreRead less