Research Success

Sense in the fingertips (PDF File 63.4 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Ingvars Birznieks from the School of Health and Science and Professor Vaughan Macefield from the School of Medicine, together with Dr Stephen Redmond of the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, will be investigating the mechanisms underlying the tactile sensing of friction in the fingertips. This research is supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Projects award.

Hamstring injury prevention (PDF File 59.9 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Ric Lovell, Dr Jason Siegler and Dr Paul Marshall from Sport and Exercise Science in the School of Science and Health have been awarded funding from NSW Sporting Injuries. Their program of research seeks to optimise current injury prevention schemes that attempt to address the high incidence of hamstring injuries suffered by soccer players.

Fatigue in Australian Rules football (PDF File 68.9 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Jason Siegler, Dr Richard Lovell, Dr Paul Marshall and Associate Professor Simon Green from the School of Science and Health, with John Quinn from the Greater Western Sydney Giants, have been awarded a UWS Research Partnerships grant to profile physiological fatigue patterns throughout a competitive Australian Rules football season.

Intergroup harmony (PDF File 68.2 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Baljinder Sahdra of the School of Social Sciences and Psychology is examining 'nonattachment', a Buddhist psychological concept, to investigate its usefulness in increasing intergroup harmony and reducing human psychological suffering. This project is funded by the Mind and Life Institute through its Mind and Life Contemplative Studies Fellowship Program.

Amurdak: An endangered language (PDF File 83.5 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Robert Mailhammer is studying Amurdak, an endangered language of Northern Arnhem Land. This project has been funded by the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London through its Grant Endangered Languages Academic Programme.

Indigenous community housing (PDF File 82.3 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Louise Crabtree of the School of Humanities and Communication Arts leads a team of researchers looking at Indigenous housing options by researching community land trusts in Indigenous communities in NSW and the Northern Territory. This project is funded by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).

Pest management in the olive industry (PDF File 68.3 KB) (opens in a new window)
Associate Professor Robert Spooner-Hart of the School of Science and Health is being supported by the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (RIRDC) and industry partner, the Australian Olive Association, to investigate chemical options for the management of pests in the olive industry. Dr Len Tesoriero of NSW Department of Primary Industries is collaborating on this project.

Energetics of anti-predator behaviour (PDF File 81.3 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Christopher Turbill from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment will be investigating the energetic consequences of anti-predator behaviour in small prey mammals. This research is being supported by the Hermon Slade Foundation. Also participating in this project is Professor Stephan Blanc from the Department of Ecology, Physiology and Ethology, University of Strasbourg, France.

Who am "I"? (PDF File 58.8 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Diego Bubbio of the School of Humanities and Communication Arts is examining the concept of the 'self' using the work of two prominent philosophers, Hegel and Heidegger. This project is funded by the Australian Research Council through its Future Fellowships scheme.

From research to health policy (PDF File 64.0 KB) (opens in a new window)
Conjoint Professor Sally Redman and Professor Louisa Jorm from the School of Medicine, along with an international team of researchers, are investigating the use of research evidence in developing health policy. The National Health and Medical Research Council has funded a Centre for Research Excellence - The Centre for Informing Policy in Health with Evidence from Research - to carry out this work.

Pure, clean water (PDF File 72.1 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Guodong Du of the Solar Energy Technologies Research Group in the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics has been awarded a prestigious Postdoctoral Research Fellowship by the Australian Solar Institute. The project will investigate the use of solar energy to remove microbial agents, such as e.coli bacteria, from water.

Stormwater quality improvement (PDF File 112.1 KB) (opens in a new window)
Chris Derry from the School of Science and Health and Bhakti Devi are collaborating on research designed to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for assessing catchment scale impact of stormwater treatment using bio-retention units, popularly known as 'raingardens'. The aim is the improvement of the quality of the City's stormwater prior to its release into iconic waterways such as Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay.

Improving livelihoods on the east India plateau (PDF File 76.6 KB) (opens in a new window)
Professor Bill Bellotti of the School of Science and Health is leading a research team that will build on a major collaborative partnership between Australia and India that aims to improve the livelihoods of farmers by developing innovative cropping systems in the uplands of the east India plateau. This project is supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and AusAID.

New age batteries (PDF File 63.5 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Adriyan Milev of the School of Science and Health and a team of researchers will be investigating the use of nanocomposite materials to develop high-power lithium battery cathodes. This three-year collaborative project is being supported by the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education under the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund.

Renting with pets in Sydney (PDF File 70.0 KB) (opens in a new window)
Dr Emma Power from the School of Social Sciences and Psychology with Susie Willis from the Petcare Information and Advisory Service Australia Pty Ltd, have been awarded a UWS Research Partnerships grant to examine the impact of pet ownership on low income households.