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Improving the communication and decision-making about medical treatment for patients at the end of their life is crucial to avoid needless suffering.
This is the view of Darren K. Heyland (above), Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada, who will present a seminar – “To die well, you need to plan well: The importance of end of life communication and decision making” – at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus tomorrow (April 12).
“The problem starts with poor communication and decision-making about medical treatments during serious illness,” says Professor Heyland.
“This leads to the ‘intensification of care’ at the end of someone’s life, meaning many older patients who prefer a more comfortable, dignity-preserving pathway towards the ‘end,’ suffer needlessly in an intensive-care unit receiving aggressive forms of life-sustaining treatments and then, after all of that, they pass.
“This has a negative impact on the family who witness this ‘intensified’ death experience.
“It also impacts

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Professor Muhammad Yunus has delivered a passionate 2017 Griffith Lecture at the Queensland Conservatorium Theatre.
The Bangledeshi economist and micro-finance pioneer concluded his short speaking tour of Australasia at Griffith’s South Bank campus with the annual Griffith Lecture, his sole Queensland appearance.
Professor Yunus has been on a mission to educate the world on the benefits of social business since he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.
The 76 year-old captivated the audience with his tale of how he used his innovative social business model to eventually provide solar energy to power nearly two million Bangledeshi homes which had remained reliant on kerosene oil for light for generations.

In recent years, Professor Yunus has begun establishing Yunus Social Business Centres at universities around the world and has now done likewise at Griffith University.
 
Yunus Social Business Centre Griffith University
During Professor Yunus’ Brisbane visit, Pro Vice Chancellor (Business) Professor David Grant joined the Grameen Bank founder to

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Reducing the use of ineffective practices in autism early intervention is the focus of a new Griffith University study.
“Autism has been described as a “fad magnet’ as it attracts a wide array of potential interventions,’’ says Professor Deb Keen from the Autism Centre of Excellence.
“These interventions have varying levels of effectiveness leaving both parents and professionals unsure of “what works”.
Research has often focussed on encouraging greater use of effective practices, but little has been done to reduce or eliminate the use of practices that have been shown to be ineffective.
“Our study aims to address this problem by focusing on increasing knowledge of the evidence based on both effective and ineffective strategies.”
More than 230,000 people in Australia have autism with boys four times more likely than girls to be affected. But as there is no “cure’’ and no clear cause (although genetic factors are implicated), and there is no single best

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Griffith is giving young singers a chance to join the a cappella revolution.
Next month, the university’s Gold Coast campus will host Voices in Paradise, an all-day workshop and concert celebrating the power of song.

Now in its fifth year, the popular event attracts hundreds of participants and is open to all singers between the ages of 15 and 30.
During the workshop, singers will get the opportunity to work with a cappella superstars like Blindside and Drums of War, using a range of popular arrangements by Pitch Perfect producer Deke Sharon.
Participants develop their skills in four-part a cappella harmony, technical vocal production and choreography, covering hits by contemporary artists like Bruno Mars, Imagine Dragons and Walk the Moon.
The results will be showcased in a concert at Griffith’s Gold Coast campus, where singers will share the stage with their mentors and the southern hemisphere’s largest male a cappella chorus, The Blenders.
Voices In Paradise

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Griffith University’s new Business School Strategy is about meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
Launched in April 2017, the new objectives for the Griffith Business School (GBS) are aimed at creating a forward-focused, future-ready Business School and will ensure that the university remains an industry leader in the field of business education.
Pro Vice Chancellor (Business) Professor David Grant believes that placing greater importance on the School’s already strong commitment to global connectedness and social responsibility is the way forward.
“The strengths of the strategy are articulated in its mission and vision,” Professor Grant explains. “The Business School’s vision places a heavy emphasis on our traditional values of socially responsible, innovative and globally connected leadership. The mission places a very heavy emphasis on our engagement with businesses, government and other community partners, and ensuring we use that engagement to deliver high-quality business education and research.”
The four main areas of strategic

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Two graduates from the Queensland College of Art have been chosen to exhibit at Documenta 14, the world’s most prestigious contemporary art event.
Doctoral candidate Dale Harding and Masters graduate Gordon Hookey are among just three Australian artists invited to show their work at Documenta.
The blockbuster exhibition is held every five years in Kassel, Germany and features the best contemporary artists from around the world.
Dubbed the ‘art Olympics’, it attracts more than a million visitors over 100 days, including collectors, gallery and museum directors and international press.
Both of the indigenous artists are known for their politically charged artworks, which are on display in Athens and Kassel.
Dale was born in the Central Queensland town of Moranbah and is a descendant of the Bidjara, Ghungalu and Garingbal people.
After moving to Brisbane, he enrolled in the QCA’s unique Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art, graduating with honours in 2013.

His work uses traditional and contemporary

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Griffith Business School was honoured to have Professor Muhammad Yunus attend Nathan campus and inspect the newly established Yunus Social Business Centre Griffith University.

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Ex-Cyclone Debbie dumped rain in an erosion hot spot in the Burdekin catchment estimated to generate nearly a third of all the sediment that flows to the Great Barrier Reef.
Flood plumes from the Gregory and Fitzroy rivers are also pushing sediment and nitrogen pollution into Reef waters.
It is another blow to the Reef which has just suffered unprecedented back-to-back mass coral bleaching events.
Griffith University scientist Associate Professor Andrew Brooks has released dramatic pictures and video of the Burdekin and Gregory river flood plumes heading out to sea, and erosion in the Burdekin catchment.
His post cyclone helicopter flight (on March 31) to assess damage was jointly funded by Griffith University, the Federal Government’s National Environmental Science Program, the Queensland Government, and NQ Dry Tropics.
Dr Brooks said much of the cyclone deluge fell in an 11,000 sq km section of the Burdekin catchment which is a known erosion hot spot.
This area is currently the

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Gardening in southeast Queensland has never been easier with the swipe of a finger – or green thumb.
The groNATIVE app – developed at Griffith University in partnership with Natura Pacific and funding from the State Government – includes profiles of more than 400 plants native to southeast Queensland.
The app intuitively helps you find the most suitable native flora for your suburb.
Since being launched, the free app for smartphones and tablets is already being used by more than 2000 people and Professor Catherine Pickering is encouraging even more to think about using it and getting out in their garden over the Easter break.
The botanist in Griffith’s Environmental Futures Research Institute says it’s a great time to revitalise the garden with some new plants, with April’s milder weather and moist soils creating perfect conditions. She says the days when native gardens might have looked a little drab are long gone.
“People can use

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Griffith is among the leading universities in Australia when it comes to student satisfaction.
A new report, published on April 12 by the Federal Government, places Griffith University at number two in the country amongst publically funded universities after students across Australia were surveyed about their entire educational experience. Griffith was ranked fifth overall.
The annual Student Experience Survey, carried out by the Social Research Centre, is the only comprehensive survey of current higher education students in Australia. About 178,000 undergraduate students participated in the 2016 survey, which focused on six quality indicators in learning and teaching.
“Griffith outperforms the national average in all six of the survey’s focus area indicators,” Professor Debra Henly (left), Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), said. “Our students registered an overall satisfaction rate of 84.2% which is notably higher than the 80% national average.”
Along with the overall quality of educational experience, the other five indicators in the Quality Indicators for

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