Can slight variations in lab environments affect the malaria-causing parasite (Plasmodium) and its tolerance to anti-malarial drugs? Griffith University’s Sandra Duffy believes it’s possible.
The PhD candidate in Discovery Biology at the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD) was invited to write an opinion piece on the subject with GRIDD Principal Research Leader Professor Vicky Avery, who had previously been approached by a reputable journal to explore the topic of best practices for anti-parasitic drug discovery, focusing on malaria.
Routine in vitro culture of Plasmodium falciparum: experimental consequences? published in the latest issue of Trends in Parasitology, is based on Ms Duffy’s observations of the documented variations in culturing the malaria-causing parasite in humans (Plasmodium falciparum) during a decade of work at Griffith.
Having started her PhD in late 2017 to expand her career horizons within an academic setting, Ms Duffy narrowed her PhD focus to an issue that had plagued her
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Griffith visiting academic in Gold Coast Marathon
Emma Hagqvist will be flying the flag for Griffith this week as she gets set to run this year’s annual Gold Coast Marathon on July 1.
The Swedish national is currently a visiting research fellow from the Mid Sweden University in Ostersund. She is working with Griffith’s Hopkins Centre and is studying working environments and the effect they have on our health from a gender perspective.
Emma has been living on the Gold Coast for just three months with her partner and young child, and saw the Marathon as a good opportunity to prove her fitness and promote the university at the same time.
Currently running up to 60 kilometres per week in her training for the event, Emma says that although she loves running, cross-country skiing is her preferred sport back in her native Sweden.
“In Sweden cross-country is really popular, and probably not as hard on the body as running. But I am
Remote delivery of psychological support for people with brain tumour
Delivering psychological support remotely to people with brain tumours is on the agenda as part of a new study at Griffith University.
The world-first study – jointly funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and Cancer Council Queensland – is led by Professor Tamara Ownsworth at Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland, and is using latest telehealth technology to enable people with brain tumour to receive tailored counselling in the comfort of their own homes.
The program, Making Sense of Brain Tumour (MAST) will employ Zoom videoconferencing technology to enable clinical psychologists to provide people with brain tumour and their families with targeted support addressing the specific issues they face related to the illness.
On average each day, 6 Australians are diagnosed with brain and other central nervous system cancers and 4 will die from such diseases. Each year in Australia approximately 1800 individuals, their partners and families find themselves facing the
Bright young mind in drug discovery bound for nation’s capital
A new, national fellowship scheme has put one of Griffith University’s brightest young minds in drug discovery on the road to Canberra.
Early career researcher Dr Roisin McMahon from the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD) is among the nine fellows to have been awarded a fellowship by the Federal Government that will see her relocate to the nation’s capital for the one-year project.
The aim of the Australian Science Policy Fellowship Pilot Program, which will be operated under the auspices of the Office of the Chief Scientist, aims to grow the diversity of expertise in the Australian Public Service workforce by providing a pathway for mid-career scientists to become skilled policy practitioners.
It also aims to strengthen the pipeline between science and policymaking, which is an area of keen interest to Dr McMahon.
“I’m really excited. It’s a great opportunity to learn about how we bridge the divide between scientists and policy makers,”
Award-winning journalist joins Griffith Asia Institute
Award-winning journalist and author Mr Rowan Callick will take up an appointment as an Industry Fellow with the Griffith Asia Institute from July.
“We are delighted to have Rowan work with us,” GAI Director Professor Caitlin Byrne said. “His experience and knowledge of the region is an incredible asset to the Institute.
“As Industry Fellow, Rowan will help to facilitate conversations and build links between the Institute and the business community”.
In acknowledging his appointment, the acclaimed writer said he relishes the chance to engage with industry representatives and further establish Griffith’s ties and impact throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
“The opportunity to connect with the business community through dialogue that holds immediate and practical relevance to their engagement in the Asia-Pacific is timely and important given the rapid pace of change in the region,” Mr Callick said.
After graduating with a BA Honours from Exeter University, Mr Callick spent 10 years in Papua New Guinea
Kakadu crocodiles mostly dine out
Large crocodiles in the Alligator Rivers region of north Australia do much of their dining not within their rivers or estuaries, but on feral pigs and other terrestrial animals visiting the waterways, a new study has revealed.
The work, published in PLOS ONE, forms part of a larger study of river and floodplain food-webs led by Griffith University’s Australian Rivers Institute in collaboration with Parks Australia and other partners of the Northern Australian Environmental Resources Hub.
“Our work aims to identify the important sources of food that sustain populations of fish and other large animals in these river systems, and in particular to understand how dependent they are on the seasonal connection with the floodplain,” Director of the Australian Rivers Institute Professor Stuart Bunn said.
Crocodiles are considered to be the apex aquatic predator in these systems.
Taking ‘scute’ samples helped researchers determine what the crocodiles were eating.
“We know from many years of studying
Finding catharsis in crisis
A new book by Griffith University lecturer Mathew Karpin recounts how his family weathers a storm triggered by his son who has autism.
Eloquently written, The Crisis – How Autism nearly destroyed my family and what we did – is a salutary tale that describes the period leading up to and during the crisis.
“When a child with autism is driven to the edge, it is by the accumulation of explosive stimuli to which he cannot otherwise respond. You are being taken, in a crisis, to his world and it’s extremely troubling,’’ Matthew says.
He hopes the book will resonate with other families going through similar experiences.
“When you are the parent, and you think things might be different, better, for your child, but they go on a steady path towards disaster in spite of, because of, our efforts, the anguish is possibly incomparable.
“To learn what is needed to come through and to get
Qld Budget 2018 sees reforms take centre stage for disability services sector
By Dr Paul Harris, School of Human Services and Social Work; Member, Hopkins Centre and Menzies Health Institute of Queensland
Support for the continuing rollout of national reforms in the disability services sector, as might be expected, is the major focus of the 2018-19 state budget for the disability services area.
Despite significant restructuring within the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors, and a projected decrease in 435 full-time equivalent positions associated with the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the 2018-19 allocation of approximately $2.2 billion represents an annual increase of almost 12 per cent for the disability services budget.
This reflects the significant costs associated with the continuing provision of services in addition to supporting participants to transition to the NDIS (or Commonwealth Continuity of Support Programme for people aged 65 and over). Over the next 12 months, this will include people in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Logan,
Housing, environment and regions see polarising results in 2018 Qld Budget
By Dr Tony Matthews, Cities Research Institute
The 2018 Queensland budget, the first for Treasurer Jackie Trad, offered some surprises in its treatment of housing, the environment and the regions. As is the tradition with budgets, some people feel cheerful while others are glum. Most are probably neutral this time around.
Changes to the housing portfolio will make some very unhappy, a few will celebrate and many won’t be affected.
The First Home Owner Grant of $15,000 will be extended for another 12 months. But pain comes through its value being reduced from the temporary amount of $20,000, in place since 2016. Those hoping to take advantage of the higher rate will need to do so by June 30 – an unreasonable deadline for most.
House prices are softening slightly in south-east Queensland and across the state as the urgency recedes from the market. The reorganisation of the First Home Owner Grant probably reflects
Cities stand to benefit from new infrastructure in 2018 Qld Budget
By Professor Paul Burton, Director, Cities Research Institute
The Treasurer’s budget speech mentions cities only once, and that is to recognise that Queensland is the most decentralised state in Australia, with many significant cities beyond Brisbane and outside the south-east corner.
But does this mean that cities are neglected? Not at all, because much of the investment in new infrastructure announced in the Budget will occur in these cities.
We need to remember that infrastructure is more than just road and rail, although there is significant investment in Cross River Rail and in upgrades to the M1 and to the Bruce Highway; it also includes improvements to hospitals and health facilities and to new schools. And, again, many of these are located in our growing cities.
But this is a budget that focuses on supporting the creation of new jobs for Queenslanders, by investing in major projects, in business growth and training services and