Targeting the genome and epigenome of the exercising skeletal muscle. This project aims is to discover epigenetic and genetic biomarkers that predict fitness changes, following exercise intervention. Individuals are remarkably variable in their responses to exercise interventions, and a large portion of these responses is attributed to genetics, and epigenetics (the effect of the environment on the expression of genes). Using controlled exercise training as a model, this project expects to disco ....Targeting the genome and epigenome of the exercising skeletal muscle. This project aims is to discover epigenetic and genetic biomarkers that predict fitness changes, following exercise intervention. Individuals are remarkably variable in their responses to exercise interventions, and a large portion of these responses is attributed to genetics, and epigenetics (the effect of the environment on the expression of genes). Using controlled exercise training as a model, this project expects to discover epigenetic and genomic markers in skeletal muscle predictive of exercise adaptations. This will contribute to the development and future delivery of targeted and personalised exercise programs for the general population. This has important implications for improving health in the Australian population.Read moreRead less
Playing it Safe: Psychological Safety and Mental Health for Community Sport. At a time when over half of all Australians participate in organised sports it is critical to ensure that these environments are psychologically safe. The problem is that community sports clubs have no clear guidance on how to fulfil this substantial responsibility. There have been urgent calls for the development of psychological safety and mental health guidelines which have yet to be answered. This project will deliv ....Playing it Safe: Psychological Safety and Mental Health for Community Sport. At a time when over half of all Australians participate in organised sports it is critical to ensure that these environments are psychologically safe. The problem is that community sports clubs have no clear guidance on how to fulfil this substantial responsibility. There have been urgent calls for the development of psychological safety and mental health guidelines which have yet to be answered. This project will deliver the knowledge to underpin effective psychological safety and mental health guidelines for community sports with national impact. When implemented, this knowledge will help sports clubs to provide a psychologically safe environment, and promote the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians involved in organised sports.Read moreRead less
Can exercise slow down the epigenetic ageing clock? The aged population accounts for a significant amount of Australia’s health budget. This project aims to uncover novel molecular biomarkers that slow the ageing process and maintain good health for longer. This project aims to use innovative epigenetic analysis to study the molecular ‘clocks’ of young and old populations and to test whether exercise can slow the ageing process. This is expected to lead to a better understanding of how humans re ....Can exercise slow down the epigenetic ageing clock? The aged population accounts for a significant amount of Australia’s health budget. This project aims to uncover novel molecular biomarkers that slow the ageing process and maintain good health for longer. This project aims to use innovative epigenetic analysis to study the molecular ‘clocks’ of young and old populations and to test whether exercise can slow the ageing process. This is expected to lead to a better understanding of how humans respond to changing environments during their lifetime, and will underpin the development of evidence-based personalised health interventions to keep Australians healthier for longer.
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Asian Women, Migration and Transnational Governance from Below. This project investigates international labour migration and its gender implications in the context of intra-regional flows in Southeast and East Asia.
It evaluates the responses and type(s) of activism by major migrant lobbyists as a potential force for socio-legal change and to what extent they operate beyond national borders. By integrating civil society activism, a novel approach is offered which conceptually combines the analy ....Asian Women, Migration and Transnational Governance from Below. This project investigates international labour migration and its gender implications in the context of intra-regional flows in Southeast and East Asia.
It evaluates the responses and type(s) of activism by major migrant lobbyists as a potential force for socio-legal change and to what extent they operate beyond national borders. By integrating civil society activism, a novel approach is offered which conceptually combines the analysis of women's needs and concerns when migrating internationally with democratisation processes and the increasing acceptance of global norms, nationally and transnationally.
The publication of a single-authored monograph and a number of journal articles is anticipated.Read moreRead less
Developing the capacity to model the impact of interventions that target high-risk drinking among young Australians. Alcohol use is a major contributing factor to social and health problems among young Australians. The project will inform the development of effective policy by providing multidisciplinary research evidence and the capacity to model how various interventions impact on the prevalence of alcohol-related problems.
Restorative Justice and the Life Course: Victims and Offenders in Longitudinal Perspective. Reduction of crime and its effects is a major priority for Australia. Restorative justice represents one of the most promising policy innovations currently available for prevention of repeat offending and for benefiting victims of crime. Apart from the justice dimension, it has much wider community application from school bullying to peace building after civil war. Our study will provide knowledge about i ....Restorative Justice and the Life Course: Victims and Offenders in Longitudinal Perspective. Reduction of crime and its effects is a major priority for Australia. Restorative justice represents one of the most promising policy innovations currently available for prevention of repeat offending and for benefiting victims of crime. Apart from the justice dimension, it has much wider community application from school bullying to peace building after civil war. Our study will provide knowledge about its actual economic and social benefits (or adverse effects) - nationally and at the community level. This knowledge is vital to answer the questions: "Is it effective? Should it play a major role in our society?" as well as identifying areas in which current use can be improved to the benefit of victims of crime and the broader community.Read moreRead less
Fear and licensing in Australia: Investigating the social licence to operate of an emerging coal seam gas industry. Australia’s nascent coal seam gas (CSG) industry is the site of substantial social tension. For some the industry can transform and safeguard national energy sources and fuel booming Asian exports. For others it damages both the environment and communities. This tension is vividly expressed by local protests and regulatory bans. Communities, mining companies and government invoke a ....Fear and licensing in Australia: Investigating the social licence to operate of an emerging coal seam gas industry. Australia’s nascent coal seam gas (CSG) industry is the site of substantial social tension. For some the industry can transform and safeguard national energy sources and fuel booming Asian exports. For others it damages both the environment and communities. This tension is vividly expressed by local protests and regulatory bans. Communities, mining companies and government invoke a 'social licence to operate' as fundamental to industry viability. This landmark project explores the concept of a social licence to operate in Australia's CSG industry to tease apart the dynamic risks, opportunities and tensions at work between corporations, rural and regional Australian communities and government, and offers policy and practice recommendations. Read moreRead less
Conflicting temporalities of climate governance: a comparative sociology of policy design and operationalization in Australia and the United Kingdom. This project will investigate the ways in which climate policy in Australia and the United Kingdom deals with uncertainty in the timing of climate change and climate change impacts. It will evaluate the utility of various approaches to climate policy and the potential contradictions that arise between climate dynamics and the policy design.
The Weight of Modernity: Mitigating Obesity. Health scientists have warned about the implications to the nation's health if the rise in obesity continues as is predicted and the National Obesity Taskforce puts the cost of obesity at $1.3 billion per year. The Taskforce recognises the need to "address the broader social and environmental determinants of poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles". By analysing the multiple social trends contributing to the rise of obesity and another major disease o ....The Weight of Modernity: Mitigating Obesity. Health scientists have warned about the implications to the nation's health if the rise in obesity continues as is predicted and the National Obesity Taskforce puts the cost of obesity at $1.3 billion per year. The Taskforce recognises the need to "address the broader social and environmental determinants of poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles". By analysing the multiple social trends contributing to the rise of obesity and another major disease of the twentieth century (CHD), we will highlight the barriers and opportunities that must be acknowledged in order to mitigate obesity, particularly in disadvantaged populations.Read moreRead less
Conditional welfare: A comparative case study of income management policies. Using an innovative methodology that incorporates a cross-national comparison of policy design and practice, this project aims to explore the effects of income management policies. The research will provide new insights into compulsory income management in Australia, and its more recent introduction in New Zealand. The expected outcomes will provide benefits, such as a richer understanding of human agency, autonomy and ....Conditional welfare: A comparative case study of income management policies. Using an innovative methodology that incorporates a cross-national comparison of policy design and practice, this project aims to explore the effects of income management policies. The research will provide new insights into compulsory income management in Australia, and its more recent introduction in New Zealand. The expected outcomes will provide benefits, such as a richer understanding of human agency, autonomy and social identity in the context of social policy.Read moreRead less