Redefining tissue-specific endothelial cells through bioengineered matrices. This project aims to improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive blood vessel formation and function. The endothelial cells that make up each blood vessel are inherently unique across different sites within the human body and this project expects to generate new knowledge regarding their organ specificity. Using advanced bioengineering approaches, this project will map human endothelial cell specif ....Redefining tissue-specific endothelial cells through bioengineered matrices. This project aims to improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive blood vessel formation and function. The endothelial cells that make up each blood vessel are inherently unique across different sites within the human body and this project expects to generate new knowledge regarding their organ specificity. Using advanced bioengineering approaches, this project will map human endothelial cell specificity and develop state-of-the-art modelling technologies to improve knowledge of environmental influence on endothelial cell fate and function. This should provide a new framework to modulate the adaptive capacities of endothelial cells and can potentially enable more predictive and targeted drug efficacy and safety testing.Read moreRead less
Integrating teachers’ knowledge and affect to improve mathematics teaching and raise attainment. Mathematics teachers need to know their subject and how to teach it and need passion for the discipline and for inspiring their students to love it. They must believe that their students can learn mathematics and set high academic expectations for all of them. Knowledge and beliefs must be addressed in order to improve teaching, but exactly how can this be done? This project aims to build on existin ....Integrating teachers’ knowledge and affect to improve mathematics teaching and raise attainment. Mathematics teachers need to know their subject and how to teach it and need passion for the discipline and for inspiring their students to love it. They must believe that their students can learn mathematics and set high academic expectations for all of them. Knowledge and beliefs must be addressed in order to improve teaching, but exactly how can this be done? This project aims to build on existing work to develop theoretical insights that will lead to innovative approaches towards teacher change based on the integration of teacher knowledge and affect.Read moreRead less
Unveiling the epigenome dynamics through the pluripotency continuum. This project aims to utilise stem cells and genomics based technologies, in combination with new computational algorithms to dissect the fundamental molecular events that drive the first steps during development. The project is expected to unveil the basic mechanisms underpinning how genes driving the developmental master plan are controlled in cells that have the capacity to give rise to the whole organism and placenta. The kn ....Unveiling the epigenome dynamics through the pluripotency continuum. This project aims to utilise stem cells and genomics based technologies, in combination with new computational algorithms to dissect the fundamental molecular events that drive the first steps during development. The project is expected to unveil the basic mechanisms underpinning how genes driving the developmental master plan are controlled in cells that have the capacity to give rise to the whole organism and placenta. The knowledge gained from this work will inform and guide future novel approaches, such as in assisted reproductive technologies or regenerative medicine.Read moreRead less
How do teachers learn to enact the Australian Curriculum? A question of policy in practice. This project aims to show how teachers learn to engage with the new curriculum in the context of increasingly standardised national and international educational reforms. This is significant for determining whether the 'Australian Curriculum' will result in its projected benefits. This project aims to reveal how policy support for the new curriculum influences teacher learning in diverse schooling setting ....How do teachers learn to enact the Australian Curriculum? A question of policy in practice. This project aims to show how teachers learn to engage with the new curriculum in the context of increasingly standardised national and international educational reforms. This is significant for determining whether the 'Australian Curriculum' will result in its projected benefits. This project aims to reveal how policy support for the new curriculum influences teacher learning in diverse schooling settings in a broadly neoliberal, global context.Read moreRead less
School retention and second chance schooling. This project is concerned with ensuring that students who experience systemic disadvantage are not excluded from the benefits of a formal education. It provides an account and critique of the growth of second chance schooling options catering to such students in both Australia and the UK.
Metabolic control of organ growth and regeneration. One of the fundamental questions in biology is to understand how organ size is regulated at the cellular and organismal level. The Hippo/Yap pathway plays a central role in the regulation of organ size and it is impacted by environmental cues including nutrient status. This research proposal aims to use zebrafish to elucidate the role that the Hippo/Yap pathway plays in reprogramming lipid metabolism to fuel tissue growth in development and reg ....Metabolic control of organ growth and regeneration. One of the fundamental questions in biology is to understand how organ size is regulated at the cellular and organismal level. The Hippo/Yap pathway plays a central role in the regulation of organ size and it is impacted by environmental cues including nutrient status. This research proposal aims to use zebrafish to elucidate the role that the Hippo/Yap pathway plays in reprogramming lipid metabolism to fuel tissue growth in development and regeneration. Ultimately, this work aims to identify metabolic dependencies required for organ growth and regeneration. Expected outcomes include scholarly publications revealing fundamental principles underlying tissue growth, new resources for the research community and training for research students.Read moreRead less
Clarifying transparency: Chinese aid and trade in Latin America. Consensual understandings of transparency and good governance are crucial to the international accommodation of China's economic rise. Through a quantitative survey and qualitative case studies, this project aims to clarify how these terms generate misunderstandings and hinder potential for dialogue between key U.S., Latin American and Chinese actors.
Security and Health Diplomacy: A Necessary Partnership? This project analyses whether invoking international health issues as security threats leads to greater diplomatic success and investment. It seeks to answer this question through a two-step process. First, the project will critically explore the extent to which a select number of international health initiatives, introduced over the past decade, have been created and advanced through the use of security rhetoric. Secondly, it will compare ....Security and Health Diplomacy: A Necessary Partnership? This project analyses whether invoking international health issues as security threats leads to greater diplomatic success and investment. It seeks to answer this question through a two-step process. First, the project will critically explore the extent to which a select number of international health initiatives, introduced over the past decade, have been created and advanced through the use of security rhetoric. Secondly, it will compare and explain the resources, political interest and longevity devoted to those initiatives that use the ‘security card’ with those initiatives that have not sought linkage with national security or biosecurity concerns.Read moreRead less
What about the children? A study of the intergenerational consequences of paternal incarceration. Parental incarceration may have a profound and detrimental effect on children, heightening risk of offending and extreme disadvantage. The proportion of children affected is certain to increase as prison populations continue to grow. This research will identify policies and prevention strategies that will interrupt the cycle of disadvantage for children of prisoners and prevent social exclusion. Sig ....What about the children? A study of the intergenerational consequences of paternal incarceration. Parental incarceration may have a profound and detrimental effect on children, heightening risk of offending and extreme disadvantage. The proportion of children affected is certain to increase as prison populations continue to grow. This research will identify policies and prevention strategies that will interrupt the cycle of disadvantage for children of prisoners and prevent social exclusion. Significant cost-savings and prevention of victimisation could result from effectively targeting this high-risk population, reducing risk of offending and increasing the young person's ability to contribute meaningfully to society. Appropriately timed programs can deliver a range of long-term benefits for children, families and communities.Read moreRead less
Indigenous solutions to global challenges in the Pacific Islands. The global COVID 19 pandemic represents a unique opportunity to understand the nature and potential of Indigenous sustainable development in Pacific Island communities, where Indigenous practices have been central in responses to closed borders and industry downturns. This project proposes to analyse the efficacy and cultural value of new, pandemic-era Indigenous sustainable development initiatives in sustaining island communities ....Indigenous solutions to global challenges in the Pacific Islands. The global COVID 19 pandemic represents a unique opportunity to understand the nature and potential of Indigenous sustainable development in Pacific Island communities, where Indigenous practices have been central in responses to closed borders and industry downturns. This project proposes to analyse the efficacy and cultural value of new, pandemic-era Indigenous sustainable development initiatives in sustaining island communities. It aims to culminate in a novel geographic theory of Indigenous sustainable development, and to identify new opportunities to support the expansion of Indigenous sustainable development. This should better enable the Pacific Islands region to respond to climate change, pandemics and other global challenges.Read moreRead less