Learning for Teaching in Disadvantaged Schools. This project focuses on what and how primary school teachers learn about improving classroom practices from co-inquiry interventions. The effective diagnosis of student learning difficulties and the design of educational interventions based on such diagnosis is a core component of quality teaching. Yet many teachers have not acquired the knowledge and skills to undertake such learning diagnostic and design work. The project plans to engage practiti ....Learning for Teaching in Disadvantaged Schools. This project focuses on what and how primary school teachers learn about improving classroom practices from co-inquiry interventions. The effective diagnosis of student learning difficulties and the design of educational interventions based on such diagnosis is a core component of quality teaching. Yet many teachers have not acquired the knowledge and skills to undertake such learning diagnostic and design work. The project plans to engage practitioners in co-inquiry through collaborative analysis of professional learning conversations and classroom practices across disadvantaged public schools in urban and regional locations across Queensland. It aims to examine the sustainability of co-inquiry models to improve student learning.Read moreRead less
Understanding the differentiation of the endocardium. The project aims to understand the genetic regulation of endocardial development. The heart is essential for survival, its beat the indicator of life. The endocardium, the heart’s inner lining, is required for signalling during heart development and is a major component of the valves, septa and trabeculae. Despite its indispensable role, little is known about how it forms or develops. This project integrates two complementary approaches that ....Understanding the differentiation of the endocardium. The project aims to understand the genetic regulation of endocardial development. The heart is essential for survival, its beat the indicator of life. The endocardium, the heart’s inner lining, is required for signalling during heart development and is a major component of the valves, septa and trabeculae. Despite its indispensable role, little is known about how it forms or develops. This project integrates two complementary approaches that have identified the earliest marker of endocardial differentiation and devised the method to make endocardium from stem cells. Knowledge from this work will inform future research into growing and regenerating damaged tissue.Read moreRead less
Kruppel-like factors and the methylome. This project aims to test the hypothesis that the KLF/SP family of transcription factors work in part via dynamic interactions with methylated cytosine nucleotides in DNA. This is fundamental to their function as pioneer factors in reprograming and their ability to co-ordinate differentiation and organogenesis. Conversely, dynamic changes in methylation status engage or disengage new regulatory elements in the genome via recruitment of KLF/SP family protei ....Kruppel-like factors and the methylome. This project aims to test the hypothesis that the KLF/SP family of transcription factors work in part via dynamic interactions with methylated cytosine nucleotides in DNA. This is fundamental to their function as pioneer factors in reprograming and their ability to co-ordinate differentiation and organogenesis. Conversely, dynamic changes in methylation status engage or disengage new regulatory elements in the genome via recruitment of KLF/SP family proteins as specific effectors. This project will address a new paradigm in genetics that is likely to underpin development.Read moreRead less
Hypoxia-mimicking bio-scaffold for skeleton regeneration. The project is to develop bioactive bone grafts to improve bone repair and shorten the recovery time of patients with fractures, degenerative joint diseases, and bone cancer and bone deformities.
Elucidating surface-mediated permissive cues for cellular differentiation. This project will develop a novel biomaterial platform technology that will enable firstly the probing and thereafter the control of the cellular pathways of adult mesenchymal stem cells. These fundamental insights will be translated into novel stem cell culture ware products that will enable clinically relevant, functional tissue repair and regeneration.
Naming the world: early years literacy and sustainability learning. The project seeks to produce knowledge about new forms of literacy emerging in sustainability education. For children born in the 21st century, the enmeshing of natural and human forces in the survival of the planet requires conceptual and practical innovation. Early childhood education can be a fundamental driver in this process. This project aims to integrate literacy and sustainability to produce powerful new learning for you ....Naming the world: early years literacy and sustainability learning. The project seeks to produce knowledge about new forms of literacy emerging in sustainability education. For children born in the 21st century, the enmeshing of natural and human forces in the survival of the planet requires conceptual and practical innovation. Early childhood education can be a fundamental driver in this process. This project aims to integrate literacy and sustainability to produce powerful new learning for young children. It plans to theorise new forms of literacy emerging in sustainability education, articulate innovative pedagogies, and inform national and international policy and practice to address 21st century learning imperatives.Read moreRead less
Controlling the adhesome to regulate cell fate on biomaterials. Mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue engineering practices are hampered worldwide by the lack of appreciation and understanding of the matrix-mediated cues that must be provided during adhesion and spreading to drive cells to definitive tissue end points. This project will address these knowledge deficiencies by combining high throughput array technologies, a set of tailorable self-assembling biomaterials and real-time biosensors to r ....Controlling the adhesome to regulate cell fate on biomaterials. Mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue engineering practices are hampered worldwide by the lack of appreciation and understanding of the matrix-mediated cues that must be provided during adhesion and spreading to drive cells to definitive tissue end points. This project will address these knowledge deficiencies by combining high throughput array technologies, a set of tailorable self-assembling biomaterials and real-time biosensors to rapidly, at high resolution, elucidate how mechanotransductive cues determine the fate choice of mesenchymal stem cells, and furthermore, how to manipulate them with smart biomaterial design to achieve desired outcomes for tissue engineering. Read moreRead less
Potency and activity of Meso-Endothelial bipotent progenitors in vivo. This project aims to characterise a new stem cell population that can maintain both blood vessels and contribute to a variety of tissues whether fibrous, bone, fat or cartilage. Blood vessels comprise an inner endothelial layer and surrounding mesenchyme, are integral to many organs and constitute a unique system connecting different parts of the body. Despite their importance little is known about how they are maintained and ....Potency and activity of Meso-Endothelial bipotent progenitors in vivo. This project aims to characterise a new stem cell population that can maintain both blood vessels and contribute to a variety of tissues whether fibrous, bone, fat or cartilage. Blood vessels comprise an inner endothelial layer and surrounding mesenchyme, are integral to many organs and constitute a unique system connecting different parts of the body. Despite their importance little is known about how they are maintained and how they contribute to the response to injury. Previous work has described several populations of stem cell capable of self renewal and repletion of the endothelium or the mesenchyme. This project will examine the potency of these different progenitors to give rise to each of these fates in homeostasis but also during sounding and bone formation. This will help define a unique population of stem cells capable of both vascular and mesenchymal repair.Read moreRead less
Changing relationships between children's moral reasoning for inclusion and epistemic beliefs in early years primary school classrooms. This project examines how children's beliefs about knowledge influence their reasoning about moral values and how these change as they progress through the early years of school. This study will generate new knowledge about how to promote effective moral education for promote cohesive, inclusive societies.
Developing classroom norms of inquiry-based learning in mathematics. This project aims to study inquiry norms in primary mathematics classrooms, including expert teachers’ signature practices, how norms are developed and their effect on learning. Classroom norms dictate the learning environment in school mathematics, but many students have lost interest in STEM subjects. This project aims to boost inquiry norms that engage students in productive social interactions, improve their mathematical kn ....Developing classroom norms of inquiry-based learning in mathematics. This project aims to study inquiry norms in primary mathematics classrooms, including expert teachers’ signature practices, how norms are developed and their effect on learning. Classroom norms dictate the learning environment in school mathematics, but many students have lost interest in STEM subjects. This project aims to boost inquiry norms that engage students in productive social interactions, improve their mathematical knowledge and their interest in, valuing of and capacity to solve complex problems.Read moreRead less