College of Healthcare Sciences

Lisa Shaw

Lisa Shaw

Stephen Yu

Stephen Yu

Karen Smith

Karen Smith

Chae Rose

Chae Rose

Helen Petsky

Helen Petsky

Lucy Bird

Lucy Bird

Matthew Yau

Matthew Yau

Alyssia Merrick

Alyssia Merrick

Louise Myles

Louise Myles

Sandra Dash

Sandra Dash

Seed funding -improving stroke management by characterising the ischaemic penumrba proteome.
Liza van Eijk
01 Jul 2024 - 30 Jun 2025
Current therapies for stroke work by restoring the blood supply to the brain to rescue oxygen-starved tissue at risk of dying (known as the ischaemic penumbra). Consumer groups highlight that therapies to slow the death of cells in the penumbra is a priority, however, surprisingly little is known about the biology of this tissue. This study will utilise laboratory models of stroke, and apply modern imaging, proteomic and bioinformatic approaches to characterise the major pathways driving penumbra phenotype. Generated data will provide a world's first perspective into penumbra biology as an important foundation for subsequent grants seeking to test potential therapuetic targets.
Qualitative Methods for Analyzing Mechanisms of Change in Process-Based Therapy
Klaire Somoray
01 Aug 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
In this project we will conduct a scoping review to identify the available, most widely used and most useful human and AI methods for analysing therapeutic change in therapy sessions. The findings of the scoping review will inform subsequent empirical research studies.
Peripheral Arterial Disease (Old ID 19681)
Anthony Leicht
01 Jul 2012 - 31 Dec 2025
Developing novel therapies ad management pathways for Peripheral Arterial Disease. Aim 1. to assess the safety and efficacy of novel medications for PAD within carefully designed clinical trials and registries; Aim 2. to utilise clinical risk factors and novel biomarkers to develop models to better predict outcomes for PAD: Aim 3. To develop appropriate guidelines for the evidence-based management of PAD in Australia and assess novel ways to implement them within Queensland.
A smartphone-based decision tool to stimulate cyclone mitigation. (Old ID 22537)
Connar McShane
30 Mar 2016 - 29 Mar 2019
Issues surrounding losses to the community from cyclone damage and associated premium affordability in Queensland have been highlighted with the advent of the Northern Australia Insurance Premiums Taskforce, a Productivity Commission review and a number of Australian Government Actuary reports. Their findings based on consultation with communities, governments and industry show benefits to be achieved from mitigation (e.g., to improve structural aspects of buildings to reduce damage from future severe wind events). The goal of this project is to develop and actionable, research-based approach to mitigation in Queensland and other wind-prone regions of Australia. However, engineering solutions to vulnerability are only effective if widely implemented, requiring an appreciation of factors that homeowners reflect on when considering mitigation. Therefore, this project will also identify drivers of homeowner engagement. Coupling engineering analysis with effective methods of incentivising homeowner engagement, a vehicle for risk communication will be developed in the form of a mobile application. An alpha version of the decision-support tool will be constructed and tested for effectiveness. The benefits to Queensland include simulation of mitigation action among homeowners, reduction of loss and suffering from severe wind events and insurance premium reductions from enhanced housing resilience.
Quantifying the acute physical, cognitive and physiological responses of various training modalities in Australian Soldiers (Old ID 26736)
Kenji Doma
05 Feb 2020 - 31 Dec 2025
The project sets out to answer the following research question: What is the degree of stress, fatigue and recovery experienced by Australian Soldiers after bouts of occupationally specific physical activities? To answer this question, the project will develop an evidence-based assessment protocol to assess levels of fatigue and stress in Soldiers after bouts of occupationally related strenuous activities across various periods of employment. This will inform the chain of command on appropriate recovery times for different modalities of training, ensuring that soldiers remain combat-ready throughout their training cycles and minimise symptoms overtraining.
Quantifying the acute physical, cognitive and physiological responses of various training modalities in Australian Soldiers (Old ID 26736)
Wade Sinclair
05 Feb 2020 - 31 Dec 2025
The project sets out to answer the following research question: What is the degree of stress, fatigue and recovery experienced by Australian Soldiers after bouts of occupationally specific physical activities? To answer this question, the project will develop an evidence-based assessment protocol to assess levels of fatigue and stress in Soldiers after bouts of occupationally related strenuous activities across various periods of employment. This will inform the chain of command on appropriate recovery times for different modalities of training, ensuring that soldiers remain combat-ready throughout their training cycles and minimise symptoms overtraining.
Quantifying the acute physical, cognitive and physiological responses of various training modalities in Australian Soldiers (Old ID 26736)
Anthony Leicht
05 Feb 2020 - 31 Dec 2025
The project sets out to answer the following research question: What is the degree of stress, fatigue and recovery experienced by Australian Soldiers after bouts of occupationally specific physical activities? To answer this question, the project will develop an evidence-based assessment protocol to assess levels of fatigue and stress in Soldiers after bouts of occupationally related strenuous activities across various periods of employment. This will inform the chain of command on appropriate recovery times for different modalities of training, ensuring that soldiers remain combat-ready throughout their training cycles and minimise symptoms overtraining.
A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach to examining the experiences and perceptions of nurses treating persons who self-harm.
Ylona Chun Tie
30 Sep 2024 - 30 Sep 2025
Nurses are often the initial provider of treatment and care to persons who self-harm. However, research suggests that the attitudes and perceptions of nurses towards people who self-harm is quite negative. This project aims to investigate and understand the experiences of nurses at Cairns Hospital who have treated persons that have self-harmed to inform the development of a potential future education intervention.
A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach to examining the experiences and perceptions of nurses treating persons who self-harm.
Natalie Conley
30 Sep 2024 - 30 Sep 2025
Nurses are often the initial provider of treatment and care to persons who self-harm. However, research suggests that the attitudes and perceptions of nurses towards people who self-harm is quite negative. This project aims to investigate and understand the experiences of nurses at Cairns Hospital who have treated persons that have self-harmed to inform the development of a potential future education intervention.
A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach to examining the experiences and perceptions of nurses treating persons who self-harm.
Tanya Park
30 Sep 2024 - 30 Sep 2025
Nurses are often the initial provider of treatment and care to persons who self-harm. However, research suggests that the attitudes and perceptions of nurses towards people who self-harm is quite negative. This project aims to investigate and understand the experiences of nurses at Cairns Hospital who have treated persons that have self-harmed to inform the development of a potential future education intervention.

Selective regulation of dopamine transporter binding in the shell of the nucleus accumbens by adrenalectomy and corticosterone-replacement

Neurobiology of stress and cocaine addiction: studies on corticotropin-releasing factor in rats, monkeys, and humans

Antisense inhibition of 5-hydroxytryptamine2a receptor induces an antidepressant-like effect in mice

Time-dependent alterations in corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity in different brain regions after acute cocaine administration to rats

Effects of cocaine on pulsatile activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in male rhesus monkeys: neuroendocrine and behavioral correlates

Exercise Physiology: Australia/New Zealand

Influence of exercise intensity on systemic oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity

The role of physical activity and heart rate variability for the control of work related stress

Reliability of heart rate measures during walking before and after running maximal efforts

Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) position statement on exercise prescription for patients with peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication

Title: ‘Men are not expected to be interested in babies’: how society lets new fathers – and their families – down, The Guardian
Reseracher: Sam Teague (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jun 2025
Title: Children of parents with psychiatric diagnoses – health, development and well-being in the first year of life. A study of children born in 2002-2022 in Region Hovedstaden, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark
Reseracher: Sam Teague (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2025
Title: Townsville University Hospital Research Committee
Reseracher: Rachel Walker (Professor of Nursing & Midwifery)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
Title: The consequences of the corona pandemic for the health and well-being of the population: part 3. A systematic literature review, Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu
Reseracher: Sam Teague (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 16 Feb 2024
Title: Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Research Trust Advisory Committee
Reseracher: Rachel Walker (Professor of Nursing & Midwifery)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
Title: Simulation Australasia- Australian Society for Simulation in Healthcare (ASSH)
Reseracher: Anne Jones (Head, Physiotherapy)
Title: Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN)
Reseracher: Anne Jones (Head, Physiotherapy)
Title: SARRAH
Reseracher: Anne Jones (Head, Physiotherapy)
Title: Society of Mental Health Research
Reseracher: Wendy Li (Associate Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2021
Title: The Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP)
Reseracher: Wendy Li (Associate Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2021