College of Science & Engineering

Sophia Love

Sophia Love

Romain Vaucher

Romain Vaucher

Jenny Fisher

Jenny Fisher

Ambili Narayanan

Ambili Narayanan

Sarfaraz Ali

Sarfaraz Ali

Mikaeylah Davidson

Mikaeylah Davidson

Liuxin Chen

Liuxin Chen

Rafael Cabral Carvalho

Rafael Cabral Carvalho

Tom Lloyd

Tom Lloyd

Mohamadreza Chalak Qazani

Mohamadreza Chalak Qazani

Synthesis of acoustic data streams from TERN sites
Lin Schwarzkopf
30 Jul 2025 - 02 Aug 2027
Analysing data to produce a data product for TERN synthesising audio and FLUX data streams
Immunomodulatory vaccines in the treatment of peanut allergy (Old ID 27579)
Ludwig Lopata
01 Jan 2021 - 31 Dec 2023
Peanut allergy is the most common cause of food-induced anaphylactic reactions in Australia and is a major burden to our healthcare system. Current clinical practice advice dietary avoidance to prevent fatal anaphylactic responses. We propose the use of an immunomodulatory vaccine to re-write the immune response to peanut antigens, from an allergic to a tolerant phenotype. This study will provide novel insights into rational approaches for manipulating immune memory to food allergens.
Adaptation to habitat fragmentation: dispersal and evolution in an Australian bird
Tasmin Rymer
01 Oct 2025 - 27 Feb 2026
I propose to examine the effect of habitat fragmentation on potential for microevolutionary responses in helping and dispersal using the iconic Australian red-winged fairy-wren as a model system.
Circulating human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA for surveillance of HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-OPSCC)
Ludwig Lopata
16 May 2025 - 31 Jul 2026
We propose implementing a capture-based next-generation sequencing approach for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection at Townsville Hospital and Health Service and assess the feasibility, diagnostic yield, and cost compared to other established circulating HPV detection methods.
Understanding the ecology and behaviour of platypus in far North Queensland
Sophia Love
01 Aug 2025 - 01 Apr 2028
Our study seeks to understand the ecology and behaviour of genetically isolated and understudied platypuses in far north Queensland. While platypuses were classified as “near threatened” by the IUCN in 2016, most research has been confined to populations in NSW and Victoria. Far north Queensland uniquely hosts platypuses in a predominantly rainforest environment, yet formal region-specific ecological knowledge is lacking. To address this, we aim to 1) assess the presence and relative abundance of platypuses in the Atherton Tablelands, 2) quantify population demographics, and 3) quantify local resource availability and quantify carrying capacity. These efforts will help us establish a baseline understanding of the population’s overall health and longevity and cultivate a more nuanced understanding of the population’s unique characteristics and life history. Developing such knowledge is critical to informing current and future regional management and conservation efforts of this iconic Australian species in a rainforest biome. This project will work closely with local stake holders and conservation efforts, mainly Dulguburra Yidinji traditional owners and the Yungaburra Landcare Group who share a vested interest in the project’s findings.
Understanding the impact of magnetic resonance impacts on immune regulatory factor secretion from brain tumour cells during radiotherapy
Ludwig Lopata
22 May 2025 - 31 Dec 2026
Our study aims to assess how magnetic resonance impacts on immune regulatory factor secretion from brain tumour cells during radiotherapy. This will be performed with an experimental study utilizing relevant therapeutic radiotherapy doses for patients with GBM and undergo rigorous quality assurance to ensure scientific accuracy.
She Flies Drone Camps: Building Northern Australia's Drone Ecosystem (Old ID 23163)
Karen Joyce
03 Jan 2017 - 31 May 2018
She Flies is a comprehensive and multidisciplinary programme across Northern Australia. While the She Flies brand will cover a range of national initiatives (http://www.sheflies.com.au), this particular application for funding will focus on the She Flies Drone Camps. This is a series of week-long camps aimed at teaching Northern Australian high school girls and their teachers or parents the possibilities of working with, and flying drones. From design and construction through to flying and finally using photography to create maps, She Flies Drone Camp will be hands on, practical, fun and safe. Importantly, it will also provide a career path opportunity that many young women probably never realised existed. With initial estimates suggesting that fewer than 1% of drone pilots in Australia are female, we need to encourage young women into this technology and its associated spatial sciences. This will ensure equity and diversity across the industry going forwards.
SeaToMeat - Optimizing Seaweed Proteins to Cultivate Meat
Ludwig Lopata
14 Feb 2025 - 13 Feb 2027
The SeaToMeat (Optimizing Seaweed Proteins to Cultivated Meat) project aims to tackle challenges of the growing cultivated meat industry by generating lower-cost, high-performance hydrolysates for cell culture media. In this innovative initiative seaweed proteins are converted into high-value hydrolysates, supporting circular economy principles. In collaboration with research institutions such as the Singapore Institute of Technology, James Cook University in Singapore and Australia, and industry partner Umami Bioworks, the project employs advanced technologies to optimize hydrolysis of seaweed protein from sustainable farms in Indonesia and Australia. This process produces hydrolysates optimized for cultivated meat, providing a scalable, cost-effective, and serum-free culture media solution – a critical need for the sector. Focusing on scalability and replicability, SeaToMeat is poised for significant regional and global impact, addressing market demand for cultivated meat production. The project fosters collaboration between industry stakeholders and research institutions, driving towards the common goal of achieving cost-effective cultivated meat.
Improving tomato commercial outcomes through enhanced vigour and grafting success
Lucas Cernusak
26 Jun 2025 - 25 Jun 2026
Our aim is to deliver faster-growing, higher-yielding, healthier tomato plants to benefit Australia’s $570M tomato horticultural industry. Leveraging university expertise and IP in seed germination, plant physiology, and bioelectricity, we are partnering with Rainstick, a globally unique startup developing electric treatments for seeds and plants. The current TRL of 3 reflects proof-of-concept experiments in which Rainstick’s Variable Electric Field (VEF) treatments in tomatoes and other species can induce significant increases in crop growth and yield. By project completion, we expect to be at TRL 5, ready for at-scale trials in commercial facilities, aided by a business plan developed with Main Sequence Ventures.
Rebuilding with Nature - Japan
Nathan Waltham
30 Sep 2025 - 30 Sep 2026
Rebuilding with Nature is a company in Japan looking to partner with JCU to explore research capabilities and areas in the marine and coastal ecosystem space. The Non-Disclosure Agreement will commence discussions and to explore research opportunities.
Title: Member (by Examination only) of the Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists, The Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists
Reseracher: Rachel Bowater (Lecturer, Veterinary Pathology)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2002
End Date: 01 Jan 2002
Title: Persian
Reseracher: Mohamadreza Chalak Qazani (Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering)
Title: Azerbaijani
Reseracher: Mohamadreza Chalak Qazani (Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering)
Title: Australian Aid Public Sector Linkages Grant for Activity 57668 Establishing a Regional Food Animal Biosecurity Network. $556,600.00.
Reseracher: Bruce Gummow (Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2010
Title: Australian Centenary medal for services in estuarine and coastal oceanography, Australia.
Reseracher: Eric Wolanski (Adjunct Professor)
Title: Doctorate Honoris Causa from the catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
Reseracher: Eric Wolanski (Adjunct Professor)
Title: Queensland Information Technology and Telecommunication award for excellence, Australia.
Reseracher: Eric Wolanski (Adjunct Professor)
Title: ERC Expert Panel
Reseracher: Susan Laurance (Professor, Personal Chair)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2020
End Date: 01 Jan 2021
Title: Doctorate Honoris Causa, University of Hull, UK.
Reseracher: Eric Wolanski (Adjunct Professor)
Title: Deputy Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee of the Wet Tropics Management Authority, Cairns
Reseracher: Susan Laurance (Professor, Personal Chair)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2011
End Date: 01 Jan 2019