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

Improving skin cancer research capacity by establishing a skin cancer biobank at Townsville University Hospital
Ulf Schmitz
01 Aug 2024 - 31 Jul 2026
Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer worldwide and of all states and territories, Queensland has the highest rate in Australia. The skin cancer biobank will provide a prospectively collected pre-treatment and post-treatment tissue and serum cohort to allow us to study the biomarkers of tumour and its immune microenvironment with next generation tools (e.g. spatial analysis of proteomic and genomic, single cell sequencing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc). We aim to use these biomarkers along with our prospective registry of patients with high-risk skin cancer to further characterise the cancer and immune biology of high-risk skin cancer, response to treatment, and develop new treatment targets in the future.
How magnetic resonance impacts on immune regulatory factor secretion from brain tumour cells during radiotherapy
Ulf Schmitz
01 Aug 2024 - 31 Jul 2026
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To investigate how magnetic resonance impacts on brain tumour cell growth and immune regulatory factor secretion from brain tumour cells during radiotherapy 2. To identify and quantify specific immune regulatory factors which are observed during irradiation within a magnetic field and without
Circulating human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA for surveillance of HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-OPSCC)
Ulf Schmitz
01 Aug 2024 - 31 Jul 2026
We hypothesize that cHPV-DNA-based post-treatment surveillance via capture-based NGS would have excellent negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) similar or superior to PCR-based testing in patients with HPV-OPSCC, leading to improvement in outcome prediction. We also hypothesize that cHPV-DNA-based surveillance is more cost-effective compared with standard routine clinical follow-up.
European Space Agency (ESA) World Ecosystem Extent Dynamics Project
Nicholas Murray
01 Apr 2024 - 31 Mar 2027
The European Space Agency (ESA) aims to pioneer a new novel application to support international policies on the environment and sustainable development in its World Series of the Application Element (e.g. WorldSoils, WorldCover, WorldCereals, WorldWater). The objective of “World Ecosystem Extent Dynamics” project is to develop and demonstrate, the global applicability of integrated solutions driven by Earth Observation (EO) integrated solutions for mapping the extent and distribution of terrestrial, freshwater and coastal (up to the intertidal zones) ecosystems and monitoring the changes in their extent. We will achieve this with the support of exemplary countries with advanced data, technical capabilities, and reference ecosystem monitoring expertise (i.e. Champion Users). The project will develop and demonstrate a globally applicable open-source toolbox, also called EO-integrated solution, for a comprehensive mapping of the extent and distribution of ecosystem types, according to different ecosystem typologies, and for monitoring the temporal variations in the extent and distribution of ecosystem types. CI Murray's role is as an expert consultant to join an international consultancy team tendering for the above project.
Wildlife Conservation Society Community Fisheries Program
Patrick Smallhorn-West
10 Sep 2024 - 31 Dec 2028
The objective of this project is to advance the Wildlife Conservation Societies Community Fisheries program. The project will be lead by Dr. Patrick Smallhorn-West. Based on decades of work in coastal communities, we have developed a strategy that crystalizes the goal shared by fishers and other coastal stakeholders worldwide: a vision of just and regenerative fisheries that equitably benefit nature and people. We are not only looking to slow declines in communities, coastal ecosystems and fisheries, but to reverse them to restore fisheries to their full social, economic, and environmental potential. Our current research workstreams are: 1. Mainstreaming equity and inclusion within all aspects of WCS work with community fisheries. This includes high level assessments of NGO policies and practice. 2. Monitoring and evaluation of all aspects of community fisheries – ecological, fisheries, and socioeconomic, in ways that deliver clear and locally actionable knowledge of the impacts of interventions. 3. Elevating community fishers and strengthening their organizational capacity to participate fully in coastal governance. 4. Practicing effective co-management – evaluating and integrating the latest research on fisheries co-management into best practice. 5. Incentivizing responsible fishing that addresses unsustainable practices such as destructive fishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and bycatch.
Wind driven rain-water Ingress through windows and doors. (Old ID 27058)
John Ginger
01 Jan 2021 - 15 Dec 2022
Water ingress through windows and doors is a leading cause of damage bills during severe weather. This project aims to determine basic relationships between applied pressure due to wind, amount of water incident on the window/ door and the resulting water ingress. Testing will be conducted using a specialised test chamber at the CTS capable of applying a range of wetting rates as well as both static and fluctuating pressures. The data from this project will allow the development of a standardised test method that will allow manufacturers to meet certain performance criteria to prevent unreasonable water ingress through windows and doors.
Immunogenicity of Inovio SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine candidate in Ferrets. (Old ID 27533)
Paul Horwood
11 Feb 2022 - 30 Jun 2022
This project aims to characterise the immune responses following two doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates produced by Inovio Pharmaceuticals. The Inovio vaccine candidates are DNA-based vaccines (as opposed to RNA-based, such as the Pfizer vaccine; or viral vector-based, such as the AstraZeneca vaccine) and rely upon the injection of a circular DNA (plasmid) that, when it gets into a cell, tells the cell to produce a particular protein from SARS-CoV-2 (in this case the Spike protein, found on the surface of the virus particle). Completion of these studies will further support the Inovio vaccine candidate along its pathway to licensure for use in humans, in the context of emerging variants of concern, thus aiding in the testing of a vaccine that may be used to protect humans from SARS-CoV-2 infection in the future.
Conservation genomics and population status of the endangered Mahogany Gliders (Petaurus gracilis) (Old ID 27672)
Conrad Hoskin
30 Jun 2022 - 30 Jun 2023
Habitat loss and fragmentation have been threatening population connectivity and genetic diversity of Mahogany Gliders, a rare and endangered gliding possum endemic to the Australian Wet Tropics. Substantial habitat loss and fragmentation have brought concerns to the status of remnant populations. I will use distribution models to refine the distribution and guide camera trapping to find unknown populations. Connectivity between populations will be assessed using genomics, which also allows estimations of population structure and effective population size. Knowledge of distribution and genetics will be used to choose populations for long-term monitoring, and to guide conservation actions for Mahogany Gliders recovery.
Distribution, ecology and conservation of the Magnificent Broodfrog in the mountains of north Queensland (Old ID 27776)
Conrad Hoskin
31 Jan 2023 - 31 Jan 2024
This project aims to resolve the knowledge gaps surrounding the ecology and key threatening processes to the Magnificent Broodfrog, Pseudophryne covacevichae (MBF). We will do this by determining appropriate survey methods, investigating aspects of breeding behaviour and the associated climatic conditions; resolving the fine-scale distribution, determining connectivity among the known populations, and determining genetic diversity within populations. This project will also include an assessment of the genetic relatedness between MBFs and three isolated populations of the Great Brown Broodfrog, P. major in the Bowen and White Mountains regions. The genetic results will contribute to management actions for populations of the MBF and will shed light on the taxonomic status of these northern populations of P. major and, in turn, whether the MBF is a well-supported species.
Alluvial Gully Remediation in the Upper Burdekin Catchment (Old ID 27857)
Scott Smithers
14 Nov 2022 - 15 Jun 2026
In catchments draining to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, northeast Queensland, Australia, excess sediment derived from gully erosion is contributing to poor coastal water quality. Remediating and preventing further degradation of these landscapes is a major focus of investment toward improving coastal water quality. This project will monitor and evaluate the effect of several alluvial gully remediation measures on improving water quality in the Upper Burdekin catchment. The project will provide valuable new data, knowledge and understanding of the effectiveness of these remediation approaches for landholders interested in protecting and enhancing forage productivity, and for the organisations investing in activities to reduce sediment and nutrient loads delivered to the Great Barrier Reef.
Title: Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, for enthusing students in electronics engineering with active and authentic learning
Reseracher: Bronson Philippa (Associate Professor, Electronic Systems and IoT Engineering)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2016
Title: Selected to attend the Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates as an Australian representative
Reseracher: Bronson Philippa (Associate Professor, Electronic Systems and IoT Engineering)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2015
Title: JCU Open day
Reseracher: Kranthi Addanki (Lecturer, Information Technology)
Title: Adjunct Professor, University of Oregon Institute for Policy Research and Innovation
Reseracher: Tiffany Morrison (Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2012
Title: Expert Assessor, Australian Research Council
Reseracher: Tiffany Morrison (Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2011
Title: Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre Advisory Committee, Sustainable Offshore Developments Research Program
Reseracher: Tiffany Morrison (Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2020
End Date: 01 Jan 2022
Title: Chief Investigator, ACIAR Research Grant - Regional Governance of Fisheries, $180,000
Reseracher: Tiffany Morrison (Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2016
End Date: 01 Jan 2021
Title: Participating Investigator, US SESYNC Award
Reseracher: Tiffany Morrison (Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2018
End Date: 01 Jan 2020
Title: Chief Investigator, ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrated Coral Reef Studies, $28,000,000
Reseracher: Tiffany Morrison (Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2017
End Date: 01 Jan 2020
Title: BSc Honours Geology Coordinator
Reseracher: Youseph Ibrahim (Lecturer, Geoscience)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2026