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Australian tropical rainforests in the face of climate change
This project aims to investigate the roles of increasing atmospheric water stress and rising carbon dioxide in driving changes in tree performance and species composition in Australian tropical rainforests. Forest census plots indicate increasing tree mortality, but the mechanisms through which this is occurring are unknown. Experiments will be conducted to unravel the underlying physiological processes. Community-level behaviour will be investigated with eddy covariance and remotely sensed data. The project expects to generate new knowledge about responses of Australian tropical rainforests to climate change. The expected outcome is an enhanced capacity to understand and manage a unique and highly valued component of the Australian forest estate.
Improving skin cancer research capacity by establishing a skin cancer biobank at Townsville University Hospital
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
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)
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.
Corporate social responsibility in Vietnam
This is a qualitative and quantitative research study of executives in NGO, multinational and domestic-only firms operating in Vietnam. This project was funded by KPMG Vietnam/Cambodia. The outcome of his project is published:
L. Kane, V., Akbari, M., Nguyen, L.L.H. and Nguyen, T.Q. (2022), "Corporate social responsibility in Vietnam: views from corporate and NGO executives", Social Responsibility Journal, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 316-347. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-10-2020-0434
Sustainability and Innovation in Vietnam
New Colombo Program (NCP) grant funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Mathematics Curriculum Resources in Queensland
The study aims to investigate the current landscape of mathematics curriculum resource usage, decision-making processes, and challenges faced by teachers.
Out of Field mathematics teacher project
The project seeks to advance our understanding of current mathematics teacher shortage facing Australia and many other countries.