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GREAT Study: Geriatric Retrieval And Transfer Study; A review of the characteristics of geriatric patients requiring rotary wing retrieval in Queensland
The GREAT Study will examine the clinical characteristics, retrieval pathways and outcomes of older patients undergoing aeromedical retrieval. The study will provide an empirical foundation for retrieval decision support, clinician training and goals-of-care discussions with older patients and their families.
GROW-NQ: Building the Foundations for North Queensland's First Longitudinal Pregnancy and Child Development Cohort
This project will establish the foundational evidence, partnerships and governance required to build North Queensland’s first longitudinal pregnancy and child development cohort. Through co-design with pregnant and postpartum women, fathers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, clinicians, educators and policy stakeholders, the project will identify priority outcomes, culturally safe governance structures, and feasible recruitment and retention strategies across the Townsville Hospital and Health Service region. Findings will inform flagship cohort addressing how tropical, rural and remote contexts shape early child development and lifelong health. Outputs will de-risk a future NHMRC Investigator Grant application and other NHMRC/MRFF applications to advance JCU’s strategic priority in health and wellbeing in Tropics.
A Mirror for the Mind: Digital Twin Technology for Emotional Wellbeing Among First-Year Students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
This project leverages Digital Twin (DT), a digital replica of a physical object or process, to develop an AI-enabled framework for supporting the wellbeing of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) university students.
CALD students represent a strategic priority cohort at JCU due to the persistent inter-cultural and belonging challenges that impact academic success. This project addresses these challenges through early identification of risk, predictive insights, and delivery of timely, culturally responsive interventions.
This project will co-design and evaluate the DT framework with CALD students and institutional stakeholders, generating proof-of-concept evidence, scalable design principles, and a validated prototype. Outcomes will directly strengthen the competitiveness of future external grant applications.
Addressing Whitsunday turbidity issues through sediment source tracing
JCU Internal Grant Support Scheme - MCR. Please see attached Application Form.
A resistance-resilient strategy to prevent device-associated biofilm infections
Biofilm infections on catheters, vascular lines, and other implanted or indwelling medical devices are a major clinical problem because they are difficult to treat, often persist despite antibiotic therapy, and commonly require repeat procedures or device removal. These infections increase morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs, and the burden is likely to grow in Australia with an ageing population and rising use of medical devices. Current antibiofilm approaches have had limited success because most target specific bacterial pathways and are often narrow in scope, vulnerable to escape, and difficult to apply across different pathogens and device settings. This project will test a new idea for preventing biofilm infection: instead of targeting a single pathway, it will target the membrane state bacteria need to switch into biofilm growth. Our preliminary work shows that biofilm formation depends on membranes remaining within an optimal fluidity range. When membrane fluidity is pushed outside this range, biofilm development is disrupted. This makes membrane fluidity an attractive target because it is a fundamental physical requirement for biofilm formation rather than a species-specific pathway. We will determine whether this principle can be used against major multidrug-resistant pathogens that commonly cause device-associated infection. We will test whether selected fatty acids and lipid synthesis inhibitors can prevent or reduce biofilm formation across priority pathogens, identify the most effective intervention conditions, and evaluate the most promising approaches in device-relevant infection models. We will also define the membrane features linked to biofilm success or failure, providing a foundation for future intervention design. This project will establish proof-of-concept for a new antibiofilm strategy, identify practical intervention leads, and provide a foundation for reducing chronic device-associated infection in Australia.
Blue carbon under heatwave: how vegetation governs greenhouse gas exchange in coastal wetlands under extreme heat
Coastal wetlands store globally significant 'blue carbon', yet their response to intensifying heatwaves is poorly understood. The work develops a mechanistic understanding of how warming reshapes coastal wetland carbon function, informing blue carbon accounting, conservation, and Australia's climate commitments.
Examining the short- and longer-term mental health benefits of focused and immersive music listening events
Stigma prevents many people from seeking mental health support; however, positive music listening experiences buffer the impact of stigma on help-seeking. Recent research suggests that community-based, focused listening experiences have real potential for improving well-being, but research is needed to understand their explicit short- and longer-term impact on stress and anxiety. This case study examines the impact of participating in communal, high-fidelity, and immersive music listening sessions on people’s mental health. Expected outcomes include partnering with a community
organisation to obtain and disseminate evidence relating to substantiating the mechanisms underpinning the well-being benefits of focused and immersive music listening.
How are we doing? Evidence mapping mental distress in North Queensland
This project will generate contemporary, North Queensland-specific normative data for two widely used mental health screening instruments (K10 and DASS-21). Using a three-sample design comprising community members recruited via an online panel, headspace clients, and Townsville University Hospital inpatients, we will establish known-groups validity by comparing distress profiles across clinical and non-clinical populations. The project also examines help-seeking behaviours and service use to understand how distress levels relate to mental health needs and available supports. Findings will inform regional mental health service planning and provide pilot data for future large-scale funding applications.
The impact of the roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons on well-being: A Randomised Controlled Trial
This study explores whether tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) can be effectively leveraged to support mental health. By examining how different ways of engaging with D&D influence players’ experiences, the study will elucidate what aspects of the game are most beneficial to players—for instance, character creation or simply being part of a shared narrative—and why that matters. These insights will inform how games like D&D are used in the mental health space and how their designs can be tailored to support social connection, motivation, and personal growth.
Social support for perinatal mental health in Northern Queensland: A pilot randomised controlled trial
The Bamboo Parenting Program is an online social support program for first-time mothers in the perinatal period. The program has been designed to prevent and reduce mental illness during this vulnerable period, and by leveraging social support, Bamboo targets one of the most significant predictors of mental health for perinatal women. The program pairs first-time mothers with volunteer mothers or with mother-nominated individuals, with support training provided in program. Pairs work together to navigate the critical and difficult perinatal period. Funding from this seed fund will contribute to the evaluation of a pilot randomised trial in Northern Queensland.