Faculty of Science and IT Research Publication 2012

Sustainability and the Environment

Communication and Information Technology

Health and Well Being

Industry and InfrastructureFaculty

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We contribute to 8 Priority Research Centres advanced Particle processing centre for Brain and Mental Health Research centre for chemical Biology centre for computer assisted Research

Mathematics and its applications (caRMa) centre for Energy centre for Health Behaviour centre for Organic Electronics centre for Reproductive Science

We are a partner University in an ARC Centre for Excellence: Integrative legume Research

We offer environmental expertise through: the tom Farrell Institute for the Environment NSW Institute for Frontier Geosciences

We host 4 Research Centres centre for Optimal Planning and Operations centre for Sustainable

Ecosystem Restoration centre for Space Physics centre for urban and Regional Studies

We have 19 research groups involved in a variety of research areas: advanced Synthetic Materials clinical and Health Psychology Design, Information and Human

communication Environmental Biology and Biotechnology Environmental and climate change Environmental Water Science Exercise and Sports Science Human Experimental and applied Dynamics Medical Physics Metabolic Research Nutrition, Food and Health Neuroscience Plant Science Surface and Nanoscience Statistics Sustainable use of coasts and catchments tectonics and Earth Resources Visual Information Processing Wildlife Representation

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Faculty Contact

Faculty of Science & Information technology Mathematics Building – V201 university of Newcastle university Drive callaghan NSW 2308 australia

t +61 2 4921 2007 F +61 2 4921 7949 E [email protected] W www.newcastle.edu.au/faculty/science-it/

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The University of Newcastle

For more information about the articles in this publication please visit www.newcastle.edu.au/research

Writer

Maryanne church – Enigma corp Media and Public Relations

Project coordination

Faculty of Science & It

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Bounce Design

Photography

Murray McKean chris Patterson

Research is printed on Mohawk Options 100% Pc White, which is made from recycled fibre and manufactured using non-polluting, wind-generated energy. this paper has been independently third party certified as being 100% Post consumer Recycled.

RESEARCH IN FOCUS | 01

CONTENTS

A message from the Pro-Vice Chancellor 02

Faculty in Profile 04

The Big Daddy of Reproductive Research 06

Metabolic Research Group 07

Driving the Therapeutic Drug Revolution 08

Neuroscience group 10

Human Experimental Applied Dynamics Group 10

Clinical and Health Psychology Research Group 11

The Perfect Mismatch 12

A Healthy Concern for the Community 13

Nutrition, Food and Health Research Group 14

Exercise and Sport Science Research Group 14

Medical Physics Research Group 14

Design, Information and Human Communication Group 15

Visual Information Processing Group 15

Wildlife Representation Group 15

Regional Solutions for a Sustainable Future 16

Environmental Biology and Biotechnology Group 17

Environmental and Climate Change Research Group 17

Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration 17

Environmental Water Science Group 18

Sustainable Use of Coasts and Catchments 18

Planting the seeds for sustainability 19

Cultivating a cleaner future 20

A boost of energy for better batteries 21

Changing the surface for a new tomorrow 22

Advanced Synthetic Materials Research Group 23

Surface and Nanoscience Group 23

Painting the town green 24

Mapping the way we live 26

Tectonics and Earth Resources Group 27

NSW Institute for Frontier Geosciences 27

The World’s Biggest Pi Drive 28

It all adds up 30

Statistics Research Group 31

Centre for Space Physics 32

| RESEARCH IN FOCUS02

A message from the Pro Vice-Chancellor


The Faculty of Science and Information Technology at the University of Newcastle has an enviable reputation, responsible for educating and training cutting-edge researchers and leading professionals in the various fields of science, information technology, communication and the environment. We educate future practitioners who will respond to these important challenges, and who will help to solve the various problems of survival and sustainability faced by our society. We have achieved a high status by employing the best and brightest practitioners as educators, the most innovative researchers and outstanding support staff to ensure a dynamic and satisfying working and learning environment.

Through collaborative research, we have forged strong partnerships with industry and professionals over many years. Our interactions with industry bring real-world technology issues into our research laboratories and our teaching. Working with industry is central to maintaining a ‘forward-looking’ approach in our education of students. Our many international partnerships with overseas universities are evidence of our status as a cutting-edge research organisation. We are committed to building long-term relationships that mutually benefit all parties, and we are focused on expanding these relationships for the future.

Together with industry, we are able to research and develop new technologies and discover innovative solutions to the problems that face society today. In this publication, I am delighted to present some highlights of the Faculty’s achievements during 2010 to 2011 – achievements that have helped to meet the expanding demands on education, training and research in science, information technology, communication and the environment. The Faculty is proud of its strengths in teaching and research, so I trust you will enjoy the Faculty of Science and Information Technology’s Research publication and the insight we hope it will provide into the extraordinary dedication of our staff and their achievements, as well as those of our talented students.

We are in the era of expanding demand for professionals in the broad fields of science, information technology, communication and the environment – professionals who can tackle and solve the numerous problems that confront the modern world, and may even threaten the existence of society as we know it. These problems include many significant challenges, such as those related to dealing with the ever increasing demands for natural resources, emerging technologies, scientific research and the provision of food, water and shelter for a growing world population, while at the same time behaving responsibly as custodians of our fragile environment and providing sustainable solutions to meet all these demands.

Professor Bill HogarthPro Vice-Chancellor


FACUlTy IN PROFIlE

Research activities within the Faculty range from laboratory-based experimentation to fieldwork or clinical research operating within and across discipline interfaces.

Our research strengths lie in the key areas of industry and infrastructure, sustainability and the environment, health and wellbeing as well as communication and information technology.

Industry and infrastructureEnhancing and assisting with infrastructure and industry both locally and nationally is a key strength of the research conducted in the Faculty of Science and IT. This theme draws together fundamental discipline areas such as clean renewable energy, new materials and smart surfaces as well as mathematical modelling and analysis. The partnerships between our researchers and industry enable reciprocal transfer of knowledge and new ideas of great potential impact on the community and economy.

Sustainability and the environmentAustralia is experiencing significant environmental problems both on land and in its marine areas; and several of these problems are interconnected. In response to this, the researchers in the Faculty of Science and IT have formed several interdisciplinary groups to address these environmental concerns. Our research spans areas from climate, water, energy, human geography, plant sciences and sustainability. This wide breadth of

research expertise enables us to provide holistic approaches to inform decision-making and shape discussion and policies relating to sustainability and the environment.

Health and wellbeingOur research in health and wellbeing focuses on early detection, intervention, rehabilitation and prevention as well as developing products, strategies and programs that impact on community-wide health. Specific expertise exists in reproduction, chemical biology, brain and mental health and health behaviour. Multidisciplinary teams in exercise and sports science, nutrition and psychology are researching new approaches to health management. Research into metabolism and medical physics is also producing significant results benefiting the broader community.

Communication and information technologyThe Faculty of Science and IT brings together a range of disciplines to tackle issues that are fundamental to society – how we communicate and share information. This diverse theme examines new ways to draw insight from oceans of data, understanding and leveraging the communication potential of new media and technologies, to the documentation and interpretation of the natural world.

OUR SCHOOLSThe Faculty is host to four dynamic schools producing groundbreaking research in a variety of disciplines.

School of Design, Communication and Information TechnologyResearch in the School reflects the dynamic, creative and technologically oriented nature of the areas of Design, Communication, IT and Natural History Illustration. The School benefits from working across these disciplines by being able to explore methods that enable more complex approaches to broader areas of study and practice for example through the use of multimedia.

This approach is evident in our commitment to the study of professional practices and the creative process. In a number of projects we apply research methodologies such as ethnography, documentary, systems testing and experimental methods to rigorously investigate phenomena.

The School’s researchers are leaders in the recognition and support of practice-based research in creativity, and creative endeavours. Further, the areas of research excellence are wide-ranging, and explore important areas such as image analysis and processing; health informatics; public relations and new media creativity and practise-based research; visual communication and digital media design; and contemporary and traditional illustration methods.

The Faculty of Science and Information Technology at the University of Newcastle is a world-class centre for scientific and technological research. Through our strong discipline-based research and active inter-disciplinary engagement, both nationally and internationally, we are at the forefront of research and development in a broad range of fields. In addition, the Faculty continues to perform strongly in attracting significant external research funding from national competitive grant schemes, and increasing our industry partnerships and links with government agencies, in the Hunter region and beyond through applied research and development collaborations.


School of Environmental and Life SciencesThere are more than 60 academic staff involved in professional research programs in the School of Environmental and life Sciences. The Biology, Biotechnology and Chemistry research programs have access to a vast array of state-of-the-art technology including mass spectrometers, electron and confocal microscopes and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The laboratories are well resourced and there is a vibrant research culture supporting national and international visitors and seminar presentations.

The high regard in which our researchers are held is reflected in their published research in many high-impact international journals and their presentations at international conferences. The researchers in the School have successfully formed nationally acclaimed Research Centres via extensive networking and collaborative initiatives, and have also worked collectively within the School and across faculties to form Priority Research Centres.

Research focuses in the school include Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Environmental Science and Management, Exercise and Sports Science, Food and Human Nutrition, Geography and Environmental Studies, Marine Science as well as Sustainable Resource Management.

School of Mathematics and Physical SciencesThe research groups in Mathematics, Physics and Statistics are highly successful in attracting funding from the highly competitive Australian Research Council Grant schemes, industry and other governmental organisations.

The School’s research publications have a strong impact, as indicated by high citation rates; in a recent survey we were placed in the Top 10 nationally and we have a particularly strong national profile in mathematics. We have internationally recognised expertise in the areas of Analysis, Number Theory, Optimization, Surface Physics, Plasma Waves and Statistics.

The School’s research strengths are Applied Mathematics, including Operations Research, Bayesian Statistics, Categorical Data Analysis, Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications, Global climate change statistical methodologies, Medical Physics, Number Theory, Photonics, Space Physics and Surface and Nanoscience.

School of PsychologyThe School of Psychology has a strong and continually expanding research focus, with a range of internationally recognised research projects funded by national competitive grant bodies. We have state-of-the-art electroencephalogram facilities, access to brain imaging equipment, well-equipped wet and dry laboratories and high quality computer facilities.

The School of Psychology has a strong commitment to supporting the local community through programs such as the Psychology Clinic, which also provides a training facility for the students.

Research in the school focuses on Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, Chemosensory Perception and learning, Memory and Cognitive Development, Neuroimmunology, Personality, Vision Science and Human Motion Vision, Functional Neuroimaging Animal and Human Cognition, Physiological Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, Neuroscience and Social and Developmental Psychology.

To find out more about the Faculty of Science and Information Technology’s world-leading research team visit:

www.newcastle.edu.au/faculty/ science-it/research/centres/index.html

His groundbreaking work has found that environmental factors, as well as genetic ones, damage sperm and jeopardise a man’s chances of fathering a child.

“Infertility has almost always been perceived as a female problem,” Aitken says.

“And now, because our knowledge of male infertility is almost 20 years behind that of what we know about females, it has probably become the single greatest cause of a couple’s inability to conceive.”

With one in every 20 Australian men infertile, Aitken, who cherishes his own role as a father, is determined to make a difference.

“Childlessness is a devastating thing for people to live with,” he says.

“Being infertile is a very distressing condition and though it doesn’t kill you, it’s definitely something we need to do everything we can to treat effectively.”

Internationally renowned reproductive biologist Laureate Professor John Aitken is shining a light on male infertility by spearheading research that gives hope to couples facing futures without children.

Part of Aitken’s research has been into counteracting the genetic effects of using IVF.

One in 35 Australians is now the result of assisted conception. And, while this is great news for infertile couples, it means the genetic defect that is being artificially overcome in sperm is passed on to the next generation.

“There’s no selection on fertility during assisted conception – often you are forcing fertilization to occur between an egg and a defective sperm – so this lack of selection pressure will mean poorer fertility genes are being retained in the population,” Aitken says.

In recent years, Aitken has finalized the design of a device that addresses this problem by isolating healthy sperm cells for optimum success in assisted conception.

Multi-centred clinical trials of the device are being held in Newcastle, Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, and if successful, a commercial launch is expected in early 2012.

THE BIG DADDy OF REPRODUCTIVE RESEARCH


RESEARCH IN FOCUS | 07RESEARCH DIRECTIONS | 7

METABOlIC RESEARCH GROUP

Imagine being the traffic reporter in a helicopter looking down on peak hour traffic, spotting the blockages and telling commuters where the jams are occurring so they can be avoided by using other routes.

The human body is a bit like this scenario, with its own traffic flows, or metabolic pathways, which can also be adversely affected by their own nasty bacterial traffic jams and pathogenic challenges, leading to pain and fatigue or disease. But given this process is taking place in every single cell in the human body, it’s only now that we have access to the right machinery that our scientists can decipher what is occurring at the cellular level and begin working out how to overcome the body’s metabolic traffic congestion issues.

Using high-tech gas chromatographs and mass spectrometers, the Metabolic Research Group studies our metabolism at the cellular, tissue and body levels. Their research aims to help us fight infections and reduce the pain and fatigue associated with strenuous exercise or chronic illness. The data-processing power of today’s technology allows the Group’s researchers to analyse huge numbers of molecules at once, providing a snapshot of what metabolic processes are happening at the cellular level and uncovering patterns among the body’s countless metabolic pathways. These patterns could help scientists develop better antibiotics that can outsmart a bacterial infection or to better understand an athlete’s body so we can devise more optimal exercise regimes.

The Centre for Reproductive Science focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive the reproductive process in man and animals. The information generated in this research is used to fuel new developments in the key areas of fertility control, infertility and reproductive oncology.

And now, because our knowledge of male infertility is almost 20 years behind that of what we know about females, it has probably become the single greatest cause of a couple’s inability to conceive

“ “

Elected to the Australian Academy of Science in 2011, Aitken’s work continues to significantly advance the world’s scientific knowledge into fertility treatments and contraception.

Aitken is the director of the Australian Research Council Centre for Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, co-director of the University of Newcastle’s Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science and Head of the faculty’s Reproductive Science Group.

Since arriving at the University in 1998, Aitken has had unprecedented grant success, being awarded more than 100 grants worth more than $37.5 million.


Professor Adam McCluskey describes himself as a cog in a ‘very complicated wheel’ set to transform the design of therapeutic drugs.

In collaboration with respected neurobiologist Professor Phil Robinson, of the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) at Westmead, McCluskey has been the driving force behind the establishment of the Centre for Kinomics, a world-first research facility.

The Centre is named for a biological process called phosphorylation that is mediated by kinases, hence ‘kinomics’, and which controls the activation of many signalling and enzymatic proteins.

The Centre, which has laboratories at the University of Newcastle and CMRI, has been funded by a $1 million prize from the Ramaciotti Foundation and a $3.1 million grant from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation for the study of protein kinases and the drugs that target them.

The Centre’s focus is designing next-generation drugs for epilepsy, cancer and neuropathic pain. So far the focus has been epilepsy, a disorder where one in three sufferers gain no relief from existing treatments. The goal is creating drugs that do not have the often-debilitating side effects.

The emerging field revolves around the 518 protein kinases in the body, which are the key signalling proteins behind biological functions. If they malfunction then the body malfunctions.

Pharmaceutical companies invest billions of dollars in research to develop kinase inhibitors.

“It’s a crude analogy,” says McCluskey, “but in drug design there is the lock and the key. you either want to lock or unlock the protein action and the drug is the key that will enable you to do that.”

DRIVING THE THERAPEUTIC DRUG REVOlUTION


The Centre for Chemical Biology (CCB) is committed to providing innovative therapeutics for the treatment of human disease. By bringing together research teams of international excellence from chemistry, biology and medicine, the centre seeks to unravel the causes of disease, identify crucial biological targets and pioneer the rapid development of novel drugs for the fight against disease.

The CCB is the central facilitator of drug development at University of Newcastle and our collaborators displaying leadership and research excellence.

Using unique equipment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, the researchers are able to quickly pinpoint the undesirable elements of existing therapeutic drugs.

“We can identify the range of proteins a drug interacts with and look out for red flags,” explains McCluskey, a chemist. “There are some proteins you would never want a drug to touch because of the serious, even deadly, side effects.”

The Centre is extending a 2007 discovery by a private German drug company that involves a new technique for analysing interactions between kinase inhibitors and hundreds of proteins at a time. The technology is known as Kinobeads and it fast tracks what has been until now a time-consuming process.

Mass spectrometry determines what proteins have been singled out by the Kinobeads, indicating which kinases have remained bound to the drug in question. The process would normally take at least six months but the Centre’s cutting-edge technology will reduce it to a few days.

There are 23 research groups around the world waiting for the Centre to produce its first batch of beads. This technology gives us the ability to rapidly enhance our potential to test and manufacture pharmaceuticals that will benefit many individuals suffering from a range of disorders.

Professor McCluskey’s research is conducted in collaboration with the Hunter Medical Research Institute’s (HMRI) Cancer Research Program. His research is supported by grants from HMRI.

It’s a crude analogy, but in drug design there is the lock and the key. You either want to lock or unlock the protein action and the drug is the key that will enable you to do that.

NEUROSCIENCE GROUPThe human brain is one of the last frontiers of modern science. The mysteries of the subconscious and the nexus between physiology and behaviour have long fascinated scientists, and the Neuroscience Group is tackling one of 21st century science’s major challenges – measuring neural activity while observing behavioural performance to better understand the human brain.

Research aims to enhance human potential, lead to improved preventative strategies and treatments for neural disorders, and a better health outcome for all Australians. To help with their quest, the group has invested significantly in the development of brain imaging and animal behaviour facilities.

New techniques for imaging the structure and function of the human brain, along with increasingly realistic animal models are giving researchers improved access to subconscious information processing.

The Neuroscience Group’s research is looking at several areas, including high-level cognitive functions such as attention, learning, memory, language processes, planning and decision-making. Other areas of research include the distinction between unconscious emotion and subjective feeling, the development, plasticity and evolution of sensory systems, how the brain’s by-products and the immune system can influence each other and understanding the mechanisms of normal and abnormal brain development.

HUMAN EXPERIMENTAL APPLIED DYNAMICS GROUPSocial networking tools such as Facebook may have cornered today’s social marketplace, but people don’t just confront discrimination, prejudice, stereotyping and identity issues online.

How individuals, groups, and society influence our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and behaviour is an aspect of social psychology being investigated by the Human Experiment and Applied Dynamics Group (HEAD).

The group is focused on understanding the social psychological processes that influence how people relate and respond to social groups and their members, whether it’s a fundamental bias against migrants and socially excluded individuals, or why people perceive greater similarity between members of one group than between members of another.


CLINICAL AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH GROUPMorbidity and mortality. Disease and death. However you look at it, our society could avoid more of both by changing human behaviours. Australia’s biggest killers are chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and cancers. Type II diabetes is fast becoming one of our biggest health challenges. The major determinants of these diseases are potentially preventable health behaviours, including tobacco smoking, harmful alcohol use, poor nutrition and lack of adequate physical activity.

A complex web of factors related to biology, psychology and broader social influences drives human behaviour. Changing a person’s behaviour, or that of a group, is highly complex. Tobacco smoking is a great example of how behaviour is driven

by biology (nicotine addiction), psychology (what we know and feel about health and smoking) and broader societal influences (social norms, advertising, availability, cost of cigarettes and access to effective strategies for giving up smoking). Understanding such determinants, and designing and implementing interventions which act to change them and other harmful behaviours, are just some of the objectives of the Clinical and Health Psychology Group.

Mental health care services in particular might be able to help reduce smoking among their clients, and to develop and trial some novel interventions. The Group’s research within the context of health care services could end up making a difference to the health of disadvantaged groups such as the mentally ill.

The dynamics of complex human behaviour are directly related to the productivity and safety of Australians regionally and nationally. Real-world behavioural systems are made up of a large number of agents interacting in dynamic ways and many of society’s greatest problems have a foundation in the behavioural questions around this interaction. The HEAD research group attempts to understand these dynamics in terms of memory, cognition, perception, learning, personality, and social processes through various research methods from basic to applied.


Her determination to develop effective treatments and prevent mental illness by better understanding how the human brain constructs reality has seen her develop a healthy respect for the wonders of science.

“The brain is a magnificently complex organ and its function can be studied at many different levels,” she says.

“Understanding how these levels interact to generate normal and abnormal function is what interests me. It is wonderful to confirm hypotheses but it’s when evidence violates your expectations that you are really prompted to expand your thinking.”

THE PERFECT MISMATCH

Being proved wrong by science is highly motivating for the University of Newcastle’s Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research clinical psychologist Dr Juanita Todd.

Todd’s research is focused on a component of the brain’s response to sound called mismatch negativity (MMN), measured in the electrical field potential created by brain activity.

This research has been applied to schizophrenia where evidence indicates MMN measures could help predict who is at the highest risk of developing the illness.

MMN occurs when the brain detects a change from some expected state in the world. A normal brain automatically extracts probabilistic information about sounds in the environment, predicting the most likely causes of future sensory stimulation.

Additionally, it suppresses responses to ordinary events, automatically filtering “learnt irrelevance” from capturing our attention.

Those with schizophrenia have deficits in MMN correlating with changes in brain tissue volume, suggesting it is a good functional index of a pathological process within the group.

“It appears deceptively simple, but it exemplifies widespread principles governing the way our brain filters relevance in the environment and ultimately, what we choose to attend to and learn more about,” Todd says.

“My work centres on understanding the reasons people with schizophrenia have deficits in this filtering process.

“I develop complex sound sequences that let us study influences on this process in general and also specifically on the reasons for deficiencies in those with schizophrenia.”

Todd is part of a team currently conducting a multi-site study on MMN in people at an ultra-high risk of the illness, while a more targeted study is looking at elements of the MMN system in people with an established illness or in their first-degree family members.

The Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research (CBMHR) seeks to increase understanding of cause, pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of brain/mental disorders on the basis of the scientific study of individual differences in vulnerability and resilience within a lifespan developmental framework. The CBMHR brings together key people, harnessing the extensive expertise across the university and hospital sectors in basic and clinical neuroscience. Researchers work closely with government agencies and non-government groups, offering the unique ability to conduct multi-disciplinary collaborative research across basic and clinical neuroscience, and to achieve translation of important research outcomes at both the clinical and population levels.


The seminar, given by Laureate Professor Rob Sanson-Fisher, fuelled what has become significant, long-term research into cigarette smoking among people with mental illness.

“I was completely sold on the potential of reducing significant morbidity and mortality in the community through changing behaviour and later undertook my PhD with Rob,” Bowman, now a health psychologist at the University of Newcastle’s School of Psychology, says.

The last five years have seen her fascination manifested in major projects that address harm reduction from tobacco smoking, especially for high risk and vulnerable groups like people with substance abuse or mental illness – minority groups for which smoking has long been a social norm and cigarettes a form of currency.

A HEAlTHy CONCERN FOR THE COMMUNITy

Witnessing an inspiring health behaviour seminar as a psychology undergraduate ‘sold’ Associate Professor Jenny Bowman on the potential behavioural change has to create a healthier, more robust community.

The Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour (PRCHB) is working to improve community health through service delivery interventions promoting healthy behaviours and quality healthcare. The PRCHB research focuses on social and individual factors which affect the health of populations: developing measures and interventions for reducing prevalence of preventable disease risks while increasing equitable and evidence-based health care delivery. The PRCHB works to assess and reduce the psychosocial impacts of chronic disease and is involved in improving responses to emerging infectious disease threats.

Through her research, which is often undertaken in ‘real world’ clinical health and community settings, Bowman aims to develop and evaluate intervention strategies that support positive change to health-related behaviours, particularly smoking.

Much of her work finds her collaborating with other researchers, clinicians and students in delivery-of-care and clinical arenas, developing and trialing interventions for mental health care services to provide as a way of reducing smoking among clients.

Ultimately, she hopes her research will contribute to policy change and improvements in health care provision.

Bowman takes a collaborative and generally multidisciplinary approach to her research, which involves investigating the behavioural and structural determinants of wellbeing.

“Making changes to health-related behaviours at individual and population levels is highly complex,” Bowman says.

“Tobacco smoking is a great example of how the behaviour is driven by a complex web of factors related to biology, psychology and broader social influences.

“Addressing the issue of smoking requires understanding these determinants and designing and implementing interventions which act to change them.”

Bowman’s intervention work uses systems-based organisational change strategies to support health care services and their staff in addressing smoking as an issue for clients.

“There is huge potential for health care services and providers to be making a positive difference in this area, particularly as health care settings have moved towards being smoke-free environments,” Bowman says.

But, she points out, working specifically in the area of mental illness means working in the context of a long history of mental and physical health being viewed as separate entities.

She says treating mental illness is often the sole focus of care, with physical illness seen as either low priority or a need to be addressed by a separate service.

“The need for more integrated care is widely acknowledged internationally, but change can be slow.”

Next for Bowman and her team is a large-scale efficacy trial of an integrated intervention for the reduction of smoking among mental health patients, linking the inpatient setting with ongoing community support.

Further research in community mental health settings will extend the focus beyond smoking to incorporate preventive care provision for other health risks such as inadequate nutrition, unsafe alcohol use and inadequate physical activity.


MEDICAl PHySICS RESEARCH GROUPThe link between maths, physics and human health may not be immediately obvious, but they all come together in perfect harmony as part of the Medical Physics Research Group’s efforts to improve patient outcomes by developing improved diagnosis and therapy for major diseases such as cancer.

NUTRITION, FOOD AND HEAlTH RESEARCH GROUP“The difference between civilisation and anarchy is three days without food.” An extreme perspective this may be, but it’s a safe bet to assume food and nutrition will always be key components for human health and wellbeing.

A collaboration between the Calvary Mater Newcastle (CMN) and the University of Newcastle, the Group’s major focus is improved cancer treatment using advanced imaging, treatment and computational technology. Radiation therapy for cancer is an important frontline treatment with over 50% of patients recommended for therapy. The Group also aims to translate its research findings into clinical practice at the CMN and further afield for patient benefit.

The team is also looking at the application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to radiation therapy for planning and adaptive treatment, and improved patient dose verification using imaging devices. An example is finding ways to use MRI scans to plan prostate radiation therapy treatments. In collaboration with CSIRO, the Group has developed methods that can be used to calculate radiation doses on these scans and automatically define the prostate and other organs for planning.

EXERCISE AND SPORT SCIENCE RESEARCH GROUPProfessional sport is big business and athletes and their coaches must do everything they legally can to enhance performance. Speed, power and agility is critical for high-level performance, so research in these areas is very much in demand.

The Exercise and Sport Science Group looks at ways to enhance sports performance as well as the beneficial role of exercise for older adults and those with chronic disease.

The group conducts time-motion analysis of professional footballers at the Central Coast Mariners using GPS technology to record position, velocity and acceleration of athletes during matches and training to estimate the physiological demands of the sport and provide practical information for coaches.

Other research investigates strength training and nutritional supplementation, particularly for women. Fluctuations in female steroid hormones cause many physiological changes and a better understanding of this area may revolutionise training and supplementation for female athletes.

Compression garments and their claimed effects on physiological and performance responses is another area of research. Those suffering from lower back pain may also benefit from a project being undertaken in collaboration with the University’s Faculty of Health (Podiatry) investigating foot orthoses and lumbopelvic stabilising exercises.

The Nutrition, Food and Health Research Group looks at food and nutrition from every angle – from how much is too little to how much is too much, from micronutrients and DNA damage to nutrigenomics and the dawn of the age of molecular nutrition.

Using molecular nutrition research employing clinical and cell culture strategies, a major goal of the Group is to examine how nutrients and genes conspire to modify disease risk, particularly in relation to B-vitamins and aging.

The Group also examines the increasing role of herbal medicines as they gain acceptance and popularity, examining their efficacy, safety, quality and the stability of their active constituents. Projects aimed at determining the loss of active constituents from plant to manufactured product have been successfully completed for echinacea, ginseng and valerian. From these projects have come recommendations for the herb industry regarding quality control of herbal products.

Another key strategy is to better understand functional food bioactives (folic acid, green tea catechins and probiotics) and how they impact on human health. The Group also has expertise in food processing and post-harvest technology, including the role of nitric oxide in post-harvest plant preservation. Other research interests include membrane science for food and water treatment, the study of traditional medicines from indigenous plants and the ingredients of plant food origin, their effects on texture, and factors influencing these effects.


DESIGN, INFORMATION AND HUMAN COMMUNICATION GROUPTechnology is constantly changing the way the world communicates, and the Design, Information and Human Communication (DIHC) Group explores the role of new media objects and forms and analyses the processes that generate them.

The group uses its experience and expertise in the disciplines of Design, Communication and Information Technology (DCIT) to understand the dramatic social, cultural and technological changes impacting on their areas of research, which include graphic and visual design, communication and media, media production, information systems and information technology.

Aside from conventional academic research, the group has produced major original creative works such as the production of a website, video and historical monograph depicting The Living History of Fort Scratchley. The group also produced a spoken word CD collection of an ABC Radio series, Swell Dreaming: Surfing in Australia.

VISUAL INFORMATION PROCESSING GROUPWith the proliferation of Internet-enabled technologies and advanced mobile devices running increasingly complex applications, visual information processing is an exciting and rapidly developing area of research.

Future demand from information systems in commercial and scientific applications for increasingly higher levels of visual content will require further research on various aspects of visual information processing.

The Visual Information Processing Group uses its expertise to explore how we can more efficiently capture, transform, analyse, manipulate, synthesise, visualise, store and retrieve image and video data. The Group aspires to conduct world-leading research in the areas of visual information retrieval; interactive media, non-model based virtual reality using computer vision, medical imaging and pattern recognition.

The Group’s research includes the investigation of three-dimensional modelling of virtual patients, contributing to stroke prevention through the use of advanced image segmentation and knowledge-based recognition techniques, improving Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis by analysing brain tissue using pathology/radiology informatics, and a scheme and formal language for interactive video.

The Group’s research is highly regarded and attracts funding from several industry partners, including IntelliRAD (medical imaging), ETRI (multimedia), Fireplay (computer gaming), Datamax (virtual reality), Hypersoft (interactive video) and PSL (genomics).

COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION TECHNOlOGy

WILDLIFE REPRESENTATION GROUPThe natural world has long been a source of wonder for researchers, whether in the form of past worlds (palaeontology and archaeology), living environments (botany and biology) or the realm of the imagination (literature, fantasy and animation).

The Wildlife Representation Group’s research is diverse, but is focused on the visual documentation and interpretation of the natural world. Using a range of traditional and digital-media techniques, this research is integral to the scientific and artistic communication of ideas and information in a contemporary trans disciplinary framework.

The group collaborates with organisations including the Australian Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens, Hunter Wetlands Centre, the University of Sydney and the Australian Reptile Park on a diverse range of projects.

Researchers have access to a wildlife laboratory equipped with binocular microscopes and camera lucida, a range of animal and insect specimens and a Leica microscope with digital image capture.



Bringing a lifetime of experience as an academic biologist to his role, Professor Roberts says strengthening community involvement in education in tandem with the University of Newcastle’s research capability is highly motivating.

“Recently I was approached by a large mining company with two ecology research problems,” he says.

“By bringing the relevant researchers within the University to the table we were able to provide the right people to the company to help them find the right solutions.”

It’s the perfect example of the important work the Institute does building long-term collaborative partnerships with industry, business, government and the community to promote environmental sustainability in the Hunter region.

The Institute offers a high level of environmental expertise in a range of fields, building corporate and community understanding of environmental issues through research and public education.

Roberts hosts a weekly radio spot in which he talks about various sustainability issues and the Institute produces a monthly newsletter distributed to a wide range of readers across the Hunter Valley and the world.

The Institute has recently been granted several hundred thousand dollars to develop a two-year research and education program to deliver sustainable conservation and biodiversity initiatives, ecotourism and sustainable development on the 10,000 hectares of the Donaldson Conservation Trust lands west of Minmi.

The project will bring together scientists from several faculties across the University to work with Tom Farrell Institute staff, and will also be supported by two PhD students on University scholarships.

Roberts views this chance to work in collaboration with researchers and the community as a win for both the community and the University.

“This project is an incredible opportunity,” he says.

“I’m looking forward to developing the strengths of the Institute and delivering lasting environmental, economic and social outcomes to the Hunter region and beyond.”

The rewards of opening the environmental gateway between the community and the University of Newcastle run deep for Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment Director Tim Roberts.

REGIONAl SOlUTIONS FOR A SUSTAINABlE FUTURE

WHO WAS TOM FARRELL?Rolf Everist (Tom) Farrell (1904 – 1996) was one of Newcastle’s first environmentalists, making an invaluable contribution to the conservation of the Hunter’s nature reserves, including Blackbutt, Barrington Tops and Mount Sugarloaf.

With considerable influence among business and civic leaders, Farrell exerted pressure on the NSW Government to establish a University College in Newcastle in 1951. later, he was instrumental in having

the State Government acquire land at Shortland, paving the way for the University relocation. In 1988 the University awarded Farrell an Honourary Master of Arts.

During the 1930s, Farrell successfully lobbied New lambton Council to have the area known as Blackbutt Reserve set aside as public recreation space. later, he was prominent in the successful campaign to prevent a highway being built through the reserve. He remained a member of the Blackbutt Reserve Committee, and for many years spent time and energy protecting the bushland reserve.

The Tom Farrell Institute has been named for him, an honour his daughter Kay Talty is extremely proud of.

“The family believes the goals of the Institute align with my father’s concept of sustainability and social justice, and his ability to achieve a balance between environmental, economic and social factors for community benefit.”

This project is an incredible opportunity“ “


ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY GROUPAustralia’s unique flora and fauna is an important part of our national identity and protecting it is paramount.

The Environmental Biology and Biotechnology Group focuses on the conservation of our wildlife – particularly frogs, birds and marsupials – to preserve diverse native species and the habitats on which they depend.

Researchers aim to provide a platform for biotechnological innovation in two areas of marsupial and amphibian biology – fertility control for overabundant native and pest species; and managing and reintroducing threatened varieties.

Using genetics, reproductive biology and animal behaviour, the group also focuses on the survival of native species in the face of introduced wildlife.

Additionally, group research and its industry and end-user partnerships support innovation in new management information and tools for sustainable land biodiversity systems regionally, nationally and internationally.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH GROUPIn an era of climate change and increased pressure on natural resources, the Environmental and Climate Change Research Group is focused on increasing information and knowledge that will enable better management of the natural environment.

The group investigates the interaction between climate, soil and vegetation; and how this interaction affects water and sediment movement.

Its objective is to understand the drivers and impacts of environmental and climate change in order to inform stakeholders and enable them to better assess their environmental and climate related risks. This in turn precipitates the development of well-informed adaptation, mitigation and sustainability strategies.

By studying historic rainfall and rainfall patterns, researchers are able to see how rainfall patterns are likely to change in the future. This is particularly useful for water resource planning, agricultural planning and food security.

The group also researches hydrological extremities, such as the 2007 Newcastle Flood, the 2003 – 2006 Australian drought and the 2011 Brisbane Flood.

Soil research provides improved insights into the quantity and location of soil carbon, research which supports enhanced agricultural productivity and soil management.

The restoration of post-mining landscapes into self-sustaining, integrated landscapes is another key area of research.

CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATIONLocated in the heart of one of the world’s largest coal mining regions, the Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration has a unique opportunity to address the significant ecological problems of the industry.

Working with partners such as mining companies and the NSW Office for Environment and Heritage, the researchers at the centre work experimentally with spoil placement areas, growing forests and woodlands on disused mining sites.

The centre seeks cost-effective ways of rehabilitating and restoring land damaged by human activities such as urban fragmentation and cattle grazing, developing models and methods for measuring restoration potential, species migration capacity, sustainability and resilience.

Through the establishment of long-term study sites, researchers establish the success of different approaches to rehabilitation, including natural solutions, such as optimising nitrogen fixation in plants such as acacias.

SUSTAINABIlITy AND THE ENVIRONMENT


Water is one of the most fundamental requirements for the survival of all living things – it is essential to human existence and the support system on which people and ecosystems depend.

ENVIRONMENTAl WATER SCIENCE GROUP

SUSTAINABlE USE OF COASTS AND CATCHMENTS GROUPAs pressure on the Australian environment continues to mount, the conservation and management of our natural resources is vital.

Managing human activities to conserve biodiversity and sustain resources from across the catchment to the coast is a complex challenge requiring innovative management based on cutting-edge scientific research.

The Sustainable Use of Coasts and Catchments Group collaborates with industry, government, the community

and international development agencies in pure and applied research to preserve the social, cultural and economic values of coasts and catchments.

The group aims to achieve sustainable economic, social and conservation benefits by raising awareness of the impact of human activities like land clearing and fragmentation, land degradation, altered

fire regimes, water diversion, water retention, and introduced pests, which all threaten biodiversity and jeopardise the sustainability of human uses in catchments and rivers.

It also undertakes research to develop innovative assessment and restoration techniques, and strategies for management and conservation.

The main focus of the Environmental Water Science Group is to determine and measure the sources of contamination and pollution in waterways and the impact on the people using it.

The group studies water’s importance to ecosystems and humans, its use and management as a resource, and its modification through contamination and pollution. Another key aspect is the impacts of pollutants on organisms in the environment, looking at the far-reaching effects of water contamination, not only

on those drinking it, but also for those eating produce being grown in it.

An important study looked at the impact of reduced water quality in the estuaries of Wallis lake, Tilligerry Creek and the Kalang River, some of which had been closed to oyster harvesting since 1997.

The study determined that contamination increased and water quality diminished after periods of heavy rain and identified the role of onsite wastewater management systems as possible sources of infection.


But, as the University of Newcastle’s Professor Ray Rose will tell you, this humble plant family has a lot more to offer than hummus, including roles to play in agricultural sustainability and human nutrition. It is also an important source of biodiesel.

Rose, who leads the Newcastle node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative legume Research (CIlR), has made legumes, in particular Medicago truncatula, the focus of his work in cell biology and molecular genetics.

Working with his team, Rose, who has also received the Australian Society of Plant Scientists Goldacre Medal, has had internationally acclaimed success, specifically in the discovery of a strategy to genetically transform the legume. This research was picked up by US and European Union researchers and led to the US National Science Foundation funding a genome-sequencing project.

As a result of the project, Medicago is now a genetic model for the legume family, which is renowned for its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and its production of oil and protein.

This new knowledge of legumes is slowly being aligned to traditional breeding to increase productivity, nitrogen fixation, sustainability and pest resistance, as well as to minimize disease.

The mention of legumes often conjures images of delicious Middle Eastern food.

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative legume Research (CIlR) is an internationally renowned research network of plant scientists conducting high quality, cutting-edge research into legumes and their role in sustainable agriculture techniques.

The Centre involves the University of Queensland and has nodes at the Australian National University, the University of Newcastle and the University of Melbourne.

To date, the Centre has attracted a $10 million Australian Research Council (ARC) grant over five years, and a further Australian Research Council (ARC) extension grant of $6.9 million over three years. Partner universities and state governments have contributed further cash and in-kind contributions making the CIlR a major $38 million research effort over eight years.

Its scientists aim to understand how plant cells communicate, grow and differentiate. Research into plant physiology, molecular and cell biology is providing fundamental insights into developing enhanced food production, agricultural sustainability, environmental quality and products for human health.

And, as researchers look for ways to avoid energy-intensive production of nitrogen fertilizers and reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, optimising nitrogen delivery using legumes is becoming an increasing priority for agriculture.

“We are now focusing on demonstrating how to use our knowledge of legume genes to increase either protein or oil content of legume seed for nutritional protein and oil with biodiesel potential in non-food species,” Rose says.

“Our genetic legume model serves to anchor understanding in the legume family and makes it easier to apply genetic knowledge to all other legumes.”

Rose is now looking at how single ‘master’ genes regulate a spectrum of genes in gene networks.

“Master genes are the ones to target to enhance any trait of interest – from nitrogen fixation to pest resistance,” he says.

“Optimizing nitrogen delivery using legumes is a priority in agriculture and the more we learn about the legume the closer we come to finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the industry.”

PlANTING THE SEEDS FOR SUSTAINABIlITy


As a child, Professor Chris Grof idled hours away with his siblings in the family car while his father disappeared into fields to investigate a rare plant he had spotted while driving.

While Grof did not inherit his father’s habit for impromptu roadside stops, the third-generation biologist says a love of plant science has been carried through the generations. In Grof, that passion for plants has developed into a quest to engineer a viable biofuel that could reduce Australians’ reliance on fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels account for 98 per cent of Australia’s transport energy needs but pioneering countries such as Brazil, which uses ethanol derived from sugarcane for about one quarter of its transport, have proved that a more substantial biofuels industry is feasible.

Australia’s main source of ethanol for biofuel is sugarcane, a crop Grof studied extensively as a research scientist with the CSIRO for 13 years. His work into carbohydrate metabolism and genetic manipulation in sugarcane has drawn international recognition, resulting in a prestigious Underwood Fellowship from the British Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Council and invitations to address forums in Australia and overseas.

Since arriving in Newcastle three years ago to head up the Plant Science Group, Grof has taken a lead role in a research project to develop sorghum as a biofuel. Sorghum and sugarcane share the same photosynthetic properties.

“Sugarcane is a recalcitrant plant and quite difficult to work with genetically, but with sorghum there is an incredible amount of genetic variability that can be used to introduce a whole host of different traits to the plant,” he explains.

“Sorghum is already widely planted in Australia, so farmers know how to grow it, and it has limited use as a human food source, so there is no conflict with the supply of edible crops.

“It is quite drought-resistant and able to grow on marginal soils, so that means we may be able to produce a fuel crop that does not compete for arable land being used to grow food.”

CUlTIVATING A ClEANER FUTUREProviding Australia with a viable plant-based fuel drives the work of Professor Chris Grof.

Grof is supported by a strong team at the University. Their area of research, plant biology, achieved an Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) rating of five, the highest score possible, rating their research well above world standard.

An emphasis of his research is developing second-generation biofuels. Second-generation technologies derive fuel from the whole of the plant, including the woody or fibrous parts known as the lignocellulosic matter, rather than extracting just the juice or oil, the traditional method of producing ethanol or other biofuels.

The advantages of second-generation fuels are that they increase the yield of fuel from the plant and can be derived either from crops that are not part of the food cycle or from the waste material of food crops, such as the stems, leaves and husks.

By manipulating the genetic make-up of the plant, Grof aims to elevate both the sugar content and biomass in order to maximise its use as a biofuel feedstock.

He has partnered with researchers from the University of Queensland under a project funded by the Australian Research Council and industry partner Pacific Seeds to produce cultivars of sweet sorghum with increased sugar concentration. He and his team also collaborate with research groups at Texas A&M University and India’s ICRISAT (International Crops Research institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics).

To facilitate Grof’s work, the University of Newcastle has committed to building a super-sized greenhouse, supported by a $500,000 Australian Research Council grant, to accommodate sorghum plants, which can grow to five metres in height.

“This is long-term research but it is very important for Australia,” Grof says.

“Environmentally it is a priority because we need to move away from fossil fuels, but it also offers the prospect of a sustainable domestic industry in fuel production with the potential to deliver major benefits for rural communities and the country as a whole.”

New research putting batteries, super capacitors and fuel cells in the spotlight by key energy domain researcher Associate Professor Scott Donne is resulting in innovations contributing to devices with more energy, longer lifetimes and wider applications.

“There is far more to energy storage than your humble AA battery,” Donne says.

“And there is certainly potential for batteries to power more than your child’s toys and gizmos – including your car, your business, and one day even your neighbourhood.”

Donne says although batteries are an older form of energy storage, as design improves, sales continue rising.

“The research we are doing in this area has a scale-up capacity, which means the same technology we use to power your laptop is the same that in the future could potentially power your car.”

The battery varieties researched at the University include primary alkaline, primary lithium and lithium-ion. These are the most common form of energy storage, used every day to power remote controls, boom boxes, phones, torches, medical implants, laptops, cameras, and just about any other household appliance or business technology.

Battery research is focused on finding cheaper, less hazardous, better materials yielding more efficient results.

Donne says the team is also working on a rechargeable alkaline battery.

“If consumers are able to use their every day batteries 10 to 20 times, we are saving landfill and as well as more than 20-times the energy.”

Research is also exploring metal oxides in search of a material that will increase the energy density of super capacitors, which store less energy than batteries or fuel cells.

Despite finding increasing applications in daily life as well as industry, super capacitors are a lesser-known form of energy storage. They provide bursts of energy that last only a short while before recharging, which makes them ideal for use in technology like mobile phones with flash photography capabilities.

A large-scale investigation has also been dedicated to the sustainable production of hydrogen to use as fuel.

“Hydrogen is the best option, because when it is used as a fuel it only produces water,” Donne says.

Alternative, more cost-effective and efficient material for fuel cell catalysts, currently made of expensive noble metals like platinum, are also being researched.

Another project for the team is improving the design of direct carbon fuel cells, which are the intermediate step between fossil fuels and renewable energy.

“By finding a more efficient way to use coal to produce electricity, we can assist with the transition the world is facing as we switch from finite fossil fuel energy supplies to renewable and environmentally friendly ones,” Donne says.

A BOOST OF ENERGy FOR BETTER BATTERIES

The Priority Research Centre for Energy focuses on one of the most challenging contemporary issues: the management of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG). Through its research themes, the PRC for Energy members are undertaking cutting edge research and development across a range of fields including clean coal, renewable energy and other GHG abatement technologies.

The PRC for Energy aims to provide new opportunities flowing from the interaction between industry, government agencies and university researchers interested in the growing field of clean and sustainable energy production.

Everyday energy could soon rival that of a child trapped indoors after a week of rain, thanks to the work of researchers at the University of Newcastle’s Energy Storage Domain.



Associate Professor Erica Wanless and her team at the Priority Research Centre for Advanced Particle Processing and Transport have been studying the nanoscale structure of polymeric surface and particle coatings to find ways to improve their quality and efficiency.

Important in applications ranging from cosmetics and paints to cleaning products and lubricants, the research has the potential to prevent make-up from expiring, to produce self-cleaning surfaces or to enhance mineral separation processes.

For the first time, definitive evidence has shown that it is possible to create molecular-scale compartments of substantially different chemical environments within electrostatically assembled polymer coatings.

“This knowledge has enabled us to begin research on new smart surfaces with extraordinary capabilities,” Wanless says.

“We expect the phenomenon will allow us to control the permeation of entrapped hydrophobic species through a coating, enabling fine-tuning of the controlled release of active molecules in drugs and pesticides.”

Further developments using an environmentally friendly, water-based methodology has resulted in next-generation coatings with revolutionary possibilities.

The Centre for Advanced Particle Processing and Transport is aimed at addressing important problems for the mineral industry, the largest single contributor to Australia’s exports. In particular, the research is aimed at developing innovative processes that maximise the separation of products from waste material, and use methodologies that reduce water and energy usage.

In addition, PRC researchers are engaged in solving fluid-mechanical problems in coal and mineral processing as well as steelmaking.

The development of ‘smart’ surfaces with potential applications in the mining, food science, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries could be just around the corner for the University of Newcastle’s internationally recognised team of surface and colloid scientists.

CHANGING THE SURFACE FOR A NEW TOMORROW

These new coatings have potential application in mineral flotation, food science, micromechanics, rheology, pharmaceuticals, protective films and emulsions.

“For example, it may be possible for us to design a porous membrane, whose pores will dilate and contract in response to changes in solution pH, opening up huge potential in slow-release and sequestrian applications,” Wanless says.

“When the coating is made on the surface of a particle, it may also be possible for us to control surface friction, wettability, or particle dispersion viscosity through changes in temperature, solution pH or salt concentration.”


With interests covering a blend of development and applied chemical science, the Group works on preparing new materials with practical applications in a number of areas.

Research covers medicinal chemistry, new pharmaceuticals, the extraction of metals, surface chemistry, organic and natural product chemistry and molecularly imprinted polymers.

The Group also has interests in the chemical absorption (and regeneration) of CO2 from flue gases from coal-burning powers stations, and works closely with the CSIRO Centre for Energy Technology in this area.

Several members are also involved with the Priority Research Centres of Optical Electronics, and the cross-faculty PRCs of Advanced Particle Processing and Energy.

With research aimed at modelling, analysing, understanding, modifying and using material properties at the nanometer scale, the Group’s techniques are at the cutting edge of surface and nanoscience research.

The group looks at the surface structure of solids – the point at which chemical reactions occur or materials bond to one another.

Structuring surfaces to act as catalysts in facilitating low-energy chemical reactions has crucial applications – such as the treatment of motor vehicle exhaust through catalysts that clean noxious fumes as they are produced.

Two key applications of the Group’s nanoscience research is the development of new cancer treatments through a combination of nanoparticles and lasers and the development of faster, but more energy-efficient, next-generation computers.

ADVANCED SyNTHETIC MATERIAlS RESEARCH GROUPThe Advanced Synthetics Material Group is a diverse group of chemists designing, synthesizing and making advanced new inorganic and organic materials.

SURFACE AND NANOSCIENCE GROUP

Advancing cancer treatment and reducing noxious exhaust fumes from cars are just two of the applications of the Surface and Nanoscience Group’s investigations.

It is a tantalising possibility, and one that Professor Paul Dastoor and his team at the Centre for Organic Electronics at the University of Newcastle are moving toward as part of their research developing electronic devices based on semi-conducting polymers.

As the founding director of the Centre, Dastoor and his team hold the secret to a potential revolution in cheap energy production in the form of paint coatings or flexible plastic sheets.

PAINTING THE TOWN GREEN

Imagine if you could paint your house with a product that not only gave your house a facelift, but also generated its own electricity directly from the sun.

This affordable and sustainable technology contains organic solar cells that generate electricity when applied to a range of building, vehicle and appliance surfaces.

The inspiration for this research work is Dastoor’s firm belief that the greatest challenge currently facing the planet is the urgent need for new ways of generating sustainable energy.

“At the end of our three-year research plan, not only will there be an internationally marketable product, but also the start of a NSW organic solar energy industry right here in Newcastle, and the creation of a highly skilled workforce,” Dastoor says.

This technology will change the way Australians generate electricity to one that is cost effective, environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable

“ “


The Centre for Organic Electronics is the first of its kind in Australia. It is an exciting initiative focusing on the development of new electronic devices at the intersection between semiconductors and plastics.

The Centre will focus on the scientific challenges in the development of organic photovoltaics, with massive potential for the next generation of environmentally friendly energy sources, photonics and biosensors.

Through partnership with the CSIRO Division of Energy Technology (CET), the Centre will have the unique capability of taking fundamental research through to large-scale fabrication and evaluation.

“Most of Australia’s energy is currently sourced from power stations which use coal mines, natural gas pipelines and hydro electric water reservoirs to generate electricity.

“These methods are unsustainable, expensive, and in most cases the electricity must be sent great distances to reach the homes and businesses that need it.”

Dastoor won a groundswell of support when he showcased his solar-cell technology on the ABC’s New Inventors television show in 2010. He made it to the grand final and was voted viewer’s choice for the episode he appeared on.

The key advantage of these organic solar cells is that they can be printed at high speeds across large areas using roll-to-roll processing techniques – creating the tantalising vision of coating every roof and other suitable building surface with photovoltaic materials at extremely low cost.

In the first instance these coatings will be put onto plastic sheets that can be placed on the roof of a house.

However, in the longer term, it may be possible to directly paint a roof or building surface.

Organic solar cells will use the same standard inverter technology used by conventional solar cells to connect the electricity grid network. The organic solar cells are coated from water onto recyclable plastic sheets such as PET and are completely environmentally friendly.

Ultimately, the technology will mean that every household in Australia will be able to generate its own electricity from a sustainable and renewable resource, using a paint coating on their own roof.

“This technology will change the way Australians generate electricity to one that is cost effective, environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable,” Dastoor says.


Professor Pauline McGuirk carries this quote on her office door at the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) at the University of Newcastle. She says it is a reminder of the power of knowledge, and the role geography plays in understanding the world we live in.

“Geography is about the study of the Earth, people’s relations with the Earth, and their relations with each other,” McGuirk says. “That quote shows geography is a radicalising discipline which can promote positive social change.”

As a human geographer, McGuirk’s focus is on the way cities and regions develop and change through economic, social and political processes. Her work, and that of her CURS colleagues, is playing a significant role in shaping government policy.

MAPPING THE WAy WE lIVE

“Geography, sir, is ruinous in its effects on the lower classes. Reading, writing and arithmetic are comparatively safe, but geography invariably leads to revolution.” So it was said in testimony to Britain’s House of Commons in 1879.

“Our involvement with government grew from our capacity for socio-spatial data analysis,” she says. “We are able to take a range of information about populations and their socio-economic characteristics, and analyse them geographically using computerised mapping.”

One example of CURS’ work is data analysis to help the NSW Department of Housing understand how to address accommodation needs in response to socio-demographic changes in the population.

CURS is also involved in an Australian Research Council linkage project to develop a multi-agency framework for data sharing. Internationally, there have been significant barriers to agencies sharing data and working collaboratively as a result of data protection and privacy issues.

The Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Newcastle focuses on geographical analysis of the factors driving urban and regional transformations, their outcomes and the policy challenges they present. Through basic, applied and community-engaged research, conducted at multiple-scales, CURS’ research contributes theoretically informed and empirically grounded knowledge and policy-relevant insights on the processes, dynamics and challenges of urban and regional change and development. The Centre achieves this by focusing on three key research areas – City lives, City Politics, City Natures; Sustaining Urban and Regional Communities and Environments and Critical Development Studies and Geopolitics.

By establishing a framework that addresses these issues, CURS can help agencies combine their data to provide much richer analysis. McGuirk says the data-sharing project has a particular focus on better understanding the geography of social need.

“Agencies will be able to track how particular locations are progressing, and identify in advance areas that need support from a range of social and economic perspectives.”

As a result, government agencies will have early intelligence to effectively address problems before they take hold.


What makes the earth move? What is responsible for continental deformation? What causes mineralization?

Understanding the processes triggering what’s happening under our feet is all part of the work of the Tectonics and Earth Resources Group, which collaborates with national and international partners to provide high quality data for geoscientific issues.

The group carries out field research in Antarctica, Europe, Asia and Australia, with experimental work in some of the world’s most renowned, high precision laboratories. Research is varied and includes the location of tectonic plate boundaries, the cause of precious metal precipitation in the earth’s crust and the improvement of mineral exploration strategies.

Through links with local industry partners, including the Department of Trade and Investment NSW, mining and environmental companies, the group is researching the geological history of NSW for future predictive targeting strategies for mineral ore bodies.

A partnership between the University of Newcastle and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), the NSW Institute for Frontier Geosciences fosters increased research collaboration with industry and boosts support for students seeking careers in the minerals sector.The venture builds on the established research strengths of the University in mineral processing and exploration, sequestration, geology, geophysics and geochemistry.

The Institute takes advantage of the natural synergies provided by the proximity of the University to long-term suppliers of large tonnage coal deposits, coal-fired power stations and the expertise of DPI’s Coal and Petroleum Development group and geographical surveyors at Maitland.

TECTONICS AND EARTH RESOURCES GROUP

NSW INSTITUTE FOR FRONTIER GEOSCIENCES


THE WORlD’S BIGGEST PI DRIVE

Being caught with his finger in the ‘pi’ has never worried Jonathon Borwein, Laureate Professor in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Newcastle.

A world-renowned expert, Borwein is a prominent public advocate for experimental mathematics – an approach in which numerical computation is used to investigate mathematical objects and identify their properties and patterns.

Borwein is also an international authority on the number pi, the ration of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, especially in its computation.

“Our computation on Pi Day was huge – to harness the capabilities of one of the world’s most advanced and powerful computers was monumental,” he says.

“A mathematical calculation of this scale has never been done before – the time that went into the work was equivalent to almost 2000 years of computing on a single laptop.

In fact, you could almost call it his lifelong quest, culminating in a recent record-breaking calculation that was widely thought to be beyond the realm of possibility.

Affectionately known as ‘Dr Pi’, Borwein was recently part of a research team that calculated the sixth-trillionth binary digit of pi-squared using IBM’s Blue gene P supercomputer.

“IBM Australia approached me with the idea of doing something special for Pi Day on 14 March,” Borwein says.

“So we did.”


The Centre for Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications (CARMA) forms the base for a vibrant cross-university and intra-university Priority Research Centre. There is no corresponding group in Australia and there are very few internationally. CARMA aims to develop three interwoven research themes: computer-assisted pure mathematics and its underlying philosophy; enhanced industrial modelling and scientific computation; and improved techniques for teaching mathematics in the presence of technology at tertiary and at earlier levels.

“By combining human ingenuity with the awesome power of the BlueGene/P computer we came up with an algorithm that allows us to identify potential weaknesses in computer system hardware and software.”

The groundbreaking calculation has inspired more research for Borwein.

“It’s actually kick started some of my research into the question, ‘What does it mean to be random?’,” he says.

“What it means to be random is to not be able to see patterns. But I can make something that’s highly non-random and kind of hide it a little.

“This is significant for things like bank codes and secure log-ons. We try to fake randomness on computers but they’re pseudo random numbers.”

RESEARCH DIRECTIONS | 29

With adjunct appointments at Dalhousie and at Simon Fraser, Borwein directs the University of Newcastle’s Priority Research Centre in Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications.

Borwein received further formal recognition of his career in May 2011 at the ‘Science at the Shine Dome 2011’ conference in Canberra when he was inaugurated into the Australian Academy of Science.

“Pi has certainly been very good to me!” Borwein laughs.

Our computation on Pi Day was huge – to harness the capabilities of one of the world’s most advanced and powerful computers was monumental

“ “


“The airline industry is a perfect example of mathematics at work,” says Boland, who joined the University of Newcastle’s School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences as a Professor in 2008.

“Every time you step onto a plane, approximately 10 different mathematical models have been solved to ensure your flight schedule proceeds smoothly and cost-effectively, involving everything from organising the crew roster to pricing tickets.”

A world-leading operations researcher, Boland is one of Australia’s foremost authorities on integer programming in the field of mathematical optimisation and feasibility.

She has now turned her attention to solving logistical problems and optimising performance in fields as diverse as robotics, telecommunications, radiotherapy, mining, military deployment and supply chain management, with the Centre for Optimal Planning and Operations.

She is also an associate director of the ground-breaking Priority Research Centre for Computer-Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications (CARMA), a group unique to Australia and one of only a few in the world that explores the use of computer applications to enhance the understanding of high-end maths.

Boland’s interest in applying mathematics to industry began in the early 1990s, when as a PhD student when she designed a program to automate the complicated task of airline crew scheduling. This work brought her under the wing of one of the founding fathers of integer programming, George Nemhauser, and led to a stint at the prestigious American research university Georgia Tech.

Airline planning has remained a career interest for Boland, who is now passing her expertise onto emerging researchers, with one of her Newcastle-based PhD students working on methods to improve the optimisation models Boland helped devise two decades ago.

Another industrial application of Boland’s algorithmic research is her work with the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator (HVCCC) through two major ARC linkage research grants in optimising the annual movement of more than 100 million tonnes of coal from 35 mines along rail lines and through the Port of Newcastle.

“It is a massive planning challenge,” she says. “The coal chain involves many providers who share infrastructure. In addition, they need to factor in maintenance and other users of the infrastructure, such as passenger trains.

“Our challenge is to help them build programs that will automatically find the most efficient way to address all of those needs. We conduct the mathematical research behind the software.”

In 2011, Newcastle was the only Australian university to achieve an ERA rating of five for Applied Mathematics, ranking its research performance well above world standard. Boland describes the achievement as a team effort, with schools from across the University contributing to the successful submission.

“The ranking signals to potential students, both local and international, that this is a great place to be a researcher in applied maths,” Boland says.

IT All ADDS UPAn opportunity to use her tertiary mathematics qualifications to tackle problems in the airline industry propelled Professor Natashia Boland’s research career.

The ranking signals to potential students, both local and international, that this is a great place to be a researcher in applied maths

“ “


STATISTICS RESEARCH GROUPThe Statistics Research Group uses complex system quantitative modelling for many applications, including health and safety, climate change and drug discovery.

In collaboration with chemists at Cambridge and Adelaide Universities, the group is working on establishing statistical clustering algorithms (or rules of thumb) for the drug discovery industry – rules by which the best candidate molecules can be chosen for future drug development.

Global climate change work is also undertaken by the group, which models the flowering times and flowering intensities of eucalypt trees to determine whether eucalypts are flowering earlier each year as temperatures increase across the country. Metadatabases and historical data records are sourced in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, University of Adelaide and the Bureau of Meteorology.

The group also works on sleep/wake and duty modelling of railway drivers as part of a CRC Rail Innovation grant in collaboration with the University of South Australia. This research into optimum duty, break and sleep schedules is invaluable to the rail and airline industries.

CENTRE FOR OPTIMAL PLANNING AND OPERATIONSAs the complexity of modern business operations increase, so does the need for planning and operations optimisation, which saves business, industry and government millions of dollars every year.

Using mathematical techniques, the University of Newcastle’s Centre for Optimal Planning and Operations is helping to bring better planning, operations and outcomes to local organisations in the areas of infrastructure, transport, and logistics.

Part of the challenge is building programs that automatically find the most efficient way to address all the variabilities and complexities of modern business operations.

An example of the centre’s work is its partnership with the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator that sees it optimize the annual movement of more than 100 million tonnes of coal from 35 mines along rail lines and through the port of Newcastle.

The centre also partners with organisations and software companies to provide strategic advice, analysis and new ideas for software to support planning and operations optimization.


By improving the understanding of space weather processes using observations to support theoretical modelling, the Centre for Space Physics aims to predict variation and changes in space that cause these disturbances.

Specific projects focus on particular problems of practical concern, such as the effects of space weather on spacecraft, aeronautical and geophysical exploration, communication, navigation and defence.

The global nature of the phenomena studied allows the Centre to obtain data from, and contribute to, a wide variety of international programs at agencies such as NASA, the European Space Agency, the National, Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (USA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency satellites.

Other areas of research are Australian gas pipeline corrosion and its relation to space weather, the role of plasma waves in the Earth’s radiation belts and the energy input from the ionosphere to the lower atmosphere.

CENTRE FOR SPACE PHySICS

Solar disturbances can have catastrophic effects on modern technology like GPS navigation, communication networks, military radar surveillance and remote sensing.

We contribute to 8 Priority Research Centres advanced Particle processing centre for Brain and Mental Health Research centre for chemical Biology centre for computer assisted Research

Mathematics and its applications (caRMa) centre for Energy centre for Health Behaviour centre for Organic Electronics centre for Reproductive Science

We are a partner University in an ARC Centre for Excellence: Integrative legume Research

We offer environmental expertise through: the tom Farrell Institute for the Environment NSW Institute for Frontier Geosciences

We host 4 Research Centres centre for Optimal Planning and Operations centre for Sustainable

Ecosystem Restoration centre for Space Physics centre for urban and Regional Studies

We have 19 research groups involved in a variety of research areas: advanced Synthetic Materials clinical and Health Psychology Design, Information and Human

communication Environmental Biology and Biotechnology Environmental and climate change Environmental Water Science Exercise and Sports Science Human Experimental and applied Dynamics Medical Physics Metabolic Research Nutrition, Food and Health Neuroscience Plant Science Surface and Nanoscience Statistics Sustainable use of coasts and catchments tectonics and Earth Resources Visual Information Processing Wildlife Representation

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Faculty Contact

Faculty of Science & Information technology Mathematics Building – V201 university of Newcastle university Drive callaghan NSW 2308 australia

t +61 2 4921 2007 F +61 2 4921 7949 E [email protected] W www.newcastle.edu.au/faculty/science-it/

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The University of Newcastle

For more information about the articles in this publication please visit www.newcastle.edu.au/research

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Faculty of Science and IT Research Publication 2012