Featured Scientist: Dr Rossana R. Porto, School of Medicine; Translational Health Research Institute

Rossana studies heat shock proteins (HSP) and how they can help patients who suffer from Alzheimer's, Dementia, Parkinson's and other diseases. In 2023, she received a Hands-on Research Grant from the Research Theme Program and in this episode, Rossana explains what she did with the grant. A highly engaged conversation about the human brain, sauna and mice.

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Featured Scientists: Professor Deborah Sweeney, Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Research, Enterprise & International) and Professor Kevin Dunn, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research

In this episode you will hear from the leaders of research at Western Sydney University. Professors Deborah Sweeney and Kevin Dunn talk about their own careers in research and passion for discovery and change. Contact lenses for Deborah, prevention of racism for Kevin. Very different career trajectories have led Deborah and Kevin to the positions they are in today. Both share valuable advice about research partnerships internally and externally. Listen carefully to learn where both see the positive developments from now until 2030 at Western.

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Featured Scientist: Professor Brendan Choat, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment

Brendan Choat is a world leader in plant water relations and interested in how plants, especially trees, cope with water stress. Brendan works on plants from the nanometer to continental scales, piecing together how native and also crop species cope with environmental stresses like drought and fire. Brendan explains in a great and easy to understand way how climate change is impacting our forested landscapes in Australia and how his work is helping conservation management. He also explains what cavitation is and how it leads to ‘popping’ sounds in trees.

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Featured Scientist: Dr Allison Fuller, School of Humanities & Communication Arts

Dr Allison Fuller explores how music therapy can be a tool to help many different groups of people and ages, from infants in NICU to elderly struggling with dementia. Prior to COVID-19, music therapy was done face-to-face, but the pandemic required shifting to online delivery. But how can you make music together when audio and video is delayed? This problem of transmission of signals is called latency. Allison explains how her research resolves this problem.

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Featured Scientist: Dr Jed Montayre, School of Nursing & Midwifery

Dr Jed Montayre received the New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation (NZNO) Young Nurse of the Year Award, in recognition of his early-career contribution to gerontology nursing and research. It is a broad field of study that looks into ageing from multiple angles, which include biological and physiological as well as social aspects of what influences and drives ageing as a social process. He continues his outstanding research at Western where he uses Go-Pro cameras for ‘walking interviews’ with elderly participants.

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Featured Scientist: Dr Emma George, School of Health Sciences

Sebastian and Emma discuss the issues and barriers around men’s health and Emma’s research program, Active Breed. They also talk about the importance of men having a regular GP and regular health checks and normalising the conversations around men’s health.

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Climate Change is the most pressing environmental issue we are facing in the 21st Century. Dr Jacobs is a senior lecturer in creative arts education, former secondary teacher, and primary arts specialist. Her research centres around how embodied learning can result in deeper and lasting change. Rachael explores Dr Seuss’ work around The Lorax and how it can be used in drama to achieve deep learning and change of your own behaviour. 

Featured Scientist: Dr Rachael Jacobs, School of Education, Western Sydney University

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Good research changes the world – listen to Up For Research to hear how work at Western Sydney University delivers this change.

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