RESEARCH
IMPACT
Contents
Vice-Chancellor’s introduction .............. 2
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
introduction ............................................... 3
World rankings.......................................... 4
Research at a glance............................... 5
Research excellence................................ 6
Funding success....................................... 8
Global challenges..................................... 9
Addressing state economic
priorities....................................................10
Institutes .................................................. 12
Centres .................................................... 14
Fellowships and awards ....................... 16
Research impact .................................... 18
Our researchers .................................... 36
Next generation researchers .............. 44
Collaborations........................................ 52
CRICOS 00123M © The University of Adelaide. Published December 2015 2246-1
Research impact:
the demonstrable
contribution that
research makes
to the economy,
society, culture,
public policy, health,
the environment,
or quality of life
Research Impact 1
They respond to emerging global
and national research priorities, they
have access to high quality research
facilities and they are surrounded
by highly talented researchers and
higher degree students.
Outstanding research
universities share some
common characteristics.
The University of Adelaide
possesses these traits, and is
committed to innovation and
continuing the pursuit of research
excellence. From the University’s
earliest days, the discovery of new
knowledge has been at the core of
its mission. Today our global impact
is reflected in the University’s
position within Australia’s Group
of Eight leading research intensive
universities and our consistent
ranking in the top 1% of universities
in the world. Indeed in 2014 we saw
sharply improved positions in all
three of the leading ranking tables.
Pursuing excellence is also
reflected in the research income of
$182 million in 2014–as well as the
quality of our staff. The University
enjoyed another successful year
in grant funding in 2014, receiving
a record number of Australian
Research Council (ARC) Future
Fellowships ($8.4 million for 11 new
projects) and a total $34.5 million
from the ARC and over $33 million
2 Research Impact
in National Health and Medical
Research (NHMRC) funding. This
represented over 60% of the funding
awarded to South Australia under
the two major government schemes.
Our impact in health and medical
research is also being boosted
with the construction of the $206
million Adelaide Health and Medical
Sciences building which will take
the University’s research strength
in Adelaide’s West End to over
1100 people–the largest research
presence in the South Australian
Health and Biomedical Precinct.
Research impact is also measured
by its commercial application.
Record research commercialisation
activity saw the University positioned
within the top four for contract/
commercialisation revenue in 2013.
The following report provides a
glimpse of the talent and drive of
the researchers who continue
to deliver these world-class
research outcomes.
Professor Warren Bebbington
Vice-Chancellor and President
This may be in the form of a new
medical procedure to alleviate
chronic pain, a new device to
provide more efficient power
generation, a greater understanding
of the thoughts and influences that
drive group behaviour; or new uses
of drone technology in agriculture
and environmental monitoring.
One of the most
important aspects of
a university is the way
in which it can benefit
society with the fruits
of its endeavours,
both tangible and
intangible, and
improve people’s lives.
To do this successfully in
an increasingly competitive
environment, we work individually
and collectively to ensure that
our research is of high quality,
supporting research excellence
with judicious co-investment and
a visionary outlook. This stretches
from fundamental basic research,
such as investigating the nature
of dark matter, to more applied
applications, such as a new gel to
stem bleeding and heal wounds
more quickly. Supporting research
quality and the achievement of
research outcomes in areas of
societal and technological need
is fundamental to our mission.
Much of the research conducted
at the University of Adelaide today
focuses on addressing ‘grand
challenges’, whether it be the
challenge of feeding our expanding
global population, sustaining our
environment, achieving a healthier
society or creating sustainable
energy sources. As examples,
our researchers are developing
improved vaccines and novel
treatment strategies for infectious
diseases; enhancing the profitability
and sustainability of smallholder
vegetable farmers in Vietnam; and
utilising microalgae for a variety
of applications, including the
development of renewable fuels.
Looking through the stories
contained in this report, and
reflecting on the breadth and
depth of the talent and expertise
that abounds at the University,
I can only admire greatly our
talented researchers and feel
deeply privileged to work in
such an environment.
Professor Mike Brooks
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and
Vice-President (Research)
Research Impact 3
World rankings
In 2015 the University of Adelaide was ranked:
149 169 113
in the world in The Times
Higher Education World
University Rankings 2015
4 Research Impact
in the world by the Shanghai
Jiao Tong Academic Ranking
of World Universities 2015
in the 2015 QS World
University Rankings.
Research at a glance
1%
Consistently ranked in
the top
of the world’s
universities
5
research
institutes
Over
$182m
research income
in 2014
Top 4
in Australia for
contract research and
commercialisation
activity in 2013
50
Over
research centres
Awarded
67%
of total Australian
National Health and
Medical Research
Council project grant
funding in SA for 2014
Highest
amount
of Research and
Development
Corporation funding
in Australia in 2013
Awarded
60%
of total Australian
Research Council
discovery project grant
funding in SA in 2014
109
Rhodes Scholars
(to date)
21 22 1,705 2,479
out
of
research areas
rated at or above
world class
(2015)
research students in 2014
academic
research staff
386
postgraduate research
students completed in 2014
Research Impact 5
Research excellence
Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) is an initiative of the Australian Government,
which aims to assess research quality using a combination of metrics focussed on
researchers, research outputs, research income, esteem and applied measures.
The results released in December 2015 confirm many of the University’s fundamental
research strengths, in areas including geology, ecology, oncology, nutrition, civil engineering,
astronomical sciences, macromolecular chemistry, soil sciences and philosophy.
>> 35 research sub-fields (52%) were
awarded the maximum rating of 5, the
second highest proportion in the Go8.
>> 20 research sub-fields (30%) were rated
above world standard (4 rating).
>> 11 research sub-fields have now received
a 5 rating across all three ERA rounds
(2010, 2012 and 2015).
6 Research Impact
>> The University is the only institution
in Australia to achieve a 5 rating in
Paediatrics and Reproductive Health
across all three ERA rounds.
The University’s research institutes align well with ERA high performers, with each of the
institutes associated with multiple top rating of 5 in at least one research area.
Institute
Example of research
sub-fields with top
rating of 5
Institute for Photonics
and Advanced Sensing
Optical Physics; Macromolecular and
Materials Chemistry
Waite Research Institute
Plant Biology; Soil Science
Institute for Mineral and
Energy Resources
Geology; Mechanical Engineering
Robinson Research
Institute
Paediatrics and Reproductive Health;
Clinical Sciences
Environment Institute
Environmental Science and Management;
Ecology
Examples of research projects in some of our ‘5’ rated sub-fields include:
Research sub-field
Research example
Mechanical Engineering
Developing clean combustion and
transforming biomass into bio-diesel,
ethanol or di-methyl ether.
Neurosciences
Identifying genes and understanding
the molecular mechanisms leading to
intellectual disabilities, autisms and
some epilepsies.
Optical Physics
Creating an “optical dog’s nose”, which
uses a special laser to measure the
molecular content of a sample of gas,
allowing onsite breath analysis for disease.
Paediatrics and
Reproductive Health
Identifying a key sensing molecule that
controls the timing of birth, which is
expected to generate new therapies to
prevent preterm labour.
Nanotechnology
Using nanotechnology and the fossils of
single-celled algae to develop a novel
chemical-free and resistance-free way of
protecting stored grain from insects.
Research Impact 7
Funding success
The University attracts research income from a wide variety of sources, although our major contributors remain
Commonwealth Government agencies, particularly the Australian Research Council and the National Health
and Medical Research Council. This funding is used to generate research outcomes across a broad variety
of disciplines. Some examples from 2014 include:
13M
$
over five years
2.7M
$
ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship
8.8M
$5M
$
over five years
The University was also awarded a prestigious ARC Australian Laureate
Fellowship for Professor Alan Cooper, Director of the University’s Australian
Centre for Ancient DNA. Professor Cooper has made a series of pioneering
advances in evolutionary biology. He was one of just 16 researchers to receive
this prestigious award, and the only successful applicant in South Australia.
The NHMRC awarded a significant Program Grant, worth approximately
$8.8M over five years, for a team led by Professor James Paton. The aim of
the program is to improve understanding of the interactions between major
disease-causing microbes and their human hosts, leading to the development
of improved vaccines and novel treatments for infectious diseases.
The University’s Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies was chosen by the
Department for Veteran’s Affairs to lead the $5M Transition and Wellbeing
Research Program, the objective of which is to investigate the mental health
and wellbeing of contemporary armed service personnel and veterans.
8.5M
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research provided over
$8.5M for 17 new projects, ranging from fruit and vegetable production
systems in Indonesia to sustainable vegetable farming in Vietnam, with
the largest support of $2.8M for vegetable post-harvest management
and productivity in Cambodia and Laos.
6.1M
The Grains Research and Development Corporation provided funding
worth over $6.1M across 11 new projects in 2014. This included major
support (over $2M each) for improving weed management practices
for emerging weeds, and research into late-maturity alpha-amylase
(a genetic defect) in wheat.
$
$
over 11 new projects
1.5M
$
over
18 new projects
3.2M
$
8 Research Impact
The University was awarded more than $6.8M to establish two new ARC
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs: Genetic Diversity and Molecular
Breeding for Wheat in a Hot and Dry Climate, and Australian Copper-Uranium.
The hubs have attracted a further $6.25M in industry and collaborative support,
bringing the total funding to more than $13M over five years.
The Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation awarded
approximately $1.5M across 18 new projects in 2014, with key research
projects including development of an under-vine floor management
system, and translation of wine science research to industry outcomes.
The Movember Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of
Australia awarded the University $3.2M for a three-year, world-first project
to help quickly distinguish life-threatening cases of prostate cancer from
cancer that may not require treatment. The project is led by Associate
Professor Lisa Butler, School of Medicine, and based in the SAHMRI
Cancer Theme, working with an international research team.
Global challenges
The University of Adelaide is committed to expanding
its research outputs.
Its research institutes and centres address national, state and global priorities,
focusing on key challenges of critical value to society. The global challenges
that the University is addressing include:
> food security
> the management of natural resources, both terrestrial and marine
> the development of sustainable energy sources
> healthy people and populations
> adapting to and mitigating climate change
> cyber security
Research Impact 9
The University of Adelaide addressing
state economic priorities
In August 2014 the South Australia Premier announced the State’s top 10
economic priorities to shape the future of SA. This section provides
examples of the ways in which University of Adelaide researchers are
contributing to State objectives.
Priority 1: Unlocking
the full potential of
South Australia’s
resources, energy and
renewable assets
Priority 2: Premium
food and wine
produced in our clean
environment and
exported to the world
Copper is one of Australia’s top
commodity exports and South
Australia is a significant copper
producer. With federal government
and industry funding, the University
has established an ARC Industrial
Transformation Research Hub
dedicated to Australian CopperUranium. This hub will help the
Australian mining services industry
by producing new, economically
sustainable technologies that will
be utilised by industry locally
and exported internationally.
Dr Matthew Tucker, a 2014 ARC
Future Fellow, is working on ways
to change the developmental path
of grain in cereal crops to influence
yield, quality and end-use. One
outcome could be increased
antioxidant levels in wholegrain or
wholemeal flour, with the ultimate
aim to develop a sustainable way
of growing healthier foods.
Priority 3: A globally
recognised leader in
health research, ageing
and related services
and products
The Freemasons Foundation Centre
for Men’s Health, jointly funded by
the University and the Freemasons
Foundation, is one example of
a targeted approach to solving
specific health issues. In this
case, the multidisciplinary focus
is on healthy male ageing, health
literacy, screening and prevention
and men’s use of and provision of
health services. Particular attention
is given to socioeconomically
disadvantaged men and men in
rural and remote locations.
10 Research Impact
Priority 4: The
‘knowledge state’ –
attracting a diverse
student body and
commercialising
our research
Since 2013 the University has
added an additional 40
postgraduate research scholarships
for international students, helping
to attract a diverse student body.
In 2014, the University attracted
over $41 million in contract research,
consultancy and commercialisation
income - its best year ever.
Priority 5: South
Australia – a growing
destination choice
for international and
domestic travellers
The majority of Australia’s wine
exports originate in South Australia,
with wine regions and cellar doors
creating a major tourist attraction.
The University is the Southern
Hemisphere’s premier wine
research and teaching institution,
and has a long established
training centre at its Waite Campus
– focused on innovative wine
production – to help the wine
industry tackle its big challenges.
Priority 6: Growth
through innovation
The emerging convergence of
nanoscience and photonics offers
the opportunity of using light to
interrogate nanoscale domains,
providing unprecedentedly localised
measurements. The University
hosts the Centre for Nanoscale
Biophotonics, which brings together
physicists, chemists and biologists
focused on controlling nanoscale
interactions between light and
matter to probe the complex and
dynamic nanoenvironments within
living organisms.
Priority 7: South
Australia – the best
place to do business
As part of an ARENA project on
solar energy storage system, the
Centre for Energy Technology is
working with the State Government,
SA Power Networks, the Energy
Networks Association and
companies Solar Storage, ZEN
Energy Systems and Power and
Drive Solutions. With strong private
sector support, the project will
help foster the State’s advanced
manufacturing expertise.
Priority 8: Adelaide –
the heart of the
vibrant state
Construction has begun on the
University’s new Adelaide Medical
and Nursing Schools, which will
support over 2500 students and
health sciences researchers in the
new South Australian Health and
Biomedical Precinct. The vision for
the building is ‘transforming health’
in the areas of education, research
and patient care, by taking
programs into the future with
state-of-the-art facilities, the
incorporation of new teaching
styles and latest technologies.
Priority 9: Promoting
South Australia’s
international
connections and
engagement
Priority 10: South
Australia’s small
businesses have
access to capital and
global markets
The Photonics Catalyst Program
is a joint initiative between the
Department of State Development
and the University of Adelaide.
Its aim is to connect South
Australian industry with emerging
laser and sensor technologies
capable of transforming their
businesses. It creates an SAbased ecosystem of expertise
and capabilities in photonics to
support the development of
cutting edge products.
ARC Australian Laureate Fellow
Professor Alan Cooper has long
been the driving force behind the
strategic growth of evolutionary
biology research in South Australia.
He leads the internationallyrecognised Australian Centre for
Ancient DNA, which attracts a
constant stream of high-profile
international and national visitors
and researchers, who come to
collaborate and utilise his team’s
expertise in key areas of ancient
DNA and evolutionary biology.
Research Impact 11
Institutes
The University’s institutes bring together
world-leading researchers from multiple
disciplines, supported by modern
infrastructure and an innovative
culture, to tackle global
research challenges.
12 Research Impact
Environment Institute
Focus: solving complex
environmental challenges
and developing the collective
approaches needed to do this.
www.adelaide.edu.au/
environment/
The Environment Institute creates
and leads large-scale research
initiatives which aim to deliver
globally competitive solutions
to environmental problems.
Research undertaken within the
institute delivers know-how and
understanding that will underpin
a step-change improvement in
the management of natural
resources, such as water, soil,
land and native flora and fauna,
particularly under changing
climate and economic conditions.
Robinson Research
Institute
Institute for Photonics
and Advanced Sensing
Focus: health and medical research
in human reproduction, pregnancy
and child health under four key
research themes. These are: fertility
and conception, pregnancy and
birth, early origins of health, and
child andadolescent health.
Focus: a transdisciplinary approach
that brings together experimental
physicists, chemists, material
scientists, biologists, engineers
and medical researchers to create
new sensing and measurement
technologies.
www.adelaide.edu.au/robinsonresearch-institute/
www.adelaide.edu.au/ipas/
The Robinson Research Institute
comprises a talented group of more
than 350 researchers and clinicians,
focusing on creating life and
sustaining health.
By focusing on the earliest stages of
life, the Robinson Research Institute
is looking at preventing disease
and promoting health in children
and adults across generations. The
institute bridges the gap between
research discoveries and medical
practice with many of the institute’s
senior researchers also being
leading clinicians in their fields.
Institute for Mineral
and Energy Resources
Focus: unconventional energy
resources, deep exploration
and deep mining, complex ore
processing, reliable low-cost and
low-emission energy technologies.
www.adelaide.edu.au/imer/
IMER is designed to address one
of the biggest challenges facing
Australia: to continue to grow the
economically critical mineral and
energy resources industries in a
technically, economically,
socially and environmentally
sustainable manner.
The institute provides integrated
research, education, professional
development and consulting
services across all aspects of the
industries, from exploration to
processing to international trade.
The institute is developing novel
photonic, sensing and measurement
technologies that will change the
way science is done within traditional
discipline areas, stimulating the
creation of new industries, and
inspiring a new generation of
scientists to be engaged in
solving real world problems.
IPAS research targets application
in four key market areas: defence
and national security, environmental
monitoring, preventative health,
and food and wine.
Waite Research Institute
Focus: plant genetics and genomics,
crop development, viticulture and
oenology, food and nutrition, natural
resource management.
www.wri.edu.au
The Waite Research Institute brings
together researchers from a range of
disciplines including plant biology,
genetics, soil sciences, agronomy
and agricultural economics. Research
undertaken with the institute aims
to find solutions to global problems,
including the challenge of ensuring
global food security, and ensuring
Australia’s agricultural wine and
food industries remain competitive
by providing innovative, researchled developments.
Research Impact 13
Centres
Centres of
Excellence
The University of Adelaide is proud
to host and partner a number of
National Research Centres, funded
by the Commonwealth Government
and research organisations:
Australian
Research Council
(ARC)
ARC Centre of
ARC Centre of
Excellence in Plant
Excellence for
Energy Biology (partner) Particle Physics at the
The centre seeks to better
Terascale (partner)
understand the way in which
plants produce and use their
energy systems in response
to environmental change, and
focuses on unlocking the secrets
of plant energy metabolism. This
information is provided to plant
breeders and geneticists to help
them get the best out of plants.
ARC Centre of
ARC Centre of
Excellence
Excellence for Nanoscale
for the History of
Biophotonics (lead)
Emotions (partner)
The centre brings together
physicists, chemists and biologists
focused on controlling nanoscale
interactions between light and
matter to probe the environments
within living organisms.
ARC Centre of
Excellence
in Plant Cell Wall
Biology (lead)
The centre’s mission is to
advance fundamental scientific
understanding of plant cell wall
biology to enable sustainable
biomass production for food
security, human health and
energy biomass conversion.
14 Research Impact
The centre uses historical
knowledge from Europe, from the
years 100 – 1800, to understand
the long history of emotional
behaviours. Emotions shape
individual, community and national
identities and the centre applies
this knowledge to improve the
social, cultural and emotional
welfare of modern Australians.
ARC Centre of
Excellence for Robotic
Vision (partner)
One of the main objectives of
the Centre is to develop key
enabling technology to create
robots that see and understand
their environment, with the aim
of allowing robotics to transform
labour-intensive industries, disrupt
stagnant markets, and ensure
robots become a ubiquitous
feature of the modern world.
The centre (CoEPP) coordinates
terascale, high-energy and
particle physics research.
Bringing together theoretical and
experimental physicists, CoEPP’s
research includes the prospect of
understanding the origin of mass,
discovering new physical laws,
and producing and studying dark
matter in the laboratory.
Australian Centre
for Plant Functional
Genomics
The centre focuses on improving
the tolerance of wheat and barley
to environmental stresses, such
as drought and salinity, and
researching ways to make plants
use nutrients more efficiently.
ARC Centre of
Excellence for
Mathematical
& Statistical
Frontiers (partner)
The centre is focused on delivering
real outcomes from world-leading
research in mathematical and
statistical theory and methods, and
using these to address challenging
scientific problems in the real world.
National Health
and Medical
Research Council
(NHMRC) Centres
of Research
Excellence
Centre of Research
Excellence for the
Protection of Pancreatic
Beta Cells (lead)
The overall aim of the centre is to
examine the gene-environment
interactions and modifiable
environmental exposures driving the
development of islet autoimmunity
and progression to Type 1 diabetes,
an autoimmune disorder that results
in the destruction of the pancreatic
beta cells.
Centre of Research
Excellence in Translating
Nutritional Science to
Good Health (lead)
Centre of Research
The centre focuses on four primary
Excellence in Aboriginal
areas of research: diabetes,
Chronic Disease
obesity, nutrition in the elderly, and
those with critical illness. It brings
Knowledge Translation
together a range of researchers
and Exchange (lead)
– including clinical investigators,
basic scientists, nutritionists,
leaders in primary health care,
nurses and health psychologists –
with the aim of preventing diseases
by improving people’s nutrition.
Foods for Future
Australians Centre of
Research Excellence
(lead)
The centre brings together
researchers, clinicians and allied
health professionals with an interest
in nutrition during pregnancy and
infancy. Its team of investigators
includes basic scientists, dieticians,
immunologists, and research
clinicians. Research areas include
pregnancy and infant nutrition,
studies of consumer behaviour,
and nutritional metabolomics.
The centre focuses on the
application of translational research
to improve health outcomes for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples, with particular focus on
the prevention, treatment and
management of chronic diseases.
Its a collaborative enterprise
between the National Aboriginal
Community Controlled Health
Organisation, the Wardliparingga
Aboriginal Research Unit, SAHMRI
and the University of Adelaide.
Centre of Clinical
Research Excellence for
Oral Health (partner)
The centre conducts research to
improve primary oral health care
for disadvantaged Australians,
comprising four major themes:
>successful ageing and oral health
>rural oral health
>Indigenous oral health
>the oral health of people with
physical and intellectual disabilities.
Cooperative
Research Centres
The University is also a core partner,
supporting participant or associate
in 11 Cooperative Research Centres
(a Commonwealth Government
program linking industry with
government and higher education
research organisations):
>CRC for Greenhouse Gas
Technologies
>Pork CRC
>Deep Exploration
Technologies CRC
>Energy Pipelines CRC
>CRC for National Plant
Biosecurity
>Poultry CRC
>Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC
>Data to Decisions CRC
>Invasive Animals CRC
>CRC for Water Sensitive Cities
>Sheep CRC
Research Impact 15
Fellowships and awards
The University benefits considerably from externally funded
research fellowships, at various academic levels and across
disciplines. The following provide a small number of examples.
Professor Ian Reid, School
of Computer Science, ARC
Australian Laureate Fellow
Professor Reid’s fellowship project is
creating a computer vision system that can
produce a detailed environmental map in
real time, turning standard video cameras
into sensors that ‘understand’ a scene
with basic semantic tools. This high-level
sensing is intended to unlock a wide range
of applications for autonomous systems,
in areas such as cognitive robotics and
surveillance. The outcome will be a system
that uses machine learning for continuous
performance improvement. Professor Reid
is an expert in the field of computer vision;
an active field of information engineering
that intersects with computer graphics,
machine learning, artificial intelligence
and robotic control.
16 Research Impact
Dr Tanya Zivkovic, School
of Social Sciences, ARC
Discovery Early Career
Researcher Award
Given Australia’s diverse ageing population,
there is increasingly urgent need for culturally
sensitive end-of-life care. Currently, end-oflife planning is promoted and standardised
in the form of advance care directives,
which have a lower uptake in culturally and
linguistically diverse groups. Dr Zivkovic’s
project aims to identify and theorise points
of uptake and resistance to advance
care planning in Australia’s largest Asian
populations. This new knowledge will be
used to develop strategies for cross-cultural
understanding in relation to end-of-life care
preferences. The outcomes will have a
strong bearing on how community attitudes,
the experience of individuals, professional
protocols and legislation evolve in Australia.
Working in the area of social and cultural
anthropology, Dr Zivkovic has considerable
experience in ethnographic, gender and
health research.
Professor Ben Mol, School of
Paediatrics and Reproductive
Health, NHMRC Practitioner
Fellowship
An obstetrician gynaecologist and clinical
epidemiologist, Professor Mol led a
nationwide research collaboration in the
Netherlands on comparative effectiveness
research in reproductive health before
moving to the University of Adelaide. He
is now using his fellowship to modernise
the knowledge base for reproductive
health care, and establish the use of
individual patient data meta-analysis as
the new standard for evidence synthesis in
reproductive health. This will lead to more
personalised medicine in this area, with a
global collaboration between reproductive
health practitioners and researchers. Using
individual patient data of cohort studies
and randomised clinical trials, the study will
develop clinical rules and guidelines that
tailor the individual profile of the patient at
the level of the homogeneous sub-group,
facilitating optimal translation of trial
results to clinical practice.
Dr Elizabeth Hoon, School
of Public Health, Arthritis SA
Florey Research Fellow
A key focus of the fellowship’s research
program is on empowering people to
manage their musculoskeletal conditions.
This is being done through the examination
of barriers to participation in communitybased musculoskeletal preventative
programs and services, with a view to
improving access and participation for all.
This fellowship is providing an opportunity
for a university researcher to partner with
a community-focused organisation that is
gaining significance in the management
of a highly prevalent group of chronic
conditions. Dr Hoon’s background and work
experience in sociology and geography
informs her interest in how health service
research connects with wider social theories
and research methodologies to understand
the material, social and psychological
processes underpinning patient outcomes.
Research Impact 17
Research impact
18 Research Impact
Research Impact 19
Ultimately our research will
provide our industry with an integrated
strategy to meet this challenge, and
anything else that comes their way,
with absolute confidence.
20 Research Impact
Vintage innovation
Helping our wine industry modulate flavour and alcohol levels
in the face of climate and market change
Ironically, for a product synonymous with
relaxation and refinement, wine has always
required considerable sweat and tears to
produce. Both in the vineyard and the winery,
the hours are long and the work hard; and
no matter how diligently producers apply
themselves they remain at the mercy of two
notoriously fickle masters – climate and
consumer taste.
“We’ve used different picking times, yeast
strains, fermentation, filtration methods,
winemaking supplements, and so on,”
said Professor Jiranek.
What’s long been needed is a scientific,
evidence-based approach with which to
nimbly navigate this shifting ground and
provide greater likelihood of return on the
many months of toil.
According to Professor Jiranek, the ability
to create lower-alcohol wines without
compromising flavour quality is becoming
critical for Australian producers, as it is for
producers elsewhere in the world.
Today, through the University of Adelaide’s
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine
Production (TC-IWP), that goal is on the brink
of being achieved, which promises to deliver
a significant international advantage for our
local wine industry.
“Alcohol content in local wines has been
creeping up over the past few years. The
average for reds is now around 14 per cent,
with some extremes exceeding 17. Research
has shown, however, that there’s strong
consumer interest in low-alcohol wines for
health reasons, both at home and abroad, but
mainly as consumers try to manage alcohol
consumption responsibly around work and
driving. There are also greater tax and duty
impositions on wine of higher alcohol content
when imported in key markets overseas.”
“Australian wine producers are facing major
challenges through climate change, water
restrictions, changing consumer preferences
and rising wine alcohol content,” said TC-IWP
Director Professor Vladimir Jiranek.
“So our number one objective is to give them
the ability to confidently adapt their methods
as conditions change, and reliably produce
specific flavour profiles and alcohol contents
for specific markets.
“Having this year completed our first vintage,
we’re well on our way.”
Funded by the Australian Research Council
(ARC) with additional financial support from
the Australian Grape and Wine Authority,
the centre’s researchers have made over
100 wines of various varieties, using grapes
sourced from a number of South Australian
and New South Wales vineyards. Each has
been made using a different combination of
flavour and alcohol modulation techniques,
to provide detailed evidence of their effects
relative to conditions.
“Final alcohol contents range from 8 to
18 per cent, and we’re now conducting
comprehensive chemical analyses. That
will be followed by detailed sensory
evaluations and wine consumer trials.”
“Ultimately our research will provide our
industry with an integrated strategy to meet
this challenge, and anything else that comes
their way, with absolute confidence.”
Established in 2013, the TC-IWP hosts
14 postgraduate students and four
postdoctoral fellows working across
13 research projects. The centre is also
supported by Charles Sturt University, the
Australian Wine Research Institute, CSIRO,
SA Research and Development Institute,
BioInnovation SA, NSW Department of
Primary Industries, Treasury Wine Estates,
Laffort Oenologie Australia, Lowe Wines,
Memstar, Tarac Technologies and
Sainsbury’s Supermarkets.
Research Impact 21
What’s an acceptable
balance between
the protection of
public security and
personal privacy?
22 Research Impact
Returning the gaze
Raising awareness and informing debate on the growing threat
of digital surveillance, ‘big data’ and identity profiling
For billions of people around the world, digital
technology is their friend. Almost globally,
we’ve embraced its high-definition, 24/7
convenience and on-tap social connection
with open arms. We regularly invite and digest
a constant stream of personally targeted
information. Similarly, we draw great comfort
from the prevention or punishment of criminal
activity as a result of online intelligence
gathering or CCTV footage, and the use of
digital data to enable improved health care.
and legal control surrounding who had access
to our information, and how businesses and
government could use it to make assumptions
about our personality and behaviour.
There is, however, a worrying flipside: a
genuine and growing threat to our privacy
and perceived identity. Recent research at
the University of Adelaide has found that,
not only is this far more dangerous than
many realise, but our laws are woefully
inadequate to protect us.
Importantly, Dr Humphreys said “opting out”
of the digital world was not an option, as it
excluded people from their networks and did
not address the underlying problem. The only
appropriate response, the research found, was
for the management of our digital information
to be brought under the rule of law.
Co-authored by Professor Melissa de Zwart of
the Adelaide Law School and Senior Lecturer
in Media Dr Sal Humphreys, the research looks
at the impact that digital data capture and
consumer or citizen profiling could have on our
lives, and the capacity of current US, UK and
Australian laws to mitigate the risk of harm.
On both counts, the findings have raised grave
and – considering the Australian Government’s
ongoing deliberations regarding data capture
for anti-terrorism purposes – timely concerns.
“Ideally, all forms of surveillance would
be ultimately accountable to a selfgoverning public.”
“Our every ‘post’, online purchase and
GPS-tracked journey is captured and stored,”
said Dr Humphreys. “Data can even be
harvested from our smart phones through
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi while we’re walking
through public spaces.”
The biggest danger of this, according to
Dr Humphreys, was a lack of transparency
“Algorithms are used to categorise us
according to our choices,” she said. “However,
these data profiles aren’t a true representation
of us, because they lack context – algorithms
never ask why we do what we do. That can
be a big problem when we apply for credit or
when police identify people of interest.”
Dr Humphreys believed debate and change
were urgently needed to address these issues,
before it became impossible for citizens to
preserve any semblance of online privacy.
“What’s an acceptable balance between the
protection of public security and personal
privacy? Who will advocate for that balance
if governments are seen to have a vested
interest in saturation surveillance?
“We’re hopeful our research will inform these
conversations, establish frameworks with
which to make sense of the issues and,
ultimately, contribute to the creation of
policies that serve the interests of a free
and open society.”
Research Impact 23
We can’t wait to see the
benefits of this technique
filter through into the
development of more
energy efficient
industrial processes.
24 Research Impact
Pedal to the metal
Enhancing industrial chemical production with the world’s
first porous nanomaterial for analysing catalytic reactions
Many people would consider “catalysis” to
be, at best, little more than a vague and
distant memory; a topic not touched on
since high school science classes. Yet,
despite its infrequent use in dinner-party
conversations, we all benefit from it daily.
Virtually every industrial chemical on the
planet is produced using some form of
metal-based catalytic reaction, and these
chemicals are integral in a vast array of our
products and processes. These include
plastics, rubber, textiles and clothing,
agriculture, paper production, petroleum
refining and manufacturing.
So when researchers from the University
of Adelaide’s Centre for Advanced
Nanomaterials recently succeeded in creating
a more efficient and accurate way to analyse
these vital reactions, it was big news.
“Ultimately our work is going to facilitate
the development of new, or more effective,
catalysts that are tailored to deliver specific
chemical products,” said lead researcher
Associate Professor Chris Sumby. “It’s
of fundamental importance to the
scientific community.”
Fittingly, the research team’s breakthrough,
published in the journal Nature Chemistry,
builds on the Nobel Prize-winning work of
University of Adelaide alumni Sir William and
Sir Lawrence Bragg. In 1914 the remarkable
father-and-son team pioneered the use of
X-rays to determine crystal structure, providing
valuable insight into the relationship between
atomic structure and material function.
The Braggs’ technique – known as X-ray
crystallography – relied on the sample being
crystalline so as to provide an observable
long-range atomic order. However, according
to Associate Professor Sumby, his team has
developed a new nanomaterial to house
samples that eliminates the need for them
to be crystallised.
“It’s a porous metal-organic framework
[MOF] with a sponge-like structure,” said
co-investigator, Associate Professor Cristian
Doonan. “This enables us to simply ‘pour’
metal samples in, together with chemical
reactants, and achieve the necessary
long-range order immediately.
“We can then conduct the reaction and
examine the structures of the products
using X-rays without having to isolate them
or grow crystals. We can potentially even
capture ‘snapshots’ of the structures while
the reactions are still happening, which
certainly can’t be done normally with
X-ray crystallography.
“We can’t wait to see the benefits of this
technique filter through into the development
of more energy efficient industrial processes.”
The ongoing MOF research is jointly supported
by the Science and Industry Endowment Fund
and the Australian Research Council.
Research Impact 25
30 to 50 per cent of stillbirths are unexplained,
and health care workers are often poorly trained
to provide an adequate level of care.
26 Research Impact
A softer place to land
Showing the way for improved quality of care
for parents of stillborn babies Australia-wide
Stillbirth is one of our society’s hidden
nightmares. Though rarely discussed, even
by health practitioners with parents-to-be,
it is experienced by one in every 135
Australian families. Twice as many lives are
lost to it each year as are taken in road
fatalities, and 30 times more than by
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Not surprisingly, the experience is devastating
for those affected. Besides having to cope
with the inevitable grief, parents are also at
heightened risk of depression and self-blame;
a dangerous spiral that can be exacerbated
by the fact that 30 to 50 per cent of stillbirths
are unexplained, and health care workers
are often poorly trained to provide an
adequate level of care.
On this latter front, however, progress is now
being made Australia-wide as a result of
research conducted recently by the University
of Adelaide’s Joanna Briggs Institute.
In a project funded by the Stillbirth Foundation
Australia, researchers at the institute first
conducted a worldwide review of studies into
how families experience care after stillbirth,
and then produced a series of best-practice
guidelines for health practitioners. These
guidelines are now freely available on the
Stillbirth Foundation Australia website and have
been embraced by health professionals and
relevant industry bodies across the country.
“Quality of care is one area where we
can make a huge and positive difference
for families coping with stillbirth,” said
Associate Professor Zoe Jordan, Director of
Communication Science at the institute.
“Our research confirmed that the actions,
behavior and communications of health care
professionals during their interaction with
parents, and the stillborn baby, can have a
considerable impact on parents’ psychological
well-being.”
According to Associate Professor Jordan, the
research findings show that parents are most
comforted by health care professionals who
are prepared to involve them collaboratively
in decision-making, and who provide
empathetic, sensitive, culturally appropriate
and respectful care at all times.
“In our guidelines we identify three key stages
in the care process – from diagnosis to birth,
immediately after birth, and post-birth onwards.
Each stage is critical and may require unique
information and support provision.
“For example, this can include guidance
around such difficult issues as: what to expect
from the delivery; how to arrange the induction
and birth environment; whether or not to
conduct an autopsy; holding, bathing and
spending time with the baby, and so on.”
The research team is hopeful that the care
guidelines will soon be rolled out nationally
in a rigorous implementation plan to ensure
comprehensive uptake of the guidance in
clinical settings.
“We’re also advocating for its incorporation
in an education program,” said Associate
Professor Jordan. “Our research confirms that
health care professionals themselves can be
emotionally affected by stillbirth, which can
influence their interaction with parents. So it’s
something they really need to prepare for.”
Research Impact 27
We’ve now conducted
hundreds of successful
flights and trained dozens
of conservation workers
across many countries ...
28 Research Impact
Passing the remote
Giving developing countries the power to protect
their threatened tropical ecosystems through
unique “conservation drones”
Wildlife and environmental conservation
is a challenge wherever it occurs, but
particularly so in tropical developing countries.
With rapid deforestation, poaching and the
spread of agriculture and industry, the need
is high. Yet funds are scarce, distances vast
and terrain often difficult, if not impossible
to negotiate by foot or car. Research by
University of Adelaide Associate Professor Lian
Pin Koh, however, may provide a solution.
For the past few years, Associate Professor
Koh, of the University’s Environment Institute,
has been investigating the development and
use of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs), or “drones”, for conservation-related
applications. His work has not only proven
the idea viable but, through his not-for-profit
organisation ConservationDrones.org,
is already making a significant difference
to the effectiveness of conservation
efforts worldwide.
“The idea first came to me in 2011,” said
Associate Professor Koh. “I was discussing
the challenges of wildlife conservation in
Southeast Asia with a colleague, Serge Wich
[Liverpool John Moores University], and we
wondered if UAVs might be an option.
“We quickly discovered most commerciallyavailable UAVs were too expensive for
conservation groups in developing countries,
though. So we decided to develop our own
low-cost drone specifically for the task.”
Their first prototype – remarkably produced
for less than AUD$2,000 – was tested in
February 2012. Over four days in North
Sumatra, it collected thousands of high quality
images of forests and wildlife. Word spread,
and they were soon overwhelmed with
interest from peers and press. They
co-founded ConservationDrones.org just
two months later and have since expanded
it into a worldwide initiative.
“We’ve now conducted hundreds of
successful flights and trained dozens
of conservation workers [in the use of
UAVs] across many countries, including
Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Congo,
Madagascar and more.
“Our machines can be fitted with all sorts of
camera systems, including thermal imaging.
We can even use the images to produce
three-dimensional models of the terrain.”
Associate Professor Koh said a particularly
valuable feature of the drones was that they
could be programmed to fly very close to
forest canopies. This had enabled researchers
to detect elusive orangutans, elephants,
rhinoceros, forest buffalo and turtle nests.
“All photos are also tagged with GPS
coordinates,” he explained, “which has
given authorities the ability to prosecute
illegal loggers, and spot poachers’
distant campfires.”
A key research focus for Associate Professor
Koh was to expand the impact of this
technology. “I’ve recently established an
Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility here at
the University. This provides a ‘coalescing
node’ for information exchange among
environmental scientists, natural resource
managers, and conservation practitioners
in South Australia.
“One of the first projects I will be involved
with in Australia through the facility is the
development of a drone to radio-track
Australian wildlife, such as wombats,
wallabies and bilbies. This will help identify
where species are located, their habitats
and how to protect them against threats.”
Research Impact 29
... the study was
recently awarded an
$8m grant from US-based
charity The Helmsley Charitable
Trust, in partnership with JDRF
Australia’s Type 1 Diabetes
Clinical Research Network.
30 Research Impact
Zeroing in on type 1
Identifying the likely environmental triggers behind the
rapid rise of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes has been described as an
invisible disease. Those untouched by type 1
diabetes rarely see or understand the 24-hour
a day balancing act that goes on behind
the scenes.
A person living with type 1 diabetes
must constantly monitor their intake of
carbohydrates, insulin, exercise, stress
and a multitude of other factors that affect
blood glucose levels. It’s a constant burden
that, so far, cannot be removed and the
consequences of having blood glucose levels
that are too low or too high can be dire. Even
more worryingly, over the past 20 years the
rate of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes in
Australia and around the world has doubled.
Recently, some good news has emerged.
A team led by the University of Adelaide’s
Robinson Research Institute and the Women’s
and Children’s Hospital is conducting a
landmark Australia-wide study that it hopes
will reveal the disease’s pre- and postbirth environmental triggers, and inform its
prevention and cure.
Called the Environmental Determinants of
Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study, it’s the
largest of its kind in the world to include early
pregnancy observations in the natural history
of type 1 diabetes.
“We believe the modern environment that
the child is exposed to in early life holds the
key to understanding the increase in type
1 diabetes,” said lead researcher Professor
Jenny Couper.
“Factors such as nutrition, weight gain,
chronic inflammation, viral infections and
the bacteria colonisation of our bodies (the
microbiome) may drive or protect against the
development of type 1 diabetes. Importantly,
children are exposed to these factors inutero, which is where the origins of type 1
diabetes may lie. This seems likely as the
first detectable sign of diabetes developing is
commonly in the first year of life, long before
the disease presents clinically. Our research
aims to identify the early life exposures that
lead to type 1 diabetes and the genes that
are involved.”
The potential of the ENDIA study to accelerate
the global understanding of type 1 diabetes
has been recognised internationally and the
study was recently awarded an $8m grant from
US-based charity The Helmsley Charitable
Trust, in partnership with JDRF Australia’s
Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Research Network.
Professor Couper and her team are following
the development of 1,400 children in great
detail across Australia from pregnancy to early
childhood. All participants have a first-degree
relative with type 1 diabetes.
“There are many reasons why the environment
has firmed as a suspect in the rise of type 1
diabetes,” said Professor Couper.
“For example, the proportion of sufferers who
have ‘high risk’ genes is actually decreasing
and the increase in incidence is accounted
for by people with ‘medium risk’ genes”.
“We’re hopeful that identifying the
environmental factors that increase or
decrease risk could lead to effective new
prevention strategies.”
In addition to the recent funding boost,
the ENDIA study is also supported through
a Centre for Research Excellence based at
the University of Adelaide with $2.5 million in
funds from the National Health and Medical
Research Council and JDRF Australia. Other
contributing institutions are the Walter and
Eliza Hall Institute, Royal Melbourne Hospital,
University of New South Wales, University of
Sydney, University of Western Australia and
University of Queensland.
Research Impact 31
We’ve now set up the framework for the development
of a vibrant new relationship that promises significant
benefits for the communities of China and Australia,
32 Research Impact
An ally emerges in the east
Partnering with Shanghai Jiao Tong University to enhance
the agriculture and health of Australia and China
As the world’s most populous nation
and second largest economy, China is
undoubtedly a key player in all world affairs,
and the importance of Australia’s political and
economic relationship with the Asian power
is well documented. Less often considered,
though also of enormous value, are our
educational and research ties.
have mutual research interests and
complementary capabilities.”
The University of Adelaide was delighted to
play a part in strengthening these ties recently,
by entering into a formal partnership with
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, one of China’s
oldest and most prestigious universities, with
the agreed objective of seeking to improve
the agriculture and health of both countries.
A significant figure in the development of
this relationship has been Professor Dabing
Zhang, an international authority in plant
science who divides his time between
Shanghai Jiao Tong and Adelaide’s highly
regarded Waite campus. Professor Zhang was
appointed to the joint professorial position in
2014, in recognition of his tireless efforts to
strengthen the universities’ engagement.
“We’ve now set the framework for the
development of a vibrant new relationship
that promises significant benefits for the
communities of China and Australia,” said
University of Adelaide Deputy Vice-Chancellor
and Vice-President (Research), Professor
Mike Brooks.
The universities have begun working together
on joint research programs in four major
areas: agriculture and wine, land and water,
food safety and quality, and health and
nutrition. Each program will also include the
development of new technologies and their
commercialisation, in turn creating further
trade opportunities.
According to Professor Brooks, the two
institutions are ideal partners for such
initiatives. “Shanghai Jiao Tong is a member
of the distinguished C9 League of researchintensive Chinese universities – an equivalent
of Australia’s Group of Eight, to which
Adelaide belongs,” he said. “We also
The universities are also collaborating within
teaching programs, postgraduate training,
infrastructure development and academic
staff exchange, and are establishing a new
joint research centre based in Adelaide
and Shanghai.
“It was Professor Zhang who first championed
the creation of a joint master’s degree
between Shanghai Jiao Tong and Adelaide,”
said Professor Brooks. “It’s also in large
part due to him that our relationship has
progressed so effectively in a relatively short
period of time. We’re honoured to have
him with us.”
Professor Zhang’s personal research focus
is into the key issues surrounding food
security, including the generation of more
environmentally resilient and productive crops.
“We’re hopeful of attracting additional funding
for this and other joint ‘smart agriculture’
research,” said Professor Brooks. “After all,
producing sufficient safe and nutritious food is
fundamental to ensuring a healthy population,
clean environment and strong economy for
both countries.”
Research Impact 33
... analysis of
this information ...
will provide our wine
producers with invaluable
market insights.
34 Research Impact
Decanting greater market
intelligence
Informing our wine industry’s growth strategies through
a world-first database of global wine grape production
If the first step in identifying how to proceed
commercially is to know where you stand
relative to your competitors, researchers at
the University of Adelaide have provided the
Australian wine industry with arguably the
most important “GPS” it’s ever had.
With funding from the former Grape and Wine
Research and Development Corporation
(now part of the Australian Grape and Wine
Authority), the University’s Wine Economics
Research Centre has created the world’s first
database to comprehensively map the bearing
area of every wine grape variety in every wine
region around the globe. Importantly, the data
also shows changes over time.
Led by School of Economics Professor Kym
Anderson, researchers gathered in-depth
information from the years 2000 and 2010
on more than 1,500 unique wine grape
varieties across 48 countries. Further data
was also captured for the major wine grapegrowing nations from earlier decades, and a
particularly detailed supplementary database
has been created for Australia. According
to Professor Anderson, analysis of this
information – which he and a colleague have
published in an award-winning book – will
provide our wine producers with invaluable
market insights.
“There’s a huge range of big-picture
intelligence to be gleaned,” he said. “For
example, we can see definitively how the mix
of grapes differs from one Australian region to
another, and between those Australian regions
and regions of other countries. We can also
see what percentage of a region’s production
is accounted for by each variety and how
that’s changing.”
Professor Anderson said the data had shown
Australia’s varietal range was far narrower
than in many other countries, and that range
is continuing to decline. This situation was
also reflected between our regions, which
indicated a need and opportunity for
greater diversification.
“Here in Australia, our top three varieties make
up 64 per cent of our vineyards, and the top
10 accounts for 88 per cent. Whereas in Italy,
for example, those figures are just 23 per cent
and 45 per cent respectively.”
Another valuable insight that could be
drawn from the data is which varieties are
performing well in regions that our own are
likely to resemble climatically in future. “Wine
producers are well aware of the impact
climate change is having. They’re continually
on the lookout for attractive varieties that
perform well in climates similar to what they
expect to experience in decades ahead.”
The next phase for the project would
involve international researchers preparing
complementary in-depth analyses for
their own countries’ wine industries.
This process is already underway, said
Professor Anderson, in many cases with
his collaboration.
For more information
The global wine grape database is freely
available online at: www.adelaide.edu.au/
wine-econ/databases/winegrapes
Professor Anderson’s book analysing the
data, Which wine grapes are grown where?
A global empirical picture, produced with
the assistance of statistician Nanda Aryal,
is also available to freely download at:
www.adelaide.edu.au/press/titles/
winegrapes
The book was joint winner in 2014 of the
prestigious International Organisation of
Vine and Wine Prize for the best viticulture
books published globally.
Research Impact 35
Our researchers
36 Research Impact
Dr Michael Sheng
Web Technologies
Since its birth in the
early 1990s, the World
Wide Web has changed
our world and society
quickly and profoundly,
by sharing knowledge
and connecting people.
Very recently, the Web has begun
to connect ordinary things in the
physical world, moving towards
a so-called Web of Things (WoT).
WoT is widely regarded as the
ultimate goal of the World Wide
Web and offers exciting capabilities
to change the world and improve
the quality of human lives in
the coming decade.
Advancing the Web technologies
– and particularly WoT is the main
research focus for Associate
Professor Michael Sheng, Deputy
Head of the School of Computer
Science at the University of Adelaide.
Michael has recently been awarded
a prestigious ARC Future Fellowship
(2014-2018), with total funding
of $757,452. His ARC Future
Fellowship project focuses on the
most fundamental research question
of WoT: how to efficiently and
effectively manage billions of things
over the future World Wide Web.
Michael is investigating this key
problem and developing novel
techniques for linking resourceconstrained things to the Web,
searching them using a new search
engine, as well as discovering latent
relationships among things for
advanced management tasks,
such as things recommendation
and composition.
Michael is also currently leading
two ARC Discovery Projects. One
project focuses on understanding
human activities using low-cost,
unobtrusive radio-frequency
identification (RFID) and sensor
technologies, which holds the
potential to help the ageing
population live better. The other
project focuses on truth discovery
from diverse, noisy, and large data
sources available on the Web.
In 2012, Michael won the Chris
Wallace Award for outstanding
research contribution, which is the
most prestigious award in computer
science, given to only one person
each year in Australia and New
Zealand. His research has attracted
more than $2.6M and he has
published more than 200 papers
in world-leading journals and
conferences. Michael’s research
has been highly cited by his
international peers and he is listed
as one of the “Top Most Cited
Authors” in the World Wide Web
research area (ranked 133 out of
49,350 authors, top 0.26%) by
Microsoft Academic Search.
Research Impact 37
Dr Giang Nguyen
Civil Engineering
There are many cases
around the world where
catastrophic failure
and collapse at
underground mine
sites or geotechnical
infrastructure has
resulted in huge loss of
life and property.
Dr Giang Nguyen, from the
School of Civil, Environmental and
Mining Engineering, is seeking
to better predict this type of
collapse by understanding the way
materials behave under various
environmental and load conditions.
Funded by an Australian Research
Council (ARC) Future Fellowship,
Giang is developing a modelling
framework to better scale material
properties from laboratory samples
to field structures.
38 Research Impact
“It’s very hard to predict the effect
of a natural disaster or failure in
infrastructure,” Giang says. “All
we can do as engineers to ensure
optimal stability is to do laboratory
tests on small specimens taken
from the site and use this analysis
to project what might happen
on a larger scale.
“But there are obviously different
behaviours between small
specimens of 10cm3 than for large
structures of 100m3 or more.”
Giang’s new methodology aims to
properly link failures at the microscale, specimen scale and large
(field) scale in order to develop
inexpensive numerical tools. These
could help engineers when building
large structures, such as dams, rock
slopes, embankments and mines, to
ensure cost-effective designs and
greater confidence in safety.
Giang has been conducting
research in this area for over 14
years, since the start of his PhD in
Oxford. He joined the University
of Adelaide in July 2013, after
spending six years at the
University of Sydney.
“The School of Civil Environmental
and Mining Engineering is an
excellent environment for multidisciplinary research. I have
been given strong support and
had opportunities to interact
and collaborate with academics
across several disciplines, such
as Geotechnical & Structural
Engineering, Mining Engineering,
and Mechanical Engineering.
“This is stimulating and also helped
me win the prestigious Future
Fellowship from the Australian
Research Council.”
Dr Damien Fordham
Global Change Biology
Global extinction
rates have soared over
the past century, due
predominantly to the
resource demands
of a burgeoning
human population.
Shifting land use, wildlife
exploitation, and elevated rates
of competition and predation by
invasive organisms have reduced
the ranges and abundances of
many species.
Dr Damien Fordham, an ARC Future
Fellow working in the University’s
Environment Institute and School
of Biological Science, conducts
research focused on the causes
and consequences of extinction.
His approach is innovative in that
it marries quantitative ecology,
evolutionary biology, climatology
and palaeontology in forecasts
of species’ distributional range
changes, extinction risks and
climate change impacts.
Damien’s particular area of expertise
is the development of models that
integrate demographic, physiological
and evolutionary processes to
better anticipate the likelihood of
at-risk species and communities
being eliminated. These predictive
tools can then be used to better
design and implement effective
conservation strategies.
Researchers across the globe are
now adopting the conservation
modelling approaches and tools
that Damien has developed.
For example, his modelling of
the combined effects of climate
change, prey availability and
management intervention is being
used to develop conservation
strategies for the Iberian lynx in
Spain and Portugal. As one of
Europe’s last top mammalian
predators, this species constitutes
the world’s most threatened cat,
and the European Union has spent
more money on it (€94 million since
1994, and €31 million since 2002)
than any other European species
of conservation concern.
“Through my interactions with
world-class academics at the
University,” he says, “I have been
able to develop a wide network
of international and national
collaborators in research areas
ranging from conservation and
evolutionary biology to climate
science and paleoecology.
“The establishment of this network
has helped provide me with the
multi-disciplinary skill set needed to
generate world-leading research on
the ecological consequences of
global change.”
Research Impact 39
Dr Simon Baxter
Evolutionary Biology
Controlling unwanted
pests that can devastate
crops, such as leaffeeding insects, has
always been a major
challenge in farming.
Today, farmers have an arsenal
of insecticides to help minimise
damage to crops. However,
pests can develop resistance,
and particularly when the same
insecticide is used repeatedly.
Doctor Simon Baxter’s research
focuses on identifying genetic
mutations that cause insecticide
resistance, to help understand how
these products kill pests and how
they can be better utilised.
Working in the University of
Adelaide’s School of Biological
Sciences, with funding from the
Australian Research Council and
a Ramsay Fellowship, Simon’s
current work focuses on Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria, which
can produce hundreds of different
types of toxins that each kills
specific groups of insects. The
40 Research Impact
genes that encode Bt toxins are
now used in some transgenic
crops, such as cotton.
he took on a part-time research job
investigating how Drosophila fruit
flies adapt to different climates.
While transgenic crops remain a
highly controversial topic in politics
and society, and can be problematic
for organic farmers, their use could
help to maximise crop yield and
minimise crop losses due to insect
damage in the future.
“As my interest in insect adaptation
grew, I began to focus on science
with strong links with industry,” says
Simon. “Around the same time,
transgenic crops expressing Bt
toxins were commercially released
and I became interested in how
insects could potentially adapt and
evolve resistance to these toxins.”
The ultimate goal of the research
relates to food security. With the
world’s population predicted to
reach nine billion by 2050, we
will need to produce more food
globally to sustain demand –
hopefully at minimal cost to our
environment. While they won’t be
the sole answer to world hunger
or human sustainability, transgenic
crops are likely to form part of
an integrated pest management
solution. Understanding the specific
mechanisms Bt toxins use to kill
targeted pests may help society
decide whether to adopt this
technology further.
Simon’s interest in this area was
first piqued in his undergraduate
years at Monash University when
Simon decided to undertake a
PhD at the University of Melbourne,
focusing on molecular mechanisms
of insecticide resistance in
agricultural pests, before moving to
the UK to study insect adaptation
and evolution. He then joined the
University of Adelaide in 2012.
“During my time at the University
of Adelaide, I have established
multiple new collaborations
with scientists in China and the
US. Adelaide is a national hub
for agricultural research, which
provides a supportive environment
to undertake my work.”
Professor Deb White
Leukaemia Research
Professor Deborah White
is Deputy Cancer Theme
Leader and Director of
Cancer Research at the
South Australian Health
and Medical Research
Institute (SAHMRI). She
is an Affiliate Professor
in both Medicine and
Paediatrics at the
University of Adelaide.
In this role, Deb has established the
Cancer Theme, bringing together
outstanding leukaemia and stem
cell researchers. Deb is responsible
for the conduct of approximately
100 cancer researchers, and is also
directly responsible for her research
group of over 20 researchers and
postgraduate students.
Deb’s current research projects
focus on the treatment of patients
with chronic myeloid leukaemia
(CML) and acute lymphoblastic
leukaemia (ALL).
Despite the remarkable clinical
success of tyrosine kinase inhibitors
(TKIs) to treat patients with CML,
not all respond optimally. Deb and
her team are working to address the
key factors that dictate response
to TKI therapy.“In CML we are on
a ‘path to cure’,” says Deb. “Our
ultimate aim is treating patients in
such a way that they will remain
disease-free off of therapy.”
Deb has a growing national and
international reputation in ALL. She
is working to ensure that: there is
an understanding of the disease
drivers in high-risk ALL; each
patient receives the right therapy
for their disease; relapses are
averted; and those who do relapse
can be successfully treated.
“My overarching goal and that of my
group is to ensure we use the best
therapy, at the best time, to ensure
the best result for each leukaemia
patient,” she says. “The drugs
and tools we have available mean
that we can indeed ‘personalise’
approaches for each patient.”
Deb commenced her career in
Haematology at IMVS (now SA
Pathology), before completing a PhD
at the University of Adelaide in 2007.
As part of her PhD, Deb developed
in vitro and in vivo assays to assess
the efficacy of TKIs in CML cells
(intrinsic sensitivity) collected at the
time of patient diagnosis, and during
the first month of TKI therapy. These
were the first bioassay to optimize
kinase inhibitor therapy in any
cancer, and remain in use today in
all CML clinical trials in Australia
and elsewhere.
Deb’s PhD also focused on defining
biomarkers to predict which
patients would do less well than
others. “I was keen to make a
difference and wanted my research
to be directly related to patients.”
Deb became a Fellow of the Faculty
of Science of the Royal College
of Pathologists within three years
of completing her PhD and a
Professor in the University’s School
of Medicine within five. She has
authored over 65 papers, presented
more than 150 national and
international peer-reviewed talks,
and in 2014 received the Australian
Society for Medical Research
(ASMR) SA Leading Light Award.
Research Impact 41
Assoc. Prof. Jeremy Thompson
Reproduction - oocyte and early embryo development
Jeremy Thompson’s
research has two
main goals:
>> enabling infertile couples
to achieve a healthy
pregnancy and a healthy
baby following treatment
>> maximising the reproductive
potential of livestock species
to provide farmers with better
quality and ethical livestock
production systems that
makes economic sense.
Although seemingly diverse, both
objectives hinge on the production
of healthy embryos. “I am inspired
by the feeling of awe when I look
down a microscope at a living early
embryo,” Jeremy says. “Regardless
of species, there’s an appreciation
that this is the beginning of a
whole new life. I never get tired of
watching early embryos grow –
they are fascinating.”
42 Research Impact
A NHMRC Senior Research
Fellow, based in the University of
Adelaide’s School of Paediatrics
and Reproductive Health, Jeremy’s
research is focused on discovering
the determinants of developmental
potential within mammalian
oocytes (eggs) and early embryos.
Specifically, he investigates the
metabolic regulation of oocyte
and early embryo health and what
maternal factors influence this.
Along with collaborations on
the roles of oocyte-secreted
growth factors and reproductive
tract cytokines, he is interested
in how the mother’s metabolic
health during the first few days of
conception influences long-term
health and development outcomes.
Jeremy is Head of the Early
Development Group at the
University’s Robinson Research
Institute and also holds the position
of Biological Challenge Leader at
the ARC Centre of Excellence for
Nanoscale Biophotonics.
As well as being the recipient
of four current NHMRC grants,
Jeremy is passionate about
commercialisation of research
and he partly funds his research
team by commercial contracts.
He has had a collaboration of
over 20 years with medical device
manufacturer Cook Medical, and
he also generates his own research
income through a University
business unit, IVF Vet Solutions,
which was initiated with a University
Commercial Accelerator Scheme
(CAS) grant.
For more information on
IVF Vet Solutions, visit:
http://health.adelaide.edu.
au/paediatrics-reproductive/
services-training/ivfvetsol/
Dr Anna Goldsworthy
Creative practice: performance, music (piano and chamber music), creative writing
Dr Anna Goldsworthy
grew up in Adelaide and
found her future career
path from an early age,
when she was accepted
into the University
of Adelaide’s Elder
Conservatorium.
“Meeting my teacher Eleonora Sivan
when I was nine equipped me with
a sense of musical vocation,” says
Anna, “and my research activities
have grown out of that.”
Anna completed a Bachelor of Music
(Honours) degree, before leaving
Adelaide in 1996 for further study.
In 2013, the University established
the J.M. Coetzee Centre for Creative
Practice and this provided Anna with
a creative opportunity she couldn’t
resist; she returned to Adelaide
to take up a position as Research
Fellow at the centre.
Anna’s research takes the form
of creative practice and she
has multiple projects underway
involving both her chosen
disciplines, music and writing.
These include:
>> Jokes on Wheels, a coming-of-
age novel set in Adelaide, funded
with assistance from Arts SA.
>> Seraphim Discovery Program, a
multi-platform educational program
introducing children and new
audiences to classical music and
chamber music. It incorporates a
radio documentary, online 3D video
exploration and children’s CD,
alongside regional performances
and schools residencies throughout
South Australia.
>> Beethoven Trios, a multi-faceted
project researching performance
practice in Beethoven’s piano
trios, and forging pathways to
community engagement in this
repertoire, through: new-format
immersive concert experiences;
pop-up recitals; national concert
series; interactive concert
installations; collaboration with
street artist Peter Drew; and
radio documentaries.
>> Beyond the Stage: interpreting
history through performing arts
practice, a project which aims
to: create a definitive account
of the impact of World War
1 on musical, operatic, and
theatrical performances and
their reception in South Australia
during the period 1914-1920;
interpret through performance
the findings of the archival
research; and design, apply and
advocate by way of example a
collaborative material history
research methodology that is
interdisciplinary in its approach
and cross-media in its modes
of dissemination.
“The goal of my music-based
research is to sustain and reanimate
the classical/chamber music
tradition, to ensure its survival
and proliferation in the future.”
Research Impact 43
Next generation
researchers
44 Research Impact
Kristin Carson
Medicine: Indigenous Health and Tobacco Cessation
Kristin Carson is proof
that there are many
pathways to a career in
research. As a teenager,
unsure of her future
goals, she avoided
science and came very
close to failing Year 12.
But a decision to obtain a TAFE
Certificate III in Laboratory Skills
changed her life and set her on the
path to her career as a medical
research scientist. After 9 years
working in laboratories and hospital
research institutions, Kristin was
admitted to a Master of Medicine
at the University of Adelaide, which
she quickly upgraded to a PhD.
Kristin’s thesis focuses on
treatment options for tobacco
cessation, prevention and related
illnesses, with particular reference
to Indigenous populations and
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander (ATSI) Australians.
“Closing the health gap between
Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Australians has been highlighted as
a key national priority,” she says.
“When considering that current
tobacco use for Indigenous
Australians is 2.5 times greater than
use among the non-Indigenous
population, research into reducing
tobacco use has the potential to
significantly diminish
health inequalities.”
Kristin is currently involved in
over 40 research projects across
different disciplines of medicine; all
with a focus on translational health
research. In 2015, she commenced
a NHMRC Fellowship (co-funded
by Cancer Australia). The first
of its kind, it aims to train health
professionals in smoking cessation,
healthy lifestyle programs and how
to translate evidence into practice
for ATSI Australians.
Through her studies, which she’s
undertaking alongside employment
at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital,
Kristin has identified several
barriers and enablers to smoking
cessation, tobacco prevention
programs and health service
utilisation for ATSI Australians.
These findings have subsequently
been used to influence policy,
practice and research across
Australia. Her research has
underpinned changes to the SA
Health tobacco policy and evidence
used by the Cochrane library to
influence tobacco treatment
on a global scale.
Kristin’s research has resulted in
over 50 peer-reviewed publications,
more than 100 accepted conference
abstracts, in excess of 300 media
citations and multiple contributions
to policy and practice locally,
nationally and internationally.
She has also been the recipient
of several prestigious awards,
including Young Australian of
the Year for South Australia,
The Premier’s and Channel 9’s
Young Achiever of the Year and
Young Citizen of the Year for the
City of Holdfast Bay.
Research Impact 45
Harsha Padmanabhan
Gene therapy for Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF)
is the most common
life-threatening
recessive genetic
condition affecting
Australian children.
While there is no cure, the faulty
gene responsible for the condition
has been identified as the CFTR
gene, and research now focuses
on how to repair or replace it.
Harsha Padmanabhan’s research
aims to contribute to this goal
by developing an aerosol spray
for delivering the lentiviral vector
carrying the correct CFTR gene.
Gene therapy involves inserting a
working copy of the faulty gene.
The concept is to use a viral vector
(lentivirus) to carry the CFTR copy,
and insert it into the CF patient’s
lung. Harsha’s research is looking
46 Research Impact
at developing this gene therapy into
an aerosol spray, which will enable
it to be delivered non-invasively.
This would be an incredibly useful
application, as we head towards
clinical trials of gene therapy for
CF in the future.
“I’ve always wanted to do cutting
edge research in the field of genetic
medicine,” says Harsha. “The
molecular concepts behind gene
therapy and gene delivery are very
interesting, and the fact that I could
make a difference in someone’s life
gives me the inspiration to pursue
this research.”
With a Bachelor of Science in
Biotechnology from Manipal
University in India and a Master of
Human Biotechnology from Flinders
University, Harsha joined the
University of Adelaide as a research
assistant for Bioconst Pty Ltd at the
Waite campus, specialising in plant
tissue culture.
In late 2012, she joined the
Adelaide Cystic Fibrosis Gene
Therapy Research Group in the
University’s Robinson Research
Institute as a PhD student.
Harsha is a recipient of the Women
and Children’s Hospital MS McLeod
Scholarship, Cystic Fibrosis
Australia’s Top-Up Scholarship
to help support her studies, and
a European Molecular Biology
Laboratory scholarship for a training
course conducted in Melbourne. In
2014 she won the 3MT competition
at the University of Adelaide and
went on to represent the University
at the Trans-Tasman Three Minute
Thesis competition held in Perth.
Chaolei Yuan
Remediation of acid sulfate soils
Chaolei Yuan has
travelled over 7,000
kilometres to study
Australian soil.
A recipient of a China Scholarship
– offered jointly by the University of
Adelaide and the China Scholarship
Council – he joined the University in
2012 with a Master of Science and
passion for nature.
His research focuses on acid
sulphate soils, which are of great
environmental concern here in
Australia. Acid sulphate soils
contain iron sulphides, and after
disturbance these soils can be
oxidised, releasing significant
amounts of acid and toxic metals
into surrounding soil and water.
The resulting toxins have the
potential to cause damage to our
wildlife and waterways.
Chaolei is researching ways to
remediate these soils with the
addition of organic matter. In his
first three experiments, plant straw
was mixed into the soil to increase
soil pH by stimulating sulfate
reduction after flooding. His current
experiments extend this theme,
using organic matter to prevent the
oxidation or acidification of acid
sulfate soils.
understanding of how to manage
acid sulfate soils. Chaolei is already
having success in this area:
as a result of his research, South
Australia’s Environment Protection
Authority is planning to conduct a
field trial in Murray Bridge to
remediate acid sulfate soils.
His research was published in
the ‘Journal of Environmental
Management’ and presented in
the 4th National Acid Sulfate
Soil Conference.
The ultimate goal of his PhD is to
help land owners, natural resource
managers and environment
protection authorities gain a better
Research Impact 47
Dr Deirdre Zander-Fox
Infertility, Clinical In Vitro Fertilisation, Offspring Programming
Deirdre Zander-Fox
can trace her interest in
infertility right back to
her own conception.
After 10 years of trying by her
parents, Deirdre was conceived
through IVF technology developed
by the University of Adelaide’s
Department of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology. “I feel a strong link
to this department,” she says, “as
it has helped so many couples
achieve their dream of having a
baby - including my parents.”
While studying a Bachelor of
Science, Deirdre was again
introduced to clinical IVF, via Dr
Michelle Lane, a researcher at the
University of Adelaide’s Robinson
Research Institute. On hearing
that one in six couples will need
assistance to conceive, she was
inspired to pursue this important
area of research.
48 Research Impact
At the completion of her degree,
Deirdre began training as a clinical
embryologist with Repromed, and
– thanks to that organisation’s link
with the discipline of Obstetrics
and Gynaecology – was able to
concurrently undertake her honours
year. She then continued at
Repromed while studying her PhD.
“The ability to work in the clinical
field gave me a unique insight
into the clinical application of my
research and assisted in making
sure that my research was always
of clinical importance.”
Deirdre’s research currently focuses
on improving clinical IVF laboratory
technology that will directly
benefit infertile patients. She is
particularly interested in the impact
of the environment during embryo
development and how this can
change embryo health and alter the
health of the child.
With two NHRMC grants, Deirdre is
aiming to improve embryo freezing
survival, as well as the screening
of embryo culture media, to find
the best embryo for transfer and
thus improve pregnancy rates.
Her ultimate goal is to improve the
outcomes of in vitro fertilisation,
making sure that the technology is
safe and does not impact on the
health of the child.
“My research focuses not only on
increasing pregnancy rates after
assisted reproductive technology,
but also on making sure that the
children born from this technology
are healthy for life.”
Deirdre is now Scientific Director
of Repromed and remains a
Visiting Research Fellow at the
University of Adelaide, where she
performs research and supervises
PhD and honours students. She
is also a guest lecturer, providing
students with insight into the latest
techniques and challenges faced
in the clinic.
Dr Cristian Birzer
Humanitarian Technology
Dr Cristian Birzer’s
research focuses on
the development
of humanitarian
technologies for
resource-constrained
countries and regions.
His motivation is to make complex
engineering available and affordable
to those who need it most, in
order to help raise their quality of
life, increase life expectancy, and
reduce preventable deaths.
of solid-fuel combustion in order
to design new cookstoves with
increased fuel-efficiency and reduced
harmful emissions production.
An early prototype cookstove
design from the research group
reduces carbon monoxide
emissions by 90% when compared
to traditional cooking procedures.
The prototype, which can be made
from scrap material at minimal cost,
can also produce bio-char (a soil
enhancer) as a by-product.
Early in his research career,
Cristian became aware of some
key statistics: 3 billion people rely
on solid-fuel (wood, dung, coal)
burning stoves; and this results in 4
million people dying every year from
respiratory-related illnesses. These
facts led to the ‘cookstove project’.
Other projects that Cristian and his
research team (the Humanitarian
Technology Research Group cofounded with Dr Paul Medwell and
Dr Peter Kalt) have developed
include water treatment, sanitation
and power generation systems.
This research can help save millions
of lives every year and improve the
quality of life for billions.
Cristian’s cookstove research
includes using state-of-the-art
laboratories from the University’s
Centre for Energy Technology to
understand the complex nature
Cristian aims to provide essential
knowledge (open-source where
possible) and designs that can be
implemented to ensure those who
cannot afford high-tech products
can still have high-quality lives. He
and his team also focus on ensuring
the designs they develop can be
made locally, so that communities
can build and maintain their own
products, thus strengthening
their economies.
“The ultimate goal of our research
is to not be needed. We work with
non-government organisations
around the world to help implement
the designs and products; we share
the knowledge with anyone and
everyone interested so they can
implement the work; and we work
towards building economies
in regions where people earn less
than $2 per day.”
Cristian has received the
following awards:
>Tall Poppy Winner 2014
>Prince of Wales Award Winner
SA 2014
>Young Professional Engineer of
the Year SA 2012
>Young Mechanical Engineer of
the Year (Australia) 2010.
Research Impact 49
Alexander Robson
Structural Geology
Alexander Robson’s
research involves
analysis of the
subsurface geology in
the Ceduna Sub-Basin
(Great Australian
Bight), to understand
how it evolved through
geological time,
forming its presentday geometry.
Supported by funding from the
Australian Research Council (ARC)
and the Australian Society of
Exploration Geophysicists (ASEG)
Research Foundation, Alexander’s
analysis involves interpretation and
measurements of subsurface rock
structures using a number of
50 Research Impact
rigorous quantitative and qualitative
techniques for determining
kinematics (the bodies’ movement).
Alexander obtained a Bachelor of
Science (first class honours) at the
University of Adelaide’s Australian
School of Petroleum. Through his
undergraduate study, he developed
an understanding of the impact
that this research could have on
the Australian economy. Ultimately,
his research has the potential to
uncover oil and gas accumulations,
which are steadily becoming
harder to find.
With the help of research such as
Alexander’s, frontier Australian
basins have a better chance of
being identified for petroleum
prospectivity, which may help
uncover new Australian
petroleum fields.
For Alexander, it was an obvious
choice to start exploring the
Ceduna Sub-Basin, which has seen
increasing interest from major oil
and gas companies from around the
world, including BP, Statoil, Chevron,
Murphy Oil and Australia’s Santos.
He is now also applying the same
analysis to the Otway Basin in
the deep-water province offshore
from Portland, Victoria and the
continental-shelf province offshore
from Beachport, South Australia.
Alexander is a big believer in the
power of networking with fellow
researchers and industry. “Keeping
a close relationship with industry
is vital in this type of research,” he
says, “in order to generate new
ideas and ultimately push future
exploration in Australia’s frontier
petroleum basins.”
He is due to complete his PhD in
2016 and has already signed a
contract with Australia’s largest
energy company.
Sarah Catalano
Marine Parasitology and Molecular Evolution
Sarah Catalano has
always had a keen
interest in conservation
biology and the marine
environment.
highlighting the taxonomic
confusion that surrounds this
group, explored the unknowns in
their life cycle, and used dicyemids
as biological tags to assess host
cephalopod population structure
in southern Australian waters.
She completed a Bachelor of
Science (first class honours) in
Marine Biology at the University
of Adelaide, before going on to
complete her PhD studies here
in 2013.
While Sarah’s PhD has added a
wealth of knowledge to dicyemid
faunal composition and ecology in
Australian waters, many aspects
of their life history and evolution
remain unknown. Sarah is continuing
on with research in this area,
particularly focusing on uncovering
the complete mitochondrial genome
of dicyemids.
Sarah’s PhD focused on dicyemid
parasites, tiny marine organisms
found in high numbers attached to
the kidneys of benthic cephalopods
(octopus, squid and cuttlefish).
As part of this research, Sarah
formally described 10 new dicyemid
species from Australian waters
and used molecular genetic
techniques to characterise part
of their mitochondrial genome.
She presented a review article
In addition, Sarah is now working
as a Research Scientist at the
South Australian Museum working
on a joint ARC-funded linkage
project (between the Australian
National University, WA Museum
& Herbarium, WA Department and
Conservation, and SA Museum)
investigating the biodiversity of
amphibians and reptiles across
the Pilbara and Kimberley regions
in Western Australia.
Both projects have a similar
goal, which is focused on, and
aligns with, one of our National
Research Priorities – maintaining an
environmentally sustainable Australia.
“The main aim of my research is
to manage and protect Australia’s
terrestrial and marine biodiversity,”
says Sarah. “I aim to achieve
this using rigorous, thorough and
comprehensive methods that are
reproducible, ensuring conservation
efforts and management plans
are well informed to maintain our
country’s biodiversity.”
Research Impact 51
Collaborations
52 Research Impact
Businesses are increasingly looking
to the University of Adelaide to
provide solutions to challenges
and add value through new and
improved products and services.
The University has a long and proud
history of productive partnerships
with industry, government and
the broader community. These
partnerships move research to
impact in the community and
the economy.
“Collaboration between
publicly funded research
organisations and
industry is critical to
knowledge diffusion
and ensuring that our
investment in research
translates into innovation
and productivity
improvements that
increase our national
prosperity.”
Business Council of Australia,
Building Australia’s Comparative
Advantages (2014)
Adelaide Research & Innovation
(ARI) is South Australia’s premier
commercial research hub, facilitating
access to the research and expertise
of the University of Adelaide. It offers
resources, support and funding to
researchers, and provides a point of
access for industry and government
to engage and collaborate
with academics on research,
development and innovation.
The ARI team have a wide base of
skills and experience and are well
equipped to match capabilities
and opportunities to needs,
handling thousands of interactions
locally and internationally. These
engagements create new products,
services and improved policy,
bringing a sharper competitive
edge and broader community
benefit. ARI also helps seedfund the next wave of technology
innovation, and launch the new
businesses of the future.
Following are some examples of
our success stories and the tangible
outcomes that have resulted.
These are only a few of hundreds
of – largely unsung – examples of
engagement between the University
and its partners. Many others
are featured in our publication,
Adelaide Advancing (available at
www.adelaideresearch.com.
au). This includes 30 case studies
of successful innovation, together
with the stories of 10 ‘innovation
champions’ - organisations that
have been able to change their
business (and sometimes the
world) for the better, thanks to
Adelaide researchers.
Rob Chalmers
Managing Director
Adelaide Research & Innovation
Pty Ltd
Research Impact 53
Competition between
fishing, mining and conservation
can be difficult to manage, and presents
real difficulties around Australia.
54 Research Impact
Eco-management in
the Spencer Gulf
With competing priorities – from fishing to mining,
agriculture, energy and community values – management
of the Spencer Gulf ecosystem is akin to walking a tightrope
between commercial and environmental interests.
As South Australia’s growing mining sector,
along with other industry development, leads
to increased concerns regarding shipping,
wharf facilities, and desalination of seawater
in the Spencer Gulf, the region is under
increased pressure to maintain its balance.
These circumstances were the catalyst for the
creation of the Spencer Gulf Ecosystem and
Development Initiative. Led by the University
of Adelaide’s Professor Bronwyn Gillanders
and Simon Divecha, the initiative is driving
responsible decision-making for a thriving
gulf region.
The University’s Environment Institute is
central to developing the program, with
Marine Innovation SA (MISA), SARDI (South
Australian Research and Development
Institute), Aquatic Sciences and Flinders
University as research collaborators. The
five-year project brings together key partners
– including major players BHP Billiton,
Santos, Flinders Ports, Arrium, Centrex and
Alinta – and the fishing industry, which is
investing through the Fisheries Research
and Development Corporation.
It is attracting major funding as researchers
gather stakeholder views from more than
300 people, review available information,
and scope requirements for research around
an integrated ocean management program.
Now in the midst of its second phase, the
initiative’s research partners are undertaking
significant investigations to establish an
informed and evidence-based decisionmaking system regarding new developments,
while maintaining ongoing stakeholder and
community engagement.
Competition between fishing, mining and
conservation can be difficult to manage,
and presents real difficulties around Australia.
However, the creators of this initiative believe
that this consultation process, alongside the
evidence developed, will be the key to its
success. The initiative will support industry
by offering more defined approval pathways
and encourage evidence-based decision
making. It will also set up a model by which
information, data, tools, capabilities and
networks can be shared.
The clever researchers, community and
industries behind the Spencer Gulf Ecosystem
and Development Initiative are playing a
crucial role in ensuring the balance between
commercial and environmental interests is
maintained for everyone’s benefit.
Research Impact 55
The innovative system will
address the issue of microbiology
labs needing to analyse more
culture plates with fewer staff
and resources, and often with
more critical deadlines.
56 Research Impact
Catching Disease Fast
Up to 27,000 microbiology laboratories around the world
could benefit from a ground-breaking automation technology
developed at the University of Adelaide’s Australian Centre for
Visual Technologies (ACVT), in collaboration with one of our
leading medical technology companies, LBT Innovations.
The Automated Plate Assessment System
(APAS) can automatically screen microbiology
culture plates for the presence of various
disease-causing pathogens, revolutionising
the workflow in modern microbiology labs.
The smart software uses artificial intelligence
to analyse microbial growth in much the same
way as a microbiologist would, but with faster
and more consistent results.
Born from a pioneering partnership between
the University and Adelaide-based LBT,
APAS is in the final stages of development
in a significant joint venture with the
instrumentation company, Hettich AG
Switzerland. It’s the perfect collaboration; LBT
brings its extensive market knowledge and
product development expertise, while Hettich
provides some of the world’s finest medical
engineering and manufacturing credentials.
The deal also ensures that LBT Innovations
will continue to play a leading role in
the product’s future development and
commercialisation. The company has already
employed three Adelaide-based technical
staff specifically to support its APAS program,
as well as a Quality Assurance Manager to
support clinical trials.
APAS has its roots in a system that
the University research centre developed
for defence and security purposes, but the
partnership with LBT unearthed its significant
microbiology and healthcare potential.
The core technology is currently being
made commercially robust under contract
with two Australian engineering companies,
with the first APAS instruments due to be
manufactured in Europe. The innovative
system will address the issue of microbiology
labs needing to analyse more culture plates
with fewer staff and resources, and often
with more critical deadlines.
In May 2014, some of the world’s leading
microbiologists were introduced to APAS
at the European Congress of Clinical
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, an
annual event that brings together more than
10,000 microbiologists, infectious disease
specialists and diagnostic companies. The
strategic focus of the Australian Centre for
Visual Technologies is on impact, and there
is no doubt that the clever minds behind
APAS will soon be having a major impact
on the world of microbiology.
Research Impact 57
... the relationship with
Telstra, and this project
in particular, has always
been commercially focused,
and as a result is a
commercial success.
58 Research Impact
A+ service for Telstra customers
When most of us take out our mobile phones to make a call,
check emails, browse the internet or download an app, we
take it for granted that the mobile network will work.
We can have this blind faith thanks to some
very clever work being done by the University
of Adelaide’s start-up company, TelAri, in
partnership with Telstra.
The outcome of the collaboration is a
nifty ‘mobile network dimensioning tool’,
which indicates the general health of the
Telstra mobile network and ensures the
corporation can make smart network
investment decisions. Associate Professor
Bruce Northcote, Director of the University’s
Teletraffic Research Centre, said the tool
allows the network operator – in this case
Telstra – to make network predictions based
on end-user experience, rather than simple
network measurements.
The project began some eight years ago –
when Telstra began to roll out its 3G network
– with a detailed analysis of Telstra’s network
component vendor, Ericsson. From this,
researchers were able to understand how
Ericsson assigned resources to different types
of uses, such as phone calls, web browsing
and so on. They assessed hundreds and
thousands of calls and the tool – known as
‘Devil’, as in ‘the devil is in the detail’ – is now
able to use live data to drive network decision
making. It provides accurate trend reporting,
allowing Telstra to schedule upgrades before
network capacity is reached, thus leading to
greater customer satisfaction.
The prototype took about nine months to
develop. When Telstra brought in the 4G
network, it took about two and a half years
to complete the modelling for this new
network. This shows how far mobile
technology has come in that time, and
the growth in its complexity.
The partnership between Telstra and the
Teletraffic Research Centre is long-standing,
and in 1987 Telecom Australia (now Telstra)
granted the Teletraffic Research Centre
status as a Centre of Excellence in Teletraffic
Engineering. The two organisations have
had a relationship ever since and have kept
pace with change. This mobile network
dimensioning tool has operated throughout
the introduction of the iPhone and other smart
phone technologies, and has lasted through
10 upgrades of Ericsson’s network system.
Associate Professor Northcote gave credit
to Telstra for driving innovation, adding that
Telstra was considered the highest quality
network in Australia. What’s more, Telstra
estimates the Devil tool has made its capital
expenditure program some tens of percent
more efficient, and led to significant savings
in operational expenditure. The Devil tool has
been so successful that in 2012, Hong Kong
mobile operator CSL introduced the tool
to its network.
Adelaide Research and Innovation, which
has licensed the technology back from Telstra
to commercialise it on the global stage, has
engaged Ascom (an international provider of
wireless communications solutions) to act as
a distribution partner. Associate Professor
Northcote said the relationship with Telstra,
and this project in particular, has always been
commercially focused, and as a result is a
commercial success.
“Over the years, research has needed to
become more focused on the bottom line and
adapt to changes in the university sector,”
he said. It is safe to say that the partnership
between Telstra and the University of Adelaide
is one example of two organisations working
collaboratively to drive innovation that benefits
not only them, but the community at large.
Research Impact 59
This collaboration will lead to
major improvements ... which
in turn will keep the Australian
defence forces at the forefront of
technological advances.
60 Research Impact
Mission-critical systems
in Defence
The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO)
has brought together some of the State’s leading computer
experts to solve key challenges in defence system design.
The University of Adelaide’s School of
Computer Science, together with the Defence
Systems Innovation Centre, has developed
a complete System Execution Modelling
(SEM) laboratory environment for the
analysis of submarine combat systems. This
collaboration will lead to major improvements
in system performance and design, which in
turn will keep the Australian defence forces at
the forefront of technological advances.
According to DSTO computer systems
engineer Gavin Puddy, it’s common within
defence sectors to require system life
cycles to extend far beyond those of similar
civilian systems. “Also known as missioncritical systems, these types of systems
continue to grow in complexity and cost as
business owners seek continual capability
improvements to satisfy operational
requirements over these long life cycles,”
he said.
A submarine combat system is one such
example of a long-lived missioncritical system.
Its primary purpose is to develop a situational
awareness of its environment through the
use of sensors, identification of threats and
to affect its environment as required. There
are extra costs and complexities introduced
because submarine combat systems operate
within a constrained computing environment.
“The ability to easily add more computing
resources to resolve performance issues is
not possible, as this may impact the overall
platform,” Gavin said. “As a result, there
is a strong desire to understand system
performances as early as possible within the
development and evolution cycles.”
The current project uses model-driven
engineering and development techniques,
computational workload emulation modelling
and the ability to deploy onto actual system
infrastructure, as dictated by the system
design. This gives a detailed insight into such
things as integration, interfacing and timing
performances. “It will also be able to provide
insight into system space, weight and power
requirements and provide insight into the
margins of each,” Gavin said. “All of which
are important performance indicators when
designing and evolving computing resourceconstrained systems.”
Gavin said the collaboration, which has been
running for several years, has given system
developers insight into the behaviour of the
non-functional aspects of a system design
early within the development life cycle.
“Furthermore, its ability to conduct system
testing during the conceptual design phase
enables risks to be identified, managed and
retired much earlier than traditional methods,”
he said. This project has led to a strong
working relationship between the partners,
as well as fostering an international working
relationship. It has laid the foundation for
further research of early analysis into real-time
and embedded system performances and
other related system design aspects, as well
as delivering an initial analysis environment
that could start to provide support and insight
for defence projects.
The next step of the project is to introduce
improved modelling techniques and
definitions, as well as new runtime and
analysis capabilities, and look to provide
insight into the system-of-system design and
development space. It is through innovative
collaborations such as this that our defence
forces continue to successfully operate in a
highly technical world.
Research Impact 61
For further information, please contact
Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Research)
The University of Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
Telephone: +61 8 8313 3278
Email: enquiries.dvcr@adelaide.edu.au
facebook.com/uniofadelaide
twitter.com/uniofadelaide