The Minds Changing Lives

Every year, more than 1000 Australian women lose their lives to ovarian cancer, and countless others receive the devastating diagnosis of endometrial cancer. Professor Pradeep Tanwar, Director of the Global Centre for Gynaecological Diseases, is at the forefront of raising awareness and making significant strides in this field. In a conversation with host Shahni Wellington, he shares exciting developments concerning innovative blood tests capable of detecting ovarian and endometrial cancers at a time when they’re still highly treatable. Dr Rachel O'Sullivan also provides valuable insights into these diseases and their associated risk factors of which Pradeep and his team have recently made some breakthrough discoveries. We’re also joined by Brian Schloeffel, who tragically lost his beloved wife Nola to ovarian cancer. He is now dedicated to preventing other families from enduring the same unbearable loss and advocates for improved detection methods, such as those pioneered by Pradeep and his team.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kathleen Folbigg, widely now regarded as the victim of Australia's most egregious miscarriage of justice, was pardoned in 2023. However, a decade earlier, students at the University of Newcastle's Legal Centre, alongside experts and solicitors, would conduct analysis and research that would be of help in paving the way towards an eventual pardon. One of those students, Kate Wielinga, discusses her involvement in the case with host Shahni Wellington. Now a practising solicitor, she shares the life-changing impact of the experience on her professionally and personally. Associate Professor Shaun McCarthy, director of the Legal Centre, discusses the centre’s long-standing history with public interest advocacy and the priceless skills students gain working on real-life cases. Kathleen's Barrister, Robert Cavanagh, also joins the discussion, highlighting the pivotal role played by these dedicated students in advancing Kathleen's cause. Plus, Associate Professor Xanthe Mallett, criminologist and forensic scientist, breaks down the evidence presented in the case and how students with experience in social justice could help create a fairer and more equitable legal system for all.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drought in Australia presents a multifaceted challenge shaped by a diverse interplay of climatic, geographical, meteorological, and societal factors. According to Associate Professor Anthony Kiem, Hydroclimatologist and Director of the Centre for Water, Climate and Land, it needs a multifaceted solution too. Talking to host Shahni Wellington, Anthony discusses the Employability and Wellbeing Toolkit the Centre is developing with the University of Southern Queensland as part of the Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales (SQNNSW) Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub. Dr. Emma Austin further explores the links between employability and wellbeing, shedding light on the toolkit's co-designed approach to enhance mental resilience and diversify income during drought. Dr. Priscilla Tremain, a Chemical Engineer from the University of Newcastle's Priority Research Centre for Frontier Energy Technologies and Utilisation, breaks down the science behind the Hydro Harvester, a technology capable of generating clean, safe drinking water from the atmosphere. Plus, Southern Downs Regional Councillor Cynthia McDonald shares the sobering reality of drought in regional communities and emphasises the critical need for holistic, community-driven solutions to address this pervasive problem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the increase in public awareness around young people's use of violence, many community youth programs fail to address the issue at its core. The Name. Narrate. Navigate program (Triple N) is the first of it's kind, harnessing the neuroscience of trauma and Aboriginal knowledge and practices to understand and address the context that's led young people to use violence – putting all the young people who come through the program at the center of their own narratives. Founder of the program, Associate Professor Dr Tamara Blakemore, tells host Shahni Wellington of the program's beginning and the innovative activities grounded in dialectical behaviour therapy, mindfulness and creative methodologies. Aunty Elsie Randall, Triple N's Aboriginal Practice Lead, shares the importance of embedding Aboriginal ways of knowing and doing into youth programs with all young people who use and experience violence - the cornerstone of the Triple N program. We also meet Triple N's Program manager, Louise Rak, whose PhD examining the experiences of young women in the program has shed light on the often-unspoken realities that drive young women toward violence. Plus, we meet Daniel Ebbin, Program Brand Lead, who emphasises the critical significance of training service providers in trauma-informed, culturally sensitive care—a commitment that the Triple N program wholeheartedly embraces.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite surviving not one, but two extinction events in its 200-million-year evolutionary history, modern day threats such as fire and disease, might have pushed Australia’s last surviving amphibian – the frog - to its limits. Thanks to the innovative approach taken by the University of Newcastle’s Conservation Science Research Group, this doesn’t have to be where the story ends. Dr Rose Upton tells host Shahni Wellington of the group’s ground-breaking methodology, delving into her work in cryopreservation and how it’s safeguarding the genetic diversity of frog species for years to come. We also meet Dr Chad Beranek, whose post-Black Summer Bushfires research offers surprising insights into population health. Plus, PhD candidate Nadine Nolan sheds light on the life-cycle of frogs and the vital role citizen science play in species preservation.    To find out more about Frog Find click here. To find out more about The Australian Museum’s Frog ID, click here.   Read more about the Conservation Science Research Group here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, 1800 students from refugee backgrounds step into a NSW school for the first time; many carrying unimaginable traumas. Educators worldwide have faced the challenge of not only accommodating these students but also helping them flourish – until now. In a compelling conversation with host Shahni Wellington, Professor Scott Imig presents his ground-breaking research, offering educators a toolkit to create spaces of wellbeing and belonging. Razia, a University of Newcastle graduate, shares her harrowing journey fleeing a war-torn country, and we also hear from Cav, a dedicated medicine student, about what the Australian schooling experience is like for a newly-arrived student. We also meet Principal of Jesmond Public School Deborah Kelly, who embodies the research’s findings and whose commitment to  supporting families with refugee backgrounds has seen hundreds of these students thrive.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a sad reality that gender bias in sports leads young girls brimming with skill and potential to quit by the time they reach High School. Tackling the problem head on, the world-first Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered program equips fathers and their girls with the emotional and physical skills to identify inequities, be brave and succeed in sports. Founder of the program, Professor Phil Morgan tells host Shahni Wellington how the Activation Relationship led by fathers, lies at the core of the program’s success. We also meet father and daughter facilitators Ellie and Brad who embody the programs three main pillars: persistence, resilience, and bravery. Plus, Dr. Emily Freeman sheds light on the significance of rough and tumble play in enhancing working memory and reveals why strong parent-child relationships play a critical role in the development of young women.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The positive influence of creativity on the ageing brain is well reported, but until now, scientific evidence of its impact on cognitive function has been lacking. Associate Professor Helen English and Professor Frini Karayanidis from the University of Newcastle are undertaking critical research to investigate the impact of creative ageing on cognition with programs that invite older adults to participate in song writing or art. Funded by Dementia Australia, the study aims to identify the important ingredients of creative activity programs that drive benefits in wellbeing. Meet Joan, a 75-year-old who learnt how to compose her own song despite never being a musical person, and Doug, who tells us why it’s never too late to learn art.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being accused of a crime we didn’t commit is the stuff of nightmares for many. It’s an injustice The Bridge of Hope Innocence Initiative is helping correct by connecting criminology and law students with real cases where new evidence suggests a miscarriage of justice has occurred. Associate Professor Dr Xanthe Mallet, renowned forensic anthropologist and criminologist who established an extension of the RMIT program at The University of Newcastle, speaks to the impact of wrongful conviction on the lives of those accused and the people around them. And we also meet criminology students and volunteers of the program, Isabella and Ryan, whose strong sense of social justice has guided them in the pursuit of innocence for their client.   To read more about this story and others just like it, head to newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Submarine landslides pose a significant tsunami threat to coastal communities, and, in May of 2022, eight undergraduate students and a team of researchers from The University of Newcastle set sail on the CSIRO RV Investigator to explore this risk. Dr Hannah Power, Associate Professor of Coastal and Marine Science and Alternate Chief Scientist on The Voyage, explains the potential impact and origins of underwater landslides, and we also hear from Dr Michael Kinsela, Lecturer in Coastal and Ocean Geoscience about mapping areas of the seafloor never seen before.  Student Volunteers Chloe and Mikayla share their experience about being onboard and being part of a data-collecting endeavour that will drive research for decades to come.   The Voyage was a collaboration between The University of Sydney, The University of Newcastle, Geoscience Australia, and CSIRO and was supported by a grant of sea time from the CSIRO Marine National Facility. To read more about this story and others just like it, head to newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green Hydrogen could play a significant role in the global effort to decarbonise with researchers from the University of Newcastle leading the charge in the production and manufacturing of the captivating chemical. But what is hydrogen and how can it be green? Dr Jessica Allen, senior lecturer in chemical engineering, de-mystifies the nexus between hydrogen and energy production and we also meet one of the minds making Green Hydrogen possible, Laureate Professor Behdad Moghtaderi. Renewable energy engineering student Jess shares how she’s forging new ground in energy research, and Dr Rohan Stanger investigates an alternate role that coal could play in energy storage. To read more about this story and others just like it, head to newcastle.edu.au/hippocampusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High-contact sports like rugby league are synonymous with conversations around physical safety and concussion. Someone who knows that all too well is Timana Tahu, a Barkindji man, NRL legend and Senior Manager of Elite Indigenous Pathways. Timana has spent years trialing safer tackling techniques on the field, and now, with the help of neuropsychologist Dr Andrew Gardener at the University of Newcastle his techniques are being scientifically validated. Hear about Timana’s personal journey with concussions coming up through the grassroots to elite levels, and meet Kalan, a young soccer star who recently experienced a head knock himself. We also meet Chad, Kalan’s dad, who talks about the importance of safe sports for young athletes. To read more about this story and others just like it, head to newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting kindergarten without the skills to be able to speak clearly is a reality many children face. Waitlists as long as two years to see a speech pathologist disproportionately affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.  It’s an issue the University of Newcastle, the Gunawirra Organisation, Scribbly Gum Dalai and Dalaigur preschools, and the Vonwiller Foundation are working hard to address with the establishment of a new community-centred program led by students. Hear from Mum, Taylor about how her daughter learnt to sing, and Jane, a speech pathology graduate with a passion for working with children. We also meet Graham, CEO of Gunawirra who shares the importance of speech in preserving culture. To read more about this story and others just like it, head to newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For children diagnosed with diabetes, adjusting to frequent painful finger-pricks can be mentally and physically draining. But thanks to breakthrough technology from the University of Newcastle, diabetics worldwide may soon be able to swap the needle for a pain-free saliva-based test which could be printed from the comfort of your very own home one day. Host Shahni Wellington sits down with mum Teresa who discusses the impact of a diabetes diagnosis on a young child and family, and we meet her daughter Gabrielle who just wants to be ‘normal’. The mind behind the innovation, Professor Paul Dastoor, joins us to discuss the unusual beginnings of the discovery and the potential future applications which could change the way people manage diabetes forever.   To read more about this story and others just like it, head to newcastle.edu.au/hippocampusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Removing needles from the diabetes testing process, research that could change the travel industry forever, these are just some of the breakthroughs that you’ll hear about in this podcast designed to stimulate your mind. Meet the people that are pioneering change through research and join host Shahni Wellington, in partnership with The University of Newcastle, as she explores the stories of online publication Hippocampus.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.