UWA Research on the Record

Research Scientist Dr Bhagya Dissanayake’s work as a Proteomics Specialist sees her applying the expertise she gained as a PhD student with the School of Molecular Sciences at The University of Western Australia to the early detection of plant and human diseases by precisely identifying protein biomarkers associated with the conditions. Based at Proteomics International in the Harry Perkins Institute her studies seek to help improve salinity and drought tolerance in crops such as wheat and chickpea.

Professor Michael Small is the Director of the UWA Data Institute where he researches the development of modern mathematical techniques and data science innovations to solve real world problems – from engineering and resource challenges, to modelling the spread of disease, to predicting and assessing mental health risks. As AI and machine learning tools become more ingrained in our everyday lives, Professor Small, who is also the CSIRO-UWA Chair in Complex Systems, is working to better understand how the tools we increasingly rely upon to inform our decisions actually work – and to identify the potential flaws in their processes – be they ethical or system based.

According to Anna Faber’s UWA profile page, the School of Molecular Sciences PhD candidate is a science all-rounder – it’s an apt description, with three majors in biology, chemistry, and high school teacher training, she is also a passionate science communicator. Her current research involves tackling one of our oceans’ biggest pollution problems by training bacteria to eat plastics in marine conditions to improve recycling efforts – and potentially converting the byproduct into useful bioplastic materials in the process.

Professor of Coastal Oceanography Charitha Pattiaratchi’s body of work is, like the ocean, vast and deep. His research into ocean patterns and ecosystems combines multiple disciplines including oceanography, meteorology, geology, ecology, and engineering which are applied to investigating a multitude of issues.

Julia Haile, from UWA’s School of Psychological Science, is researching how to make the facial expressions of digital avatars more believable, focussing on eye gaze as the key to solving the puzzle. The study, which combines psychology with the latest evolving digital technology, has implications for a range of fields – from films and video games, to healthcare applications, to AI technology.

PhD student Emma Stephenson is exploring a constant activity we perform that’s pervasive in our everyday lives, but one we often struggle to identify – mental load. Ms Stephenson, from the School of Psychological Science, aims to develop a tool to measure and assess mental labour and its consequences at home and in the workplace – and help provide solutions for individuals and organisations.

After 30 years with the School of Engineering, Professor Carolyn Oldham was welcomed by The University of Western Australia as an Emeritus Professor .  During that time, her career in environmental engineering has covered a diverse range of major projects, including her pioneering research into Western Australia’s wetlands that helped unravel the significance of the important ecosystems, creating innovative water management solutions for the State’s urban design and development, and her most recent work to better understand and solve the issues around mine closures and mine-water.

Dr Jessica Buck from UWA Centre for Child Health Research has, under a Forrest Fellowship, dedicated herself to search for answers to some of the most devastating diseases affecting children, working at the Brain Tumour Research program at Telethon Kids Institute. Dr Buck has so far had a remarkable early career trajectory from being formally selected as a superstar of STEM after studying at Oxford on scholarship, to recently being awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant to investigate more effective and less toxic treatments for embryonal brain tumours.

UWA Medical School PhD candidate Beth MacLean’s research into iron deficiency focusses on women in their reproductive years who are at higher risk of developing the condition.   Beth runs free public screenings aiming to raise awareness about iron deficiency, the symptoms of which often go ignored, and refer women with risk factors for further testing. Her CAPRI study also collects data to help develop an algorithm to help predict the condition. 

Professor Kadambot Siddique is many things: a world-leading agricultural scientist, WA Scientist of the Year 2023 and an avid campaigner for science-based solutions to global poverty and food insecurity.   As he now prepares to become an official Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences in January, UWA's 'Research on the Record' sat down with Professor Siddique to discuss how it all began with the humble chickpea.

Dr Kelsey Pool is a post- doctoral research associate with UWA’s School of Agriculture and Environment. Under the Lefroy Fellowship, Kelsey’s focus is on animal reproduction, in particular working with industry producers to investigate clover disease, which causes infertility in sheep. It’s very much hands-on research that sees her dividing her time between farm and lab.

Mehwish Nasim’s research focuses on information warfare - particularly as it is waged though social media, developing new tools to detect fake news and misinformation and limit their spread.  Her approach combines methods from several fields, from computer science, network analysis and natural language processing, to social sciences and psychology.

Professor Davies’ research focuses on population growth, distribution and patterns of demographic change in Australia. She works closely with government and industry to inform policy and is currently principal investigator on several major projects. All this while undertaking other teaching duties at the university, including supervising PhD candidates she also happens to be the youngest person to be appointed as a full professor of Geography at UWA, and the first female to be appointed as the Head of the School of Social Sciences. In the latest episode of Research on the Record Professor Davies gives some insight into her current work tracking shifting populations throughout the state to predict and solve infrastructure challenges that evolve along with them. She reflects on the early stages of her life in academia and the obstacles she encountered that saw her change the trajectory of her career – and how she decided to take on leadership roles to change the system for future generations of researchers, also revealing what she still hopes to change about how senior roles are structured for women.

PhD candidate Grace is investigating animal behaviour, cognition and communication and her current research focuses on wild Western Australian magpies.   Her work has already produced interesting findings about vocal discrimination, how magpies “talk” to each other – and how that’s been influenced by urban development. 

Dr Jennifer Kelley’s background in marine biology has led her to her current research, which looks to nature to solve the challenge of how to camouflage 3D body shapes. Her work combines techniques from studies including animal behaviour, optics, visual psychology, and computer imaging - and has the potential to be applied across a range of industries from the defence force to advertising.

Professor Jacqueline Batley’s research focuses on crop genetics and genomics to improve food security and sustainability, helping develop more disease resistant plants – a field in which the work of her and her team has yielded real advances. In 2022 she was named one of the world’s most highly cited researchers in her field, and in 2023 awarded an Australian Laureate Fellowship.

Michelle is a practising psychologist who is clinical director for almost 200 psychologists and 20 psychiatrists at Health Bright, while still actively researching sleep disorders, mood problems and brain dysfunction. Recently Michelle worked on developing the first tool to measure exposure to long term Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, which it’s hoped will help assess the risk of related diseases and improve early detection and intervention for them.

Eloise Moore is currently completing her Master's degree, taking on the modest task of solving the mysteries of the universe. She has a keen interest high-energy astrophysics, emphasis on gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) using her knowledge of computer science in her research to script and create simulations, Eloise made headlines last year when she took command of the Zadko telescope to capture the final images of the booster rocket for a Chinese lunar mission, before it crashed into the dark side of the moon, after spending 8 years in orbit. In her interview, she talks about her early childhood passion for space, and the moment she fell in love with the world of academic research as a teenager doing work experience at a university High Energy Astrophysics Department. At the very beginning of her research career, she also discusses being on the home stretch of her master’s thesis, what it’s like being one of only a handful of female students in a class of hundreds, and why she doesn’t want to be known as “a woman in science”.

Research on the Record, is a podcast series talking to women working across a broad range of disciplines at the University of Western Australia, each at different stages of their high achieving careers. We’ll hear about some of their extraordinary Higher Degree Research projects, but also about the challenges they’ve encountered, and their experience of the changing landscape around gender equity. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Anna Nowak’s work in mesothelioma research over the past 20 years, is internationally recognised. And she is a leader in neuro-oncology research. In her role at the University, she’s responsible for research institutes, facilities, strategy and operations, and H9igher Degree by Research students.