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Dr. Gary Chan is a NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research. His principal research interest lies in the field of substance misuse prevention and the application of cutting-edge statistical method for longitudinal analysis and causal inference. He was awarded over $13m funding as chief investigator and has over 200 publications. His recent research focuses on addiction epidemiology, including vaping, cannabis use, and behavioral addiction such as gaming disorder. He collaborates extensively with leading researchers in major national and international institutes, including the University of Washington, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, University of Melbourne, and University College London. He has also served as a consultant at the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime to improve exisitng methods for monitoring global trends of illicit substance production, trafficking and use. This work has made significant impact on how global data will be collected, and these new data will be used by the United nations and many national governments to inform drug policy decision making. He is a Deputy Statistical and Methodology Editor for the journal Addiction.

Dr Kirat Chand is a Research Fellow at the Perinatal Research Centre at The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR). His field of expertise include the establishment of synaptic connections, neurodevelopment and cellular changes associated with injury in the neonatal brain. His current work investigates the evolution of brain injury in fetal growth restricted newborns (FGR) with a particular interest in understanding mechanisms to develop better detection and treatment strategies for FGR newborns. FGR is the second leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, with around 32 million babies born FGR globally each year. FGR is commonly caused by placental insufficiency, resulting in an inadequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the foetus. The brain is particularly vulnerable to FGR conditions and adverse outcomes in these children range from mild learning difficulties, to neurobehavioral issues, and in some cases cerebral palsy. Currently there are no interventions available to protect the FGR brain. Using the pre-clinical pig model of FGR, we are able to examine perturbations to white and grey matter regions of the newborn brain, with the aim of developing appropriate therapeutic strategies to aid this vulnerable population.

Keith is Molecular Virologist and group leader with a dual appointment within the Australian Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Institute and the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences. His research is focused on vaccine development and the understanding of medically and environmentally significant viruses. Keith is one of the inventors of a UQ’s molecular clamp platform and is the co-leader of a program to produce a vaccine for COVID-19 at UQ. Keith has played a leading role in designing and implementing an epidemic response vaccine pipeline which enabled the progression of UQ’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate from sequence information to clinical trial dosing within 6 months.

Keith completed his PhD at the University of Queensland in 2007 on the structure and function of flavivirus NS3 protease. Subsequently, he spent three years (2007-2010) as a post-doctoral researcher at one of Spain’s most respected research institutes, Instituto Salud Carlos III, where I conducted research on the fusion protein of Respiratory Syncytial viurs as a target for conformationally specific neutralizing antibodies. Keith returned to UQ in 2011 and his research has focused on understanding of many medically and environmentally important viruses and bacteria, particularly focussing on Influenza, Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV), SARS-CoV-2, Koala Retrovirus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Associate Professor Fiona Charlson holds dual appointments as an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) and as a Principal Research Fellow at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR). She is internationally recognised for her expertise in mental health, with a particular focus on the impacts of climate change on vulnerable and conflict-affected populations. Her research explores the psychological effects of environmental change, including climate anxiety and resilience, especially in regions such as the Pacific Islands. She leads several major initiatives, including the Connecting Climate Minds project (funded by the Wellcome Trust) and an ARC Discovery Project examining how families respond to climate anxiety. A/Prof Charlson is a trusted advisor to Australian and international stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, United Nations Development Program, US National Institutes of Health, and numerous government and non-government organizations. Her work spans systems modelling, epidemiology, and policy analysis, and aims to support policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities with the knowledge and tools they need to adapt to the changing climate and support the mental health and well-being of individuals and communities.

In addition to her research, she is a dedicated educator and mentor, coordinating postgraduate courses and supervising PhD students in global mental health and public health. Her work is driven by a commitment to equity, collaboration, and innovation, bridging the fields of mental health and planetary health.

A/Prof Mark D. Chatfield is a highly experienced statistician in the UQ Clinical Trials Centre and collaborates with researchers across the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences.

In collaboration with health and medical researchers, he has published >200 times in academic journals. He has been an investigator on 30 NHMRC/MRFF funded (>$57M) studies (mostly clinical trials). He has >20 years of experience as a biostatistician in Australia (Brisbane, Darwin, Sydney) and the UK (Cambridge, 2002-2009). He has co-supervised 7 PhD students to completion, and is currently an advisor to 2 PhD students.

He plays an active role in the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance Statistics in Trials Interest Group.

Stata users around the world enjoy using his table1_mc command.

He is an Honorary Fellow (Associate Professor) with Menzies School of Health Research.

• My academic qualifications include a PhD in Neurosciences, an MSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and a Bachelor of Medicine.
• I have initiated and managed multiple projects to develop novel therapeutics for neurological disorders, including: 1) Developing a nanoparticle-based siRNA delivery system for the treatment of Huntington’s disease (ARC project; as Postdoctoral Research Fellow). 2) Examining the treatment effects of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) on epilepsy (Advance Queensland Women’s Academic Fund; as Sole Investigator). 2) Examining the effectiveness of three neuroinflammation modulatory agents on traumatic brain injury and epilepsy through randomised controlled preclinical trials (Seed projects sponsored by industry partners: VivaZome Therapeutics, Implicit Bioscience, and Innate Immunotherapeutics; as Co-investigator). 3) Developing treatment strategies to prevent the development of epilepsy after severe traumatic brain injury and identifying medical imaging biomarkers to evaluate the risk of epilepsy post-injury (two U.S. Department of Defense, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs; as Co-investigator). 4) Developing exosomal therapy for traumatic brain injury (Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Grant with two research groups from academic institutions and three pharmaceutical companies; as Principal Investigator).

I am a Senior Research Fellow, NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellow, and Group Leader at UQ Frazer Institute. I was awarded my PhD in late 2017 by Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University. Under the UQ Health Research Accelerator (HERA) program, I lead a team to investigate T and B cell responses that profoundly regulate vaccine responses, viral clearance, and anti-tumour immunity.

My research program employs combinatorial methodologies of Biochemistry and Immunology to uncover new molecular mechanisms controlling T-cell-mediated immunity:

1. The action of T cells is required in antibody responses for suppressing viral infection or tumour growth and to confer protection upon vaccination. In particular, follicular helper T (Tfh) cells, a specialised subset of CD4+ T cells, essentially instruct the B cells to produce long-lived antibody protection. The knowledge of Tfh cells has fundamentally enabled vaccine development and therapy design for autoimmune diseases.

2. T-cell-derived cytokines play pivotal roles in both humoral and cellular immunity. Particularly, interleukin-21 (IL-21) is essential for supporting germinal centre (GC) reaction, where the B cell memory and long-lived antibody responses are generated. Besides, IL-21 is also the only known cytokine to maintain the functionalities of CD8+ T cells in the context of chronic infections or cancers by preventing a loss-of-function program termed 'exhaustion'.

This research program has generated multiple cutting-edge discoveries in the field, producing publications as 1st or joint 1st authors in top-tier journals including Nature Immunology, Science Immunology, and Nature Communications.

Dr Kai-Hsiang Chuang received his Ph.D. degree in electrical and biomedical engineering from the National Taiwan University, Taiwan, in 2001. During his graduate study, he developed methods for improving the detection of brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). He undertook postdoctoral research at the National Institutes of Health, USA, from 2003 to 2007, where he focused on understanding brain connectivity using novel functional and molecular imaging. He developed manganese-enhanced MRI for high-resolution imaging functional neural pathways in the rodent brain and cerebral blood flow imaging for mapping the resting-state network of the human brain. He joined the Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, in 2008 as the head of MRI Group in the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (a national research institute). He established the first preclinical imaging facility in Singapore and facilitated research collaboration across academia, clinic and industry. His lab pioneered functional connectivity imaging of the rodent brain to understand the neural basis and function of resting-state brain network, and the development and application of MRI biomarkers for treatment development. In late 2015, he moved to the University of Queensland, Australia, as an Associate Professor with the Queensland Brain Institute and the Centre for Advanced Imaging. His current research focuses on understanding the structure and function of brain network that underlies cognition and behavior, such as learning, memory and dementia. He is developing multimodal techniques, including fMRI, calcium recording, electrophysiology and optogenetic/chemogenetic neuromodulation, to test hypothesis in transgenic mouse models and then translating to humans to improve the diagnosis and intervention of disorders. The imaging and analysis techniques he developed have been widely used in the research community and some in clinical trials. He is serving on the editorial boards of Frontiers in Neuroscience: Brain Imaging Methods, Imaging Neuroscience and Scientific Reports.

Professor Eric Chung holds a full professorial academic appointment at the University of Queensland. He has also been appointed Associate Professor of Surgery at Macquarie University Hospital (Sydney) and has a Visiting Professorship at the Hong Kong University-Shenzhen Hospital. He is a certified Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ). He is widely recognized as both Australia's leading surgeon and international expert in the field of male sexual, urinary, and reproductive health.

Professor Chung is the youngest recipient of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) Medal for outstanding contribution to the Society and was Past Chair of the male LUTS and Andrology sections. He serves as an Advisor on the Panel of Clinical Experts (PoCE) for the Australian Government Department of Health. Internationally, he sits in executive positions in various organisations such as the President-elect of the International Society of Sexual Medicine (ISSM), Chair of the Education and Research Office on Sexual Medicine (EROS) at the Asia Pacific Society of Sexual Medicine (APSSM), and member of the International Research Working Group for the American Urological Association (AUA).

Professor Chung has a public appointment as a consultant urological surgeon at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, in charge of the urinary reconstructive and prosthetic urology program. He is the first urologist in Australia to complete an Andrology Fellowship accredited by the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) in 2010. Andrology is the study of Men’s Health, relating to male urinary, sexual and reproductive functions. He also received formal fellowship training in Urinary Reconstructive and Prosthesis Surgery in 2009 from Dr Ross Cartmill OAM, who is regarded as the father of modern urologic prosthesis in Australia. He is the only urologist in USANZ invited to serve on the recent 5th International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM) and the 7th International Consultation on Incontinence (ICI). He has been invited as a speaker and surgeon mentor at many national and international meetings, and authored more than 250 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters (including 10 major international and national guidelines)..

I have a long track record in cephalopod biology, as a taxonomist (Guide to the Cephalopods of Taiwan), scientific diver, visual neuroscientist, brain imaging pioneer in cephalopods. My work has deepened our understanding of morphological and functional adaptations of the fish and cephalopod visual system in the marine environment and shown ecological links to ambient light and behavioural tasks. I am also at the forefront of high-resolution MRI-based imaging technology tailored explicitly for studying cephalopod brains. My recent work has established analysis protocols to investigate the gross neuroanatomy and underlying neural networks amongst cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus).

Julie Cichero, PhD is a clinician (SLP), researcher and research professional with more than 25 years clinical and research experience into eating, drinking and swallowing problems (dysphagia). She has made significant contributions to the evidence base for standardised terminology for texture modified food and thick liquids, diagnostic use of swallow-respiratory sounds, characterisation of thick fluids and complexities associated with medication management in dysphagia. Recognised nationally and internationally, Julie is a consultant to professional societies, government organisations, academia, boards and healthcare organisations. As Foundation Co-Chair of IDDSI (Global) for a decade, Julie co-led development of the IDDSI Framework, an initiative to reduce food-related choking risk in vulnerable populations. The IDDSI Framework is used in more than 50 countries around the world.

Dr Clark is an Associate Professor at the School of Biomedical Sciences where he is Head of the Peptide Chemical Biology Lab. He completed his PhD in 2000 at the UQ Chemistry Department studying marine natural products chemistry and chemical ecology with Prof. Mary Garson. He then shifted his research focus towards peptide chemistry, structural biology and drug design when he was recruited to the lab of Prof. David Craik at the IMB. His current research focus is the development of technologies to stabilise peptide therapeutics and the elucidation of the structure/function activity of bioactive peptides.

An ecologist by training – I hold a B.Sc. (Hons) in Marine Ecology from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington and a Ph.D. in Ecological Modelling from Griffith University. I am broadly interested in exploring new ways to (1) understand how natural communities are formed and (2) predict how they will change over time. As an Amplify Fellow at UQ, my current research focuses on developing computational tools and adapting techniques from epidemiology and statistical forecasting to study how organisms and ecosystems respond to environmental change. This work is being applied to investigate natural dynamics for a range of natural systems including host-parasite interactions, wildlife populations and veterinary diseases.

I am an active member of the R community and have written and/or maintain several popular R packages. For example, I’m a lead developer on the MRFcov package for multivariate conditional random fields analyses. I also wrote the mvgam R package for fitting dynamic Generalised Additive Models to analyse and forecast multivariate ecological time series, and I regularly provide training seminars and workshops to help researchers learn techniques in ecological data analysis.

I am currently seeking Honours and PhD candidates with interests and/or skills in veterinary epidemiology, spatial / spatiotemporal modeling and quantitative ecology.

Professor David A Clark

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, and University of Queensland, Australia

Prof Clark is a visiting colorectal surgeon at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. He qualified from the University of QLD in 1991, trained in surgery in Brisbane, and undertook colorectal fellowships in the United Kingdom. He was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh in January 2002.

He is a Professor for the University of QLD and runs a busy clinical practice at the St Vincent's Private Hospital Northside. He has a strong interest in inflammatory bowel disease and the IBD Unit at the RBWH has an active academic program. Prof Clark has presented internationally in the field of IBD and minimally invasive colorectal surgery.

The colorectal unit based at the RBWH has a commitment to education and runs a regular laparoscopic colorectal training course and now supports 3 colorectal fellows and a research co-ordinator. He is a board member of the ANZ Training Board in Colorectal Surgery (ANZTBCRS) and the recent convenor for the Society and Section scientific meetings.

Prof Clark heads the Brisbane Colorectal Reseacrh Unit (CRU) and completed a PhD at the University of Sydney in June 2022. He concurrently supervised 4 PhD candidates through UQ. He is widely published in the fields of minimally invasive surgery and inflammaory bowel disease.

Brisbane is renowned for minimally invasive colorectal surgery and training and teaching are a passion.

Paul Clarke is Director of the Frazer Institute, a leading translational medical research centre studying cancer, autoimmune diseases, infection and immunity, and the genetic basis of disease. Professor Clarke became Director in 2017 and was previously Associate Dean (Research) in Medicine at the University of Dundee in Scotland, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Manchester in England, and Research Fellow at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany. Professor Clarke studied Biochemistry at the University of Bristol and undertook research for his PhD at the University of Dundee.

Frazer Institute, formerly UQ Diamantina Institute, is named in honour of its Founding Director, Emeritus Professor Ian Frazer, co-discoverer of the Gardasil HPV cervical cancer vaccine. Frazer Institute is part of The University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine and is a key partner in the Translational Research Institute, a $360 million research facility at the Princess Alexandra Hospital precinct in Woolloongabba. Scientists and clinical researchers at Frazer Institute develop new methods for the prevention, detection and treatment of human diseases.

From 2020 Andrew has led research development at the Tess Cramond Pain and Research Centre (Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital). Topics including clinical outcome measures, service evaluation and strategic planning, clinical trials employing pain education, opioid management, quantitative sensory testing and medical procedures. Current and recent projects include:

• Initiating the Pelvic Exenteration Pain Management Research Collaboration in 2024: A multidisciplinary community of clinicians and researchers at the Tess Cramond Pain and Research Centre, the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and the STARS Hospital, to study how the quality of life can be improved for people who have pelvic organs and tissues removed to manage cancer.
• Collaboration with the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health, to embed multidisciplinary research and quality improvement in the co-design and implementation of collaborative care between the TCPRC- IUIH, at the Moreton Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service in Caboolture through 2023-2024.
• Contributing to the non-surgical pain management stream for the NHMRC-NIHR Collaborative Research Grant, for a multicentre RCT on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of lumbar fusion surgery for patients with persistent, severe low back pain: Short: FusiOn veRsus bEst coNServatIve Care (the FORENSIC trial)
• The LIDOPAIN RCT in 2023: Lidocaine Infusion Dose Optimisation for Pain After Injury to Nerves, was a double-blind placebo-controlled pilot feasibility study for lidocaine infusions, with comprehensive pre-post evaluation of patient questionnaires and sensory testing profiles, to identify which patients do and to not respond to this infusion. https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=382966&isReview=true
• Advisor for Phoebe Ng, oral thesis defense 2024: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: Insights into health profile and paraspinal muscle activation.
• Advisor for Fraser Labrom, thesis awarded 2023: Three dimensional analysis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis during growth.
• Collaboration with UQ RECOVER Injury Research Centre have
  • Currently completing a project funded by the RBWH Foundation, to examine small nerve fibre expression acutely and subacutely after motor vehicle accident, as a marker associated with the transition from acute to chronic pain.
  • Developed a chatbot for providing pain education for children and for adults,
  • Investigated the validity of phone apps for measuring the 6-minute walk test in people with persistent pain.
• Locally at the Tess Cramond Pain and Research Centre I co-lead annual projects for
  • quality improvement: UQ PHRM4071 student placement and Pain Medicine Trainee projects.
  • audit: ePPOC annual data reporting.
  • systematic reviews: UQ HRSS7801 group physiotherapy student project.

From 2004-2019 Andrew's PhD and postgraduate supervision as a lecturer in physiotherapy, focussed on how the brain controls posture and movement. This included studies of sitting, standing, stepping, squatting, pushing and postural control with low back pain and with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Extending understanding of postural control continues with colleagues at QUT Biomechanics and Spine Research Group (Prof Peter Pivonka, Maree Izatt and Assoc Prof Paige Little), the UQ Schools of ITEE (Dr Pauline Pounds) and SBMS Motor Control and Pain laboratory (Assoc Prof Kylie Tucker), and with Curtin University / UWA Raine cohort study (Prof Leon Straker).

Geoffrey Cleghorn is Deputy Head of the School of Medicine, Director International of the School of Medicine and Professor of Paeditrics

Professor Cleghorn is a graduate of the University of Queensland Medical School and undertook postgraduate training in paediatric gastroenterology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto Canada. Following his training he entered academic practice within University of Queensland at the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane.

Professor Cleghorn has published more than 90 manuscripts and book chapters and is a seasoned lecturer and public speaker on a number of infant related issues including perinatal and paediatric nutrition. His research interests include the use of energy expenditure and body composition analysis in a number of disease states including chronic liver disease, cystic fibrosis, and general nutritional rehabilitation. He has been the recipient of a number of research grants from national and international granting bodies including the Australian Research Council, the National Health & Medical Research Council from Australia and the National Institutes of Health from the USA.

Professor Cleghorn has developed an extensive network of associations throughout Asia and hence has a very high profile within this region. He is a frequent, invited visitor to countries throughout Asia and has spoken on a number of nutritional and gastrointestinal topics during these visits. This profile has enabled Professor Cleghorn to be formally appointed to the Academic Teaching Staff of the Department of Child Health, University of Indonesia as a visiting Professor, to become involved in several multinational trials in S.E. Asia, and has seen a number of trainees travel to Brisbane to further their paediatric gastrointestinal and nutritional studies with him and his colleagues.

Professor Cleghorn has been a member of the well respected, Queensland Liver Transplant Service from its inception in 1985 until the present day. He has been involved in many of the historical and seminal advances in paediatric liver transplantation including the world’s first successful living related donor liver transplant and the development of the liver cut down technique now universally known as the “Brisbane Technique”. Research from the QLTS has highlighted the importance of nutrition in these patients and again is now acknowledged internationally.

Professor Cleghorn has had extensive collaborative experience with all levels of industry from the conduct of commissioned trials for regulatory approval to board room advice. He has been on the medical advisory boards of the peak meat industry body in Australia and Gerber Australasia. He has had extensive experience within the broader Asian region providing advice to the regional medical office for Mead Johnson Nutritionals.

His memberships include the Queensland Paediatric Society, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the North American Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition. In addition, he also holds the following positions:

• President – The Asian and Pacific Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition
• President - The Federation of International Societies of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• Executive Councilor, The International Pediatric Transplantation Association
• Editorial Board, Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Editorial Board, Bailiere’s Clinical Gastroenterology
• Visiting Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia

David Cliff was Professor of Occupational Health and Safety in Mining and Director of MISHC from 2011 to 2016. In January 2017 he was appointed Professor of Risk and Knowledge Transfer, reverting to Professor of Occupational Health and Safety in Mining in 2018. His primary role is providing education, applied research and consulting in health and safety in the mining and minerals processing industry. He has been at MISHC over twenty four years.

Previously David was the Safety and Health Adviser to the Queensland Mining Council, and prior to that Manager of Mining Research at the Safety In Mines Testing and Research Station. In these capacities he has provided expert assistance in the areas of health and safety to the mining industry for over twenty three years. He has particular expertise in emergency preparedness, gas analysis, spontaneous combustion, fires and explosions, including providing expert testimony to the Moura No.2 Warden’s inquiry, the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry and the Pike River Royal Commission. In recent times he has also devoted a lot of energy to fitness for duty issues particularly fatigue management. He has been a member of the organising committee for the level one emergency exercises in Queensland underground coal mines since their inception in 1998 till 2023. He has also attended or provided assistance in over 40 incidents at mines. He has developed expertise in the development of Trigger Action Response Plans, critical controls and principal hazard management plans.

David has also extensive experience in providing training and education in OHS in mining to in many countries.

He has published widely in the area of occupational health and safety in mining including not just the physical hazards but also on the processes for the effective management of these issues. Examples of this include reviews of the annual safety performance report for the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines and assistance to the Mine Safety Advisory Council of NSW in developing Health Management Plans (HMP) and key performance indicators for HMP.

In recent years he has collaborated closely with Nikky LaBranche researching respirable dust particularly coal dust and silica.

Anton is a mixed methods researcher with primary expertise in qualitative research methods. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow in the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland.

Anton's primary interest is in working in partnership with Aboriginal community-controlled health services to co-design, implement and evaluate intervention strategies, and develop more practical and effective models of embedding evaluation into their delivery of services and programs. His work in this area focuses on participatory qualitative research with staff and patients of Aboriginal community-controlled health services to improve the acceptability of interventions and optimise their potential effectiveness.

Anton has previously worked in a research role with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health and as a senior lecturer in the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland. Following completion of his PhD in 2008, he was awarded a National Health & Medical Research Council postdoctoral research fellowship which he undertook at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of NSW.