Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Associate Professor in Env Science
School of the Environment
Faculty of Science
Availability:
Available for supervision
Paul Dennis leads an exciting research group that applies cutting-edge technologies to understand the roles of microorganisms and their responses to environmental change.
He is also a passionate educator and public speaker who advocates for the importance of biological diversity and evidence-based environmental awareness. He has talked about his research on ABC Radio and a range of other media outlets.
His teaching covers aspects of ecology, microbiology, plant and soil science, and climatology. He considers these topics to be of fundamental importance for the development of more sustainable societies and takes pride in helping others to obtain the knowledge and skills they need to build a better future.
Paul's research has taken him to Antarctica, the Amazon Rainforest, high mountains and oceans. The approaches used in his lab draw on a wide range of expertise in molecular biology, ecology, statistics, computer science, advanced imaging and soil science. He applies these skills to a wide-range of topics and systems including plant-microbe interactions, Antarctic marine and terrestrial ecology, biogeography, pollution and human health.
Science and technology of ecological engineering of ferrous and base metal mine tailings (e.g., magnetite tailings, bauxite residues (or red mud), Cu/Pb-Zn tailings) into functional technosols and hardpan-based soil systems for sustainable tailings rehabilitation: geo-microbial ecology, mineral bioweathering, geo-rhizosphere biology, technosol-plant relations in mined environments. Championing nature-based solutions to global mine wastes challenges.
Longbin Huang is a full professor and a Program leader in The University of Queensland, leading a research program of "Ecological Engineering in Mining" to develop naure-based methdology and technology, for assisting the world's mining industry to meet the global tailings challenge. Driven by the passion to translate leading knowledge into industry solutions, Longbin has pioneered transformative concepts and approach to tackle rehabilitation of mine wastes (e.g., tailings, acidic and metalliferous waste rocks). Recent success includes the "ecological engineering of Fe-ore tailings and bauxite residue" into soil, for overcoming the topsoil deficit challenge facing the mining industry. Scaled up field trials have been going on to deliver the much-needed technology into field operations. Long-term and multi-site based field trials have demonstrated for the first time, the field-feasibility to accelerate nature-based soil formaiton processes for developing tailings into adaptive and sustainable soil (or technosol) capable of sustaining plant community growth and development (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VzfiWL-8UI&t=4s).
The program consists of a group of researchers with leading knowledge and research skills on: soil/geo-microbial ecology, environmental mineralogy, bioweathering of minerals, native plant rhizosphere (micro)biology, soil-plant relations, and environmental materials (such as biochar and environmental geopolymers). It aims to deliver transformative knowledge and practices (i.e., technologies/methdologies) in the rehabilitation of mine wastes (e.g., tailings, mineral residues, spoils, waste rocks) and mined landscapes for non-polluting and ecologically and financially sustainable outcomes.
In partnership with leading mining companies, Longbin and his team have been focusing on developing game-changing knowledge and technologies of tailings valorisation for achieving non-polluting and ecologically sustainable rehabilitation of, for example, coal mine spoils and tailings, Fe-ore tailings, bauxite residues (or red mud), and Cu/Pb-Zn tailings. Leading the global progress in bauxite rehabilitation, Longbin and his team are currently taking on field-scale research projects on bauxite residue rehabilitation technologies at alumina refineries in Queensland (QAL- and Yarwun refineries) and Northern Territory (Gove refinery).
Longbin's industry-partnered research was recognised in 2019 UQ’s Partners in Research Excellence Award (Resilient Environments) (Rio Tinto and QAL).
Membership of Board, Committee and Society
Professional associations and societies
2010 – Present Australian Soil Science Society.
2016 – Present Soil Science Society of America
2015 – Present American Society of Mining and Reclamation (ASMR)
Editorial boards/services
2018 - present: Member of Editorial Board, BIOCHAR
2013 – present: coordinating editor, Environmental Geochemistry and Health
Awards & Patent
2019 UQ’s Partners in Research Excellence Award (Resilient Environments) (Rio Tinto and QAL)
2017 SMI-Industry Engagement Award, University of Queensland
2015 SMI-Inaugural Bright Research Ideas Forum Award, University of Queensland
2014 SMI-RHD Supervision Award, University of Queensland
2015 Foliar fertilizer US 20150266786. In. (Google Patents). Huang L, Nguyen AV, Rudolph V, Xu G (equal contribution)
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Availability:
Available for supervision
Dr Vivian Rincon is a microbiologist from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia . She joined the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2008 as RA to work in projects related to plant-pathogen interactions and soil microbiology. She obtained a scholarship from the Grain Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to start her PhD on the effect of tillage on soil microbial communities in wheat fields. Following her studies, she joined Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at UQ to work on different aspects of disease management in broadacre crops. Currently, she is a research fellow at the Centre for Horticulturals Science (CHS) working on an integrated disease management approach for the Macadamia industry.
Susanne leads a vibrant team researching natural ecosystems and agroecosystems focussed on plants, microbes and soil. This aims to advance the circular nutrient economy, the restoration of degraded soils and landscapes, and the sustainable use of Australia's flora in a project that is led by Indigenous Australians.
Funded PhD and MPhil positions are available in the (i) Bushfood project and the (ii) Next-generation fertilisers project and soil ameliorants project. Honours and Masters projects are available in all active projects. Please register your interest emailing Susanne.Schmidt@uq.edu.au
Active projects:
A Deadly Solution: Combining Traditional Knowledge and Western Science for an Indigenous-led Bushfood Industry (ARC Discovery-Indigenous)
Dr. Shaygan is a reasearch fellow at The University of Queensland. She is a soil physicist who works across disciplines to understand the effect and interaction of chemical processes on soil physical structure and transport properties. Dr. Shaygan obtained both BSc and MSc degrees in Agronomy from The University of Tehran. She also has Master of Environmental Management from The University of Queensland. Dr. Shaygan completed her PhD in Soil Science at The University of Queensland. Before joining SMI, Dr. Shaygan worked with NSW Department of Primary Industries on amelioration of subsoil constraints. Dr. Shaygan is a reviewer of high ranking journals, and she is a member of Soil Science Australia.
Dr. Shaygan's research focuses on rehabilitation of degraded landscapes and mine sites, quantification and modelling of water flow and solute and nutrient transport in porous media, characterization of soil hydrological and mechanical properties and soil salinity management. Since the completion of her PhD, Dr. Shaygan has been involved in various research projects on soil, mine wastes, waste rocks and mine waste cover design. Dr. Shaygan’s research interest includes but is not limited to: (i) salinity, (ii) land rehabilitation, (iii) water flow and solute and nutrient transport, (iv) evaporation from porous media, (v) estimation of water balance parameters
My research focusses on soil health in cropping and pasture systems, specialising in soil carbon and soil organic matter dynamics, microbial ecology, and plant-soil interactions. I am interested in how agronomic interventions impact soil health and in developing methods to reverse soil fertility decline and build healthier, more productive soils. This includes understanding the impacts of tillage, cover cropping, crop rotational diversity, nutrient management, and organic amendments on soil functional processes and crop development and productivity.
I have extensive experience in designing and analyzing field and glasshouse experiments and implementing advanced statistical models using R. I have excellent verbal and written communication skills, maintain positive relationships with collaborators both nationally and internationally, and publish manuscripts in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Jennifer's research focuses on the intersection between policy, social and technology solutions for system transitions including decarbonisation and circular economy.
In addition to traditional research, Jennifer leads two programs within the Centre for Policy Futures – the Policy Impact Program (PIP) and the Policy Engagement Program (PEP). The PIP is a collaboration between UQ and the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust which curates a selection of the best ideas from Churchill Fellows that have the potential to guide best-practice policy reform in Australia. Its flagship piece is the Policy Futures: A Reform Agenda publication. Through the PEP, experts on a policy-priority topics are engaged in roundtable discussions to guide the development of the Centre’s Policy Futures Think Piece series - designed to unpack complex topics for policy makers.
Jennifer is currently collaborating on projects including organics recycling innovations and carbon market opportunities in north Queensland; policy protections and social safeguards for critical minerals development; and a comparative analysis of state-based circular economy policies.
Jennifer is an environmental scientist by training with expertise in environmental microbiology, plant science and phycology, photosynthesis, mathematical modelling and systems modelling. Interests include sustainable food systems, carbon sequestration, environmental markets, renewable energy, bioeconomy, circular business models and UN Sustainable Development Goals.
