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What is the KU Leuven-Melbourne Mini Conference?
The KU Leuven - Melbourne joint PhD program is part of an international research partnership between the University of Melbourne and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven). The first mini conference was held virtually on Wednesday 19 October 2022. Graduate Researchers in the Joint PhD program represent a diverse range of faculties from across the two institutions. For this conference they delivered their research findings to-date in concise, accessible presentations.
Wednesday 19 October 2022
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17:00 AEDT/ 8:00 CEST Mini Conference Introduction
Professor Justin Zobel, Pro Vice-Chancellor Graduate & International Research, UoM, will deliver the opening address.
17:05 AEDT/ 8:05 CEST Graduate Researcher Presentations
Each presentation will be 10 minutes long followed by an additional 5 minutes for Q&A.
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IP3R-mediated Ca2+ signalling microdomains regulating cardiomyocyte function and growth
Graduate Researcher: Joshua Chung
Supervisors: Dr Vijay Rajagopal (UoM) and Prof H. Llewelyn Roderick (KUL)
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Flexible microwave sensors for dielectric spectroscopy
Graduate Researcher: Benyamin Harkinezhad
Supervisors: Prof Stan Skafidas (UoM) and Prof Dominique Schreurs (KUL)
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Relationship between eigenvalues and singular values
Graduate Researcher: Matthias Allard
Supervisors: Dr Mario Kieburg (UoM) and Prof Arno Kuijlaars (KUL)
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Biomarkers for preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: the role of multimodal retinal imaging
Graduate Researcher: Hana Kulenovic
Supervisors: A/Prof Peter van Wijngaarden (UoM) and Prof Ingeborg Stalmans (KUL)
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Soil-structure interaction framework for monopiles in sand under cyclic loading
Graduate Researchers: Olgu Orakci and Nazish Ullah
Supervisors: Dr Shiaohuey Chow (UoM) and A/Prof Georgios Anogiatis (KUL)
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Inclusive data governance and urban sprawl management for Sustainable Cities (SDG11)
Graduate Researchers: Siqing (Julia) Yu and Kriti Pradhan
Supervisors: Prof Abbas Rajabifard (UoM) and Prof Johan (Joep) Crompvoets (KUL)
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Advanced cell models and multifunctional nanoparticles for light mediated cancer therapies
Graduate Researchers: Maria Bravo and Sam Zaman
Supervisors: Prof Paul Mulvaney, Dr James Hutchison (UoM) and A/Prof Susana Rocha (KUL)
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Translation policy in times of a pandemic
Graduate Researchers: Kadija Bouyzourn and Rachel Macreadie
Supervisors: Prof Anthony Pym (UoM) and Prof Reine Meylaerts (KUL)
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Integrating life cycle assessment in building design to improve the environmental performance of buildings
Graduate Researchers: Lise Mouton and Fabian Prideaux
Supervisors: A/Prof Robert Crawford (UoM) and A/Prof Karen Allacker (KUL)
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An approach to fairness via regularization
Graduate Researcher: Lorenzo Marchi
Supervisors: Dr Rui Zhou, Dr Benjamin Avanzi (UoM) and Prof Katrien Antonio (KUL)
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Defects in neuronal wiring in the gastrointestinal tract and in Hirschsprung’s disease
Graduate Researcher: Klaas Van Mechelen
Supervisors: Dr Lincon Stamp, Dr Marlene Hao (UoM) and Prof Pieter VandenBerghe (KUL)
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Applying instance space analysis to the 2D bin packing problem
Graduate Researcher: Kelvin Liu
Supervisors: Prof Kate Smith-Miles (UoM) and A/Prof Tony Wauters (KUL)
20:00 AEDT/ 11:00 CEST
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Closing Remarks
Professor Stan Skafidas, Academic Lead – KU Leuven-Melbourne RTG, will conclude the conference and name the recipient of the best presentation
About the KU Leuven-Melbourne Research Training Group
The KU Leuven - Melbourne joint PhD program is part of an international research partnership between the University of Melbourne and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven). KU Leuven is a leading research and education university located in Leuven, Belgium. The program provides graduate researchers with an international research experience under the tutelage of world-class researchers.
Candidates participating in the joint PhD program can immerse themselves in the rich heritage of both Leuven and Melbourne, developing a global perspective and international research network. The program offers opportunities across the sciences and humanities, with projects grounded in the supervisory expertise, resources, and facilities offered by both universities.

First published on 7 October 2022.
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Current projects
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Joint PhD opportunities
See which joint PhD projects are currently open for enrolment in the KU Leuven - Melbourne joint PhD program.
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How to apply
Apply for a joint PhD with the KU Leuven - Melbourne Joint PhD.
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International Research Training Groups
IRTGs are cohort-based programs where graduate researchers enrol at both the University of Melbourne and an international partner university.