Updates | The Cookson Scholars | Research at Melbourne

Regulating graphene structures for potential quantum materials

Researchers have developed a technique to control ion channels in 2D graphene, making them promising candidates for quantum devices

Predicting the cancer treatments of tomorrow

By incorporating the needs of patients, a new prioritisation technique aims to provide equitable access to life-saving medicines.

A new approach to controlling aphids using bacteria

Infecting aphids with a specific type of bacteria could help control these garden and agricultural pests in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

A new method for detecting heart rhythm abnormalities in unborn babies

University of Melbourne researchers developed the method to automatically identify fetal arrhythmias in non-invasive electrocardiography recordings.

A new coating boosts the performance of implantable electrodes

A new coating improves the lifespan and performance of carbon-fibre microelectrodes, enabling two-way communication with single cells.

GABA inhibitory neurotransmitter excites cells in the adult brain

GABA – a neurotransmitter previously thought to have only inhibitory activity in the brains of adult mammals – can also excite certain types of cells.

Christmas beetles may use their hard wings to keep cool

By acting as shields or light traps, the beetles’ hard outer wings may have a role in thermoregulation.

App offers mental health support for carers

An app for carers of young people with mental illness appears to enable therapeutic bonds to grow between users and the app.

Breakthrough for augmented reality display technology

The world's first flexible, transparent augmented reality (AR) display screen has been created using additive manufacturing and low-cost materials.

Anatomy textbooks don't address the diversity in appearance of female genitalia

Current textbooks are not giving medical graduates in Australia a realistic view of the normal variation in the size, shape and symmetry of the vulva.

Removing railway level crossings contributes to suicide prevention

The Victorian Government’s Level Crossing Removal Project has reduced the number of suicide deaths, according to University of Melbourne research.

Bringing birth forward to 39 weeks has no adverse developmental effects

Developmental outcomes of children birthed by induced labour at 39 weeks’ gestation shows there's no difference in childhood development at ages four to six years compared to full-term babies.

Understanding the impact of state regulation of mobility for trans and non-binary people

A gender studies project is exploring how binary gender norms impact mobility, especially how state regulation and biometric tech impact trans-gender and gender diverse people.

Stimulating the vagus nerve can reduce blood glucose levels

Demonstrating the safety of vagus nerve stimulation in animals is the first step in establishing this method as a treatment for diabetes in humans.

Using the eye to measure the brain

A prototype device for measuring intracranial pressure (ICP) is set to eliminate the need for brain surgery in head trauma patients, providing fast, non-invasive, critical decision-making data to clinicians to improve outcomes.

The Maternal Metamorphosis: Becoming a mother in Australia (1945-2020)

New research by Dr Carla Pascoe Leahy has explored the ways in which the experience of becoming a mother has changed since the mid-twentieth century.

Dual sensory impairment linked to a higher risk of death

People with both vision and hearing impairment – known as dual sensory impairment (DSI) – have a 44 per cent higher risk of death than people with neither sensory impairment.

Keeping career change teachers in schools

To ensure career change teachers remain in the profession, teacher educators must develop support strategies and consider the specific needs of career-change teachers.

An energy-efficient method to reduce drag in high-turbulence conditions

A new method reduces drag in high-turbulence conditions by counteracting large eddies in the flow of air or water, affecting the efficiency of aircraft and ships.

Beneath the Surface and Inside Out: exploring neuroscience through art

A collaboration between a textile artist and a neuroscientist explores how the brain’s predictive processes are linked to mental health.

Identifying changes in leg joints of female runners during puberty

How running affects females’ knee and hip joints changes during puberty. The findings could help prevent common sports injuries in female adolescents.

Waste management legislation in Pacific region countries – insights and opportunities

A comprehensive legal review aims to reduce environmental, health and economic risk and improve waste management in 15 Pacific region nations.

Modelling can predict the best cancer treatment for patient groups

For many cancers, treatment options are too numerous to test in clinical trials. Modelling can be used predict the best treatment for patient groups.

Psychological therapy reduces depression in women who have experienced domestic violence

Combined evidence from 33 clinical trials shows that psychological therapy may benefit mental health in women who have experienced domestic violence.

Stroke patients in remote Australia can’t reach hospital in time

The time taken to fly stroke patients from remote Australia to specialised stroke units exceeds the ‘golden hour’ for diagnosis and treatment.

Women, workplaces and volunteering

Women are more likely than men to take on workplace tasks that don’t lead to personal gain, potentially impacting promotions and workplace diversity.

William Blake: A poet of the modern world

William Blake’s progressive views on sexuality, creativity and social justice offer a way to explore what it is to be human in the modern world.

The funeral industry in the digital age

Funeral directors decide which digital services are appropriate for grief and mourning, making it difficult for entrepreneurs to enter the industry.

Modelling to predict chemical behaviour

Computer modelling methods based on density functional theory predict how molecules will behave. New tools help researchers choose the best method.

TACI: A new target for treating lupus

Removing the molecule TACI from immune cells in mice with lupus protects against the disease without compromising immunity.

Quantum sensing of chiton teeth

Quantum magnetic microscopy shows processes of iron biomineralisation in chiton teeth, the hardest known animal teeth.

Ancient marine life left clues to early evolution

A previously unknown form of marine life that lived around 600–700 million years ago provides clues to early evolution.

Marine bacteria push the limits of food-finding

Recreating microscopic features of the ocean shows marine bacteria have pushed food-finding behaviour almost to its limit.

Plotting Indigenous languages in 50 Words

While many Indigenous languages are in danger of disappearing, a new website is bringing the diversity of Australian languages to life.

Gig economy requires a rethink of equality law

New ways to protect workers from discrimination and relevance of current equality laws questioned in gig economy.

Letters show children's help for refugees

Letters between two young pen-pals in the 1930s show how some Australians sought to help Jewish refugees when government policy didn’t.

Designing for resilience in bushfire-prone areas

Researchers have developed nine principles to help urban planners, emergency services and communities collaborate to reduce fire risk.

How buruli ulcer spreads in humans

Mosquito bites and puncture wounds are likely to transmit bacteria causing Buruli ulcer, a disfiguring infectious disease in humans.