3. 2 WELCOME by Professor James McCluskey,
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
4 RESEARCH AT MELBOURNE
6 RESEARCH NEWS
FEATURED RESEARCH
12 Research challenges child language theories
14 Protecting our koalas – and the environment
16 Breakthrough technology improves efficiency
of water distribution around the world
18 Novel vaccines boost poultry production
20 HILDA Survey becomes elite world survey
22 Business sector slow to get the cartel message
24 Music therapy – a lifeline for those suffering
mental illness
26 Consumers save over $1 billion annually in
dental treatment with Recaldent™ products
28 White roofs make buildings more sustainable
30 Powerful resource develops children’s
emotional intelligence
32 Climate change strategies save the Australian
wine industry
34 AT A GLANCE: Facts and figures about
research at the University of Melbourne
CONTENTS
1
4. MEETING THE CHALLENGE, MAKING AN IMPACT
The best research involves a spirit of
vigorous interrogation. Whilst the pursuit
of knowledge for its own sake is one of
society’s loftiest endeavours, research
should also strive to make an impact.
The privilege of the pursuit of knowledge
brings with it a duty to communicate our
research and to ensure that our research is
visionary, transformative, and beneficial to
the community.
In late 2012, the University of Melbourne
took part in a national trial – the first
of its kind to measure the end-user
benefit of research. The Excellence in
Innovation for Australia (EIA) trial was
designed to measure the innovation
dividend of research generated by
Australian universities.
Twelve Australian universities (30 per cent
of the sector) headed by the Australian
Technology Network of Universities
(ATN) and the Group of Eight (Go8) and
including Charles Darwin University and
the Universities of Tasmania and Newcastle
submitted 162 research case studies
for assessment.
The trial focused on impact assessment
using case studies of research as opposed to
traditional university metrics such as how
many times research has been published
or cited.
The University of Melbourne submittedd
15 research case studies to the trial
for assessment.
Universities were invited to subbmit up to
five case studies in the areass oof Society;
Economic Development; EnEnvironment; and
Defence. Less than 10 peper cent of the 162
submissions received aacross the sector were
related to Defence – with four universities,
including Melbourne, not submitting
Defence case studies due the sensitive and
confidential nature of the area.
An interesting outcome from the trial has
been the fact that many case studies not
only profiled university researchers, but
also identified the role of smart companies
and organisations which have made
effective use of research.
Our research strategy, Research at
Melbourne: Ensuring Excellence and
Impact to 2025 is a definitive statementt
for the next 10-15 years, with the aim oof
elevating the excellence and impactt of our
world-class research efforts. See ppage 4 for
more information.
This edition of Research Reeview, with the
theme ‘Meeting the Chaalllenge, Making
an Impact’, provides aa snapshot of the
case studies Melbouurne presented to the
EIA trial.
Some highligighhts of this edition of Research
Review incclulude:w
+ A reevvolutionary irrigation management
syysstem developed by Melbourne
eengineers and Rubicon Water is now
being used across Australia, in the
USA, China and Europe to improve
water productivity.
+ Recaldent™ products are saving
consumers more than $1 billion annually
in dental treatment. Recaldent™ is
regarded as a major global breakthrough
in the prevention and treatment of early
tooth decay.
+ Melbourne-led research is potentially
saving the Australian wine industry
billions of dollars by encouraging it
to adopt proactive stratategies against
climate change.
+ Vaccines developpeded by Melbourne
veterinary sciennce researchers are
leading to a mmajor reduction in the use of
antibiotics iin poultry.
+ Melbournrne scientists have developed
new mamanagement techniques which will
protteect the environment – and our koalas.
+ Thhe Household, Income and Labour
DDynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey,
has now joined the ranks of the elite
panel surveys in the world.
+ A legal research project has found that
many businesses are unaware that cartel
activity is illegal.
In addition to these articles, there are
vignettes intended to highlight research
across a broad spectrum of disciplines
including education; humanities; the
arts (including performing arts); and
architecture, building and planning.
The stories ultimately illustrate our vision
of being a globally engaged, comprehensive
research-intensive university uniquely
positioned to respond to major social,
economic and environmental challenges.
To understand the University’s
performance in terms of rankings andd
scale we have also included some statatistics
on Melbourne’s research activity tthhat are
drawn from nationally collectedd data and
international rankings.
I hope you will find sommee inspiration in this
review as it celebrates ththe breadth of impact
our research is havinng on the world.
Professor James McCluskey, FAA
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
WELCOME to the
2013 edition of
Research Review
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
2
6. Research improves lives and contributes to
the greater wellbeing of societies.
Innovative technologies, scientific
discoveries, cultural development,
new approaches to public policy, and
changes to the way we educate the next
generation can transform the way we
live. Research contributes to solving the
world’s most difficult problems – from
climate change to global health to political
unrest. An understanding of the human
element, or the economic, cultural or
social implications of these problems, is
embedded across all our research.
Under the Research at Melbourne strategy,
the University cultivates the fundamental
enabling disciplines from astrophysics
to philosophy, but in addition to this
discipline-focused and investigator-driven
research, Melbourne pursues three Grand
Challenges:
+ understanding our place and purpose
+ fostering health and wellbeing
+ supporting sustainability and resilience
The Grand Challenges provide a narrative
and purpose beyond individual scholarship.
They offer members of our research
community the opportunity to contribute
some of their efforts to an institution-level
strategy – an integral feature of our effort
to elevate the quality and impact of our
research in the next 10–15 years.
The Place and Purpose Grand Challenge
centres on understanding all aspects of
our national identity, with a focus on
Australia’s ‘place’ in the Asia-Pacific region
and the world, and on our ‘purpose’ or
mission to improve all dimensions of the
human condition through our research. For
stories which address this grand challenge
see: ‘Research challenges child language
theories’, page 12; ‘Hilda Survey becomes
elite world survey’, page 21; ‘Business sector
slow to get the cartel message’, page 22;
and ‘Powerful resource develops children’s
emotional intelligence’, page 30.
The University’s longstanding research
and clinical partnerships with some of
the country’s outstanding health care
providers and medical research institutes
such as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
of Medical Research, the Peter MacCallum
Cancer Institute, the Murdoch Childrens
Research Institute, and the Florey Institute
of Neuroscience and Mental Health are
helping deliver its bold agenda to improve
health and wellbeing.
Melbourne is a partner in a number of
Australia’s premier clinical and research
facilities including the Bio21 Institute, the
Melbourne Brain Centre, the Peter Doherty
Institute for Infection and Immunity, the
Royal Children’s Hospital, and the Victorian
Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC).
For research stories which address health
and wellbeing see: ‘Novel vaccines boost
poultry production’, page 18; ‘Music therapy
– a lifeline for those suffering mental
illness’, page 24; and ‘Consumers save over
$1 billion annually in dental treatment with
Recaldent™ products’, page 26.
One of the greatest challenges of the 21st
century is the endeavour to secure global
prosperity without placing excessive
demand on the Earth’s natural resources
and without jeopardising the climate
system. Climate change, water and
food security, sustainable energy and
designing resilient cities and regions are
critical issues.
While many of these problems require
technical solutions, they also involve
changed attitudes and consideration of
economic implications, living patterns
and behaviours.
Cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral
understanding is needed to enable
innovation across energy, water,
carbon management and related
domains. For research stories which
address sustainability and resilience,
see: ‘Protecting our koalas – and the
environment’, page 14; ‘Breakthrough
technology improves efficiency of water
distribution around the world’, page
16; ‘White roofs make buildings more
sustainable’, page 28; and ‘Climate change
strategies save the Australian wine
industry’, page 32.
For more information about the Research
at Melbourne strategy see: http://research-
vision.unimelb.edu.au
RESEARCH AT
MELBOURNE
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
4
8. RESEARCH NEWS
New research hubs to transform Australia’s
struggling manufacturing sector
The dairy manufacturing industry and
the food industry will be the focus of
targeted new research hubs aimed at
resolving some of the challenges facing
industrial economies.
The establishment of the hubs follows the
ARC announcement that they will support
two Melbourne research hubs with funding
of $7 million over the life of the projects.
Led by Dr Sally Gras, of the Department of
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
and the Bio21 Institute at the University
of Melbourne, the Dairy Innovation Hub
will combine the expertise of Melbourne,
the University of Queensland, and
Dairy Innovation Australia to develop
breakthrough technical solutions. The
Dairy Innovation Hub will receive
$5 million over the life of the project.
The second Hub, named ‘Unlocking
the Food Value Chain: Australian Food
Industry Transformation for ASEAN
Markets’, or the Food Research Hubb, will be
led byby Professor Frank Dunshea, who heads
thhee Department of Agriculture and Food
SSystems at the University of Melbourne’s
School of Land and Environment. The
Food Research Hub will receive $2 million
for the life of the project, which will
combine the expertise of the University
of Melbourne and Kraft Australia.
Finding a genetic
cause for severe
childhood epilepsies
A large scientific study has discovered new
genes causing severe seizure disorders
that begin in babies and early childhood.
The finding will lead to new tests to
diagnose these conditions and promises
to lead to improved outcomes.
Epileptic encephalopathies are severe
seizure disorders occurring in infants
and children. The seizures are
accompanied by slow development and
intellectual problems.
The clinical leader of the study, paediatric
neurologist and researcher Professor
Ingrid Scheffer from the University of
Melbourne and the Florey Institute of
Neuroscience and Mental Health, said:
These children have devastating disorders.
Finding the cause is the first step in
developing targeted treatments.
“Overall, our findings have important
implications for making a diagnosis
in patients, optimising therapy and
providing genetic counselling for
families,” she said. The study, published
in Nature Genetics, revealed two new genes
associated with these severe epilepsies.
UNESCO heritage adds digital archive
of endangered cultural records
A digital collection of endangered
languages, co-managed by the University
of Melbourne, has been added to
the UNESCO Australian Memory of
the World collection to protect it for
future generations.
The collection PARADISEC (Pacific and
Regional Archive for Digital Sources in
Endangered Cultures) was created to
digitise research and cultural records to
make sure they don’t get lost, damaged
or destroyed.
“The archive contains over 8,900 entries
based on research and projects on
endangered languages and cultures around
the world,” said Dr Nick Thieberger, a
Senior Research Fellow in the University’s
School of Languages and Linguistics and a
PARADISEC Project Manager.
“There are nearly 2,000 languages spoken
in Australia, the South Pacific Islands and
Southeast Asia and most of these have
never been recorded, much less studied.
“A large number of these languages are
in such decline that only a few hundred
will be spoken in the next century.”
In 2000, UNESCO established the
Australian Memory of the World Program
to maintain selective lists of significant
documentary heritage.
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
6
9. Study reveals
learning disabilities
affect up to 10 per
cent of children and
co-occur at higher
than expected rates
Up to 10 per cent of the population is
affected by specific learning disabilities
(SLDs), such as dyslexia, dyscalculia
and autism, translating to two or three
pupils in every classroom, a new study
has found.
Led by Professor Brian Butterworth, a
Professorial Fellow at the University of
Melbourne’s School of Psychological
Sciences and Emeritus Professor of
Cognitive Neuropsychology at University
College London, the study gives insight
into the underlying causes of specific
learning disabilities and how to tailor
individual teaching and learning for
individuals and education professionallss.
The study found children are freququently
affected by more than one learnining
disability and that specific leaarrning
disabilities co-occur more ooftften than
expected. For example, inn children with
attention-deficit or hyppeeractivity disorder,
33 to 45 per cent also ssuffer from dyslexia
and 11 per cent fromm dyscalculia, a
learning disabilitity in mathematics.
Professor Buuttterworth said the results
showed thehere were many neurological
developmpment disorders that result in
learniinng disabilities, even in children of
normrmal or even high intelligence.
Australia leads on health
Australians live longer, healthier lives
than people in almost every other countrtry,
but a range of ailments threaten advanances
made in recent years, a symposiumm on
groundbreaking data at the Univeversity of
Melbourne has revealed.
Professor Alan Lopez, Laurureate Professor
at the Melbourne Schoooll of Population and
Global Health, said obbeesity in Australia
surpassed smokingg aas a risk factor for
premature death.
The data fromm the landmark Global Burden
of Disease sstudy show life expectancy
has increaeased for both men and women
in Aussttralia. On average, a newborn girl
can nnow expect to live 83.8 years, and a
neewwborn boy 79.2 years.
By 2010, only men in Iceland, Switzerland
and Japan had longer life expectancies. The
Australian study data mark a significant
improvement since 1990, when women on
average lived to 80, and men to less than 74.
The study shows heart disease is the leading
cause of death and disability for Australians,
with poor diet being the biggest risk factor,
and the impacts of drugs, depression and
Alzheimer’s disease are on the rise.
World-first clinical trial supports
use of kava to treat anxiety
A world-first completed clinical study by
an Australian team has found that kava, a
medicinal South Pacific plant, significantly
reduced the symptoms of people
suffering anxiety.
The study, led by the University of
Melbourne and published in the Journal
of Clinical Psychopharmacology, revealed
kava could be an alternative treatment to
pharmaceutical products for the hundreds
of thousands of Australians who suffer
from Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Lead researcher, Dr Jerome Sarris from the
Department of Psychiatry at the University
of Melbourne, said GAD is a complex
condition that significantly affects people’s
day-to-day lives. Existing medications
have a modest clinical effect and new
effective options were needed for patients
with anxiety.
“Based on previous work we have recognised
that plant-based medicines may be a viable
treatment for patients with chronic anxiety.
In this study we’ve been able to show that
kava offers a potential natural alternative
for the treatment of chronic clinical
anxiety. Unlike some other options it has
less risk of dependency and less potential
for side effects,” he said. The study also
found that people’s genetic differences
(polymorphisms) of certain neurobiological
mechanisms called GABA transporters may
modify their response to kava.
7
10. Chancellor’s Prize rewards PhD thesis excellence
The recipients of the 2013 Chancellor’s
Prize for Excellence in a PhD Thesis have
been announced.
The prestigious prize, awarded annually,
recognises the University’s high-achieving
graduate researchers. It is the only
University-wide award for outstanding
PhD theses.
The prize was awarded to six PhD graduates
from three faculty groupings – Humanities,
Creative Arts and Social Sciences;
Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences;
and Science and Engineering.
This year’s Humanities, Creative Arts
and Social Sciences winners were Emily
Hudson (Melbourne Law School) for
‘Copyright exceptions: the experiences
of cultural institutions in the United
States, Canada and Australia’, and Jeanette
Tamplin (Melbourne Conservatorium
of Music) for ‘The effects of singing on
respiratory function, voice, and mood for
people with quadriplegia’.
The winners from Medicine, Dentistry
and Health Sciences were Bruce Campbell
(Medicine RMH) for ‘Acute stroke
imaging: predicting response to therappyy’,
and Peng Lei (Pathology) for ‘Ironingg
out the involvement off ttau protein in
neurodegenerative didiseases’.
The Science andd EEngineering winners were
Marcus Doherrtty (School of Physics) for ‘The
theory of thhee nitrogen-vacancy colour centre
in diamondnd’, and Dean Freestone (Electrical
and Elecectronic Engineering) for ‘Epileptic
seizurure prediction and the dynamics of the
elecctrical fields of the brain’.
The Chancellor’s Prize awards began
in 1995 and inform the University’s
research community of the outstanding
contribution the recipients have made to
their research field.
Australian migrant
kids “more trusting”
The children of migrants to Australia
are more trusting than those whose
parents settled in America, University of
Melbourne research has found.
The study revealed more than 60% of
Australian second generation immigrants
believe ‘most people can be trusted’, while
only 41% of the US immigrants do.
Researchers Dr Domenico Tabasso and
Dr Julie Moschion say there are several
reasons for the divide.
“Low levels of crime, high rates of
employment, income equality and an
absence of cultural segregation account
for the high levels of trust found in
Australia,” according to Dr Tabasso.
“On the flipside, the perception of racial
inequality contributes to lower levels of
trust in the United States,” he said.
Previous academic studies have underlined
the central role trust plays in a strong
economy, as it facilitates cooperation and
exchanges among individuals. The research
was published by the Melbourne Institute
of Applied Economic and Social Research.
Discovery paves the way for ultrafast
high resolution imaging in real time
Ultrafast high resolution imaging in
real time could be a reality with a new
research discovery led by the University
of Melbourne.
In work published in Nature
Communications, researchers from the
University of Melbourne and the ARC
Centre for Excellence in Coherent X-ray
Science have demonstrated that ultrashort
durations of electron bunches generated
from laser-cooled atoms can be both very
cold and ultrafast.
Lead researcher Associate Professor Robert
Scholten from the School of Physics said
the surprising finding was an important
step towards making ultrafast high
resolution electron imaging a reality.
He said the finding would enhance
the ability of scientists in labs to create
high-quality snapshots of rapid changes
in biological molecules and specimens.
David Syme Science Prize
Dr Lars Kjer-Nielsen,
from Microbiology and
Immunology, has been
awarded the 2012 David
Syme Research Prize.
Each year, the prestigious
prize is awarded by the
Faculty of Science for the
best original research
work in biology, physics,
chemistry or geology
produced in Australia
during the preceding
two years.
Dr Kjer-Nielsen received
the award for leading a
five-year study looking into
how immune cells within
the gut, known as MAIT
cells, could potentially
influence the development
of autoimmune disease.
MAIT cells are greatly
influenced by gut flora,
which are bacteria that
live in the intestine and
help support the immune
system.
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
8
11. University of
Melbourne
researchers top
the nation in ARC
Linkage awards
University of Melbourne reseearchers have
been awarded $14.1 millionon to assist with
a range of projects in cololllaboration with
industry partners. Thehe projects range
from next generationon technologies to
monitor microorggaanisms in Melbourne’s
water catchmenntts, to developing
interventionss ffor family violence and
improvingg ccochlear implants.
The fuunnding is part of a $101 million
Linkkaage projects package announced
byy the Australian Research Council
(A(ARC). The Linkage Projects scheme
provides funding to support research
and development projects that foster
collaboration between higher education
researchers and industry.
University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-
Chancellor (Research) Professor James
McCluskey said the grants recognised
the importance of innovative research
that links with industries and existing
community programs. He welcomed
the funding and said the depth of
projects funded at the University would
help address problems facing the
wider community.
“The support from the ARC is based on a
rigorous competitive process and reflects
the outstanding quality of research at
the University of Melbourne and the
strength of its industry engagement. It is
a reflection of the quality of our staff that
we have received more funding than any
other institution nationally,” he said.
“Research aims to make a practical
impact, recognising the University of
Melbourne is at the forefront of producing
research that offers social, cultural and
economic benefits.”
Melbourne researcher takes top prize
Dr Aung Ko Win from the University
of Melbourne has been awarded the
prestigious 2013 Premier’s Award for
Health and Medical Research for his
groundbreaking work on colorectal
cancer. The Premier’s Award recognises
achievement, celebrates creativity and
acknowledges excellence across all fields
of health or medical research.
Dr Win has made considerable
breakthroughs towards developing a new
genetically based model for colorectal
cancer risk prediction.
“Colorectal cancer is the second most
commonly diagnosed cancer in Australliaia.
With around one in 20 Australians
diagnosed with the disease at somee stage
in their life, this cancer accountss ffor the
second-highest number of cannccer-related
deaths in Australia,” said Drr WWin.
“Early detection of the cacancer, when it
is at an early and more confifinned stage,
radically increases chanceess of survival and
decreases treatment coststs. This discovery
of applying a geneticaalllly based prediction
model will greatly aasssist practitioners
in identifying peoople most at risk of
developing the ddisease, as well as help with
the discoveryy of new risk factors associated
with the disisease.”
Dr Winin conducted his PhD research at
the MMelbourne School of Population and
GlGlobal Health (Centre for Molecular,
EEnvironmental, Genetic and Analytic
Epidemiology) at the University of
Melbourne and has worked closely with
the Cancer Council of Victoria.
Dr Win’s collaborators, Professor John
Hopper and Associate Professor Mark
Jenkins, his principal supervisor, have
praised Dr Win and acknowledged his hard
work and determination to make an impact
on cancer research.
9
12. University launches
biggest campaign
in its history
The University has launched the largest
philanthropic campaign in its 160-year
history, seeking to raise $500 million by
the end of 2017.
At the official launch in May, the
University announced $42 million in new
gifts; since 2008, it has attracted $249
million in gifts, with more than 12,000
donors giving support to Believe – the
Campaign for the University of Melbourne.
See: http://campaign.unimelb.edu.au
IN BRIEF
Maths Professor
elected to US
National Academy
of Sciences
Professor Peter Hall, from the University’s
Department of Mathematics and Statistics,
has been elected to the US-based
National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
Scientists are elected to this prestigiouss,
non-profit society of scholars by theirr
peers for distinguished and continuuing
achievements in original researcchh in
science and technology. Professssor Hall, an
Australian Laureate Fellow, wwas elected as
a Foreign Associate in reccoognition of his
world-leading research iinn probability and
mathematical statisticcs.
University of
Melbourne named
Australian leader
in Nature rankings
The University is placed first in Australia
in world-leading science journal Nature’s
latest rankings. Melbourne also rose in
the regional and global rankings to sixth
in the Asia-Pacific region, up from eighth
last year, and 61st in the world, three
places higher than in the 2011 rankings.
The Nature Publishing Index 2012
charts the number of articles published
in Nature.
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
10
13. University Professor named
Fellow of Royal Society
Professor Terry Speed from the
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
(WEHI) has been elected as a Fellow
of the Royal Society for his work in
bioinformatics. The Royal Society, the UK’s
national academy for promoting excellence
in science, selects new fellows based on
their scientific achievements.
Professor Speed’s research is on statistical
aspects of bioinformatics, which uses
mathematics and statistics to solve
complex biological problems. Professor
Speed has developed new ways to analyse
biological data that have been applied
to medical research in a range of fields
including cancer, infection, immunology
and inherited diseases.
Melbourne sets its
sights on big public
policy challenges
The University of Melbourne will play
an even greater role in the creation of
real-world solutions to the big challenges
of our time, with the launch of the new
Melbourne School of Government.
The School aims to develop innovative
responses to contemporary public policy
and governance questions, foster a culture
of public debate, and help train the Asia-
Pacific’s next crop of political leaders.
The MSoG Director, Professor Helen
Sullivan, said it will work with policy
makers and the general public.
“We will have an ongoing, genuine and
robust dialogue with business leaders,
government departments, agencies and
NGOs, as well as the world’s best think
tanks and academic institutions,” she saidid.
“These relationships are to be criticaall as
we seek to enhance the decision-mmaking
ability of policy makers, instituttioions and
communities.”
The University of Melbouurrne Vice-
Chancellor, Professor GlGlyn Davis, said the
new School would briring together a wealth
of policy and governrnance expertise.
“Students willl bbe not only be taught by
leading acaddeemics across Law, Business &
Economiccss and Political Science, but will
also enggaage with experienced practitioners
insidee and outside the classroom,” he said.
Report sounds the alarm on child poverty
Australian children under the care of justt
one parent are three times more likely
than other children to live in povertyy,, nnew
data from Australia’s most comprehhensive
household survey has revealed.
The latest Household, Incomeme and Labour
Dynamics in Australia (HILILDA) Survey,
produced by the Universisitty of Melbourne,
found 24.1% of childreenn living with a single
parent are living in ppoverty, compared
with just 7.6% of chchildren in two-parent
homes. Amongg ppeople living in lone-parent
households (inincluding both lone parents
and their children), the proportion living
in poverty rose from 19.6% in 2000–01 to
23.2% in 2009–10.
The report’s editor and co-author,
Associate Professor Roger Wilkins from
the Melbourne Institute of Applied Social
and Economic Research, said the results
were concerning.
The figures show that in spite of continuing
efforts to reduce child poverty, big challenges
remain. For further information about the
HILDA Survey see the report on page 21.
Photocourtesy:WalterandElizaHallInstitute
Late News
For the latest news from the University
of Melbourne see: www.newsroom.
melbourne.edu.au
11
15. Imagine you were born just a few days’ walk from
Mount Everest.
Like other Sherpa children, you were named after
the day of the week you were born, and wrapped in
a yak-wool blanket to protect from the freezing cold.
You grow up in the Nepal Himalayas, four kilometres
above sea level, working alongside your parents in a
rocky potato field.
You learn to practise the most ancient form of Tibetan
Buddhism and to speak your native Sherpa language.
Interwoven with that language are the Sherpa cultural
traditions that enfold you just as snugly as that
yak-wool blanket.
PhD candidate Sara Ciesielski (pictured left) has lived
with the Sherpas four times in recent years as part of
her research project entitled Language Development
and Socialisation in Sherpa. The research, conducted
under the supervision of child language specialist
Dr Barbara Kelly, will broaden our understanding of
how children acquire their first language.
Sara has received numerous awards and scholarships,
often providing the much-needed financial support
to make her work possible. She was the first PhD
candidate in an Arts discipline to win Melbourne’s
three-minute-thesis (3MT®
) Competition and she is
also an ambassador for ‘Believe’, the Campaign for the
University of Melbourne.
“I am investigating how children are spoken to,
and how that shapes the way they learn to become
competent members of their society,” says Sara.
“I’m particularly interested in the intersection
between language and culture, and my research
allows me to explore how this nexus develops right
from the moment of birth.”
Although many people think of Sherpas as
mountaineers, the Sherpas are actually an
ethnic group, famous for their toughness and
mountaineering skills.
“Most early child language research focuses on
European languages, particularly English, and this
had led to limited conclusions,” she says.
“Conducting fresh research in little-studied
communities helps us cast off these limitations and
make our theories truly universal.”
As part of her research Sara trekked to a Sherpa
village and filmed six children between two and four
years of age going about their daily routine.
“I found something very unusual,” says Sara.
“What these children hear is command after
command after command, in a quick-fire string.
Come here! Wash this! Sit still! Unlike us, Sherpa!
parents give direct orders, and often these come so fast
that the children have no chance of obeying – even if
they wanted to.
“These commands actually hold cultural information:
the older you are, the more right you have to tell others
what to do. So it’s very funny to watch a four-year-old
playing with a two-year-old, because the older child
gives just as many commands to the younger one as
her own parents give to her.” This four-year-old has
learnt cultural information about status and is able to
reproduce it perfectly.
“This research could pose problems for some of
our established child language theories,” says Sara.
“But more practically, the assumptions I’m trying
to overturn are the exact same assumptions that
underpin our education systems,” she says.
Children from different backgrounds who do not
understand these hidden cultural codes risk falling
behind everyone else.
“That disadvantage is extremely hard to recoup,”
says Sara. “My work can help us realise that different
cultural and linguistic backgrounds may influence
children’s development in very subtle ways. This in
turn can make us more sensitive to all children’s
educational needs.”
“This research could pose problems for some
of our established child language theories.”
— Place And Purpose —
13
16. PROTECTING OUR
KOALAS – AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
“This approach will prevent habitat destruction and
improve koala access to a sustainable food source.”
— Sustainability And Resilience —
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
14
17. It is a catch 22 situation: koalas are
prolific breeders but relocating them
to new habitats eventually leads to
habitat saturation. So how do you
treat the koalas kindly and protect
the environment at the same time?
The solution is in a University of
Melbourne research project entitled
Development of Contraceptives for
Management of Overabundant Koalas,
conducted by Professor Marilyn
Renfree, Dr Kath Handasyde and
Professor Geoff Shaw, all from the
Faculty of Science.
Koalas breed from the age of two
years, and produce one young per
year during a summer breeding
season, Professor Renfree explains.
Most young survive to independence
and mortality of adults is low, with
a reproductive lifespan of at least
10 years.
“As a consequence, populations have
the potential to grow rapidly,” says
Professor Renfree.
“New management techniques are
crucial to address habitat destruction
resulting from over-browsing by
koalas.”
In Victoria, the translocation
program has been running since the
1920s and as a result, the koala has
been re-established throughout much
of its original range in this state.
Planting of trees, to provide
additional koala habitat, has also
been conducted, however most of
this has been on limited areas of
public land such as national parks.
Many koala populations occur
in isolated patches of habitat
surrounded by private land, mainly
cleared farmland, where extensive
revegetation is not possible.
“Because of the success of the
translocation program, the suitable
koala habitat became saturated
and new management techniques
were required to address habitat
destruction caused by over-browsing
by koalas,” says Dr Handasyde.
“Our innovation was to ‘reverse-
engineer’ human female
contraceptives to the koalas to reduce
their population increase while
leaving viable healthy animals.
“We treated koalas with long-acting
subcutaneous hormone (gestagen)
implants.”
Professor Renfree’s research team
treated koalas at French Island
National Park with long-acting
levonorgestrel contraceptive
implants, and found that a single
levonorgestrel implant provided at
least nine years of contraception.
The entire project was conducted
with the support of Parks Victoria
and the then Department of
Sustainability and Environment,
Victoria, now the Department of
Environment and Primary Industries.
“This technique has now
been ‘translated’ into ongoing
management programs and is
currently being used by these
Government agencies for Victorian
koalas,” says Dr Handasyde.
“There is a significant positive impact
on the success of revegetation projects
both in national parks and on private
and community land inhabited by
koala populations,” she says.
“To date, efforts to restore habitat
have either failed or only been
partially successful because the high
numbers of koalas have resulted in
significant browsing pressure on
these young plantations.
“This approach will prevent habitat
destruction and improve koala access
to a sustainable food source.”
There is an ongoing application of
koala fertility control across Victoria
by Parks Victoria managers –
resulting in reduced koala population
growth, which will then allow private
landholders and councils to conduct
successful revegetation programs.
This management tool will allow
koala populations to be maintained
sustainably and prevent habitat
destruction by over-browsing.
In addition, South Australian
wildlife management authorities
are now also interested in the
application of the contraceptive
technique because they are also
managing overabundant populations
in some areas.
The levonorgestrel implants were
found to be effective – none of the
koalas treated with the implant
produced young.
Professor Shaw says the advantage of
the technique is that management of
animals is in situ via fertility control.u
“Not only is this approach more
humane, it is also reversible
(by removing the implant) and
substantially reduces management
costs and the need to translocate
animals into increasingly scarce
remaining koala habitat in South-
eastern Australia,” Professor
Shaw says.
EIACaseStudy
15
18. A revolutionary irrigation management
system developed by engineers at the
University of Melbourne and Rubicon
Water is now being used across Australia,
and in the USA (Imperial Valley Irrigation),
China and Europe (Northern Italy).
According to research leader and Dean
of Engineering at the University of
Melbourne, Professor Iven Mareels, the
water-saving technology, known as Total
Channel Control®
(TCC), will save in rural
Victoria annually a volume of fresh water
equal to what is available to Melbourne.
Produced in partnership with Rubicon
Water, TCC consists of hardware and
software that modernises irrigation
infrastructure, measuring, modelling and
managing water flow.
About 70% of all water the world uses is
transported through open channels, with a
typical transport efficiency of less than 50%
(that is, more than twice the water delivered
at the final destination has to be extracted
from the environment).
In the Australian context, TCC runs open
channel distribution systems at near
90% water efficiency, i.e. that is, 90%
of the water is delivered for the purpose
it is extracted. TCC forms the backbone
of the $2 billion Victoria Northern
Irrigation Renewal Project. It has also
been implemented across the Coleambally
irrigation district and is being progressively
implemented in Murray Irrigation,
Southern Rural Water, Trangie Nevertire,
Narromine and Murrumbidgee Irrigation.
TCC employs solar-powered flume gates
to control and monitor the flow and depth
of water distributed through irrigation
channels in agricultural regions such as
the Goulburn Valley district. The system
has already delivered significant water
efficiency gains.
“With fresh water management recognised
as a critical global issue, central to food
security, this IT-based system is now
tapping into a vast international market,
while improving Australia’s water
productivity,” says Professor Mareels.
“TCC can assist to create true water
markets, improve water productivity and
support the sustainable exploitation of
Australia’s limited water resources,” says
Professor Mareels.
“And that can be done worldwide.”
“Australia represents just one per cent of
the irrigation market in the world. Our
irrigation systems are minuscule compared
to China, Pakistan and India, where
this technology can deliver even greater
economic and environmental benefits.”
Engineers have investigated the problem
of water losses in irrigation for decades,
with varying degrees of success. Much of
the research work undertaken by Professor
Mareels’ team focuses on accurate
waterflow measurement, precision flow
management and enabling system-wide
water balances.
The research teams designed a radio
network integrated sensor system that
provides irrigation managers with detailed
information about the behaviour of the
distribution system. This in turn enables
water trading to operate efficiently. The
system is automated to manage water
movement across the entire irrigation
network. Unlike manually operated
systems, TCC can quickly identify and
respond to problems such as leaks,
equipment failure and water storms.
Professor Mareels says researchers hope
to explore the integration of all aspects of
water distribution across an entire river
basin, and tackle the issue of water supply-
and-demand management over longer time
scales, such as seasons and years.
“Our ongoing work will focus on leveraging
the sensor technology for the integration of
water management across the vast time and
spatial scales inherently associated with
water supply and demand in a basin.”
BREAKTHROUGH
TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES
EFFICIENCY OF WATER
DISTRIBUTION AROUND
THE WORLD
— Sustainability And Resilience —
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
16
19. “Engineers have investigated the problem
of water losses in irrigation for decades,
with varying degrees of success.”
Photoby:MichaelKai
EIACaseStudy
17
20. NOVEL VACCINES
BOOST POULTRY
PRODUCTION
Vaccines developed by University of
Melbourne veterinary science researchers
in the Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal
Health have led to a major reduction in
the use of antibiotics in poultry.
Poultry are now the most popular source
of meat in Australia, and are farmed in
huge numbers. Worldwide, the poultry
production industry is moving away from
controlling diseases affecting their flocks
with antibiotics and chemical agents,
with their use already prohibited in
some countries.
“Instead, there is a move toward the
use of biologicals, specifically live
vaccines, to prevent the spread of
disease,” says Professor Glenn Browning,
from the University’s Faculty of
Veterinary Science.
“Vaxsafe®
MG and Vaxsafe®
MS are live
attenuated vaccines providing protection
against the two different species of the
Mycoplasma bacteria that cause chronic
respiratory disease and other syndromes
in poultry,” he says.
“The diseases caused by these pathogens
result in significant production losses and
are a significant animal welfare concern.”
The impact of the vaccines on animal
and public health has been to greatly
enhance control of respiratory diseases in
poultry, leading to significantly reduced
reliance on antibiotics for control of these
diseases and, as a result, a reduction
in the use of macrolide antibiotics in
poultry of over 90%.
The vaccines also provide much more
effective and economically viable
control of these diseases than had
previously been possible, according to
Professor Browning.
Previously, only limited control of these
diseases was possible using much less
effective vaccines in combination with
antibiotic treatment.
The development and commercialisation
of these two vaccines has brought
significant benefits to poultry production
in Australia and overseas through
elimination of the impact of two of the
most significant bacterial diseases of
commercial chickens.
The vaccines have also been
extremely important to the Australian
biotechnology industry, with the vaccines
forming the foundation products for
a new Australian owned and operated
biotechnology company Bioproperties
Pty Ltd., which exports these products
throughout the world. They were the
first live veterinary vaccines developed
outside Japan to be granted registration
by Japanese veterinary authorities, and
Vaxsafe®
MS has recently been registered
in Europe.
Their benefit has also extended to
human health through the elimination
of the use macrolide antimicrobial drugs
in poultry production and thus reduced
selection for antimicrobial resistance in
bacterial pathogens in poultry.
Vaxsafe®
MG and Vaxsafe®
MS have
been developed over a 20-year period
in a collaborative effort between
the University of Melbourne and
Bioproperties Pty Ltd. These two
vaccines against mycoplasmosis in
poultry (the ts-11 strain of Mycoplasma
gallisepticum and the MS-H strain ofm
Mycoplasma synoviae) were created and
developed by Professor Kevin Whithear
and colleagues at the University
of Melbourne.
The research underpinning the impact
of these two vaccines has been conducted
continuously over the last 20 years
and published in leading international
veterinary science journals. This
research includes the initial creation
of the attenuated strains of these two
pathogenic species of bacteria, the
assessment of the safety of these strains
(that is, their inability to cause disease
in chickens after infection) and, the
efficacy of these strains as vaccines, and
development of better ways to detect
vaccination and infection.
Ongoing research at the University,
conducted in conjunction with
Bioproperties Pty Ltd and the Poultry
Cooperative Research Centre, is aimed
at developing an improved version of
Vaxsafe®
MG that is effective in turkeys,
further expanding the benefits that
can be delivered to the international
poultry industry.
— Health And Wellbeing —
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
18
21. “The development and commercialisation of these
two vaccines has brought significant benefits to
poultry production in Australia and overseas.”
EIACaseStudy
19
23. Research conducted by the Melbourne
Institute has been instrumental in
ensuring that the Household, Income, and
Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA)
Survey is now numbered among the elite
panel (or longitudinal) surveys in the world.
“Innovative survey design and
extraordinary sample retention have
led to the HILDA data underpinning
a broad range of economic and social
research projects, both nationally
and internationally,” says Professor
Mark Wooden, Director of the HILDA
Survey Project.
The HILDA Survey is a nationally
representative panel survey that
commenced in 2001 with a sample of
around 8,000 Australian households.
Members of these households, as well as
any individuals who subsequently join, have
been followed over time on an annual basis.
In 2011 a new cohort of just over 2,100
responding households was added.
The survey is funded by the Australian
Government Department of Families,
Housing, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), but
responsibility for the design and
administration of the survey and for the
production and dissemination of data rests
with the Melbourne Institute of Applied
Economic and Social Research.
The HILDA Survey was commissioned,
in 2000, with the explicit objective of
supporting policy-relevant research falling
within three broad, inter-related areas:
income dynamics, labour market dynamics,
and family dynamics.
“The Melbourne Institute team that won
the tender then set about designing and
implementing a household panel survey
that would become Australia’s gold
standard research tool for understanding
and analysing economic and social change
and its consequences for Australians
households,” Professor Wooden says.
“The study has been a spectacular success,
reflected in annual re-interview rates in
excess of 96 per cent, an ever-growing
user community that now numbers
in excess of 1,800, and a large body of
published research numbering well over
400 academic publications, and countless
reports and conference papers,” he says.
Perhaps most important has been the
impact this research effort has had on
Australian policy development, influencing
decision making within FaHCSIA,
the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA),
the Productivity Commission and the
Australian Treasury, to name but a few.
As Glenn Stevens, Governor of the RBA,
has observed in the media: “Obtaining data
from one year to the next from the same set
of households provides invaluable insights
into household behaviour on a wide range
of critical questions”, questions that cannot
be easily answered without such data.
Specific examples of impact include:
+ HILDA Survey data was a key input into
the Australian Government’s Pension
Review, which ultimately saw the rate of
the single-person pension increased.
+ Use of HILDA data has figured
prominently in submissions to successive
Annual Wage Reviews.
+ The RBA has used HILDA data to
examine the level of debt that households
have entered into and their ability to repay
that debt, which has figured in the Bank’s
Financial Stability Review statements.
+ The RBA used HILDA data to estimate
the effect of the superannuation
guarantee on household saving, work
which was later referenced in the Henry
Tax Review.
+ The Productivity Commission found,
using HILDA data, that mothers who
return to work because they are not
entitled to paid maternity leave are
struggling financially. The findings
influenced the Australian Government’s
decision to introduce the comprehensive
Paid Parental Leave Scheme.
HILDA SURVEY
BECOMES ELITE
WORLD SURVEY
“The study has been a spectacular success… most
important has been the impact this research effort
has had on Australian policy development.”
— Place And Purpose —
EIACaseStudy
21
24. Groundbreaking legal research at the University
of Melbourne has found that much more needs
to be done to raise the awareness of the business
community about cartel conduct and the tough new
sanctions applicable to it.
Australia’s introduction of cartel offences and
criminal sanctions in 2009 is consistent with
an international trend, explains Professor Caron
Beaton-Wells, from the Melbourne Law School.
The Cartel Project at the University of Melbourne,
led by Professor Beaton-Wells, exposed weaknesses
in the key justifications given by the competition
enforcement agency, the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission (ACCC), and the Australian
Government for cartel criminalisation.
“The project revealed problems with the assumptions
that the authorities had made about the likely effects
of criminalisation on business behaviour both as a
deterrence mechanism and as a moral inducement to
compliance,” says Professor Beaton-Wells.
“The policy rationale supporting criminalisation
assumes that the deterrence message of jail will
penetrate the whole business community with ease,”
she says.
“But our findings suggest that there is significant
variation among the business population as to
whether the deterrence message intended through
criminalisation has been received. Some business
people simply have not got the message.
“Our research shows that for substantial parts of
the business community, faced with harsh market
realities, the logic of deterrence breaks down, and
their own moral evaluation of appropriate behaviour
may not coincide with what is allowed by the law.”
Professor Beaton-Wells said the findings made it clear
that the ACCC had significant work to do in raising
the awareness and understanding of the business
sector, particularly small-to-medium-size enterprise,
of cartel conduct, its harms and the law and sanctions
applicable to it.
“Such awareness and understanding will be crucial to
the effectiveness of the regulatory regime in securing
deterrence and compliance,” she says.
The research found that knowledge that cartel conduct
is against the law and a criminal offence varies greatly.
Only 42% of the business people surveyed knew
that agreeing prices with competitors was a criminal
offence. Less than one half knew that a fine was
available as a penalty for this type of behaviour, and
less than a quarter knew that jail for individuals is
available as a sanction.
The extent of knowledge of criminal sanctions was
found to be correlated with the extent to which
respondents agreed that cartel conduct should
attract such sanctions. Amongst the general survey
population, representative of the Australian public
at large, a substantial majority agreed cartel conduct
should be illegal; however, less than half thought it
should be a criminal offence and less than a quarter
regarded it as sufficiently serious to attract a jail term.
Significantly, the research showed a tendency for
people to view cartel conduct in moral rather than
economic terms.
The findings of the Cartel Project has led to a
renewed focus by the ACCC on raising awareness and
educating Australian business people and the wider
public about cartel conduct.
However, Professor Beaton-Wells believes much more
can be done.
“This is a long-term project and it will involve
persuading business people, particularly in small-
to-medium-size businesses, that cartel conduct
is morally wrong, not just that it attracts heavy
sanctions.”
— Place And Purpose —
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
22
25. BUSINESS
SECTOR
SLOW TO GET
THE CARTEL
MESSAGE
“Knowledge that cartel conduct is against the
law and a criminal offence varies greatly.”
EIACaseStudy
23
26. “Music therapy should be considered
as a component of holistic care for
people with severe mental illness.”
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
24
27. People with serious mental illness such
as schizophrenia can face an isolated
and uncertain future. They are often
separated from family support networks
and unable to find employment.
Social networks play an integral role
in maintaining good mental health,
however a recent study of the quality
of life of 1,825 adult Australians living
with serious mental illness found that
49.5% reported attempting suicide in
their lifetime and 63.2% were rated as
impaired in their ability to socialise.
Educational achievement was low and
only 21.5% were currently employed.
“Music therapy is a non-medical
intervention which is shown to be
effective in helping people who
have serious mental illness,” says
Professor Denise Grocke, one of the
chief investigators of the study, who
is from the Faculty of the Victorian
College of the Arts and Melbourne
Conservatorium of Music.
“Music making provides an outlet for
self-expression and creativity that goes
beyond words, it is uplifting to the spirit
and can be a source of inspiration and
hope,” she says.
“One of the most important functions
of music is to enhance socialisation –
music therapy brings people together
in a shared experience that encourages
verbal and musical interaction, which
assists in building relationships.”
According to Professor Grocke, few
controlled studies have been undertaken
on the effect of music therapy on the
psychosocial needs of people living with
chronic psychiatric illness.
The aim of the study was to determine
whether group music therapy positively
impacted on quality of life, social
enrichment, self-esteem, spirituality,
and psychiatric symptoms of
participants with severe mental illness.
The study is multidisciplinary, drawing
on the experience of three chief
investigators: Professor Denise Grocke,
from the Melbourne Conservatorium
of Music (Music Therapy); Professor
Sidney Bloch, a psychiatrist from the
University’s Department of Psychiatry;
and Professor David Castle, Chair of
Psychiatry, St Vincent’s Hospital.
“Much of the music therapy research
has focused on hospitalised patients;
this study breaks new ground in
that it is the first large-scale study of
group music therapy for people with
serious mental illness who live in the
community,” Professor Grocke says.
Ninety-nine adults participated in the
study, which involved taking part in a
13-week intervention comprising singing
familiar songs, and composing original
songs recorded in a professional studio.
Qualitative data was generated from
focus group interviews and analysis of
song lyrics.
The study was a randomised controlled
trial. Participants were randomly
assigned to one of two conditions: either
music therapy first, then the control
condition, or the control condition first
followed by music therapy.
The results indicated significant
improvement in quality of life and
spirituality over time. Focus group
analyses showed that songwriting was
enjoyable, and participants took pride in
the song they created and felt they had
accomplished something important.
“The study confirms that music therapy
should be considered as a component
of holistic care for people with severe
mental illness,” says Professor Grocke.
The study contributes to an increasing
literature on the benefits of music
therapy for those with severe mental
illness, according to Professor Grocke.
“And it confirms that group singing and
songwriting are positive creative options
for people with severe mental illness,”
she says.
Professor Grocke is co-author of
Receptive Methods in Music Therapy, and
co-editor of Guided Imagery and Music:
The Bonny Method and Beyond. She has
written numerous book chapters and
articles in refereed journals on music
therapy and she was a co-founder of the
Australian Music Therapy Association
and the Music and Imagery Association
of Australia.
MUSIC THERAPY – A
LIFELINE FOR THOSE
SUFFERING MENTAL
ILLNESS
— Health And Wellbeing —
25
28. Oral diseases such as dental caries,
commonly known as tooth decay, are a
major public health problem in Australia.
One in four adults have untreated dental
decay and just under one in three have
a moderate or severe case of the gum
disease periodontitis.
These problems carry a huge economic
burden. It is estimated that oral disease
costs consumers $6.7 billion per year and
results in the loss of more than one million
workdays annually.
According to Melbourne Laureate
Professor Eric Reynolds AO, who is the
Head of the Melbourne Dental School
and CEO of the Oral Health CRC at the
University of Melbourne, oral diseases are
mostly preventable.
“Oral diseases are largely avertible through
healthy lifestyles that promote effective
oral hygiene practices and sensible diets,”
Professor Reynolds says.
A leading figure in oral health science
with more than 30 years experience
in dental research, management, and
commercialisation of innovations, Professor
Reynolds (pictured right with research
assistant Ms Deanne Catmull) was one of
the first to identify the molecular processes
enabling the repair of early tooth decay
without the need for invasive treatment.
This was followed by the discovery of a milk
compound called Recaldent™ that repairs
the effect of acid on teeth and reduces the
risk of disease.
Hailed as a major global breakthrough
in the prevention and treatment of early
tooth decay, Recaldent™ enhances the
uptake and incorporation of fluoride into
tooth enamel and the repair of early stages
of disease.
“Regular use of Recaldent™ products
has the potential to significantly repair
early stages of tooth decay,” Professor
Reynolds says.
“Recaldent™ is now used in sugar-free
chewing gum, tooth crèmes, pastes,
varnishes and restorative products around
the world, while other products are under
development – both for consumer and
professional use – for possible launch in the
near future” he says.
A number of international companies have
been granted licenses to Recaldent™, while
a Victorian company, Recaldent Pty Ltd
(acquired by Kraft Foods), has worldwide
manufacturing and marketing rights.
This has led to the establishment of a
manufacturing plant in Scoresby, Victoria,
where Recaldent™ is produced from
Australian dairy farmers’ milk.
Recaldent™ is now in products that
have generated over $2 billion in sales
since 2003, while its use is estimated to
save consumers over $1 billion in dental
treatment costs per year.
“Recaldent™ products have become a great
commercial and public health success
– recommended by dentists to patients
in more than 50 countries,” Professor
Reynolds says.
Professor Reynolds’ research has
demonstrated that Recaldent™ can repair
early stages of tooth decay without the need
for removing tooth tissue and placement
of a restoration. He was responsible
for its discovery, licensing, technology
transfer (including establishment of
the manufacturing plant), and product
development, and for the process of gaining
regulatory approval for its health claims.
The discovery has revolutionised dental
practice in the clinical management
of hypomineralised enamel and early
carious lesions.
Further evidence of the significance of
the work is the $83 million that Professor
Reynolds has attracted for his research
from government agencies and industry
since 1996.
The research has also resulted in a number
of international and national awards for
Professor Reynolds, whose publications
are amongst the most cited in the
dental literature.
CONSUMERS SAVE OVER
$1 BILLION ANNUALLY
IN DENTAL TREATMENT
WITH RECALDENT™
PRODUCTS
— Health And Wellbeing —
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
26
29. “The discovery has revolutionised dental practice
in the clinical management of hypomineralised
enamel and early carious lesions.”
Photoby:ChrisOwen
EIACaseStudy
27
30. WHITE ROOFS MAKE
BUILDINGS MORE
SUSTAINABLE
“When painted white, roofs are
able to reflect heat away from the
building rather than absorbing it.”
— Sustainability And Resilience —
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
28
31. New research launched by the University of
Melbourne and the City of Melbourne will give
building owners across Melbourne access to
information that can help their buildings absorb
less heat and stay cooler during hot days.
The research assesses the benefits of white roofs
and aims to help residential, commercial and
industrial building owners determine if white
roofs are suitable for their buildings and guide
them through the best materials to use.
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said Council had
already put the research into practice by trialling
a white roof on its ArtPlay building.
“There has been a lot of talk about the energy
consumption benefits of white roofs and we
commissioned the University of Melbourne to
undertake this research so we could get a local
perspective on how white roofs can work in our
city,” the Lord Mayor said.
Councillor Cathy Oke, Chair of the Future
Melbourne (Eco-City) Committee said
commercial buildings in the City of Melbourne
would benefit most from this tool.
“White roofs can cool commercial buildings by
three per cent on hot days, which helps reduce
the urban heat island effect and improve the
health of city users,” Cr Oke said.
Dr Dominique Hes, a senior lecturer at
the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of
Architecture, Building and Planning, and lead
author of the research, explained that when
painted white, roofs are able to reflect heat away
from the building rather than absorbing it.
“Reflective white paint on commercial
building roofs reduces the energy used to
cool the building. Melbourne’s CBD has over
3,500,000 m2
of lettable commercial space. If the
roofs of these buildings were painted white, the
city could potentially reduce its CO2
emissions by
4.5 million MJ per year, or 1.5 million kg of CO2
,”
Dr Hes said.
“White roofs are a low-cost solution in making
buildings more sustainable, particularly for our
older buildings. And if our air conditioners are
not working as hard, there are financial benefits
for building owners as well.”
The research monitored the temperatures of five
test buildings at the University of Melbourne’s
Burnley Campus for their performance with
and without white coatings. The buildings with
white roofs experienced significantly cooler
temperatures, both on the exterior and interior.
Dr Hes and research assistant Chris Jensen (now
an academic at Melbourne) said the significance
of the research is that it has been shown that
for Melbourne there is a benefit to having white
heat-reflecting roofs. Dark-coloured roofs and
standard metal roofs add to the cooling load of
houses, commercial buildings and industrial
buildings. The research has also shown that
there does not have to be a negative effect of the
white roofs in winter when trying to keep the
buildings warm.
To access information about white roof benefits
and available products, visit www.1200buildings.
com.au or talk to your local paint provider. The
research, commissioned by the City of Melbourne,
was undertaken as part of the University of
Melbourne’s ‘Reduction in thermal load on
buildings from retrofitted roof surfaces’ study.
The study includes the work of:
+ Dr Lu Aye (Melbourne School of Engineering)
+ Dr Nicholas Williams (Melbourne School of
Land and Environment)
+ Dr Stephen Livesley (Melbourne School of Land
and Environment).
29
33. Children should be taught coping skills
the same way they are taught to hold a
pen or ride a bike, according to experts
from the Melbourne Graduate School
of Education.
Director of the University’s Early
Learning Centre Janice Deans and
educational psychologist Professor
Erica Frydenberg have released a ‘how
to’ guide to teaching coping skills to
young children.
Developing Everyday Coping Skills
in the Early Years draws on over
20 years of research in coping by
Professor Frydenberg and colleagues,
to offer practical hints and tips for
parents of young children and early
childhood teachers.
According to Associate Professor
Frydenberg, it is increasingly important
children are taught how to cope with
everyday stresses like saying goodbye
to a parent, being scared of the dark, or
feeling left out of a group of friends.
“Learning coping skills at a young age
means children can be equipped for
optimal growth and development,” she
said. “This is increasingly important
in Western communities, where
depression and other mental health
issues are being experienced in
epidemic proportions.”
Ms Deans says the guide has proved
very powerful and is having a
great impact on children, parents
and teachers.
“This is of major importance, as social
emotional competence is a prerequisite
for effective learning and success
throughout the schooling years and
indeed life,” says Ms Deans.
“The research on coping has taught us
that quite often young children revert
to non-productive coping strategies
to solve their problems, behaviours
such as crying, hitting, hiding and
throwing tantrums.
“To manage such regularly occurring
situations, teachers and parents need
to have the tools to help children
achieve positive social and emotional
outcomes.”
Developing Everyday Coping Skills in
the Early Years focuses on thinking
and feeling skills and responds to
the National Early Years Learning
Framework, in which children’s health
and wellbeing is identified as one of the
five learning outcomes.
Teaching coping and resilience
develops in young children an
awareness of self and others and
gives them the resources to become
happy, well adjusted members of the
community, according to Ms Deans.
The authors’ suggestions for helping
children learn coping skills include:
+ Asking children to draw a difficult
situation, like being left out of a
group of friends, and then discuss
their feelings either individually or
in groups.
+ Using dance and music for children
to interpret their feelings and ideas,
by matching body movements
to coping images. For example,
being scared of the dark can be
matched with shivering, shaking
and quivering, and coping can be
matched with skipping, swinging,
sliding and leaping.
Children can act out their thoughts and
feelings and be helped to dramatise
how they would like to deal successfully
with a situation that is challenging
to them.
Associate Professor Frydenberg said
children are spending longer than ever
in organised care, so early childhood
teachers have a particularly important
role to play in teaching young children
coping skills.
Research conducted by the authors also
found that a substantial proportion
of young children do not deal with
separation anxiety, and teacher and
peer issues, in a productive manner.
“Developing a positive orientation,
where the child is able to focus on
coping rather than on distress, can
help children develop skills they can
take with them throughout their lives,”
Associate Professor Frydenberg said.
31
34. CLIMATE CHANGE
STRATEGIES SAVE
THE AUSTRALIAN
WINE INDUSTRY
“…the wine industry must be
the in vanguard of climate
change adaptation research
and implementation.”
— Sustainability And Resilience —
EIACaseStudy
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
32
35. Research led by the University of Melbourne
has led to a major change in the wine
industry’s perception of climate change,
potentially saving the sector billions
of dollars.
Major wine companies are buying vineyards
in Tasmania, canopy management is
changing in response to extreme events,
irrigation systems are being upgraded, and
climate change is being incorporated in the
wine industry’s planning.
The research project entitled Adaptation
of the Australian Wine Industry to Climate
Change – Opportunities, Vulnerabilities
and Strategies was led by Professor Snow
Barlow from the Melbourne School of Land
and Environment. Dr Leanne Webb was a
key researcher on the project and CSIRO
researcher Dr Penny Whetton was a close
collaborator. The research was funded
by the Grape and Wine Research and
Development Corporation.
The Australian wine industry has annual
value of approximately $6 billion, of which
half is earned from export sales, Professor
Barlow explains. Its indirect value to the
nation and the regional communities it
operates in, both for production and tourism,
is estimated to be $15 billion per annum.
Of all agricultural crops, wine grapes show
greater temperature sensitivity than any other.
“The global nature of climate change
means that all wine regions in the world
will experience varying degrees of warming
in the first half of this century,” Professor
Barlow says.
“Whilst those of the southern hemisphere
will be less impacted, parts of Australia,
New Zealand and Chile will be among
the regions strongly affected by projected
temperature increases.
“Undoubtedly the most resilient national
wine industries will be those that adapt the
most quickly by identifying opportunities
and minimising disruption.”
Professor Barlow believes the wine industry
must be in the vanguard of climate change
adaptation research and implementation, if
it is to remain globally competitive.
“Early and intelligent adaptation actions
based on sound research evidence has
the potential to favourably position the
Australian wine industry in relation to its
international competitors who will also be
affected by climate change,” he says.
As a result of the research the Australian
wine industry is now recognised
internationally as being engaged in
climate change, thereby enhancing its
environmental image.
Other positive impacts on the wine industry
as a result the research include:
+ awareness of the potential impacts
of climate change on the quality of
grape production within individual
geographical areas
+ development of climate change adaptation
strategies based on climate projections
and the potential impacts to ensure the
industry’s viability in future climates
+ incorporation of climate change
adaptation as a major research priority
within the Grape and Wine Research and
Development Corporation strategic plan
+ taking adaptive actions both within
current vineyards and by acquiring
vineyards in cooler climates that are less
susceptible to climate change, for example
in Tasmania.
According to Professor Barlow, these
adaptations will help the industry
confront the numerous potential impacts
for the wine industry, including added
pressure on increasingly scarce water
supplies, additional changes in grapevine
phenological timing, further disruption
or alteration of balanced composition
in grapes and wine, regionally specific
needs to change the types of varieties
grown, necessary shifts in regional wine
styles, and spatial changes in viable
grape-growing regions.
Climate’s influence on agribusiness is
most evident with viticulture and wine
production, where it is arguably the most
critical aspect in ripening fruit to its
optimum to produce a desired wine style
and quality.
“While wine grapes as a crop are not crucial
to human survival, they are an integral part
of our culture, and the vine’s extraordinary
sensitivity to climate makes the industry a
strong early warning system for problems
that all food crops will likely confront as
climates continue to change,” Professor
Barlow says.
33
36. AT A GLANCE
Facts and figures about research
at the University of Melbourne
VISION
To be a globally engaged, comprehensive
research-intensive university uniquely
positioned to respond to major social, economic
and environmental challenges.
HISTORY
The University of Melbourne has been a centre
of learning since 1855. The main Parkville
campus on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD is a
focus of the city’s ‘Knowledge Precinct’ and
the prestigious medical research ‘Parkville
Precinct’.
Melbourne is a leading research university,
widely renowned for its teaching, research
achievements, and social and economic
contributions. National and international ratings
confirm the University as a leader across a broad
range of fields.
RANKINGS
Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)
The University of Melbourne claimed the top spot in Australia and moved up three
places from last year, to equal 54th in the world and third in the Asia-Pacific in
the 2013 Academic Ranking of World Universities, collated by Shanghai Jiao Tong
University. The latest result continues the trend of improvements in Melbourne’s
rankings over the past few years. Since they began in 2003, Melbourne has moved
up 38 spots – from 92 to 54 – in the rankings, which reflect a range of indicators of
research quality.
The ARWU compares 1,000 higher education institutions worldwide on a range of
criteria including staff and alumni winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, highly
cited researchers and articles published in Science and Nature and science citation
indices, as well as academic performance in relation to the university’s size.
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
2013–14
See: www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/
World rank 34 Region rank 1
34
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
37. QS World University Rankings
The QS rankings emphasise reputational parameters with a particular focus on
teaching and learning strengths. The University has climbed five places in the
QS 2013 world university rankings to 31st in the world, from 36th last year.
Some highlights for the University of Melbourne include:
+ 1st in Australia and 3rd in the world in Education
+ 1st in Australia and 5th in the world in Law
+ 1st in Australia and 7th in the world in Accounting & Finance
+ 1st in Australia and 7th in the world in Psychology
+ 1st in Australia and 9th in the world in Medicine
+ 1st in Australia and 13th in the world in Computer Science & Information Systems
+ 1st in Australia and 14th in the world in Biological Sciences
+ 1st in Australia and 17th in the world in Statistics & Operational Research
+ 1st in Australia and 23rd in the world in Chemistry
+ 1st in Australia and 24th in the world in Physics & Astronomy
For the complete top 200 QS World University Rankings by Subject,
see: www.topuniversities.com/subject-rankings
LOCATIONS
Main campus: Parkville.
Other campuses: Austin and Northern Hospital,
Western Hospital and the Eastern Hill precinct
including St Vincent’s campus and The Royal
Eye and Ear Hospital, VCA and Music campus
at Southbank, Burnley, Creswick, Dookie,
Hawthorn, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Ballarat,
Werribee.
AFFILIATIONS
+ Austin Health*
+ Australia and New Zealand School of
Government Limited
+ Australian Antarctic Division
+ Australian Centre for Posttraumatic
Mental Health
+ Australian Institute of Family Studies
+ Bionics Institute
+ Brain Research Institute
+ Bureau of Meteorology
+ Burnet Institute
+ Cancer Council Victoria
+ Centre for Eye Research Australia
+ CSIRO*
+ Epworth Health Care
+ Florey Neuroscience Institutes*
+ Goulburn Valley Health
+ Grattan Institute
+ Howard Florey Institute
+ Institute of Postcolonial Studies Limited
+ Leo Cussen Institute
+ Melbourne Business School Limited
+ Melbourne Health
+ Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
+ Museums Board of Victoria
+ National Ageing Research
Institute Incorporated
+ National Stroke Research Institute*
+ Northern Health
+ O’Brien Institute
+ Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute
+ Royal Botanic Gardens Board
+ Royal Children’s Hospital*
+ Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
+ Skin and Cancer Foundation Incorporated
+ St Vincent’s Health*
+ St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research
+ The Australian College of Optometry
+ The Mental Health Research Institute of
Victoria Incorporated
+ The Royal Women’s Hospital*
+ The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of
Medical Research
+ Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
+ Zoological Parks and Gardens Board
* Formal agreement pending
The list excludes affiliated Colleges
35
38. RESEARCH CENTRES
The University of Melbourne has 11 discipline-specific faculties, and is affiliated
with many independent medical research institutes, teaching hospitals and other
institutions like the Melbourne Business School. The University is also a leader in
cultural, environmental, medical, scientific, legal and social research. Among the
many specialist centres are:
Cooperative Research Centres (CRC)
The Australian Government’s CRC program delivers social, economic and
environmental benefits by encouraging collaboration between research institutions
and industry, with a strong commercialisation focus. The University of Melbourne
is involved with 15 CRCs. For further information see: www.unimelb.edu.au/
research/research-institutes-centres.html
Australian Research Council (ARC) Centres
The ARC’s Centres of Excellence program maintains and develops Australia’s
international standing in the Australian Government’s designated priority areas of
research. The University of Melbourne is involved with two additional centres: the
ARC Special Research Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, and the
ARC Special Research Centre for Particulate Fluids Processing.
The University of Melbourne is the lead participant in four centres of excellence:
ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology; ARC
Centre of Excellence in Coherent X-ray Science; ARC Centre of Excellence for
Mathematics and Statistics of Complex Systems; and ARC Centre of Excellence for
Particle Physics at the Terascale.
Melbourne is also a key collaborator and partner in a further 11 centres: ARC
Centre of Excellence in Design in Light Metals; ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore
Deposits; ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research; ARC Centre
of Excellence for Quantum Computer Technology; ARC Centre of Excellence for
Kangaroo Genomics; ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development;
ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Wall Biology; ARC Centre of Excellence for
Quantum Computation and Communication Technology; ARC Centre of Excellence
for Climate System Science; ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics; ARC
Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions; ARC Centre of Excellence for the
History of Emotions; and ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science.
National Health and Medical
Research Council Centres and
Programs
The National Health and Medical Research
Council (NHMRC) is Australia’s peak body
for supporting health and medical research.
NHMRC Program Grants provide security of
funding to teams of researchers over a five-
year period. The University of Melbourne is
currently involved with: the NHMRC Centre
of Research Excellence in Medical Workforce
Dynamics; the NHMRC Centre of Research
Excellence in Clinical Science in Diabetes; the
National Health and Medical Research Council
Centre of Research Excellence for Translational
Neuroscience: A Modular Platform for
Translating Discovery into Health Outcomes;
the National Health and Medical Research
Council Centre of Research Excellence for
Translational Pathology Research and Training;
and the National Health and Medical Research
Council Centre of Research Excellence for
Reducing the Burden of Colorectal Cancer
by Optimising Screening: Evidence to
Clinical Practice.
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2008 2009* 2010 2011* 2012
Research Expenditure ($ million)
*Note: As formal analysis is undertaken biennially
for the Australian Bureau of Statistics data
collection, results for odd years are estimates.
36
RESEARCH REVIEW 2013
39. Facts and Figures
CATEGORY 2011 2012
Median ATAR 93.1 93.85
Student enrolments##
Total load 50,214#
51,957
Research higher degree 5,029 4,947
Postgraduate coursework 16,006 19,575
Undergraduate 29,179 27,435
% Female enrolment 55.80% 55.60%
International load 12,326 13,177
% International 24.50% 25.40%
DIICCSRTE Funded (incl RTS) 29,719 30,279
Award completions
Research higher degree (excl Higher Doct) 777 740
Graduate coursework 6,155 7,450
Undergraduate 8,566 8,441
Total 15,497 16,631
Staff (FTE) (at 31 March, including casuals and excluding TAFE)
Academic (all) 3,417 3,586
Professional (all) 4,210 4,507
Total 7,627 8,093
Student: staff ratio
T&R faculty staff 18.7 18.2
All academic faculty staff 11 10.7
Research expenditure ($ million) (ABS data collection) 844.0 (est) 1 billion
Research performance indicators
Research income ($ million) 376.5 376.4
Research publications 4,533 4,500
Research completions (eligible)* 777 740
* ‘Eligible completions’ means those included in RTS formula; excludes Higher Doctorates by publication.
#
Includes part-time students.
##
Student enrolment figures denote the number of enrolled students rather than equivalent full-time load.
Melbourne’s Performance Against Key National Research Indicators
RESEARCH INCOME
RESEARCH
PUBLICATIONS
DOCTORATES & RESEARCH MASTERS
COMPLETIONS (ELIGIBLE)*
$ million National Rank HERDC Weighted Score Number National Rank
2012 376.4 n/a 5,101 740 n/a
2011 376.5 1 4,533 777 2
2010 357.0 1 4,271 727 2
2009 337.0 1 4,456 775 1
2008 382.5 1 4,317 720 1
* ‘Eligible completions’ means those included in the RTS formula; excludes Higher Doctorates by publication.
Melbourne Research Institutes
These are University-constituted institutes
that draw together the breadth of our
research activity across faculty and discipline
boundaries to tackle complex global issues
and respond to major social, economic and
environmental challenges.
Our current institutes are:
+ Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society
+ Melbourne Energy Institute
+ Melbourne Materials Research Institute
+ Melbourne Neuroscience Institute
+ Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute
+ Melbourne Social Equity Institute
See: www.ri.unimelb.edu.au
GRADUATE RESEARCH
TRAINING
As members of one of Australia’s largest
research institutions, graduate research
candidates at the University of Melbourne
work on projects spanning emerging fields as
well as the full range of traditional academic
disciplines. The researchers who supervise
and mentor our graduate research candidates
are among the world’s finest and work at the
forefront of international scholarship.
37
40. INNOVATION CAN BRING ABOUT A
MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD.
Universities can contribute massively to building a more sustainable world. They are uniquely suited to be
incubators of innovation as they bring together in-depth expertise from the arts, the law, economics, sociology,
engineering, medicine and the basic and applied sciences, in unexpected ways that help to identify real
continue and gain in power. For more information please visit campaign.unimelb.edu.au
Laureate Professor Peter Doherty AC
Nobel Laureate
