UWA Research on the Record

Research Scientist Dr Bhagya Dissanayake’s work as a Proteomics Specialist sees her applying the expertise she gained as a PhD student with the School of Molecular Sciences at The University of Western Australia to the early detection of plant and human diseases by precisely identifying protein biomarkers associated with the conditions.
Based at Proteomics International in the Harry Perkins Institute her studies seek to help improve salinity and drought tolerance in crops such as wheat and chickpea.

Professor Michael Small is the Director of the UWA Data Institute where he researches the development of modern mathematical techniques and data science innovations to solve real world problems – from engineering and resource challenges, to modelling the spread of disease, to predicting and assessing mental health risks.
As AI and machine learning tools become more ingrained in our everyday lives, Professor Small, who is also the CSIRO-UWA Chair in Complex Systems, is working to better understand how the tools we increasingly rely upon to inform our decisions actually work – and to identify the potential flaws in their processes – be they ethical or system based.

According to Anna Faber’s UWA profile page, the School of Molecular Sciences PhD candidate is a science all-rounder – it’s an apt description, with three majors in biology, chemistry, and high school teacher training, she is also a passionate science communicator.
Her current research involves tackling one of our oceans’ biggest pollution problems by training bacteria to eat plastics in marine conditions to improve recycling efforts – and potentially converting the byproduct into useful bioplastic materials in the process.

Professor of Coastal Oceanography Charitha Pattiaratchi’s body of work is, like the ocean, vast and deep.
His research into ocean patterns and ecosystems combines multiple disciplines including oceanography, meteorology, geology, ecology, and engineering which are applied to investigating a multitude of issues.

Julia Haile, from UWA’s School of Psychological Science, is researching how to make the facial expressions of digital avatars more believable, focussing on eye gaze as the key to solving the puzzle.
The study, which combines psychology with the latest evolving digital technology, has implications for a range of fields – from films and video games, to healthcare applications, to AI technology.

PhD student Emma Stephenson is exploring a constant activity we perform that’s pervasive in our everyday lives, but one we often struggle to identify – mental load.
Ms Stephenson, from the School of Psychological Science, aims to develop a tool to measure and assess mental labour and its consequences at home and in the workplace – and help provide solutions for individuals and organisations.

After 30 years with the School of Engineering, Professor Carolyn Oldham was welcomed by The University of Western Australia as an Emeritus Professor . 
During that time, her career in environmental engineering has covered a diverse range of major projects, including her pioneering research into Western Australia’s wetlands that helped unravel the significance of the important ecosystems, creating innovative water management solutions for the State’s urban design and development, and her most recent work to better understand and solve the issues around mine closures and mine-water.

Dr Jessica Buck from UWA Centre for Child Health Research has, under a Forrest Fellowship, dedicated herself to search for answers to some of the most devastating diseases affecting children, working at the Brain Tumour Research program at Telethon Kids Institute.
Dr Buck has so far had a remarkable early career trajectory from being formally selected as a superstar of STEM after studying at Oxford on scholarship, to recently being awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant to investigate more effective and less toxic treatments for embryonal brain tumours.

UWA Medical School PhD candidate Beth MacLean’s research into iron deficiency focusses on women in their reproductive years who are at higher risk of developing the condition.  
Beth runs free public screenings aiming to raise awareness about iron deficiency, the symptoms of which often go ignored, and refer women with risk factors for further testing. Her CAPRI study also collects data to help develop an algorithm to help predict the condition. 

Professor Kadambot Siddique is many things: a world-leading agricultural scientist, WA Scientist of the Year 2023 and an avid campaigner for science-based solutions to global poverty and food insecurity.
 
As he now prepares to become an official Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences in January, UWA's 'Research on the Record' sat down with Professor Siddique to discuss how it all began with the humble chickpea.