UNSW Science

Enlarging the Wyangala Dam on the Lachlan River was estimated to cost $650 million by the 2019 NSW and Federal Coalition governments. By 2021, the cost of infrastructure for the dam had risen to $2.1 billion – a 239% increase. These building costs are likely to continue increasing, while the benefits of enlarging the dam were overestimated by the government’s business case, according to a new assessment by UNSW and Flinders University researchers. The research team say their findings speak to ongoing issues with Australian water infrastructure projects. “There is a general lack of transparency about true costs and benefits to taxpayers with inadequate assessment of environmental damage,” says UNSW Professor Richard Kingsford, co-author of the study. https://lnkd.in/guEUENDD  

“Michael [Chahine] was truly an inspiration. He always ended his emails with: ‘KEEP FIGHTING’ – in capital letters. He gave us so much motivation to keep going,” says Dr Michael Janitz, a molecular geneticist at UNSW. Dr Janitz and his team are world leaders in the field of transcriptomics for the rare neurodegenerative disease multiple system atrophy (MSA). For years they have been trying to attract funding to realise a dream project: developing a test that could provide an early, unequivocal diagnosis of MSA to help patients better manage the disease. This project has now been made possible thanks to the generosity of Michael Chahine, a successful fashion retailer and MSA patient, whose bequest to the team could support the development of a blood test within 5 years. “From our first meeting, [Michael] listened very intently to what we were saying and what we were trying to achieve,” says Dr Janitz. “Research is slow – it won’t deliver outcomes in a year. Michael recognised that, but he still chose to support us. He wasn’t just thinking of himself – he was thinking more broadly about the future. This was an amazing thing about Michael.” Read the full story, here: https://lnkd.in/ggtm4Xy5  

Theoretical condensed matter physicist Professor Susan Coppersmith has recently become the 25th woman to complete The Australian Institute of Physics (AIP) Women in Physics Lecture Tour 🎉 This year, Prof. Coppersmith has delivered public lectures, radio interviews and school visits around the country, with the concluding Sydney Public Lecture hosted at UNSW Sydney. “The tour was so meaningful, and I am incredibly inspired by the dedicated educators and enthusiastic students that I met,” says Prof. Coppersmith.    In her lecture series, Prof. Coppersmith discussed how theoretical physics has continually expanded human knowledge, taking audiences on a journey from the invention of the humble lightbulb to the latest quantum technologies. Read more about Prof. Coppersmith’s research, from the physics of sand to quantum dots: https://lnkd.in/dQ7Xez8M 📷 Cassandra Hannagan

Last week, the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response held its inaugural conference, which sparked meaningful conversations, insights, and actions on climate change 🌏 At Wednesday’s Early Career Researchers (ECR) workshop, researchers from several disciplines shared new work and explored critical questions surrounding climate change. Congratulations to the best presentation winners: Matt Grant, Arash Taheri, Nanak Narulla, Dr. Arjuna Dibley, Dr Omid Ghasemi, Camille Justine Mora, and Jamie Lee! On Thursday, the Institute held an Industry Forum attended by over 150 participants from academia, industry, and government. The discussion centred around the ways we can all collaborate to address the risks and opportunities of climate change. Thank you to UNSW Professor Verity Firth, The Hon. Matt Kean, and all the incredible speakers, moderators, and panellists for their inspiring contributions. As an innovative, interdisciplinary team from the Faculty of Science, UNSW Business School, and UNSW Law & Justice, we’re already excited and ambitiously looking ahead to next year’s ICRR events.

You’re invited to the book launch of The Best Australian Science Writing 2024! 📅 Wednesday, 6 November, 5:30 – 8:00PM  📍 Tyree Room, John Niland Scientia Building, UNSW Kensington This year’s edition of the much-loved anthology features the most entertaining, poignant and fascinating Australian science stories from the past year, covering topics from the role of AI in our future to the healing potential of psychedelics. Hear from outstanding voices in science communication, including  the 2024 anthology editors Jackson W. Ryan and Carl Smith, who will share their insights on science, communication, and the intersection of humanity and technology. There will also be an opportunity to meet the book authors for a signing session, and the winners of the 2024 UNSW Press Bragg Prize for Science Writing will be announced! Register to attend: https://lnkd.in/gnBHaXNB  

Congratulations to UNSW School of Chemistry researchers Professor Chuan Zhao, Dr Martina Lessio, Dr Sara H. Kyne and Dr Laura McKemmish, who have each been recognised at The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) National Awards for 2024! Prof. Zhao won the HG Smith Memorial Award, one of RACI’s most prestigious awards, recognising outstanding contributions to the development of chemical science through research and innovation. Dr Lessio was awarded the Rita Cornforth Lectureship, which recognises an outstanding female early career chemist. Dr Kyne was the recipient of the Chemistry Educator of the Year Award, which honours an outstanding early career chemist for excellence in teaching chemistry. Dr McKemmish received the Vicki Gardiner Advocacy Award, which recognises outstanding leadership in the areas of promotion of chemistry, outreach, mentorship and inspiration, and the provision of a more equitable workplace. Read more about each of their outstanding contributions to the field of chemistry: https://lnkd.in/gEKhBwqz  

Long before humans had built their first wheel, bacteria had evolved tiny rotating motors to power their movement. Now, research led by UNSW Scientia Associate Professor Matt Baker and Dr Pietro Ridone has helped to piece together the evolutionary history behind bacteria’s complex motor structures. Read the study findings published in the Journal of Bacteriology: https://lnkd.in/gN-2Uv4U

Hundreds of mysterious sticky blobs washed up on Sydney beaches this week and a team of UNSW scientists are looking for clues about their source. The School of Chemistry UNSW partnered with Randwick City Council, who provided the samples and who confirmed the debris to be ‘tar balls’. The UNSW team have been working behind the scenes on an array of analyses to determine whether the tar balls originated from human activity, like a shipping spill, or a natural ocean floor oil seep. “This distinction is important because a natural seep requires different environmental responses compared to an industrial oil spill, which calls for immediate cleanup and potential legal action,” says Professor Alex Donald. The ongoing investigation is being carried out by researchers including A/Prof. Jonathon Beves, Prof. Timothy Schmidt, Prof. William Donald, Dr Christopher Hansen, Dr Martina Lessio and A/Prof Vinh Nguyen of the School of Chemistry, and Dr Aditya Rawal from the UNSW Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre. Read more about their analysis, which is already unravelling clues about the mystery of the tar balls: https://lnkd.in/gKswrQEE

Congratulations to our incredible UNSW Science alum Dr Jessie Christiansen and Yao May Wong, who both won 2024 Alumni Awards for Research and Teaching Achievement 🎉 Graduating from UNSW with a PhD in astronomy and astrophysics, Dr Christiansen is the Chief Scientist at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute and the most successful woman “planet-hunter”, having found 66 planets around stars beyond our sun.  “If everybody is given the opportunity to do that one thing that they’re good at, then all of society benefits,” says Dr Christiansen. Yao May Wong first graduated from UNSW with a Bachelor of Science, followed by a Masters in Secondary Teaching and a Masters in Education from UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture. She is now the Head of Mathematics and Science teaching at Kincoppal-Rose Bay School and, with her dedication to lifelong learning, she has inspired both her students and colleagues. “For me, progress for all means for more people to teach, to have that opportunity to share knowledge and passion to the younger generation and contribute to society,” says Yao May Wong. Meet all the 2024 UNSW Alumni Award winners and discover their inspiring stories, here: bit.ly/482lNyL  

A new approach to treating hoarding disorder has shown promising results in a pre-clinical study led by UNSW psychology researchers. Hoarding disorder affects around 715,000 Australians and can be highly debilitating, leading to psychological distress and social isolation. “Our best evidence-based treatments aren’t getting the outcomes we’d like,” says psychologist and PhD candidate Isaac Sabel. “While one in three people who hoard may experience symptom improvement, less than a third of people experience clinically meaningful change.” The latest study tested whether a different strategy, known as imagery rescripting, could help people with hoarding traits discard their items. “Rescripting memories that may have triggered hoarding – going back and meeting those needs – may open up the doorway for greater treatment outcomes and greater positive impact on clients’ lives,” says Professor Jessica Grisham. Read the full story, here: https://lnkd.in/eese2rqA