UQ students will research new ways to treat tackle obesity, diabetes, cerebral palsy, iron disorders and food poisoning, using new Smart State Government grants announced this morning.
UQ has secured eight of the 18 Queensland Government Fellowships, worth up to $21,000 for each student to help in their PhD study.
The Fellowships, worth $7000 each year, top up the students' Australian Postgraduate Awards.
The Smart State PhD Scholarships are part of Queensland's $200 million Smart State Innovation Funds, which were created to stimulate cutting edge research projects in Queensland and attract top quality researchers.
The UQ recipients of the 2008 Smart State PhD Scholarships, and their areas of study, are:
- Robert McLeay, 23 of Taringa, will develop modelling software for different genetic regulatory networks. This tool will help biologists in their research and also in speeding up the development of new drugs to combat disease.
- Carol Kistler, 22, of St Lucia, will research a new protein and its connection between regulating fat in the human body and hormone secretion from the brain. The research could help develop new ways to tackle obesity and related diseases, such as diabetes.
- Elizabeth Skippington, 23, of Sherwood, will study the function of proteins and how they work as part of the molecular networks that control the inner workings of living cells. She will focus on the role of proteins in the origins and virulence of disease.
- Leesa Wockner of Auchenflower, will develop sophisticated genetic analysis that can be applied to the diagnosis and study of cancer.
- Megan Auld, 24, of Rochedale South, will investigate upper limb function in children with hemiplegia— a form of cerebral palsy where paralysis affects one side of the body. This research could provide better interventions and treatments for children with hemiplegia.
- Elizabeth Leddy, 23, Red Hill, will investigate the regulation of iron stores in patients with haemochromatosis, a disorder that causes the body to absorb an excessive amount of iron. Haemochromatosis is one of the most common disorders of iron, however, the regulation of iron in the human body is poorly understood. Investigating the mechanisms of iron uptake and release will provide valuable information into the operation of the disorder.
- Rebecca Goulter, 23, of Spring Hill, will use an Atomic Force Microscope to understand the physiological and chemical properties of food bugs. Ms Goulter hopes her research will help food producers modify their equipment and processes to reduce the contamination rate of food products. More than 4 million Australians contract food poisoning every year and although most cases are mild, there are some fatalities.
- Marianne Diaz, 34, North Lakes, will investigate the role of the Ski protein on muscle and fat metabolism. The protein switches a gene off and on and is important in regulating muscle and fat mass. The study will lead to a greater understanding of genetics and fat metabolism and could help doctors predict the onset of type 2 diabetes and hence lead to improved prevention strategies.
UQ's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor David Siddle said UQ's scholarship recipients should be proud.
“These bright students are a credit to the University, not only for the quality of their research, but also for their initiative in gaining external research funds,” Professor Siddle said.
“We want to do everything we can to support and encourage them to make the next breakthroughs in their respective fields.
“Our students have won almost half of these scholarships, which highlights the depth of talent at UQ and its commitment to research.”