Their Perfect Storm
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UNIKEN SPRING 2016 Their WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY Clothes that think and breathe perfect COWS WITH HINDSIGHT Body art to scare off the lions storm The research team who waited a decade to capture nature’s fury Spring 2016 Cover story 10 Primed for action From the President and Vice-Chancellor Features Welcome to the Spring 2016 7 Stan Grant’s ‘pulsating rage’ edition of UNSW magazine. 8 More female engineers 9 War, trauma and bunny ears 14 Gender equity is men’s business The vicissitudes of nature are part of and water, AIDS/HIV, post conflict Australian life, and our cover story takes trauma, migration and other fields. 16 The eyes have it us into the heart of the wild storms that In this edition I was also fascinated to lashed Australia’s east coast in June this 18 Greek odyssey learn more about the work of UNSW’s year. The connection with UNSW? Our Laboratory for Ageing Research and the 19 Wholly dooley, look what we’ve found Water Research Laboratory team, led by inaugural Australian Biology of Ageing Professor Ian Turner, swung into action Conference we hosted recently. Professor Time to call out cyber misogynists 20 to conduct the most detailed study of David Sinclair and his team, working with storm-affected coastline anywhere in Holding back the years a sister lab at Harvard Medical School, 22 the world. It’s a gripping read of force have isolated a compound found in red and fury on one hand and rapid response wine that prolongs life in worms and on the other, delivering research that will fruit flies. (Red wine lovers take heart!) help forecasters predict the damage that Arts could be caused by wild coastal weather, We’re also revisiting two challenging not only in Australia but worldwide. presentations: the call – by Professor Try wearing this Emma Johnston, our Pro Vice-Chancellor 24 I’ve recently returned from Uganda, (Research) – for all Australian universities where – as part of our Global Development to lift their game on gender equity, and Initiative – UNSW signed a Memorandum the riveting Wallace Wurth Lecture of Understanding (MOU) with Gulu Regulars University in the country’s far north, so delivered by journalist Stan Grant in July, I was intrigued to read about UNSW’s in which he called for a national truth 3 UpFront innovative work in helping African cattle and reconciliation commission into the farmers tackle the problem of predatory treatment of Australia’s Indigenous peoples. UNSW Books 26 lions. Dr Neil Jordan, from UNSW’s As spring comes, there’s a definite 27 BackStory Centre for Ecosystem Science, came up buzz around the campus, and this with the idea of painting evil eyes on issue reflects that energy as well as the the backsides of the cattle, to scare off incredible diversity of what’s happening Cover image: Grant Turner/Mediakoo. The UNSW the lions. A great example of lateral right now at UNSW. magazine is published by UNSW’s Media Office: thinking, or perhaps a case of hindsight? +61 (2) 9385 1583 or [email protected]. Issue 82. I hope you enjoy it. Editor: Michael Visontay. Editorial Advisers: Denise By the way, our joint programs with Knight and Kathy Bail. Contributors: Myles Gough, Gulu University – including training Emma Jane, Emma Johnston, Denise Knight, Tony and technical support, and student and Maniaty, John McGhee, Clare Morgan, Wilson Da staff exchanges – will extend the already Silva, Deborah Smith, Fran Strachan, Louise Williams, significant global impact of UNSW in Photography: Britta Campion, HK Colin, Beck Davis, public health care, climate science, energy Professor Ian Jacobs Krystyna Golabek, Arunas Klupsas, Zoe Mahony, Grant Turner/Mediakoo, Ben Yexley. The magazine of the University of New South Wales UNSW magazine is the University’s flagship publication. Published quarterly, it reports on issues affecting the tertiary education sector and the latest developments in UNSW’s research and teaching. The magazine is distributed primarily to staff, students and visitors to the University. newsroom.unsw.edu.au 2 UpFront From left, Jane McAdam, Rob Brooks and Matthew England. PHOTO Grant Turner/Mediakoo Experts appointed to drive Grand Challenges UNSW has announced the first three leaders of its Grand Challenges, an initiative to establish the University at the forefront of debate and policy. cientia Professor Rob Brooks has been a time, with themes announced over the “We want UNSW to be a global point of appointed as the Grand Challenges next two years,” said Professor Brooks, an reference for those shaping policy, including SAcademic Lead, responsible for setting evolutionary biologist who heads up the governments, international organisations, the direction of UNSW’s new program Evolution and Ecology Research Centre. non-government organisations, community designed to position the University at the “We will help UNSW researchers develop leaders and industry,” Professor England said. vanguard of debate and policy formation both the skills and the platform to reach large In the area of refugees and migrants, around some of society’s biggest challenges. audiences, whether that’s through high-profile Professor McAdam is keen to engage across the Scientia Professor Matthew England will public events, debates, residencies, policy University to bring different perspectives to the oversee the Climate Change Grand Challenge groups or collaborations with other world- global debate to strengthen policy responses. and Scientia Professor Jane McAdam has been leading experts. “As well as the legal questions in regard appointed to lead Refugees and Migrants. “By building this approach into how to forced migration, how do we respond to “To launch the Grand Challenges we do business, we can foster connections the psychological challenges of displacement, initiative with three superb research leaders between disciplines and people to provide and how do we build better shelters and more and communicators in their respective fields opportunities for global thought leadership.” resilient communities, for example? And what is wonderful for UNSW,” said Professor Professor England sees his role leading about the economic benefits of migration?” Les Field, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor. the Climate Change Grand Challenge as an said Professor McAdam, the founding director “The program is an important element of “outstanding opportunity to extend what of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee the UNSW 2025 Strategy and will champion the I’ve been doing for years to raise the profile Law, which has quickly established itself as a critical place of universities in public engagement and public awareness of climate change and leading international research hub. “In addition to showcasing where UNSW and leading open and informed debate.” the science”. is leading the debate and policy formulation, As Academic Lead, Professor Brooks will be UNSW is home to Australia’s leading the Grand Challenges program is all about responsible for the overall program and work climate scientists and renewable energy broadening the questions we ask. We want to with the University community to generate ideas. experts. But with all faculties “having a stake build more collaborative projects to provide “We are consulting widely but the plan in climate change”, England said activities multifaceted policy responses to one of the is to work with leads and host academics to will move well beyond the science to look at most pressing issues of our time,” she said. curate a full year-round program of activities impacts and identify the best technological addressing up to six Grand Challenges at and policy solutions. – Denise Knight 3 UpFront UNSW in Uganda collaboration President and Vice-Chancellor Ian Jacobs led a delegation from UNSW in August to launch a long-term collaboration with Gulu University, in infrastructure and communications, Uganda’s far north. The visit also saw and exchange PhD scholarships. UNSW offering support for Uganda’s Professor Jacobs said UNSW would also Impact of delayed first undergraduate optometry degree work with Gulu University to promote program at Makerere University in positive change across northern Uganda, bipolar diagnosis Kampala. Uganda is one of three target linking the university, government and zones, along with Myanmar and the business, and supporting Gulu’s aim to Crucial opportunities to manage bipolar disorder South Pacific, where UNSW aims become Uganda’s leading sustainable city. early are being lost because individuals are waiting to improve the lives of one million He observed how the best universities an average of almost six years after the onset people by 2025. did not stop at the edge of campus, but of the condition before diagnosis and treatment. Speaking at the conference ‘Gulu – moved into the surrounding society and That is the key finding of a joint UNSW and Creating Uganda’s Leading Sustainable were, in turn, influenced and shaped by Italian study published in the Canadian Journal City’, Professor Jacobs noted that the society and its needs. of Psychiatry. even though the two universities were Professor Jacobs said Uganda had separated by a vast distance they shared The meta-analysis of 9,415 patients from 27 seen much suffering since gaining a common goal – to create a better world. studies, the largest of its kind, was led by clinical independence in 1962, but it had psychiatrist and Conjoint Professor Matthew Professor Jacobs noted the proposed also displayed remarkable strength – Large from UNSW’s School of Psychiatry and collaboration with UNSW would its people had overcome enormous his colleague, Dr Giovanni de Girolamo, from see development programs for Gulu challenges to reach a point of solid the St John of God Research Centre, Italy. University academic staff, and visiting economic growth and relative stability. Many patients experience distressing and disruptive research fellowships (in both directions) symptoms for many years before receiving proper in areas of shared interest such as mental treatment for bipolar disorder, which was previously health, justice, renewable energy and UNSW’s Professor Ian Jacobs (right) and Vice known as manic depressive illness.