Summer 2010 A NEW PLACE IN THE SUN Research in regional Victoria helps restore life to our wetlands and rivers (G P 07–10) MANAGING PUBLIC HEALTH ARC GRANTS SUCCESS RURAL HEALTH SCHOOL SOCIAL MEDIA Outsourcing merry-go-round Malaria and human rights New staff and buildings Year of milestones (PG11) (PG03) (PG13-14) (PG05) NEWS La Trobe University Bulletin WI DENING OUR VISION Vision 2015 Focus on Regional Victoria 2 BULLETIN GOES ONLINE Focus on regional Victoria Your chance to win an iPad 2 La Trobe University has the University’s regional advisory board, ARC GRANTS SUCCESS said the new plan was ‘fantastic news’ for Science gains new ground 3 extended its commitment to Mildura and far north-east Victoria. regional Victoria as part of its HE’S A ‘TALL POPPY’ ‘We are a growing city. The more students Funds for cancer research 4 plan to boost undergraduate we keep here, the more financial and enrolments by 30 per cent economic benefits there are for the region SOCIAL MEDIA itself.’ A year of milestones 5 over the next five years. Professor Johnson said La Trobe’s Mildura INVESTMENT CHALLENGE Launching La Trobe’s ‘Vision 2015’ strategy campus was also home to the lower La Trobe wins national contest 6 during a visit by the University Council to basin laboratory of the Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre. GRADUATE PRINCE far north-east Victoria, Vice-Chancellor Honour for Malaysian leader 6 Paul Johnson said it was important for ‘We have scientists here who are people in the region to have access to a undertaking work that is absolutely RESTORING OUR WETLANDS university. ‘It’s incredibly expensive for them fundamental to the health of the Murray Fish and plant scientists to go to Adelaide or Melbourne to study.’ River, and the sustainability of the Murray lend a hand 7-10 He said Mildura will benefit from an extra Darling Basin, both in terms of the ecology and in terms of agriculture.’ GOING GREY 260 extra university places, taking numbers Not all bad for the bush 10 to around 700. Links with Sunraysia The University also supports the Mildura- TAFE will also expand significantly. Some Wentworth region’s vibrant cultural life. PUBLIC HEALTH CARE 130 local TAFE students, including eight Acting Campus Director Neil Fettling, Management merry-go-round 11 Aboriginal students, have already gone on to a recognised artist in his own right, says complete La Trobe University degrees over Too many chiefs, La Trobe is a long-standing major sponsor of the past five years. not enough Indians 11 local arts, music and writers festivals. Mildura identity and celebrity chef See Mildura wetlands research feature p 7-10 MILKING DEGREES Stefano de Pieri, who is also Chair of Also www.latrobe.edu.au/news/videocasts Graduates lead dairy nutrition work 12 REGIONAL HEALTH CARE Your chance to win an iPad Three new professors appointed 13 OUR CHANCE TO PUT MORE MONEY TOWARD TEACHING Rural Health School unveiled 14 AND RESEARCH TEACH AND PRACTICE To help us cut costs – and save trees – you are reading the last print issue of the New clinical school at the Alfred 15 La Trobe University Bulletin. News about research, people and events will still be brought to you by the on-line version of the magazine. RHYS ISAAC So to mark the transition, we are offering one of our new ‘e-readers’ the chance Farewell to a great historian 15 to win an Apple iPad. Readers who register to receive the on-line version of the SPORTING SUCCESS La Trobe Bulletin before the end Student Games and of Februray 2011 will go in a draw sponsorships 16 for an iPad. To enter, please subscribe to the La Trobe University Bulletin by forwarding to Bulletin@ latrobe.edu.au your full name, including the address to which we are currently forwarding the magazine. Employees of the University are not eligible to enter. NEWS Malaria – and human rights L a Trobe science gains new ground A study to help hearing impaired children has been awarded more than $440,000. It looks at their environment before and after cochlear implants, and involves Cochlear Ltd, Deaf Children Australia, and the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Research leader, psychologist Professor Edith Bavin, is examining the effect on language development of two groups of children – those raised in a spoken environment and those where the use of sign language is also included. ‘The outcomes will help parents and professionals make informed decisions about the best possible communication and learning outcomes for these children.’ Attitudes to body image in children The University has won $5.7 Attitudes to body image in young children million in the latest round of and how these develop, is being studied by Commonwealth Government other psychologists, Professors Susan Paxton research grants – the third and Eleanor Wertheim. They are documenting risk factors for body highest amount in Victoria, size stereotypes and dissatisfaction in three after Melbourne and Monash to five year olds. ‘The aim is to get the right universities. The money will public health messages out, so that parents help fund 16 major projects. can help children build positive body ‘If we find out how this change of shape images,’ the researchers say. ‘This is a great result for the University,’ occurs, it may provide the key to stopping At the other end of the age spectrum, there says Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, this process and lead to new ways to combat are two projects led by Professor Yvonne Professor Tim Brown. ‘There is keen this disease.’ Wells, one of which also involves Professors competition nationally for funds from the Another team of researchers, led by Dr Rhonda Nay and Annette Street. This work Australian Research Council (ARC).’ David Dougan and Dr Kaye Truscott, have deals with increasingly serious problems of community and residential care services for won $425,000 for new work on Escherichia For linkage grants – where La Trobe older Australians. researchers work with private and public coli – variants of which can cause health sector partners – the success rate was a very issues such as food poisoning and economic Included is the first longer-term comparative high 66.7per cent. loss through expensive product recalls. Australian study on accommodation and care outcomes for older people in a range Science Minister Senator Kim Carr They are examining how these bacteria remodel their internal proteins by of housing models, says Professor Wells. ‘It highlighted two of more than 300 Victorian will help determine what older people want research projects supported by the ARC. selectively dismantling them in order to survive. ‘What we learn here may help us now and in the future, in terms of housing, ‘Researchers at La Trobe University will use support and services,’ she says. a $750,000 grant to study malarial disease identify new ways to kill pathogenic micro transmission with a view to preventing the organisms,’ says Dr Dougan. In a third project into ageing, Professor millions of malaria related deaths each year,’ Marian Pitts is researching ageism and he said. C ell death and its sexism, and the effect this has on the well- being and health of older women. This project is led by biochemist Professor relevance to cancer Leann Tilley. With advanced imaging People with intellectual disability are technologies, she and her team are probing A third team, led by biochemist Dr Hamsa among the most socially excluded. A study the sexual transformation of the human Puthalakath, has received $300,000 to led by Professor Christine Bigby, part of malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. study an important chemical needed for cell an international collaboration with Jewish growth. Care and Yooralla, will lead to better ‘Malaria parasites adopt a characteristic ways in which local communities, urban banana shape prior to sexual recombination,’ This chemical is also involved in regulating designers, local governments and disability she says. ‘Without this shape change, cell death – or apoptosis – a process critical disease transmission via mosquitoes cannot to many human diseases, and which may occur. also hold the key to the growth of cancers. continues PG04 La Trobe University Bulletin Summer 2010 3 NEWS continued from PG03 Research grants staff can help achieve social inclusion of Linguist Dr Anthony Jukes, below, is people with intellectual disability. documenting endangered languages of North Sulawesi in Australia’s neighbour, I nternational impact of Indonesia. Australian democracy ‘Most of the languages of this area, as well as their distinctive ethnic cultures, are under In the humanities, one of the largest grants pressure from mainstream Indonesian went to historian Professor Marilyn Lake language and culture and will vanish within for ‘An international history of Australian a generation if nothing is done,’ he says. democracy: the impact of Australian A study by archaeologists Associate innovation overseas and of international Professor Susan Lawrence and Dr C ancer research human rights in Australia’. Peter Davies deals with colonial water Professor Lake says this project will chart management in Victoria’s Central grant for the international ‘career’ of Australian Highlands. ‘Tall Poppy’ democracy and the impact of innovations ‘Historic evidence of capturing, storing, such as manhood suffrage, the Australian transporting and using water, and of In the world of science, Dr Marc ballot, women’s rights and industrial environmental degradation and changes Kvansakul is a ‘Tall Poppy’ – one of arbitration overseas. to land use at a local and regional level, is nine young Victorian researchers important for today’s debates about water ‘It will also investigate the impact of new selected for this accolade by the sustainability and climate change,’ says Dr international definitions of human rights Australian Institute of Policy and Lawrence.