Rises to the occasion

R&D

SummeR 2009

Down to earthRadio astronomy and the SKA

All systems goRoad traffic management gets smart

NOWthe cuRtin ResouRces anD cheMistRY PRecinct

the mAgAziNe Of the Office Of ReSeARch AND DevelOpmeNt

cuRtiN’S ReSeARchStReNgthSCurtin is renowned for practical research that solves real-world problems. Curtin’s four areas of research strength that serve to focus our research endeavours are:

in 2009, curtin launched the Australian Sustainable Development institute (ASDi). the institute combines scientific research, engineering and social science in its focus on three key challenges for sustainable development: energy, water and coastal zone management. ASDi brings together the expertise of 16 research centres to tackle issues linked with climate change, diminishing resources and population growth.

curtin is the most comprehensive provider of health sciences research in Western Australia. Our expertise in population health, ageing, chronic disease, indigenous health and mental health has been boosted by the curtin health innovation Research institute, which aims to produce new models of health care that address the changing needs of Australian communities.

curtin’s ict research continues to grow at the institute for multi-sensor processing and content Analysis, the Digital ecosystems and Business intelligence institute, and the Department of Spatial Sciences which undertakes world-class research in geodesy, giScience and remote sensing. ict also underpins curtin’s work in emerging technologies, such as research in nanotechnology at the Western Australian Nanochemistry Research institute.

curtin supports Australia’s key industry sector with high-impact research and development in areas such as mining, engineering and chemistry. to this end, the curtin Resources and chemistry precinct – a $116 million development – has been launched to meet the needs of business and industry.

Resources and energy

health

Sustainable Development

ict and emerging technologies

cONteNtSinformation technology Streets ahead 2

Radio astronomy Stars align in perth 4

profile professor peter teunissen 5

Renewable energy positive signs 6

humanities free to roam 8 pumping up sustainability 9

Resources and energy A crystal-clear reality 10

profile professor mark Buntine 11

population health expanding population health 12

public health circle of safety 13

indigenous health capacity-building holds the key 14

profile Associate professor Alexandra mcmanus 15

commercialisation innovations 2009 16

higher Degrees by Research graduate studies overview 2009 18 graduate profiles 19

Q+A professor lance twomey 20

4

14

9

The Curtin Resources and Chemistry Precinct officially opened in November 2009. The precinct is a $116 million investment, primarily funded by Curtin, with financial contributions from BHP Billiton, and the Federal and WA governments.

It accommodates Curtin’s Department of Chemistry and ChemCentre, and is adjacent to the Australian Minerals Research Centre. This vibrant research environment, with more than 200 scientists and engineers, provides a community of practice centred on fundamental and applied science, and science education related to minerals energy and chemistry. We have appreciated the cooperative energy and expertise of our partners that has allowed us together to create an important gateway to the University, and a world-class, collaborative scientific resource for the community.

Also in 2009 we welcomed our first ARC Federation Fellow to Curtin. Professor Peter Teunissen is leading a high-quality team of researchers to improve Australia’s capability in utilising a modernised Global Position System and Global Navigation Satellite Systems by addressing critical theoretical and modelling issues. His research will ultimately lead to improved geospatial information for future geospatial technologies such as vehicle navigation, automated machine guidance and location base services.

We congratulate Associate Professor Tony Butler, who received an ARC Future Fellow grant – one of only 200 fellowships awarded nationally – to explore the causes of violent criminal behaviour, and the health- and drug-related problems experienced by prison populations. Also, the National Health and Medical Research Council announced Tony’s successful application under its Partnership Project scheme, to investigate whether Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors can reduce repeat violent offending by reducing impulsive aggression.

Professor Chun-Zhu Li, Director of the Curtin Centre for Advanced Energy Science and Engineering, together with other partners, received $2.5 million to investigate the sustainable production of high-quality, second-generation transport biofuels from mallee biomass.

In the second half of 2009, Curtin signed an agreement with the prestigious Chinese Academy of Science’s Institute of Process Engineering. The agreement involves the joint development of cooperative research in areas such as biomass and coal gasification, carbon capture and storage, and the development of fuels cells.

Curtin has also signed an agreement with Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) to establish a new laboratory for research into innovative energy technologies. The Joint Research Laboratory for Coal and Biomass Utilisation will combine the research capabilities of both Curtin and HUST to develop low-emission energy technologies. We are excited about these collaborations, knowing that together we can provide the technologies needed to create a greener future for Australia, China and the rest of the world.

In July, we celebrated the launch of the Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre (C-MARC), based at Curtin. A crucial role for C-MARC will be the provision of knowledge, research and evidence to assist in developing and delivering effective road safety initiatives across metropolitan, regional and remote WA, in line with the state’s road safety strategy, Towards Zero.

We hope you enjoy this edition of R&D Now which features just a few of our many high-calibre research teams, and illustrates our continuing commitment to strong engagement with industry to ensure relevant research outcomes.

Professor Jeanette HacketVice-Chancellor

Professor Linda KristjansonDeputy Vice-ChancellorResearch and Development

2009 R&D OveRviewwe have had an especially productive year, as illustrated by the excellent research articles featured in this issue of R&D Now. Our research teams have been extremely productive, and we have many achievements to celebrate.

Professor Jeanette Hacket

Professor Linda Kristjanson

NOWR&D 01

s T r e e T s a h e a d

information technologies

Road tRaffic congestion is a gRowing pRoblem foR most austRalian cities. now, an inspiRational collaboRation between westeRn austRalia’s state Road authoRity and two cuRtin ReseaRch teams will Realise a next-geneRation tRaffic management system.

An intelligent traffic management and control system being developed at Curtin comprises real-time data collection, intelligent forecasting of road traffic flow and real-time traffic routing.

Professors Tharam Dillon and elizabeth Chang are coordinating research at the Digital ecosystems and Business intelligence institute (DeBii) as part of a major project with the Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATReC) and Main Roads western Australia.

“DeBii’s research expertise lies in determining how to process and utilise data, and how best to derive meaning and provide context to information,” Dillon said.

“in this project we’re working to produce an ‘intelligent transport system’ that uses wireless multimedia sensor networks to monitor, capture and transmit road traffic data, in real time, to a traffic control centre.

“it will allow Main Roads wA to control road traffic efficiently with real-time traffic routing, and eventually replace the fixed-location CCTv-based technologies currently used.”

Technical innovations being designed and developed by the DeBii team are considerable, and will exploit the capabilities of the next-generation internet, known as the ‘web of things’.

The new devices will collect traffic data via compact sensors implemented through programmable logic arrays, encapsulated and deployed as monitors. each will have an

iP address, providing it with a logical location aligned with a geographical location (supplied by GPS), and will therefore have the flexibility to be either stationary or mobile monitors – on vehicles, for example. Relevant data will then be transmitted wirelessly to monitors at Main Roads’ control centre.

The DeBii team will also develop ‘smart’ technologies that process multiple datasets and locate embedded patterns in the data. Data might include distances between vehicles, and daily, weekly and seasonal variations in traffic, for example. This will enable the system to predict when congestion might occur, and manipulate traffic control systems accordingly.

The third component of the system also involves data mining. Historical road traffic data from Main Roads’ databases will be used to develop mathematical models and simulations that further improve real-time traffic forecasting.

Benefits for road-users will be reduced congestion, shortened travel time, a safer road environment and less pollution, as a result of vehicles being on the road for less time.

The project is also expected to facilitate better utilisation of existing road infrastructure by diffusing traffic to alternative routes, and help authorities to monitor and identify aberrant and dangerous behaviour.

Professor Greg Martin is executive Director of PATReC, a collaborative research centre involving Curtin, Murdoch and edith Cowan universities and The University of western Australia. PATReC is providing DeBii with practitioner knowledge of the road system, key issues in traffic management and scenario planning.

As a former Director General of the wA’s then Department for Planning and infrastructure, and Commissioner of Main Roads, Martin is acutely aware of the challenges in traffic control.

“The essence of this project lies in equipping Main Roads with real-time surveillance of their road networks,” he said.

“Central traffic controllers will no longer be deluged with urgent information requiring an educated guess about the appropriate response.

“And because data mining enables prediction, it will lead to quicker, even automatic, interventions by system operators. we’ll see the various patterns – hourly, daily, weekly, seasonally – and be able to pre-plan accordingly.”

Martin also points out the new system will enable better pre-planning for Perth city’s special events – either through information for drivers or by remotely manipulating the route they take.

“Another important benefit will be the improved response times of emergency services, assisted automatically by green lights along their route, perhaps, and traffic quickly diverted,” he said.

“The project is an excellent collaboration that will have wide-ranging benefits.”

The Australian Research Council is supporting the research with a three-year Linkage Project grant.

patrec.org.debii.curtin.edu.au debii.curtin.edu.au

s T r e e T s a h e a d

NOWR&D 03

duRing the 2009 inteRnational yeaR of astRonomy, austRalia continued to build impRessive capabilities in Radio astRonomy, and develop advanced pRojects foR the highly coveted inteRnational squaRe KilometRe aRRay (sKa) pRoject.

“Australia has been an incredibly dynamic environment for radio astronomy over the past two years,” notes Professor Steven Tingay, “and it’s all

coming together to lay the foundation for the SKA.”

Tingay is co-Director of the Curtin institute of Radio Astronomy (CiRA), and one of many Australian radio astronomers who are highly focused on SKA-related projects.

The SKA will be the world’s most powerful radio telescope, comprising a linked array of thousands of antennas, and spanning a 3,000-kilometre continental area. The antenna data will be integrated by interferometry, a technique that acquires images at a far greater resolution than can be achieved by a single radio telescope.

Given that capability, the SKA will solve mysteries about the formation of stars, galaxies, black holes and the evolution of the Universe.

An international committee will decide by 2012 whether the $2.5 billion project will be based in Australia’s radio-quiet Murchison region, or at a site in southern Africa.

Radio astronomy

staRsALiGn

in peRth

Professor Peter Teunissen joined Curtin’s Department of Spatial Sciences in February 2009, after being awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) Federation Fellowship.

Teunissen’s appointment follows his role in a Curtin-led ARC international Linkage Fellowship Project to extend key technologies for next-generation Global navigation Satellite Systems (GnSS).

An internationally renowned geodesist, Teunissen is lauded as the inventor of a resolution method that revolutionised high-precision carrier-phase GPS positioning capabilities. His current focus is on solving critical GnSS theoretical and modelling issues in preparation for the rapid growth in global and regional navigation satellite systems.

At Curtin, Teunissen is building a specialist research team whose focus is to improve Australia’s capability to exploit next-generation GnSS. The aim is to ensure that the capabilities of various GnSSs can be linked to create a broader multi-frequency, multi-constellation ‘system of systems’; this will facilitate new, high-accuracy geospatial technologies.

Concurrently, Teunissen is developing projects for the national Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial information, under its Geospatial Positioning program which he has been appointed to lead.

Teunissen has chosen to advance his research in Australia because of the exciting developments in the field of satellite positioning and navigation here, and at Curtin, in particular, because of its strong support for research in the area. He anticipates that within 12 months a dedicated GnSS research centre at Curtin will host 10 postdoctoral researchers and PhD students.

Teunissen received his PhD in Mathematical and Physical Geodesy in 1985 from Delft University of Technology, in The netherlands. He was most recently the Scientific Director of Delft’s institute of earth Observation and Space Systems.

PROFeSSOR PeTeR TeUniSSen

ARC Federation Fellow

Department of Spatial Sciences

Faculty of Science and engineering

Profile

P

During 2009, the Federal and western Australian governments, universities and industry groups cooperated wholeheartedly to support Australia’s effort to host the SKA.

in August, wA Premier Colin Barnett launched the international Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (iCRAR) in Perth – a $100 million joint venture funded by the State Government, Curtin and The University of western Australia, with CSiRO and iveC as collaborating partners.

iCRAR’s leadership team is drawn from both universities. it includes Professors Peter Quinn (Director), Steven Tingay, Lister Staveley-Smith and Peter Hall, who is Tingay’s co-Director at CiRA and Australia’s only Professor of Radio Astronomy engineering.

Complementing the iCRAR initiative, the new Pawsey High-Performance Computing Centre for SKA Science was launched in September by the Federal Minister for Science and innovation, Kim Carr, at Perth’s Technology Park, adjacent to Curtin’s Bentley Campus.

The $80 million Pawsey Centre (named in honour of eminent Australian radio astronomer Joe Pawsey) is funded under the Government’s ‘super science’ program. it will enhance iveC’s high-performance computing and visualisation laboratories, and provide the system required for processing the enormous volume of data acquired by radio telescope arrays.

At the launch, Senator Carr emphasised the Pawsey Centre’s focus on radio astronomy that will help demonstrate Australia’s readiness to host the SKA, and its close linking “with the leading-edge Australian SKA Pathfinder radio-telescope being built in wA as a precursor to the SKA project”.

At CiRA, Tingay and Hall are coordinating several key pathfinder radio telescope projects; foremost among these is the Murchison widefield Array (MwA).

Resulting from a major collaboration between Australia, the US and india, the MwA will acquire images from previously unsurveyed areas of the Universe – but within a different frequency range to the proposed SKA. An array of 32 radio telescope ‘tiles’, each with 16 antennas, the MwA will be a major advance for radio astronomy.

“The MwA will survey the entire sky at a far greater speed than existing instruments, and reveal new information about the Universe and its radio phenomena,” Tingay said.

“we’re now developing algorithms for integrating the data from the individual telescopes located in Australia, the US and india.”

Moving into 2010, Tingay is looking forward to expanding CiRA’s teams with new research staff and PhD students, and projects that support the SKA endeavour.

astronomy.curtin.edu.au

NOWR&D 05

Renewable energy

The Curtin Centre for Advanced energy Science and engineering (CCAeSe) was established in 2009 to become a global centre of excellence in energy science and engineering.

The centre’s work encompasses both fossil fuels and renewable energy technologies. in embracing the challenge to assist the coal industry to adapt as part of the global climate change response, Curtin has acquired some of the world’s best coal science expertise to lead CCAeSe research programs.

The Director of the CCAeSe, Professor Chun-Zhu Li, is a leading international coal researcher in the area of coal structure and properties, pyrolysis, gasification, combustion, carbonisation, liquefaction and environmental impacts of coal use.

CCAeSe Deputy Director Hongwei wu is one of Curtin’s outstanding young researchers, and a future leader in the areas of coal science and technology and biomass utilisation. wu’s expertise also includes the analysis of power generation systems in terms of economic competitiveness and CO2 emissions.

The centre has a substantial international collaboration network – particularly with researchers in Australia, China, Korea, Japan and the US– which is being continually expanded.

CurTiN CeNTre fOr AdvANCed eNergy sCieNCe ANd eNgiNeeriNg positive

sigNs

a pRagmatic appRoach to inteRnational linKages is demonstRating how china’s emeRgence as a science and engineeRing poweRhouse natuRally complements austRalia’s leading Role in the development of clean eneRgy technologies.

Compatibility between Australian and Chinese aspirations in the area of new energy technologies has been confirmed by Curtin’s recent international research partnerships. During 2009, the University’s vice-Chancellor, Professor Jeanette Hacket, led a Curtin delegation

to China to establish formal research linkages in the area of energy research. The first of the agreements reached was with the institute of Process engineering within the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The two institutions will jointly undertake research in areas such as biomass and coal utilisation .The agreement reflects the confidence in Australia and China’s overall commitment to practical partnerships and, moreover, in the ability of the two countries to lead in the development of ‘green’ energy technologies.

Over the past few years Curtin has escalated its commitment to energy-related research. Foremost among the initiatives is the establishment of the Curtin Centre for Advanced energy Science and engineering (CCAeSe), and the appointment in 2009 of world-renowned chemical engineer Professor Chun-Zhu Li as the centre’s Director.

“Our visit to China was extremely successful in terms of international collaboration,” Li said. “Another key achievement was the establishment of the Curtin–Huazhong University of Technology (HUST) Joint Research Laboratory for Coal and Biomass Utilisation.”

The Curtin–HUST Joint Research Laboratory furthers a collaborative partnership first established between the two institutions in 2005, and unites the CCAeSe with the State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion at HUST.

The Joint Research Laboratory is now progressing four projects that focus on harnessing new (biomass) energy sources, and developing technologies to reduce emissions from coal combustion.

One of the biomass projects focuses on advanced biomass co-firing in conventional coal-fired power stations – a cheap and rapid approach for uptaking biomass in our energy market. The project is being funded under the Australia–China Special Fund for Science and Technology Cooperation, established by the Federal Government and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology. A second project focuses on improving the cost-effectiveness of biomass energy generation, and comprises one of Australia’s most signficant international research collaborations in renewable energy. Led by Li, the project aims to develop a flexible biomass gasification technology for distributed power generation using biomass.

“These collaborations will greatly contribute to the development of advanced clean coal and biomass technologies in Australia and China,” Li said. “They also provide excellent new research opportunities and international experience for our research staff and students.”

Curtin’s partnership with HUST includes the joint hosting of a biennial symposium series that constitutes prime research events for Australian and Chinese researchers developing advanced coal and biomass energy technologies. Curtin’s Associate Professor Hongwei wu is the co-chair of this symposium series.

Leading international journal Energy & Fuels will publish a special issue of selected papers from the 2009 symposium.

energy.curtin.edu.au

NOWR&D 07

As Australia’s urban environments become more dense, the demand for land for recreational purposes becomes harder to fulfil.

Recognising the issue, a team from the Centre for Sport and Recreation Research (CSRR) at Curtin is undertaking an international review of ‘right to roam’ policies and management. The project will investigate public recreational access to land of varying tenure, to inform a strategic research direction for public access to land in Australia.

“Australia is under-prepared for the increasing demand for recreational land,” explained CSRR Director Professor Marian Tye.

“it’s happening faster than we realise, and both the legislative and non-legislative determinants governing public access to land are complex, and often ambiguous.

“Fortunately, the wA Government realises the need to clearly define ‘access’, and better identify where and to what extent public access can be granted.”

The research also involves the Curtin Sustainable Tourism Centre and the wA Department of environment and Conservation. in a related project, CSRR will examine strategic planning of public open space within Perth’s metropolitan area.

“There’s some concern that active open space is being reduced by planning initiatives established for environmental reasons,” Tye said.

“Because active recreation is an important part of Perth’s lifestyle, policymakers need the knowledge that achieves a balance between human recreational needs and environmental measures that safeguard biodiversity and water resources.”

The two projects are among several that Tye has initiated since being appointed as CSRR’s inaugural director early in 2009. The centre is also undertaking research that tackles issues of sustainability, through its partnership with wA’s Department of Sport and Recreation.

The first of these research projects involves several of CSRR’s industry research associates, including Leisure institute of wA Aquatics, Royal Life Saving wA and Parks and Leisure Australia, to achieve water- and energy-efficient aquatic centres.

“CSRR is addressing the challenges that arise from environmental issues and population growth,” Tye said. “Our charter is to undertake research that helps build stronger, healthier, happier, safer and more sustainable communities.”

Humanities

freeto roamonce taKen foR gRanted by many austRalians, ‘wide open space’

is becoming an incReasingly scaRce ResouRce foR many communities.

a new cuRtin pRoject is helping to ensuRe theRe is adequate

RecReational access to land.

PUMPING UPsusTAiNAbiLiTy

sustainable development is a stRategic pRioRity foR cuRtin, and Renewable eneRgy is one aRea the univeRsity continues to stRengthen its ReseaRch contRibution.

The Federal Government has awarded Curtin $2.5 million to investigate the sustainable production of high-quality, second-generation transport biofuels from mallee biomass.

The research project will be conducted at the Curtin Centre for Advanced energy Science and engineering (CCAeSe), which is one of 16 centres under the research umbrella of the Australian Sustainable Development institute (ASDi) at Curtin, launched in April 2009.

“ASDi projects are organised around three principal areas of sustainable development – advanced energy technology, climate change and coastal zone management, and future water technologies, said ASDi’s Director, Mr Charlie Thorn.

“Curtin was the only university in wA to receive funding from the Government’s $15 million Second Generation Biofuels Research and Development Grant Program. it confirms Curtin’s role – and that of the CCAeSe specifically – in the development of renewable energy technologies that reduce CO2 emissions.”

The Federal Minister for Resources and energy, Martin Ferguson, announced Curtin’s funding success at the University’s Bentley Campus in August, and toured the CCAeSe laboratories at Technology Park.

CCAeSe researchers have been working on the development of biofuels technologies, particularly for mallee biomass, for some years now. The sustainable production of biofuels and chemicals has been an important research topic at Curtin. The funding is expected to speed up the technology development in this area, greatly contributing to the development of a biofuel industry in Australia.

Project participants include the wA Department of environment and Conservation, CSiRO Sustainable ecosystems, the Centre for Research into energy for Sustainable Transport (a joint venture between Curtin and Murdoch University), Future Farm industries Cooperative Research Centre and Spitfire Oil Pty Ltd.

energy.curtin.edu.au asdi.org.au

NOWR&D 09

Resources and energy

The $116 million precinct – the result of partnerships between Curtin, BHP Billiton, and both the western Australian and Federal governments – was opened by wA Premier Colin Barnett in november. western

Australia is now host to one of the largest centres of minerals, energy and chemistry research and education in the Southern Hemisphere.

The precinct’s modern laboratories provide world-class facilities for high-impact, industry-relevant research in areas such as hydrometallurgy, water quality testing and treatment, nanochemistry, corrosion science, forensic chemistry, and organic isotope geochemistry.

Premier Barnett praised the development as state-of-the-art, noting that the relocation of the State Government’s ChemCentre to the precinct had uniquely integrated a university, government science, and industry research and needs.

“it brings scientists within government onto a campus where they work with their colleagues in academia and their colleagues in industry,” the Premier said.

He also commended the building, not only in terms of its research and education function, but also for the design and aesthetics that offer a spectacular learning and working environment. The building has a striking visual identity – representing crystallography and geological stratification – and is notable for its propensity to natural lighting.

Also attending the precinct’s opening were Mr Julius Matthys, President BHP Billiton worsley Alumina; Mr Peter Millington, CeO of ChemCentre; and Federal Resources and energy Minister Martin Ferguson, who then launched the Curtin institute of Minerals and energy.

Having visited the precinct during its construction phase, the minister was impressed with the end result. He congratulated the precinct partners, and said that with Australia fast emerging as “an energy superpower”, it was important the nation not only focus on export commodities, but also on research and development, skilling and education.

“The facility represents a major and substantial addition to Australia’s resources sector,” Mr Ferguson said. “it brings together industry, government and the education sector in a new partnership – thereby fostering collaboration that has the potential to improve our capacity to exploit the nation’s resources endowment.”

in 2004, Curtin’s leadership team set out to create a hub for collaborative research and education, which had a particular focus on the minerals and energy sectors. A prime objective was to combine academia, industry and government in one central science community, and provide the best possible teaching resources for producing world-class science graduates.

The 15,000sqm building hosts researchers in analytical chemistry, chemical sensors, chemical synthesis,

afteR five yeaRs of meticulous planning, design and constRuction, the cuRtin ResouRces and chemistRy pRecinct is officially open.

A CRySTAL-CLeAR ReALiTy

Professor Mark Buntine joined Curtin in January 2009 to lead the Department of Chemistry, aware that over the past decade Curtin has been committed to building capabilities across

the discipline: the department now has world-class researchers in analytical chemistry, chemical synthesis, computational chemistry, corrosion science, medicinal and biological chemistry, minerals and materials chemistry, spectroscopy and nanochemistry.

Buntine’s own research interests span computational and laser chemistry. in particular, he couples laser spectroscopy with mass spectrometry to investigate the dynamics of molecular transport across the liquid–vacuum interface, and the partitioning of energy as molecules evaporate from liquid surfaces.

To this end, Buntine has developed a novel technique for direct injection of fluids into a mass spectrometer, to study the intrinsic evaporation of liquids. The technique has necessitated new mass spectrometry equipment, soon to be installed in one of the new laboratories at the Curtin Resources and Chemistry Precinct.

Buntine anticipates that within five to six years Curtin’s Chemistry Department will be recognised as one of Australia’s best. He is currently building the department’s capabilities in bio-organic chemistry and diagnostic and biomedical chemistry, and has made two new academic appointments in these areas since taking up his position.

Buntine completed his PhD in Chemistry at Stanford University, then spent two years at yale as a postdoctoral fellow. Before joining Curtin, the prior six of his 14 years as an academic were as Professor and Head of Chemistry at The University of Adelaide. Dedicated to chemistry education, Buntine was honoured in 2008 as South Australia’s Science educator of the year.

PROFeSSOR MARK BUnTine

Head of Department of Chemistry

Faculty of Science and engineering

Profile

computational chemistry, corrosion science, minerals and materials chemistry, medicinal and biological chemistry and spectroscopy and laser chemistry.

At capacity, the precinct will house more than 200 research, teaching and support staff. Close by, complementing a resources research ‘neighbourhood’ in the Australian Minerals Research Centre, are CSiRO, the Parker Centre (the national Cooperative Research Centre for hydrometallurgy) and industry.

The precinct reflects Curtin’s commitment to be an international leader in research for the minerals and energy sector. it has a central role in educating and training the next generation of scientists and engineers in a range of disciplines – both technical and professional – directly relevant to the minerals, energy and chemicals industries.

Moreover, it is anticipated that, with its concentration of expertise and exceptional faculties, the precinct will be a location of choice for conferences, workshops, seminars and other research community events – and for further developing the resources and chemistry community.

Curtin’s planning teams, architects and the University’s research teams have been watching as a crystal-clear vision comes to life.

chemistry.curtin.edu.au

fedeRal ResouRces and eneRgy ministeR maRtin feRguson has launched the cuRtin institute of mineRals and eneRgy.

T he objective of the institute is to enhance the University’s research and education for the minerals, oil and gas and clean coal sectors.

The institute overlies the University’s existing faculty structure, and will draw together Curtin’s extensive capabilities to provide a multidisciplinary approach to issues affecting the industry. it draws significantly on the Curtin Resources and Chemistry Precinct, which is a strategically important part of its operations.

The five major themes for the institute are:

• explorationtechnologies• planninganddesign• productioninfrastructureandefficiency• processinganddelivery• policyandeconomics.

PafteR five yeaRs of meticulous planning, design and constRuction, the cuRtin ResouRces and chemistRy pRecinct is officially open.

NOWR&D 11

Population health

expanding population

health

cuRtin’s initiatives in population health aim to ensuRe that ReseaRch tRanslates into impRovements in healthcaRe policy

and pRactice acRoss austRalia.

curtin’s centre for population health Research uses four core methodologies – epidemiology, biostatistics, linked data and health economics – to support eight programs of research:

• healthdatalinkage• healthservicesresearch• patientcare–safety,qualityandclinicalaccountability• injuryresearch–interpersonalviolence,includingsexual

assault, burns and road safety • Indigenoushealth• ageingandchronicdiseases• genomics• informationsystemdevelopment.

The Curtin Health innovation Research institute (CHiRi) recently announced Professor James Semmens as the inaugural Chair of Population Health Research. within the role, Semmens will advance the impact of this area of health science,

and further Curtin’s capabilities and reputation within the field.

“A key focus is on translating knowledge into practice, to improve the efficiency, safety and quality of health care in Australia,” Semmens said. “Research findings must be used more to inform healthcare practice, policy and planning.”

Since 2005, Semmens has led Curtin’s Centre for Population Health Research (CPHR), and overseen its growing national and international reputation for high-impact research collaborations.

notable examples include Data Linkage Australia, a western Australian Centre of excellence that supports the use of record-linked health data to assist health services research, and the lead role to establish the Centre for Data Linkage, as part of the national Collaborative Research infrastructure Strategy.

The CPHR team’s current projects include the ongoing wA Safety and Quality of Surgical Care Project, which evaluates the epidemiology, healthcare utilisation and patient outcomes of procedural care, and the epidemiology of blinding eye diseases, a collaboration with the eye Surgery Foundation and the Association for the Blind of wA.

The CPHR is about to expand its research links and expertise as a result of Semmens’s lead role in the development of a national program in spatial health research, being funded through the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial information (CRC-Si).

“The Spatial Health Research Program has four key goals: to spatially enable health information; develop applied spatial tools for health; integrate spatial information within rural and remote service delivery technologies; and build spatial–temporal models of health risk,” Semmens said.

“it’s an exciting new research area, and it demonstrates the relevance of population health to other sciences that inform health and wellbeing across the nation.”

oad safety programs introduced during the 1980s and mid-1990s almost halved the number of Australian road fatalities, which represents an outstanding public health success story. However, the toll reduction has plateaued, and

road safety experts are looking to new strategies to help save lives and reduce serious injuries.

Curtin and Monash universities – both renowned for their research in road safety – have agreed that a targeted collaboration would help address the stalling of Australia’s road toll decline. To this end, the two universities recently established the Curtin–Monash Accident Research Centre (C-MARC).

Based within Curtin’s School of Public Health, C-MARC will be an international research leader in road safety initiatives. At a local level, the centre will provide evidence-based research to assist in developing and delivering effective road safety counter-measures, to support the western Australian Government’s new road safety strategy, Towards Zero. To achieve these outcomes, C-MARC will conduct research into the causes of road trauma in wA, and identify new, as well as evaluate existing, safety measures.

“wA has the country’s second-highest road fatalities per 100,000 people,” said Jim Langford, a Senior Research Fellow at C-MARC.

“we require a better focus on particular safety issues, such as those that prevail in regional and remote areas.

“C-MARC will collate the latest local, national and international findings and practices to make available the most effective information to reduce road trauma.”

Among C-MARC’s intended projects is an examination of the relationships between traffic system design and operation, and the incidence of inadvertent driver error as compared with deliberate violations that cause accident and injury.

“we’ll also look at safety design features of local cars – we’re very concerned about the lack of take-up of new-vehicle safety features in Australia,” Langford said. “Proven technologies like alcohol and seatbelt interlocks have been available for some time but have limited if any use here.

“Another critical research question is whether young drivers in crashes are typically driving high-performance vehicles.”

C-MARC is supported by the State Government’s Office of Road Safety.

c-marc.curtin.edu.au

Public health

R

CirCLe oF

sAfeTy

‘deaths and seRious injuRies fRom Road cRashes aRe no longeR acceptable’

is the theme behind new effoRts to Reduce Road fatalities in austRalia.

NOWR&D 13

indigenous health

uring 2009, Health Sciences research teams at Curtin received almost $5 million from the national Health and Medical Research Council (nHMRC) for research projects into indigenous health care.

The national Drug Research institute (nDRi) at Curtin was awarded more than $2.3 million for a major project that will investigate the health and health care of indigenous people in contact with the criminal justice system, including prisoners.

nDRi’s research will help create an Australia-wide network for sharing knowledge about the health of indigenous people while they are in prison, and following their release from prison. The project responds to the urgent need to increase research capacity in key health areas affecting this population, and to develop the knowledge and skills of indigenous health researchers.

The collaborative team comprises senior scholars and early-career researchers from around Australia. The team is led by Associate Professor Tony Butler, of nDRi – who for many years has carried out groundbreaking research in prisons – and includes Aboriginal leader and current Australian of the year Professor Mick Dodson, from the Australian national University.

“Offender populations are known to endure a greater health burden than the general community, and with Australia having a high indigenous incarceration rate, this can impact profoundly on indigenous communities,” Butler said.

“improving health services for indigenous offenders will not only increase their wellbeing, but also that of the communities from which they come, and to which they return.”

The research program encompasses substance use, blood borne viruses, juvenile offender health, mental health, models of care for indigenous offenders and the impact of incarceration on indigenous communities. An Australia-wide health and criminal justice research network will be established, and research capacity in this area increased, leading to evidence-based policies and improved services.

At Curtin’s School of Psychology, a separate nHMRC grant of more than $2.4 million has been awarded to Professor Jan Piek and a cohort of mental health scientists.

The five-year project will result in new researchers, both indigenous and non-indigenous, working towards improved mental health outcomes for indigenous communities.

“Mental health issues impact on the health and wellbeing of indigenous Australians who do not always engage with mainstream mental health services,” Piek said.

“we need to identify both the barriers and the facilitators to accessing mental health treatment. This will strengthen approaches that empower Aboriginal people to access treatment earlier.”

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CAPACiTy- BUiLDinG HOLDS the Key

indigenous health has continued to gRow as a ReseaRch pRioRity at the cuRtin health innovation ReseaRch institute. in paRticulaR, national funding bodies aRe suppoRting pRojects that will build the capacity of indigenous ReseaRcheRs to develop and lead theiR own pRojects.

Associate Professor Alexandra McManus was recently appointed as the inaugural director of the Centre of excellence for Science, Seafood and Health (CeSSH).

Launched in november 2009, CeSSH is funded by the western Australian Government, the Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre and other grant sources to undertake research that promotes community health, and helps ensure the long-term sustainability of seafood industries.

McManus expects that within five years CeSSH will be a world leader in the area of seafood science research. The centre will work closely with industry to establish projects under three research programs: seafood and health, education and training, and seafood supply chain performance.

CeSSH projects underway focus on the link between seafood and health but have a holistic approach. These include a community approach to increasing seafood consumption, and resources for general practitioners and allied health professionals.

McManus’s own research interests are diverse, but are primarily based in physical activity and nutrition. Her current, externally funded projects include brain injury in sport; community-based intervention research; indigenous cardiac rehabilitation; and the prevention, delay to onset, and management of chronic conditions through physical activity and nutrition-based initiatives.

McManus is vice President (wA) of Sports Medicine Australia and a board member of Kidsafe (wA). She represents Curtin on the Research Australia University Roundtable and the Research Australia Rural and Remote network Group.

in 2003 she gained her PhD in Sports Medicine from The University of western Australia, and has held senior research positions within Curtin’s Faculty of Health Sciences since 2004.

ASSOCiATe PROFeSSOR ALexAnDRA McMAnUS

DirectorCentre of excellence for Science, Seafood and Health

Faculty of Health Sciences

Profile

The project will link indigenous academics with researchers who are experienced in the areas of indigenous health, mental health, chronic illness and health services research. The research teams will then work with indigenous communities in health areas such as stress and depression in pregnant Aboriginal women, and the incidence of ADHD in Aboriginal children, for example.

The outcome will be a sustainable, culturally appropriate mental health policy and service model, including adjunctive services to chronic disease management. importantly, the project will enable three academics from Curtin’s Centre for Aboriginal Studies to undertake doctoral studies that focus on aspects of mental health relevant to indigenous people.

“Our overall goal is to build the capacity of a critical mass of indigenous and non-indigenous researchers who will engage, collaborate and work with indigenous communities, clinicians and health providers,” Piek said.

“indigenous community involvement and ownership over research objectives, methods, processes and outcomes are essential if we’re going to improve indigenous health outcomes in Australia.”

bmw.curtin.edu.au db.ndri.curtin.edu.au/research.asp

NOWR&D 15

i09seismic imaging

A company using the latest technology in seismic imaging has been set up by Curtin to help mining companies extract more from their ore bodies, and undertake more targeted drilling and mine

planning. HiSeis Pty Ltd has a unique set of skills and technology related to hard rock seismic surveying. This technology has the potential to significantly increase the effectiveness and efficiency of creating 3D images of the subsurface geology for a number of industries, including mineral exploration and delineation, geothermal and water exploration, and geosequestration.

HiSeis builds on the technology and expertise in seismic imaging developed over many years in Curtin’s Department of exploration Geophysics. Dr Anton Kepic, Head of Curtin’s Department of exploration Geophysics and founding shareholder in HiSeis, and Associate Professor Milovan Urosevic, also of the department, lead a team that has developed and adapted the latest seismic imaging technology so that it can be applied to ore bodies in a hard rock environment. The imaging service has already been successfully delivered for some years through Curtin, generating revenue of close to $1 million a year. Customers have included Barrick Gold, independence Group, Geoscience Australia and First Quantum.

anomaly detection

The ability of surveillance cameras to recognise and alert observers to abnormal events in public spaces is a complex problem. The increasing numbers of cameras and the large amount of data captured

daily creates a burden in manually identifying situations of interest to public safety. This has created a pressing need for automatic recognition in order to provide real-time response to events of security concern in areas such as public spaces, public transport depots and stations, shopping malls and commercial buildings.

Professor Svetha venkatesh, Director of the institute for Multi-sensor Processing and Content Analysis, and her team have developed a novel algorithm for highlighting abnormal events from video and other sensor surveillance. Advantages of the anomaly detection system are that it automatically detects anomaly patterns without the need for system training; it provides real-time and automatic detection of abnormal events; the system is highly scalable to large data sets; and it has relatively low computational processing requirements. Development of this technology will lead to improved security responses to events of interest in areas where public safety is of major concern. A successful trial has been completed with the Perth Transit Authority, and Curtin is currently engaging with industry to produce the technology for commercial use.

Commercialisation

innovation is Reaching new heights at cuRtin. the univeRsity has long had a commitment to doing excellent, industRy-Relevant ReseaRch, and, as global business evolves, new challenges and oppoRtunities aRise.

cuRtn continues to fosteR collaboRation to pRovide solutions foR industRy and the wideR community. featuRed heRe aRe a few of the woRld-class innovations being commeRcialised by cuRtin’s office of ip commeRcialisation.

innOvATiOnS

seismic imaging

caRbon dotsr Qin Li, of Curtin’s Department of Chemical engineering, won the encouragement award in Curtin’s Commercial innovation Awards for her innovative process of producing light-emitting

carbon dots. Carbon dots are a promising material, with broad potential in a variety of fields such as health care, solar cell technology and light emitting diode technology. The new method is highly scalable, making it economically viable for industry. Unlike alternative methods, the process does not involve dangerous chemicals and materials, thus reducing impact on the environment. This novel, aqueous-based synthesis produces very fine carbon-based nanoparticles (~2nm) with other highly desirable properties, addressing current needs in industry. Curtin’s Office of iP Commercialisation has filed a patent on the technology, and is in talks with industry in relation to potential collaborations and licensing.

gas sepaRation

The winners of the Curtin Commercial innovation Awards, Professor Robert Amin and Associate Professor Ahmed Barifcani, have developed a novel technique to remove impurities – in particular,

hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) – from natural gas streams. natural gas fields are often contaminated with impurities that, if not removed, can cause loss of production yield and environmental problems. CO2 is a well-known contributor to climate change, and there is increasing pressure on gas companies to remove the CO2. H2S is also a highly toxic and corrosive gas.

The novel gas separation process is potentially of great benefit to the gas industry, and provides many advantages over alternative methods, including energy efficiency, lower infrastructure costs and minimal loss of hydrocarbons in separation. H2S and CO2 can be captured individually. The technology is versatile and can be adapted to a wide range of gas compositions. Computer modelling of the process has been completed, and the process has been reviewed and validated by independent engineering groups. Curtin’s Office of iP Commercialisation has filed a provisional patent application, and is currently in discussions with major gas producers about commercialisation of the technology.

anomaly detection

gas sepaRationcaRbon dots

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innOvATiOnS

NOWR&D 17

Higher Degrees by Research

OveRview 2009

This has been a highly successful year for Graduate Studies, with more than 100 students awarded Australian Postgraduate Awards, and 25 international Postgraduate Research Scholarships (iPRS) and Curtin iPRS awarded.

During 2008 and 2009 Curtin recruited its first recipients of a new scholarship program – the Curtin Strategic international Research Scholarships. There are now 15 scholars at Curtin, with additional students arriving as the program rolls out. As part of this program, Curtin provided two doctoral scholarships to researchers from the Sichuan area, in China, to provide capacity-building in public health and nutrition, in the wake of the major earthquake of May 2008. The scholarships are targeted at Curtin’s priority research areas, and are in addition to the iPRS and Curtin iPRS.

Curtin supervisors have embraced the Register of Supervisors, with more than 700 registered supervisors from across the University – up from 270 in May 2008. with increased membership, the register is now a valuable web resource for prospective students to identify potential supervisors, and it enables targeted matching of students to supervisors.

The Curtin Annual Student Satisfaction Survey and the national Postgraduate Research experience Questionnaire provide indicators of the quality of the research student experience at Curtin. The 2008 results for both of these measures indicate increasing levels of student satisfaction. Due to continuing improvement of Curtin facilities and resources, and the commitment of the Graduate Studies team, we expect this pleasing trend will continue into 2010.

PROFeSSOR GRAeMe wRiGHTDean, Graduate Studies

GRADUATE STUDIES

GRADUATE PRoFILES

eRCin MASLenDepartment of Chemistry Faculty of Science and engineering

JAMeS CATLinSchool of Social Sciences Faculty of Humanities

PhD candidate James Catlin is particularly interested in the nexus between tourism and conservation. Catlin’s interest in environmental protection led to his BSc in Conservation Biology. while studying for his degree, however, he

reflected that a more pragmatic approach to conservation was required: wildlife tourism is his area of specialisation and the topic of his PhD thesis.

The national Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre awarded Catlin a PhD scholarship for his project, and early in 2010 he will conclude his study on the evolution and management of the whale shark tourism industry on western Australia’s ningaloo Coast.

with the popularity of whale sharks escalating from a preserve for dedicated scuba divers to attracting thousands of people to ningaloo Reef each year, Catlin has been collecting data on a raft of socio-economic and behavioural indicators to determine the implications of the rapid change on the tourism industry.

One outcome has been his published research findings, in collaboration with the Curtin Sustainable Tourism Centre and conservation organisation ecocean, which demonstrate that up to $4.6 million in direct expenditure is contributed annually by whale-shark tourists to the local economy.

ercin Maslen came to Australia in 2006 to pursue a PhD in petroleum and stable isotope geochemistry at the western Australian Organic and isotope Geochemistry Centre (wA-OiGC), now located at the Curtin Resources and Chemistry Precinct.

Maslen is working on two Australian Research Council Discovery Projects led by the wA-OiGC’s Director, Professor Kliti Grice. in the course of Maslen’s study, her research team has developed two new experimental methods.

The first is a biomarker proxy for age assessment for sediments from the Canning (wA) and western Canadian basins. These findings were recently published in Organic Geochemistry.

The second is a geochemical method to age Australian crude oils; it integrates organic and inorganic stable isotope techniques, using Laser Ablation inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Gas Chromatography isotope Ratio MS. The findings are to be published in Chemical Geology, and Maslen expects the technique will become widely applied in petroleum exploration for finding frontier basins.

Maslen’s doctoral research, which will be completed early in 2010, follows her MSc (from Texas A&M University, US) on the geochemical assessment of gaseous hydrocarbons. She has worked as a research geologist at Turkey’s General Directorate of Mineral Research and exploration, and as a petroleum geochemist at the Turkish Petroleum Corporation.

P e

NOWR&D 19

Since stepping down from the role as Curtin’s vice-Chancellor in 2006, Professor Lance Twomey has served as a consultant across diverse areas. He has completed an extensive review on primary and

secondary teaching in western Australia, chaired a major review of supercomputing in Australia, and served on the Pilbara industry Consultative Council for wA’s Chamber of Minerals and energy. He recently completed a review on annual health research funding for the Director General of Health.

Twomey has also been in demand across South-east Asia as an education consultant, and is currently working for the State Government of Sarawak in the area of technical education. He is chair of the Australia–Malaysia institute, identifying projects that will enhance the relationship between the two countries for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and chairs the Board of Governors of Central TAFe.

During his nine years as vice-Chancellor, Twomey instigated great leaps forward for Curtin’s role in higher education and research, including the new Curtin Resources and Chemistry Precinct.

in 2004 you began the exhaustive pRocess foR a ResouRces pRecinct. why? well, a rare opportunity presented itself. The Curtin leadership team knew the Chemistry Centre had outgrown its city location, and believed it would be great to co-locate those organisations that were active in chemical, minerals and energy research in wA. with ChemCentre, Curtin’s Department of Chemistry, CSiRO’s Minerals laboratories and BHP Billiton in proximity, we’d be creating a world-class research hub for the resources sector. we were offering an excellent location, and a place where there’d be a great mix of people and ideas.

how valuable will the pRecinct be?it will boost science research in wA significantly, and education too. i’d also envisaged the precinct to host a secondary school that specialised in physical sciences,

where high school science students would be part of a high-energy science culture. i hope that, with government support, that eventuates. For Curtin, the precinct continues our advance in high-technology research in chemistry and other physical science disciplines. it also furthers our commitment to industry partnerships.

do you thinK the calming of the ResouRces boom will Reduce the futuRe Role of the pRecinct?no i don’t. i see Perth’s future as the resources capital of the world accelerating to a new level. wA’s population is growing rapidly, and along with that the intellectual capital here. in the past, resources companies might say, ‘we’re a global company – we might just as well have our research in Houston as anywhere else’. But if you can do the research here just as well if not better, why wouldn’t you? i think Perth will be the hub of resources research, and Curtin is going to be the centre of that hub.

has the pRecinct come to life as you’d expected?when i left in 2006 the foundations and roadworks were underway – and i’d like to highlight the role of Professor Barney Glover [former Pro vice-Chancellor of R&D at Curtin] in the early days of the development. we now have a magnificent science facility with state-of-the-art infrastructure. There’s a lot of high-energy work going on here already, and i expect the precinct to attract the best and put out the best.

Q+A

Q+A with LAnCe TwOMey

14University reseArCh institUtes

Australian Sustainable Development institute centre for Advanced Studies in Australia, Asia and the pacific curtin institute of Radio Astronomy curtin university Sustainability policy institute Digital ecosystems and Business intelligence institute institute for multi-sensor processing and content Analysis institute of theoretical physicsJohn curtin institute of public policy Nanochemistry Research institute National Drug Research institute the institute for geoscience Research Western Australian Biomedical Research institute

University reseArCh Centres

centre for Behavioural Research in cancer control centre for Developmental health centre for ecosystem Diversity and Dynamics centre for international health centre for labour market Researchcentre for marine Science and technology centre for materials Research centre for population health Research centre for process Systems computationscentre for Research in Applied economics centre for Research into Disability and Society centre for Research on Ageing communication economics and electronic markets Research centre curtin centre for Advanced energy Science and engineeringcurtin centre for Rock characterisation curtin indigenous Research centrecurtin industrial modelling and Optimisation curtin Water Quality Research centreisotope Science Research laboratoriespsychological Wellbeing Across the lifespan Research centre for Applied psychology Research centre for Stronger communities Science and mathematics education centre WA Organic and isotope geochemistry centreWestern Australian centre for health promotion Research

Government-fUnDeD institUtes AnD Centres

centre for exploration targetingcentre for high Definition geophysicscentre for Sport and Recreation Research centre of excellence for Science, Seafood and healthcentre of excellence in cleaner productionJohn de laeter centre for mass Spectrometry

Radio Astronomy Science and engineering centre of excellenceWestern Australian geothermal centre of excellenceWestern Australian Nanochemistry Research institute Western Australian telecommunications Research institute

inDUstry reseArCh Centres

environmental health impact Assessment WhO collaborating centrehousing and urban Research institute of Western Australia Rio tinto centre for materials and Sensing in miningWoodside Research facility

mUlti-institUtionAl reseArCh Centres

Australian centre for geomechanicsAustralian housing and urban Research institute Australian institute for coal Strategies centre for exploration targetingcurtin-monash Accident Research centre international centre for Radio Astronomy Research ivec - the hub of Advanced computing in Western AustraliaNanoscale characterisation centre planning and transport Research centre WA energy Research Alliance Western Australian centre for cancer and palliative care Western Australian centre for urban Design Western Australian marine Science institute Western Australian Satellite technology and Applications consortium

CooperAtive reseArCh Centres

Core participantAustralian Biosecurity cRc Australian Seafood cRccRc for construction innovationcRc for greenhouse gas technologies cRc for Sustainable Resource processing cRc miningcRc for Sustainable tourism Desert Knowledge cRc parker cRc for integrated hydrometallurgy Solutions Spatial information cRc

supporting participantcRc for contamination Assessment and Remediation of the environmentcRc for innovative grain food productscRc for integrated engineering Asset management

ceNtReS + iNStituteS

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NOWR&D

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