News

Gaining more than the recommended weight during pregnancy can put women at increased risk of becoming obese and developing related health problems, including high blood pressure, later in life.

Researchers at the University of Alberta have taken an important step in understanding the immune system of bacteria, a finding that could have implications for medical care and both the pharmaceutical and dairy industries.

A University of Alberta-led research team has discovered that billions of years before life evolved in the oceans, thin layers of microbial matter in shallow water produced enough oxygen to support tiny, mobile life forms.

The inner core of the Earth is simultaneously melting and freezing due to circulation of heat in the overlying rocky mantle, according to new research from the University of Leeds.

Scientists at the UW Department of Genome Sciences have identified several sporadic or “de novo” genetic mutations in children with autism spectrum disorder.

The University of Sydney’s Professor Thomas Maschmeyer is behind cutting edge research that could fuel the aviation industry from sustainable energy sources in the not too distant future.

A research article May 12 in Science demonstrates the use of computational methods to design new antiviral proteins not found in nature, but capable of targeting specific surfaces of flu virus molecules.

Scientists at the University of Leeds are to investigate how lethal viruses attack differently sized populations of moths and butterflies in research that may help develop new methods of pest control.

Just as a road atlas helps travelers find their way, a new corn atlas will help plant scientists navigate vast amounts of gene expression data from the corn plant, as described in the May 10 issue of The Plant Journal.

Researchers at The University of Western Australia have discovered a gene that allows dormant seeds buried in the soil to detect germination stimulants in bushfire smoke called karrikins.

Researchers with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta have discovered that some “protective” T-cells can kill neurons. This finding is significant because a specific type of T-cell therapy is being touted in the medical community as a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune conditions.

Anxiety disorders are severely debilitating, the commonest cause of disability in the US workplace, and a source of great anguish to individuals and their families. Although fear and anxiety are part of our natural response to stress, the causes of chronic and inappropriate levels of anxiety are complex and treatments unsatisfactory.

The end-Permian extinction, by far the most dramatic biological crisis to affect life on Earth, may not have been as catastrophic for some creatures as previously thought, according to a new study led by the University of Bristol.

Researchers at The University of Western Australia have shown changes in a part of the brain previously not known to be involved in tinnitus generation.

A University of Alberta researcher has received special funding to turn underground coal seams into methane gas, a less environmentally harmful source of energy.

The work of Faculty of Science PhD graduate Alex Gardner—published in Nature magazine in April—has revealed some alarming evidence that Canada’s Arctic glaciers and ice caps have lost nearly as much water as there is in Lake Erie.

The evolution of ichthyosaurs, important marine predators of the age of dinosaurs, was hit hard by a mass extinction event 200 million years ago, according to a new study from the University of Bristol.

The structures of many protein molecules remain unsolved even after experts apply an extensive array of approaches. An international collaboration has led to a new, high-performance method that rapidly determined the structure of protein molecules in several cases where previous attempts had failed.

An international WUN workshop to be hosted by the University of Sydney next week will investigate the common ground between two of the biggest challenges facing the modern world – improving global health and reducing the impact of climate change.

Exotic species can be used to restore important functions in ecosystems that were lost following the extinction of key species, according to a new study of giant tortoises on a small island in the Indian Ocean.

Research in the worm is shedding light on a protein associated with a number of different human cancers, and may point to a highly targeted way to treat them.

A massive database cataloging the human genome’s functional elements — including genes, RNA transcripts and other products — is being made available as an open resource to the scientific community, classrooms, science writers and the public, thanks to an international team of researchers.

University of Sydney researchers have discovered new patterns in the movement of granular mixtures with findings that could assist the study of oil and gas recovery and CO2 geo-sequestratrion.

Drilling holes in trees across Australia and taking core samples from reefs at Ningaloo are two techniques being used to determine the extent of climate change in coming decades.

Animals and plants may need extra habitats to survive the challenge of climate change, according to research by scientists at the University of York.

Psychologists from The University of Auckland have just published two major studies on the diversity of the world’s languages in the prestigious journals Science and Nature.

A ‘Trojan horse’ system developed by researchers at the Universities of Sheffield and York attacks cancerous cells from within and potentially offers a safer treatment for prostate tumours.

The Antarctic Peninsula has warmed rapidly for the last half-century or more, and recent studies have shown that an adjacent area, continental West Antarctica, has steadily warmed for at least 30 years, but scientists haven’t been sure why.

A type of adult stem cell is now proving itself more versatile for research and therapies thanks to revolutionary 3D experiments.

In an exciting experiment with major implications for food production under climate change, CSIRO and University of Sydney scientists have found allowing ants and termites to flourish increased a wheat crop’s yield by more than one third.

Social scientists from almost every continent have come to the University of Alberta this week to develop a plan that will help address some of the pressing social issues faced by the world’s aging population.

Robots will be used to help solve the problem of autonomous engagement for in-flight refuelling. This new research could pave the way for civil or military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights to last days or even weeks.

A University of Southampton scientist is participating in a new £6.11 million transatlantic research project to improve the process of photosynthesis.

A new ocean laboratory on the floor of the Norwegian Sea will provide scientists with real time data. The observatory can give us a better understanding of the ocean.

At the click of a mouse button, scientists can virtually inspect the surface of our planet using widely available mapping software.

Three University of Sydney graduates and one PhD candidate have been recognised for their work in moral philosophy, international diplomacy, and women’s and children’s welfare with 2011 Fulbright Scholarships.

Children from across Yorkshire are being asked to help test an initiative that could reduce their exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke.
Researchers from the University of Leeds and the University of York are recruiting schools from across the region to take part in the CLASS trial – Children Learning About Second-hand Smoke.

How much CO2 are the oceans able to absorb, and will this change because of global warming? Scientists from all over the world are trying to find the answer.

Three graduates of The University of Western Australia are among 26 Australians recognised as Fulbright Scholars in 2011.

Patients from Yorkshire are helping researchers at the University of Leeds find new ways of treating abdominal aortic aneurysms, a potentially life-threatening condition that is common in elderly men.

International collaboration between the University of York and the Universities of Lund (Sweden) and Greenwich found that migrating moths and songbirds travel at similar rates.

Medicines Information, Review and Partnership – making information about medicines clearer to patients.

The bones of people who died up to a hundred years ago are being used in the development of new treatments for chronic back pain. The research is bringing together the latest computer modelling techniques developed at the University of Leeds, and archaeology and anthropology expertise at the University of Bristol.

A University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of chemistry has received a grant to develop “green” techniques to produce compounds for the pharmaceutical industry.

A major global initiative to establish an international register that will improve the transparency of health research was launched today by Health Minister Lord Howe.

The Yorkshire African Studies Network is marking its launch at the University of York with a conference on democracy and power.

A NERC consortium grant worth nearly £3.3 million has been awarded to a network of researchers, co-led by the University of Bristol, to model the last interglacial sea level.

John Hearn and Alan Robson urge universities to refocus on the reality of individual missions, not rankings’ absurd lists

The University of York is forging close relationships with Afghan legal practitioners and academics to help equip the country’s future lawyers with the skills they need in post war Afghanistan.

The University of Sydney has been rated at or above world standard in all 24 of the broad discipline areas in which it was rated in the 2010 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) evaluation program.

The WUN announces the results of its fund for research development.

The University of York’s Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU), in partnership with the Institute for International Education (IIE) based in Washington DC, is to host a major international conference on the reconstruction of Higher Education in Iraq.

Researchers from the Oceans Institute within The University of Western Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) are to embark on a three-week field trip to one of WA’s most remote regions to investigate ocean circulation and its influence on the ecology of Camden Sound in the Kimberley.

Scientists have uncovered a rare insight into a war between genes to control the sex of a plant.

Researchers at the University of Leeds are exploring a greener, safer and cheaper way of using coal from deep underground seams as an energy source.

By Professor Bruce Robinson. First published in the Sydney Morning Herald.

In my office recently I saw a patient with a large pituitary tumour. It was causing multiple symptoms, including partial blindness. The patient didn’t require surgery; his condition can be managed with medication and he will be cared for entirely as an outpatient.

Contrary to the popular belief of many scientists and members of the public, new research confirms that Africa has two—not one—species of elephant.

Scientists at the University of Leeds are joining the global fight to eradicate polio by developing a new type of vaccine that can trick the body to develop immunity against the disease.

The energy and commitment of five postgraduate researchers helped make this year’s White Spaces research network conference a huge success, attracting more than 30 delegates for the three-day event.

The University of Western Australia Business School’s Tomorrow Starts Here fundraising campaign has been named a state winner in the Fundraising Institute Australia’s 2011 National Awards for Excellence in Fundraising.

Researchers from The University of Western Australia undertaking deepwater ocean trawls of the Peru-Chile trench off South America are believed to have discovered three new fish species.

Computerised training systems are getting an extra dose of reality, thanks to an EU-funded research project led by the University of Leeds.

The University of Western Australia and the philanthropic body Kimberley Foundation Australia have joined forces to protect the unique and spectacular rock-art of the Kimberley region.

On November 15 Prof. Dr. Don Nutbeam, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, received the honorary professorship from Nanjing University when attending the International Forum on Contagious Diseases and Public Health hosted by the Center for Public Health Research, Nanjing University.

The report of the International Association of Universities (IAU) 3rd Global Survey on Internationalization of Higher Education is now available.

The British Council and THET are pleased to announce a third round of funding for the International Health Links Funding Scheme (IHLFS)
IHLFS is offering project grants of up to £15,000 for one year to support existing links to develop and prepare a needs assessment, refine plans for a larger initiative or to pursue modest development programmes.

Universities UK announces Prof Eric Thomas, VC at the University of Bristol and Director on WUN’s Partnership Board, as President for 2011-2013.

International scholars will gather this week for a major symposium hosted by the University of York focusing on the role of education in recovery and development of crisis-torn societies.

One of Western Australia’s top young scientists who has been instrumental in leading research towards a cure for Floppy Baby Syndrome, a paralysing disorder that affects thousands of infants worldwide, has won the inaugural Western Australia Young Tall Poppy Science Award.

The University of Sydney this week cements its role as a leader in the area of voice research with the official opening of the state-of-the-art Voice Research Laboratory at the Faculty of Health Sciences.

New research on how sharks see may help explain the relationship between other aquatic life and their environments and provide a benchmark for the health of our oceans.

A new study by researchers at The University of Western Australia has provided a unique insight into how the same protein plays different roles in plant and animal cells.

A pre-school language intervention programme can significantly improve the educational lives of children with poorly developed speech and language skills, according to new research by psychologists at the University of York.

Researchers from across the world will come together at the University of Bristol to discuss past, present and future changes in sea levels and ice sheets, and the implications for human populations.

A major WUN workshop looks at the development of China in the second decade of the ‘Chinese Century’

After hosting a successful spintronics symposium at the Shanghai Expo, the University of Sydney has been chosen as the venue for the 2011 Worldwide Universities Network Spintronics Conference. The event will be held in November next year and will bring some of the world’s leading spintronics researchers to Sydney.

The 3rd International History Postgraduate Intensive, hosted by the University of Sydney, has brought postgraduate research students from WUN universities Sydney, Bristol and Leeds, together with peers from Harvard, Birkbeck College, the École Normale Supérieure, Oxford and Australian National University.

The University of Auckland has become the only New Zealand member of the Worldwide Universities Network, a network of leading universities focused on international research collaboration.

The University of Western Australia’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson has been appointed Chair of the Worldwide Universities Network
(WUN) board.

A new $63 million Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre based at The University of Western Australia will boost marine science capacity in Australia, according to UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson.

Students from WUN partner universities around the world came together in early April to put their entrepreneurial skills to the test at the inaugural WUN Stimulate Forum, hosted by the University of Sydney.

Student teams from York and Leeds in the UK, Alberta in Canada, and Nanjing in China joined Australian students from Western Australia and Sydney for the four-day forum, at which they were split into mixed teams to tackle a real business challenge –the emergence of e-publishing.

Microscopy technology at The University of Western Australia that enabled an international team of researchers to locate ancient DNA in fossilised egg-shells for the first time has paleontologists around the world crowing.

Students from WUN universities around the world will look at how the growth of e-publishing is creating business challenges and opportunities as part of an international forum at the University of Sydney. 

Twenty-five students from the universities of Sydney, Western Australia, Nanjing, Alberta, Leeds and York are taking part in the STIMULATE forum, organised by the University of Sydney in conjunction with the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN). 

Registration is now open for WUNSPIN10 – the third WUN International Conference on “Spintronic Materials and Technology” – which will take place at the Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) from June 21 to 23.

Experts from Europe, USA and China, have established networks of field research stations to study the valuable services that soils provide to humanity. It is hoped these research stations will help experts find out how to protect soil against the threats posed by climate change and increasing food and energy demand from a growing human population.

The gene appears to orchestrate pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses. When these are in correct balance, the body can fight the TB pathogen without harming itself. An imbalance causes problems.

Gases such as methane expelled by grazing animals make up roughly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Dr Alex Chaves, Senior Lecturer of Animal Nutrition in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, is working on ways to reduce these livestock emissions, which contribute to global warming.

The relationship between the urbanisation of the United States in the mid to late 19th Century and the landscape art of the period is the focus of research by Professor David Peters Corbett of the Department of History of Art.

Researchers at The University of Western Australia have found that not
only do some female dung beetles have bigger horns than males but they
also use their horns as weapons in competition with other females for
access to dung, which they then use in breeding.

WUN forges a new global alliance to examine the changing and challenging relations in the Asia-Pacific region.

A project led by The University of Western Australia will examine ways to motivate students to study science in the face of an anticipated worldwide shortfall in scientists.

Identifying victims of terrorism, mass disaster and criminal activity is crucial to prosecute offenders and bring closure to families – and the next generation of tools with the capability to improve forensic identification of remains is being developed.

The University of Cape Town is set to become the latest partner in the Worldwide Universities Network making it the first African member in this global network.

WunNursing at Sydney

On the 7th September 2009, The University of Bristol opened its Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information. This highly distinctive, £11 million building provides state-of-the-art specialised laboratories where vibration and acoustic noise levels are among the lowest ever achieved, despite being located in the centre of Bristol.

This group is looking at how young people are increasingly disaffected with traditional democratic politics and politicians.