Introduction by Roger Read, Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Science

Postgraduate research is ideal for those who like to be challenged, who are creative and curious, and who show determination and drive. It also takes you into a unique world that is set apart from traditional learning and career employment.
It usually leads to a higher degree, such as a Masters or PhD qualification. In turn, that leads to more attractive employment prospects and makes it more likely that you will find job satisfaction in whatever you do.
It certainly provides valuable training in specialist areas but it does much more besides - especially in giving you important life skills that will open doors and provide incalculable opportunities throughout your career.
Postgraduate research, which in the Faculty of Science begins usually in the Honours year, is marked by an enormous growth in maturity in students. For the first time in their education and training, students do not have outcomes guaranteed, they do not have information thrust at them.

You have to think for yourself!

Instead, researchers have to think for themselves, plan their time and activities around a goal, which is defined by their research project. This goal can be curiosity driven, designed to answer the question, "Why is it so?", and yet, as in many cases in modern science, the project can be very applied and target driven, designed to solve a problem, create a wotsit, enable something that was previously impossible, or expand knowledge in one particular area.
Instead of simply learning from textbooks, researchers actually contribute to knowledge that will one day be in textbooks. So postgraduate research is exciting.
In our complex world, tackling big problems usually demands that we work in teams, with scientists in the same discipline and with collaborators in related fields. Learning to contribute and share ideas and know-how
with others forms a very important part of a researcher's approach to life, hence
the wish to network, publish and to present papers at conferences and symposia.
The experience of generating knowledge and data, assembling it, analysing it, and writing about it, provides technical and intellectual skills that are incredibly valuable in all walks of life. It gives you confidence and a sense of perspective.
We invite you to read on through our showcase and share in the stories of some of current and recent postgraduate researchers: and if you're
thinking about joining this elite team, please contact us for more information about the amazing world of opportunity that awaits you.

Research Project: Searching for Planets
Jessie is conducting a survey for planets beyond our own solar system, using a UNSW telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in northern NSW. "Every night we take data on a particular group of stars, and I search through them for the telltale signals of accompanying planets", she says.

Jessie grew up in the countryside, where she had the sky on show for her every night. "There was so much up there that I just didn't know about," says Jessie. "So I chose astrophysics as my field of research, because the concepts are mindblowing and the travel is great". Jessie recently spent time at a conference in Hawaii and spent two weeks over summer at the South Pole.

"The research is challenging and at times problematic, but this keeps me interested."

Click here to contact Jessie





Browse the Antarctic Astronomy Diaries of UNSW's leading astronomers

B.A Hons Physical Education, Limerick, Ireland

Research Project: The Effects of Flat Feet on Performance in Children
Dara is investigating the differences between normal and low-arched feet in the performance of gross motor skills in 9 to 12-year-old children. Fifty-four children have participated in the study with data collected on the kinematics and kinetics of the foot and lower limb using 3D motion analysis.

Dara worked as a teacher in high schools for several years. She was curious to know if postural deviations had any significant effect on children performing basic everyday motor skills. And if so, what should we be doing about it?

"The literature and information available was inconclusive due to variations in measurement techniques and so on. So I decided to undertake my own research to answer my questions. Many of my findings are counterintuitive so it has given me the hunger to continue in this field," she says.

Click here to contact Dara





What are flat feet?
Click here for an overview
Information about flat feet from The Children's Hospital, Westmead


Find out more about Biomechanics and Ergonomics:
UNSW Gait Analysis Laboratory - School of Safety Science

BA, Masters, Hanoi, Vietnam. IPRS Scholarship UNSW

Research Project: Improvement of Bearing Strength of Laminated Composite
Nam's research is concerned with the application of advanced materials in aircraft.He has devised a solution where nanoparticles are successfully used to enhance the mechanical properties of the matrix resin.

Nam has investigated the effects of the epoxy resin containing nanoparticles and carbon fibres on the bearing property of the composite material.

Nam has a strong background in this area of research and is passionate about his work with polymer composite fields. "I consider my research appropriate to the emerging trends in the scientific world, especially in the areas of making new materials," he says

Click here to contact Nam

Find out more about Materials Science at UNSW

New postgraduate scholarships available

B. Sports Science (Exercise Science) UNSW, Dip Health Science (Massage Therapy)

Research Project - Injury rates and injury patterns in Australian junior football

Maria's injury surveillance project started in 2004 at the NSW IRMRC, where she started looking at the injury rate and injury patterns of playersin junior Australian football. Her study was co-funded by the AFL Research Board, NSW Sporting Injuries Committee and Sport and REcreation Victoria.
"Injuries in Australian football have only been well researched in adults and elite players. However, with growing concern of the health of Australian children, it is important to assess the safety of popular children's sports in order to encourage higher participation", says Maria.
Maria has collected data from 54 football teams in the past year and has made a number of recommendations to the AFL to further improve the safety of the game.
"The success of my research can be much accredited to my supervisors", says Maria. "I have the support of two leading researchers, Professor Caroline Finch, a respected sports injury epidemiologist and Dr Andrew McIntosh, who has extensive experience in analysing the biomechanics of head injuries in sport".
Maria's thesis and final results are due for completion early in 2006.

Click here to contact Maria

Visit the NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre

B.Health Science UWS (Honours

Research Project - Injuries to fast bowlers in cricket
Rebecca started out doing an honours thesis on injuries to fast bowlers in cricket and has now spent five years on the task.
Her study has focused on looking at bowling technique, strength, flexibility and fitness as risk factors.
In 2002 Rebecca was awarded the David Garlick Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding New NSW Talent in Applied Sports Medicine Research.
In 2003 Rebecca received a UNSW NHMRC Public Health PhD scholarship to complete her research.
Rebeccas study has been largely funded by Cricket Australia and will result in three journal publications as she completes her PhD.

Click here to contact Rebecca

Visit the NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre

Research Project - Driver Risk behaviours in young drivers
Ralston is working as a research officer for the NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre (IRMRC), while completing his PhD in Health Psychology.
Ralston's PhD is focussed on road safety research. He investigates driver risk-taking, specifically whether young driver risk perceptions and attitudes to road safety differ across four driving behaviours (speeding, not wearing a seat belt, drink-driving and driving while fatigued)and whether ther are different predictor variables for different behaviours. Other research has involved the use of a driving simulator, investigating the relationships between simulated, self-reported, and actual driving behaviour.
Ralston is enthusisastic about his opportunities at UNSW and the IRMRC, "Whilst the Faculty of Science and School of Psychology have contributed significantly to my progress as a postgraduate student, the IRMRC is a specialist research centre that has presented opportunities for me to learn from other students and researchers within the same discipline" he says.

Click here to contact Ralston


Visit the Psychology website

Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise and Sport Science)

Research Project - Upper Limb movement in people with cerebral palsy
Leanne's choice of undergraduate study was motivated by a passion for sport as well as applied science and analytical thinking. She was keen to pursue a career that she was passionate about - "so that work would always be a joy rather than a chore," says Leanne.
Leanne's first job out of university was as an exercise therapist in a nursing home, after a year of working in this position, she realised she wanted to expand her knowledge and sought advice about postgraduate research in biomechanics. Leanne is now employed full time as a Clinical Biomechanist for Sydney Children's Hospital, and continues her passion for the field with her research studies at UNSW.

Leanne is researching 3-D motion analysis of upper limb movement in children. She is currently in the testing stage where children visit the biomechanics lab at UNSW and are asked to perform tasks to obtain information about muscle activation, movement patterns and strength requirements of certain arm movements.
Her future aspirations include expanding this research to study children with cerebral palsy, which impairs movement and normal bone growth and muscle function. Her studies in upper limb movement using biomechanical techniques are still in the early stages.
"I would love to get results from my research that clinicians can use to assist people with cerbral palsy in order to maximise arm and hand function," says Leanne.




Click here to contact Leanne

Find out more about Biomechanics and Ergonomics:
UNSW Gait Analysis Laboratory - School of Safety Science

BSc (Hons) Mathematics UNSW, BA German Studies UNSW, PhD Mathematics UNSW

Research Project - Construction of high dimensional lattice rules for numerical integration

Ben is working in collaboration with Professor Ian Sloan and Dr Frances Kuo to evaluate very big integrals in cases where the normal methods of evaluation are not sufficient. Such problems are of great importance to industry, statisticians and many big banks and financial institutions.
Over the last few years, researchers have developed a large body of theory to tackle high-dimensional problems. Ben is interested in applying this theory to real-world problems.
"This presents its own challenges", says Ben, "Many of the problems in industry do not fit neatly into the theoretical structures which we have developed, and so there are challenges in marrying the two".
Ben is excited about being involved with the project as he gets to work with both the application and theoretical sides.
"The theoretical part means I can attend international conferences and meet leading researchers from all over the world", says Ben. He has travelled to France, Poland, Spain and extensively throughout Australia.
"The application part means I can see problems that big businesses face and are grappling with", says Ben. This has mean't Ben has had the opportunity to give advice to quantitative groups at banks in Sydney and has worked on projects to implement the new technology.
Click here to contact Ben

Find out more about Mathematics at UNSW

BA Sports Science (Exercise Science, Honours)UNSW

Research Project - Risk injuries in gymnastics due to high magnitude repetitive loading as well as fatigue

When Karen was six she begged her Mum to let her do gymnastics. Since then, she has realised that the risk of injury in this sport is extreamly high and the consequences of these injuries can be great and ongoing, because the participants are predominantly pre and peri-pubescent.
In order for Karen to determine a method of analysis it was important for it to be simple and easy to apply, could be applied over a period of several hours at a timeand with minimal disruption to normal training.
Under these circumstances, data was collected during the training sessions of gymnasts, where a complete range of equipment and surfaces were available. This way the data was collected during all of the activities performed in an environment the gymnasts were accustomed to, as opposed to in a laboratory.
With further data collection the risk of injury can be determined as well as guidelines for quantity and structure of training so the gymnasts can minimising acute and chronic injuries. In turn these guidelines can be provided to gymnastics coaches and applied to reduce rates and severity of injuries that do occur.
Karens analysis also has applications in other sports and activities such as dancing, where the forces experienced during a class or training session are irregular and difficult to estimate, and also has possibilities for determining the loads required to maximise bone mineral density for prevention of osteoporosis.

Click here to contact Karen

Masters of Occupational Hygiene, Lecturer Department of Occupational Health and Safety - School of Public Health, Iran University

Research Project - Development of in vitro toxicology methods for toxicity assessment of workplace air contaminants

Shahnaz is currently undertaking a PhD Research Degree at the Chemical Safety and Applied Toxicology (CSAT) Laboratories at the School of Safety Science.

Occupational and environmental exposure to chemical air contaminants is significantly associated with both acute and chronic health effects but, the precise mechanisms that derive such effects are yet to be understood. Conventional animal based toxicity tests are expensive, time consuming, unable to evaluate multiple exposures and present challenges of interspecies extrapolation.
The aim of this experimental research was to investigate the potential of in vitro methods as an alternative for toxicity assessment of workplace air contaminants.
Direct exposure of human cells to airborne contaminants was developed by using culturing cells on porous membranes in snapwell inserts. Once cells were established on the membrane, the upper layer of culture media was removed and the cells directly exposed to airborne contaminants at the air/liquid interface. As a part of this method, dynamic direct exposure of human cells was established by utilizing a horizontal diffusion chamber system for delivery of generated test atmospheres. Implementation of a range of in vitro bioassays in conjunction with innovative in vitro exposure techniques have been developed in this research can potentially provide an advanced technology for toxicity assessment and biomonitoring of occupational and environmental airborne contaminants.

This experimental research has been supervised by Dr. Amanda Hayes and Associate Professor Chris Winder. Considering the complexity of this research, which requires both unique technology for the generation and characterisation of test atmospheres and innovative cell culture exposure techniques, research goals are achieved by the supervisors guidance, support and encouragement during the research project. Results of this research are published in several peer-reviewed Journals such as “Toxicology and Industrial Health”, “Inhalation Toxicology” and “Journal of Environmental Monitoring”.
Research has been presented at both National and International conferences and several travel grants, awards and prizes have been received.


Click here to contact Shahnaz

Find out more about Safety Science at UNSW

Applied Mathematics (Hons) UNSW, Masters of Statistics (Coursework) UNSW

Research Project - Statistical Methods for Flow Cytometry

John's research is in the areas of multivariate nonlinear regression and model selection strategies to be used in the developing biotechnology of flow cytometry.
"Flow cytometry is a developing technique used in biologically and medically related research areas whereby multiple physical characteristics (phenotypes) of single cell or other particles are simultaneously measured as they pass through a laser beam in a fluid stream."

Click here to contact John

Find out more about Mathematics at UNSW

Honors Mathematics, Macquarie University

Research Project - Transferring known results on Euclidean (flat)space to other more complicated spaces.

David completed his undergraduate degree with double majors in Actuarial studies and mathematics at Macquarie University in 2001, but was largely uninspired by the actuarial side. Instead of beginning employment as an actuary, David completed his honours degree in mathematics in 2002.

Click here to contact David

Find out more about Mathematics at UNSW