Virtual Reality Changing The Way Oral Health Is Taught

BY JARROD MELMETH

The dentist chair may soon be less daunting, with a new simulation technology at the University of Newcastle providing students with the opportunity to practice administering dental injections in a virtual environment.

The initiative, a collaboration between the University's IT Services Innovation Team and the School of Health Sciences, hopes to bridge the gap between the classroom and the clinic to ensure students are confident and capable when administering dental injections.

Utilising an Oculus headset, the wearer is transported to a virtual clinic, where a patient awaits a procedure.

A range of scenarios can be accessed by the student, including procedures requiring palatal injections to the roof of the mouth and interdental injections between the teeth. The program assists the student showing target points as well as a virtual gauge displaying the millilitres being administered.

UON Lecturer in Oral Health and Simulation Coordinator Denise Higgins said the program aims to bridge the gap between the classroom and the clinic.

"The students have the ability to start the simulation, so in this case, the virtual reality program and its scenario and they can stop, they can have a look at where they are up to, look at the statistics the program is giving back to them and then they can restart that program again.

"After using the simulation the students are much more confident to work on patients. They are then able to perform the skills at a level that is safer for patients who come to the clinic and then of course when they graduate, and they are registered practitioners, they are much more employable because they have done this task and have demonstrated that they are able to do it in a confident manner and a safe manner," Ms Higgins said.

Australian Defence Force Meets Virtual Reality

BY TYLER FARDELL

Researchers from the University of Newcastle have been awarded a 2.2 million dollar contract to ensure the Hunter branch of the Australian Defence Force is taking the next step.

That next step is virtual reality (VR).

Defence Force Minister Christopher Pyne announced the grants to the University of Newcastle, which will go towards developing a VR program for Defence Force personnel.

The program will see Defence Force recruits experience a range of high-stress simulations, and monitor their heart rate and stress levels.

Associate professor from the University of Newcastle Rohan Walker is working on the program and says it's great to see the university working on such a great program.

"What we're doing here is really taking the best parts of innovative, engaging VR based technologies and combining them with objective assessments of stress to help cadets better control their stress levels", he said.

The simulations won't just be a fire-fight however, it's expected to include high-stress scenarios you might experience in everyday life, including car accidents and responding to incidents.

"It's our hope and the ADF's hope that this program will be embedded within their workforce in a couple of years".

The program is currently in the prototype stage and could be ready as early as next year.

Virtual Reality in the Military
Source; Virtual Reality

The Newcastle Study Aiming to Prove Fruit and Vegetables are Better than You Think

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Researchers at The University of Newcastle are hoping their study turns out to be more fruitful than they expect.

The joint university and Hunter Medical Research Institute study is examining how a diet rich in fruit-and-veg can contribute to weight loss, and how it relates to protecting the body from exercise-induced inflammation.

Researcher and PhD student Erin Clarke says as a dietician she advises everyone to eat more of the good stuff, but now there could be even more benefits.

Researcher Erin Clarke Image supplied.

"The main aim of this study is to see how increasing fruit and vegetables affects weight and exercise-induced inflammation. We're providing more evidence to why people should be doing it, so many people want to lose weight and this could be an effective way to do it," said Erin.

Participants in the study will receive a week's worth of fruit-and-veg for free which includes bananas, oranges, frozen berries, fresh and tinned tomatoes, pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes, lettuce, zucchini, cucumber and frozen peas and corn.

In addition, you'll have to visit Callaghan campus for two exercise sessions involving a VO2 Max test of aerobic capacity on a treadmill plus other tests on subsequent visits.

It's a common thought buying fresh food can be more expensive so the study also wants to prove that really it isn't and it's quite easy to slip it into your weekly budget.

"So we wanted to give them assistance in showing them how they can increase it and its not going to put a big hole in their budget. I've got some tips that I'll give them for increasing their intake on a budget. Everyone knows they should be eating fruit and veg, but they don't know how to incorporate it so much into their diet," said Erin.

The study is looking for males and females aged 18-45 years with a Body Mass Index of 25-35 (overweight or obese) and no health issues which could affect doing high-intensity exercise.

For details contact Erin on 4985 4316 or Erin.Clarke@uon.edu.au

Exercise could be the key to a good nights sleep

BY JESSICA ROUSE and TYLER FARDELL

We all love a good nights sleep, but often it can be hard to find.

But better sleep could be just around the corner and it could be easier than we think.

The University of Newcastle is holding a nationwide clinical trial, called the REFRESH Study, aiming to find whether or not regular exercise can help insomniacs get a good nights sleep.

The study is looking to recruit around 300 people aged 40-65 who have poor quality sleep, but don't have a sleeping disorder and do less than 90 minutes of physical activity each week.

Associate Professor Mitch Duncan from the Hunter Medical Research Institute's Cardiovascular Program says the trial is as much about improving sleep as it is fitness.

"It's important that we try to improve both physical activity and sleep quality because they both have profound benefits not only on our physical health but also on our mental health as well."


Half of the people who report poor sleep health often fail to get enough exercise, which increases their risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, depression and anxiety. Not only that work productivity is impacted costing the global economy $680 billion annually.

Mitch Duncan says the results could change the way people view sleep and exercise.

"But what we haven't really tested yet  in studies is the exact benefit that enhancing physical activity and providing a dedicated physical activity intervention has on sleep relative to a traditional approach which doesn't emphasise the increase of physical activity as much."

The study will also use a smartphone app called "Balanced" and researchers will compare the effectiveness of a sleep plus increased physical activity intervention with a sleep-only intervention.

Anyone interested in participating in the study can take part in a short eligibility survey at
http://tinyurl.com/refreshstudy

Defence Innovation Hub for Williamtown means a major boost for the Hunter

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE and JESSICA ROUSE

The new Defence Innovation Hub being established at Williamtown Aerospace Centre is set to be a major boost for the Hunter's defence industry and innovation sector.

The centre comes as a part of the Federal Government's $195 billion spend on defence acquisition and is funded by the government in collaboration with the University of Newcastle's innovation network to encourage research and innovation.

Speaking at the HunterNet Defence Conference yesterday, Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said the region's defence industry is on the cusp of something special.

"We're announcing the NSW Government is contributing and collaborating with the Defence Innovation Hub. It really is about supporting universities and our smart industries, our research and our development that can be involved in the defence sector and that will be the air force, the navy and the army."

The Hunter has the largest regional defence presence in the state with the sector bringing in $1.3 billion a year and more than 4,000 jobs.

Scot MacDonald said the Defence Innovation hub at Williamtown will attract the expertise of academics, research and development to the region and continue to build on the strong relationship between the region and defence.

"We've always had a strong defence presence and defence industry in NSW but they haven't been talked about and known as well as in some other states. We are really getting on the front foot and making sure that place, particularly the Hunter, becomes much more prominent within the defence space and industry."

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald.
Image https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/key-enablers/1143-hunter-wins-innovation-hub-williamtown

Science and Engineering Super Challenge state finals underway in Newcastle

BY BROOKE HEINZ

The University of Newcastle is now playing host to the state finals of the Science and Engineering Super Challenge.

The top 26 schools from across New South Wales are competing for a place in the national final later this year in Dubbo.

A University of Newcastle initiative, the Science and Engineering Challenge brings hands-on experiences involving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to year nine and ten students across the nation with 18,000 students participating each year.

Director of the Science and Engineering Challenge Dr Terry Burns says STEM skills will be a requirement for employment in the future.

"In the future...there is strong agreement among experts that 75 per cent of all the jobs will involve STEM and that the skills required in all the jobs of the future will be the sorts of skills that people who work in the STEM area have," Dr Burns said.

"There's going to be a massive change in the way that people work and the sort of work they do, and STEM provides the tools and skills to do that."

The Science and Engineering Super Challenge state final comes after the announcement of a $100,000 grant for the program from the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer's Office on Monday.

The grant is being used to run the challenge in Sydney, transport costs for regional schools, and a series of science shows for younger children across the region.

Image source: University of Newcastle

The Science and Engineering Super Challenge state final will continue until Thursday the 17th of August.

Study Finds Wetlands are in Decline

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI

Researchers at the University of Newcastle have found coastal wetlands, which have existed for thousands of years, may now have the same average life expectancy as humans.

The new study predicted a lifespan of approximately 80 years for wetlands, with the possibility of serious deterioration after 40 years due to the restriction of water flow and sea level rise.

Senior Lecturer, Dr. Jose Rodriguez says attenuation, or the process of man-made structures restricting water flow, is also a prime cause of wetland decay.

"When you build a road across a wetland, the tide is allowed to move in and out to the other side of the road through culverts or bridges instead of freely flowing," he said.

"As a result, it takes more time and energy for the water to reach the other side. Vegetation is very sensitive to that so this is going to result in worse conditions for the vegetation."

But despite indications that the wetlands are decaying far quicker than previously thought, researchers believe there are ways we can still ensure its survival.

"One of the things that we can do is provide space for wetlands to move," said Dr. Rodriguez.

"With sea level rise, the vegetation will adapt and will try to move inland. The problem is sometimes we don't have those buffer zones in the upper area of the vegetation so we need to provide for buffer zones in that area.

"The other thing that we can do is try to provide adequate hydraulic conditions for the wetland and we can do that with gates and other ways of manipulating the flow within the wetland."

NSW Labor calling for sexual assault education

BY JARROD MELMETH and JESSICA ROUSE

Shocking statistics released by the Human Rights Commission on sexual assault at university campuses yesterday show 55 per cent of students at The University of Newcastle (UON) had been sexually harassed on campus.

The statistics have been compiled from data gathered in 2016 which found within the 55 per cent of students who had been assaulted, over half had little to no knowledge of where to get support.

Additionally, 92 per cent of the respondent from UON didn't seek support for sexual harassment, with the most common reason being ' I did not think it was serious enough'.

Maitland MP and Shadow Minister for The Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jenny Aitchison is calling on the State Government to do more in a bid to stop the prevalence of harassment and assault on campus.

Shadow Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Jenny Aitchison Image smh.com.au

The MP says the key to stopping sexual assaults on university campuses is early education.

"Because these kinds of crimes don't start just in university, the attitudes and believes that underpin that terrible crime are actually present at a much younger age so we think it's important to address some and the education system needs to start engaging with students," said Jenny Aitchison.

NSW Labor has pledged to join "Our Watch", a joint initiative established to drive nation-wide change in the cultures underpinning violence against women.

"NSW is the only state that has so far not joined up to "Our Watch" and what that does is it provides the support for innovative programs for example "Respect for Relationships' from K-12 have been rolled out in Victoria which was based on a pilot developed through "Our Watch" so its about having the best evidence based programs out there," said Jenny Aitchison.

The statistics released yesterday also stated 78 per cent of perpetrators were fellow UON students, and that public transport was a particularly concerning area where assaults had taken place.

"It accrues right across the spectrum, the report has identified that public transport has been an area of concern for students and risks for students and where assaults and harassment have occurred. The government has a responsibility to ensure that everyone who uses our public transport system is safe from harassment or assault," said Jenny Aitchison.

Science and Engineering Challenge begins today.

BY DANIELLE RIES.

Today the annual Science and Engineering Challenge gets underway at the University of Newcastle with over 1200 students going head to head in the competition.

Year 9 and 10 students from across 42 Hunter high schools will be competing in a series of events including designing bridges and building their own water turbines.

The students will be competing to win the right to compete in the state final in later August and then have a shot at the national final.

Team Leader for the Science and Engineering Challenge Chris Hendry says the challenge is a good way to get students involved.

"The local science and engineering challenge is on right now. It started this morning at 9:30am with 6 local schools coming together and competing against each other in a whole bunch of design and build activities, crticial thinking activities to produce a winner that will show the rest of us what they have been doing today and hopeully theyll be able to come through to the state finals."

He also says this challenge gives students an opportunity to expand their learning.

"It's an opportunity for them to show off their skills in both of the two disciplines, but in the most important way, what they do is get to have a hands on experience with something that might be a little bit outside of what they gain access to on your general school day in the classroom."

Credit- University of Newcastle Website.

NeW Space Open Day tomorrow

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The University of Newcastle's NeW Space Building certainly stands out in the CBD from the outside, and tomorrow you can go and see how unique it is on the inside as well.

Image supplied UoN

An open day will be on tomorrow from 10am 'til 2pm with the university hosting information sessions, a pop up law clinic, student showcases from the School of Creative Industries and architects and builders will be there to explain why the building looks the way it does.

Business and Law Faculty Manager Kate Ramzen-Levy loves the new building and says not only are the views phenomenal but the learning spaces are great as well.

"We also have the builders who will be presenting on what was the inspiration for NeW Space. I think the building is a bit of an icon for the CBD of Newcastle and its got such a nod to all of its surroundings so there are some fantastic sightlines to city hall to the harbour foreshore and also back to Callaghan."

Staff have already been working in the building for a couple of weeks and students will start learning there from next week at the beginning of Semester Two. Kate says the learning experience students will get won't be better than the experience on Callaghan, it will be different - a very good different.

"I think that it's very accessible to the public, it opened to the public this week, we've seen a lot of members of the public and students wandering  through and taking advantage of the fantastic views across the city. But I do think it's going to have a really important place into the CBD of Newcastle," said Kate.

Uni students eating habits not up to scratch

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A new study from the University of Newcastle has found students ability to study effectively is being impacted by what they eat.

Whether it's through a lack of money, or a lack of knowledge, a new study has found 93 per cent of university students aren't eating healthily.

Researcher and accredited dietician Melinda Hutchesson found only half of the 4,180 students surveyed in the study ate the recommended two serves of fruit, and less than 10 per cent are eating enough vegetables each day.

Young adulthood is a key time to cement healthy eating habits but students are hindered by the cost of fresh produce, not having the appropriate skills to cook properly or generally don't have access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

Melinda says while many students are deterred by the cost of fresh food, it's not as expensive as they think.

"One of the main barriers students and young adults face for eating well is the cost associated with it but actually we know eating healthy is a lot cheaper so for example apples cost about 60 cents per 100g whereas a chocolate bar is around $4.30."

Innovators of the Future

BY MARISSA ALEXIOU

Successful female visionaries from the University of Newcastle (UON) will come together to share their experience navigating a career in innovation.

The Women in Innovation event next week forms part of the Hunter Innovation Festival running from 16th May - 26th May.

An expert panel will feature Dr Yolanda Surjan, Senior Lecturer in the School of Health Sciences and CSIRO's Breakout Female Scientist. The event is set to prompt conversation around 'The Sponsorship Effect' and whether women need sponsorship rather than mentoring.

Whilst mentors may be able to act as a role model and provide personal and professional support, they may not have the ability to push those further in their career.

Other panel members include UON Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Sarah Pearson, RDA Hunter CEO Susan Wilson and AusIndustry Entrepreneurship Facilitator Cheryl Royle. The panel will also focus on gender equality and promotion of equity in the workplace.

Statistics have revealed whilst women are more likely to receive mentoring than men, the effort is not converting to equal career opportunities.

Dr Yolanda Surjan, Senior Lecturer in the School of Health Sciences said sponsorship can be a vital turning point for establishing key connections needed to boost careers. Someone who is sponsoring is likely to already be in a successful position and has the ability to provide extra opportunities

"A sponsor provides opportunities, they look down, find the people that have the skill set and abilities and give them a boost upwards."

Dr Yolanda Surjan added the festival will provide the opportunity for Newcastle to showcase its assets.

The festival is hoped to inspire Hunter businesses, industry and community to take advantage of advanced technology and thinking.

Women in Innovation - The Sponsorship Effect is a free event at The Crowne Plaza on Monday 22 May at 5pm. More information on the festival and its events can be found here.

Source: http://hunterinnovationfestival.org/

UON Broadspectrum Breakaway

BY LAUREN KEMPE

The University of Newcastle is planning to cut away from its five-year, $88 million contract with Broadspectrum.

Broadspectrum runs Australia's detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island, and the University's involvement with the company has brought about significant protest from students and staff in recent times.

The protests have been largely motivated by reports of abuse suffered by asylum seekers and refugees at both of Broadspectrum's detention centres.

In a written comment, a spokeswoman for the University of Newcastle has said the new arrangements the University will now directly engage and manage maintenance service providers as part of its revised Estate Management Strategy.

"Our priority is to ensure that we continue to deliver high-quality and efficient maintenance and facilities services for the benefit of our staff and students. Our new arrangements will ensure that this continues into the future and that services continue without disruption whilst still providing value for money in the expenditure of the University's funds," said the spokeswoman.

The University of Newcastle stated there will be continuity for existing service providers and strong relationships with other local contractors. 

Ovarian Cancer Fellowship

BY RACHEL STORER

University of Newcastle Research Fellow, Dr Nikola Bowden

University of Newcastle bioscientist, Dr Nikola Bowden is the proud recipient of an unprecedented 10-year Hunter Medical Research Institute Fellowship dedicated to ovarian cancer study.

The fellowship is jointly funded by the university and well-known Hunter winemakers Brian and Fay McGuigan, and honours their daughter Vanessa who tragically lost her battle with the disease in 1990.

Dr Bowden also has a personal connection with ovarian cancer after losing a hockey teammate in 2012 which spurred her study of the mechanisms causing chemotherapy resistance.

"I hadn't actually done any ovarian cancer research before Judy fell ill," she said.

"After a few conversations with her, she asked me why I wasn't working on ovarian cancer and I realised there was actually no reason why I couldn't start."

Dr Bowden is grateful for the fellowship and says it will help accelerate the results of her work by removing the need to apply for lengthy funding applications.

The end goal for Dr Bowden is seeing ovarian cancer diagnosed much earlier and to develop chemotherapy treatments that cater to the specific needs of each patient.

She said she would like to thank the McGuigan family and the HMRI for getting onboard.

Medical School for UoN

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The University of Newcastle has welcomed the announcement an additional $12.5 million will be invested into the Central Coast Medical School.

The funding is set to be confirmed in tonight's 2017-18 budget and will be provided over a five-year period. It comes in addition to the previous combined investment of $72.5 million by the Federal and NSW Governments as well as the University of Newcastle.

It will provide medical students with the opportunity to affiliate with healthcare partners across the coast as well as professional medical staff and educators.

The first intake of students on the Central Coast will be in 2020, and Vice Chancellor Caroline McMillen says the project will meet the demand for the future medical workforce on the coast.

"The new UON Central Coast Medical School creates outstanding new opportunities for the region, not only in linking the world's best medical education and research to the Coast but also in delivering the graduates to meet the region's future workforce and healthcare needs," said Professor McMillen.

Image blogs.newcastle.edu.au

University funding cuts to hit Newcastle hard.

BY RACHEL STORER

Education Minister Simon Birmingham's recent announcement to cut $2.8 billion in university funding has been met with grave concerns from Labor.

The changes to higher education funding were announced on Monday night and include lowering the HECS-loan repayment threshold from $55,000 to a substantially lower $42,000 and increasing student fees by 8%.

Senator Kim Carr, the Shadow Minister for Innovation and Industry said that the University of Newcastle could be one of the "hardest hit" by these proposed changes.

"The university has 31 percent of its population coming from low socio-economic groups ... it's the 8th highest number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the country," he said.

"The government's imposition of additional costs will make it more difficult for people to go to university and more difficult for the university to serve the community."

Senator Carr says that the University of Newcastle plays an instrumental role in science and engineering in the Hunter region.

"Industry in the region looks to the university to assist in developing new ideas, new technologies and new ways of thinking... and the government has said nothing about helping universities deal with the research [funding] problem," he said.

He believes that the government is completely overlooking the high cost of running a university and that this will seriously impact the Hunter community and the industrial needs of the region.

Senator Kim Carr. Image: senatorkimcarr.com

The worst is yet to come for university students

BY JESSICA ROUSE

University of Newcastle students who take out a loan will be paying it back a lot sooner under an overhaul of funding to be announced in next week's federal budget.

Under the changes, students will be forced to start repaying their HECS debt when their income reaches $42,000 in a financial year instead of the current $54,000.

"This is around the same amount as minimum wage when you include the casual loading so that's asking students, so asking graduates, to pay back thousands of dollars of debt when they're barely meeting minimum wage," said National Union of Students President Sophie Johnston.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham announced the increase in fees with a cut to university funding.

The Minister says the government will keep to their word and not make students pay a cent upfront.

The increases in student fees will range from $2,000 - $3,600 on average over a four-year course.

Simon Birmingham Image theaustralian.com.au

The future of energy developed in Newcastle

BY TYLER FARDELL

An environmentally friendly, renewable energy on demand system developed in partnership by the University of Newcastle and Infratech Industries, is being labelled as a solution to Australia's energy crisis.

The CLES (Chemical Looping Energy on Demand System) will put the production, distribution and management of power, oxygen and hydrogen into the hands of the consumer.

The CLES us about the size of a fridge, and uses naturally occurring gas to create oxygen, hydrogen and heat.

By using only natural gas, the CLES releases only a third of the Greenhouse Gas emissions of fossil fuels compared with other renewable energy sources.

Turbines in the machine are then powered by the heat to generate electricity, with the overall efficiency of the process above 90 percent.

Director of the research centre for Frontier Energy Technologies and Utilisation at the University of Newcastle, Professor Behdad Moghtaderi says this is game changing, and it should be available to consumers either late this year or early next.

Cancer Study Hits a Nerve

BY RACHEL STORER

Professor Hubert Hondersmarck and his team have made incredible discoveries in the field of cancer. 

A team led by University of Newcastle Biochemistry Professor, Hubert Hondermarck has found links between tissue regeneration, nerve growth and tumour development.

The study confirms which was once thought impossible - the nervous system is strongly involved in the onset and spread of cancer.

"What was shown in our lab and simultaneously in other labs is that the nerves are necessary to cancer," said Professor Hondermarck.

"Cancer growth did not occur if the tumour was denervated and does not metastasize," he said.

The phenomenon has been demonstrated by several teams around the world including Professor Hondermarck's in prostate, gastric, breast and pancreatic tumours.

This new research could be the future of the fight against cancer and Professor Hondermarck believes they can start to block the invasion of nerves in cancer to prevent growth.

"Now the challenge for the coming years is to translate into clinical practice and see if it works," he said.

One aspect that Professor Hondermarck found particularly interesting from the study was that the role of nerves in cancer progression is very similar to what is observed during regeneration.

"As we know, humans have very little regeneration capacity. If you take a salamander for instance, and they lose a limb or tail it regrows.

"In cancer, if there are no nerves, there is no regeneration in the tumour. We found that there are links between cancer and its ability to regenerate," he said.

This research has opened the door to potential development in diagnostic and prognostic tools for cancer.

University of Newcastle welcomes Pro Vice Chancellor for Industry Engagement and Innovation

BY SARAH JAMES

Heralding Newcastle's entrance into the innovation age, the University of Newcastle has established the inaugural Pro Vice Chancellor for Industry Engagement and Innovation.

Stepping up to the role is Dr Sarah Pearson; an established leader in the global innovation community.

Part of Dr Pearson's role is nurturing Newcastle's potential to become a global hotspot for innovation. She will be responsible for establishing industry partnerships, encouraging entrepreneurship in the area and leading innovation hubs.
 Dr Pearson believes Newcastle's location, affordability and lifestyle will make the area attractive for future investment.

With 75% of high growth jobs being in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) industries, it is imperative that Newcastle adapt to this employment trend.

Dr Sarah Pearson