Funding Towards Research into Concussion in Game-Play

BY CHARLOTTE LLOYD 

University of Newcastle researchers have received a total of $4.5 million as part of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) ideas grant. 

Among those receiving funding is Dr Suzie Edwards looking at the effectiveness of tackle technique intervention to reduce the in-game risk of concussion. 

Specifically prominent in Rugby League Dr Edwards is using empirical based research in order to make the sport safer for the players and reduce the long-term effects repeated concussions can have. 

With a grant of just over $1 million Dr Edwards has been working with other researchers and rugby league professionals in order to understand the types of tackles involved in game play and the risks these pose. 

It has been found that Indigenous Australians and Pacifica players are of those most susceptible to injury with the league having a percentage of 57% of players falling in this category. 

With the help of professionals and medical experts this research will enable Dr Edwards to develop new coaching guidelines.

"Our research is looking at how we can change someone's tackle technique. So we've identified risk factors for how someone tackles. In a way we're re-teaching and coaching players to tackle differently that modifies their injury risk for concussions," Dr Edwards said. 

Hunter researchers move into phase two of brain injury study

BY JARROD MELMETH

Researchers from the University of Newcastle and Hunter Research Medical Institute have received funding from the federal government to investigate brain injuries in elite athletes.

The research, in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Sport is comparing the brain health of retired elite athletes who were involved in contact sports such as Rugby League to athletes from non-collision sports.

Concussion is the leading form of brain injury and occurs when athletes are hit in the head. The concern here is that concussions are often associated with being knocked out however, most of the time they occur without loss of consciousness. 

Researchers are hoping to understand concussion and head injuries to better understand how they can be prevented. By doing this appropriate care plans can be developed to minimise lasting effect.

Phase one of the study looking at athletes from collision sports has already been undertaken, with phase two set to get underway courtesy of the new funding.

Associate Professor Andrew Gardner of HMRI and University of Newcastle has been leading one of the largest and most comprehensive brain health research programs for retired athletes in the world, involving in-person evaluations of more than 150 players.

Professor Gardner says HMRI and the University of Newcastle are combining with the University of Canberra to take the research further, reducing recruiting a control group of retired non-collision athletes.

"We are aiming to collect data on the brain health of more than 40 retired athletes from non-collision sports every year. This study is available to former elite level men and women," Prof Gardner said.

James Street Plaza upgrades complete

BY JARROD MELMETH

Upgrades to the James Street Plaza on Beaumont Street in Hamilton are now complete following four months of construction.

The once dilapidated spot on one of Newcastle's busiest streets has been transformed into an open space with new paving, trees, seating and public art displays.

A new light display has also been installed following a community vote on three options put forward by the University of Newcastle. The "Microcosmic Mosaic" was the winner and has been developed into a full-length animation which will be launched to light up the space at night.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes says the changes to the space are impressive following the project which is aimed to attract more visitors, families, and shoppers.

""In response to community feedback we have delivered a safer, more appealing place for people to spend time.

"Once COVID-19 restrictions lift, we will welcome the community back to gather and activate the space with music, markets and food," Cr Nelmes said.

Hunter researcher awarded $380,000 to investigate Koala conservation

BY JARROD MELMETH

An early career researcher at the University of Newcastle has been awarded almost $380,000 to investigate stem cells in Australian species to improve conservation efforts of those that are endangered.

The research is the first of its kind and will look at how reproductive stem cells can be used as a conservation tool for endangered wildlife species through biobanking.

Biobanking is the cryopreservation or freezing of reproductive cells which is usually mature sperm or egg cells. This is done to preserve the different genetic information of animals to make sure the gene pool of the species doesn't become too small. When there is only a small population of animals, for instance when they are endangered, they start to become genetically similar which makes them more vulnerable to extinction.

The problem currently with biobanking is in some species the mature sperm cells that are cryopreserved don't survive the freezing process, which means they can't be used to create new individuals in the future and maintain the genetic diversity.

Lecturer in Biological Science, Dr Tessa Lord says one of the species that has this problem is the Koala and its really important to do some work on maintaining the population. 

"My research specifically is looking at the potential for biobanking the spermatogonial stem cells rather than sperm from species like the koala.

"This is something which hasn't really been done before and that's because we don't know a lot about these reproductive stem cells, particularly in wildlife species. We don't really know how to keep them alive in an invitro environment, in other words outside the body.

"My previous research has identified a molecular pathway that we think is important for the survival and maintenance of these reproductive stem cells and we have found the koala stem cells also seem to possess this pathway," Dr Lord said.

The funding for the project comes from the Australian Research Council which Dr Lord hopes to further characterise the molecular pathway.

Based on the results, the team wants to make the first attempts at maintaining the koala stem cells in a culture dish which would be the first pre-cursor step towards the biobanking approaches.

Dr Lord says we urgently need an intervention to make sure our koala population is not facing extinction and the biobanking of the reproductive tissue like the spermatogonial stem cells is one tool that can be used towards doing this.

Hunter to enter 7 day lockdown from 5pm today

BY JARROD MELMETH

The NSW Premier has announced the Hunter will go into lockdown from 5pm Thursday.

All Hunter LGA's including Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Maitland, Cessnock, Singleton, Muswellbrook Newcastle and Dungog will be subject to the same harsh restrictions as Greater Sydney.

Everyone in these areas must stay at home unless it is for an essential reason. People in these Local Government Areas cannot have visitors in their home, including social visits from family and friends outside of their household.

It follows three local schools closing due to positive cases as well as a number of exposure sites being listed including Target Glendale and the Auchmuty Library at the University of Newcastle.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant says she believes the infection source came from a gathering at Blacksmiths on Friday night 

"We now think that the source extended from a gathering on Blacksmiths beach on Friday night," Dr Chant said.

It's also believed the gathering was attended by people from Greater Sydney.

"We believe that there may have been people there from Greater Sydney and that's how it was introduced," Dr Chant said.

Investigations into the gathering are underway.

From 5pm Thursday only certain reasons to leave the home will be allowed including, Shopping for food or other essential goods, hospitality venues will move to takeaway, medical care, exercise outdoors in groups of  2 or fewer, schools will move online, work or tertiary education. 

Financial support for impacted businesses is available via the Service NSW website or by calling 13 77 88. Individuals who lose more than eight hours of work are eligible for the federal COVID-19 Disaster Payment and can apply via Service Australia. 

Social factors a big contributor to where students study

BY LAURA RUMBEL 

New research conducted on accommodation at Australian universities has shown that regional and remote students prioritise social factors when deciding where to study and live when relocating for university. 

The research led by Doctor Julia Cook from the University of Newcastle found on-campus accommodation provided a sense of connectedness, however was not always preferred by all students. 

The research which was funded by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) conducted surveys and interviews indicating students' choice of university, based on factors including study programs on offer and cost of living. 

The research found that students who lived on campus reported higher levels of housing satisfaction and experienced more positive relationships. 

The research also found that on-campus accommodation was not always suitable or available to all. 

 "Students who are a little bit older, those who have dependence, families or those who are living with a disability are simply not wanting to live in a highly social environment," Dr Cook said. 

The research team recommends to student accommodation providers and universities to think about how to bring some of the benefits of social connectedness to students in all kinds of accommodation. 

"Some of the things we've recommended are orientation activities, social activities and programs that are specific to regional and remote students," Dr Cook said. 

Affordability of accommodation was also an important factor for regional and remote students when determining whether to live on-campus while studying at university. 

While students working one to ten hours weekly during the university semester reported little impact on their studies, the degree of impact was shown to increase depending on the number of hours worked. 

"Regional, rural and remote students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds are likely to suffer more in their studies, owing to the greater financial and time demands of long working hours," Dr Cook said. 

The potential of the research to shape future decisions and practices around students relocating to study was noted by NCSEHE Director Professor Sarah O'Shea. 

Source: John Holland

Report highlights impacts of COVID-19 on Hunter creatives

BY JARROD MELMETH

A creative collective in the Hunter have released a report highlighting the impacts of COVID-19 on the arts and culture sector in the region.

The research was undertaken by the University of Newcastle and funded by the City of Newcastle through the Special Business Rate program.

The research found 71 per cent of surveyed people aged 18 to 35 felt increased isolation and loneliness while 80 per cent cited concerns about future employment, almost double that of their older counterparts.

Also concerning is 11 per cent of respondents indicated they were still fully unemployed in April 2021, which is more than double the overall Newcastle and Lake Macquarie unemployment rate.

Hunter Creative Alliance Chair Rosemarie Milsom says lack of employment stability is affecting peoples mental health.

"I think this age group its really important, I mean this would be early career, mid career artists who are just trying to get their foot in the door.

"We don't want to lose artists. We don't want people to walk away from their practice because of the ongoing impact of COVID-19," Ms Milsom said. 

It has been widely reported, artists were unable to apply for JobKeeper or JobSeeker as a lot of their employment is not traditional in the sense that they don't have a direct employer or they have other lines of employment. The report highlight this issue, finding 44 per cent of artists who lost income were not eligible for government assistance. 

Ms Milsom says she hopes the report will be able to be used as leverage for government support which is often overlooks the regions.

"I think the report could help raise awareness about the impact on regional areas.

"There is so much focus, justifiably so, on the metropolitan areas where the capital cities are, but I think it is really important the regions don't get overlooked in terms of the ongoing impact of COVID-19.

"We will be making submissions to all levels of government in an effort to keep a spotlight on regional areas," Ms Milsom said.

Artists and arts workers who are struggling are being urged to visit the Hunter Creative Alliance website for information about mental health support.

Pictured: HCA Chair Rosemarie Milsom
Source: Australia Council

$7.5 million commitment for brain cancer research at the University Of Newcastle

BY JARROD MELMETH 

Brain cancer research will have a dedicated team at the University of Newcastle following a $7.5 million commitment from the Mark Hughes Foundation.

The announcement was made at the official launch of the 2021 NRL Beanie for Brain Cancer Round, and aims to dramatically intensify Australia's brain cancer research efforts.

The five-year philanthropic commitment to the University of Newcastle will support a dedicated brain cancer team to drive critical research, education and health care improvements at a national scale for brain cancer patients, their families and careers, and health professionals. 

Mark Hughes, a former Newcastle Knights NRL player, said the establishment of the team will build on the work of others, including MHF partners at the Hunter Research medical Institute and the Brain Cancer Group, to take the research to the next level.

"This is a commitment to building a bigger team to bring help and hope to people with brain cancer and their families.

"By partnering with the University of Newcastle we are expanding the support team around every brain cancer patient, not just here, but everywhere around the world.

"We are not starting from scratch either. There’s no time. This is about taking brain cancer research to the next level and quickly," Mr Hughes said.

Each year around 1,600 Australians are diagnosed with brain cancer and around 1,200 die. Formed in 2014 by Mark and Kirralee Hughes, after Mark was diagnosed with a high-grade brain cancer, MHF has played a significant part in addressing chronic underfunding of brain cancer.

University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Alex Zelinsky says the University is honoured to be given the opportunity to advance brain cancer research and education in the name of the Mark Hughes Foundation and is committed to the urgent pursuit of a cure.

“Working with the Mark Hughes Foundation is a reminder of how deeply personal and urgent this fight is.

“By establishing the Foundation, Mark has drawn attention to how prevalent brain cancer is in our region alone. We’re deeply committed to improving health outcomes in our region but we know that our discoveries and efforts don’t stop with us. What we achieve will have national and global impact," Mr Zelinsky said.

The University of Newcastle brain cancer team will cover the breadth of prevention, early detection, recovery and rehabilitation, and treatments and models of care for all stages of brain cancer. 

Pictured: Mark Hughes. 
Source: Supplies by UON.

Dozens Of Jobs To Go In University Restructure

 BY IAN CROUCH

It's been confirmed 75 jobs are set to go at the University of Newcastle as part of an organisational restructure.

The merging of 5 faculties into 3 schools was made to address financial concerns from the loss of revenue during the COVID pandemic last year.

It's expected the changes will deliver savings of $33 million a year.

The university says the changes won't affect current students, however certain degrees which have seen declining interest are likely to affect future student intakes.

Impacted staff were briefed yesterday.