Research in the College of Health and Science

• About Research in Health and Science
• Research Centres
• Research Groups

About Research in Health and Science

Research in the College of Health and Science reflects its diverse yet complementary characteristics. The college has established the following three areas under which it will focus its research:

1. Sustainability
   Flagship projects include:
   • water recycling
   • eco credits
   • organic and safe foods.
2. Health and the community
3. Frontier cross-disciplinary research
   Areas identified for development are:
   • nanoscale organisation
   • functional nanomaterials
   • molecular complementary medicine
   • medical
   • environmental informatics
   • forensic science
   • artificial intelligence.

Key Strategic Priorities
The college's key strategic priorities are aligned with the University's research goals by:

• focusing on interdisciplinary collaborations
• increasing research outcomes
• supporting research groups that reflect our strengths
• developing regional, national and international partnerships
• providing relevant research training.

Interdisciplinary Teaching and Research
We will establish research collaborations in health and medical sciences with the new School of Medicine, emphasising multidisciplinary approaches and drawing on current successful expertise in related disciplines.

Leadership in Community Engagement
We will promote the college as a leader in community engagement in teaching and research.

Adaptive Culture
We will create a flexible and responsive learning environment to improve student outcomes.

Environmental Sustainability
We will promote the value and importance of sustainability using our knowledge, resources and research capabilities. We focus on:

• sustainable environments
• land resources
• construction/engineering
• aspects of public and environmental health.

Develop the Future
We will enlarge our emerging discipline of research. The development and success of the college depends on keeping a watching brief on new areas of science, engineering and health applications. The current major areas of expansion are nanotechnology and gene science, particularly the human genome.

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Research Centres

The College of Health and Science hosts three research centres which carry out nationally competitive research and postgraduate research training.

Centre for Complementary Medicine Research (CompleMED)
CompleMED promotes evidence-based approaches to the use of complementary medicines within a wide range of healthcare applications. The centre enjoys a niche position, having world-class expertise in research in Traditional Chinese Medicine. A range of issues at the forefront of health services development are tackled by CompleMED, notably the integration of complementary medicine with modern medicine.

For more information, please contact Ros Priest.

Centre for Plant and Food Science (PAFS)
The Centre for Plant and Food Science is at the forefront of investigations aimed at solving fundamental research questions associated with:

• sustainable plant production
• food quality
• food protection.

The centre aims to use these solutions to address problems relevant to both natural plant systems and safe food production. The centre's research program is directly aligned with two of the Australian Government's National Research Priorities - an environmentally sustainable Australia, and promoting and maintaining good health.

For more information, please contact Professor John Cairney

Urban Research Centre

The Urban Research Centre is designed to lead new research and teaching initiatives, as a local and international model, in urban management and development.

For more information please contact Kelly Lanfranca.

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Research Groups

The College of Health and Science hosts three research groups.

Ecology and Environment Research Group
Research in the Ecology and Environment Research Group covers a range of scales, from the large (landscapes) to the small scale (individual plants and animals). The research group has a particular interest in the local Hawkesbury-Nepean region, but is also doing work that has national and international links.

For more information, please contact Dr Charles Morris.

Nanoscale Organisation and Dynamics Research Group
This Nanoscale Organisation and Dynamics Research Group is establishing projects in the areas of molecular association, organisation and dynamics with an emphasis on nanobiotechnical applications. Research projects to be undertaken include the development of:

• techniques for characterising protein self-association and drug binding
• a molecular-level understanding of ionic conductance in polymer and gel electrolytes
• sophisticated NMR and modelling techniques for probing porous systems.

For more information, please contact Professor William S. Price.

Family and Community Health Research Group (FaCH)
FaCH brings a unique multidisciplinary perspective to its work on two distinct yet complementary research streams that are bound together through the theoretical concepts of resilience and capacity building. These streams are support for vulnerable families, and chronic and complex care.

This research program has an emphasis on student involvement and school development, and has a strategic focus on developing local, national and international collaborations.

For more information, please contact Professor Debra Jackson.

Solar Energy Technologies
UWS has attracted four outstanding academics from UNSW who will form the core of a Solar Energy Technologies Research Group at UWS. Co-led by Dr Leigh Sheppard and Professor Janusz Nowotny, and supported by Associate Professor Tad Bak, and Dr Maria Nowotny, this group brings expertise in photo-sensitive oxide semiconductors, which can be used for harnessing solar energy for a range of applications, along with other skills, grants, equipment and HDR students to UWS. Their research areas include materials science/chemistry, photo-electrochemistry, solid state chemistry and surface chemistry. Their work involves the development of materials with tailored surface chemistry for the photocatalytic production of hydrogen by 'water‑splitting' and the photocatalytic purification of grey water.

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