UQ research gets global boost

A new way to deliver brain cancer treatment and how socioeconomic status impacts on health care access are among projects to be investigated by this year’s University of Queensland Fulbright scholars.

Four researchers will travel to the United States as part of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to solve global challenges with their international counterparts. 

School of Pharmacy Director of Research, Associate Professor Amirali Popat, will travel to the Wyss Institute at Harvard University to develop a more effective way to deliver drugs in the treatment of aggressive brain tumours. 

“We’ll investigate the use of nanomedicine to overcome the biological barriers in the human body and deliver drugs more effectively,” Dr Popat said.

“The nanoparticles – about 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair – will essentially hitchhike on the body’s natural cells for targeted delivery.

“I hope to bring what I learn back to UQ and one day see this technology used to treat patients globally.”  

Dr Sam Harvey, from the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences will further his study of the communication disorder aphasia at the University of Pittsburgh. 

“My research seeks to understand how a patient’s race and socioeconomic status and other social determinants impact on access to the health services needed for their recovery,” Dr Harvey said.  

“This will better inform the development of more socially responsive aphasia services and ultimately contribute to more equitable health policies in Australia.”

School of Economics PhD candidate, Kieran Gibson is heading to the University of California in San Diego to study the underlying reasons why people engage in helpful behaviour.

“My research will give policy makers a toolkit of incentives that amplify our existing tendencies to be helpful, rather than undermine them,” Mr Gibson said.

“I’m excited to work with a leading researcher in my field on a new project about incentives and charitable contributions.

Dr Dewan Rahman from the School of Business said he hoped his scholarship will help to improve insider trading policies and have a positive impact on the future of Australia’s capital market. 

“I am looking forward to spending time at the University of Michigan to further my research on insider trading and governance,” Dr Rahman said.

“I will analyse past insider trading activities and consider the conditions that encourage and prohibit these behaviours.”

The Fulbright Scholarship Program gives Australians researcher the opportunity to take part in an academic and cultural exchange at a US institution. 

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