Available Earmarked Category 1 PhD projects

This project will further elucidate the mechanisms of oxysterol action both in vivo and in vitro with the aim to develop novel host-directed therapies to improve respiratory infection outcomes. Supervisor is Honorary Professor Katharina Ronacher. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

The project seeks to better understand the mechanisms of tumour development in such patients, some of whom have a known family (genetic) history of disease and for others there is no known genetic reason for this to occur. Supervisor is Associate Professor Peter Simpson. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project involves a four-year randomized controlled trial of online parenting support grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for families of children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Supervisor is Dr Koa Whittingham. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

In this research project we will investigate the effectiveness of this combination in HGSOC in vivo, its ability to promote an effective anti-tumour immune response and assess the immunotherapy that best enhances the immune response. Supervisor is Professor Brian Gabrielli. Must commence by Research Quarter 3, 2024.

VaxiMums aims to evaluate the impact of Australia's antenatal vaccination programs using our surveillance & data linkage expertise and build a (near) real-time national surveillance system to routinely monitor their uptake, safety, effectiveness & equity. Supervisor is Dr Lisa McHugh. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2026.

Our aims are to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of recruiting participants to lung cancer screening via Quitline and intensive tailored quit support vs standard care on smoking outcomes amongst lung cancer screening participants. Supervisor is Associate Professor Henry Marshall. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2024.

This research will adapt and test the effectiveness and feasibility of a comprehensive dental care package that can be delivered effectively and safely in RACFs to elderly residents. Supervisor is Professor Loc Do. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2024.

The goal of this project is to understand how these tumour-derived exosomes can contribute to immune suppression and cancer progression in tumours, and how we could utilise exosome technology to further enhance anti-tumour immunity. Supervisor is Dr Sherry Wu. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2024.

The aim of this project is to obtain direct estimates of the prevalence of cognitive impairments, hearing/vision loss and other psychiatric disorders among people receiving home care services. Supervisor is Professor Piers Dawes. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2024.

The project aims to develop a nationally relevant, strengths-based wellbeing measure for First Nations Australian children aged 5-11 years to inform clinical and policy decision-making. Supervisor is Dr Kate Anderson. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2026.

This project will explore the mechanisms by which cells activate and suppress mitophagy pathways. Supervisor is Dr Julia Pagan. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project aims to improve translational research between animal models and people with cognitive symptoms. Supervisor is Professor Thomas Burne. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

This new study will investigate whether sulfate therapy reduces the risk of developing adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes after preterm birth. Supervisor is Dr Paul Dawson. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project will test the idea that there are two fundamentally distinct classes of motor learning processes in the brain that are driven by different error types. Supervisor is Professor Timothy Carroll. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project will investigate a new approach to treatment and protecting against inflammatory diseases by targeting specific inflammatory proteins expressed on the surface of immune cells. Supervisor is

This project builds on our pioneering discoveries to test how inflammation may increase cancer risk by altering the epithelium within which cancer originates. Supervisor is Professor Alpha Yap. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project will examine promising treatments to protect the growth restricted newborn brain. Supervisor is Dr Julie Wixey. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2026.

The aim of this project is to develop and test early targeted treatments to prevent chronic pain after musculoskeletal injury, particularly road traffic injury. Supervisor is Professor Michele Sterling. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2026.

This project aims to discover new venom peptides capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and to develop non-toxic peptide-based brain delivery systems. Supervisor is Associate Professor Markus Muttenthaler. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2024.

The project will examine changes in frailty over time as well as measures of recovery immediately post-transplantation. Supervisor is Dr Emily Gordon. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

This PhD project will determine the molecular mechanisms controlling the formation and clearance of neuronal pathology in ALS and FTD, with a focus on proof-of-concept and pre-clinical studies harnessing innovative mouse models. Supervisor is Dr Adam Walker. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2024.

This project aims to impact on our understanding of nervous system function, develop bioinformatics tools with broad utility within the biosciences field, strengthen Australia’s international standing in the developmental neuroscience, and enhance the capacity for interdisciplinary international collaborations. Supervisor is Professor Stefan Thor. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project will use the latest arsenal of transcriptomics technologies and bioinformatics analysis to decode the development of the mouse hypothalamic sleep neurons. Supervisor is Professor Stefan Thor. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project involves the use of different microbiological and molecular biology techniques and combines in vitro and in vivo models of S. pyogenes infection. Supervisor is Professor Mark Walker. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

The project can include aims such as: i) understanding how the alteration in stem cell maturation can contribute to disease process and influence mature tissue behaviour, or ii) generate temporal and spatial maps of niche environments, how these are influenced by genetics and whether this can improve treatment options for individuals. Supervisor is Dr Brett McKinnon. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

Projects will involve the measurement and analysis of sleep and neuro-immune responses in the “real world” to understand how daily variations in sleep drive the day-to-day “waxing and waning” of back pain. Supervisor is Dr David Klyne. Must commence by Research Quarter 3, 2025.

Using state-of-the-art neurophysiological methods, and optogenetics, we aim to understand the neural circuits within the Pedunculopontine Nucleus (PPN), an area which is known to control movement (via projections to the spinal cord) and its connections to the motor thalamus (a region involved in motor planning). Supervisor is Professor Pankaj Sah. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

The proposed PhD project will further examine the psychosocial and emotional well-being of significant others of adults with hearing loss or co-design alternative models of hearing healthcare beyond group interventions. Supervisor is Associate Professor Nerina Scarinci. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

The initial focus of this project will be CABSI prevention, given its #1 priority to consumers and clinicians, testing interventions across 3 infection prevention domains. Supervisor is Professor Claire Rickard. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2026.

The project consists of three studies: 1) the development of a tool to measure susceptibility to purchasing illicit tobacco; 2) a mixed-methods study investigating the drivers of illicit tobacco use among Australian consumers; and 3) an experimental study investigating effective deterrents of illicit tobacco use. Supervisor is Dr Cheneal Pujlevic. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project aims to develop new regulatory options for tobacco to minimise the legal market while avoiding the adverse societal and economic impacts of transferring consumer demand to illegal tobacco products. Supervisor is Associate Professor Coral Gartner. Must commence by Research Quarter 3, 2025.

This project aims to address the urgent need for a CRC vaccine by developing a novel oral nanoadjuvant that effectively elicits gut TRM responses. Supervisor is Dr Jie Tang. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2026.

This PhD project is part of a Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission Program that aims to partner with consumers to deliver a national response to frailty. Supervisor is Professor Ruth Hubbard. Must commence by Research Quarter 3, 2025.

This PhD project is part of a Centre for Research Excellence that aims to improve hospital outcomes for frail patients. Supervisor is Professor Ruth Hubbard. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2025.

This PhD project is part of a Centre for Research Excellence that aims to improve hospital outcomes for frail patients. Supervisor is Professor Ruth Hubbard. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2025.

This PhD project is part of a Centre for Research Excellence that aims to improve hospital outcomes for frail patients. Supervisor is Professor Ruth Hubbard. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2025.

This PhD project will be aligned with one or more phases of this project that aims to create innovative descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytical tools that are clinically accepted and demonstrate the impact on First Nations maternal, infant and perinatal health outcomes. Supervisor is Associate Professor Clair Sullivan. Must commence by Research Quarter 3, 2024.

The research will involve detailed examination of existing ethnic, geographical, socioeconomic, hearing and lifestyle data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, a large population-based data set. Supervisor is Professor Piers Dawes. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2023.

This project will promote and develop strategies to support the inclusion of the consumer voice in PICU research, through the provision of projects including determining the research priorities of PICU families. Supervisor is Associate Professor Kristen Gibbons. Must commence by Research Quarter 3, 2025.

This project will entail the creation of synthetic mRNAs to control cell differentiation into desirable cell-types. Supervisor is Dr Seth Cheetham. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This PhD project will be part of a program of research that aims to advance knowledge of patterns of physical activity and sedentary behaviour across the life course. Supervisor is Dr Gregore Iven Mielke. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

RELEASE: Redressing Long-tErm Antidepressant uSe in General Practice is a user-informed multi-modal intervention based in general practice that targets both GPs and patients. Supervisor is Professor Katharine Wallis. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2023.

This PhD project will be part of the Pathways to Healthy Hearts After Cancer (Pathways) research program supported by a strategic grant from the National Heart Foundation of Australia. Supervisor is Professor Gail Garvey. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

The ATLAS Network is a sentinel surveillance system established to monitor sexually transmissible infections (STI) and blood borne virus (BBV) testing, diagnosis and management data, principally within Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Services (ACCHS). Supervisor is Professor James Ward. Must commence by Research Quarter 3, 2024.

The project on offer will contribute to our understanding patterns of care across the network, epidemiological analyses of trends in STI, BBV and VPD testing and diagnosis in primary care, linkage with other surveillance systems, the social determinants of health and behavioural drivers of engagement with primary health care, and evaluation of interventions. Supervisor is Dr Clare Bradley. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2022.

This project will be investigating the very early biomarkers of infants/ fetuses at higher risk of Cerebral Palsy. Supervisor is Professor Roslyn Boyd. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

This is a project to develop a scalable and sustainable approach to increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) in partnership with Aboriginal Home Care Services (AHCS) across NSW. Supervisor is Professor Gail Garvey. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2023.

This project will integrate summary data from large-scale PD GWAS with single nucleus ATAC-seq and RNA-seq in PD-related brain regions to identify specific cell types and genes involved in the onset and progression of Lewy body pathology. Supervisor is Dr Jake Gratten. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

This project aims at developing next-generation molecular probes with enhanced specificity and spatiotemporal control for the study of proteins and neuropeptide signalling. Supervisor is Associate Professor Markus Muttenthaler. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project will be based on a newly funded NHMRC Ideas grant that aims to investigate the long term health outcomes following hysterectomy. Supervisor is Associate Professor Susan Jordan. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

This project will investigate the interaction of the Ghrelin receptor with other proposed partner receptors at the cellular and subcellular level using a range of signalling and biophysical assays. Supervisor is Dr Sebastian Furness. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

We have 3 full-time PhD opportunities available focusing on melanoma early detection in the following areas: teledermatology, artificial intelligence, dermatology & imaging informatics, standards development, statistics and public health. Supervisor is Professor Monika Janda. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

This project will study the contribution of these viruses and T cells, including CTLs, in the development of RA. Supervisor is Professor Ranjeny Thomas. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

This project aims to prevent systemic infections, thromboses and other complications interrupting a child’s treatment for cancer. Supervisor is Professor Amanda Ullman. The successful candidate, you must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024

The goal of this project is to identify the molecular pathways that govern synaptic connectivity. Supervisor is Professor Helen Cooper. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2022.

This research project is designed to inform development of novel treatment strategies to improve the safety of HSCT and reduce the side effects of a broad range of cancer treatments. Supervisor is Professor Allison Pettit. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project will use statistical genetics methods to investigate whether there is a time period in early life where rapid weight growth causes increased risk of cardio-metabolic disease in later life. Supervisor is Dr Nicole Warrington. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project will produce guidelines for the rational design of novel oral drug delivery systems, and new potential clinical strategies for simplified oral medications to improve medication adherence and patient outcomes. Supervisor is Dr Hao Song. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This research project aims to test whether telehealth modifications of care delivery are effective. Supervisor is Professor Gerald Holtmann. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

This project will use the latest arsenal of transcriptomics technologies and bioinformatics analysis to decode the development of the mouse hypothalamic sleep neurons. Supervisor is Professor Stefan Thor. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

In this project, the PhD candidate will assess healthcare costs and resource use associated with hospitalisations and estimate the proportion of direct costs that may be avoidable. Supervisor is Associate Professor Isuru Ranasinghe. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

This project will investigate the importance of immune response in the development of lymphoma and the changes that occur in patients blood that either enhance or suppress the response to the chosen therapy. Supervisor is Dr Colm Keane. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This PhD project will be tailored to the specific interests and career goals of the student, and will aim to either: (i) understand precisely how inflammasomes drive inflammation in genetic auto-inflammatory disease, chronic liver disease or neurodegenerative disease; OR (ii) characterise novel inflammasome inhibitors as new therapies to fight such diseases. Supervisor is Professor Kate Schroder. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

A possible PhD project linked to this funded project will either investigate redistribution of cell identity TFs during organismal ageing or focus on characterising the DNA-protein interactions responsible for the gradual resetting of the epigenetic ageing clock of somatic cells during iPS cell generation. Supervisor is Dr Christian Nefzger. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

Our work aims to understand how the immune system responds to infections (including viruses, bacteria and parasites) and tumour cells. Supervisor is Professor Gabrielle Belz. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

The vision of this project is to now use wastewater analysis to provide a surveillance strategy for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in the general population. Supervisor is Dr Jake O'Brien. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

We have three full-time PhD opportunities available focusing on melanoma early detection in the following areas: artificial intelligence, statistics and public health. Supervisor is Professor Monika Janda. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2024.

This project aims to develop a toolkit to support the implementation of personalised disease risk prediction, that includes training for healthcare providers and patient resources. Supervisor is Dr Tatiane Yanes. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

Our research centre has multiple topics for projects related to our program of research on improving health outcomes after road traffic injury. Supervisor is Professor Michele Sterling. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2025.

This project aims to identify transposable elements that drive transcriptional programs in preclinical models of solid tumours. Supervisor is Dr Natasha Jansz. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This single-blind multi-site randomised controlled trial (RCT) will investigate whether school-age children with moderate to severe CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System GMFCS III and IV) who are randomised to an eight-week ACTIVE STRIDES-CP intervention, compared with care as usual (CAU), have improved gross motor function immediately post intervention. Supervisor is Dr Leanne Sakzewski. Must commence by Research Quarter 3, 2024.

The project focuses on assessing school readiness outcomes in a cohort of children at high risk of Cerebral Palsy, including cognition, communication, behaviour, and the parent-child relationship. Supervisor is Professor Roslyn Boyd. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2023.

The project will involve working with wearable sensors and will involve development of data processing methods to extract meaningful information that can be used to guide treatment selection and risk identification.

Projects will involve development of image analysis methods and the potential to apply these data to modelling of pelvic floor function in a health and range of conditions. Supervisor is Professor Paul Hodges. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This project will develop and validate an automated and objective individualised melanoma risk prediction tool from non-invasive 3D total body photography. Supervisor is Professor Peter Soyer. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

The overall aim of this project is to develop and implement optimised statistical methods and software to best predict an individual’s disease risk through the use of genetic and non-genetic data. Supervisor is Dr Jian Zeng. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2022.

This project aims to develop and pre-clinically validate advanced responsive probing technology to quantify redox biomolecules produced in macrophages. Supervisor is Dr Run Zhang. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2022.

The student will be involved in theiterative development of the light touch intervention and also the evaluation of the intervention. Supervisor is Dr Paul Gardiner. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2022.

A PhD candidate will apply state-of-the-art surgical and labelling techniques such as in utero electroporation, as well as behavioural assays, immunohistochemistry and chemogenetic manipulations of neuronal activity to characterise and manipulate long-range axonal plasticity in the brain. Supervisor is Dr Laura Fenlon. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2022.

The aim of this project is to conduct prospective research on children with severe infections admitted to intensive care, investigating approaches to optimize drug therapy, including dosing software. Supervisor is Associate Professor Luregn Schlapbach. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2021.

This proposal aims to test the cancer detection accuracy of this novel method in a larger cohort of clinical samples using an automated chip to allow rapid sample multiplexing. Supervisor is Dr Abu Sina. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2022.

The overarching aim of the LEAP-CP Study is to reduce the age of diagnosis of cerebral palsy, and test efficacy of a 30 week peer to peer delivered program in the community that seeks to improve motor and cognitive development for infants at high risk of cerebral palsy, and caregiver mental health in 86 Indigenous infants in Queensland and Western Australia. Supervisor is Professor Roslyn Boyd. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2023.

We are now seeking HDR students to join the BeUpstanding team and be part of this world-first workplace health promotion initiative. Supervisor is Associate Professor Genevieve Healy. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2023.

This project aims to illuminate the spectrum of impacts resulting from L1 retrotransposition in the germ line and early embryo, from infertility and pregnancy loss to congenital anomalies and genetic disease, as well as more subtle impacts on gene regulation and structural variation. Supervisor is Dr Sandra Richardson. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

INCH-HD is a prospective, multicentre, open label, randomised controlled trial in adults starting HD to determine the efficacy, safety and impacts on quality of life of incremental, twice weekly HD compared to conventional, thrice weekly HD. Supervisor is Dr Andrea Viecelli. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

The types of research projects includes qualitative and quantitative research on stakeholder views on a range of possible policy options, policy analysis, epidemiological studies including simulation modelling studies, behaviour change interventions, product regulation and legal analysis. Supervisor is Associate Professor Coral Gartner. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

The Implementation of Metformin theraPy to Ease DEcline of kidney function in PKD (IMPEDE-PKD) is an Australian-led global phase 3 randomised control trial to investigate the impact that metformin might have on ADPKD disease progression. Supervisor is Associate Professor Andrew Mallett. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2023.

The successful candidate will work on an exciting research project focused on neuroprotective therapies to reduce adverse brain outcomes following fetal growth restriction in a preclinical large animal model of growth restriction. Supervisor is Dr Julie Wixey. Must commence by Research Quarter 3, 2023.

This project encompasses the study of sleep and circadian rhythms in neurodegenerative disorders and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for the restoration and normalization of sleep dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. Supervisor is Dr Oliver Rawashdeh. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

In this project, we aim to address drug stability problems associated with the use of antibiotic infusion in the community, to support clinical decision making and appraisal of dosing guidelines. Supervisor is Dr Fekade Sime. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.

This is a unique opportunity for a student to undertake translational research in the field of pulmonary medicine at The Prince Charles Hospital. Supervisor is Professor Daniel Chambers. Must commence by Research Quarter 2, 2023.

Based on our work to date and our identification of translational barriers, the overall aims of this research are to evaluate current usual care speech pathology clinical practices in post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation and to evaluate the implementation of our proven, comprehensive, high dose aphasia treatment in the clinical setting. Supervisor is Professor David Copland. Must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2023.

The types of projects available span Indigenous health, public health, epidemiology, Indigenous methodologies, genomics, geospatial mapping or social sciences. Supervisor is Professor James Ward. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

The types of projects available span Indigenous health, public health, epidemiology, Indigenous methodologies, genomics, geospatial mapping or social sciences. Supervisor is Professor James Ward. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2023.

There is an unmet need for improved treatment for common disease affecting women's health. We have found genetic risk factors for these conditions and the next step is translation of the results to improve patient outcomes. Supervisor is Professor Grant Montgomery. Must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2024.