Welcome to QUT's first round-up of news and events for 2017. For more updates as they happen, join 15,288 followers of @QUTmedia on Twitter.
QUT is university of choice: QUT is once again the university of choice for more than 25 per cent of all QTAC applicants and in 2017 has made around 12,800 QTAC offers to students for places across its three campuses.
Could regular exercise help women battling advanced breast cancer?: QUT researchers are looking for Brisbane women who have been diagnosed with stage 2 (or above) breast cancer to take part in a study into the safety, feasibility and benefits of a regular exercise program.
CEA-backed TrademarkVision launches ‘deep learning’ image recognition for IP protection: CEA-backed creative-tech startup, TrademarkVision, has announced the release of its ‘deep learning’ algorithms to further enhance its world leading image recognition technology.
Eco-driving and safe driving technology to save lives, environment and money: Road safety researchers at QUT are developing innovative in-vehicle technology to improve safety and save dollars at the petrol pump, and are looking to test it out on Brisbane drivers.
CEA announces 2017 accelerator for Australian fashion entrepreneurs: QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA) has announced that applications are now open for its 2017 Fashion Accelerator program as it looks to discover Australia’s next big fashion export.
Online dating booming but how much does education matter?: Online daters are most likely to contact people with the same level of education as them, but are less fussy about an intellectual match as they get older, according to QUT research.
Heart attacks linked to Christmas holiday period: New research from QUT and the University of Melbourne has found an increase in heart attack deaths over the Christmas period.
CEA helps Hot DesQ entice more startups to Australia: Australia’s creative-tech hub, QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA), has today announced that two new startups will establish Australian operations onsite, via the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland Hot DesQ initiative.
Jan 18: MBA and Postgraduate Business Information Evening (free) @ Gardens Point
Jan 18: IFE Distinguished Visitor Lecture with Blue Ocean Robotics Co-CEO Claus Risager (free) @ QUT 
Institute for Future Environments
Now - Feb 23: To Sir with Love: an exhibition of the Dr Wilton WR Love album (free, pictured) @ Old Government House
Now - March 5: GLASS: art design architecture (free) @ QUT Art Museum
Now - June 18: William Robinson: Genesis (free) @ William Robinson Gallery
Now - Sept 13: Season 2017 @ Gardens Theatre: Stories that connect @ Gardens Theatre
March 26-31: MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp @ QUT
April 5-7: 2017 Times Higher Education (THE) Young Universities Summit @ Gardens Point
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Associate Professor Adrian Barnett’s (pictured) research into the increase in heart attacks over the Christmas period was reported widely by outlets including Time, Washington Post, ABC News, Daily Express, AAP and across the News Corp network.
- His separate research into the winter temperatures of Queenslander houses compared to homes in other countries was reported by The New York Times. And his comment piece on citations not always reflecting the quality or impact of a researcher’s work was published by Nature Index.
- QUT Business/Creative Industries graduate Lisy Kane, a cofounder of startup Girl Geek Academy, made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, which was reported by ABC News Online.
- Research from Associate Professor Scott Read that found children who spend more time outdoors can reduce the risk of short-sightedness was reported by Adelaide’s The Advertiser and across the News Corp network, Gizmodo and the International Business Times.
- ABC TV and Online reported on a research project led by Professor Gerry Fitzgerald to assess the ongoing health impacts of the 2011 Queensland floods.
- Research from Stephen Whyte (pictured) and Professor Benno Torgler that found online daters are less fussy about an intellectual match as they get older was reported globally including CBS News, MSN Lifestyle UK, Thrillist, Health Medicine Network and Indian Express.
- 7 News sought Professor Axel Bruns’ expertise for a story on a new way for people to pay their rates via mobile phone. Education HQ, MSN Australia and SBS spoke to him about internet fads and children after a boy died in a choking game.
- Meanwhile, Professor Bruns told The New Daily about the growing trend of politicians incorrectly using the term “fake news” to refer to political arguments or reporting they did not agree with. Journalism lecturer Susan Hetherington was also interviewed about the spread of fake news on social media for the ABC Brisbane Drive program.
- Associate Professor Gary Mortimer told A Current Affair fuel price apps are making shopper dockets redundant. He told News Corp papers Australia still represents a viable market for international retailers and told APN papers regional centre Warwick would likely be insulated against challenges facing retailers in capital cities.
- Professor Mortimer also spoke to ABC Sydney about BP buying Woolworths petrol stations, telling them he didn’t expect the deal to have a big impact on petrol prices. And he was asked by 9 News about the opening of a boutique David Jones store in Fortitude Valley.
- Adjunct Associate Professor Eric Brymer spoke to Scientific American about whether rock climbing is addictive, an article republished by Business Insider.
- 7 News, Electronic Specifier, and Australian Manufacturing talked up the petrol-saving technology CARRS-Q’s Atiyeh Vaezipour (pictured) is trialling.
- Australian Anthill, Mashable, Business Insider, and ZDNet profiled creative-tech startup TrademarkVision, which is backed by QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA). Digital Brisbane reported on QUT CEA opening applications for its 2017 Fashion Accelerator Program, StartupSmart talked up CEA’s Creative3 Pitch events and Startup Daily mentioned CEA as part of Advance Queensland’s Hot DEsQ program.
- Australian Anthill also spoke to CEA CEO and Anna Rooke about her predictions for the startup sector in 2017.
- Dr Angela Daly told News Corp papers including The Courier-Mail and Herald Sun warrantless mass data retention and access is not a good idea.
- Dr Anne-Francis Watson’s comments on ethical porn featured on ABC News online.
- Professor Selena Bartlett’s research on stress management for weigh loss made it into Tech Times and the I Quit Sugar blog.
- And Professor Bartlett’s research that showed sugar addiction has similarities with drug abuse was mentioned in a report by The Week.
- Professor Dietmar Hutmacher’s research into therapy to prevent failure of 3D-printed body parts ran on ABC News 24 and was published in Medical Xpress.
- Research from CARRS-Q’s Dr Shimul Haque that found hands-free mobile phone use is just as distracting as handheld when driving continued to receive coverage including in MSN Australia, MacTechNews, New Atlas and Slash Gear.
- The Cube’s Physics Observatory school holiday program featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Courier-Mail's Family section, Families magazine, Must Do Brisbane, Weekend Notes, Brisbane Kids and Kids in the City.
- Professor Peter Grace’s research into plateauing cropping productivity despite increased fertiliser use was reported by Farm Weekly, North Queensland Register, Queensland Country Life, Stock Journal, Stock and Land, Farm Online and The Land.
- On the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, Dr Christine Satchell told ABC News Online how smartphones have changed our lives.
- Brett Lewis and Dr Luke Nothdurft’s coral bleaching research (pictured) was covered by Business Insider, PBS Newshour and Age Times, while Eco-Business ranked it among top water stories for 2016. WIN News in Townsville and Cairns also ran a story.
- Scope TV spoke with Dr Aaron McFadyen about his technology to help integrate UAVs into commercial airspace (5.30).
- Associate Professor Gene Moyle helped kick off new podcast series Pop Psych with her interview about the psychology underpinning Olympic sportsmanship.
- The New Daily asked Professor Paula McDonald about the rights of workers to ignore after hours emails.
- Adjunct Associate Professor Rosemary Kennedy (pictured) spoke to The Australian about plans for Brisbane to beef-up its building design requirements.
- Associate Professor Kirsten Vallmuur’s research into how renovation shows may be contributing to DIY disasters featured on Brisbane Times, Triple M, Hit105 and ABC Mid North Coast.
- Dr Matthew Dunbabin and Dr Feras Dayoub’s COTSbot and RangerBot research made it onto the Reset and Innovant websites.
- West End Magazine and the Wynnum Herald caught up with Team QUT about their second placing in the Maritime RobotX Challenge in Hawaii.
- Professor Ian O’Hara told My Sunshine Coast about the importance of the new $5 million Advance Queensland Biofutures Commercialisation Program.
- Distinguished Professor Stuart Cunningham’s research into ‘communitainment’ was mentioned in ET Tech’s blog post about 2017 predictions for the mobile development industry.
- Dr Amanda Mergler’s Conversation article asking why we still make girls wear skirts and dresses as school uniforms was republished widely, including across the Fairfax and APN networks, SBS, MamaMia and Parent24. She also discussed the issue with ABC Brisbane Drive and ABC Radio in Melbourne and Hobart.
- Dr Wendy Miller’s Conversation article about bad housing design pumping up power prices for everyone was republished by Australian Business, Daily Bulletin, ABC News and Energy Matters.
- CARRS-Q research into road accidents involving international visitors was referenced in an ABC Online story about introducing ‘T-plates’ for tourists.
- The New Zealand Herald republished a The Conversation piece on successful corporate giving written by Kate Hogarth, Professor Marion Hutchinson and Associate Professor Wendy Scaife.
- The results of Dr Omniya el-Baghdadi’s PhD study looking at how the green agenda in the development industry is difficult to convert into dollars featured in The Fifth Estate.
- Professor Richard Brown and Farhad Hossain’s research into the sustainability of recycled tyre oil was a hit with Australasian Science, Prime Mover and Waste Management Review.
- Virgin Australia Travel rated QUT as one of the top places to visit in Brisbane.
- Caboolture News reported on student Alex Taylor achieving an OP1 and his wish to study Science and Engineering at QUT.
- Newsmax Health mentioned research from Professor Lyn Griffiths that found eating more folate could reduce migraine frequency, in a story about hangover remedies.
- Associate Professor Nicolas Suzor and Shereen Parvez’s Conversation article about the Productivity Commission re-igniting copyright laws was republished by Gizmodo, Daily Bulletin and Australian Business.
- Cosmos featured Distinguished Professor James Dale’s work about genetic discoveries and new ways to fight pathogens. The magazine also ran a story about Agbot II as did The Courier Mail.
- Dr Virginia Barbour wrote a piece for The Conversation on how exhibitions like the Large Hadron Collider at the Queensland Museum underscore the importance of communicating great science discoveries to the public.
- The Redcliffe & Bayside Herald featured Colombo Plan scholar and Bachelor of Dietetics student Eloise Adsett (pictured) who will study at Meiji University in Tokyo. And Julian Loh, who will study at City University in Hong Kong, was written up in Westside News.
- Senior AU and Medical Xpress highlighted research from Professor Sandi Hayes and Ben Singh investigating whether exercise can help women with advanced breast cancer.
- Mining-technology.com reported the Queensland Government’s plans to invest $2.7 million in the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) centre based at QUT.
- 2SER radio asked Dr Mary Crawford about Tiger Air flights between Australia and Bali being grounded.
- PwC Chair in Digital Economy Professor Marek Kowalkiewicz spoke to APN newspapers including The Sunshine Coast Daily and Central Queensland News about the effect the NBN could have on regional Australia.
Release date: Monday, January 16, 2017
Media contact: media@qut.edu.au
QUT is part of a national collaborative group of five major Australian universities that form the ATN (Australian Technology Network of Universities).
