QUT offers a diverse range of student topics for Honours, Masters and PhD study. Search to find a topic that interests you or propose your own research topic to a prospective QUT supervisor. You may also ask a prospective supervisor to help you identify or refine a research topic.
Found 510 matching student topics
Displaying 1–12 of 510 results
Probing the mid-crust in the Paleoproterozoic
The further back in time, evidence for the hallmark of plate tectonics - the volcanic arc - becomes increasingly fragmentary and reliant on geochemistry. Research through the West African Exploration Initiative has identified one of the best preserved ancient arcs, the ~2.3 billion year-old Toumodi sequence in the Ivory Coast. This research project feeds into better characterising this volcanic arc and associated elements to the arc. The VRES project will examine minerals contained in lavas to probe the mid crust. …
- Study level
- Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Understanding why and where lithium minerals occur in Queensland
Lithium is an important component of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that are used to power portable electronics devices such as cell phones, laptops and vehicles. Because of this importance, lithium is considered an energy-critical metal necessary for clean energy and a green future. Lithium prospects in Queensland appear to be of the pegmatite type, best known around Georgetown, but prospects are also known around Mount Garnet and Stanthorpe, and exploration has recently extended into Cape York.The aim of this project is …
- Study level
- Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Searching for Life on Mars on Earth
NASA's newest Mars rover, Perseverance, has just arrived on the red planet. Tasked with searching for ancient life in the geological record of a ~4 billion-year-old crater lake, the mission science team must use our only available analogue - the Earth - as their guide to exploration.
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Probing the origins of life on Earth
The history of life on Earth is written in the fossil record. In this project, you will investigate stable isotope evidence for extremely early evolving organisms. Through careful petrography and with the use of isotope ratio mass-spectrometers, you will help unravel the history of microbial metabolisms that powered the ecosystems recorded by 3 billion-year-old microbial fossils.
- Study level
- Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Natural disaster (landslide, earthquake) mitigation using remote sensing, geophysics, and site monitoring
Extreme weather events can exacerbate slope and dam stability issues. Risk mitigation, stabilisation works, and engineered solutions to slope or dam failure require detailed site and subsurface characterisation – generally undertaken after a failure, but often resulting in unacceptable delays to remediation, impacting communities, transport, and water resources.This project will develop pre-emptive risk mitigation measures for at-risk sites, utilising remote sensing, geophysical, and monitoring approaches.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Early diagnosis of pregnancy complications using exosomes
Complications of pregnancy, including preterm birth represent the major causes of fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and potentially affect childhood and adult susceptibility to both cardiac and metabolic diseases. Early detection of these disorders is, therefore, essential to improve health outcomes for mother and baby.Exosomes are small (40-120 nm), stable, lipid bilayer nanovesicles identified in biological fluids (e.g. in milk, blood, urine and saliva). They contain a diverse array of signalling molecules, including mRNA, microRNA (miR), proteins, lipids and …
- Study level
- Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Biomedical Sciences
Early prevention of inflammation-related diseases: characterization and use of milk and infant formula
Our belief in the importance of the 'first thousand days' and the critical part that nutrition plays has led my group to studies evaluating the composition and actions of milk and infant formula.Our studies of exosomes in biological fluids have led us to consider their presence and potential roles in milk and thus nutrition. To date, we have mainly determined proteomic contents (cargo) of exosomes but have been increasingly swayed by the literature suggesting important roles for microRNAs in general …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Biomedical Sciences
Early detection of complications in human pregnancy
Complications of pregnancy, including preterm birth represent the major causes of fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and potentially affect childhood and adult susceptibility to both cardiac and metabolic diseases. Early detection of these disorders is, therefore, essential to improve health outcomes for mother and baby.Exosomes are small (40-120 nm), stable, lipid bilayer nanovesicles identified in biological fluids (e.g. in milk, blood, urine and saliva). They contain a diverse array of signalling molecules, including mRNA, microRNA (miR), proteins, lipids and …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Biomedical Sciences
Human biomarkers of stress, trauma, and memories of fear
Understanding how disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder develop following trauma is a contemporary challenge for researchers in psychology. The best explanations involve a combination of psychological and biological factors that interact during and following trauma to create a range of troubling symptoms. This project will use cutting edge technology at QUT to provide insights into how a mix of biology and behaviour can result in exacerbated stress responses and threat memories in experimental and real-world settings.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Psychology and Counselling
Designing a digital health platform to manage health and well-being
An individual's health status is very important to personal well-being and plays a significant role at workplace, home, and school/university. We do not worry or think too much about our health value until we experience bad consequences. Individuals will make an excellent contribution to schools, industries, and workplace provided that they have a good quality of life. With the advances in wearable technology, we can leverage their utility to monitor and manage our health.Emerging smart devices have potential benefits for …
- Study level
- Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Computer Science
Human Emotional Learning: Likes, Dislikes and Fear
There is currently broad agreement that likes and dislikes, including strong emotional responses such as fear and anxiety, are learned. However, little is known about the manner in which different forms of emotional learning interact or about how emotional learning once acquired can be modified, reduced or eliminated. In particular in the context of fear learning this is problematic as fear memories once acquired seem difficult to change and likely to return even after successful extinction – a phenomenon known …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Psychology and Counselling
Enhancing the quality of teaching in Universities: Measuring the impact of professional development and recognition schemes (such as HEA Fellowship) on University Educators and Students
Enhancing the quality of teaching in Universities: Measuring the impact of professional development and recognition schemes (such as HEA Fellowship) on University Educators and Students
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice
- School
- School of Teacher Education and Leadership
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