The University of Newcastle

New turns a sea sponge into a solution

Associate Professor Chris Scarlett believes the sea sponge holds undiscovered chemical compounds that could unlock new therapies for pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. He’s hopeful the oceans’ secrets will one day yield a cure.

New gives him a voice

Dr Sally Hewat’s work has helped Vietnamese children with speech disabilities to communicate with their families and friends—some for the first time in their lives. Today, she’s assisting to establish the first speech therapy training programs in Vietnam that will enable teachers and health practitioners there to carry on her work.

New brings life to the virtual world

University of Newcastle researchers and IT Innovation Team have developed a first-of-its-kind project using Virtual Reality as a training tool for our midwifery students. Road to Birth projects a life-size expecting mother before students’ eyes, letting them explore and observe the baby’s development throughout pregnancy and preparing them to address critical health issues.

New speaks out

Bachelor of Development Studies and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) student Irini Kassas was recently honored as Newcastle's Young Citizen of the Year (2018). Irini has represented the University of Newcastle at the United Nations and multiple international forums—challenging issues and forging global connections.

New changes lives

Nursing graduate Kate Tolhurst is an advocate for basic health care globally. During her degree, Kate traveled to Zambia and worked in a women’s clinic—delivering babies and shepherding them to full health. After graduation, she travelled to South America to educate schoolchildren on basic health care. In both places, she learned the value of listening to and advocating for her patients.

New attacks melanoma with the common cold

Professor Darren Shafren has developed CAVATAK, an investigational anti-cancer therapy, after he discovered that the common cold virus had the potential to infect and kill cancer cells. Currently in global trials, CAVATAK may forever change the way we treat cancer.

New captures the imagination

Mechanical engineering graduate Yasser Hamed is helping revolutionise the art of animation. He leads a team that is responsible for the physics that animate large numbers of characters or objects in Disney films. His groundbreaking contributions to animation were recently recognised with filmmaking’s highest honor: an invitation to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

New raises the game

When Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science graduate and current PhD Student Tye McGann isn’t shooting hoops for the Central Coast Crusaders, he’s pioneering new ways to improve the game. Funded by the NBA and GE health care, Tye’s post-graduate work uses groundbreaking GPS technology to better understand the demands placed on the body during a basketball game.

The world needs new

The promise of a better future for our world lies in finding innovative solutions for the world’s greatest problems. Our world-class research drives the kind of innovation and discovery that challenges conventional thinking. Our research breaks new ground and changes lives.

See how the University of Newcastle is meeting these problems head on.