Stories from The University of Newcastle

Young Catholics seek new ways to ‘do church’

Arts, Culture and Society 11 min read

Young Catholics seek new ways to ‘do church’

by Gemma Wolk

During a time of promising reformation in the Catholic church, unparalleled new insight into the thoughts and feelings of Catholic women has revealed a hunger for radical change.

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Rerouting trauma

Health and Wellbeing 10 min read

Rerouting trauma

by Gemma Wolk

How cultural insight and the neuroscience of trauma is changing the conversation around youth violence.

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Fight for justice

Business, Law and Politics 15 min read

Fight for justice

by Carmen Swadling

The fight to free Kathleen Folbigg – the woman once dubbed Australia’s worst female serial killer – started in 2013 with the University’s Legal Centre and its law students helping to drive the movement.

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The ripple effect of drought

Our Communities 10 min read

The ripple effect of drought

by Penny Harnett

Drought is like a creeping cancer. It insidiously infects communities. It spreads profound and multifaceted challenges that demand multidisciplinary treatment.

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Run like a girl

Arts, Culture and Society 10 min read

Run like a girl

by Gemma Wolk

The game changing program revolutionising female participation in sport

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All hands on deck
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Environment 7 min read

All hands on deck

by Gemma Dawkins

A group of students have undertaken the trip of a lifetime, spending six weeks at sea in the name of scientific research.

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Painful departure for diabetes testing

Health and Wellbeing 9 min read

Painful departure for diabetes testing

by Sheena Martin

Professor Paul Dastoor is developing a saliva glucose biosensor that will see a fundamental shift in diabetes management, removing typical barriers to health testing such as pain, cost or availability, and empowering people to monitor their own health.

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The Long Game of Brain Cancer Research
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Health and Wellbeing 6 min read

The Long Game of Brain Cancer Research

by Rosemarie Milsom

The determination Mark Hughes displayed on the rugby league field with the Newcastle Knights continues to drive his effort to find a cure for brain cancer.

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A leap of faith
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Environment 8 min read

A leap of faith

by Rosemarie Milsom

Citizen scientists are teaming up with University of Newcastle researchers leading Australia’s effort to prevent the extinction of precious amphibians.

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Protecting Indigenous knowledges

Arts, Culture and Society 7 min read

Protecting Indigenous knowledges

by Shahni Wellington

During his research to unlock the archives, Dr Hodgetts found that the keys had been long-kept from cultural knowledge-holders.

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Click the pins on the map below to discover stories of the impact we're making across our regions.

The surprising new role power plants will have in our green energy future
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Environment 6 min read

The surprising new role power plants will have in our green energy future

by Joe Frost

One of Australia’s oldest energy hubs, the Hunter Valley is approaching an uncertain future as the world's carbon crisis reaches a crescendo. But a company that has spun off from research done at the University of Newcastle is showing there is new life to be found in our old systems and infrastructure – and could see the region become a world-leader in clean, green power.

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Mother Tongue
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Arts, Culture and Society 5 min read

Mother Tongue

by Rosemarie Milsom

People in the Hunter and around the country are using a unique community program to keep Indigenous languages alive.

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Improving Indigenous Healthcare
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Health and Wellbeing 6 min read

Improving Indigenous Healthcare

by Rosemarie Milsom

Australia’s first Indigenous surgeon, Associate Professor Dr Kelvin Kong is committed to empowering communities and removing barriers that prevent access to critical healthcare services.

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‘That’s getting a bit wild, kids!’ Why children love to play-fight and why it is good for them

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

‘That’s getting a bit wild, kids!’ Why children love to play-fight and why it is good for them

by Emily Freeman

"That’s getting a bit wild, kids! Why don’t you play something quieter?" How often have you found yourself saying something like this to your children as they’re rolling around on the lounge room floor?

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The cost of living is biting. Here’s how to spend less on meat and dairy

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

The cost of living is biting. Here’s how to spend less on meat and dairy

by Clare Collins

The cost of groceries has risen substantially over the last year. Food and non-alcoholic drinks rose by 7.9% in the year to May, with biggest increases in dairy products (15.1%), breads and cereals (12.8%) and processed foods (11.5%).

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What has the Nobel Prize in Physics ever done for me?

Environment 4 min read

What has the Nobel Prize in Physics ever done for me?

by Karen Livesey

Each October, physics is in the news with the awarding of the Nobel Prize. The work acknowledged through this most prestigious award often seems far removed from our everyday lives, with prizes given for things like “optical methods for studying Hertzian resonances in atoms” and “elucidating the quantum structure of electroweak interactions”.

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Not just a youth movement: history too often forgets older protesters

Arts, Culture and Society 5 min read

Not just a youth movement: history too often forgets older protesters

by Effie Karageorgos

Recent sustained anti-coal action by Blockade Australia in the Hunter Valley has brought public protest back into the news cycle. Activists have occupied trains, railway lines and machinery in an attempt to obstruct coal production and broadcast their message about the climate crisis.

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What does having a ‘good relationship with food’ mean? 4 ways to know if you’ve got one

Health and Wellbeing 5 min read

What does having a ‘good relationship with food’ mean? 4 ways to know if you’ve got one

by Clare Collins, Tracy Burrows

Travelling on a train recently you couldn’t help but overhear two women deep in conversation about a mutual obsession with food, including emotional triggers that pushed them towards chocolate and pizza.

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