Our stories

Environment 8 min read

Could freezing koala sperm save the species?

by Penny Harnett

A team of conservation scientists are banking on IVF technology to protect Australia’s endangered koalas long-term and preserve precious genetics.

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.

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.

Education 6 min read

The talking cure

by Rosemarie Milsom

Speech pathology students are playing an important role in the establishment of a new community-centred program to improve outcomes for children in regional NSW.

Science and Technology 8 min read

How two satellites packing lasers and microwaves are helping us predict floods

by Joe Frost

Using satellites, lasers and microwaves, Professor Shin-Chan Han is working with some of the most accurate measurements of gravity humankind has ever recorded. But while these instruments are hundreds of kilometres above our heads in space, their applications could change the way we prepare ourselves for flooding here on Earth.

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.

Education 9 min read

Building belonging

by Gemma Wolk

For many young refugees, the collision of their old and new lives transpires in the schoolyard. Helping our educators create spaces of belonging is more important than ever.

Arts, Culture and Society 6 min read

Deadly in the Water

by Gemma Wolk

How the story of the Irukandji carried Jasmine Miikika Craciun's talents from the rippling shores of Newcastle to the Olympic waves of Japan.

Environment 5 min read

Let our powers combine! Art meets science to battle climate change in the South Pacific

by Joe Frost

When you think of a tropical island paradise, scenes of white sand beaches, lush, verdant jungle, colourful birds, and crystal-clear water spring to mind. But for Silvia Frisia, a trip to Atiu, in the tropical South Pacific, was all about the caves.

Health and Wellbeing 5 min read

Australians are embracing ‘mindful drinking’ – and the alcohol industry is also getting sober curious

by Dr Tamara Bucher and Melanie Pirinen

Alcohol-free wines, beers and spirits are increasingly sophisticated, driven by consumers taking more care in what they drink — and how they choose to drink.

Business, Law and Politics 6 min read

Reasonable doubt shines new light on injustice

by Gemma Wolk

Across Australia, hundreds of cold cases lie unsolved. And yet, the family and friends of victims remain frozen in time without answers. So, who fights for justice when the world has moved on?

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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