Pioneering Minds

In Macquarie University's news storytelling podcast "Leading Lights" Producer / Presenter Sean Britten talks to the man behind Macquarie University's new world-first, not-for-profit breast implant check clinic Professor Anand Deva, who is in the media spotlight after the Sunday Telegraph published a story on his research into the link between cancer and certain types of implants. Channel 9's A Current Affair will also broadcast the story this week, highlighting the need for more safety education for women asking for breast surgery.

As the latest Star Wars story hits screens - a tale of young Han Solo and Chewbacca smuggling their way across the galaxy - we sat down with Dr Lee Spitler at the Australian Astronomical Observatory to find out the secrets of the Force. Along the way we talk of the realities of human exploration in space, the ambitions of Elon Musk and Richard Branson, and the cutting-edge research underway between the AAO and Macquarie University to help us make sense of the sublime complexity of the universe.

On May 19, 2018, the saga continues as the Royal Family welcomes Meghan Markle into the Firm. The wedding of Prince Harry and Markle is global news, but what makes it so significant? Why are we still invested in the monarchy at all? Is the presence of Queen Elizabeth II the only thing holding the Commonwealth together? We chat to Professor Robert Reynolds about the evolution of dynasties, and why Her Majesty keeps popping up in people's dreams.

From the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster to the most polluted place right here in Australia, Professor Mark Taylor takes us on an entertaining and sobering journey into environmental contaminations. Across household dust and vintage wine, to blueberries and poisoned groundwater, we talk of lessons the next generation must learn in order to survive the environmental landscape of the future.

On this week's episode, we speak to Dr Anthony Lambert from the Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies about the rise of superhero cinema, and the influence these larger-than-life characters wield over our society. We also discuss how media has never been more ubiquitous—or more reflective of the increasing importance our culture is placing on diversity.

In this episode we continue our discussion with Professor Catharine Lumby and Dr Theresa Senft from the Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies on the ever-changing media landscape. We delve into the evolution of journalism, the movement of journalists to universities and how ideas are produced in a time where everyone has a platform for their opinions.

On this episode of the Pioneering Minds Podcast we chat to Professor Catharine Lumby and Dr Theresa Senft from the Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies to discuss our ever-changing media landscape. We discuss the role of traditional and social media, how we define news in the age of the consumer-producer and the unique position of universities to act as a news source.

In this special Movember edition of the Pioneering Minds podcast we chat to GP and men's health expert, Dr Luke Morphett. We look into the often undiscussed physical and mental health issues that Australian men encounter and what can be done to improve the quality of life of those suffering.

This week we chat to Dr Yeshe Colliver from the Department of Educational Studies about his work to uncover the most effective ways to teach children. We discuss the sense of play and creativity that's so important in developmental learning as well as the ways to encourage this sense of fun in the early years of childhood.

This week on the Pioneering Minds Podcast we chat to Dr Wade Marynowsky from the Department of Media Music Communication and Cultural Studies about his amazing catalogue of interactive robotic art (robot operas, anyone?) and offers insights into the practical and artistic potential of robots as well as their spiritual and cultural implications for artificial creation.

This week on Pioneering Minds we chat with the wonderfully enthusiastic Professor Tom Hillard from the Department of Ancient History. In this wide-ranging conversation we cover everything from violent historical video games to deep sea excavations and the lessons we can learn from the ancient past.

In this very special mini-episode of Pioneering Minds we chat to Professor Orsola De Marco and Associate Professor Daniel Terno about the kilonova explosion which involved the collision of two neutron stars 130 million years ago. We discuss details of what happened, its significance and the aftermath of this astonishing occurrence.

In a world saturated by advertising and entertainment, self esteem can be an elusive trait. With social media, that problem becomes curated directly to our phones. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, we caught up with Dr Jasmine Fardouly from the Department of Psychology to discuss the role of social media on body image and the steps one can take to identify and lessen the negative mental health impacts of social media.

This week on the Pioneering Minds podcast we speak to Dr Kira Westaway from the Department of Environmental Sciences who was part of the team that helped to discover a new species called 'Hobbits' which caused many to redefine their understanding of human evolution. We also talk about her newest adventure, hunting an extinct giant ape in China.

The week we speak to Associate Professor Rebecca Mitchell from the Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science. We chat to her about the world of accident preventions, injury and recovery in the elderly and the policies A/Prof Mitchell is putting forward to make the world a better place.

This week we chat to Professor Garry Falloon from the Department of Educational Studies about the changing use of technologies in the classroom. The conversation spans the impact of digital learning on teens, the new role of teachers and potential positive side effects of Minecraft.

This week we talk to Dr Adam Dunn from the Centre of Health Informatics about the data behind trends in health. The conversation spans the nature of the pharmaceutical industry, biases in health studies and the impact of social media on vaccination trends.

This week we spoke to Professor Bronwyn Carlson, Head of the Department of Indigenous Studies about the ways in which Indigenous communities utilise social media to connect and promote an Indigenous identity, while not shying away from the distressing realities that still exist for these communities in Australia.

With the new season of Game of Thrones kicking off, we felt it appropriate to return from our brief podcast break with a chat with Dr Clare Monagle, modern history lecturer and the woman behind the course 'From Charlemagne to Game of Thrones: The Middle Ages Then and Now'. Hear Dr Monagle discuss the legacy of Medieval Europe, the dangers and glories of revels in historical fiction and - that all-important question - her favourite GoT character.

What is big data and how will it shape how we work? Welcome to the first of our Global Alumni Impact Series talks for 2017! Listen as a special panel of experts discusses the technological and social challenges facing us in the very near future - from educational opportunities in schools and universities, to the shadow of Silicon Valley and jobs of the future. On the panel: - Dr Elizabeth Coombs, Acting NSW Privacy Commissioner - William Howe, KPMG - Adam Driussi, CEO of Quantium Moderator: Stephen Brammer, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at Macquarie University

The human brain is one of the great mysteries of life - a remarkable feat of engineering and the seat of imagination, it's something we each possess, but that very few people understand. Dr Simon McMullan of the Department of Biomedical Sciences here at Macquarie, stops by for a chat about the key neurological insights from his research. From neuron activity and the regulation of blood pressure, to sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder, Dr McMullan leads us through the fragile labyrinth of our brains.

This week we're speaking to Associate Professor Annabelle Lukin all about the English language, from the political discourse around poverty, age and war to how English has managed to survive and thrive as the global tongue.

In this week's episode we chat with Dr Adrian Buzo, MQ Korean lecturer, about his life as a translator, the eccentricities of languages and what he learned as a diplomat in North Korea.

This week our special guest has come all the way from Texas A&M to chat with us. A Fulbright Distinguished Chair and women's security expert, Professor Valerie Hudson has come to Australia to share the knowledge gleaned from her work on the WomanStats Database which is the world's most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of women in the world.

In this episode of Pioneering Minds we chat to Dr Monique Crane from the Department of Psychology about a very specific but increasingly visible area of psychology, that of workplace resilience. Throughout the episode, Dr Crane discusses the nature of the modern workplace and explains the simple tools managers can utilise to increase contentment and longevity at work.

On this week's episode, we talk to Lise Waldek from the Department of Security Studies and Criminology about all forms of extremism, from violent to ideological and how online spaces narrow our points of view and shape our perceptions of the world we live in.

In this week's episode we talk to historian and curator of the Macquarie University Art Gallery, Leonard Janiszewski about a little known but fascinating part of Australia's immigration history as well as the relevance of physical art spaces in an increasingly digital world.

In this episode of Pioneering Minds, we chat to mental health expert Associate Professor Viviana Wuthrich about how anxiety and mental health issues affect us differently at different points in our lives, from childhood anxiety in our youth, to HSC stress in Year 12 to dementia after retirement.

How is Australia's healthcare system holding up today? How will artificial intelligence change the way we think about the industry? This week on the Pioneering Minds podcast we're joined by Professors Jeffrey Braithwaite, Johanna Westbrook and Enrico Coiera of the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, who discuss these questions and more.

In our first episode for 2017, Associate Professor Chris Baumann of our Faculty of Business & Economics and his cohort-in-crime, Associate Professor Hume Winzar, sit down to talk all things competitive. From Australia’s current education standards versus the rest of the world, all the way to brand relativity and Einstein himself, Chris and Hume take us on an entertaining tryst into the business of competition.

This week we speak to Wendy Rogers of Macquarie's Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, where Rogers offers a revealing look at contemporary medical ethics, surgical innovation and the issues of over-diagnosis and organ matching.

What will our cities look like in the future? What are the environmental challenges facing the world's major urban sprawls? How do we better plan sustainable and resilient communities? In this episode of Pioneering Minds, geography and planning lecturer Dr Donna Houston uses her insights to paint a vivid portrait of life in the not-so-distant future.

Professor John Croucher AM has come full circle. His academic journey began as one of the very first students to study at Macquarie, and he is now a lecturer at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management. In this special episode of Pioneering Minds, Professor Croucher talks about the early days of Macquarie, his unexpected career move from sports commentary to teaching, and his latest book about a certain 'Mistress of Science'.

This week on the Pioneering Minds podcast we talk to a trio of folk. Bronwyn Mehan is the publishing extraordinaire behind Spineless Wonders, a Sydney-based small press, and is the brains behind Little Fictions, a monthly live reading event in which performers bring to life stories from the Spineless Wonders cannon. We also have actors Eleni Schumacher and Felix Johnson to talk all things performance, while Bron delves deep into publishing industries today and what makes storytelling so very vital.

As a lecturer in creative industries, Dr Guy Morrow is a veritable fountain of knowledge on the music industry. In this episode of Pioneering Minds, Morrow talks about his experience working alongside some of Australia’s most well-known performers, the impact of Sydney’s lock-out laws on its local music scene, and what the musical landscape might resemble in the future.

Damien Fitzpatrick, rugby player for the Macquarie University Sydney Rays and the NSW Waratahs, and MBA student, gives us an entertaining look at life beyond the rugby field. In this episode, Fitzpatrick talks about the misconceptions that players face, the responsibilities that come with being a renowned sportsperson and what lead him to pursue an MBA.

This week on the Pioneering Minds podcast, we hear from Adjunct Lecturer Prashan Karunaratne about the challenges of understanding economics and the ways he is using lessons from his own experiences as an economics student to spearhead innovative educational strategies and better prepare students for the real world. To learn more about Prashan's research, click here: http://macq.it/2etv2fX

On this very special episode of Pioneering Minds, we’ll hear from 12 of our brightest PhD students as we present the 2016 finalists of Macquarie’s Three Minute Thesis competition. Recorded live in the Macquarie theatre on September 19th, the Three Minute Thesis competition forces PhD students to condense their complex research into three minute bite-size summaries that even a layperson can understand, with topics ranging from ice addiction therapy to artificial intelligence and transhumanism to the interplay of colour and emotion.

What are the motivations behind the so-called Islamic State? How will the tension in the South China Seas affect our national security? What is the current state of Australia's border protection? Julian Droogan from Macquarie's Department of Security Studies discusses these issues and more in this week's episode of Pioneering Minds.

In this week's episode of Pioneering Minds, Professor Jennie Hudson discusses the genetic markers that indicate anxiety in children, and the most effective ways that parents can help their children avoid and overcome anxiety and depression.

In this week's episode of Pioneering Minds we journey to the final frontier with Dr Lee Spitler, where we discuss life among the stars, from supernovas to Star Wars, and address the age-old question: are there extraterrestrial lifeforms out there?

This week on the Pioneering Minds podcast we sit down with Dr Rowan Tulloch to discuss the stigma and changing nature of gamification, and its effects on education and gender representation.

In this episode of Pioneering Minds we speak to the Hon. Kristina Keneally, who recounts her life as the NSW Premier and discusses religion and achieving equality in the workplace.

Our guest on this episode of the Pioneering Minds podcast is Distinguished Professor Lesley Hughes who talks candidly about being a voice of climate change, public and scientific debate, sustainability and the most effective ways to communicate climate change messages.

This week on the Pioneering Minds Podcast we're speaking to Distinguished Professor Katherine Demuth about the art of language, the methods used to better understand linguistic development in young children and the reasons why it is more challenging to learn a new language as an adult.

This week on the Pioneering Minds podcast we speak to Luan Heimlich, the director of FIRST Australia, about the future of robotics and the importance of the FIRST robotics program in inspiring a young generation of technologically-minded creators.

This week on the Pioneering Minds podcast we speak to PhD student Rebecca Gelding who specialises in the interdisciplinary field of music cognition, or how we visualise music in the brain. This episode explores the therapeutic potential of music cognition, how being a mother made her a better scientist and how one should imagine the beats of 'Staying Alive' when giving CPR.

This week on the Pioneering Minds podcast we speak to neuroanthropologist Professor Greg Downey about how culture informs us, the vital importance of research and the amazing potential of the brain.

Welcome back to the Pioneering Minds podcast. This week's guest is Professor Michael Gillings, molecular evolutionary biologist and top four finisher in the Australian lecturer of the year poll six years straight. In this talk with Adam Norris, they cover topics as disparate as teaching as a form of entertainment, the evolution of language and the precarious future of the world as we know it.

In the final episode of our inaugural podcast season our guest is Professor Catharine Lumby, speaking to Ben Mckelvey about her work with the NRL in the wake of the 2004 Canterbury Bulldogs gang rape allegations, how the media landscape is changing, modern feminism and much more in episode 10 of the Pioneering Minds podcast

Why do some companies thrive, and others boom and bust? Is it the importance of a strong hand on the helm? A culture of innovation? A pervasive sense of employee satisfaction? Or is it some other element that sits outside the parameters of conventional business wisdom? This week's podcast guest is Professor Gayle Avery from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, whose dedicated field of research is organisational sustainability. We speak to Professor Avery about these pertinent questions and the fascinating work she's done in translating the personal business ethic of the King of Thailand into a business bible for South East Asian people.