SoundMinds Radio

Many of us have had a hamstring twinge at one time or another, you know, that big muscle group at the back of the thigh. Well sportspeople are constantly injuring that muscle group at great cost to themselves and the team. David Opar and his team research, collaborate and coordinate the new wave of inquiry into hamstring injury, rehabilitation and management.

Alex Russell researches gambling … and today he discusses … Social Influences on Problem Gamblers. Michele Lastella has been actively involved in sleep research for some years and he discusses the marriage of sleep and sex in his talk … Are You Getting Enough? Sex as a Natural Hypnotic.

The force of a tackle is like hitting a car travelling 40kph. Dr Piovesana is working to create protocols and tools sensitive enough to capture the cognitive and psychological effects of concussion. Shift workers are often time poor, have disruptive patterns and find it hard to fit in physical activity. Dr Kolbe-Alexander looks at ways to bring physical activity to shift workers.

Coral bleaching events could spell disaster for anemonefishes and their hosts, so Anna Scott asks the question, "Does Bleaching Mean Nemo Cannot Find His Home?" The lived experience of African women in childbirth can create lifelong health and social challenges. Glory Gatwiri informs us about "Childbirth Injuries and Leaking Bodies: Stories from Kenyan Women".

Strokes are the major cause of disability in our adult population. What if you could be stronger after a stroke? This is the research focus of Dr Simone Dorsh. Kids and screens. Too much, all bad, or is there more to it than meets the eyes. Dr Taren Sanders talk says it all - Square eyes or all lies? Understanding children's exposure to screens.

"Falling injuries are preventable, and 1 in 3 older people have a fall each year. Kristy Robson challenges the way we approach assessment and rehabilitation in her 5 minute presentation: Addressing falls risk in regional Australia – rethinking our approach. Then, Sam Bowker presents the fascinating story of the meanings of design in Egyptian tents for the last 1,000 years. Again all in 5 minutes, from the finals of the 5 Minute Research Pitch Challenge 2017."

Flavonoids, the pigments in cherries and plums are under investigation for their potential in cognitive repair, specifically memory loss in dementia. Katherine Kent, with a background in Nutrition and Public Health will tell you all about it in 5 minutes. Then, Kerryn Brent will shed light on International Law and it's potential to facilitate negative emissions to offset climate change. Again all in 5 minutes, from the finals of the 5 Minute Research Pitch Challenge 2017.

Talented sportspeople need to be identified, so how is this achieved? Paul Larkin considers the methods used and how they can be improved, in his talk, “Right Place, Right Time, with the Right Eye Watching” Fiona McLachlan started exploring the historical and social perspectives of a sport that has one of the highest participation rates across all sports, netball. She found the historical records limited, and decided to do something about it in her talk, "Giving Voice to the Silent Game".

Ata Nosrati grew up in a village in Iran, where the water was safe to drink. He is now turning his chemical engineering knowledge and understanding of water contamination to work to develop a safe, low cost, easy to use method for removing Arsenic from drinking water. Many nations including Bangladesh, Vietnam and even the United States have dangerous levels of Arsenic in their water supplies, sometimes 300 times the safe limit.

Cardiovascular disease is treatable, but the long term health of patients can suffer as a consequence of the prescriptions. From a medical family, Dr Abishek Santhakumar watched the treatments provided for his mother help and hinder her health. He thought there must be a better way, and his research trajectory has led him though pigments, plums and pulses in a search for cardioprotective natural products.

Research is not a business. Think again, Dr Melanie Hayman has taken an entrepreneurial approach to researching fitness during pregnancy. It involves marketing strategies, a seven foot tall, hot pink, pregnant cardboard woman called Sophia and an innovative online program delivered via your GP or midwife.