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Today's date is Friday, March 29, 2024
School of Human Sciences
 July 2019
Saturday 27
9:30 - EVENT - The Gut Brain Connection - back by popular demand : How gut health affects well being Website | More Information
Did you know we are essentially more bacteria than human? – and the microbes in our guts are responsible for 90% of the messaging to our brain rather than brain to gut! Science is beginning to catch up to the crucial impact our gut microbes have on our digestion, overall health and mental well being. In the last few years huge advancements in technology used to measure and detect the microbes that live on and in us has allowed researchers to map and track the diversity and the influence these invisible hitch-hikers have on every human being. The progress in this field of researching the gut brain axis (how the gut is connected to and messages the brain) is changing the way we view health and disease and ultimately paving the way to treat and prevent a host of ailments. This lecture will be co-facilitated by Stephanie Rea (BSc Nutr. Biol) & Wendy Muller (Masters Community Psychology) Both presenters have many years experience working in the community in WA to promote and support family health and wellbeing.

 August 2019
Wednesday 28
8:30 - CONFERENCE - WA Migration and Mobilities Update : ‘Belonging in Western Australia: Addressing Migrant and Refugee Inclusion’ Website | More Information
This year the Update tackles the important question of belonging, with the theme ‘Belonging in Western Australia: Addressing Migrant and Refugee Inclusion’. Each year around 200,000 people move permanently to Australia, and many more come temporarily for work or education – how are we, as a community, meeting their needs and ensuring they feel they ‘belong’ in Australia? Our program brings together policy makers, not-for-profits, communities and academics to explore questions such as: What does belonging look like? What are migrants’ and ethnic minorities’ experiences of inclusion and exclusion? How can services support belonging? To what extent is Australia’s migration system inclusive? How can we create inclusive spaces for migrants? What are the roles of schools, local councils, the media, and service organisations in generating belonging? Keynote Prof Paolo Boccagni (University of Trento), will speak on “Migrant Home-making: Insights from Europe”, and a range of representatives from community, government and academia will discuss experiences of belonging and unbelonging, and programs designed to promote inclusion, including arts, sports, media, local government and education based interventions.

 September 2019
Tuesday 03
13:00 - SEMINAR - School of Human Sciences Seminar Series : Age-related pathway signatures – relevance for treating ageing disorders Website | More Information
Abstract: Ageing occurs in a regulated manner and the associated gene expression changes could contribute to the onset of many diseases, either by creating a permissive environment for pathology, or by directly inducing these conditions. We identified an Age-related Gene Expression Signature (AGES) in rats, by studying a time course of gene expression throughout the lifespan of the animal. Examining multiple tissues in rats aged 6, 9, 12, 18, 21, 24 and 27 months, we demonstrated tissue-specific and common gene pathway changes. Since AGES were shared by multiple tissues, it is plausible that perturbation of a discrete cell signalling pathway can extend life span and delay age-related diseases. We next asked, what is the impact of clinically-relevant low doses of rapalog on age-related pathway changes? Rapamycin or rapalogs (e.g. RAD001) that are inhibitors of mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1), have been shown to increase lifespan and forestall age-related phenotypes in multiple species, including humans. Interestingly, the effect of RAD001 on age-related gene pathways was more pronounced in kidneys compared with other examined tissues (liver, skeletal muscle and hippocampus). The majority of the age-related pathways in the kidney were counter-regulated by a low dose of RAD001, and this was accompanied by reduction of age-related renal histopathology. We also examined the impact of RAD001 on molecular pathways implicated in skeletal muscle ageing (sarcopenia). This partial inhibition of the mTORC1 pathway counteracted age-related changes in expression of several genes related to senescence, muscle atrophy and deterioration of neuromuscular junctions, plus prevented loss of muscle mass for select muscles. These studies emphasise the potential benefit of drugs that target global signalling pathways as a successful strategy to reduce the adverse consequences of ageing.
Wednesday 04
14:00 - SEMINAR - School of Human Sciences Seminar Series : Cancer associated fibroblast mediated remodelling of the extracellular matrix as a driver of tumour progression and metastasis Website | More Information
Abstract: Homeostasis of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is critical for correct organ and tissue function. It plays a critical role in normal tissue homeostasis and pathological disease progression. Both the biochemical and biomechanical properties of the ECM contribute to modulating the behaviour of resident cells and are more than just passive bystanders. In tissue diseases such as cancer, the ECM undergoes significant change. These changes, driven by both tumour and stromal cells, feed into the progression of the disease. As such, changes in the ECM mark significant transition events in disease progression. Understanding how the changing ECM facilitates tumour progression and metastasis is an important step in the development of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of cancer.
Saturday 07
12:00 - COURSE - MHFA for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) : MHFA for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) Website | More Information
The 4-hour Mental Health First Aid for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury course is for any interested adult who is interested to learn how to assist a person who is engaging in self-injury.

This course is based on guidelines developed through the expert consensus of people with lived experience of mental health problems and professionals.
Wednesday 25
13:00 - SEMINAR - Using genes to assess social structure in the Boodies of Barrow Island : School of Human Sciences Seminar Series Website | More Information
The Boodie or Burrowing Bettong (Bettongia lesueur) is the only macropod that shelters underground in warrens. It is limited naturally to three islands off the west Australian coast, but just 200 years ago it had the widest distribution of any macropod, occupying about 50% of the continent. The seminar will describe what can be eked out of a genetic analysis of the population on Barrow Island, which is at the geographic centre of Australia's largest resource project. Inevitably, it will be short. However, that masks the huge effort required to undertake work of this kind. It was largely undertaken by others, and Felicity Donaldson and Celeste Wale deserve special mention in this regard.

 October 2019
Monday 07
12:07 - EVENT - Lions Eye Institute Research Week : Eye health and research lectures for the community, McCusker Auditorium, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, 6 Verdun St Nedlands, 10am – 4pm, Tuesday 22nd October. More Information

 November 2019
Wednesday 27
13:00 - SEMINAR - Heat Therapy: An ancient practice to target modern diseases : School of Human Sciences, Seminar Series Website | More Information
Presentation Summary:Chronic heat exposure, in the form of saunas, hot water baths, and sweat lodges have been utilized in many cultures for thousands of years. While repetitive bouts of heat exposure is generally believed to be healthy, it is only recently that we are beginning to understand the full benefits of ‘heat therapy’ across the spectrum of human health. Passive heating results in a rise in body temperature and changes in cardiovascular hemodynamics, including altered shear patterns of blood flow. There is growing evidence that these responses to acute heat stress combine over repetitive sessions to provide a stress-resistant profile to counter inflammation and oxidative stress, as occurs with aging and chronic disease, as well as from acute damaging events such as ischemia-reperfusion injury. There is also growing evidence heat therapy can be used to target metabolic dysfunction in obesity and diabetes through improvements in insulin signaling in fat and muscle cells. This ancient therapy needs broader application to treat modern diseases, particularly in those not able to obtain the full benefits of exercise. Speaker Biography:Dr. Christopher Minson is the Kenneth and Kenda Singer Professor of Human Physiology. His research focuses on topics related to integrative cardiovascular physiology in humans. His lab investigates how we can use exposures to extreme environments to gain a healthy and resilient physiology. He is also involved in projects related to endocrine function in women, biomarkers of aging and the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and finding novel ways to improve thermal comfort and safely in work environments. He also works with elite athletes in the use of environmental stressors to improve performance.

13:00 - PUBLIC TALK - Heat Therapy: An ancient practice to target modern diseases Website | More Information
A public lecture by Christopher T. Minson, PhD, Kenneth and Kenda Singer Professor, and UWA Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellow.

Chronic heat exposure, in the form of saunas, hot water baths, and sweat lodges have been utilized in many cultures for thousands of years. While repetitive bouts of heat exposure is generally believed to be healthy, it is only recently that we are beginning to understand the full benefits of ‘heat therapy’ across the spectrum of human health. Passive heating results in a rise in body temperature and changes in cardiovascular hemodynamics, including altered shear patterns of blood flow. There is growing evidence that these responses to acute heat stress combine over repetitive sessions to provide a stress-resistant profile to counter inflammation and oxidative stress, as occurs with aging and chronic disease, as well as from acute damaging events such as ischemia-reperfusion injury. There is also growing evidence heat therapy can be used to target metabolic dysfunction in obesity and diabetes through improvements in insulin signaling in fat and muscle cells. This ancient therapy needs broader application to treat modern diseases, particularly in those not able to obtain the full benefits of exercise.

Dr Christopher Minson is the Kenneth and Kenda Singer Professor of Human Physiology. His research focuses on topics related to integrative cardiovascular physiology in humans. His lab investigates how we can use exposures to extreme environments to gain a healthy and resilient physiology. He is also involved in projects related to endocrine function in women, biomarkers of aging and the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and finding novel ways to improve thermal comfort and safely in work environments. He also works with elite athletes in the use of environmental stressors to improve performance.

Dr Minson is a 2019 Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellow.

This public lecture is presented by the UWA School of Human Sciences (Exercise and Sport Science).

 December 2019
Wednesday 11
10:00 - WORKSHOP - Anatomy Above the Shoulders : A Masterclass with Dr Ron Kikinis, Surgical Planning Laboratory, Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Website | More Information
Human anatomy is a foundation of medicine and therefore important for anybody who is active in the medical field. This master class will review the anatomy of the head and neck using an engineering perspective. Topics discussed will include the biomechanics of the neck, thermal stabilization of the brain, an introduction into brain anatomy and some of the sensory systems found in the skull. The class will also include discussion of a variety of resources available on the internet.

Participants will need to bring their own laptops and download and install the electronic version of the Netter Atlas of Human Anatomy (7th ed) from the UWA library.

Dr Ron Kikinis is the founding Director of the Surgical Planning Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and a Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School. Before joining Brigham & Women’s Hospital in 1988, he trained as a resident in radiology at the University Hospital in Zurich, and as a researcher in computer vision at the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland. He received his MD degree from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, in 1982. In 2004 he was appointed Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School. In 2009 he was the inaugural recipient of the MICCAI Society “Enduring Impact Award”.

In February 2010 he was appointed the Robert Greenes Distinguished Director of Biomedical Informatics in the Department of Radiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In January 2014, he was appointed “Institutsleiter” of Fraunhofer MEVIS and Professor of Medical Image Computing at the University of Bremen. Since then he commutes every two months between Bremen and Boston.

 January 2020
Wednesday 29
18:00 - SEMINAR - Grammar Therapy : Grammar has made a comeback! Website | More Information
Being able to deconstruct a sentence and knowing the fundamental principles of English aren't just helpful tools for learning a second language. They're skills essential to our ability to communicate effectively in almost every field. Grammar Therapy is a simple and effective introduction to English grammar for those who never learned grammar properly in school or need a refresher. This course runs over three weeks (total of 7.5 hrs).

 February 2020
Saturday 01
9:30 - TUTORIAL - Read with Speed - back by popular demand : Double your reading speed and improve your comprehension Website | More Information
Learn how to quickly process the large amount of written information we all deal with daily in our business activities or academic studies. You will be provided with the skills to increase your reading speed significantly as well as improve your comprehension and memory. Students completing this course learn how the reading process works and understand how our brains process, store and retrieve information. They learn new techniques and practise these skills. The combination of knowledge, skills and practice enables students to develop into efficient readers.

 September 2020
Friday 04
15:30 - CANCELLED - CANCELLED - FREE LECTURE - Mentally Healthy and Resilient Workforces Event : The University of Western Australia’s Mining Innovation Network in collaboration with the School of Psychological Science are delighted to invite you to the Mentally Healthy and Resilient Workforces Event. Website | More Information
Unfortunately this event has been cancelled.

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Unfortunately this event has been cancelled.



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This event will showcase recent insights and advances in mining workforce mental health from UWA, including impacts of FIFO work, aboriginal perspectives onto mining, and sleep disruptions and disorders. It is geared towards solutions that support a mentally healthy and resilient mining workers that may be of interest to work health and safety practitioners, EAP providers, mining operators and contractors as well as workplace psychologist. Event: 3:30pm - 5:00pm with networking 5:00pm - 5:30pm
Tuesday 22
13:00 - SEMINAR - PLAY Spaces and Environments for Children�s Physical Activity, Health & Development (PLAYCE) research program : SHS Seminar Series Website | More Information
An overview of the PLAYCE (PLAY Spaces and Environments for Children’s Physical Activity, Health & Development) program of research will be presented including the original PLAYCE study, which investigated the influence of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) environment on preschoolers’ physical activity. The physical activity, health and development of over 2000 children from 120 ECEC services were tracked. Two thirds of children aged 2-5 years did not meet the recommended three hours of physical activity per day as per the Australian 24-hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years. Only 16% of services had a mention of physical activity in their centre policies. This research has led to a current NHMRC Partnership grant to develop, implement and evaluate ECEC specific physical activity related policy and programs.

Associate Professor Christian is a National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow. She leads the ‘Child Physical Activity, Health and Development’ team at Telethon Kids. Hayley also holds a Senior Research Fellow position at The University of Western Australia. Hayley’s research focuses on improving children’s physical activity levels, health and well-being through multi-level interventions focused on the child, family, social and built environment.

 October 2020
Tuesday 27
13:00 - SEMINAR - Evaluating Auditory function in children with learning difficulties (Please note date change to 27 October, NOT 20th) : School of Human Sciences Seminar Series Website | More Information
Abstract: Children who experience poor academic performance at school have been d escribed as having learning difficulties (LD). These children are thought to show reduced performances in reading, written language and numeracy, and/or to be inactive and inefficient learners. Hearing is one of several factors thought to influence a child’s learning at school with students spending at least 45% of their classroom activities that require listening and 45 - 75% of their time in the classroom comprehending their teachers’ and classmates’ speech. Hearing impairment can include loss of hearing sensitivity and/or impaired auditory processing. While rates of peripheral hearing loss in the Australian primary school-aged population is estimated to be between 3.4% - 12.8%, rates of impaired auditory processing in this population are not available in Australia. Children with peripheral hearing loss and/or impaired auditory processing often show behaviours similar to those reported in children with LD, suggesting that LD and hearing impairment could be related in primary school child populations. This seminar will present the research that investigated LD and hearing impairment in a school-aged child population in the greater Brisbane region of Queensland, Australia.

Bio: Robyn is a lecturer in Audiology in School of Human Sciences. Robyn’s current area of research is auditory processing disorder and middle ear assessment in the paediatric population. In particular, Robyn is passionate about improving educational outcomes in children with learning difficulties who may have a hearing impairment. Robyn’s other research interests also include using simulated learning in clinical education and tele-audiology. Clinically, Robyn specialises in middle ear and Central Auditory Processing assessment and management in the paediatric population.

 February 2021
Saturday 27
10:00 - WORKSHOP - GAMSAT Study Sessions : Three study sessions focused on getting you ready for the 2021 GAMSAT exam. Website | More Information
Are you busy preparing for this year's GAMSAT exam? Looking to get a few tips on how to do your best? Not sure what to expect?

Join us for few study sessions in EZONE focused on getting you ready to do your best in this year's exam.

Each session is free for all to attend, and will be supported by UWA alumni with previous experience sitting the GAMSAT exam.

In each session, we will start by sharing tips on how to succeed and working through some example questions. Attendees may bring additional study material to work through during the second half of the session, where material can be worked through individually or in small groups.

 March 2021
Saturday 06
10:00 - WORKSHOP - GAMSAT Study Sessions : Three study sessions focused on getting you ready for the 2021 GAMSAT exam. More Information
*In person event has been postponed* Are you busy preparing for this year's GAMSAT exam? Not sure what to expect? Looking to get a few tips on how to do your best?

Join us for few study sessions in EZONE focused on getting you ready to do your best in this year's exam.

Each session is free for all to attend, and will be supported by UWA alumni with previous experience sitting the GAMSAT exam.

In each session, we will start by sharing tips on how to succeed and working through some example questions. Attendees may bring additional study material to work through during the second half of the session, where material can be worked through individually or in small groups.
Saturday 13
10:00 - WORKSHOP - GAMSAT Study Sessions : Three study sessions focused on getting you ready for the 2021 GAMSAT exam. More Information
**In person event has been cancelled. Please email if any further information is required.**

Are you busy preparing for this year's GAMSAT exam? Not sure what to expect? Looking to get a few tips on how to do your best?

Join us for few study sessions in EZONE focused on getting you ready to do your best in this year's exam.

Each session is free for all to attend, and will be supported by UWA alumni with previous experience sitting the GAMSAT exam.

In each session, we will start by sharing tips on how to succeed and working through some example questions. Attendees may bring additional study material to work through during the second half of the session, where material can be worked through individually or in small groups.

Event Dates: Saturday, February 27, 10-12 Saturday, March 6, 10-12 Saturday, March 13, 10-12
Tuesday 16
13:00 - SEMINAR - Rhythms of body temperature and health : School of Human Sciences Seminar Series More Information
Bio: Shane did his PhD at the University of New South Wales on thermal biology of the emu, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship in the Brain Function Research Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he focussed on brain temperature regulation in mammals. Since 1999 he has been at the University of Western Australia where his research centres on environmental physiology in man and other animals, with a focus on heat balance, energy use, and the mechanisms of thermoregulation. A special interest is adaptation to extremes, including life in the desert and arid zones, and what climate change will mean for thermoregulation in mammals, including man. His current research investigates animals, with a focus on heat balance, energy use, and the mechanisms of thermoregulation. A special interest is adaptation to extremes, including life in the desert and arid zones, and what climate change will mean for thermoregulation in mammals, including man. His current research investigates adaptations to heat and cold, and the impacts of circadian and ultradian changes in body temperature on health and performance. For three years he was the Head of the School of Anatomy, Physiology, and Human Biology, and then the inaugural Head of The School of Human Sciences for two years. He is very much enjoying more time now for research.

Abstract: The body clock, or circadian clock, keeps our body processes running according to a schedule. The molecular clock is well-known to entrain to light signals in the eye (but not from the photoreceptors in the retina), and emerging evidence suggests that it also interacts with our body temperature. Shane will discuss the factors that affect body temperature, such as heat and cold, malnutrition, and pregnancy, and what he has learned about temperature as a ‘zeitgeber’ (or time-giver) for our internal clock. He and his team have experimented with manipulating body temperature in mammals, and he will describe the challenges of this work, and why they ended up working on fruit flies. The team is now working to understand the daily ‘noise’ around the circadian rhythm and the new world of ultradian rhythms (two to three hourly changes).
Tuesday 23
13:00 - SEMINAR - Music, the brain and a lifetime of benefit : School of Human Sciences Seminar Series More Information
Bio: Alan Harvey is an Emeritus Professor at The University of Western Australia and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science. He is a neuroscientist, having published almost 250 reviewed articles and book chapters, in recent years focusing on the development and testing of new therapies to promote plasticity and regeneration after neurotrauma in the brain and spinal cord. He has also had a life-long interest and passion for music, and since his retirement has focused much more on writing and talking about the neurobiology of human musicality and has proposed new ideas about music’s evolutionary significance. Alan Harvey’s book Music, Evolution, and the Harmony of Souls was published by Oxford University Press in 2017, and reprinted in paperback in 2018. Alan is currently a member of Perth Symphonic Chorus and their chamber choir, and is a member of the recently reformed mandolin quartet Stringybach. Abstract: Alan will briefly review what is known about the brain circuits and neurochemistry involved in processing music, including basic components such as rhythm and melody, as well as more emotional aspects such as happiness and sadness. Why have humans evolved two interrelated yet distinct communication systems – language and music? Possible answers to this fundamental question will be considered, primarily focussing on the evolutionary power of music to promote trust and cooperative behaviour within human groups, music’s links to the neurobiology of the hormone oxytocin, and emphasising the continued importance of music in promoting the cognitive and social development of children, benefits that last a lifetime. How these insights aid in understanding the potential power of music as a therapeutic tool will also be briefly discussed.

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