26 October 2020: Five of the best and brightest early career researchers at the University of Canberra have been chosen as finalists for UC’s Big Research Pitch 2020.
The public, industry, colleagues and students have voted, with the finalists to convince a panel of judges to award them seed funding from the $12,000 prize pool as part of a live Facebook event this Thursday evening.
Tune in to hear how these research projects provide solutions, like how social media technologies can be used as means for social support, what the benefits of physical activity has on brain health in cancer populations, and how mental fatigue impacts sufferers.
“UC’s Big Research Pitch is much more than a competition,” said Professor Leigh Sullivan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation. “Yes, it does offer our researchers the chance to win much-needed research funds, but it’s a whole lot more than that. Research not communicated is invisible, so UC’s Big Research Pitch is the culmination of a whole training program dedicated to research communication.”
The judges include Creative Director of Synergy Group Australia, Jason Perelson, General Manger of All Homes, Danielle Harmer and CEO of the Canberra Innovation Network, Petr Adamek.
The UC Big Research Pitch finalists:
Maryam Ghahramani - Getting back in the game
Maryam Ghahramani received her BSc degree in electrical engineering at Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. She did her PhD in the field of “Biometric Gait, Motion, and Risk of Fall Analysis in Older People” at University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia. Recently she has joined University of Canberra as a lecturer in IT and Systems at the faculty of Science &Technology. Her research interest is in the field of human motion analysis using machine learning for rehabilitation purposes. Applying pattern recognition methods to human motion and comparing the patterns in different cohorts to find meaningful differences is her passion.
Watch Maryam’s pitch here.
Shyam Barr - Preparing our young people for uncertain times
Shyam Barr is an Assistant Professor of Learning Sciences (Design and Pedagogy) at the University of Canberra. His research program explores educational leaders’ and teachers’ decision-making processes and behaviours related to teaching about self-regulated learning. Drawing on 10 years of experience as a leader and classroom teacher in local and international schools, he is particularly interested in the pragmatic effects of research. As such, he now works in close partnership with primary and secondary schools to support the promotion of self-regulated learning.
Watch Shyam’s pitch here.
Irfan Khan - Fighting the Infodemic in the age of COVID 19
Irfan Khan is an Assistant Professor at the Canberra School of Business. Irfan’s research interest centres around how social media technologies can be used as means for social support and benefit health consumers and healthcare organisations. His interest in social media technologies extends to his recent research endeavours concerning the strategies to fight health misinformation on social media platforms. Irfan teaches Marketing at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels. His teaching specialisation is on Digital marketing and Management information systems.
Watch Irfan’s pitch here.
Joe Northey - Clearing the brain fog of cancer and its treatment
Joe is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health, whose research focuses on understanding the benefits of physical activity on brain health in cancer populations. Like many, he has seen friends and family not only carry the burden of a cancer diagnosis but struggle with managing the unseen side-effects like cognitive decline. Through this research, he aims to improve the support options for patients by engaging in physical activity, to help clear the brain fog of cancer and its treatments.
Watch Joe’s pitch here.
Kristy Martin - Brain training: A caffeine alternative?
Kristy is an Assistant Professor in Anatomy and Physiology and a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise.
Kristy’s research focuses on mental fatigue, a concept familiar to many. Kristy’s work extends the impact of mental fatigue on cognitive and physical performance, individual characteristics and behaviours which may afford someone greater tolerance to mental fatigue, as well as the physiological mechanisms underpinning impaired performance with mental fatigue. Kristy’s current research projects span professional sport, clinical, and military applications.
Watch Kristy’s pitch here.
WHAT: The Big UC Research Pitch Facebook Live Event
WHEN: Thursday 29 October, 2020
WHERE: Follow @UniversityofCanberra or RSVP.
