“It is such an honour to be part of so many different people’s journeys to better hearing,” said Catherine.

The announcement of Catherine’s success speaks volumes about the importance of the cochlear implantation procedure in Australia – a country that harbours a historic perspective that cochlear implants are only for children, and not so much for adults.

“The cochlear implant is a modern miracle, allowing profoundly deaf children to learn to hear and speak. It is not only for children however, the cochlear implant helps adults throughout their lives to regain hearing and stay actively involved in work and their favourite activities. For the elderly, the implant can also return hearing, helping to minimise social isolation, depression and it may even reduce dementia.”

This milestone is another addition to Catherine’s many achievements, some of which include being the first female ear, nose and throat surgeon in Australia awarded the title of Clinical Associate Professor, for performing a cochlear implantation on the youngest patient in Australia, a three month old child, and for her expertise in many forms of implantable hearing devices.

In the future, Catherine would like to see an even greater enhancement of treatment strategies.

“I hope to see greater improvements in cochlear implant technology in the future, with even better outcomes and more people with hearing loss willing to embrace these wonderful medical inventions,” she concluded.

Learn more about Catherine’s clinical work and research.

Anne discusses how the human brain makes sense of the squiggly lines we call writing, how far the bounds of neuroplasticity really go, and how the brain damage interviewer Ben Mckelvey suffered as a result of a stroke may be similar to the effects of dyslexia on children.

Missed others in our podcast series? Meet Professor Jeanette Kennett, last week’s featured interview, and hear from others in our series.

The study originated from an idea proposed by the NSW Cancer Council scientist Dr Visalini Nair-Shalliker, and then was shaped by a team of Macquarie urologists and scientists, with Professor Howard Gurney in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences as principal investigator.

“Some forms of prostate cancer are very slow growing and rarely spread to other parts of the body and ideally should not be treated with aggressive surgery. Such patients are watched carefully on an ‘active surveillance’ program but 30 to 50 per cent progress and require a prostatectomy or radiotherapy,” said Howard.

“Preliminary evidence shows that the use of high dose vitamin D might slow cancer growth, and this study will test whether the use of high dose vitamin D in such patients will slow cancer growth and reduce the need for aggressive therapy,” he concluded.

The study will be coordinated by Macquarie University and will be undertaken in more than 10 centres throughout Australia with 120 patients.

Preliminary results are expected in about three years and, if positive, will trigger a larger international randomised study to prove the effectiveness of Vitamin D in this setting.

The meeting was organised to discuss how countries in the G77 could use the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP), developed by the King of Thailand to successfully implement the UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In her presentation, Gayle outlined the SEP process, showing delegates how it applied to several of the SDGs. Her research into sustainable leadership is of great interest in Thailand, which is looking for practical, evidence-based guidelines for implementing the SEP.

“My associates and I have often been invited to address large audiences and conduct various research projects based on the SEP, including editing a forthcoming book of case studies by Thai experts about applying the SEP to business, health, education, community development, prisoner rehabilitation and agriculture,” said Gayle .

The G77 is equivalent to the United Nations’s G20 but for developing economies, giving them an enhanced negotiating capacity in the United Nations. The group currently includes 134 member countries, with Thailand being the chair in 2016.

“The meeting in Thailand is just one of many forums where experts and policy makers can work together to help achieve UN goals,” said Gayle . She has been invited to address the G77 again, at its meeting in June.

 Learn more about Gayle and her research.

Brian will examine mechanisms of choice and decision in the honeybee brain to enable the computer modelling of the insect brain.

“Being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Macquarie is a unique opportunity to establish strong international collaborations while achieving great advances in our understanding of the insect brain,” said Brian.

“Understanding how the brain works, processes thought, and how both thought and decisions emerge from brain circuitry are the last grand challenges of modern neuroscience. Working with Dr Barron, I am examining mechanisms of choice and decision in the honeybee brain to enable computer modelling of insect brain function.”

The Scholarships are awarded by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission, which promotes education and cultural exchange between Australia and the United States in order to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen relations between the two countries.

In the fourth installment of our Pioneering Minds Podcast series, listeners meet this week’s guest, Professor Jeanette Kennett from the Department of Philosophy.

Jeanette is a pioneer of neurolaw – a new interdisciplinary field that investigates the relationship between neuroscience and law. In her interview with Ben Mckelvey, she discusses the implications of this field on moral agency, criminality and culpability, the establishment of the neurolaw database, and how she was drawn to questions of justice.

Missed others in our podcast series? Meet Rifaie Tammas, last week’s featured interview, and hear from others in our series.

The Network is part of a broader University strategy developed under the Strategic Research Framework to support ECRs and help them achieve world-leading research at Macquarie. The launch  marked the first event for the Network and will be followed by regular professional development and networking opportunities throughout the year and beyond. According to Professor Lesley Hughes: “Macquarie is building a network that is both supportive and informative to help early career researchers develop their careers.”

Professor Hughes, who has driven the establishment of the Early Career Researcher Support Strategy, says the strategy aspires ‘at the most basic level to raise the bar of ECR support and provide opportunities for all’. Both Professor Hughes and Professor Pretorius acknowledged the many challenges facing today’s early career researchers.

Professor Pretorius described the ECR Support Strategy as an example of our commitment to supporting researchers who have the hunger and aspiration to become future research ‘black belts’. His message to early career researchers was to find balance and not to ‘prioritise what is on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities’, also emphasising the importance of family, friends and wellbeing to a flourishing career.

Early career biologist and 2015 recipient of the NSW Young Tall Poppy Award, Dr Rachael Gallagher, spoke about early career researchers deserving the very best in support and mentorship that Macquarie University can offer and urged her peers to make the most of the opportunities available.

Professor Hughes encourages ECRs to make the Network their own by engaging with events and contributing feedback and suggestions.

Discover more about the Network via the ECR website, Faculty ECR Representatives or via the monthly ECR News email.

Learn more about recent research success stories and external research prizes and award opportunities.

We are keen to hear your story ideas so we can potentially tell a wider audience about the good things happening at the University. There are several proactive steps you can take in partnership with the Communications team:

• Are you happy to comment on your area of expertise in the media? Introduce yourself to our team so we can match you up with the right opportunities. Call (02) 9850 6766 or email communications@mq.edu.au and inform us of your area of expertise and current mobile number. We will not share your mobile number with media or others without your permission. This is for us to contact you swiftly as media opportunities arise that are relevant to you.

• Got a specific story you’d like to share?
  Spend five minutes filling in this simple briefing form to get us up to speed – make sure you notify us in plenty of time!

• Do you use a work-associated Twitter handle (eg, @yourname)? Let us know!
  Are you active on Twitter? Knowing your Twitter handle means we can ‘tag’ you in tweets from the popular Macquarie University account, so your work and media successes link back to you. Email mktg.socialmedia@mq.edu.au.

• Does your expertise cover science, technology or health science topics? Register as an expert in Scimex (Science Media Exchange)
  From the Australian Science Media Centre, Scimex is a website for journalists, scientists and research organisations. It offers upcoming news digests to science journalists, and profiles individuals in their field of expertise to encourage accurate reporting of science stories – register your profile now!

• Looking to upskill before speaking to media?
  The communications team, in collaboration with renowned broadcaster Richard Morecroft, offers free media training for staff who engage with media. Register for one of our 2016 seminars: Foundations of Media Engagement. Places are limited.

If you are interested in receiving regular updates on where Macquarie appears in the media, you can also sign up to our daily media report, sent directly to your inbox. Notify the Communications team to join the mailing list: communications@mq.edu.au.

Recent Macquarie stories

Professor David McAlpine, Director of Hearing Research at the Australian Hearing Hub, contributed the article ‘Just turn that music down’ in The Australian, commenting on the dangers to hearing during the music festival season. The opinion piece was widely mentioned across radio and television, and Professor McAlpine was interviewed on ABC News 24 and ABC radio, as well as 2GB’s Sydney Live program and 2UE.

Professor Culum Brown from the Department of Biological Sciences provided comment to The New York Times about his research which tracks the movements of sharks to gain insight into their social behaviour. The research found that sharks appear to seek the company of other sharks. Further coverage then appeared in the Australian Financial Review.

A specialist social media team has joined Group Marketing at Macquarie, taking the wheel of the University’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, and generating new and exciting content across these platforms. The team has been working on a new series of Pioneering Minds podcasts that share the exciting stories of nine different Macquarie researchers.

“There is no shortage of big ideas and fascinating people here at Macquarie and the philosophy behind the podcast was to allow our audience to dig a little deeper than what Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have on offer,” says podcast interviewer and social media team leader, Ben Mckelvey.

The series was launched earlier this month with an in-depth and personal discussion with Distinguished Professor David Christian, who gave his unique perspective on historical study, his time in Soviet Russia, the economics of vodka, his relationship with Bill Gates and the founding of the Big History program. The episode has been well received with around 300 people having already listened to the first instalment of the series.

The second episode discusses papyrology and the forensic investigation of the gospel of Jesus’ wife with Associate Professor Malcolm Choat.

While only two episodes have been released so far, there are already plans in the works for another season. The podcasts will come to represent the innovative and stimulating collection of stories the University has to offer.

“We’re keen to continue building a rich library of Macquarie stories that complement our other media and marketing activities and highlight the key fields of research, learning and teaching here at the University,” says John Chatterton, Chief Marketing Officer.

Listen to the first two instalments of the podcast series below or subscribe to the series through iTunes or SoundCloud.