AFAS Victoria / AFAS FEAST-France Fellows – 2004-2010

 2004 Fellows

The inaugural presentation of three AFAS FEAST-France Fellowships was made in 2004.  In presenting the awards, Alain Moulet, Scientific Counsellor at the French Embassy, indicated that the fellowships were symbolic of the French commitment "to increasing our investment down under, especially as Victoria is considered to be at the forefront of innovation and research."

The three inaugural Fellows were Serryn Eagleson, Rick Barber and Micah Atkin.

For her work in urbanisation with the help of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Serryn Eagleson was put in contact with the French Government Agency DATAR, responsible for urbanisation and regional planning, as well as a couple of companies involved in space applications.

For Rick Barber and Micah Atkin, both undertaking research in micro-nanotechnology, visits were arranged to one of the world leaders in micro-fabrication, Léti in Grenoble, together with introductions to the French Micro-Nanotechnology Network (RMNT).
 

 
Pictured Left to right – John Acton, AFAS Victorian President, Serryn Eagleson, Pierre Seillan,
Deputy Head of Mission - French Embassy, Hon John Brumby, Minister for Innovation, Rick Barber and Micah Atkin
 

The AFAS FEAST-France Fellows for 2005 were Thanh Tam Chau, Hayley Newton and John Papandriopolous.

Thanh Tam Chau   At the time of receiving her award, Thanh Tam Chau was a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, where she was investigating the behaviour of emulsions at nanoscale.  Emulsions are key components in the manufacture of many foods, paints resins,pharmaceuticals and even explosives.  Ms Chau's research focussed on the effect of stabilisers on the interaction between droplets in emulsions with a view to understanding the structure-function relationships between stabilisers and oils in emulsions.

Hayley Newton   Hayley Newton was at the time a PhD candidate within the Department of Microbiology at Monash University.  She was investigating Legionella pneumophila, the bacterium that causes Legionnaire's disease, a rare and often life-threatening form of pneumonia.  L. pneumophilia is found in water ways, potting mix and artificial systems that use water for cooling, heating and industrial processes.  Through comparisons with other species of Legionella, Hayley has identified three genes that appear to be involved in L. pneumophilia's ability to cause disease in human cells.

John Papandriopoulos   John Papandriopoulos was a PhD candidate within the ARC Special Research Centre for Ultra-Broadband Information Networks (CUBIN), University of Melbourne.  He was developing new ways to improve the performance of wireless sensor networks which are expected to have a significant impact on many activities such as industrial automation, security monitoring and traffic control.  Physically tiny and cheap to deploy, sensors will soon find their way into a wide range of machines and devices.  They communicate through a wireless network – a new kind of  "internet for machines" – to create a system that is more powerful than its individual parts.

In October/November 2007, John featured both on the radio and in the press in relation to his development of an algorithm to reduce the electromagnetic interference that slows down ADSL ( Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line ) internet connections.  To view a copy of the article which appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald,  please click here.

The AFAS FEAST-France Fellows for 2006 were Bryan Fry, Hadi Lioe and Paul Stoddart.

Bryan Fry   Therapeutic potential of bioactive natural products   Bryan Fry benefitted from his Fellowship to investigate the evolution of the biochemical, molecular, structural and functional properties of animal venom proteins, with a particular emphasis on harnessing the natural power of potently active molecules.  He also took the opportunity to strengthen his links with colleagues from the Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris) with whom he jointly published a paper in Nature in February 2005 – Early Evolution of the Venom System in Lizards and Snakes.

Hadi Lioe   Ion Mass Mobility Spectrometers   Hadi Lioe travelled to France to undertake some investigations at the Laboratoire de Spectrométrie Ionique et Moléculaire in Lyon.  His studies related to the G-quadruplex structures found in certain strands of DNA (the telomeres) that are ultimately involved in cell death.  Specifically, using an ion-mobility mass spectrometer, he studied how various molecules could be used to stabilise these G-quadruplex structures.  As such investigations increase the understanding of how various biomolecules interact, it is hoped that this knowledge can be instrumental in the development of treatments for cancer.

Paul Stoddart   Laser-based methods to measure chemical concentrations   The aim of Paul Stoddart's visit to France was to investigate the manufacturing possibilities of a patented laser-based method to provide immediate chemical concentration measurements such as those needed for glucose testing for diabetics, and water quality testing.  He spent time at the Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel exploring the potential for fabricating arrays of oriented carbon nanotubes on optical fibres.

The AFAS FEAST-France Fellows for 2007 were Bryony Nayagam, Simon Craig and Andrew Walter.

Bryony Nayagam   Auditory neuroscience and stem cell biology   Bryony is involved in the development of techniques for restoring the function of the auditory nerve which transmits sound information to the brain – by replacing the specialised cells, called auditory neurons, that comprise it.  Although related to cochlear implants, Bryony's study has broad implications for the emerging field of neural transplantation – including for Parkinson's Disease and spinal cord injury – as transplanted cells must function in a normal manner if they are to benefit patients.   Bryony devoted her Fellowship funds to working, between 15 and 26 September 2008, with Senior Research Scientist Dr Marc Lenoir at the Institut des Neurosciences de Montpellier (INM), in the field of immuno-electron microscopy.

During 2008, the research being undertaken by Bryony Nayagam (née Coleman) featured in two French publications, the March 2008 edition (No.121) of Audio Infos (p.93), and the May-June 2008 edition (No.1) of Audiology Infos (p.40). The articles deal with the engraftment of stem cells into the deafened cochlea, which is a developing and challenging area of auditory neuroscience, expected to produce several benefits for cochlear implant recipients as well as informing related cell-replacement therapies in both the peripheral and central nervous systems.  In particular, the articles address a number of considerations that require thorough investigation before this therapy becomes clinically feasible.

Simon Craig   Fluid Fertilisers   Over the past 10 years, the use of fluid fertilizers in Australia has increased dramatically, especially in Western Australia and South Australia.  In Victoria, fluid fertilizer use is limited.  Research into its use for broad-acre cropping began in Victoria in 2001, but this research has been hindered by the drought.  Simon used his visit to France for gathering knowledge on the compatibility of fluid fertilizers with added fungicides and micronutrients.  This knowledge will be passed on to Victorian farmers and inform their uptake of fluid fertilizers.

Andrew Walter   Spintronics and quantum computing   In response to consumer demand for ever-smaller and faster devices, the electronics industry has identified the emerging fields of spintronics and quantum computing as the next step in the manufacture of electronic components.  Andrew participated in an international conference in France, dealing with the electronic and magnetic properties of nanometre thin metallic films to see if they are suitable for data storage applications.  His ongoing investigation includes manufacturing the films as well as designing and constructing equipment to analyse them.

The AFAS FEAST-France Fellows for 2008 were Adrian Orifici and Amy Richards.

Adrian Orifici   Aerospace Composite Materials   In recent years the aerospace industry has seen a rapid increase in the use of high-strength, lightweight, fibre-reinforced plastics known as composites.  Aerospace technologies are also expanding to include "smart structures" that monitor their own level of damage.   Adrian's study tour involved a one-week stay in Paris for visits to the leading institutions EADS Innovation Works, LMT-Cachan, ONERA and Ecole des Mines de Paris.  This involved exchanging research results from RMIT University and the Composites CRC, and discussions regarding opportunities for collaboration as well as future directions in aerospace and composites.   A presentation delivered by Adrian on his study tour may be viewed by clicking here.

Amy Richards   Lipids for the Future : From Agro-resources to Human Health   Fats and oils are a major and essential component of food.  They play a significant role in its texture, sensory characteristics and nutrition.  There is a move toward reducing the saturated and trans fat content in food and replacing it with healthier fats and oils.  It is also important to maintain the food quality and stability to which consumers are accustomed.  However, this requires a better understanding of the structural properties of these healthy fats, their physical characteristics during food preparation and storage, and their resistance to rancidity.   Amy's fellowship has given her the opportunity to participate in the 5th GERLI Lipidomics Meeting, held in France on 21-23 October 2008, as well as to develop collaborative links with the French Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The AFAS FEAST-France Fellows for 2009 were Sally Gras, Martin Leahy and Joanne Devlin.

Sally Gras   Dairy Product Microstructure   Understanding how raw components such as starter bacteria, milk protein and fat globules interact to form cheese is of intense interest to the Victorian dairy industry, in its bid to craft different varieties and textures of cheese and to turn low value products into innovative new ingredients.   Sally spent most of her time in France at the research centre of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) in Rennes (Brittany), with shorter visits to a number of other sites.  She also took the opportunity of undertaking a module of the European Dairy Technologist Soft Cheese course run by the National Dairy School at Poligny.  Her aim was to learn about advances in the understanding and control of dairy product microstructure and progress in functional food research.  She hopes her fellowship will build Victoria's capability in this area, ensuring that the Victorian dairy industry remains internationally competitive by boosting quality, reducing waste and decreasing risk associated with manufacture.

Sally is an early career researcher who trained as both an engineer and biologist.  She is a lecturer in Metabolic Engineering at the University of Melbourne and also leads a bioengineering research group at the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute.  She received her PhD from Cambridge University, UK in 2006.

Martin Leahy   Carbon Dioxide Sequestration   Understanding how to store carbon dioxide safely is particularly important for Victoria given its current dependence on brown coal for electricity generation.  Martin visited Schlumberger Carbon Services in suburban Paris and the Bureau Recherches Géologiques Minières (BRGM) in Orléans, with the aim of improving his understanding of carbon dioxide storage modelling and simulation.  He believes that his study tour has provided important technical guidance required by industry to help in the development and evaluation of carbon storage in Victoria.   Martin is currently undertaking a postdoctoral fellowship with CSIRO Petroleum Resources in Clayton.  He completed his PhD at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the University of Melbourne in 2006.

Joanne Devlin   Herpes Infections in Animals   Herpes viruses are a leading cause of disease in domestic animals and wildlife.  They have evolved in animals over 200 million years.  Once inside the animal, these viruses can hide from the immune system, establishing lifelong infections.   Joanne Devlin, a veterinarian and lecturer in Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology at the University of Melbourne, is researching new methods to control and prevent animal disease caused by these viruses.  She visited the Toulouse National Veterinary College, with the aim of learning more about how a viral protein, glycoprotein G, interacts with the immune system of birds.  This research is expected to assist in developing novel vaccines to control disease in a wide range of animal species.   Joanne graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) from the University of Sydney in 2001 and worked in private veterinary practice in Victoria before starting her PhD.  As well as lecturing, she is an Australian Research Council postdoctoral research fellow.  She completed her PhD at The University of Melbourne in 2006.

The AFAS Victoria Fellows for 2010 are Suzanne Ftouni and Baohua Jia.

Suzanne Ftouni
 
Motor Vehicle Collisions and Drowsiness
 
Feelings of drowsiness and fatigue while driving have been found to affect a driver's ability to safely maintain control of a vehicle due to performance decrements that become apparent as the driver's vigilance deteriorates.  With increased sleepiness, drivers show an increased likelihood of experiencing micro sleeps, periods of inattention, longer and more frequent eye closures and falling asleep at the wheel.
 
Suzanne Ftouni, who is undertaking research within the School of Psychology and Psychiatry at Monash University into the contribution of sleep loss and disruption to the incidence of motor vehicle collisions, plans to use her Fellowship to visit the Sleep Clinic of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) at the Université Bordeaux II.  This clinic is equipped with a state-of-the-art, real-time system for measuring driving performance in a natural setting.  Suzanne plans to use her visit for exploring alternative methods of assessment of driving performance.

Baohua Jia
 
Nanoplasmonic Solar Cells
 
Baohua Jia is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, at Swinburne University.  The focus of her research is on developing innovative nanostructures and nanomaterials through manipulating light for a wide range of applications, including all-optical communications and photovoltaic solar cells.  In particular, she has developed a novel solar technology called nanoplasmonic solar cells, which promises to yield dramatic improvements in the efficiency of solar cells and concurrently to lower their cost.  The new technology is regarded as underpinning the next generation of high-performance solar photovoltaic products.
 
Baohua Jia plans to use her Fellowship to present a paper at the SPIE (Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers) Eco-Photonics Conference in Strasbourg in March 2011, followed by visits to the Institut de Science et d'Ingénieurie Supramoléculaires (ISIS) in Strasbourg and the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Toulouse.