Welcome back to the Early Start Expert Insight Podcast, where knowledge meets innovation! 🌟 In today's episode, we're thrilled to feature Associate Professor Dylan Cliff and dive into the dynamic world of children's movement behaviours. 🏃

As an expert in physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and digital technologies, Dylan is on a mission to promote healthy levels of movement behaviors among children. With over $42 Million in competitive funding and more than 130 peer-reviewed journal articles under his belt, he is currently leading the Sleep and Activity Database for the Early Years (SADEY), funded by the Australian Research Council. 

🎧 Tune in and don't miss this enlightening discussion on children's movement behaviors and digital technologies! 🌠🤸‍♀️ We explore the ground-breaking work of Dylan Cliff, a key member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. 🌐👨‍👦‍👦

🔗 #EarlyStartPodcast #ChildDevelopment #DigitalChild #MovementBehaviours #ResearchInnovation

Early Start Expert Insight Ep.10 A/Prof. Dylan Cliff

Did you know that cancer cells can be heterogeneous? This means that the primary and secondary tumours can have a different cell presentation to one another. Through 3D printed-biodegradable implants, Elahe's research is retraining the way the body responds to the threat of cancer. Additionally, this form of immunotherapy empowers cells to gain a memory function so that they can recognise, rally and defeat cancer - should it reoccur.

Ep. 11 Elahe Mineai

Chloe's fascinating research explores how women navigate treatment systems for opioid use disorder. Through in-person studies that delve beyond statistics, she examines the intersection of gender theory and substance misuse. Her nuanced approach aims to uncover the unique barriers women face when seeking and receiving treatment. By shedding light on these challenges, she hopes to destigmatise help-seeking behaviours and pave the way for safer, more effective healing journeys.

Ep. 12 Chloe Haynes

Today, we welcome Alanna into the studio to learn about her research, which details how the ANZAC legend has been used as a political tool to encourage nationalism and military support. Her examination of this phenomenon has uncovered some very interesting findings, including the way the government manipulates the narrative and limits discourse on Australia's war history.

Ep. 13 Alanna Dargan Miller

Dr Kelly Lewer talks with us about the impact of domestic and sexual violence on health and wellbeing.  

About Dr Lewer
Dr Kelly Lewer has 28 years’ experience as a Registered Nurse. She is also a Lecturer in the School of Nursing at UOW. 

Her PhD (2019) explored the challenges and opportunities for women who choose to leave a violent relationship. It focused on university students, who she says have largely been absent from the literature, especially women who embark on university study in the aftermath of domestic violence. 

She says her research found that university study, like other forms of education, has favourable consequences for women post domestic violence.

You can read the full thesis here: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses1/676/ 



Ep1 Talking Health Innovations - Dr Kelly Lewer

Dr Joel Zugai talks with us about about how paternalism can be properly integrated into mental healthcare, involuntarily admitting someone to hospital due to psychotic mental illness is an example of paternalism. So for example, he's interested in how we distinguish justifiable force from unjustifiable force. 

He's critical of the most recent WHO and UN guidelines that demand the complete elimination of coercive care, and I outline my reasons (please see attached letter to the editor).

Dr Zugai is also discusses caring for patients with anorexia nervosa.

About Dr Zugai

Dr Zugai is a Registered Nurse and Senior Lecturer of mental health nursing in the School of Nursing at UOW. He describes himself as a mental health researcher. The majority of his research to date has focused on the care of people with anorexia nervosa.

Ep2 Talking Health Innovations - Dr Joel Zugai

Professor Caleb Ferguson talks with us about how using wearable technologies, such as smartwatches, to monitor heart conditions, can make people more anxious about their health.

About Professor Ferguson
Prof. Caleb Ferguson is a Registered Nurse and the Director of Health Innovations at UOW. He is a Professor of Nursing (Chronic and Complex care) and is an expert in cardiovascular disease and technology supported self-management.  He has published over 145 academic publications.

In a recent article for 'The Conversation', Prof. Ferguson wrote about wearable trackers and monitors (such as smartwatches). He said that for people living with heart conditions, they can provide important information, including updates about abnormalities in heart rate and rhythm. However a recent study in the journal of the American Heart Association found using wearables to monitor heart conditions can actually make people more anxious about their health.

Prof. Ferguson says it’s a catch-22 situation: the wearable device may help you better manage your chronic heart condition, but wearing it could make you anxious – which is bad for those conditions.

Ep3 Talking Health Innovations - Prof. Caleb Ferguson

Professor Charlton talks with us about one of her current research projects the ‘Let’s Talk About Food’ survey. This is the largest survey of it’s kind in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven. The survey of households will find out what people think about the region’s food environment.  

About Professor Charlton
Prof. Charlton is an advanced accredited practising dietitian and registered public health nutritionist who teaches on the nutrition and dietetics programmes. Her research interests include diet and lifestyle interventions across the lifespan, including ageing in developing countries. 

Prof. Charlton is also part of the Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems Research Group who have sent 10,000 households in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven a survey flyer which will explore what people think about the region’s food environment. 

The survey will ask questions including:

Are there healthy takeaway options nearby? Are my children exposed to too many fast food outlets? What does a basket of groceries cost? What if I have dietary requirements? Is food insecurity a concern? How can I purchase fresh fruit and vegetables from independent farmers?

Previous research by the group revealed that when shopping for food, residents of these two regions face six times as many unhealthy food options, such as fast food outlets, compared to healthy ones, such as butchers, and fruit and vegetable shops.

The researchers say mapping the food environment of the Illawarra and Shoalhaven matters because it helps us to understand if everyone can easily access healthy food. Wollongong and Shellharbour Local Government Areas have the highest numbers of unhealthy food outlets compared to Kiama and Shoalhaven. They say “this imbalance not only makes it challenging for people in our community to choose nutritious foods but could also contribute to higher rates of diet-related health problems in the long term.”


Ep5 Talking Health Innovations - Prof. Karen Charlton

Dr Michael Macartney talks with us about a current research project he is leading which is a screening study of omega-3 status in elite Australian athletes. So far his team have 300+ samples completed from a range of athletes (rugby, basketball, running, hockey, winter Olympics etc).

About Dr Macartney
Dr Michael Macartney is Senior Lecturer in the Graduate School of Medicine at UOW. He researches and publishes in the fields of medical physiology, sport and exercise science, with a particular emphasis on performance nutrition. His current research explores the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiorespiratory, skeletal muscle and neural physiology.

Current research project
Dr Macartney says Omega-3 fatty acids are increasingly recommended for athletes across various sporting institutes. This is due to research showing Omega-3 is neuroprotective; improves cardiovascular function, recovery and health; is anti-inflammatory and can provide enhanced skeletal muscle fatigue resistance. 

His current study will recruit 500+ professional male and female athletes representing state, national or international level sport. They will evaluate the omega-3 status of the athletes to see whether they’re meeting suitable omega-3 status.

They’re hoping the research will clear up mixed conclusions and confusions surrounding omega-3 status in regard to athletes.


Ep6 Talking Health Innovations - Dr Michael Macartney

Dr Anne McMahon talks with us about placement poverty. Dr McMahon and Associate Professor Kelly Lambert recently finished interviewing more 600 Australasian students and said the results were alarming, with food insecurity being experienced by 77 per cent of students during placement, with 29 per cent sating they regularly skipped meals and experienced hunger due to poverty. 

About the researchers
A/Professor Lambert and Dr McMahon are researchers in the School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences. They are both experts in nutrition and dietetics and while they research different areas, they have come together to work on a project about placement poverty.

Current research
A/Prof. Lambert and Dr McMahon have worked together to understand the impacts of placement poverty on university students.

Placement poverty refers to the costs incurred while completing mandatory professional training as part of the university degree. This practice is common in teaching, nursing and medical degrees. It is also common in other caring professions such as social work, psychology, and dietetics. Most importantly, these placements must be completed on a full time basis.



Ep7 Talking Health Innovations - Dr Anne McMahon

Dr Cortie talks with us about the health workforce, and the shortfalls in rural and remote Australia. The reason this area is important is that ultimately healthcare is delivered by people – having the right people in the right areas is really difficult.

About Dr Cortie
Dr Colin Cortie is a passionate scientist looking to make a difference in the world. He has expertise in lipid biochemistry, clinical trials, and data analysis.

His latest research paper uses his data analysis skills to look at the health workforce in rural Australia.

The paper examined the demographic and workplace setting factors of doctors, nurses and midwives, and allied health professionals across the regions and the associated shortfalls in the health care workforce.

In Australia, small rural towns have the lowest number of health care workers per capita which is likely to lead to poor health outcomes for those regions.

For example, 80% of doctors work in metropolitan areas which leaves a serious shortfall for regional and rural areas. The greatest shortfalls are not in remote and very remote Australia, but are actually in small rural towns.


Ep8 Talking Health Innovations - Dr Colin Corte

Student journalism, storytelling, and creativity at the University of Wollongong.

Early Start Expert Insight Ep.10 A/Prof. Dylan Cliff

UOWTV

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