QUT offers a diverse range of student topics for Honours, Masters and PhD study. Search to find a topic that interests you or propose your own research topic to a prospective QUT supervisor. You may also ask a prospective supervisor to help you identify or refine a research topic.
Found 20 matching student topics
Displaying 1–12 of 20 results
Supported and Substitute Decision-making
Associate Professor Shih-Ning Then is looking for PhD/MPhil candidates wishing to explore legal and policy responses to decision-making by, and on behalf of, adults with a decision-making impairment. Candidates with an interest in the human rights concept of supported decision-making and legal responses to this are encouraged to contact the supervisor. Doctrinal, comparative or empirical approaches to investigating these issues are possible.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
- Research centre(s)
-
Australian Centre for Health Law Research
How should the law distinguish between people who can make legally effective decisions and those who cannot?
Dr Sam Boyle is looking for candidates wanting to explore the ethical and legal issues that the issue of capacity gives rise to. In particular, candidates may want to consider how the law can validly incorporate medical understanding of mental functioning into the legal sphere.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
- Research centre(s)
-
Australian Centre for Health Law Research
Involuntary Treatment for Mental Illness: Under what circumstances is it ethically justified?
Dr Sam Boyle is looking for candidates wanting to explore the ethical and legal issues associated with providing involuntary treatment for people with mental illnesses. Candidates may explore this issue in relation to ethics, human rights, or any other relevant angle, including an international comparative approach.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
- Research centre(s)
-
Australian Centre for Health Law Research
Should Australia legislate to allow three parent babies?
In 2015, the United Kingdom legalised a form of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) therapy known as ‘three-parent IVF’ and, less colloquially, mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT). This IVF procedure is aimed at enabling women who have mitochondrial diseases that would normally be passed down to their offspring to have a healthy child instead. The technique involves removing faulty mitochondria from the intended mother’s egg and replacing them with mitochondria from a generically unrelated woman (by transferring the intended mother's nucleus to …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
- Research centre(s)
-
Australian Centre for Health Law Research
Understanding responsible deployment of computer vision for urban planning
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offer urban planning practice many novel prospects. By the responsive use of AI, planners can effectively analyse data, improve processes, increase efficiency, and prioritise human-centric aspects of planning to develop sustainable cities. Computer vision is one of the key areas where responsible AI is applied in urban planning to revolutionise the analysis and interpretation of visual data, like images and videos captured in cities to aid decision and plan making processes. While the potential impacts …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Architecture and Built Environment
Unveiling the explainability imperative in medical AI
As AI systems become increasingly prevalent in medical applications, the need for explainable AI (XAI) has become crucial. This research investigates the critical issue of explainability in medical artificial intelligence (AI) systems. This project investigates methods for improving the interpretability and transparency of AI models used in medical diagnosis, treatment planning, and prognosis prediction. Understanding the reasoning behind AI-driven decisions is essential for building trust among healthcare professionals and ensuring patient safety.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Public Health and Social Work
Ethical and Legal Implications of RPA and Enterprise Automation
Examine the ethical and legal implications of RPA/Enterprise Automation adoption in organisations. Research can focus on addressing issues such as data privacy, transparency, accountability, and the impact of RPA/Automation on human employment, culture, and structure.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
Hostile Interaction Design
Hostile interaction design has emerged as a critical issue in contemporary digital environments, where design decisions increasingly prioritise institutional and corporate interests over the needs of users and citizens. Drawing parallels to hostile architecture—where physical spaces are designed to control behaviour, such as anti-homeless spikes or uncomfortable public seating—hostile interaction design manifests in digital systems as frustrating, impersonal, or obstructive experiences. These designs often shield corporations and governments from accountability, erecting barriers that prevent users from seeking help, lodging complaints, …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice
- School
- School of Design
- Research centre(s)
- Digital Media Research Centre
Design Lab
Climate change and trustees: powers, duties, responsibilities and liabilities
Trustees have a duty to act in the best interests of beneficiaries. In particular, it has been held that “(w)hen the purpose of the trust is to provide financial benefits for the beneficiaries, as is usually the case, the best interests of the beneficiaries are normally their best financial interests.” (Cowan v Scargill [1985] 1 Ch 270 at 286 per Megarry VC) This may require consideration of not only the economic well-being of the trust fund more generally, but also …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
- Research centre(s)
-
Australian Centre for Health Law Research
Empowering communities with DataCare: ethical data practices for smart cities
Smart cities hold immense potential for progress, but their success hinges on citizen empowerment and ethical data practices. Our research initiative, DataCare, aims at reshaping the landscape of smart cities by prioritising citizens, communities, and small businesses. This project, developed in collaboration with Brisbane Residents United (BRU), focuses on transforming smart cities from profit-driven entities to community-led developments.BRU is a community association serving as a vital grassroots advocacy and peer support network for suburban and local resident groups across Greater …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice
- School
- School of Design
- Research centre(s)
- Digital Media Research Centre
Design Lab
Investigation of genetic factors that contribute to concussion and its outcomes
The health outcomes from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and concussion depend on the nature of the injury, but response also varies greatly between individuals, suggesting that genetic factors may play a role. In particular, due to effects of head trauma on balances of ions, neurotransmitters and energy use in the brain, there is suggestion that variation in the genes that encode proteins involved in these pathways, e.g. ion channels, may affect the risk of, as well as response to a …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Biomedical Sciences
The role of genetics in the development and mechanism of human traits
The Statistical and Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory (SGEL) studies the role of genetics in the development and mechanism of human traits, with particular emphasis on migraine, and the specific goal of identifying genetic risk factors and detecting common genetic links with other disorders, in particular depression, endometriosis, and epilepsy.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Biomedical Sciences
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health
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