Faculty of Health 2

Doctor of Philosophy

ATACK, Anthony Robert

Thesis Title

Identification of Molecular Drivers of Osteoblast Stimulation by Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cells

Supervisors

• Dr Nathalie Bock  (Associate Supervisor)
• Distinguished Professor Dietmar Hutmacher  (Associate Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Elizabeth Deborah Williams  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

Prostate cancer has a unique propensity to stimulate excessive bone formation amongst cancers that frequently spread to the bone. How prostate cancer stimulates excessivebone formation to occur is not understood, and this remains a roadblock to the development of novel therapies to improve the life of men with advanced prostate cancer. Toaddress this critical knowledge gap, this thesis presents a novel tissue-engineered model that recapitulates prostate cancer induced bone formation in the laboratory andresulted in new insights that represent a significant step towards addressing this clinically significant problem.

BALDWIN, Louise Kathleen

Thesis Title

Barriers and Facilitators for Sustaining Chronic Disease Prevention Health Promotion Programs in Australia

Supervisors

• Adjunct Professor Mary-Louise Fleming  (Principal Supervisor)
• Adjunct Professor Monika Janda  (Associate Supervisor)

Citation

The benefits of preventive health approaches in reducing disease and illness, building healthy communities and cost-savings are well cited, however, long-term implementationand sustainability of these approaches remains challenging. This research presents a framework for health promotion practice enabling integration of community-informedpreventive actions across systems, policy, practices and environments to help build healthy communities.  Without sustainable implementation approaches, evidence intopractice is slow and the true benefits of preventive approaches for Australian’s health aren’t realised. Several barriers and facilitators were identified and the need for greaterattention to planning for sustainability at the commencement of health promotion programs.

BATHO, Christopher Alexander Philipp

Thesis Title

The Role of the Mevalonate Pathway in Cardiac Maturation and Regeneration

Supervisors

• Adjunct Professor John James Atherton  (External Supervisor)
• Adjunct Professor James Edward Hudson  (Principal Supervisor)
• Adjunct Associate Professor Richard James Mills  (Associate Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Peter Molenaar  (Associate Supervisor)

Citation

Shortly after birth, the muscle cells of the heart, cardiomyocytes, lose the ability to proliferate meaning that any damage that occurs in adult life is irreparable. This Thesisdemonstrated that metabolic products that modify the function of specific proteins can control cardiomyocyte proliferation and ultimately discovered 3 candidates for cardiacregenerative therapy development. In addition, the protein modification, known as prenylation, was found to affect an additional 35 proteins in heart cells. This work provides afoundation for future studies to investigate the potential involvement of these proteins in proliferation and other processes involved in cardiac function.

BIDGOOD, Charles Liam

Thesis Title

Investigating the Role of Mitochondrial Energy Rewiring Throughout Prostate Cancer Progression

Supervisors

• Dr Jennifer Gunter  (Principal Supervisor)
• Professor Colleen Coyne Nelson  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Lisa Kate Philp  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Carl Martin Sadowski  (External Supervisor)

Citation

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous cancer in men. Despite effective first-line therapies, approximately 30% of patients will recur with advanceddisease, highlighting an unmet clinical burden. This project investigated the role of mitochondrial plasticity within the progression of prostate cancer and within the onset oftherapeutic resistance to commonly prescribed androgen targeted medications. As a result of the work performed in this thesis, we have identified a key metabolic pathwaydriving advanced prostate cancer progression and propose novel therapeutic strategies which inhibits an enzyme critical to this molecular adaption.

CLARK, James David

Thesis Title

Understanding Mental Toughness in Women's Australian Rules Football: A Sociocultural, Situational, and Behavioural Examination

Supervisors

• Dr Tristan Jon Coulter  (Principal Supervisor)
• Professor Clifford John Mallett  (External Supervisor)
• Professor Gene Margaret Moyle  (Mentoring Supervisor)

Citation

Mental toughness research previously has been focussed on defining and measuring MT – primarily with male participants. This thesis explored the ‘meaning’ of MT at anAFLW club, the situations that require MT over the course of a football season, and the behaviours that demonstrate MT in a competitive football match. The three studies offera comprehensive view of MT in women’s Australian rules football. Overall, themes of resilience, physical toughness, and caring for teammates characterised MT in women’sAustralian rules football and were apparent at all levels of investigation.

COLLARO, Andrew James

Thesis Title

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lung Function: Determinants, Outcomes, and Reference Values

Supervisors

• Dr Tamara Louise Blake  (External Supervisor)
• Professor Anne Bernadette Chang  (External Supervisor)
• Mark Chatfield  (External Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Julie Maree Marchant  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Margaret Sarolta McElrea  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

This thesis (1) examines the impact specialist respiratory outreach services operating in regional and remote Queensland is having on the lung function of children and adultsseen and treated, (2) improves interpretation of lung function testing through the development of First Nations specific reference values and validation of existing referenceequations, (3) describes associations between reduced lung function and future all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease risk in First Nations peoples, and (4) describesthe impact of early childhood respiratory infections on lifelong lung function both within Australia and across throughout the world.

CRONIN, Alanah Valerie

Thesis Title

Interpretation and Presentation of Statistical Methods: Understanding Statistical Evidence in the Australian Criminal Justice System

Supervisors

• Professor Benjamin Peter Mathews  (Associate Supervisor)
• Professor Nathan Subramaniam  (Mentoring Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Dimitrios Vagenas  (Principal Supervisor)
• Dr Janet Williams  (External Supervisor)

Citation

This thesis advanced our knowledge of the challenges of juror and lay understanding of statistical evidence in the criminal justice system through a systematic review of the literature and three empirical studies involving lay participants, scientific experts, and legal professionals. The research highlighted variations in evidence presentation, factors influencing juror comprehension, and revealed consistent misinterpretations across evidence formats. It paves the way for future research and empirically demonstrates the need for interventions to promote fairer trial outcomes.

CROWTHER, Rian

Thesis Title

Ecological Dynamics of Spin Bowling in Cricket: Adapting to Environmental Constraints

Supervisors

• Dr Adam David Gorman  (Principal Supervisor)
• Dr Alex Kountouris  (External Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Ian Renshaw  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Mark William Sayers  (External Supervisor)
• Dr Wayne Spratford  (External Supervisor)

Citation

The problem with traditional conceptions of skill acquisition is that there is an assumption that the performance and the environment in which it takes place are mutuallyexclusive. Using cricket spin bowling as the primary task, this research used the principles of skill acquisition to demonstrate the unique influence the pitch surface has onshaping spin bowlers’ movement solutions and performance outcomes during match play. This research has real world application as it focused on a performance problem thatcurrently exists when Australian spin bowlers are tasked with adapting their skills to perform in international conditions.

GAUTAM, Rupesh

Thesis Title

International Migration of Adult Children and its Effects on the Health of Left Behind Older Parents in Nepal

Supervisors

• Dr Alvaro Ignacio Correa Velez  (Principal Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Kate Elizabeth Murray  (Associate Supervisor)

Citation

International migration of Nepali youth has been on a rise alongside the population share of older Nepali adults. This mixed-methods study involving older Nepali parents ofmigrant and non-migrant children explored how adult children's emigration affects left-behind parents. Outcomes were assessed using quality of life, nutritional status, andpsychosocial effects. Quantitative analyses showed children's migration alone did not significantly affect the first two outcomes, but several sociodemographic factors did.Qualitative synthesis showed that parents of migrant children longed for the children's presence in their lives, especially in their final days, but were uncertain of that ever beinga reality.

GERBER, Michael Andreas

Thesis Title

Attention Management to Improve Fallback-Readiness in Conditional Automated Vehicles

Supervisors

• Professor Daniel McCarthy Johnson  (Associate Supervisor)
• Professor Andry Rakotonirainy  (Associate Supervisor)
• Professor Ronald Schroeter  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

This work explores the management of driver attention in Conditional Automated Driving (CAD) to improve situation awareness for safer control transitions. The researchdevelops an attention management system that facilitates interleaved transitions between non-driving-related activities and vehicle supervision. The system is based on theencoded information of automation reliability to indicate the likelihood of an upcoming transition. The research addresses three research questions and presents a tool toprototype and evaluate the impacts of interfaces. The findings suggest that managed interruptions initiate a phase of interleaved attention, hinting towards improved situationawareness, and may benefit safety without negatively impacting usability.

GHAFFAR, Ammarah

Thesis Title

Identifying and Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of Migraine via Functional Interpretation of Genome-Wide Association study (GWAS) Data

Supervisors

• Associate Professor Divya Deepak Mehta  (Associate Supervisor)
• Professor Dale Robert Nyholt  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

Migraine is the most common brain disorder, affecting almost 14% of the adult population, yet its molecular mechanisms and pathogenic tissue(s) remain unclear. In this thesis, I have developed a novel approach that uses genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data to impute genetically regulated tissue-specific gene expression and prioritise disease-relevant pathogenic tissues. In subsequent studies, I compared three transcriptome imputation models to characterise genome-wide significant migraine GWAS risk loci and identified 14 novel migraine risk loci that were confirmed to be true risk loci in a recent larger migraine GWAS.

HAYIXIBAYI, Alimila

Thesis Title

A Social Systems Approach to Understanding Problematic Internet Use Amongst Adolescents in China

Supervisors

• Weiqing Chen  (External Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Adrian Bruce Kelly  (Associate Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Esben Stig Strodl  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

This PhD explored a range of psychosocial risk factors for adolescent problematic internet use (PIU). A survey was conducted among 6552 adolescents (aged 10-19 years) in Guangdong, China. The findings suggest that adolescents experiencing less warmth, and more conflict from parents, teachers and peers are more likely to experience PIU, with these associations mediated by mental health concerns including conduct problems and school anxiety. Therefore, this PhD highlights that to reduce PIU, improving the quality of family and school relationships can be an important pathway, as well as adolescents’ mental health, with targeted school and familybased prevention and intervention programs.

ISLAM, Md Rafiqul

Thesis Title

Investigating the Genetic Relationship Between Migraine and Headache with Glucose-Related Traits

Supervisors

• Associate Professor Divya Deepak Mehta  (Associate Supervisor)
• Professor Dale Robert Nyholt  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

Epidemiological studies have found conflicting evidence for an association of migraine and headache with glucose-related traits, and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying such an association remain unknown. In this PhD thesis, I showed that migraine, headache, and glycemic traits share a common genetic etiology, and identified novel genes and biological pathways jointly influencing migraine and glucose-related traits that offer novel insights into their underlying genetic mechanisms. Additionally, I found a causal relationship between headache and fasting proinsulin, suggesting that fasting proinsulin decreases the risk of headache and may offer new avenues for developing more effective preventive measures.

JAMES, Kyle

Thesis Title

DNA-MAP, A Knowledge-Based Decision Support System for Australian Defence Force Forensic Ancestry Prediction

Supervisors

• Distinguished Professor Lynette Robyn Griffiths  (Associate Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Dimitrios Vagenas  (Principal Supervisor)
• Dr Janet Williams  (External Supervisor)
• Dr Kirsty Wright  (External Supervisor)

Citation

Development of a Knowledge-Based Decision Support System to predict ancestry of the remains of missing World War Two soldiers in South-East Asia. By utilizing biologicaland historical information provided by the user, ancestry is assigned based on complex statistical analyses searching for distinctive patterns in the DNA that distinguishbetween the Australian and Japanese populations. Important features taken into consideration are the detection of a rare event, the effect of sample size and the impact ofnatural variation.

JOHNSTON, Elizabeth Amy

Thesis Title

Dietary Intake, Care, and Communication after Primary Treatment for Ovarian Cancer

Supervisors

• Associate Professor Stuart John Ekberg  (Associate Supervisor)
• Adjunct Professor Penelope Webb  (External Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Jolieke van der Pols  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

Of those diagnosed with ovarian cancer, less than half survive more than five years post-diagnosis. This thesis contributed to research efforts for improving ovarian cancersurvival, and the quality of survivorship care provided, by investigating dietary intake, care, and communication after primary treatment for ovarian cancer. This program of workprovided a qualitative account of dietary practices post-treatment, contributed evidence for the effect of protein intake on survival, reported for the first time on engagement withdietitian services, and identified communication practices that facilitate discussion and support for diet, nutrition, and weight-related issues using direct observation ofpost-treatment consultations.

KHAKZAR, Mahrokh

Thesis Title

Design and Development of a Contextualised Interaction-Aware Trajectory Prediction System

Supervisors

• Dr Andy Bond  (External Supervisor)
• Dr Sebastien Demmel  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Gregoire Sebastien Larue  (External Supervisor)
• Professor Andry Rakotonirainy  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

The rapid progression of technology, exemplified by collision avoidance systems, has presented novel opportunities for reducing the incidence and severity of road crashes.Effective delivery of driver collision warnings, in a timely manner, is a critical factor for improving driver responses and acceptance. This research contributes valuableknowledge regarding the parameters that significantly impact the design of Vehicle Trajectory Prediction (VTP) systems. Results highlight the effectiveness of integrating drivingperformance and environmental features in the design of VTP systems. Specifically, an interaction-aware VTP system is proposed, which yields a 10% increase in the accuracyof the VTP system.

KHATRI K C, Jyoti

Thesis Title

Toward an Understanding of Women's Roles and Resilience in Natural Hazards

Supervisors

• Dr Margaret Joanne Durham  (Associate Supervisor)
• Adjunct Professor Vivienne Carol Tippett  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

Women are recognised as important actors in disaster management, but their actual contribution is poorly understood in rural villages of Nepal. This study contributes to fillingthis critical gap by examining the role of women’s groups also called mother’s groups (Aama Samuha), established as Self-help groups in rural Nepalese communities. Thefindings suggests that women’s group contribute to all phases of disaster management (i.e., preparedness, response, recovery, and risk mitigation). They also contribute totackling social, economic, environmental and health impacts both in pre-and post-disaster through unique leadership strategies fostering community resilience and long-termsocial change.

KUHN, Larissa

Thesis Title

Functional Quadriceps Muscle-Tendon Properties in Knee Pain

Supervisors

• Dr Torsten Brauner  (External Supervisor)
• Thomas Horstmann  (External Supervisor)
• Professor Michael Andreas Schuetz  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Thomas Philip Walsh  (Principal Supervisor)
• Professor Scott Wearing  (External Supervisor)

Citation

The patellar tendon of the knee transmits the force from the thigh muscle and is prone to injury. Tendon injuries occur in athletes but also in people following knee surgery. This study evaluated tendon properties during activities of daily living and their relation to pain and pathology using a novel ultrasound approach in healthy people, in people with patellar tendon injury, and following total knee replacement. For the first time, tendon properties were shown to differ between injured athletes and people following total knee replacement. This thesis provided implications for the prevention and rehabilitation of painful knee disorders.

MASCELLONI, Matteo

Thesis Title

Cascaded Activation and Neuronal Oscillations During Speech Production

Supervisors

• Adjunct Professor Catherine Liegeois-Chauvel  (External Supervisor)
• Professor Katie Louise McMahon  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Vitoria Piai  (External Supervisor)
• Professor Greig Ian de Zubicaray  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

The present thesis investigates the cognitive architecture of spoken word production using a combination of behavioural and neurophysiological methods. Through a series ofexperiments, the author aims to shed light on longstanding debates surrounding the role of phonology and semantics in word production, and their interplay in different stagesof the production process. The findings of this work contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying spoken language production, and have implications fortheories of language and cognitive processing more broadly.

MCCUSKER, Suzanne

Thesis Title

Describing Mechanisms Supporting Macrophage-Promoted Escape of PTEN-Deficient Prostate Cancer Cells to Understand Disease Recurrence

Supervisors

• Associate Professor Sally-Anne Stephenson  (Associate Supervisor)
• Adjunct Professor David John James Waugh  (Principal Supervisor)
• Dr Melissa Wilson  (External Supervisor)

Citation

The thesis aimed to understand the importance of macrophage infiltration in promoting the relapse of PTEN-deficient prostate cancer after radiation and identify the key factors that facilitate communication between tumour cells and macrophages. Using novel engineered 3D tumour models, the data identifies the importance of the radiation-induced chemokine CXCL8 in facilitating macrophage-induced proliferation and invasion of PTEN-deficient prostate cancer cells. These findings suggest that targeting CXCL8 signalling is a promising strategy and future clinical opportunity to combat relapse after radiotherapy in high-risk patients.

MESRIAN TANHA, Hamzeh

Thesis Title

Identifying and Characterising Blood Biomarkers Associated with Migraine Risk

Supervisors

• Distinguished Professor Lynette Robyn Griffiths  (Associate Supervisor)
• Professor Dale Robert Nyholt  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

Genetic studies for migraine have identified genetic risk variants and shown that significant proportion of variance in migraine occurrence in a population is due to geneticvariants. Similarly, genetic variants contribute to blood biomarkers levels. This PhD aimed to use genetic data to identify blood biomarkers associated with the risk of migraine.The results associated migraine to multiple lipids and suggested a causally protective role for a longer fatty acid length against migraine. This thesis also found 58 newmigraine-associated proteins and genes and showed that 5 of those could represent novel therapeutic tools for the treatment against migraine.

MITCHELL, Melinda Rose

Thesis Title

Investigation of Y-Chromosomal Markers for Historical Military Identifications

Supervisors

• Distinguished Professor Lynette Robyn Griffiths  (Principal Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Larisa Margaret Haupt  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Kirsty Wright  (External Supervisor)

Citation

Genetic information from World War One Australian soldiers’ skeletal remains found in mass graves overseas is often incomplete, complicating the task of identification. Thisthesis investigated alternative methods of identifying these remains; specifically, new methods interrogating genetic information inherited from one’s father were explored.Publicly available genetic information from an online database, as well as genetic information isolated from living individuals, indicated alternative genetic markers inheritedfrom the father may resolve these identification cases. This research should aid in the identification of servicemen remains and provide important closure information for theirfamilies.

MOLLOY, Christopher James

Thesis Title

Enhancing 5-Fluorouracil Therapy in Colorectal Cancer Patients: Targeting a Novel Cell Cycle Signalling Axis

Supervisors

• Dr Mark Nathaniel Adams  (Associate Supervisor)
• Professor Kenneth John O'Byrne  (Principal Supervisor)
• Professor Derek John Richard  (Mentoring Supervisor)

Citation

A common therapy for colorectal cancer is chemotherapy including the agent 5-fluorouracil. However, this therapy fails to adequately treat all colorectal cancers with resistancea common issue. This thesis examines a protein involved in regulation of cellular growth and cell division, and levels of this protein are elevated in cancers including colorectalcancer. This project investigated potential pathways that this protein could be exploited; both as a marker to indicate whether a tumour will respond to 5-fluorouracil, as well aswhether this protein is a potential drug target for improving chemotherapy response for patients living with colorectal cancer.

NEWELL, Rhys John Pembroke

Thesis Title

Bioinformatic Methods for Genome-Centric Metagenomics

Supervisors

• Dr Mikael Boden  (External Supervisor)
• Professor Gene Tyson  (Mentoring Supervisor)
• Dr Benjamin James Woodcroft  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

This thesis contains the analysis and benchmarking of multiple new computational tools to study communities of microorganisms. Each chapter represents a new program.‘Rosella’ and ‘Aviary’ improve recovery of genomes from metagenomes, while ‘Lorikeet’ allows for rapid analysis of strain-level diversity within microbial communities. The useof these programs will allow researchers to answer important questions about the microorganisms present in a wide range of environments, from human gut to soil, and howthey affect the health of us and our planet.

RIECK, Murray John

Thesis Title

Perspectives of Life Experiences Held by Parents of Young Adults with Intellectual Disability Who Share the Family Home: Enduring Strength from a Labour of Love

Supervisors

• Dr Zoe Jessie Hazelwood  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Marie Frances Knox  (External Supervisor)
• Professor Jane Elizabeth Shakespeare-Finch  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

This research explored the lived experience of parents of a young adult child with intellectual disability who lives with them in the family home. Forty-four in-depth interviews were held collaboratively with participants. Importantly this study provided parents with the opportunity to give voice to their story as members of a silenced group. A new model of understanding parents’ experiences emerged from analysis of the interview transcripts. Themes are parents’ Being-In-Time-With-Others (complexity of life), Labour of Love (agency of family), and Enduring Strength (outcomes of the parental experience). Implications and utility of the model were identified from parents’ own stories.

SABUJ, Mohammad Zaidur Rahman

Thesis Title

Inhaled Ciprofloxacin-loaded Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) Nanoparticle Dry Powder Inhaler Formulation for the Management of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Supervisors

• Professor Timothy Dargaville  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Mohd Nazrul Islam  (Principal Supervisor)
• Adjunct Professor Lisa Monique Nissen  (Associate Supervisor)

Citation

This project developed inhaled antibiotic-loaded polymer nanoparticulate dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulation for managing lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Itinvestigated the applicability of the formulated nanoparticles (NPs) for lung delivery to treat LRTIs. The thesis revealed that the developed DPI formulation could controlrespiratory pathogens at a very low dose of antibiotics and be safe for lung delivery.

SADIA, Amina

Thesis Title

Understanding Eating and Drinking Behaviours in Pakistani University Students

Supervisors

• Dr Myra Cooper  (External Supervisor)
• Rukhsana Kausar  (External Supervisor)
• Professor Nigar Gohar Khawaja  (Associate Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Esben Stig Strodl  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

Maladaptive eating behaviours are well-researched in Western countries as the main drivers of obesity. Pakistani practitioners adopt Western conceptual models to understand obesogenic eating behaviours (OEBs). However, these models provide incomplete explanations as they miss important culturally specific reasons for OEBs. This PhD involved two sequential multimethod studies in developing and validating a model conceptualising culturally sensitive OEBs and their associated psychosocial and cultural risk factors in Pakistani university students. The findings confirmed the role of inconsistent dieting in students with a high BMI. This research has potential application in developing future interventions to manage and prevent OEBs.

SAHIN, Katherine Bahar

Thesis Title

Evaluation of Cell Division Cycle Associated Protein 3 (CDCA3) as a Novel Prognostic/Therapeutic Target for EGFR-mutant Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Supervisors

• Dr Mark Nathaniel Adams  (Principal Supervisor)
• Professor Kenneth John O'Byrne  (Associate Supervisor)
• Professor Derek John Richard  (Associate Supervisor)

Citation

This thesis defined a unique role for the protein cell division cycle associated protein-3 (CDCA3) in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). This thesis has established an association between the levels of CDCA3 expression and the tumour response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), which are thefront-line therapy for EGFR-mutant NSCLC. In this disease, CDCA3 functions to modulate cellular growth pathways to impact sensitivity towards TKI therapy. Future work mightenable development of a clinical stratification tool to discern TKI responsive from non-responsive EGFR-mutant NSCLC tumours.

SEVIIRI, Mathias

Thesis Title

Leveraging Statistical Genetics Approaches to Explore Skin Cancer Risk, Prediction, Causation and Survival

Supervisors

• Adjunct Associate Professor Matthew Law  (Associate Supervisor)
• Adjunct Associate Professor Stuart Macgregor  (Principal Supervisor)
• Professor Dale Robert Nyholt  (Associate Supervisor)

Citation

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy in the world leading to significant morbidity, mortality, and health costs. This thesis utilises innovative statistical approaches todissect why people develop skin cancer, to better understand its risk factors, and if our genes influence who dies from skin cancer. This study has identified over 20 novelgenes for skin cancer risk and survival, uncovering potential drug targets for treating skin cancer. The study also showed that genetic information can be harnessed to improveprediction of skin cancer risk in organ transplantees, facilitating precision care in this high risk population group.

SURIJAH, Edwin Adrianta

Thesis Title

A Longitudinal Study of Couple Resilience in Indonesia: Examining the Role of Risk, Protective Factors and Positive Adaption Within Romantic Relationships

Supervisors

• Associate Professor Kate Elizabeth Murray  (Associate Supervisor)
• Professor Ian Martin Shochet  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

Marriage is perceived to be an important milestone for many Indonesians. This longitudinal study examined ae couple resilience framework to ascertain how married individualsmaintain or regain marital satisfaction in the face of challenges, both within and outside the marriage. A total of 135 participants reported their weekly stress, coping, and maritalsatisfaction over six weeks. It was found that expressing support to a partner, developing positive interpretations of challenges, and working together with the partner to dealwith the challenges compensate for the impact of stress. These findings inform strategies within Indonesian society to develop resilient marriages.

TRAN, Thi Ngoc Mai Mai

Thesis Title

Development of an Evidence-Informed Amphetamine-Type Stimulants Intervention Program in the Vietnamese Context

Supervisors

• Professor Philip Baker  (Principal Supervisor)
• Adjunct Professor Michael Patrick Dunne  (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Le Minh Giang  (External Supervisor)

Citation

Globally, illicit drug use remains a concern with many emerging issues. A significant change in illicit drug usage patterns has occurred in recent years, with the emergence ofamphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) replacing earlier illicit drugs such as heroin, opium. This PhD study clarified many of the debated issues in the literature regarding theeffectiveness of psychosocial interventions on people who use ATS, showing just how effective psychotherapeutic interventions are and providing practical guidance. The thesis then demonstrated solutions that can be implemented in a resource-limited setting like Vietnam to manage drug misuse and related harms.

VAN AKKER, Suzannah Rose

Thesis Title

The Evaluation and Elucidation of Bioactive Compounds from the Australian Native Tree Cupaniopsis anacaradioides

Supervisors

• Dr Trudi Anne Collet  (Principal Supervisor)
• Dr Satish Natha Dighe  (External Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Elizabeth Deborah Williams  (Associate Supervisor)

Citation

Australia is home to a staggering diversity of endemic flora, which have evolved in relative geographic isolation since the early Miocene Epoch.  Australian native plants are anuntapped resource and offer the alluring prospect of discovering novel chemical entities with unique modes of action. In this study, a comprehensive phytochemical andpharmacological investigation of Cupaniopsis anacardioides was undertaken to determine the antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-Alzheimer’s disease, and anti-prostate cancerpotential of the native plant.

WANG, Lu

Thesis Title

Functional Evaluation of New Breast Cancer Risk-Associated Long Noncoding RNAs

Supervisors

• Adjunct Professor Louise Marie Bishop  (Associate Supervisor)
• Adjunct Associate Professor Stacey Edwards  (Principal Supervisor)
• Adjunct Associate Professor Juliet French  (Associate Supervisor)

Citation

In this thesis, we performed the first ever CRISPR-Cas13d screen to identify genetically linked long-non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) involved in breast cancer development. Weidentified a 6.7 kb novel lncRNA, called K-LNC, transcribed from the 18q11 breast cancer risk region. Overexpression of K-LNC selectively induced apoptosis in breast cancercells, but not in normal breast cells. We expect that modulation of K-LNC expression or function may provide a new therapeutic strategy for breast cancer.

ZAHARI, Ilyanoon

Thesis Title

Effect of Chemotherapy on the Ocular Surface and Its Relationship to Peripheral Neuropathy

Supervisors

• Dr Ricardo Andrade  (External Supervisor)
• Dr Catherine Patrice Edwards  (Principal Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Katrina Leanne Schmid  (Associate Supervisor)

Citation

As breast cancer survival rates improve, so do the number of women impacted by the side effects of anticancer agents. This project focused on two side effects ofchemotherapy: peripheral neuropathy and ocular surface changes or dry eye. A prospective case-control study showed that women who undergone chemotherapy experiencedmore severe ocular surface symptoms, such as dry eye, up to 5 years post-treatment. Some of these ocular surface changes showed association with peripheral neuropathy,indicated by reduced small and large sensory nerve fibre function. Understanding these anticancer agents' long-term impact on the ocular surface will contribute to betterpatient management.

Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Awards

JADHAO, Sudhir Shriram

Thesis Title

Integrated Bioinformatics Prototype to Improve Blood Type Compatibility Testing

Supervisors

• Adjunct Professor Robert Lewis Powell Flower  (Associate Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Shivashankar Hiriyur Nagaraj  (Principal Supervisor)
• Dr Natalie Maria Pecheniuk  (Associate Supervisor)
• Professor Derek John Richard  (Mentoring Supervisor)

Citation

Blood transfusion is an essential cornerstone of haematological care, patients requiring repetitive transfusion remain at persistent risk of alloimmunisation due to the human blood group polymorphisms. The overall objective of the study was to provide a new basis for pre-transfusion testing by facilitating the accurate characterisation of an individual's complete blood group variant profile using NGS data of a large multi-ethnic cohort. To accomplish the objective, an automated bioinformatics platform was created to predict blood group antigen profiles and, using the platform, new polymorphisms of the blood group antigens in the Australian Caucasian descendent and Aboriginal Tiwi population were uncovered.

THOMPSON, Courtney Jane

Thesis Title

The development, validation and assessment of a food literacy questionnaire (IFLQ-19)

Supervisors

• Dr Jean Adams  (External Supervisor)
• Dr Rebecca Ann Byrne  (Associate Supervisor)
• Associate Professor Helen Anna Vidgen  (Principal Supervisor)

Citation

The purpose of this thesis was to develop a food literacy questionnaire consistent with an internationally agreed upon conceptualisation and investigate the relationshipbetween food literacy, diet quality and food security in Australian adults. Four studies were conducted to determine content validity, face validity, targeting, responsiveness,validity and reliability.  This resulted in the 100-item International Food Literacy Questionnaire, the IFLQ-19.  A weak, positive correlation was found between food literacy anddiet quality and food security. Areas for future work include improving the usability of the IFLQ-19 and developing interventions to improve diet quality and food security.