10 Amazing Things You Didn’t Know About Griffith

16/08/2019

10 Amazing Things You Didn’t Know About Griffith

I’ve been at this uni for over three years now and yet I learn something new about it all the time. Whether it’s some cool tech or an amazing department I had no idea about, there is always something super awesome to enjoy, particularly within the scientific field.

It’s not just on campus either. Griffith students, staff, and departments have had a hand in some pretty amazing scientific discoveries. Sometimes you don’t even realise what incredible things your university is working on when you’re so caught up in your own degree. That’s where I come in! Here is a list of some of the amazing, mind-blowing work Griffith has been a part of in 2019.

1. Discovered a new human species

Director of Griffith’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Professor Rainer Grün, analysed the bones of a new human species found in a cave in the Philippines.

Read more about the discovery here.

2. Increased survival chances of cancer patients

Griffith University researcher, Professor Sally-Ann Poulsen, found that a patient’s resistance to a chemotherapy drug used to treat a specific type of brain cancer can be reversed.

Read more about the discovery here.

3. Developed sci-fi worthy technology

A research team from Griffith University’s Centre for Quantum Dynamics created a prototype for a device I barely understand – but I know it’s super cool. The device can generate all possible futures in a simultaneous quantum superposition.

Read more about the discovery here.

4. Shaped environmental policy & practice

Griffith University scientists (who are Eureka Prize-winning, just FYI) provided research on the impacts of erosion activity to the quality of the Great Barrier Reef – informing $60 million worth of investment.

Read more about the discovery here.

5. Discovered a new species of spider

What can only be described as my absolute worst nightmare, PhD student and all round brave human being Jeremy Wilson, discovered a new species of trapdoor spider located between the Sunshine Coast and north of Gympie – bringing the terrifying total of discovered trapdoor spider species to four.

Read more about the discovery here.

6. Protected young children

Professor Martine Powell and Associate Professor Benoit Leclerc are leading two new projects for the Australian Institute of Criminology’s Child Exploitation Material Reduction Program that aims to reduce child exploitation material.

7. Provided expertise to change the way oceans are used

Griffith University is partnering up with Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre to benefit the Australian energy, seafood and marine environment industries. The five research programs combined will have an estimated $4.44 billion worth of impact.

8. Solved a quantum physics mystery

In more news of things I don’t quite understand, an international research team led by Griffith University physicists have measured the time it takes for a particle to tunnel through a barrier. It’s a game-changing world-first!

Read more about the discovery here.

9. Improved patient care

Griffith University’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland has conducted research funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council to determine the best protocol for maintaining IV catheters in patients’ veins – improving health practices worldwide.

Read more about the discovery here.

10. Protected the environment

The Griffith Centre for Coastal Management has spent the past two decades working on preserving the 53 km of open beaches on Queensland’s Gold Coast – enhancing coastal engineering expertise and capacity in the region, contributing to a sustainable management plan for the city’s beaches over the next 50 years.