Medicine and Health Sciences

Faculty of Health Sciences website

Executive Dean: Professor Justin Beilby

Associate Dean (Research) & Chair, Research Committee: Professor Andrew Somogyi

Manager, Faculty Research Secretariat: Dr Christiane Niess

Phone: 61 8 8303 3248
Fax: 61 8 8303 3788
Email: admissions.health@adelaide.edu.au

Program enquiries:
Students should consult the postgraduate coordinator in the relevant discipline as listed below.

Enrolment enquiries: Adelaide Graduate Centre
Phone: 61 8 8303 5882
Email: graduate.centre@adelaide.edu.au

* Research Training Scheme (RTS) - Currently all commencing "local" higher degree by research students at the University of Adelaide are awarded a Research Training Scheme (RTS) place. The RTS place entitles the student to a maximum period of four years of tuition fee exempt candidature to undertake a PhD program or two years of tuition fee exempt candidature to undertake a Masters program. This means there is no HECS debt at the end of the program.
"local" includes Australian citizens or permanent residents and New Zealand citizens.

International
¹ The quoted fee is a base fee that will be subject to an annual increase of up to 3% (5% from 2009 and later) for each of the subsequent years in the program for the duration published on this site. Students completing the program beyond the maximum published period will be subject to a new base fee.

About the Faculty

The University of Adelaide's Faculty of Health Sciences has a long and distinguished history of outstanding research in the fields of medicine, dentistry, nursing, psychology and the health sciences. Our researchers are recognised internationally for their fundamental and clinically relevant research and their impact on practice and public policy. Faculty of Health Sciences researchers range across a broad spectrum of enquiry. Our researchers are exploring remedies or preventative measures for some of the most serious and common health conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory diseases, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and stroke. Adelaide researchers actively collaborate with colleagues at major universities across Asia, Europe and North America. Since 1885, the medical disciplines have formed one of Australia's most prestigious medical schools, with many of its graduates making significant contributions to medicine and medical research in Australia and overseas. The University's main campus forms part of a thriving medical research precinct in the heart of the city where Adelaide medical scientists work in partnership with industry, governments, hospitals and other research agencies. The University has a particularly close relationship with the South Australian teaching hospitals, opening up a wide range of research opportunities for postgraduate students in clinical settings. Adelaide remains the lead site in Australia for a large number of multi-centre international clinical trials and clinically based research more generally. The strength of the Faculty's researchers is highlighted by our continuing success in attracting the majority of the funding for South Australia from the nation's peak medical research sponsor, the National Health and Medical Research Council as well through successfully attracting support from a variety of other funding sponsors nationally and internationally. This success has helped to support and provide infrastructure for the large postgraduate student community within the Faculty.

The Faculty of Health Sciences hosts three University of Adelaide Research Centres - the Australian Research Centre for Oral Population Health, the Centre for Reproductive Health and the Centre for Early Origins of Adult Health - as well as a number of externally funded research centres. Furthermore, Faculty researchers lead two of the University's multi-disciplinary Research Clusters - Healthy Ageing and Healthy Development Adelaide - and play leading roles in two others: Computational Neuroscience, and Defence and Security.

A review of the School based research interests identified below highlights the diversity of the research being undertaken and the cross disciplinary nature of much of this work.

Research Interests

The Faculty is comprised of the School of Dentistry, School of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, School of Paediatrics & Reproductive Health, School of Population Health & Clinical Practice and the School of Psychology. Schools are involved with teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate students, and are heavily committed to research in many aspects of the particular discipline.

Research is also undertaken jointly between disciplines in the Faculty and teaching hospitals, including the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Women's and Children's Hospital, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Modbury Hospital, South Australian Dental Service and a number of other hospitals affiliated with the School.

There are also strong links with the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Sciences, the Hanson Institute and the CSIRO. Research can be undertaken in the following disciplines, whose research interests are listed below.

Medicine Learning & Teaching Unit

Phone: 61 8 8303 7580 (general office)
Fax: 61 8 8303 6225
Email: anne.tonkin@adelaide.edu.au

Medicine Learning & Teaching Unit website

The Medicine Learning & Teaching Unit (MLTU) has research interests in student learning in the context of an integrated PBL curriculum, clinical teaching, curriculum design and implementation, evaluation and assessment. Current research projects are investigating the development of reasoning ability, assessment of performance in a clinical setting, curriculum implementation, and the role of language in learning in medicine. With the implementation of the new curriculum there are a range of opportunities to investigate elements of this program as part of a research study.

School of Medical Sciences

Anatomical Sciences

Phone: 61 8 8303 5488
Fax: 61 8 8303 4398
Email: bruce.firth@adelaide.edu.au

Anatomical Sciences website

• Anatomical variations
• Biological and forensic anthropology
• Biology of skin responses to ultraviolet radiation
• Blood brain barrier in traumatic brain injury
• Cell biology of sperm, eggs and fertilisation in mammals
• Connective tissue research
• Demyelination and degeneration in the nervous system
• Dynamics of germ cell production in mammals
• Growth and regulation of development of the gastrointestinal tract
• Human body size & shape
• Pineal complex and circadian biology and thermoregulation in reptiles

Pathology

Phone: 61 8 8303 3180
Fax: 61 8 8303 4408
Email: david.haynes@adelaide.edu.au

Pathology website

• Bone and joint research
• Bone loss in malignancy
• Brain oedema
• Connective tissue pathology & physiology
• Inflammation
• Neuropathology
• Osteoporosis
• Paediatric forensic pathology with a specific interest in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Parkinson's Disease
• Spinal research
• Stroke
• Traumatic brain injury

Pharmacology

Phone: 61 8 8303 5976
Fax: 61 8 8224 0685
Email: rod.irvine@adelaide.edu.au

Pharmacology website

• Clinical and experimental pharmacology of drugs of dependence and abuse
• Clinical trials of drugs to treat heroin and methamphetamine dependence
• Drug metabolism transport and pharmacokinetics
• Gastrointestinal transport mechanisms
• Molecular pharmacology
• Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics
• Pharmacology of pain management
• Quality use of medicines
• Substituted amphetamine neurotoxicity

School of Medicine

School of Medicine website

Medicine (Queen Elizabeth Hospital)

Email: jenny.kennedy@nwahs.sa.gov.au

• Basic neuroscience in genetics
• Basic neuroscience in genetics of stroke
• Cell physiology and molecular science in nerve, gut, kidney, cardiac, synovial and respiratory tissues
• Clinical science in gastroenterology, geriatrics, cardiology, rheumatology, neurology, respiratory and renal areas
• Population health and epidemiology of chronic disease
• Stem cell research

Medicine (Royal Adelaide Hospital, IMVS/Hanson Institute)

Phone: 61 8 8222 3145
Fax: 61 8 8222 3217
Email: david.callen@imvs.sa.gov.au

• Ageing
• Appetite, nutrition, obesity and diabetes mellitus
• Bone loss in malignancy
• Cancer research (including internationally recognised expertise in breast and prostate cancer)
• Cancer immunology
• Cardiovascular research
• Functional neuroscience of human movement, cognition and behaviour
• Gastrointestinal motor function
• Haemopoietic stem cell transplantation including cord blood transplantation
• Leukaemia biology and targeted drug development
• Men's health, androgens, androgen receptors and prostate disease
• Mesenchymal stem cell biology and tissue regeneration
• Nerve gut research
• Metabolic bone and joint disease
• Nutrition in critical illness
• Programmed cell death
• Public health
• Respiratory physiology
• Vitamin D

Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Phone: 61 8 8222 2729
Fax: 61 8 8222 2741
Email: robert.casson@adelaide.edu.au

Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences website

• Analysis of chromosomal translocations in ocular-adnexal MALT lymphoma
• Anterior capsule phimosis with foldable and rollable IOL's
• Anterior segment OCT examining effective lens position of ThinOptx IOL's following biaxial phacoemulsification
• Aspects of optic nerve pathology after retinal excitotoxic injury
• Astigmatism
• Detection of bacterial and viral DNA in ocular-adnexal lymphoma
• Early molecular events after neuronal injury
• Establishment of optimal choice of type of aspheric IOL to match corneal asphericity
• Examination of the effect of smoking on the outcome of LASIK and PRK
• Glaucoma and retina diseases
• Immunohistochemistry of normal lacrimal sac and tumours of lacrimal sac
• Indigenous eye health
• Intraocular lens implant
• Optic nerve pathology in experimental glaucoma
• Osteopontin in the retina
• Phacotrabeculectomy using a biaxial phacoemulsification technique
• Prevalence and causes of visual impairment
• Prevalence and risk factors for cataract and retinal disease in central Sri Lanka
• Proliferative markers in basal cell carcinoma and in orbital cavernous haemangioma
• Risk factors of common age-related eye diseases
• The effect of ultra-short pulsed laser on trabecular meshwork cells.

Orthopaedics and Trauma

Phone: 61 8 8222 5760
Fax: 61 8 8232 3065
Email: oksana.holubowycz@adelaide.edu.au

Orthopaedics and Trauma website

• Bone cancers
• Bone cell biology
• Bone imaging
• Bone structure and function
• Hand and upper limb
• Hip reconstruction
• Joint disorders
• Joint replacement surgery
• Musculoskeletal disease, trauma and rehabilitation
• Pathological bone loss
• Spinal trauma and disease

Psychiatry

Phone: 61 8 8222 5141
Fax: 61 8 8222 2865
Email: helen.winefield@adelaide.edu.au

Psychiatry website

• Ageing and memory
• Antipsychotic medication
• Cognitive function in schizophrenia
• Cross-cultural studies of schizophrenia
• Delirium in inpatient settings
• Depression in conjunction with other medical problems
• Effects of trauma in indigenous Australians
• Ethnographic studies in community mental health
• Ethnographic studies of the homeless mentally ill
• First episode psychosis
• Integrated primary mental health care
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Suicide and attempted suicide
• Undergraduate and postgraduate medical education

Surgery (Royal Adelaide Hospital)

Phone: 61 8 8222 4155
Fax: 61 8 8222 5896
Email: neville.deyoung@adelaide.edu.au

Surgery website

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Head injury neurotrauma, spinal cord trauma
• Medical education
• Oesophageal cancer and Barrett's oesophagus treatment and gene expression
• Sentinal lymph node surgery in breast cancer and melanoma treatment
• Tumour immunology
• Tumour antigens and dendritic cells
• The immune system and tumour growth
• Melanoma vaccine therapy
• Operative complications and risks

Surgery (Queen Elizabeth Hospital)

Phone: 61 8 8222 7541
Fax: 61 8 8222 6028
Email: prue.cowled@adelaide.edu.au

Surgery website

• Biliary surgery
• Colon cancer
• Colorectal surgery
• Haemodynamics of incompetent calf perforating veins
• Health technology assessment in surgery
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Liver surgery
• Minimally invasive surgical techniques

School of Paediatrics & Reproductive Health

School of Paediatrics & Reproductive Health website

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Phone: 61 8 8303 4090
Fax: 61 8 8222 6028
Email: david.kennaway@adelaide.edu.au

Obstetrics and Gynaecology website

• Advanced reproductive technologies
• Circadian physiology
• Early origins of adult diseases
• Embryology
• Fetal and placental growth and development
• Genetic disorders in reproductive medicine
• Human reproductive endocrinology and metabolism
• Hypertension in pregnancy
• Infertility
• Menopause and hormone therapy
• Ovarian physiology in human and domesticated species
• Randomised clinical trials in maternal, fetal, perinatal and reproductive medicine
• Reproductive epidemiology
• Reproductive immunology
• Xenotransplantation and adult stem cells

Paediatrics

Phone: 61 8 8161 6562
Fax: 61 8 8161 7031
Email: simon.barry@adelaide.edu.au

Paediatrics website

• Allergy
• Cellular immunology (cancer biology, immune system development, cell signaling)
• Child and adolescent health services research
• Child and adolescent mental health
• Child and adolescent public health
• Child health and nutrition
• Complex carbohydrates and lysosomal diseases
• Consumer involvement in health care curriculum development, especially in child health
• Diabetes and endocrinology in children
• Genetics and molecular genetics
• Genetic medicine (lysosomal diseases, neurogenetics)
• Immunology
• Paediatric gastroenterology and respiratory medicine
• Rheumatology and vaccinology
• Tissue growth and repair (bone, gut and skin)

School of Population Health & Clinical Practice

School of Population Health & Clinical Practice website

Centre for Military and Veterans' Health

Phone: 61 8 8303 5200
Fax: 61 8 8303 5368
Email: alexander.mcfarlane@adelaide.edu.au

Centre for Military and Veterans' Health website

The Centre for Military and Veterans' Health (CMVH) is an internationally-unique, academic community and military partnership which is dedicated to innovatively seeking solutions to military and veterans' health issues through research, postgraduate education and professional development, e-Health and public debate.

• Long term effects of lead exposure on cognitive ability
• Mental health outcomes of deployed personnel
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

General Practice

Phone: 61 8 8303 3569
Fax: 61 8 8303 3511
Email: annette.braunackmayer@adelaide.edu.au

General Practice website

• Clinical trials
• Data management and analysis
• Gender and health
• General practice nursing
• Grief and palliative care
• Health inequalities and sociology of health
• Health services research
• HIV and hepatitis C in primary care
• Management of cardiovascular disease in primary care
• Medical education
• Mental health
• Multi-method research using qualitative/interpretive methods and quantitative techniques
• Primary health care practice in rural and remote areas, and international health
• Psychological aspects of cancer screening
• Respiratory health

Nursing

Phone: 61 8 8303 4878
Fax: 61 8 8303 3594
Email: rick.wiechula@adelaide.edu.au

Nursing website

• Change management and clinical audit
• Clinical research
• Design and analysis of research studies
• Embedding evidence in health systems and decision support systems
• Evidence review, synthesis, transfer and utilisation/implementation
• Health services research

Public Health

Phone: 61 8 8303 3569
Fax: 61 8 8303 3511
Email: annette.braunackmayer@adelaide.edu.au

Public Health website

Women's & children's health

• Cancer screening
• Child growth & development
• Perinatal epidemiology

Health services & health systems research

• Evidence-based health care
• Health economics
• Clinical trials and longitudinal studies
• Health program evaluation
• Health promotion
• Health technology assessment
• Public health ethics

Environmental health, particularly communicable diseases & occupational health

• Infectious diseases epidemiology
• Climate change and health
• Occupational hazards

Rural Health

Phone: 61 8 8303 6030
Fax: 61 8 8683 2095
Email: jonathan.newbury@adelaide.edu.au

Spencer Gulf Rural Health School website

• Community based studies to counter overweight and obesity
• Community development in rural health workforce
• Epidemiology of osteoporosis and lung disease in Aboriginal communities
• Indigenous health

School of Psychology

Phone: 61 8 8303 5693
Fax: 61 8 8303 3770
Email: martha.augoustinos@adelaide.edu.au

School of Psychology website

Clinical and Health Psychology

• Assessment and management of pain in children
• Early intervention and prevention of mental health problems
• Health services evaluation
• Intellectual disability - epidemiology and psychopathology
• Needs assessment and support services for people with disabilities
• Occupational stress
• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Psychosocial aspects of chronic illness
• Unemployment and health
• Neuropsychological investigations of acquired brain damage and impairments associated with aging

Cognitive Psychology

• Categorisation and knowledge representation
• Changes in information processing associated with aging
• Cognitive development in children
• Factors influencing gambling behaviour
• Human decision-making
• Theories of intelligence and its measurement
• Language processing
• Memory
• Optimising the human-machine interface
• Perceptual motor organization

Social and Organisational Psychology

• Cultural factors influencing organisational behaviour and work
• Individual differences in personality
• Discourse and rhetoric
• Forgiveness and social justice
• Human performance under stress
• Social representations theory
• Sports psychology