College of Science and Engineering Academic Groups Physical Sciences Physical Sciences Research Projects

Physical Sciences Research Projects

Research projects in Physical Sciences are listed below for each discipline. The availability of each project for Undergraduate/Study Abroad (UG/SA), Honours (Hons), Masters (MSc), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) modes of study are shown.

Mathematics

Supervisor(s)ProjectUG/SAHonsMScPhD
A/Prof Shaun Belward Large scale curriculum design ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Learning and teaching strategies for diverse cohorts of first year mathematics students ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Learning and teaching strategies for preservice secondary mathematics teachers (PSTs) ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Mathematical modelling, embedded in a disciplinary context (by negotiation with cognate disciplines) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
A/Prof Yvette Everingham Statistical Modelling and Data Mining Applications ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Climate Impacts and Prediction ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Statistical Methods for Simulating Agricultural Systems ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Data mining for tropical solutions ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Chemistry

Supervisor(s)ProjectUG/SAHonsMScPhD
Prof Peter Junk Environmentally Friendly Corrosion Inhibitors based on Rare earth Elements ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Rare Earth Organometallic Chemistry – an Exciting Emerging Chemistry ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Development of the chemistry of rare earth pseudo-Grignard reagents; Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity ✘ ✘ ✔ ✔
Development of new high oxidation state rare earth chemistry with emphasis on CeIV and then extending to the greater challenge of PrIV and TbIV ✘ ✘ ✔ ✔
Preparation of new lanthanoid/ or GroupII/Al bimetallics, e.g. pyrazolato-lanthanoid and -alkaline earth tetramethylaluminates for use in 1,3-diene polymerization ✘ ✘ ✔ ✔
A/Prof Michael Oelgemoeller Eradicate Insect-borne Diseases with Light ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Continuous (Micro)flow photochemistry – Lab & Light on a chip ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Green Photochemistry – Synthesis of Commodity Chemicals with Sunlight ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Medicinal Photochemistry – Synthesis of bioactive compounds with light ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Sustainable Aquaculture Water Treatment ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals in environmental waters ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Dr Murray Davies Catalytic Aerial oxidation of alkenes and alkanes by oxo-centred trinuclear transition metal complexes: Selectivity and kinetics studios ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Preparation and characterisation of synthetic model complexes of non-heme iron oxidase enzymes and investigation of their catalytic potential ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Modelling the Active Sites of Dinuclear Cu and Fe Metalloenzymes using Heterodentate Binucleating Macrocyclic Ligands ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Preparation and characterisation of potential single molecule Molecular Magnets ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Ligand Induced Oxidative Addition Reactions of Pt(II) Complexes ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Dr Mark Robertson Flow synthesis of new anti-parasitic agents to combat neglected tropical disease. ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Biodiscovery of natural products from indigenous Australian medicinal flora ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Harnessing solar power in organic synthesis ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Dr Rosalie Hocking Designing catalysts for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.  Background needed: Chemistry, particularly physical and analytical chemistry ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Development of new sensing technologies for nutrients Interdisciplinary project involves a mix of chemistry, instrumentation science and IT. Must have an interest in interdisciplinary research and collaboration. ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Novel metal sulphides for reductive transformations. Background needed Chemistry particularly Electrochemistry ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Astrobiology and the Evolution of Metalloenzyme like catalysts: Question- Does Mackinawite concentrate Mo? ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Physics

Supervisor(s)ProjectUG/SAHonsMScPhD
Prof Peter Ridd Image recognition systems for agricultural and environmental pest control ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Sediment transport in the Great Barrier Reef and relative influence of natural and anthropogenic factors ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Developing scientific quality assurance systems for science being used for large public policy decisions ✘ ✘ ✔ ✔
Prof Ron White Fundamental scattering and transport processes for plasma medicine ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Modelling of electron, hole and excitonic transport processes in organic semi-conductor devices ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Electron, positron and ion transport processes in soft-condensed matter for application in medical imaging and therapeutic techniques ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Fractional transport processes ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
NIR spectroscopy for rapid and non-invasive assessments within the primary industries ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
A/Prof Daniel Kosov Quantum transport in nanoscale molecular systems ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Quantum simulation of finFET and gate-all around  <10 nm semiconductor transistors ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Quantum smell - inelastic electron transport theory of human olfaction ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Nanoscale thermoelectric energy harvesters ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Out-of-equilibrium catalysis of chemical reactions by electronic tunnel currents ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Dr Sara Brice Inertial sensor use for monitoring elite athlete performance ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Biomechanical differences between male and female hammer throwers ✘ ✔ ✘ ✘
Performance enhancement in elite sport  ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔