Victoria University awarded more than $2.3 million to improve health & data security

The Australian Government is providing more than $2.3 million to fund five research projects at Victoria University (VU) through the Australian Research Council (ARC).

VU’s world-class facilities support 28 research fields ranked at or above world standard, as recognised by Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) assessments.

“Victoria University is proud of its researchers and their commitment to ensuring that our research has local and global impact, and a positive influence on the community,” Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Professor Corinne Reid said.

“To have our work recognised by the Australian Government in this way is a significant achievement with 50% of our applications being funded in this round. This is testament to VU’s commitment to innovation and excellence.”

VU researcher Professor Hua Wang successfully secured funding to develop a web-based prototype to help keep sensitive information secure.

“It will be beneficial to government departments and businesses that need to share sensitive information between specific internal audiences and with nominated external audiences,” he said. “It is gratifying to have our work and VU Research acknowledged in this way.”

VU researcher Professor David Bishop said that with this grant he and his team will be able to undertake critical research to better understand what happens to our body when we exercise. “Exercise is a stress to the body and we will be looking at how the body adapts to this stress and changes as a result,” he said. “This will help us to develop new strategies to optimise the many benefits of exercise”.

Successful VU teams

Victoria University is dedicated to high-quality collaborative research that fosters connections with industry partners, government, and the community, especially in the west of Melbourne.

Professor Rezaul Begg & Associate Professor Daniel Lai (Institute for Health & Sport)

The project will develop a device that can be attached to the shoe to help users lift their feet correctly while walking. It will minimise the risk of falling and improve the quality of life for older adults, as well as help patients recovering from injuries or medical episodes.

Professor David Bishop (Institute for Health & Sport)

This work will focus on how the mitochondria in our muscles respond to exercise. Mitochondria are the “energy powerhouses” of the human body and are essential for life. Mitochondria help transform food into energy so we can use our bodies effectively. This research will use multiple, cutting-edge technologies to help us understand how mitochondria respond and adapt to exercise in humans.

Associate Professor Nir Eynon, Dr Sara Voisin, Associate Professor Itamar Levinger (Institute for Health & Sport)

This project is about ageing well and developing a better understanding about how people respond to changing environments during their lifetime.

Professor Hua Wang (Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities)

The project hopes to prevent people from sharing sensitive data with unauthorised audiences.

Professor Yanchun Zhang (Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities)

The project is about developing a publicly available platform to help social media users and security and emergency services communicate during critical situations like natural disasters. The results will also assist with social media analysis and provide insight into how to best manage large volumes of data.

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