BrisScience - UQ Research Week Public Lectures

In September BrisScience will once again present The University of Queensland’s annual Research Week Public Lectures. This year’s talks are:

Why Groups are the Cornerstone of Mental Health
Prof Alex Haslam, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland

Joining just one social group today you will cut your risk of being diagnosed with depression in the next two years by 24%. Such statistics point to the fact that groups are as important for health as diet, exercise, and genetics. Yet their importance is rarely discussed, and far less explained.

This lecture, by Prof Alex Haslam, will discuss how social groups — and the identities they give us — are central to our psychology. Not only are they a source of social support but they also imbue us with a sense of meaning, belonging, purpose, and agency. In this way, the talk makes the case for a radical change in public discourse about health and well-being and in the policies that service this.

Treating Arthritis and Diabetes in the Digital Age: A Personalised Approach
Prof Ranjeny Thomas, Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland

The digital age has brought technologies streaming personalised information right into our hands, onto our wrists, into our wallets and our clothes. What if we could take an individual’s genetic and cellular information and use it to customise personalised smart therapies for crippling and expensive diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diabetes?

In this talk, Professor Ranjeny Thomas from the TRI will demonstrate how she and her team have developed smart personalised therapies for rheumatoid arthritis, designed based on an individual’s genetic, antibody and cellular information, and their work towards similar personalised approaches in type 1 diabetes.

Arrangements: Doors open at 6pm. No need to book – just show up!
Refreshments: There will be complimentary drinks and nibblies following the talk, where Prof Alex Haslam and Prof Ranjeny Thomas will be available to answer any questions.
Questions about this event? Contact Andrew (a.stephenson@uq.edu.au).