Patterns of developmental plasticity in response to incubation temperature in reptiles
By: While, Geoffrey M., Daniel WA Noble, Tobias Uller, Daniel A. Warner, Julia L. Riley, Wei‐Guo Du, and Lisa E. Schwanz. | Find with Google Scholar »
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Hi all,
Looking for a great read? The Department’s Annual Report 2017 is now published and on the website – it provides a great snapshot and celebration of the past year in the Department – you can find it here.
This coming week is Mental Health Awareness Week. We all face stress at various times in our lives and many of us have friends and family affected by mental health issues. The Department aims to increase awareness of mental health, provide a culture that supports the good mental health of all staff and students, and facilitate access to resources when needed. We will be holding a special morning tea on Wednesday – there will be cakes so come along and bring your gold coins as we will be collecting for Beyond Blue (www.beyondblue.org.au). There is lots of info below – please check it out!
And make sure you drop into the Biology courtyard for Faculty Safety Day also on Wednesday to enjoy the activities and increase our safety awareness!
cheers,
Michelle
Save the Date
This coming week 8th – 12th October
Tue 9th: HDR Mentors Charity Bake Sale; 11am – 2.00pm; Wally’s Walk Outside MUSE building
Wed 10th: Faculty Safety Day; 10.00am – 2.00pm; Biology Courtyard.
Wed 10th: World Mental Health Day Morning Tea; 10.30am; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Wed 10th: Department Seminar – Dr Simon Clulow, MQU; 1.00pm – 2.00pm; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Thu 11th: Research Enrichment Program: Darwinian Medicine; 10.00am – 3.00pm; Continuum room, level 3, 75 Talavera Road.
Thu 11th: aaRgh – R drop-in help; 3.00pm – 4.00pm; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Following week 15th – 19th October
Mon 15th: Pure Training; 1pm – 3.30pm; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room. BYO laptop.
Wed 17th: Department Morning Tea; 10.30am; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Wed 17th: Department Seminar – Dr Katherine Dafforn, Dept of Environmental Sciences, MQ; 1.00pm – 2.00pm; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Thu 18th: Biology Social Club; 5.00pm – 7.00pm; Biological Sciences Courtyard.
Future Events
Oct 23rd – Nov 1st: Staff Wellbeing Week; MQ Campus events; registrations open now!
Oct 31st: Mental Health Seminar – Toolkit for leaders and staff, Dr Ben Wilkes; 1pm – 2pm; Room A, Level 3, MUSE 18 Wally’s Walk.
Nov 5th – 7th: Supplementary HDR Conference; exact date and times TBA; Location TBA.
Dec 4th: Exam Meeting followed by Dept EOY party – more details soon.
Dec 10-11th: Department Retreat for academic staff; MQ city campus.
Want to know what Department seminars are coming up? You can check out the Dept webpage at any time!
General News and Announcements
Mental Health Week Morning Tea and Resources – The 2018 Mental Health Week is from Monday 7 October through to Sunday 13 October. We will be holding a World Mental Health Day morning tea at 10.30 am Wednesday 10th October in the biology tearoom (E8A/14EAR room 280). There will be cakes and bring along your gold coins for contributions to BeyondBlue.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Mental Health Week is an annual, national event that aims to improve community awareness and interest in mental health and wellbeing. Keep an eye out for activities across campus this week and check out the resources below!
– Responding to mental illness in a tertiary setting (PDF). – SuperFriend peer support booklet contains practical suggestions for listening to and supporting work colleagues. – The Head ups website has resources for people that manage others. – Mental Illness in the Tertiary Setting – De-escalation Training bookings via the Elmo HR training platform, more sessions coming soon. – Youth Health: the connection between anxiety/depression and physical health a YouTube presentation by Assoc Prof Maria Kangas from Dept of Psychology, MQ. – Call NSW Mental Health Line – 1800 011 511 or Lifeline 13 11 44.
Faculty of Science and Engineering Faculty Safety Day – Wellbeing – Day/Date/Time: Wednesday 10 October 2018,10:00am to 2:00pm.
Frank Mercer Biological Sciences Garden, 6 Wally’s Walk. October is National Safe Work Month and the Faculty of Science and Engineering. The Health and Safety Committee is holding a Safety Fair on Wednesday 10 October.All FSE staff and HDR students are invited to attend.
Campus Wellbeing Week Oct 23-Nov 1 – During the week, there will be a range of exciting activities including informative lunchtime sessions, campus walks, exercise classes, FREE massages and art classes for staff to attend. View the full program here. Wellbeing week is a collaborative effort brought to you by MQ Health, Campus Life, Centre for Emotional Health, Sustainability, Campus Wellbeing, and Human Resources. Registrations are a must so book in to avoid disappointment.
2017 Biological Sciences Annual Report – is now available here!
Got too much loose change? Why not donate to charity! – HDR Mentors (a peer-to-peer support group for HDR students) will be holding a charity bake sale on Tuesday 9th October from 11-2 on Wally’s Walk (outside MUSE) to raise money for the buy a bale campaign. On offer will be a variety of treats made by HDR Mentors, perfect to get you through Tuesday-itis. Please come along and show your support. Hurry, while stock lasts!
Supplementary HDR Conference: 5th-7th Nov 2018 (exact date TBC) – PhD students who started before May 2018 and who did not present at the June conference are required to attend. Any students who cannot be there on those dates due to already-booked fieldwork or other commitments must let the HDR co-ordinator know so an alternative date for HDR panel interviews can be arranged. Contact <fse.bio-adm@mq.edu.au>
Train Station Closure 30th September 2018 With the Macquarie University train station closure from 30 September 2018 for 6-7 months, this website offers information about bus options from your closest train station. http://www.mysydney.nsw.gov.au/stationlink It will be the first place to look for information and will be continually updated. https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/travel/station-upgrade Also Stationlink Route Information and University Parking Info.
SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS
Biological Sciences Weekly Seminar – Date/Time/Venue: Wednesday, 10th October 2018, 1 – 2pm, 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Speaker: Simon Clulow, MQ. Title: Adapting conservation paradigms to a changing threat landscape: the need for novel approaches in the 21st century. More information on this and all department seminars ON OUR WEBPAGE HERE
Research Enrichment Program
Darwinian Medicine – Thursday 11th October (10am – 3pm) Continuum room, level 3, 75 Talavera Road. Organised by Steve Simpson, Helen Rizos and Marie Herberstein.
Evolutionary theory is a powerful approach to many phenomena encountered by practicing medicine, including antibiotic resistance, personalised medicine, tumour cell evolution. This half-day workshop will explore how an evolutionary approach and medical practice can be mutually informative by pairing evolutionary biologists with medical practitioners from the fields [tentatively]:
- Nutrition and the gut biome
- Virus/human interactions
- Cancer treatment
- Neuro degenerative disorders
- Infectious diseases
This workshop aims to:
- Explore research connections and collaborations between biological and medical researchers (with the possibility of further workshops to develop and foster collaborations around ‘wicked problems’)
- Increase opportunity to meet researchers working on similar topics across faculties
- Identify opportunities to embed Darwinian medicine principles into curriculum
- Build collegial and collaborative relationships across Faculties and with external groups.
Click here to register
Weekly Writing Workshops for HDR Students and Early Career Researchers – Convened by Ken Cheng – Running weekly for most of the year: Fridays 2-4pm in room E8B 111
If you are interested in attending a session email Ken Cheng <ken.cheng@mq.edu.au> by Wednesday 12:00-noon, preferably with a draft attached of what you are working on and some indication of what you especially need help with.
Molecular Sciences Seminar #1
Date/Time/Venue: Tuesday, 9th October 2018, 12 – 1pm, 4WW (F7B) 322 Seminar Room.
Speaker: Dr Andrew Piggott, the Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University. Title: Adventures with Natural Products. More information on this and all department seminars at https://goto.mq/7l
Molecular Sciences Seminar #2
Date/Time/Venue: Tuesday, 22nd October 2018, 1 – 2pm, 4WW (F7B) 322 Seminar Room.
Speaker: Dr Bart Eijkelkamp,the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, UniSA.Title: Bacterial adaptation strategies at the host-pathogen interface. More information on this and all department seminars at https://goto.mq/6s
ADMIN THINGS
Photo Competition – OCTOBER 2018 – go into the draw to win a $100 Gift Card this month! This month’s theme is Your best shot! Your images could be used on our Department website, this newsletter, on our social media and in other biology publications. A lucky person’s name will be drawn each month, and they will receive a $100 Gift Card! Criteria: you must provide caption information including details of what/where/who(names of people)/date & you must have taken all photos & the image must have been taken in the last five years. Please follow the dropbox file request link to submit your images.
Submission close: 31 OCTOBER 2018. You can enter as many photos as you like – one entry to the draw per photo with caption info, good luck!
Pure Training Registration – Date changed to 15 October 2018 – 1.00 pm to 3.30 pm
The PURE system is used to manage researcher profiles, outputs including publications, funding applications, awards, projects and reports. Do you feel like you could use some more PURE training? Please register for this session via an email to jenny.ghabache@mq.edu.au.
Outreach Activities – Have You Participated in an Activity for Biology Recently? Don’t forget to fill in the super-quick form here – ACCESS OUTREACH FORM HERE
Building Name Changes – Cheat Sheet – If you are trying to identify buildings on campus with new names or old names, please use this link to convert them from old to new or vice versa.
RESEARCH FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
STEP’s John Martyn Research Grant for the Conservation of Bushland in Sydney – applications are welcomed from honours, masters and PhD students. To apply, complete the application form electronically, save it and email it to secretary@step.org.au by 31 March 2019. We will announce the winner by 7 April 2019. For more information go to http://step.org.au/index.php/grants and if you have any queries, please email or call Helen Wortham on 0423 534 148.
Lake Macquarie Environmental Research Grants 2018 – 2019
Letter to researcher – Lake Macquarie Environmental Research Grants 2018-2019
Information package – Lake Macquarie Environmental Research grants 2018-2019
Application form – Lake Macquarie Environmental Research Grants 2018-2019
Ecological Society of Australia Student Research Awards – closing date 31st October – Ten student research awards of up to $1,500 will be available to Australian postgraduate and honours students conducting ecological research. The award can be used to cover expenses such as field travel, research assistance, equipment or consumables. Applicants must be a member of the ESA and not have previously won a research award from the Society. Info here
Are You an Early-Career Researcher Who Loves Sharing Your Research? The NSW Office of Environment & Heritage (OEH) and the Ecological Society of Australia (ESA) have joined forces to establish a new prize for early-career researchers who are doing an exceptional job of communicating ecological research to the public. The OEH/ESA Prize for Outstanding Outreach is a $400 cash prize which will provide much-deserved recognition, and additional experience, for up to six early-career researchers who are doing an excellent job of communicating their research.
Applications are now open, closing at midnight Saturday 13 October. Details here
OPPORTUNITIES
Mental Health support: Upcoming Workshops – One of the hardest parts of doing a research degree is giving your attention to the thesis each day. While students may face many kinds of obstacles, it is the ordinary experience of being with one’s work and oneself that often presents the greatest challenge.
This four-part workshop series focuses on the role that awareness and our states of mind play in the experience of being a researcher. It looks closely at the mind states – both positive and challenging – that students commonly report, and explores how these relate to experiences of self, research practice and the wider university culture.
08/10/2018 The Mindful Researcher, Part 3: Attention and Distraction in the Research Process
15/10/2018 The Mindful Researcher, Part 4: Cultivating Balance
Register by clicking on the course names here: https://myrdc.mq.edu.au/
RHHFFPS Birds in the Springtime walks – Saturday 6 October you are invited to meet the birdlife of the Field of Mars Reserve on walks guided by Cathy Goswell of the Cumberland Bird Observers Club, and hosted by the Ryde Hunters Hill Flora and Fauna Preservation Society.
Departure times are 8.30am and 10.30am from the Visitor Centre in the Reserve. At this stage there have already been several bookings for the earlier walk, but places are still available on the 10.30am walk. Please bring water, closed shoes and a hat. Children aged 5-12 are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. Gold coin donations are welcome to meet refreshment costs.
Numbers on the walks are limited so bookings are essential: phone Alfred 9879 6067 or email alfred.vincent@bigpond.com. How to get there: Main entry is from Pittwater Road, opposite Buffalo Creek Reserve. There is a carpark outside the gate, under the viaduct. There are also entrances at the end of Kennedy St, Westminster Rd and Monash Rd. Bus route 506 is a half-hourly service along nearby Thompson St.
BLOGS AND OTHER THINGS OF INTEREST
Documentaries at Cervantes Institute in Sydney, Wed 10th & Wed 17th 2018 – You are invited to attend these two free screening of documentaries highlighting the amazing work of Colombian scientist in unexplored areas of the country. For bookings and more information – https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/biodiversity-in-colombia-documentaries-free-screening-tickets-50209458843
Public Lecture delivered by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki – Join us on 4th December for a wonderful evening with Dr Karl, who will take us on an amazing optical adventure! Dr Karl Kruszelnicki just loves Science to Pieces. After all, Science is a way to not get fooled. Dr Karl’s media career spans more than 30 years, talking about Science in radio, TV, newspapers, and books – 44 to date with more on the way. Register at this link – http://events.mq.edu.au/events/public-lecture-with-dr-karl-kruszelnicki/event-summary-21e8126501734646a16ef9f209175192.aspx
Accommodation available – Julia Verba is leaving her house, so one room will become available from 20 October. The house is in Denistone East, 15 mins from Uni by bus or bike, and the price is great. If you need more information, please check flatmates ad: https://flatmates.com.au/P680708.
Correct Method for Submitting to Department Matters
Department Matters submissions now have their own email address. Please send all your news items for the newsletter to <fse.bionewsletter@mq.edu.au>
Also, please see the following to correctly format your additions, and keep them rolling in!
You may have noticed that we try to keep all the articles to the same format for the Department Matters, however, rest assured, they do NOT all turn up in this format! To help keep your Department Matters looking as good as possible, when sending in additions to the Newsletter, please try to keep these formatting guidelines in mind.
- Please write in third person. The information is coming from the Newsletter, not directly from you.
- Do not use fancy text formatting. Bold heading, normal text, and only italics or bold to highlight. No font size changes will make it through, sorry.
- If sending via email, set your email output to basic. HTML output will add all sort of formatting that will have to be removed before your article can go into the newsletter.
Keeping to these guidelines will streamline your article’s addition to the newsletter. Thank you.
Have You Missed Out on an Issue of Department Matters? Back issues can be found at this newsletter archive link for your reading pleasure.
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Lesley Hughes provided comment to the Sydney Morning Herald
Distinguished Professor Leslie Hughes from the Department of Biological Sciences provided comment to the Sydney Morning Herald regarding the independent candidate for Wentworth pushing to ban political donations from fossil fuel companies.
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