The Summer and Winter Research Programs provide students with an opportunity to gain research experience working alongside some of the university’s leading academics and researchers.
Discover more information about the research program
Plastic additive chemicals in menstruation cups and tampons
Reusable menstruation cups and tampons are potential sources of exposure to plastic additives. Compounds such as phthalates, known endocrine disrupting chemicals, could leach out of these products. While tampons have been tested before, it is virtually unknown if menstruation cups expose the users to plastic additives, which is exacerbated by the fact that they are reusable and often sanitised by boiling in water which might cause weathering. The project aims to measure the concentration of these chemicals in commercially available products by developing an extraction method and using targeted LC-MS/MS based analytical methods that have already been developed in our laboratory. A suspect screening of the extracts using high resolution mass spectrometry will also be attempted in order to identify the presence of novel plasticisers and plastic additives.
Supervisor: Dr Ian Zammit
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)
Exploring wastewater-based epidemiology data for prediction of behaviour patterns
The research project involves assessing and evaluating weekly and seasonal trends of drugs (licit or illicit) measured in wastewater samples around Australia. This study aims to identify the changes of usage over time and/or the minimum number of samples required to obtain accurate information about temporal trends.
Supervisor: A/Prof Phong Thai
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)
Improved monitoring of human exposure to hazardous chemical pollutants
An estimated 9 million annual premature deaths (16% of all deaths globally) are linked to chemical pollution. With a continuous influx of new compounds, assessing potential risks becomes challenging. Existing exposure monitoring methods primarily target known harmful chemicals, neglecting emerging unknown pollutants. This project seeks to establish an advanced analytical workflow for identifying unknown pollutants in human and environmental samples. The refined workflow aligns with the Australian government's chemical management roadmap, enhancing accuracy and precision in monitoring chemical pollution.
Supervisor: Dr Pradeep Dewapriya
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)
Advancing Analytical Methods for Surveillance of Vaping Trends in Australia
Since its introduction to the market in 2007, the diverse flavours and the addictive nature of nicotine have fuelled a notable surge in vaping, particularly among teenagers and young adults. This trend presents a formidable challenge for effective monitoring and regulation. Current Australian restrictions inadvertently contribute to an illicit vaping market, resulting in the sale of unregulated products in local tobacco shops. This project seeks to pioneer an innovative analytical methodology to detect vaping biomarkers, enabling more precise monitoring of vaping trends and associated threats within Australian communities.
Supervisor: Dr Pradeep Dewapriya
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of man-made organic chemicals used in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to various detrimental health effects. Despite the health risks, PFAS are used in many daily products, such as cosmetics, textiles, cleaning products and food contact materials. As a part of an international collaboration, this project aims to analyse various consumer products using a comprehensive analytical workflow. Employing advanced non-target analysis and suspect screening methods, the initiative seeks to identify unknown PFASs present in these products. The aim is to enhance our understanding of PFAS in consumer products, contributing to informed decision-making regarding their usage and promoting consumer safety.
Supervisor: Dr Pradeep Dewapriya
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)
Analyzing wastewater for combating gout in populations
Gout is a common chronic disease and a complex global public health challenge. Due to the high prevalence of gout, high volumes of anti-gout medicine were prescribed and consumed globally. Consequently, the residues of these drugs after human consumption, excreted into the urban water cycle, notably in wastewater. This provides a unique to use the wastewater for detection of anti-out metabolites, and back estimation of the gout prevalence in populations (general population to specific populations). Utilizing data derived from wastewater can furnish robust insights into understanding the prevalence of gout in different populations, thereby supporting the formulation of public health policies without the need for questionnaire-based interviews.
Applicants will gain skills in literature review, an insight into wastewater analysis in gout related medicine use and assimilating prescription data. The applicant also he applicant also has the chance to work with state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation to detect metabolites of gout medicine in wastewater.
Supervisor: Dr Qiuda Zheng
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)
How do large events impact the population?
This research project involves the analysis of wastewater samples collected from across Australia for various chemicals including drugs and pharmaceuticals. The student will triangulate these data with known large events such as sporting events, cultural events and weather events to see how they influenced chemical exposure of the community. The student will gain valuable experience in analytical chemistry, data processing and data visualisation.
Supervisor: Dr Richard Bade
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)
PFAS in bottled water
The research project looks at the presence of the forever chmical (PFAS) in bottled water in Australia using high resolution mass spectometry technique. Also will look at the leaching possibility of PFAS from bottles to the water.
Supervisor: Dr Sara Ghorbani Gorji
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)
Assessing impact tyre wear and related chemicals on the urban environment
The research project involves assessing concentrations of tyre wear particle microplastics and a range of related chemicals in road dust and soil surrounding major roads in Brisbane. The applicant will learn state of the art extraction methods and analysis techniques (pyrolysis GCMS) to quantify these tyre pollutants and provide new understanding on how roads are a polution source for the surrounding environment.
Supervisor: Dr Cassie Rauert
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)
Release of micro and nanoplastics from containers, bottles, cups and detergent
Micro and nanoplastics are suspected to be ubiquitous contaminants of emerging concern, yet there is little data on their environmental occurrence. This short project will assess the release of micro and nanoplastics from plastic containers, bottles, cups, and detergents when hot or cold water is added. The successful applicant will perform laboratory experiments with products commercially available in Australia and collect the samples for micro and nanoplastic analysis. The applicant will learn how to perform laboratory experiments and analyse samples.
Supervisor: Dr Elvis Okoffo
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)
Cocaine & Cocktails: A Pandemic-Era Analysis of Dual Substance Use
Join us on a cutting-edge journey where chemistry meets detective work, as we explore the unseen effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on substance use. This research project delves into the dual consumption patterns of Cocaine and Alcohol, through the lens of wastewater analysis. By detecting their co-metabolite cocaethylene, we’ll uncover the story beneath the surface. As a participant, you’ll master the art of sample preparation, wield the power of advanced LC/MSMS systems, and become fluent in the language of data. Your mission: to translate complex analytical results into compelling evidence that charts the course of societal trends during an unprecedented time. Are you ready to be at the forefront of this scientific exploration? Embark on this adventure and contribute to a groundbreaking study that could reshape our understanding of the pandemic’s ripple effects.
Supervisor: Dr Rory Verhagen
Hours: 20-36 hours per week
Duration: 24 June - 21 July
Location: UQ Dutton Park (20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba)