Research impact tag: Public policy - Research Impact at UWA

The art of mental wellbeing

August 8, 2025/in 36- Creative Arts and Writing, 42- Health Sciences, 52- Psychology, Economy, Environment, Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, Public policy, Stories /by Rosanna Marchesani

Maintaining good mental health is a cornerstone of overall wellbeing. It plays a crucial part in fostering resilience, balance, and clarity, in shaping the way we think and feel, and the decisions we make in daily life. However, in Australia, around 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 7 young people experienced mental ill health each year. Dr Christina Davies at The University of Western Australia leads a team of researchers who are successfully promoting arts engagement as an effective way to enhance mental wellbeing.

Restoring the land by slaying weeds and flaming seeds

August 4, 2025/in 40 - Engineering, Economy, Engineering, Computing & Mathematics, Environment, Public policy, Stories /by Rosanna Marchesani

Associate Professor Andrew Guzzomi and his team at UWA’s Centre for Engineering Innovation develop innovative technologies to meet the challenges of restoring land and improving agriculture sustainability. Their comprehensive ecotech systems can effectively establish native plants, providing regulators and companies with greater confidence in the ecological restoration of these areas. In agricultural farming regions, the team’s mechanical weeding technologies combat herbicide resistant weeds with precision. Their solutions will deliver significant benefits for the environment and the economy, helping to grow food with less chemical exposure.

Martuwarra: Living Water Heritage of the Kimberley

March 13, 2025/in 45- Indigenous Studies, Culture and society, Education, Environment, Health, Indigenous, Public policy, Social, Stories /by Rosanna Marchesani

Co-Led by Associate Professor Sven Ouzman and Professor Anne Poelina from the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, a team of researchers from The University of Western Australia and elsewhere have worked closely with Kimberley communities to produce a comprehensive overview of the Kimberley and Martuwarra River under three main categories identified by Traditional Owners: Culture, Country and Truth. It has for the first time collaboratively recorded the rich history and cultural significance of archaeological sites in the region and its people and has produced the first extensive, systematic and holistic survey and digital mapping of the cultural heritage of the seven language groups living along Martuwarra.

Breaking boundaries in trans mental health

November 13, 2024/in 44 – Studies in Human Society, Culture and society, Health, Public policy, Science, Social, Stories /by Rosanna Marchesani

Risks in mental health can be influenced by gender and age and can shape a person’s experience when accessing health care services.

The Trans Pathways study shows that trans young people have higher rates of poor mental health and problems accessing care services than their cisgender peers. It has brought to the forefront the importance of care in this population and has become a valuable resource in raising awareness of some of the problems that trans young people face, promote equity in care services, and in supporting the development of initiatives to improve the mental health of trans and gender diverse young people. The impact of Trans Pathways has been felt locally, nationally, and internationally and continues to be cited as evidence in health policy and strategy.

Recharging Perth’s water supply

October 17, 2024/in 41- Environmental Sciences, Environment, Public policy, Science, Stories /by Rosanna Marchesani

Water is a precious commodity in Western Australia and whilst desalination is important, groundwater continues to be a critical resource for Perth city.

A team from UWA are working with government to implement new systems to accurately measure how much water is entering Perth’s aquifers. As the climate continues to heat and dry, there is information that these so-called “recharge” fluxes are dropping too.

The team are advocating that future water supplies for Perth should include aquifer replenishment and use of treated wastewater, to rehydrate and support the biodiversity of urban ecosystems.

Fairness in the future of work

October 5, 2021/in 35 - Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services, Business, Economy, Environment, Public policy, Social, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

Emerging changes in technology, climate change, and the economy have placed pressure on the nature of work and on employment relations. UWA researcher Dr Caleb Goods and his team have increased social awareness of the conditions faced by gig economy workers and work with leading bodies to push for an equitable change. His research in the mining and manufacturing sectors aim to help workers and communities, the government, and industry fairly transition to a more sustainable future of work.

Comic Book Contracts

October 26, 2020/in 48 - Law and Legal Studies, Economy, Law, Public policy, Social, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

We enter into contracts all the time, without knowing it, but most people will admit to not reading or understanding the fine print. A collaborative team of researchers led by UWA Professor of Law, Camilla Andersen have found an alternative to navigating through paragraphs of legalese. They have created comic book contracts, which include a set of pictures with some text, designed to drive behaviour so that disputes do not arise. This exciting visual direction for legal contracts is also providing industry with time and money savings, whilst providing better access to justice for users.

Silk Road diplomacy in the 21st century

April 7, 2020/in Economy, Environment, Public policy, Social, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

Since 2013, China has been ‘reviving’ the invented history of the Silk Road and is remapping international affairs through its Belt and Road Initiative. Whilst many western academics and media focus on the geoeconomic and geopolitical dimensions of the Belt and Road Initiative, Professor Tim Winter from the UWA School of Social Sciences is taking a more cultural and international relations approach. Through his work with UNESCO, Professor Winter is developing a database that will give countries along the Belt and Road insight around issues of development, tourist growth in the region, maintaining cultural heritage and for UNESCO the database will potentially also serve as a platform for world heritage nominations. His work is helping to preserve the material past in countries and locations that desperately need resources and assistance.

Democracy and divided societies

September 12, 2019/in 44 – Studies in Human Society, National security, Public policy, Social, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

The spread of democratic governance is central to the promotion of peace and in upholding stable global and regional relations. Professor Benjamin Reilly is an internationally recognised political scientist at The University of Western Australia whose research focuses on democracies in the Indo-Pacific region. His work on democratic governance, political development, electoral system design, and party politics in post-conflict environments has helped shape political and electoral reform in new and emerging democracies, and he also advises governments on these issues.

MMEx e-Health Clinical Platform

April 7, 2019/in 46 - Information and Computing Sciences, Economy, EI Case study, Engineering, Computing & Mathematics, Health, Public policy, Social /by Scott Mitchell

The MMEx platform is an award winning, evidence based and fully shareable web-based electronic health record system. MMEx was developed at UWA’s Centre for Software Practice and delivered to market by ISA Technologies. It provides practitioners with a patient management system that allows care teams to share information and be guided by risk-based decision support and other tools. Initially developed to manage healthcare for Aboriginal people in the Kimberley, MMEx has since been used to support the health care of large indigenous populations throughout Australia as well as highly specialised care in urban settings. MMEx has been used to collect research data for projects looking at chronic disease management practices, approaches to telehealth, and sexually transmitted infections.