Murdoch’s health and wellbeing impact in 2022

We’ve made headlines across the world for our research and initiatives and are continuing to create positive change one project at a time. As we come to the end of 2022, it is time to highlight the major health and wellbeing achievements from this year and recognise how our Murdoch community has made a difference. 

Long COVID and chronic health conditions 

Remarkable research from the Health Futures Institute has produced significant world-firsts and impacts for the future health of people across the globe.  

There have been many milestones across COVID-19 and chronic health conditions research. Here are just a few of this year’s achievements: 

• Vital technological breakthrough that could assist general practitioners diagnose the long-term effects of COVID-19 and long COVID-19, which can include severe headaches, extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations and brain fog. 

• Discovered a new set of biomarkers for increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with COVID-19 infections. 

• Uncovered one of the root molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease. The research links the abnormal genes to blood plasma metabolites – the substances made when the body breaks down food, drugs or chemicals – to detect the most important metabolites impacted by the genetic abnormality. 

• Received a grant from MS Australia to investigate specific components of the immune system that may be involved in early signs of Multiple Sclerosis. 

• Awarded $100,000 by the State government to progress a vital project that could result in ground-breaking treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTD), a type of dementia. 

• Contributed a new study that has opened an exciting avenue for developing therapeutics to intervene in the progression of Parkinson's Disease based on DNA clues. 

• Developed and tested a remote telehealth delivered exercise framework for people living with MS. The telehealth exercise framework was a great success and is poised to roll that out to professionals who can reach more people. 

• Authored a report for Volunteering WA that delves into the experiences of volunteers in aged care settings during COVID-19 and provides new updated good practice guidelines. 

Agriculture and healthy eating 

Our researchers are creating healthier food options to influence healthier lifestyles and ageing, and our students are encouraging each other to fuel the body with food.

Several achievements and milestones were reached in 2022, including but not limited to: 

• Murdoch University’s Harry Butler Institute has been selected by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to undertake a two-year project to investigate antimicrobial resistant bacteria (AMR) in the national food supply. 

• Murdoch Food Science and Nutrition students share their tips on how to fuel your body and brain for study. 

• Researchers uncovered the best truffles, what makes the healthiest artichokes, and where the most nutritious olive oil is produced in Western Australia by using mass spectrometry and nuclear resonance spectroscopy. 

• Murdoch University became part of the WA Agricultural Research Collaboration, which will reinvigorate Western Australia’s agricultural research and development capabilities significantly benefiting Western Australian farmers and consumers. 

• Murdoch scientists led a project that explores how particular combinations of microbes can boost the growth of some of the country’s most valuable fruit and vegetable crops. 

• Food innovation in Western Australia reached new heights after the State Government, Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre and Murdoch University combined forces to develop a multi-million dollar Food Technology Facility (FTF). 

Mental health and safety 

Murdoch researchers, staff and students have all played a role in improving mental health and safety through several initiatives. 

Our Murdoch community has worked to raise awareness and provide wellbeing activities to increase understanding of the importance of looking after our health.  

Here is a selection of a few of the achievements: 

• Murdoch University has recently become the first university in Australia to receive silver certification as a healthy campus from the International Federation of University Sports (FISU). Over the course of three years, the staff at Murdoch Active have been working with academic and professional staff from across the campus to support our goal of working towards platinum certification.    

• Bringing The Red Shoes project to WA and encouraging all to donate red shoes to raise awareness about domestic violence. 

• Providing a guide to nurturing the mental health of circus performers while enabling them to perform at the peak of their capacities.   

• Running a yoga-mindfulness intervention trial as part of a research project to help with emotion-regulation and cognitive mechanisms as an intervention strategy to target anxiety in children and teens with autism.   

• As part of Mental Health Week earlier this year, Murdoch Active provided free access to the gym for the week; Access, Wellbeing and Equity services organised free relaxing activities and a free mindfulness and morning tea; The Guild ran their annual World Fusion Festival providing a chance for staff and students to enjoy tasty food and take a breather; and lastly relaxing BUPA massages were offered to all staff. 

The above research and initiatives by our researchers, staff and students are only a snippet of the incredible work achieved at Murdoch in 2022 and we’re looking forward to sharing future exciting health and wellbeing projects in 2023.