Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing

Molecular Horizons is dedicated to illuminating how life works at a molecular level and solving some of the biggest health challenges facing the world.

Researchers at UOW are tackling the challenge of antimicrobial resistance, by developing and testing interventions to stop, or at the very least slow down, rates of resistance.  Wollongong Antimicrobial Resistance Research Alliance (WARRA) is a collaboration between UOW and Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, NSW Health Pathology, Southern IML Pathology, Centre for Health Research Illawarra Shoalhaven Population and other universities. The team is building a large longitudinal study across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region which looks at all of the factors (food, animals, waste, genetics, microbiome etc.) that drive antimicrobial resistance and test interventions.

UOW has a number of support services available to staff and students, including UOW’s Employee Assistance Program, LifeWorks which provides 24/7 confidential counselling as well as mental health awareness and intervention training and counselling and wellbeing support for students. UOW’s Unilife provides mindful meditation and ‘bend and snack’ sessions where UOW students are given free access to guided meditation sessions.

The UOW Global Challenges Program’s Living Well, Longer challenge area is improving the lives of older Australians and people with lived experience of mental illness. The challenge connects experts from a range of fields and disciplines to understand and address ageing and dementia, mental health and therapeutic and personal recovery. The following are some of the projects to improve the health and wellbeing: Recovery Camp, Ahead of the Game, Connections for Life with Dementia, Combating Neurodegenerative Disease, Anxiety in aged care, Driving Change, Dementia Friendly Communities and Mind the Age Gap.

Connections for Life with Dementia is a collaborative, interdisciplinary research project bringing together expertise from UOW with community and industry partners, including people living with dementia and their care partners. The purpose of this research is to understand, support, and enhance social connections and quality of life for people with dementia in various care and community settings. 

The research program combines professional experience placement for health students, with a recovery-oriented experience for those living with a mental illness. Recovery Camp has provided over 65,000 hours of clinical placement to over 800 health students.

Internationally recognised as a leader in electromaterials research, the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI) draws together researchers and external experts from a range of disciplines, including biologists, clinicians, chemists, physicists and engineers. IPRI’s competencies lie in the design and synthesis of intelligent materials and is renowned for expertise in the group of multifunctional, stimuli-responsive materials  – organic conducting polymers and carbons; used in diverse applications of energy and health.

The Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI) is an internationally-renowned research institute that generates robust evidence through rigorous research and evaluation that informs and supports better management of health and community services across Australia. AHSRI’s innovative work facilitates greater equity in resource distribution, fairer access to services, improved continuity within and across health and community care sectors, and evidence-based decision making.

The World Health Organization recommends 30% reduction in salt intake by 2030 to combat high blood pressure. In 2016, the South African government mandated maximum levels of salt allowed in processed foods. UOW researchers and collaborators led the first evaluation of the effectiveness of this policy supported by Bloomberg Philanthropy Foundation. This research is a world first natural experiment that will guide salt reduction policy in other countries and advance global strategies to reduce population level blood pressure through food policy initiatives. The research team has published 13 peer-reviewed articles and data has been disseminated through three high level stakeholder meetings in South Africa and Ghana, thus ensuring rapid uptake of research findings. Ongoing work is developing a framework for monitoring salt in the food supply in South Africa to ensure compliance by the food industry. 

Led by Dr Stewart Vella, this research team was awarded $2million from Movember Foundation to develop a sport-based mental health program for young men. This partnership has seen the program confirmed as the official program of the Rugby League World Cup 2021 and has reached over 50,000 adolescent men, globally.

UOW researchers are investigating the challenges that the doctors, nurses and allied health professionals in Australia face and how organisations can proactively support their employee wellbeing and career progression. Working with cross-disciplinary teams, we have developed wellness programs, conducted workshops and helped leaders and employees become mindful in facilitating an environment where people can flourish and feel valued.

A unique after-school program that encourages Aboriginal children to connect with their culture and focuses on using culturally relevant activities chosen by the local Aboriginal community to promote healthy lifestyles and educational outcomes.