2017

The year that was
Revisit UQ’s significant milestones and most engaging news stories from this year.

January

UQ researchers made a discovery that could help conquer the greatest threat to global food security – pests and diseases in plants.

Leonie the leopard shark made a switch that could save her species – becoming the first shark recorded to change from sexual to asexual reproduction.

February

Three-time Grammy award winner and UQ alumnus Tim Munro returned to UQ for a two-week residency, thanks to a generous bequest from the late Paula and Tony Kinnane.

A decade after fleeing his native Iran, UQ Bachelor of Dental Science graduate Dr Hooman Baghaie knows the importance of being able to smile.

March

An unprecedented 21 different types of dinosaur tracks were identified on a 25-kilometre stretch of the Dampier Peninsula coastline dubbed “Australia’s Jurassic Park”.

A fearless fanged coral reef fish that disables its opponents with heroin-like venom offers hope for the development of new painkillers.

April

Husband-and-wife Professor Bernard Degnan and Associate Professor Sandie Degnan, believe they, along with research colleagues, can use the powers of attraction to decimate one of the reef’s fiercest enemies – the crown-of-thorns starfish.

UQ students lined up at the 2017 Great Court Race to compete for the largest pool of prize money offered in the event’s 32-year history.

A team of international archaeologists say evidence from a remote cave in Australia’s North West pushes back human occupation of Australia to around 50,000 years ago.

In the world’s largest study into the genetic causes of endometriosis, UQ researchers helped identify five new gene regions linked to the disease.

June

A single treatment giving life-long protection from severe allergies such as asthma could be made possible by immunology research at UQ.

Office workers who use sit-stand or treadmill desks are on track to being more productive and attentive with fewer signs of workplace stress than their sedentary chair-dwelling colleagues.

July

Credit: iStock.com/Smithore

A population trend analysis of Bornean orangutans revealed that, despite decades of conservation work, the species is declining rapidly – at a rate of 25 per cent over the past 10 years.

Aboriginal people have been in Australia for at least 65,000 years – much longer than the 47,000 years believed by some archaeologists.

August

Credit: iStock.com/Ginclear Film

Humpback whales learn songs in segments – like the verses of a human song – and can remix them, a study involving UQ research has found.

A young adult wedge-tailed eagle shot out of the sky near Gympie make a strong recovery after surgery at the UQ VETS Small Animal Hospital at Gatton.

September

Credit: iStock.com/Laurence Dutton

Asking patients to take a ‘wait-and-see’ approach before having their antibiotic prescriptions filled significantly reduces unnecessary use, a UQ study has shown.

Turning on your lights with your smartphone might make you feel secure, but advances in wi-fi technology are also making it easier for domestic violence perpetrators to spy on victims.

October

A possible cure for dementia and saving the Great Barrier Reef from invasive crown-of-thorns starfish are now within reach following the launch of UQ's historic $500 million philanthropic campaign.

The secret to the survival of critically endangered wildlife could lie beyond the grave, according to a UQ researcher.

November

The discovery of genes that determine the yield of flour from wheat could increase milling yield, boosting food security and producing a healthier flour.

A discovery that bees have individual flying direction preferences could lead to strategies for steering drone aircraft fleets.

December

After more than a century of graduations, Queensland’s largest university is celebrating a major milestone this December: 250,000 graduates.

Executive education and postgraduate study opportunities will now be more accessible following the launch of UQ's new city site at 293 Queen Street, Brisbane.