James Cook Journalist Profile

Articles

Contact zones reveal restricted introgression despite frequent hybridization across a recent lizard radiation

Dec 6, 2024 | academic.oup.com | James Cook |Macquarie Park

Introgression — the exchange of genetic material through hybridization — is now recognized as common among animal species. The extent of introgression, however, can vary considerably even when it occurs: for example, introgression can be geographically restricted or so pervasive that populations merge. Such variation highlights the importance of understanding the factors mediating introgression.
Genomics research focuses on health solutions in the tropics

Dec 2, 2024 | medicalxpress.com | James Cook

Scientists believe the lives of much of the world's population could be improved if DNA technology is applied in an integrated way in three areas critical to the tropics. Matt Field is an Associate Professor in Bioinformatics at James Cook University. He was lead author of a JCU-based study that looked at solutions to challenges involving health, biodiversity, and food production for people living in the tropics.
Rental crisis in regional cities prompts rethinking of moves

Oct 10, 2024 | phys.org | James Cook

James Cook University researchers say Cairns is a prime example of a regional city where the rental housing crisis is making people who have moved to the city rethink their choice—and they say city planners must act if regional areas want such people to stay. Rana Dadpour is a Research Fellow at JCU's Cairns Institute.
Scientists call for human genome research reset

Sep 24, 2024 | medicalxpress.com | James Cook

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:Scientists are calling for human genomic research to be vastly expanded and widened to include many more people so it can fully deliver on its promise of becoming a tool for improved health care for all of humanity.
Evaluating the tailored implementation of a multisite care navigation service for mental health in rural and remote Australia (The Bridging Study): protocol for a community-engaged hybrid effectiveness-implementation study | Implementation Science | Full

Sep 6, 2024 | implementationscience.biomedcentral.com | James Cook

Aim 1: Determine whether implementation of the Navicare model sustains access (co-primary outcome) to mental health services in rural and remote settings in the post-implementation period compared to the implementation period. Aim 2: Determine the success (or otherwise) of implementing, scaling up and sustaining Navicare in four regional communities, and likely mechanisms of action.
Counseling may help prevent heart attacks, say researchers

Aug 22, 2024 | medicalxpress.com | James Cook

Researchers have discovered that a counseling program originally designed to promote regular walking has improved the quality of life for sufferers of blocked leg arteries and helped protect them from its deadly effects—but not in the way anticipated. Professor Jonathan Golledge from James Cook University's College of Medicine and Dentistry led the study, that has been published in JAMA Surgery.
Researchers track the sub-Antarctic journey of two Australian pygmy blue whales

Aug 19, 2024 | phys.org | James Cook

An epic journey spanning thousands of kilometers from Indonesia deep into sub-Antarctic waters by two Australian pygmy blue whales has been tracked by researchers for the first time, confirming a long-held hypothesis about the travel habits of the sub-species.
Researchers warn of allergy risks from insect-based foods

Jul 31, 2024 | medicalxpress.com | James Cook

James Cook University researchers say food derived from crickets and flies can cause allergic reactions in people with existing shellfish allergy—and this is not consistently picked up by currently available testing methods. Their study is published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
Transcriptomic responses in the nervous system and correlated behavioural changes of a cephalopod exposed to ocean acidification - BMC Genomics

Jun 25, 2024 | bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com | James Cook |Queensland Museum

The de novo transcriptome assembly for Idiosepius pygmaeus was created from a total of 138.6 million PacBio ISO-sequencing subreads and resulted in 49,981 transcripts that were clustered into 27,420 genes. The transcriptome assembly had an N50 of 3,163 bp, 70.4% complete BUSCOs and an 82.1 ± 5.5% overall alignment rate of the RNA-seq reads (Table S3). A total of 69% of the transcripts received a functional annotation (Supplementary Table S4).
Monkeypox's worldwide spread is a warning, researchers say

Jun 13, 2024 | medicalxpress.com | James Cook

James Cook University researchers examining the spread of the monkeypox virus say its rapid global spread in 2022, after years of being confined to Central and West Africa, shows the need to remain vigilant against virus outbreaks wherever they occur. Professor Oyelola Adegboye is JCU's Public Health and Tropical Medicine Adjunct and a Menzies School of Health Research Associate Professor.