https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from University of the Sunshine Coast A team of scientists from the University of the Sunshine Coast and around the world has developed a promising way to reduce the risks from biodegradable medical implants. Scientists from UniSC's Center for Bioinnovation and advanced materials and manufacturing scientists from the School of Science, Technology and Engineering collaborated with Foshan's First People's Hospital in China and the University of Tokyo to develop a new coating for medical magnesium implants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-coating-safety-medical-implants.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:50:02 EDT news694337530 Panic buying doesn't just respond to shortages—it creates them. And according to a University of the Sunshine Coast behavioral scientist, the lessons learned during COVID-19 remain critical for preventing future buying frenzies. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-panic-buying-covid-lesson.html Social Sciences Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:20:04 EDT news693035161 New genetic testing from the University of the Sunshine Coast has uncovered the extraordinary lengths a group of Queensland seabirds will travel to keep love blossoming on their little island. It's a common complaint for single Australians living out in the sticks. Everyone is either taken...or related. So, they travel to the big smoke to find love, or hold out hope Mr./Mrs. Right will show up on a regional work placement. It turns out some of our seabirds might be doing something similar. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-flying-km-australia-seabirds.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:20:03 EDT news692443501 A University of the Sunshine Coast study of young teenagers has identified a vicious cycle of loneliness linked to the fear of embarrassment or judgment by peers. The study of more than 170 children aged 13 to 15 found that those staying under the radar socially to avoid judgment reported greater loneliness, as well as lower trust, connection and participation in friendships. The findings are published in the journal Child &Youth Care Forum. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-loneliness-linked-teen-reveals.html Social Sciences Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:10:01 EST news691824122 High intensity interval training (HIIT) may be the optimal exercise for reducing body fat while maintaining muscle mass in older adults, according to new research led by UniSC academics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-body-fat-seniors.html Gerontology & Geriatrics Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:53:08 EST news688215122 Poor sleep, psychological distress, socioeconomic disadvantage and bad eating habits are strongly linked to greater risk of suicidal thoughts among adolescents, according to new research from the University of the Sunshine Coast. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-poor-distress-disadvantage-linked-suicidal.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:21:50 EST news688047661 Baby talk isn't just cute—it could play a vital role in helping infants learn the sounds of their language, new research from the University of the Sunshine Coast has found. The study is published in the journal Developmental Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-baby-aid-infants-early-language.html Neuroscience Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:18:35 EST news687691081 New UniSC-led research has raised hopes of reducing the tragic incidental impacts of commercial fishing on large seabirds between Australia and South America. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-reveals-fisheries-danger-zones-large.html Plants & Animals Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:40:32 EST news685024802 The belief that "friends do it too" is a major factor in young adults drink-driving (driving drunk) the morning after a night out, according to a study of almost 300 Queenslanders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-young-adults-australia-drunk-morning.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 05 Nov 2025 08:28:04 EST news681553682 New research has found that even Australia's most protected marine habitats are likely to suffer extreme ocean impacts by 2040, increasing threats to thousands of plant and animal species. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-australia-marine-habitats-defenseless-climate.html Environment Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:35:04 EDT news680949302 It might sound like a contradiction, but if you're feeling lonely, you're not alone. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-social-health.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:41:04 EDT news679232461 A University of the Sunshine Coast researcher has caught on camera and documented for the first time a rare—and rather risqué—shark mating sequence in the wild. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-leopard-shark-sex-tape-scientific.html Plants & Animals Mon, 22 Sep 2025 08:30:04 EDT news677748602 In a world first, a vaccine has been approved to protect Australia's endangered koalas from infection and death caused by chlamydia. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-world-koala-chlamydia-vaccine.html Plants & Animals Wed, 10 Sep 2025 06:17:04 EDT news676703816 University of the Sunshine Coast researchers experienced in authenticating manuka honey have developed a new rapid, affordable test that can help identify the next premium Australian honeys. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-potential-aussie-health-honeys.html Plants & Animals Fri, 05 Sep 2025 09:16:04 EDT news676282562 A secret ingredient in snail trails is helping the pests save themselves from poisons spread to protect farms and gardens across Australia. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-super-snail-slime-pesticide.html Ecology Wed, 20 Aug 2025 09:15:49 EDT news674900145 A University of the Sunshine Coast-led study has uncovered evidence that sex reversal is more common in wild birds than previously thought—with potential implications for threatened species. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-sex-reversal-australian-birds.html Plants & Animals Wed, 13 Aug 2025 09:25:19 EDT news674295914 Forty-five percent of dementia cases are potentially preventable, and simple lifestyle choices including exercise, diet and social connection all contribute to your risk score. But what if these risk factors were leaving chemical warning signs of decline in your brain—long before any symptoms of dementia played out? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-early-brain-chemical-shifts-lifestyle.html Neuroscience Thu, 07 Aug 2025 11:27:04 EDT news673784822 University of the Sunshine Coast researchers have shown, for the first time in Australia, what happens in the brain of adolescent girls when they see someone being subjected to body image-related cyberbullying (BRC). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-body-image-bullying-affects-teenage.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 16 Jul 2025 09:50:03 EDT news671877711 A University of the Sunshine Coast study has found most young people charged with assaulting police had experienced childhood abuse, poverty, unstable housing and institutional failures. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-violent-youth-assaults-police-triggered.html Social Sciences Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:42:03 EDT news668702521 As Australia's east coast tourism industry dives into a new whale migration season, a UniSC study has revealed the emotional and behavioral effects on people who hear the sounds of the 'awe'-inspiring marine mammals. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-whale-song-psychology-tourism.html Plants & Animals Wed, 21 May 2025 07:07:03 EDT news667030022 In a bid to save a species globally, a world-first method of extracting semen from male leopard sharks in the wild has been pioneered by researchers off the South East Queensland coast. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-technique-leopard-shark-population.html Plants & Animals Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:24:31 EST news659615069 A new study has found small amounts of liquid ketamine administered in a clinical setting can significantly reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, with fewer side effects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-dose-oral-ketamine-ptsd-symptoms.html Medications Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:30:34 EST news657477023 New research from the University of the Sunshine Coast's Thompson Institute has found a relationship between lifestyle choices that affect dementia risk and early signs of aging in the brain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-lifestyle-aging-brain-faster.html Neuroscience Wed, 18 Dec 2024 10:13:11 EST news653739185 A global research collaboration has revealed a hidden cause of a rare intellectual disorder associated with severe language delay, epileptic seizures, motor impairment and brain abnormalities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-exploring-hidden-genetic-intellectual-disability.html Genetics Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:06:57 EST news652622809 Diet quality may influence menopausal symptoms and overall quality of life, according to a nutrition study of more than 200 women in Australia with an average age of 51. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-10-soft-red-meat-ease-menopause.html Health Thu, 10 Oct 2024 15:50:01 EDT news647794112 A little yellow-and-white bird that prefers to date its mates in an idyllic island lifestyle rather than fly to the mainland to mingle is an example of avian species evolution in action, according to new Australian research. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-island-bird-resort-life-genetic.html Evolution Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:55:02 EDT news645962101 Are the biggest and most bulging calf muscles necessarily the most powerful? The scientists behind new research into muscle architecture say it's not the size of a muscle that delivers the most force, but rather its layout—in particular, a feathered layout called "pennate." https://phys.org/news/2024-09-strong-feather-insights-optimal-muscle.html Other Wed, 18 Sep 2024 11:37:20 EDT news645878236 Adolescent females subjected to appearance-related cyberbullying are more likely to feel ashamed of their bodies, a desire to change their appearance and suffer eating disorder symptoms, according to UniSC research published in the Journal of Eating Disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-reveals-cyberbullying-teenage-girls-cosmetic.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 06 Sep 2024 12:06:03 EDT news644843161 Australia's video games development industry urgently needs better marketing to tap into the $3.9 billion spent nationally on buying games and to avoid the staff layoffs seen in bigger global companies over the past year. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-skills-crucial-australian-video-game.html Business Tue, 20 Aug 2024 14:42:02 EDT news643383721 University of the Sunshine Coast researchers have confirmed the happy place of one of Australia's smelliest and messiest native birds—the white ibis—and as expected, the closer to rubbish dumps the better. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-happy-ibis.html Plants & Animals Fri, 09 Aug 2024 07:20:28 EDT news642406824