Twelve La Trobe researchers from a diverse field of study have been awarded 2026 ARC Discovery Project grants to further their work.
Discovery Projects support research identified as bold and collaborative, with a long-term national impact.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell said the funding success highlighted La Trobe’s strengths in conducting high-quality research to address real-world issues.
“I congratulate our outstanding researchers and their teams on their achievements,” Professor Farrell said.
“This diverse and important work exemplifies La Trobe’s commitment to research that transforms lives and strengthens our communities.”
Recipients include:
Associate Professor Alexander Pinto, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, $1,067,447
This project aims to address the biological effects of micro and nanoplastic (MNP) exposure by investigating their effects on the cardiovascular system. This will provide benefits including advancing toxicology research capacity and providing foundational knowledge to inform environmental policy and regulatory frameworks.
Professor Yuning Hong, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, $833,064
This project aims to develop innovative molecular tools to capture protein folding states within organelle proteomes in living cells for the first time. This study will deliver innovative tools for research and commercialisation and provide insights to inform future research on the diagnosis and treatment of age-related diseases.
Professor Begoña Heras, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, $818,856
This project aims to use frontline structural and molecular biology approaches to uncover the mechanisms of bacterial adaptation. This research could inform future infection control strategies and lead to biotechnological tools, benefiting key industry sectors including agriculture, food production and healthcare.
Dr Vanessa Kellermann, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, $752,067
The project aims to reveal why species have restricted geographic ranges and do not adapt to environments beyond their range. This knowledge is important for conserving vulnerable species, managing agricultural species and forecasting species occurrences as climates change.
Professor Ivan Poon, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, $649,397
This project aims to investigate how fragmentation of dying cells could aid their removal. More than 200 billion cells die daily in the human body. It is critical that dying cells are rapidly cleared as their build up can interfere with normal tissue functions. This is expected to provide significant benefits to the cell death and general cell biology fields.
Professor Jennifer McIntosh, School of Psychology and Public Health, $620,881
This study seeks to examine modifiable family and service systems factors associated with long-term safety of parents and children at risk of domestic and family violence during and beyond involvement in family court litigation. This research could aid court and allied services in optimising safety-enhancing actions for lasting outcomes.
Dr Lucille Chapuis, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, $571,722
This project will investigate how deep-sea fish use sound to survive in their dark, extreme environments. Researchers aim to uncover the unique adaptations of these species and their reliance on sound, especially as human-made noise increases in the deep sea.
Dr Yuri Cath, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, $536,635
This project aims to investigate the idea that virtual reality is an ‘empathy machine’ that can simulate the experiences of other people and thereby give us knowledge of what it is like to have those experiences.
Professor Jason Dutton, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, $501,240
This project aims to invent methods to directly convert simple C-H hydrocarbons into value-added fine chemicals by inventing a new class of organoiodine-based oxidising agents where the organic group is a nearly indestructible carborane.
Associate Professor Emma Robertson, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, $478,933
This project aims to produce the first trans-regional history of Australian rice that reflects the industry’s diverse and environmentally responsive multicultural pasts. It will provide new historical knowledge about rice agriculture, its social and environmental impacts and changing cultures of consumption.
Dr Ruby Grant, School of Psychology and Public Health, $477,590
This project aims to understand how living in outer suburban areas shapes LGBTQ belonging and inclusion. This project intends to use qualitative methods to explore LGBTQ people’s experiences in outer suburbs and discover how local government policy and action impacts LGBTQ wellbeing and community connection and how these can be improved.
Dr Babak Dadvand, School of Education, $434,421
This project aims to improve teacher retention in high-turnover areas by developing a workforce distribution dashboard to map teacher employment patterns and identify teacher exodus zones in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
Photo caption: Associate Professor Alexander Pinto
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