Research Bites: Ibero-American Researchers in Australia


On the 10thof April 2018, we had a successful research bites event at Sydney’s Instituto Cervantes. The event was organised by the Spanish Researchers in Australia-Pacific with the support of Instituto Cervantes, and was chaired by A/prof Ana Vila-Concejo (SRAP Vice-president, The University of Sydney). We had full house attendance with about 70 people listening to the talks, including diplomatic representation from Spain, Brazil and Colombia. The event was opened by Raquel Romero Guillemas, Director of the Instituto Cervantes in Sydney.

Our speakers, from Colombia, Portugal, Spain, Peru, and Spain, represented diverse research endeavours, delivered engaging talks and led a very interesting discussion with the audience during the Q&A session at the end of the event.

Lecturers:

  • “What genomes can tell us about crocodilians and platypuses”
    Associate Professor Jaime Gongora from The University of Sydney, and representing Colombia, explained the genomics of some of the most charismatic animals of Australia and how they use state-of-the-art technology to track down populations and families of, for example, platypus.
  • “Compacted material behavior – towards a smoother ride”
    Dr Ana Heitor from The University of Wollongong, and representing Portugal, told us the reasons why some roads sink and the new technologies that exist to minimize road problems leading to a smother ride.
  • “Nanotechnology to detect virus and bacteria”
    Dr Nekane Reto Murua, representing Spain, explained how nanotechnology can be applied to detect infections in oysters and how that benefits aquaculture and society.
  • “Fine-tuned listening skills are the key to language learning”
    Associate Professor Paola Escudero from the University of Western Sydney, and representing Peru, taught us about why using baby-talk is an important tool for language development in babies and how Australian children are advanced vowel learners.
  • “Biodiversity and functioning of the marine environment: impacts and solutions”
    Dr Mariana Mayer Pinto from The University of New South Wales, and representing Brazil, delivered an engaging talk about different types of eco-engineering solutions that can be applied to maximise diverse ecosystems in urban shorelines.

The event was followed by some nibbles at Instituto Cervantes and a networking dinner at a nearby pub.

Research Bites are periodical meetings organised by the Spanish Researchers Asia-Pacific Association (SRAP) that aim to facilitate the exchange of local experiences and transfer knowledge among Spanish-speaking researchers based in Australia. This event is not only addressed to researchers but also to people interested in all fields of science. These informal gatherings have been previously organised in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart to promote social networking in the Spanish and Ibero-American scientific community.

When: On 10 April 2018 at 6:00 PM
Where: Instituto Cervantes Sydney Level 3, 299-305 Sussex Street Sydney, NSW 2000

Some photos of the event:


Ana Vila-Concejo

About Ana Vila-Concejo

My career started in Spain, where I did my undergraduate and MSc studying urban beaches at the University of Vigo; and Portugal, where I completed my PhD at the University of Algarve investigating the short and medium term evolution of tidal inlets in a barrier island system. Then I moved to Australia and started looking into the morphodynamics of flood-tide deltas in wave-dominated coasts within the framework of an ARC funded linkage project which was based in Port Stephens. In 2010 I started researching the morphodynamics of sand aprons in reef platforms. In 2011 I was awarded an ARC Future Fellowship to continue the studies in the dynamics of coral sands. Since 2012, I am the Director of One Tree Island Research Station. I am interested in the contemporary processes and morphodynamics of coastal systems. I started with siliciclastic temperate environments and I am now also interested in the dynamics of carbonate (coral) sand. My present studies on coral sand are mostly based on fieldwork campaigns undertaken in While I am presently dedicating most of my time to carbonate sand I remain insterested in low energy beaches, tidal inlets, overwash, coastal erosion, hazards and coastal management. I am a keen fieldworker and have experience in acquiring and processing hydrodynamic, topographic and bathymetric data. I have also worked with fluorescent tracers for studying sediment transport processes. At present, I am also using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool to analyse recent and present data. While I am presently dedicating most of my time to carbonate sand I remain insterested in low energy beaches, tidal inlets, overwash, coastal erosion, hazards and coastal management. I am a keen fieldworker and have experience in acquiring and processing hydrodynamic, topographic and bathymetric data.