2016 UQ Winter Research Program

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1 2016 UQ Winter Research Program Research projects offered by the School of Veterinary Science Who can apply? The Winter Research Program is open to current UQ students only and specifically to undergraduate, honours, or masters by coursework students, who: Are currently enrolled at UQ at the time of application; Have completed at least one year of study at the time of application; Are studying for a degree relevant to the research discipline; and Have a high level of academic achievement during their undergraduate degree. How to apply This document provides you with a list of available projects. See index below. 1) Browse the projects. 2) Contact the potential supervisor for the project to discuss your interest to undertake their research project. 3) Submit an application form and supporting documentation via an online form to the UQ Advantage Office by 11:59pm Monday 4 April Incomplete applications will not be considered. Students are asked to please submit an application for one project only. All applicants will be notified if they will be invited to participate in the program by Friday 20 May, The following projects are available (please click on the link) Project Evaluation of the effect of different degrees of abduction on airflow at the rima glottis in cadaveric equine larynges VMF (Vertical Modular Framework) for learning and assessment in the clinical sciences Responses of sheep to simulated transport by ship Reliability and accuracy of activity trackers in dogs Prevalence of carriage of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. in dogs, cats and horses in Queensland Attitudes in the racehorse industry towards Hendra vaccination The prevalence of and the clinical and pathological characteristics for elapid snake envenomation of small animals in Queensland Evaluating zoonotic transmission in neglected tropical diseases of humans Medical geography of Q-fever in Queensland Exploring a framework for harmonizing human and veterinary health systems for zoonotic disease control Advisor Dr. Benjamin Ahern Dr Justine Gibson Professor Clive Phillips Dr Erika Meler Dr Erika Meler Dr Joerg Henning Dr Joerg Henning Dr. Ricardo J Soares Magalhaes Dr. Ricardo J Soares Magalhaes Dr. Ricardo J Soares Magalhaes

2 Evaluation of the effect of different degrees of abduction on airflow at the rima glottis in cadaveric equine larynges 4 weeks 1 week preparation, 2 weeks performing experiments, 1 week compilation and write-up representing a minimum of 20 hours per week on the research project. Background: Laryngeal hemiplegia (LH) is a performance limiting problem in horses that is commonly treated by a laryngoplasty (tie-back) procedure. The degree of abduction is a key component of this procedure and a common reason for surgical failure. The ideal degree of abduction is uncertain and this short study would aim to evaluate the effect on airflow using an existing in vitro model for different degrees of arytenoid abduction. The hypothesis being that the degree of abduction ideal for a laryngoplasty procedure is 88% of the maximal cross sectional area (Rakesh et al, 2008). This study will allow for more critical evaluation of what is the ideal degree of abduction to allow for improved surgical decision making. outcomes: data collection regarding airflow and calculated resistance at different degrees of arytenoid abduction from 6-8 cadaveric larynges allowing for identification of the ideal degree of abduction. This should generate a publishable manuscript suitable for an international journal such as Veterinary Surgery or Equine Veterinary Journal. UQ veterinary science students or students interested in biomedical engineering would be suitable candidates for this project. A knowledge of anatomy and engineering would be useful but not essential for this research. Dr. Benjamin Ahern Please contact me for further information / discussion prior to submitting an application. Ben Ahern b.ahern@uq.edu.au

3 VMF (Vertical Modular Framework) for learning and assessment in the clinical sciences 6 weeks and approximately 36 h/week The parent project aims to develop a How to Guide for teachers to create, develop and evaluate adaptive e-learning tutorials and assessment modules. The Biomedical Education Skills and Training (BEST) Network will be used to create a series of elearning modules, which allow simple case based tutorials to be delivered in courses early in the Veterinary program evolving to quite complex clinical scenarios in the later years encouraging the development of clinical reasoning and ensuring vertical integration across the program. The tutorials will adapt to student choices, allowing each case to take a variety of paths, and will provide feedback or resources to students to personalise learning Veterinary students on the winter research project will work collaboratively with academics to help evaluate storyboards, identify novel audio-visual resources, and create and evaluate the tutorials on the adaptive e-learning platform. Applicants will work closely with academics of the veterinary program to help design and evaluate storyboards (case based learning scenarios) which can then be used to create an adaptive elearning tutorial on Smart Sparrow (BEST Network). Students will have the opportunity to produce resources necessary for the modules (e.g. animal handling videos, images of microbiological/clinical pathology/pathology resources etc.). Students will be trained on how to use create modules onto the ELearning platform and be involved in evaluating these modules (end user and heuristic evaluation). By the end of the six weeks, students would have been involved in each of the development areas of the project and worked with the associated academics. In addition to the inherent value of having real-time student feedback during development, the capstone deliverable would be that student s conduct a facilitated SWOT analysis of the project to help the project team with early identification of the strengths and weakness of our model from a key stakeholder perspective and ensure that any unidentified opportunities or threats are recognised. This project is open to applications from students enrolled in the BVSc or BVetTech who have an interest in; teaching/adult education, the evolution of the BVSc program, integrating technology and vet science and/or a background, skills or experience in information technology. Additionally, IT students with a background or developing interest in adaptive elearning platforms Please note this project will be conducted full time at the Gatton campus, approximately 36 h/week. Dr Justine Gibson Senior Lecturer Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology School of Veterinary Science Please contact me prior to submitting an application Justine Gibson gibson.j@uq.edu.au (07)

4 Responses of sheep to simulated transport by ship 6 weeks - a minimum of 20 hours per week on the research project We have videos obtained from previous experiments on this topic, the student would analyse stepping behaviour to investigate responses to treatment, such as with an anti-emetic. We also have heart rate data from sheep exposed to a variety of treatments. Lateralised behaviour is of particular interest as it may relate to emotional responses. The specific aim would be to determine physical responses to ship motion and how they link to heart rate responses. Scholars will gain skills in behaviour data analysis and have an opportunity to generate publications from their research. We use appropriate software for detecting behaviour changes and large screen video viewing also facilitates detecting these changes. This project is open to applications from students with a background in veterinary science, animal science or related discipline, and who have an interest in animal behaviour and/or welfare. Clive Phillips Students are welcome to contact Clive Phillips (c.phillips@uq.edu.au ) before applying

5 Reliability and accuracy of activity trackers in dogs Participate in the program for a minimum of four weeks between 13 June 24 July 2016 at Gatton campus Approximately 30 hr a week The use of activity trackers in humans is widespread and nowadays common use. These are mostly used to objectively record people activity and to ensure that an adequate calorie-burning activities are done in day. Some companies have developed similar devices for dogs. These devices have some similarities but also more varied purposes. The initial goal of these device in companion animals was the ability to locate them via GPS application when lost. Nowadays the new generations of pet trackers are advertised to allow also monitoring of heart rate, respiratory rate as well as activity level. Up to now, there is no evidence of a study looking at the reliability and accuracy of these devices offered to the technology eager public of pet owners. Some of the data generated by these tackers will without a doubt trigger questions to treating veterinarians. It appears important from a medical point of view to be able to provide a thoughtful insight based on sounded research on the validity of the measurement obtained with these new devices. Moreover, should some of these devices be identified as particularly reliable and accurate from this study, follow-up research could investigate their use in the clinical setting for animals with cardiac, respiratory, orthopaedic or neurologic conditions. The expected benefits of this project are as follow: 1) The student will gain significant experience in study design, scientific data collection and statistical treatment of that information. 2) The preliminary data will be presented by the student at the end of the study period to the department staff in a 15 min oral presentation. The final data will be submitted for presentation at a local, national or international congress. 3) The data collected will lead to the writing of a scientific manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The student will be involved in the redaction of the manuscript for additional experience with the writing of a scientific article depending on the personal implication in the project. 4) As an additional asset to their CV, highly motivated student will be included in the authorship of the final paper with the condition that the work performed is of appropriate quality and the rank in authorship will be correlated to the involvement in the redaction of the manuscript. This Winter Research Project is open to UQ students in any year of the training, veterinary or veterinary technology students welcome but not mandatory. Students with biostatistics, public health, and technological background will also be strongly considered as long as they have an interest in animal wellness and care and that they feel comfortable handling safely a dog. This project requires mainly an individual who is serious, highly motivated, hardworking and can be relied on for the collection of the survey

6 data. An interest in new technologies, data analysis and statistics software will be appreciated but is not mandatory. Erika Meler Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine Interested applicants that have further questions should feel free to contact Dr Erika Meler before the application deadline. Expressions of interest should be ed to Dr Erika Meler by April 1 st, A cover letter stating why this project is of interest, highlighting medical and/or technological knowledge, database and analytical skills as well as showing enthusiasm, reliability and hardworking skill sets will be valued. Applicants will be assessed on a competitive basis taking into account the academic merit of the applicant and the reasons provided for wanting to participate in the project.

7 Prevalence of carriage of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. in dogs, cats and horses in Queensland Participate in the program for a minimum of four weeks between 13 June 24 July at Gatton campus and Brisbane private practice centre. Approximately 30 hr a week Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus species are a major area of study worldwide due to their zoonotic potential and ability to develop multiresistance to antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRS) infections as well as carriage have been shown in both people and animals. MRS carriage prevalence for dogs in North America is well known and around 0.5 and 2% but its prevalence in Australia has not yet to our knowledge been reported. Australia is usually well-known for its overall low prevalence in infectious diseases so it is possible that the carriage rate could be different. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp through the sampling of dogs and cats in different setting and location around the greater Brisbane area. The second goal would be to evaluate possible difference in carriage rates depending on location (urban vs rural area) and level of association with veterinary medical environment (boarding facility vs general practice vs referral practice). The clinical and public health implications of this project are numerous and could lead to the development of collaborative projects with physicians and infectious diseases researchers as part of the One Health project. The expected benefits of this project are as follow: 1) The student will gain significant experience in study design, scientific data collection and statistical treatment of that information. 2) The preliminary data will be presented by the student at the end of the study period to the department staff in a 15 min oral presentation. The final data will be submitted for presentation at a local, national or international congress. 3) The data collected will lead to the writing of a scientific manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The student will be involved in the redaction of the manuscript for additional experience with writing of scientific article depending on the personal implication in the project. 4) As an additional asset to their CV, highly motivated student could be included in the authorship of the final paper with the condition that the work performed is of appropriate quality and the rank in authorship will be correlated to the involvement in the redaction of the manuscript. This Summer Research Project is open to UQ students in any year of the training in veterinary or veterinary technology students. Students with biostatistics, public health, microbiological background will also be considered as long as they have an interest in animal wellness and care and that they feel comfortable handling safely a dog. This project requires mainly an individual who is serious, highly motivated, hardworking and can be relied on for the collection of the study sample and

8 data. An interest in microbiology, data analysis and statistics software will be appreciated but is not mandatory. Erika Meler, Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine Interested applicants that have further questions should feel free to contact Dr Erika Meler before the application deadline. Expressions of interest should be ed to Dr Erika Meler by April 1 st, A cover letter stating why this project is of interest, highlighting medical and/or microbiological knowledge, database and analytical skills as well as showing enthusiasm, reliability and hardworking skill sets will be valued. Applicants will be assessed on a competitive basis taking into account the academic merit of the applicant and the reasons provided for wanting to participate in the project.

9 Attitudes in the racehorse industry towards Hendra vaccination 6 weeks (20 hours per week) Hendra vaccination cover within Australia appears to be low despite encouragement and financial support for booster vaccinations. Limited studies of the attitudes towards vaccination have been initiated. We have conducting a large scale survey on horse owners attitudes and behaviours towards vaccination against Hendra virus, but the horse racing industry was not involved in this survey. We plan to re-run this survey focussing on racehorse owners, trainers and managers. The survey will be conducted using an online questionnaire or interviews over the phone. Data collected will be analysed using statistical methods such as survey design approaches, regression methods, spatial analysis and multivariable methods. deliverables of this project is a data analysis report and a draft of a scientific publication for a conference or for a scientific journal. The applicant will gain skills in developing surveys, data collection and data analysis. As this project will require the collection and analysis of survey data, good communication skills, an interest in epidemiology, skills in database software and statistical analysis are required. The project is suitable for a student with an interest data analysis. Ideally the applicant should be BVSc student with some experience in working with horses. Previous research experience, in particular with horses, would be beneficial. Joerg Henning If you are interested in this project please contact Joerg Henning on j.henning@uq.edu.au

10 The prevalence of and the clinical and pathological characteristics for elapid snake envenomation of small animals in Queensland 6 weeks (20 hours per week) Elapid snake envenomation is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in dogs and cats in Australia, with animals presenting to veterinarians in a critical state due to the rapid progression of envenomation. The prevalence, clinical, pathophysiological and pathological characteristics elapid snake envenomation in small animals is poorly described. Furthermore, animal victims of snake bites are commonly found deceased, and due to the undescribed autopsy findings associated with specific snake envenomation, the cause may remain unknown. The goal of this project is to gain an understanding of the prevalence and geographical distribution of small animal elapid snake envenomation in the state of Queensland. An online survey will be designed to collate data on snake bite envenomation in dogs and cats from small and mixed animal veterinarians. This data will be based on assumed or confirmed snake bite cases in small animal animals in this region. The clinical symptoms, treatments performed, and the survival rate of the snake envenomation cases will be recorded. Concurrently in a prospective study, clients of live animals presenting to the University of Queensland (UQ), School of Veterinary Medicine (SVS) Veterinary Medical Center as suspected snake bite cases will be offered a free blood health profile (haematology and clinical chemistry and urinalysis). Clinical findings from such cases will be documented and will enable us to assemble detailed clinical, clinico-pathological and autopsy findings (in the case of animals that succumb to envenomation) related to snake species. Through the undertaking of autopsies, as well as analysis of clinicopathological results from confirmed cases of envenomation, the pathological changes and pathogenesis of the venoms from various species of snake will be determined. The applicant will gain skills in developing surveys, data collection and data analysis. In addition skills in skills in pathological examination and in the analysis of clinicopathological data will be obtained. This project would suit a Bachelor of Veterinary Science student with experience in pathological examinations and ideally some research experience with wildlife. As this project will require the collection and analysis of survey data, communication-related work and an interest in epidemiology, skills in database software and statistical analysis are required. The project is suitable for a student with an interest data analysis. In addition some experience and interest in clinicopathological work is required. Joerg Henning If you are interested in this project please contact Joerg Henning on j.henning@uq.edu.au

11 Evaluating zoonotic transmission in neglected tropical diseases of humans 6 weeks (35 hours per week) Zoonotic transmission has been documented to occur in many tropical diseases where interventions are focused solely on humans. With just 25 human cases of Guinea-worm reported in 2015, canine infection and possible zoonotic transmission to humans poses a barrier to the final steps of eradication. By reviewing documented zoonotic transmission in neglected tropical disease of humans, this project aims to highlight the role of animal reservoirs in tropical diseases of humans, and identify knowledge gaps for diseases where zoonotic transmission may affect or prevent eradication. This research is likely to generate a publication for peer-review and a student with demonstrated writing skills is highly desirable. This project is open to applications from students with a background in veterinary science. It is highly desirable but not critical that the student has experience in systematic review protocol (e.g. as part of VETS5016). Dr. Ricardo J Soares Magalhaes ( Please before April 4 th r.magalhaes@uq.edu.au

12 Medical geography of Q-fever in Queensland 6 weeks (35 hours per week) Q-fever is a notifiable zoonotic infection which causes debilitating disease in humans working with livestock and potentially the community. It is highly incident in Australia particularly in Queensland. The student will build a spatial model to identify the level of disease clustering in Queensland and the role of individual, household and environmental factors that determine its geographical distribution. This research is likely to generate a publication for peer-review and a student with demonstrated writing skills is highly desirable. This project is open to applications from students with a background in veterinary science, medicine and geography. It is highly desirable but not critical that the student has experience in analysis of spatial data. Dr. Ricardo J Soares Magalhaes ( Please before April 4th r.magalhaes@uq.edu.au Project title: Exploring a framework for harmonizing human and veterinary health systems for zoonotic disease control 6 weeks (35 hours per week) Our laboratory has helped develop a number of spatial models of zoonotic disease distribution. The student will explore a framework for extending our models to identify solutions for the harmonization of human and animal systems health for optimal zoonotic disease control. This research is likely to generate a publication for peer-review and a student with demonstrated writing skills is highly desirable. This project is open to applications from students with a background in veterinary science, medicine and geography. It is highly desirable but not critical that the student has experience in systematic review protocol (e.g. as part of VETS5016) and/or analysis of spatial data. Dr. Ricardo J Soares Magalhaes ( Please before April 4 th r.magalhaes@uq.edu.au

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