Contact magazine

Contact magazine

Professor Monika Janda casts some sunlight on whether you can still trust your sunscreen products, what regulators are doing to address the recent SPF controversy and why sunscreen remains critical to your sun safety.
  • It might seem like your doctor’s always running late. But your doctor isn’t delayed because they disrespect your time. There are many reasons for running late, some unrelated to your doctor or the clinic.
  • Contact asked staff member, current student and alum Camille Brandon – a self-identified ‘semi local’ – for an insider’s guide to the City of Ipswich, a town she feels is chronically underrated.
  • We all have our ‘sneeze signature’, a pattern or style of sneezing that’s unique to us. But where do they come from – and can we change our sneezing ways?
  • Many of us are confused about what to look for on the label when buying seafood that's kind to the planet. Luckily, a team from UQ's Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science is here to clear things up with some simple rules of thumb you can use at the supermarket.
  • Are you curious about making your diet more sustainable by using local, native ingredients like lemon myrtle and finger lime, but unsure where to start? Adjunct Professor Dale Chapman, founder of the bushfood company My Dilly Bag, shares her top tips and a recipe with Contact.
  • Contact asked UQ researcher Dr Alice Hayward (Bachelor of Science '03, Doctor of Philosophy '09) for some top tips on keeping and propagating native houseplants.
  • Reflecting on her time at UQ as a geologist undertaking an Australia Awards short course in 2018, Johanna Linus can pinpoint the moment she realised she was in the right place and knew she would be able to make a difference here.
  • AI-generated 'art' has penetrated our world. It has won competitions, saturated social media feeds, been showcased on the big screen and found it's way onto gallery walls. But is it real art?
  • The University is enhancing its cultural and events offering at St Lucia, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Mayne Bequest and the Art Museum’s 50th anniversary.

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  • Contact caught up with Dr Brooke Devlin to break down why the 3pm slump at work is so common, and how to overcome it without sugar or caffeine.
  • Are we really putting ourselves at risk when we reheat our leftovers, or is this all just over-inflated plastic panic?
  • In September 2024, Queensland’s Parliament passed landmark legislation that will soon give donor-conceived people – individuals conceived with a donated egg or sperm, usually through a fertility clinic – the right to access identifying information about their donor parents. It’s a change that donor-conceived people and their allies have long advocated for.
  • UQ Mythbusters has enlisted the help of Professor Ian Godwin, Director of UQ’s Centre for Crop Science, to help uncover some dirt on what the real differences are when you buy organic and you might be surprised.
  • This year, World Health Day (7 April) is focusing on maternal and newborn health through the theme ‘healthy beginnings, hopeful futures’. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging health systems globally to evolve to manage the many issues impacting mothers and their babies, including non-communicable diseases.
  • Many of us hesitate to seek help or testing for our hearing. Perhaps you’re afraid you’ll be told to wear hearing aids, and envision the large and bulky hearing aids you might have seen on your grandparents decades ago. What are your options?
  • For this edition of UQ Mythbusters, Dr Marlize Bekker and Dr Deirdre Mikkelsen from the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability in the Faculty of Science help us get to the truth about the safety of non-stick cookware, the chemicals involved, and the best practices to ensure your cookware remains safe.
  • You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol, leading to poor health. But is there any truth to it? Our UQ experts unpack the science of eggs so you can crack on with your breakfast.
  • The greatest risk factors for developing dementia – age and genetics – are beyond our control. However, studies show many health and lifestyle choices have an impact on our dementia risk.

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  • It’s back-to-school season around Australia. While many students will be excited to reunite with friends, or have some nerves about the first day, others may feel an overwhelming sense of dread about school.
  • Critical care researcher Professor John Fraser and former Alumni Friends president Dr Catherine Lawrence are among members of UQ community recognised in today’s Australia Day honours. UQ graduate and Indigenous rights advocate Professor Megan Davis is one of only 6 Australians to receive the nation’s highest civil honour – the Companion of the Order of Australia.
  • As voters get ready to head to the polls for the Queensland state elections, how will the major parties plan to address the housing and rental crisis, and what policies need to be implemented urgently?
  • The Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and many other political leaders want to ban young Australians from social media until they turn 16. Is that a good idea or a regressive move that distracts us from the more important task of building forms of social media that enable young people to flourish?
  • As the next Queensland election approaches, both major parties have promised to ‘crack down’ on youth crime. But while Queensland currently locks up more children than any other state, is putting children in detention a viable solution and does it reduce the rates of re-offending? UQ experts explain.
  • Is it possible to end a contract to purchase or sell a house simply because you’ve changed your mind?
  • While a lot of profit stands to be made from alcohol and liquor licensing fees, we can’t ignore the harm it poses to young people.
  • An expert in business and information technology is among members of The University of Queensland community named in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours List.
  • Recent high-profile incidents of gender-based violence have once again raised calls for the issue to be treated as a national crisis. So, as tens of thousands of Australians rallied in cities and towns across the country, 'Contact' asked UQ experts: what can actually be done to end gendered violence?

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  • Ahead of his appearance at this year’s alumni and community day at the UQ Alumni Book Fair, we sat down with award-winning University of Queensland Press (UQP) crime writer and UQ alum Matthew Condon OAM (Bachelor of Arts ’83) to delve into the world of true crime storytelling.
  • Astrology is enjoying a major surge in popularity, particularly among young people. But reading the stars is nothing new – it's one of humanity’s oldest ways of making sense of the world. So why the sudden horoscope fever? UQ alum Dr Michelle Pfeffer has us star-struck with her knowledge on all things star signs and divinations.
  • For this instalment, we sat down with Professor Tracey Bunda, a Ngugi/Wakka Wakka woman and Professor of Indigenous Education at UQ. Professor Bunda is a leading voice in Indigenous education and a passionate advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
  • In this edition, we catch up with the Executive Dean of the newly established Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences (HMBS), Professor Danny Liew.
  • At The University of Queensland (UQ), we are proud to support and amplify the voices of women who are breaking barriers, reshaping policies and igniting movements that are transforming the world.
  • We spoke to 2 alumni who are striving to improve food products and processes to ensure they are safe, high-quality, and nutritious – and to help sort out which biscuit is the best biscuit.
  • While our favourite heroines of the rom com genre are lauded for their relatable flaws, there's one thing missing from the genre in Australian publishing, according to UQ expert and author Dr Melanie Saward.
  • From chance encounters to lifelong partnerships, these stories remind us that the university experience transforms our lives in ways that go beyond education.
  • Critical care researcher Professor John Fraser and former Alumni Friends president Dr Catherine Lawrence are among members of UQ community recognised in today’s Australia Day honours. UQ graduate and Indigenous rights advocate Professor Megan Davis is one of only 6 Australians to receive the nation’s highest civil honour – the Companion of the Order of Australia.

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About Contact magazine

Contact magazine is your pocket guide to navigating our changing world. Landing in email inboxes monthly, with added special editions covering timely topics, our features keep you informed and entertained. Contact brings together the best insights from UQ’s alumni, researchers and community, connecting our global network of ChangeMakers through storytelling.