Switching off a protein produced in breast cancer cells can stop cancer progression, researchers from The University of Queensland have found.

Dr Iman Azimi from UQ School of Pharmacy and Mater Research Institute said, when breast cancer cells were made to stop producing a protein called TRPC1, some of the pathways important in breast cancer progression were deactivated.

“We identified TRPC1 as a regulator of several pathways that, when activated by hypoxia, are critical in breast cancer progression,” Dr Azimi said.

“As breast cancers grow, their supply of oxygen can decline. This is called hypoxia.

“This can trigger the breast cancer to become more aggressive and resistant to currently available therapies.”

The new study has helped define a potential new therapeutic target for the control of breast cancer progression.

“The work is most relevant to women who will develop breast cancer in the future, as these studies may enable the development of more effective therapies for breast cancers that become resistant to current therapies,” Dr Azimi said.

“This research is of global significance as it provides researchers a new understanding of the role of TRPC1 in the response of breast cancer cells to hypoxia and how breast cancers cells may become metastatic.”

The researchers hope these results will have an impact on breast cancer research and the thousands of women who die every year from breast cancer.

Breast cancer takes the lives of more than 2500 women in Australia each year, with less than a 30 per cent survival rate for women with metastatic disease.

Despite significant advances in the development of new therapies, breast cancer still accounts for 15.5 per cent of all cancer deaths in Australian women.

“We are very excited about these findings that we aim to be used in future drug development research to improve current therapeutic interventions,” Dr Azimi said.

Dr Azimi completed the study with senior investigator Professor Greg Monteith from UQ’s School of Pharmacy.

The research has been published in the Journal of Cell Science.

Media: Dr Iman Azimi i.azimi@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3346 1856; Kirsten O’Leary, UQ Communications, kirsten.oleary@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3365 7436.

The University of Queensland has been named in the world’s top 10 universities for six subjects by a major international rankings system.

The Shanghai Ranking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects for 2017 ranks UQ in the top 10 globally in Mining and Mineral Engineering (2), Ecology (3), Hospitality and Tourism Management (3), Biotechnology (7), Water Resources (8) and Geography (9).

Altogether, UQ had 18 subjects listed in the global top 50, and 36 subjects listed in the global top 100, judged by research productivity, research quality, extent of international collaboration and high academic recognitions.

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said the recognition was reward for the hard work of many and showed the value top-class research added to Queensland and Australia’s reputation and economy.

“These subject rankings have once again confirmed the quality of UQ’s interdisciplinary expertise, which ranks among the world’s finest,” Professor Høj said.

“The quality of our offerings enable our students to build agile and meaningful careers, draw international students from around the world, and contribute enormously to national prosperity and social cohesion.

“The research strength of UQ, and indeed other Australian universities, is a national competitive advantage that needs to be maintained and not put in jeopardy by short-sighted cuts to funding.”

Aside from the subjects for which UQ earnt a top 10 global rank, it was also ranked the best in Australia for Veterinary Sciences, Psychology, Sociology, Food Science and Technology and Aerospace Engineering.

On Monday, UQ and industry partner Boeing opened the Boeing Research and Technology Australia Technology Centre at UQ’s St Lucia campus, further strengthening UQ’s position in the aerospace field.

Further information and full rankings are available at the ShanghaiRanking website.

Media: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au, +61 (0) 7 3346 7691.

One of the world’s foremost international business leaders will address hundreds of people at a Brisbane event next month.

Mr Andrew Liveris will lead a broad-ranging conversation at the 21 July event hosted by The University of Queensland, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), Brisbane Marketing’s Economic Development Board and Engineers Australia, about how Australia can improve its global competitiveness, including consideration of sustainable energy policies and the importance of STEM education to build a knowledge-based economy.

Mr Liveris – a University of Queensland alumnus – is the chairman and chief executive officer of The Dow Chemical Company. As Dow’s CEO for more than a decade, Mr Liveris has led the company’s transformation from a cyclical chemicals manufacturing company into an enterprise powered by science, driven by innovation and delivering solutions to the world.

“Mr Liveris has spearheaded Dow’s collaboration with US, Australian, European and African governments on advanced manufacturing plans while simultaneously driving Dow’s world-class investment and industry leadership in fast-growing regions around the globe,” said UQ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement) Professor Iain Watson.

“He exemplifies qualities UQ fosters in its students: curiosity, leadership and a determination to create a better world.

“It is a huge credit to Andrew that he is still playing an active role here in Australia, almost 40 years after he left this University with his first-class honours degree in Chemical Engineering,” Professor Watson said.

An international advocate for the criticality of manufacturing to the long-term health of national economies, Mr Liveris has been tapped to lead President Trump’s Manufacturing Jobs Initiative, which will identify new ways to spur innovation and drive economic growth.

He sits on the IBM board of directors, is vice-chair of the Business Roundtable, an executive committee member and past chairman of the US Business Council, and a member of the Concordia Leadership Council and the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Centre Advisory Committee.

Mr Liveris is one of the most internationally influential members of UQ’s illustrious alumni community, with an impressive depth and breadth of experience and expertise across business, government, academic and non-profit sectors.

In 2012, Dow invested $10 million to establish the Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation at UQ, embodying “a mutually beneficial, value-added collaboration with a global impact,” Liveris said at the time.

“The centre at UQ serves as a breakthrough catalyst, combining cutting-edge expertise across multiple areas with the resources of a world-class research university,” he said.

Tickets for the event, at the Royal International Convention Centre at Bowen Hills, are available here at $155 each ($1420 for a table of 10) for UQ alumni, students, donors and staff, ATSE Fellows, Engineers Australia members and Brisbane Marketing affiliates, and $175 ($1600 for a table of 10) for others.

Media: Fiona Cameron, communications@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3346 7086, Event details: Jane Campbell, UQ Protocol, +61 7 3346 0574, j.campbell5@uq.edu.au.

Leading research and development organisation Boeing Research and Technology Australia (BR&T–Australia) has moved its Brisbane-based team into a new centre at The University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus.

The move is the first time in the Asia-Pacific region that Boeing has co-located research within a university.

The BR&T-Australia Technology Centre at the UQ engineering research hub opened today at an event involving Queensland Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business Leeanne Enoch and Federal Member for Ryan, Jane Prentice.

Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific President Ms Maureen Dougherty said the move would be of great benefit to both Boeing and UQ.

“The opening of this centre on campus brings together Boeing and UQ researchers who will collaborate on the next great advances in aerospace,” Ms Dougherty said.

“We are excited to see our relationship with The University of Queensland take this significant step forward.”

About 30 Boeing research and technical staff will move to the specially-designed facility that features a high-tech student interaction display area complete with augmented-reality technology, computer labs and collaborative spaces.

Boeing’s research and development team in Melbourne remains co-located at Boeing’s advanced manufacturing facility.

Boeing staff will work with UQ researchers and students in fields including engineering, human movements, neuroscience, chemistry, physics and psychology.

Boeing’s industry workspace will demonstrate the realities of aerospace research and provide UQ staff and students with first-hand experience.

Projects earmarked for investigation include studies in unmanned aircraft and autonomous systems, aircraft simulator technologies, manufacturing technologies, and cabin disease transmission.

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said the move of the BR&T–Australia Brisbane Technology Centre to the St Lucia campus was a huge vote of confidence in UQ’s students, staff and graduates.

“Boeing has partnered with UQ for more than 13 years and gained a strong appreciation of the quality of UQ staff, students and graduates,” Professor Høj said.

“Its move to campus dramatically boosts opportunities for our creative researchers and talented students to engage with a global innovator, and to explore opportunities to collaborate and work with industry.

“This colocation is a neat fit with the Australian Government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda and the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland program, and the innovations and expertise generated here will yield important benefits for society.”

Media: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3365 1130; David Sidman, Communications Director, Boeing Australia and New Zealand, david.sidman@boeing.com, + 61 466 528 657.

University of Queensland researchers have partnered with global technology leader Lockheed Martin to develop next generation computers for aerospace applications.