Orange

The role of malaria in physiological response to co-occurring diseases in Southeast Asia’s past and present

Primary Supervisor: Dr Melandri Vlok
Location: Orange
Keywords: bioarchaeology, palaeoepidemiology, paleopathology, infectious disease, pathophysiology, immune response

Project availability: Semester 30, 2026, Semester 60, 2026, Semester 30, 2027

Synopsis:

This project aims to review archaeological and modern data sets to explore interactions between malaria and other tropically significant infectious diseases. The research will focus on reconstructing epidemiological patterns in the present and the past, as well as physiological explanations for differential disease severity of malaria and co-occurring infectious diseases.

Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting Dr Melandri Vlok mvlok@csu.edu.au

Reconstructing infant palaeodemography using proteomic approaches

Primary Supervisor: Dr Melandri Vlok
Location: Orange
Keywords: biochemistry, demography, mortality, bioarchaeology, proteomics

Project availability: Semester 60, 2026, Semester 30, 2027

Synopsis:

Southeast Asian prehistoric archaeological human skeletal assemblages typically have excellent infant preservation. Biological sex is well known to factor into infant mortality with males presenting a higher risk of death in early life. Traditional osteological techniques, however, cannot determine the biological sex of archaeological infants as the methods rely on the development of secondary sex characteristics that emerge during puberty. This project applies the use of proteomic methods on determining sex from an early agricultural site in mainland Southeast Asia to assess whether this sex bias in mortality is represented in ancient cemetery populations.

Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting Dr Melandri Vlok mvlok@csu.edu.au

Puberty and stress during the agricultural transition of Southeast Asia

Primary Supervisor:Dr Melandri Vlok
Location: Orange
Keywords: bioarchaeology, endocrinology, growth and development, osteology

Project availability: Semester 60, 2026, Semester 30, 2027

Synopsis:

Assessment of pubertal timing and bone age has been well established in the field of bioarchaeology for a decade. Southeast Asian prehistoric cemetery assemblages represent some of the richest preservation of children and young adults in the world. By combining pre-documented literature with new analysis, this project aims to assess changes in the pubertal timings over the agricultural transition in Mainland Southeast Asia. The project will consider how pubertal timings may have been affected by changes in environment, physiological stress, societal changes and shifts in fertility.

Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting Dr Melandri Vlok mvlok@csu.edu.au

Micronutrient Deficiency during the Metal Period Philippines

Primary Supervisor: Dr Melandri Vlok
Location: Orange
Keywords: bioarchaeology, nutritional disease

Project availability: Semester 30, 2026, Semester 60, 2026, Semester 30, 2027

Synopsis:

In 2025, an individual with disability from the Metal Period in the Philippines (~2000 years ago) was identified to have suffered from scurvy. This project aims to assess whether scurvy was unique to this individual’s circumstances or whether the condition was ubiquitous in the community. The project will involve paleopathological diagnosis and assessment of the impacts of mortality related to the disease in a cemetery sample.

Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting Dr Melandri Vlok mvlok@csu.edu.au

Plasmalogens supplementation and cognitive function in children and adolescents with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: An observational study

Primary Supervisor: A/Prof Sokcheon Pak
Location: Bathurst/Orange
Keywords: Orthostatic Intolerance; Long COVID; HSOP; Dysautonomia; Tachycardia; Brain Fog.
Project availability: Available currently

Synopsis:

This observational study aims to assess the effects of plasmalogens on the cognitive function in children and adolescents with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

POTS is a form of orthostatic intolerance and a chronic disorder of the autonomic nervous system. Patients with POTS frequently experience sinus tachycardia with a sustained increase in heart rate (HR) of more than 30 beats per minute (bpm) upon standing (≥ 40 bpm in individuals under 19 years old), while maintaining normal blood pressure (Vernino et al., 2021). Such sinus tachycardia is also not caused by any other underlying medical conditions, such as anaemia, hyperthyroidism, dehydration, pain, fever, or infections.

Participants (N = 12, aged 8–18 years) will consume a scallop oil plasmalogens supplement (HSOP) at a dose of 0.5 or 1 mg daily for 90 days. Serum plasmalogens level, cognitive function, heart rates, and quality of life will be assessed before and after the intervention. This pilot trial will provide preliminary findings to inform the potential use of plasmalogens supplementation in managing POTS.

Proposal Document

Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting A/Prof Sokcheon Pak

Early detection and intervention of neurodegenerative disorders

Primary Supervisor: Dr Shaoyu (Shaun) Wang
Location: Orange/Flexible
Keywords: neuroscience, neurodegenerative disorders, early detection, intervention
Research Group: Ageing Well Research Group

Synopsis:
A major interest of my research group is to detect the earliest possible changes from normal ageing processes towards the neurodegenerative diseases. My group developed a precursor hypothesis: In the progression of the (brain) ageing to neurodegenerative disorders, there exists a precursor state/window. The pathological changes occurring in this window is reversible, thus providing an opportunity to intervene or stop this pathological progression. The diminishing cognitive reserve is seen as a basic property of the precursor state.

Aims: to assess the cognitive reserves of rural populations residing in regional and rural NSW. We hypothesise that there is a wide range of cognitive reserves across different age groups and between individuals of the same age group. We will use tools/instruments to measure cognitive reserves in a cross-sectional design. We anticipate that the findings of the project will shed light on how the modifiable factors and demographic characteristics of the population are associated with cognitive reserves.

Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting Dr Shaoyu (Shaun) Wang