Summer is a season that brings to the fore new topics, ranging from loneliness to sun exposure, and food intake to family relations.

The following experts from USC Australia are available for interview on various summertime topics (with appropriate notice) during this holiday season.

This list includes experts based at USC’s Sunshine Coast and Fraser Coast campuses, as well as those set to start teaching at USC Moreton Bay in Semester 1, 2020.

Associate Professor Dawn Birch – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5459 4642, dbirch@usc.edu.au

Seaweed as a holiday treat. Perhaps one day our Christmas lunches and barbecues could feature seaweed? Dr Birch researches the growing popularity of seaweed as a snack, and as a nutritious main dish in mainstream Australia.

Associate Professor Nicholas Paul – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5459 4533 or npaul@usc.edu.au

Could 2020 be the year seaweed truly comes on trend – not just as a food, but as a potential solution to climate change?

Dr Erica Mealy (USC Moreton Bay) – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5459 4484 or emealy@usc.edu.au

Will we be exchanging wearable technology for Christmas gifts this year? What are the latest gadgets on people’s wish lists? And are our tech-based gadgets spying on us?

Hammad Siddiqi (USC Moreton Bay) – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5459 4538 or hsiddiqu@usc.edu.au 

Good financial practice during the Christmas holidays, commonly known as a season of excess.

Dr Sanjeev Srivastava – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5459 4819, ssrivast@usc.edu.au - will be unavailable for some of December.

Bushfire occurrence; fire management; identification, prediction and evaluation of fire-prone areas; link between environmental sustainability and hazard reduction.

Dr Amy Clarke – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5456 5269 or aclarke1@usc.edu.au

“Big things”, the Big Pineapple, the Giant Prawn and other giant attractions that might be included in a holiday road trip.

Dr Rachael Sharman – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5456 5073, rsharman@usc.edu.au

Christmas with the family. Parenting, family dynamics, stress and loneliness.

Dr Amanda Clacy – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

Contact: 07 5456 3895, aclacy@usc.edu.au

Mental health and suicide prevention. Dr Clacy can discuss the mental health challenges of the summer holiday season and the importance of reaching out for support.

Professor Michael Kimlin – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

Contact: 07 5456 5229, mkimlin@usc.edu.au

Sun exposure and skin protection. Research areas include skin cancer, sun exposure, vitamin D in Australia, sunburn, eye damage. In a recent study he found a link between vitamin D levels and more aggressive forms of melanoma.

Professor John Lowe – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

Contact: 07 5459 4752, jlowe@usc.edu.au

Dehydration in sport and exercise during summer. Staying hydrated during summer and while exercising. Sun cancer and sun protection. His research areas also include cancer prevention and control, skin cancer, smoking cessation and prevention, health promotion, alcohol and drug abuse, behavioural medicine, media and obesity.

Dr Javier Leon – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

Contact: 07 5456 3405 or jleon@usc.edu.au

Coastal and beach erosion.

Dr Ali Black – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

Contact: 07 5456 5156 or ablack1@usc.edu.au

What kinds of things can I do with my child over the holidays? The importance of holidays and relaxation for young children and teenagers. Why having a break is important and how it supports children’s wellbeing. The value of being outdoors and in nature over the holidays.

Dr Vikki Schaffer – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5459 4705 or vschaffe@usc.edu.au

Sustainable tourism during peak holiday season.

Deborah Fisher (USC Moreton Bay) – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5430 2947 or dfisher@usc.edu.au

Summer fashions and women’s relationships with clothing through material culture, personal branding and design thinking.

Dr Glyn Thomas (USC Moreton Bay) – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5456 5873, 0401 441 380 or gthomas2@usc.edu.au

The importance of outdoor environmental education on children’s learning and development. Healthy risk-taking in the outdoors for young people. Getting outdoors safely this summer.

Professor Jeanine Young (USC Moreton Bay) – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5456 5998 or jyoung@usc.edu.au

Safe child sleeping practices in the context of shared sleeping, infant care practices, portable infant sleep spaces, Indigenous infant mortality rates

Associate Professor Claudia Baldwin – bio here. (USC Sunshine Coast)

07 5430 1283 or cbaldwin@usc.edu.au

How city design can be more hospitable to older people, particularly during extreme heat events and during the summer season. Other research topics include water allocation, coastal planning, rural and regional land use, climate change adaptation and community resilience, as well as age- and ability- friendly communities.