Research

Our Science Global research showcase focuses on the Faculty's world-class research, bringing about meaningful change for the world and humanity in the key areas of:

• Feeding the world
• Preventing, diagnosing and treating disease
• Furthering human knowledge and enhancing society
• Harnessing resources and energy for a sustainable future
• Restoring and maintaining balance in our natural environment

Browse a selection of current PhD projects across the Faculty, with project descriptions, supervisor details, scholarship information and more.

UWA is very much 'in the zone' meaning we're ideally situated within the Asian time zone that's home to 60% of the global population and many of the world's emerging economic powerhouses. It's a region that's playing an increasingly influential role in international business, innovation and industry, and we're at the heart of it.

Find out more about why being 'in the zone' is so important

We are also located close to an international biodiversity hotspot in Australia's South West – an area of 300,000 square kilometres, with 13,500 kilometres of coastline. In addition to more than 1500 plant species and a host of endemic mammals, we also have World Heritage-listed Shark Bay and Ningaloo Reef – one of the world's largest fringing reefs – on our doorstep.

Read more about our unique environment and some of the myriad research opportunities it presents.

As one of Australia's Group of Eight research-intensive universities, we have an exceptionally strong research culture that's widely renowned.

UWA is one of only two Australian universities to belong to the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) which is a partnership of 18 research-led universities from Europe, North America, South East Asia and Australia. This alliance fosters and encourages collaboration between members, bringing together the experience, equipment and expertise necessary to tackle the big issues currently facing societies, governments, corporations and education.

The Faculty of Science has more than 5000 students and more than 800 staff members, including ten Highly Cited Scientists, three Federation Fellows, six Premiers Fellows, four Australian Laureate Fellows and winners of numerous national and international prestigious science awards:

• Professor Ryan Lister, recipient of the 2014 Frank Fenner prize for Life Scientist of the Year
• Professor Mark Spackman, winner of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2013 Gregori Aminoff Prize in Crystallography
• Professor Philip Vercoe and the Enrich Project team who won the 2013 Eureka Prize 'Caring for our Country Landcare Eureka Prize for Sustainable Agriculture'

Find out what our postgraduates are researching.

Find out more about groundbreaking research in our schools and centres.

A selection of current PhD projects can be searched online, with supervisor contact details, scholarship information and more.

UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

• Agricultural and resource economics
• Agricultural science
• Environmental science
• Geography and planning

School of Biological Sciences

• Computational biology
• Ecology and conservation
• Evolutionary biology
• Neuroscience
• Science communication

School of Earth Sciences

• Coral reef studies and coastal marine systems
• Early life and biotic evolution
• Geochemistry and geochronology
• Hydrogeology
• Mineral geoscience
• Petroleum geoscience and basin analysis

School of Human Sciences

• Anatomy and human biology
• Exercise and health
• Neuroscience
• Physiology
• Sports science

School of Molecular Sciences

• Research covers areas such as nanobiotechnology; biomolecular networks; epigenomics; synthetic chemistry; inorganic chemistry; theoretical and computational chemistry; apoptosis and cancer signalling; crystallography; and spectroscopy of reactive intermediates.

School of Psychological Science

• Research is conducted in laboratories in clinical psychology; cognition and emotion; cognitive science; industrial and organizational psychology; learning attention and behaviour; communication; lifespan development; and neurocognitive development.

Research Centres and Institutes

The Faculty of Science encompasses a number of research centres and institutes.

Research publications and theses can be searched in the UWA Research Repository.

Publications are subject to an annual data collection and auditing process, so not all recent publications will be found in the repository.

Publications by individual researchers can also be found in their profile pages in the UWA Staff Directory

Academics' contact details and research profiles are available on the websites of our schools, research centres, institutes and initiatives.

Schools

• School of Agricultural and Resource Economics
• Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology
• School of Animal Biology
• School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• School of Earth and Environment

• School of Physics
• School of Plant Biology
• School of Psychology
• School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health

Centres, institutes and initiatives

• ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology
• Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative
• Centre for Atomic, Molecular and Surface Physics
• Centre for the Built Environment and Health
• Centre for Energy Geoscience
• Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy
• Centre for Evolutionary Biology
• Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts (SymbioticA)
• Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management
• Centre for Exploration Targeting
• Centre for Integrative Bee Research
• Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis
• Centre for Plant Genetics and Breeding
• Centre for Regional Development
• Energy and Minerals Institute
• International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research
• The UWA Institute of Agriculture
• UWA Oceans Institute
• WA Biogeochemistry Centre

Search for a research expert

You can search the UWA directory for researchers in specific areas of expertise