August 6, 2024

UOW expert commentary (6 August)

UOW academics provide expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing and breaking news stories

Interest rates

Dr Paul Mazzola can discuss the Reserve Bank of Australia’s interest rates decision, which will be made today (Tuesday 6 August 2024). Dr Mazzola is a lecturer in banking and finance in the School of Business. He has more than 25 years’ banking and finance experience in the Australian, European and Asian Pacific markets. He is the author of Countdown to the Global Financial Crisis: A Story of Power and Greed.

Shark nets

Ms Teaniel Mifsud is available for interviews about the use of shark nets in NSW. Ms Mifsud’s research explores human interactions with sharks. While she acknowledges there is an intense fascination with understanding the risk or threat sharks pose, there is a minimal chance of being bitten by a shark. Ms Mifsud is a PhD candidate in the School of Geography and Sustainable Communities.

Middle East

Professor Markus Wagner can provide commentary on rising tensions in the Middle East. Professor Wagner is an expert in international law and former clerk at the Supreme Court of Israel for then-President Aharon Barak. He is the Director of the Transnational Law and Policy Centre at UOW. He researches and teaches in the areas of international and comparative law. While working at the Supreme Court, Professor Wagner witnessed first-hand the complexities of the situation in the Middle East and dealt with similar questions to those the current outbreak of violence raises. 

World Breastfeeding Week (1 – 7 August)

Professor Lisa Smithers is available for interviews about World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August). She can also discuss a new research collaboration between Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSWLHD) and UOW exploring local breastfeeding outcomes. Professor Smithers is an epidemiologist with expertise in perinatal health, child development and healthy diets for infants, children and pregnant women. She is a Professor in the School of Health and Society.

Is your smartwatch making you anxious?

Professor Caleb Ferguson says wearable technology can lead people to stress more about their health. In an article for The Conversation Professor Ferguson said:

One study found smartwatches were very effective at detecting irregular heart rhythms – and could help manage and even prevent them. But any benefits of using wearables to monitor atrial fibrillation need to be balanced with the high rates of anxiety people with this condition experience, to make sure their use doesn’t exacerbate psychological distress.

Professor Ferguson is a registered nurse, Professor of Nursing (Chronic and Complex Care) and Associate Head of School (Research Strategy, Development and Partnership) in the School of Nursing. He is the Academic Director of the Centre for Chronic and Complex Care Research, a collaborative research centre between UOW and Western Sydney Health.

UOW academics exercise academic freedom by providing expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing social issues and current affairs. This expert commentary reflects the views of those individual academics and does not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the University of Wollongong.