Deakin’s graduate researchers shine at 2025 3MT/VYT Grand Final

Matt Crocker, Faculty of Business and Law: 'Where does the Australian government’s money come from? The hidden role of self-financing'

Matt’s research investigates a fundamental yet often misunderstood question: where does the Australian government’s money actually come from? Prompted by the massive spending during COVID-19, Matt began questioning the conventional wisdom that government expenditure is strictly limited by tax revenue or borrowing. Through a detailed analysis of Australia’s monetary laws and institutional frameworks, he discovered that the government creates the money it spends, before it taxes or borrows.

Matt argues that the real constraint on government spending isn’t money, but resources such as labour, infrastructure and expertise. His work aims to shift policy conversations away from budget limitations and toward the actual economic impact of spending, such as inflation and resource allocation.

Matt now advances to the next stage of the international 3MT® competition, where he will represent Deakin in the 2025 Asia-Pacific 3MT® Semi-Final Showcase on 15 October. He will compete against finalists from universities across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

Sudarshan Samarasinghe, Faculty of Science, Engineering and the Built Environment (SEBE), Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI): 'Smart Swarms: Building Resilient Autonomous UAV Teams for Extreme Missions'

Sudarshan’s research focuses on enabling groups of drones to work together to deliver critical supplies in disaster zones, even when individual drones experience mechanical failures. He has developed a system that allows drones to detect faults, redistribute power and reconfigure their formation to maintain stability.

Sudarshan’s research has the potential to revolutionise drone-assisted rescue operations and ensure that vital supplies reach those in need, even under the harshest conditions.

Breanna Giles, Faculty of Health, Deakin Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (Deakin IMPACT): 'Navigating the Brain's Labyrinth: Delivering Drugs to Destroy Brain Cancer'

The brain’s natural defence system, while essential for blocking harmful pathogens, also prevents most cancer treatments from reaching their target. Breanna’s solution is a smart drug delivery system she calls the ‘Aptamer Express’. These microscopic, GPS-guided molecules are designed to bypass the brain’s defences and release cancer-killing drugs with precision.

By targeting only cancer cells, this approach promises fewer side effects and more effective treatment. Breanna’s work offers hope for improving survival rates and quality of life for those diagnosed with brain cancer.

Bill Lam, Health: 'From Evidence to Practice: Developing an Online Healthy and Sustainable Nutrition Program for Young Adults'

Bill’s PhD is focusing on making healthier and sustainable food choices accessible to young people. His research led to the development of a tailored nutrition program within the Deakin Wellbeing app. After surveying users to identify key concerns, he designed a solution that supports informed decision-making and long-term behaviour change. The next phase involves testing the program’s engagement, scalability and impact.

Bill now advances to the VYT International 2025 programme. Entries from the 21 finalists will be shared on the Visualise Your Thesis Figshare repository and winners will be announced in October.

Echo Zhou, SEBE: 'AI for Missing Data Recovery'

Incomplete data presents challenges across sectors including healthcare, finance, climate science and education. Echo’s research trains generative AI models to learn from existing data and fill in the blanks. This process results in more complete datasets that enhance decision-making and analytical accuracy.

Maddy Bone, SEBE: ‘Flystrike: A pain in your rear?’ 

Flystrike is the condition where sheep are plagued by maggots feeding on their skin. Not all sheep are affected and it is currently unknown which sheep will be affected and why. The flies are attracted to smells, which are created by bacteria. Maddy’s research is determining which smells (and bacteria) are the cause.