UNSW Science

Another fabulous result!

🏆 1st in Australia, 19th in the world! 🏆

We’re proud to announce that for the first time, UNSW has been named Australia’s number one university in the 2027 QS World University Rankings.

UNSW ranked 19th out of 1504 institutions worldwide and is the only Australian university in the top 20.

Today’s rankings reflect the University’s sustained commitment to improving lives through education, research and positive societal impact.

Read more 🔗 https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/unsw-claims-australias-top-spot-for-the-first-time-in-preeminent-world-university-rankings?utm_source=facebook&tum_medium=social

A handful of fossil teeth may be rewriting the story of marsupial evolution.

In a new study, UNSW Researchers have identified three new species and proposed an entirely new marsupial order, offering fresh insights into how Australia's unique mammals evolved.

"Not only is it a new order, but it could also be one of the most ancient lineages of Australian marsupials," says UNSW palaeontologist Dr Tim Churchill, lead author of the study.

Read more via UNSW Newsroom:

https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/a-handful-of-teeth-may-rewrite-the-story-of-marsupial-evolution

science is at a crossroads. we need your help to restore faith in "the experts"

More than 120 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced from their homes, and millions of these refugees are living without access to adequate support, including mental health support.

A UNSW-led study led by Angela Nickerson and Dr Philippa Specker has outlined a low-cost mental health intervention that could help bridge a critical gap in support for refugees living in prolonged limbo.

In the results, participants reported reduced psychological distress and PTSD symptoms, alongside improvements in wellbeing and daily functioning.

Read more via UNSW Newsroom.

The human mind generates thousands of thoughts every day, and not all of them are pleasant.

These thoughts can be strange, upsetting, and even involve themes of harm, death or self-doubt.

However, having an intrusive thought is not the same thing as wanting it to happen.

Researchers from UNSW and the Black Dog Institute explain the difference and unpack the science behind intrusive thoughts and the warning signs that might mean it's time to get help.

Read more via UNSW Newsroom.

https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/difference-between-intrusive-suicidal-thoughts-mental-health

A new UNSW study shows that when it comes to green hydrogen production, electrode design matters.

Using advanced 3D imaging, researchers revealed how hydrogen bubbles can become trapped within porous electrodes, blocking reaction sites and reducing efficiency. 🫧

Their findings show how smarter electrode architectures can improve performance and help advance the development of green hydrogen technologies.

Bubble problem solved: linking porous electrode design to green hydrogen production UNSW researchers use precise 3D imaging to reveal how trapped bubbles affect the efficacy of electrolysers in the production of green hydrogen.

They were all kids once, but now these guys are helping to shape the future through science, research, and innovation.

As global temperatures rise, hail risk may be changing too.

New research led by researchers Timothy Raupach and Steven Sherwood from UNSW Sydney has found that the atmospheric conditions favourable for hailstorms are projected to shift towards higher latitudes under future warming scenarios.

The study suggests regions such as southeastern Australia, northern Europe and Canada could experience more hail-prone conditions and points to more hail in the wintertime.

Alongside a separate study that found hailstorms are becoming more damaging, the findings highlight yet another way a warming climate is reshaping extreme weather.

Published in Nature Climate Change.

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