UQ Researchers Profile

Computational Modelling for Biological Research and Education

Education B.Sc. (Hons) (1977) University of Manitoba, Canada  
                   M.Sc. (1988) University of Regina, Canada
                   Ph.D. (1992) University of Regina, Canada

Interests

My major research theme is the development of mathematical and computational approaches and techniques for simulation and visualisation facilitating the study of genetics, physiology, morphogenesis and ecology at the scale of individual plants and animals. These developments in computational biology are being used to increase our understanding of the dynamics of morphogenesis of plants, of insect behaviour, and of effects of fibre on digestion, and as a tool in applied research and learning.  I am interested in development and evaluation of teaching and learning methods supported by computational models used in inquiry-learning mode. 

Click here for Thesis Project Ideas and Scholarships

Selected Bibliography

Renton M,  Hanan J, Ferguson BJ and Beveridge CA. (2012) Models of long-distance transport: how is carrier-dependent auxin transport regulated in the stem? New Phytologist, 194:3, 704-715, doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04093.x

Nichols K, Hanan J, Ranasinghe M. (2011) Transforming the social practices of learning with representations: A study of disciplinary discourse. Research in Science Education. DOI: 10.1007/s11165-011-9263-0.

Cieslak M, Seleznyova AN, Prusinkiewicz P, Hanan J. Towards aspect-oriented functional-structural plant modelling. Annals of Botany 2011; doi: 10.1093/aob/mcr121

Pangga IB, Hanan J, Chakraborty S (2011) Pathogen dynamics in a crop canopy and their evolution under changing climate. Plant Pathology 60:1, 70-81, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3059.2010.02408.x

Cribb BW, Hanan J, Zalucki MP, Perkins LE (2010) Effects of plant micro-environment on movement of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) larvae and the relationship to a hierarchy of stimuli. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 4:3, 165-173, DOI: 10.1007/s11829-010-9097-0

Cieslak M, Seleznyova A, Hanan J (2010) A functional-structural kiwifruit vine model integrating architecture, carbon dynamics and effects of the environment, Annals of Botany, doi: 10.1093/aob/mcq180

Han L, Hanan J, Gresshoff PM. (2010) Computational Complementation: A Modelling Approach to Study Signalling Mechanisms during Legume Autoregulation of Nodulation. (2010) PLoS Computational Biology. Accepted 20 Jan 2010.

Perkins, L.E., Cribb, B.W., Hanan, J., and Zalucki, M.P. (2010) The movement and distribution of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) larvae on pea plants is affected by egg placement and flowering. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 100:591–598 doi:10.1017/S0007485309990654

Dun EA, Hanan J, Beveridge CA  (2009) Computational modelling and molecular physiology experiments reveal new insights into shoot branching in pea. The Plant Cell, 21: 3459–3472

Cici SZH, Adkins S, Hanan J, (2009) Modelling the morphogenesis of annual sowthistle, a common weed in crops, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Volume 69, Issue 1, November 2009, Pages 40-45

Simpson SJ, Raubenheimer D, Charleston MA, Clissold FJ and the ARC-NZ Vegetation Function Network Herbivory Working Group (2009) Modelling nutritional interactions: from individuals to communities, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 25(1): 53-60  

Wenden B, Dun EA, Hanan J, Andrieu B, Weller JL, Beveridge CA, Rameau C  (2009) Computational analysis of flowering in pea (Pisum sativum). New Phytologist 184: 153-167

Perkins LE, Cribb BW, Hanan J, Zalucki MP.(2009) The role of two plant-derived volatiles in the foraging movement of 1st instar Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner): time to stop and smell the flowers. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 3(3): 173-179

Hanan, J Prusinkiewicz, P (2008) Foreword: Studying plants with functional–structural models, Special issue of Functional Plant Biology 35:i-iii 

Cieslak, M., Lemieux, C., Hanan, J., Prusinkiewicz, P (2008), Quasi-Monte Carlo Simulation of the Light Environment of Plants, Functional Plant Biology, (accepted September 2008)

Watson J, Hanan J, Wiles J (2008) Modeling the fitness of plant morphologies across three levels of complexity, BioSystems 94:182–190

Perkins LE, Cribb BW, Hanan J, Glaze E, Beveridge C, Zalucki MP (2008) Where to from here? The mechanisms enabling the movement of first instar caterpillars on whole plants using Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Arthropod-Plant Interactions 2:197–207 (available online Sept 2008

)Dorr, G., Hanan, J., Adkins, S., Hewitt, A., O’Donnell, C.O., Noller, B., Spray deposition on plant surfaces: a modelling approach., Functional Plant Biology, (accepted September 2008)

Song, Y., Birch, C., and Hanan, J. (2008) Analysis of maize canopy development under water stress and incorporation into the ADEL-Maize model, Functional Plant Biology 2(4): 197-207.

Cici Z, Adkins S and Hanan J. (2008) A Canopy Architectural Model to Study the Competitive Ability of Chickpea with Sowthistle, Annals of Botany 101: 1311-1318

Birch C. J., Hanan J., Thornby D. (2008) Architectural modeling of maize under water stress. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 48:1-7.

Thornby D., Spencer D., Hanan J., Sher A. (2007) L-DONAX, a growth model of the invasive weed species, Arundo donax L. Aquatic Botany 87: 275-284

Renton M., Thornby D., Hanan J. (2007) Canonical modelling: An approach for intermediate level simulation of carbon allocation in functional structural models,  In Vos and Marcelis, Eds, Functional-Structural Plant Modelling in Crop Production, Springer. pp 151-164.

Bucciarelli B, Hanan J, Palmquist D, and Vance CP (2006) A Standardized Method for Analysis of Medicago truncatula Phenotypic Development. Plant Physiology 142:207-219.

Manson, D., Hanan, J., Hunt M., Bristow, M., Erskine, P., Lamb, D., Schmidt, S.(2006) Modelling predicts positive and negative interactions between three Australian tropical tree species in monoculture and binary mixture", Forest Ecology and Management.

Renton, M., Hanan, J., Burrage, K., (2005) Using the canonical modelling approach to simplify the simulation of function in functional-structural plant models, New Phytologist, Vol. 166, No. 3, 845-857.

Watanabe T., Hanan J., Room P., Hasegawa T., Nakagawa H., and Takahashi W. (2005) Rice morphogenesis and plant architecture: Measurement, specification and the reconstruction of structural development by 3D architectural modelling. Annals of Botany. 95:1131-1143

Hanan, J. and Room, P. (1997) Practical aspects of virtual plant research. In: Plants to ecosystems. Advances in Computational Life Sciences, Vol 1 (Ed Michalewicz, M.) pp. 28 - 44 CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne

Room, P., Maillette, L. & Hanan, J. (1994). Module and metamer dynamics and virtual plants. In Advances in Ecological Research Volume 25, pp. 105-157, Academic Press.

Prusinkiewicz, P. and Lindenmayer, A. with J. Hanan, F. D. Fracchia, D. R. Fowler, M. de Boer & L. Mercer (1990) The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants. Springer-Verlag, New York.

Prusinkiewicz, P. & Hanan, J. (1989) Lindenmayer systems, fractals, and plants. Volume 79 of Lecture notes in Biomathematics, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.