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My current research is all about finding ways to improve teaching and student learning, with a focus on biology and other sciences. This is a new and exciting direction for me to which I and my group are now dedicated. Of particular interest to me is finding ways to improve communication abilities of science students through the design, testing and implementation of effective curricula, class activities and assessment methods. Naturally, no learning occurs in isolation, so my current research also looks at learning scientific reasoning, information literacy, and how to improve the relevance and authenticity of practical/lab classes and assessment tasks.

Previously my research focussed on using physiological approaches and techniques to address questions in ecology, conservation and aquaculture, especially in vertebrates living in extreme environments (see references for examples). I continue to be involved in biological research through teaching, co-supervision and examination of postgraduate students.

My current projects aim to find effective ways to...

• Improve abilities of first year biology students to work effectively in groups.
• Improve science students’ communication abilities through the development and implementation of a new 3rd year course titled Communicating in Science.
• Improve scientific reasoning and writing in first year biology students.
• Improve tutor support and consequently student learning through implementation of a program of tailored tutor professional development.
• Improve information literacy in first year biology students.
• Motivate students to improve their biological knowledge and use of modern communication technologies by implementing authentic assignments throughout the curriculum e.g., websites, video, blogs.
• Improve the ability of students to articulate the skills and knowledge they develop in undergraduate ecology research through the use of a skills portfolio.
• Improve student practice and confidence in avoiding plagiarism and adhering to academic integrity.

Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe leads the Clinical-oMx Lab at the Frazer Institute, University of Queensland, is the Founding Scientific Director of the Queensland Spatial Biology Centre (QSBC) at the Wesley Research Institute, and holds the Inaugural Brazil Family Chair in Spatial Medicine. A/Prof Kulasinghe has pioneered spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and interactomics in the Asia-Pacific region, contributing to world-first studies in lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and tissue atlasing studies of infectious diseases across pandemics. His research aims to understand the underlying pathobiology by using an integrative multi-omics approach. A/Prof Kulasinghe has authored over 120 peer-reviewed publications, including in The Lancet Microbe, Journal of Clinical Oncology and Nature Genetics. He is the recipient of the Cure Cancer "Researcher of the Year" 2023 and was named in the "Top Innovators Award" by The Australian for 2024. He has also been recognised on The Courier-Mail's Queensland Power Lists for Technology and Medicine, named among the scientists and CEOs shaping Queensland's technology future, and among the state's most influential figures in health. A/Prof Kulasinghe is supported by the MRFF, NHMRC, US DoD, Cancer Australia, Cure Cancer, pharma, and numerous hospital and philanthropic organisations.

My research centres on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underpinning autophagy and organelle dynamics across diverse physiological and disease contexts, with the ultimate aim of translating these insights into novel therapeutic strategies. I am particularly interested in signalling pathways that regulate cellular homeostasis and stress responses, and my work has contributed to uncovering previously unappreciated roles of mTOR signalling at the Golgi apparatus—a key nexus linking growth, metabolism, and intracellular trafficking. By integrating cell biology, signalling, and disease models, my research seeks to define fundamental processes driving cancer progression and adaptive stress responses, with a strong emphasis on identifying mechanistically tractable pathways that hold promise for therapeutic intervention.

Dr. Shanal Kumar is an adult endocrinologist with a special interest in complex chronic diseases, particularly diabetes, bone health, menopause and metabolic disorders. She has a focused expertise in endocrine and metabolic complications in adults with cystic fibrosis. As a clinician-academic, her experience spans qualitative, pilot and observational studies, clinical trials, and translational research, with an emphasis on rapid implementation into clinical practice.

Dr Snehlata Kumari is a group leader and the head of the Skin Inflammation and Immunity Laboratory at the Frazer Institute, University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia. Her international career and academic training spanned Germany, India, and Australia. She is a board member of the Australasian Society for Dermatology Research (ASDR) and a councillor on the International Psoriasis Council.

She has discovered novel signalling mechanisms that regulate the balance between homeostasis and inflammation in the skin. These findings highlight new mechanisms by which inflammatory diseases are initiated and propagated via NF-κB, TNF, IL-20 family cytokines, and necroptotic and apoptotic signalling pathways. Her research work has been published in top-tier journals, including Nature (3x), Nature Communications, Cell Metabolism, and Immunity.

Her scientific contributions have received international recognitions and honours, including the German National Academy of Sciences, the German Research Foundation (DFG), the European Society for Dermatological Research, the Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology, and the Young Women Investigators Award from the International Cytokine and Interferon Society.

Overall aims and research focus

- Immunomodulatory mechanisms regulating inflammation and immunity.

- Cellular and cell-soluble factor interactions in inflammatory diseases, including Psoriasis, Hidradenitis Suppurative, and Atopic Dermatitis.

Nadja's work centres on identifying, modelling and mitigating complex water and sustainability challenges within the industrial sector, with a focus on mining and resources. She also has a growing interest in applications of artificial intelligence (especially large language models) to enhance environmental governance and to assess and improve sustainability performance. In teaching, Nadja is passionate about training engineers to extend their core technical skillsets to work more effectively at the interface of policy, business, and society.

Nadja holds UQ degrees in Chemical Engineering (Honours Class I), Business Management, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering through the Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI). Thereafter, Nadja completed postdoctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) in Switzerland. From 2017-2025, Nadja was a faculty member at The University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada (promoted to Associate Professor in 2024), where she was jointly appointed across the School of Public Policy & Global Affairs and the Norman B Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering. She also held an NSERC Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Mine Water Management and Stewardship.

Throughout her career, Nadja has also gained applied experience through a variety of roles across sectors and companies, including with Rio Tinto, BP, Incitec Pivot, Visy Paper, SLR Consulting and the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group). Her leadership experience has included serving on the Board of Directors for Genome British Columbia, Canada, and while at UBC she led the academic direction for several interdisciplinary, cross-campus research clusters including the BRIMM Water Stewardship theme and the UBC Future Minerals Initiative. Nadja brings a global perspective to her work, with fieldwork locations that have included Australia, Canada, Mongolia, Peru, and Ethiopia.

Dr Andy Kuo is a Senior Research Fellow and Assistant Director at the Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development (CIPDD), a Tier 2 Infrastructure Centre located in the School of Biomedical Sciences at UQ. With expertise in preclinical translational research, in the last ten years Dr Kuo in the role of Study Director, has managed the conduct of numerous R&D contract-funded and collaborative research grant-funded studies that are/have been undertaken in accordance with the requirements of CIPDD’s electronic Quality Management System (eQMS), which is rare in Australia.

To date he has successfully conducted/managed over 60 research projects, conducted in accordance with the requirements of CIPDD’s eQMS framework. His extensive experience encompasses experimental procedures and the management of preclinical studies, particularly in the areas of animal model development/validation, pharmacodynamic readouts, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology.

Despite the demands of working in an NCRIS (National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy)-funded National Centre that is a key partner in Therapeutic Innovation Australia’s (TIA) Small Molecule Therapeutics Capability focused on IP-sensitive research, he has sustained a robust publication record, with 32 publications and 2 book chapters. Additionally, he has submitted 46 commercial-in-confidence study reports to industry and academic collaborators contributing significantly to the field of novel therapeutics innovation.

Dr Nyoman Kurniawan is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Advanced Imaging and the Facility Manager for Preclincal 16.4T Microimaging 9.4T MRI scanners.

Dr Kurniawan’s research areas are:

• Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging of mouse neuroanatomy, with view to study neurological disease model, including:
  • developmental abnormalities
  • spinal cord diseases
• Development of 3D mouse brain, human spinal cord and cephalopod brain atlases using high resolution structural and diffusion MRI
• Development of MR methods for nephron imaging
• Application of MRI for agriculture imaging

Ella’s research seeks to understand the experiences of people experiencing deep and persistent disadvantage, including those who use and are subjected to domestic violence; those who experience poverty and homelessness; and those who are engaged with statutory child protection services. Although Ella is a qualitative scholar, she collaborates within a multidisciplinary team that leverages both qualitative and quantitative data to form a comprehensive picture of how different forms of disadvantage interact with each other, and with broader social structures and systems. Ella also collaborates and engages deeply with industry partners to ensure that her research and its outcomes align fully with their research and practice needs.

Within this broad picture, Ella’s research aims to develop strategies for overcoming the structural barriers that perpetuate social disadvantage.