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Daniel completed his PhD at the JKMRC in 2021, where he investigated ore pre-concentration using high voltage pulses. After the completion of his PhD, he has stayed on working as a research fellow at the JKMRC, investigating novel separation technologies. This includes work in hydro- and dense-medium-cyclones, microwave treatment of ores, and continued work in the high voltage pulse treatment ores including scale-up and commercialisation work. A mechanical engineer by training, prior to joining the JKMRC Daniel worked in the coal seam gas industry in the Bowen-Surat basin.

Professor Bronwyn Laycock has a diverse background in translational research, working not only in academia but also in industry and as a consulting chemist as well as at CSIRO. Her research activities have ranged from bio/degradable polymers, composites, organic and organometallic synthesis, waste conversion technologies, and pulp and paper chemistry, to general polymer chemistry. She is currently working across a range of projects with a focus on materials for circular economy applications and management of the transition to the new plastics economy. The application areas in her research program include biopolymers (particularly polyhydroxyalkanoates), polymer lifetime estimation and end-of-life management/conversion technologies, biocomposites, controlled release matrixes for pesticide and fertiliser applications, polyurethane chemistry, and biodegradable packaging.

She has a strong history of successful commercialisation and impact, being a co-inventor on CSIRO's extended wear contact lens program (recognised as its fourth most significant invention) - for which she was awarded a joint CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement 2009. As a Project Leader and Deputy Program Leader within the CRC for Polymers, she also managed a project that delivered an oxodegradable thin film polyethylene that was commercially licenced by Integrated Packaging. This work earned the team a Joint Chairman’s Award for research/commercialization (CRC for Polymers) and an Excellence in Innovation Award (CRC Association).

Prospective Students

I welcome applications from motivated PhD candidates interested in working at the intersection of AI/ML, cybersecurity, and networking. Strong candidates will have solid programming skills (e.g., Python or C++), a background in either ML or networking. For candidates seeking competitive PhD scholarships, a strong demonstrated research track record is particularly important. Applicants are generally expected to have high-quality peer-reviewed publications, preferably in well-regarded international conferences or journals relevant to their field. As scholarship selection is highly competitive, prospective applicants should carefully consider the strength of their publication record before making an enquiry.

About me

My research focuses on robust and scalable methods for detecting, and understanding complex behaviour in dynamic environments, spanning modern networks, computing systems, and energy infrastructure. Current themes include large language and foundation models for security analytics and automation, adversarially robust and continual learning that support trustworthy operational and decision-making outcomes in real-world settings.

Professor Layton is a national leader in innovative ophthalmology, with expertise in macular disease, lens surgery and minimally invasive glaucoma interventions. He completed ophthalmology training in Queensland, Oxford and London, subspecialty training in retinal disease at the Royal Brisbane Hospital and holds a PhD in diabetic retinopathy from Oxford University. Professor Layton is a Rhodes Scholar and founding director of the LVF Ophthalmology Research Centre in Brisbane, Australia. He is also CEO of Ocugene, a Queensland based biotech start-up which is commercialising his gene therapy technology targeting macular degeneration, uveitis and choroidal melanoma. Professor Layton is the listed inventor of multiple ophthalmic patent applications currently under review in the USA, the EU, Japan, Israel, Australia and Singapore. He has published extensively in the international literature and his work has been recognised by awards from international eye research organisations.

Ben is Assistant Director of Haemodialysis at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, clinical trialist at the Australasian Kidney Trials Network, senior lecturer at The University of Queensland, and methodology fellow at Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) group. His research focuses on identifying and translating new strategies to prevent or treat kidney disease through data linkage, quality improvement, clinical trials, and guideline development. He has received over $5.5 million in competitive research funding and numerous awards, including the Australia and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN) Young Investigator Award in 2023. His research has influenced the use of common medications in people with chronic kidney diseas, the launch of a nationwide surveillance program for haemodialysis access-related bloodstream infections, and a living model for KDIGO. He is an editorial board member of the Journal of American Society of Nephrology (JASN) and Kidney International Reports, and was a Junior Associate Editor at JASN (2023-2025).

Professor Bronwyn Lea teaches and researches in contemporary literature, poetics, creative writing, research-led practice, and gender studies.

A/Prof Paola Leardini leads the Technology and Sustainability stream at the University of Queensland’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning. She is also a key researcher within the Centre for Future Building Structure and a former member of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities. With a diverse educational background in Architecture that spans Milan, Berlin, Leicester, and Copenhagen, she holds a PhD in building energy efficiency and environmental quality from Politecnico di Milano (Italy); her doctorate work was undertaken under the guidance of Prof. P. Ole Fanger, a global authority in the field of thermal comfort.

Before joining UQ in 2015, A/Prof Leardini worked extensively as an ESD (Environmentally Sustainable Design) designer, consultant, and educator in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and New Zealand. Her professional and academic work strives to bridge the gap between design and performance, advocating for smart, healthy, and resilient built environments. Her research focuses on developing innovative solutions for achieving net-zero targets through building decarbonisation, enhancing urban resilience, and fostering a circular economy in the construction sector.

A/Prof Leardini’s research explores the intersection of building diagnostics, retrofitting, urban regeneration, and resource optimisation. Her applied research tackles environmental challenges with a focus on global and local impacts. Early in her career, she contributed to major urban regeneration projects, including the retrofitting of the "Quartiere Mazzini" historical district in Milan (2003), New Zealand's state housing eco-retrofitting (2010-2015), and more recently, a monitoring campaign of state housing in Brisbane, focusing on the relationship between energy consumption, thermal comfort, and public health.

Her extensive collaborations span international networks of academics, public agencies, and industry partners. Notably, she has served on the Queensland Government's Design Excellence Panel for social and affordable housing, established by the Department of Communities, Housing, and Digital Economy in partnership with the Office of the Queensland Government Architect.

As a certified Passivhaus designer, A/Prof Leardini co-founded the Passive House Institute New Zealand (PHINZ) in 2012 and later joined the Australian Passive House Association (APHA) in 2018. Her research has since expanded to explore how the Passive House standard can be adapted for hot and humid climates, especially in Queensland.

In 2015, A/Prof Leardini coordinated UQ Architecture’s contribution to the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, a government-funded initiative involving over 80 research, industry, and government partners. The project sought to deliver urban water management solutions to make Australian cities more resilient to climate change. Since 2016, she has been an active member of UQ's Centre for Future Timber Structures, working on innovative timber construction methods. She leads research in circular timber design and heads an ARC Linkage project on adaptable housing. As a Chief Investigator in the ARC Advance Timber Hub, she coordinates the Design for Extended Building Life Node, fostering the use of sustainable materials in construction.

A/Prof Leardini’s research has garnered international recognition, including publications through initiatives such as COST Action CA 20139, funded by the European Union. Her work has been featured at over 20 conferences since 2015 and regularly appears in leading Q1 journals. In addition to serving as a board member and peer reviewer for several scientific journals, she has been invited to participate in prestigious sustainable architecture competitions, including the MIT Climate CoLab hosted by the Centre for Collective Intelligence.

Memberships

• Design Excellence Panel: Queensland social and affordable housing (since 2020)
• Centre for Future Timber Structures (since 2016)
• Scientific Committee of New Zealand Academy of Applied Research (since 2016)
• Australian Passive House Association (since 2018)
• Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (2015-2021)

Tania is interested in researching, developing and applying advanced control solutions, computational analysis, and process simulation to optimise processes in the mining industry. She joined the JKMRC as a member of the Advanced Process Prediction and Control (APPCo) group in 2023 and has since worked mainly on projects to develop soft sensors for mineral processing operations. Highlights include JK MillFIT to estimate mill content and charge trajectory, CycloPS to estimate cyclone performance and DMC soft sensor to estimate dense medium cyclone performance in coal operations.

Tania completed her undergraduate study in Chemical Engineering and a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering with a major in Process Control in 2015. For her master's thesis, she worked on the study and evaluation of mill power draw models; these studies contributed to the development of a vibration sensor and software to measure filling in tumbling mills.

Tania has over nine years of experience in the Chilean mining industry, where she has held several key roles as a Project Engineer, Process Engineer, Data Processing Specialist and Advanced Process Control Engineer. Throughout her career, she has maintained strong ties with academia, collaborating on publications and promoting collaborative research between the mining industry and Chilean universities.

Dr Julie Lee is a staff specialist anaesthetist at The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) and senior lecturer at The University of Queensland. Her special research interests include perioperative blood management, regional anaesthesia and airway management. She was awarded her PhD on Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) in obstetrics in 2021. She has facilitated workshops and published and presented widely on this topic, including at the Gilbert Brown and Gilbert Troup prize sessions at the international ANZCA conferences and was the winner of the Best Open Poster Prize at the 2018 ANZCA ASM. She is a working party member of the Queensland Clinical Guidelines for Primary Postpartum Haemorrhage, RBWH Transfusion for Major Haemorrhage Protocol and Guidelines, the Queensland Health Intrapartum Pain Management Guidelines and the ASA COVID-19 Working Group. She is a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals, the Blood Safe eLearning Australia Courses and Ausmed Education Courses. In 2020, she was awarded the Best Paper award in The International Journal of Obstetric Anaesthesia and the Jeanette Thirlwell Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Best Paper Award. Her paper on the influence of obesity on coagulation in pregnancy as assessed by ROTEM® became Wiley’s top cited article for 2020-2021. In the recent past, she has been awarded the ANZCA Robin Smallwood Bequest for the highest ranking research project, National Blood Authority Early Career Researcher Award, CSL Behring Research Award, HOW Collaborative HSANZ Clinical Fellowship Award, ASA Kevin McCaul Prize, ASA PhD Support Grant and other research grants for her work on perioperative patient blood management.