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Ashok is a Professor of Energy Storage at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, and an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland (UQ). As a nanomaterial (carbon) and energy expert, he previously served as the Chief Scientific Officer at a listed company specialising in graphene production and applications. Ashok has received prestigious fellowships, including Marie-Curie, JSPS-Japan, and UQ Fellowship, and has secured several million AUD in funding for his research.

He has authored over 100 published papers and holds seven filed patents in the fields of nanomaterials and energy. His work has been featured in esteemed journals such as Chemical Review, ACS Nano, Advanced Energy Materials, Energy & Environmental Science, Nature Protocols, and Chemical Communications. Ashok is also dedicated to mentoring young researchers and students to advance the frontiers of materials science and energy storage.

Dr. Bushra Nasir is the Director of the Medical Research Futures Fund in Primary Health Care Digital Innovations - ID-INSPIRED and a mid-career researcher with a substantial career trajectory in health research. Her expertise and instrumental involvement in multiple large-scale grants are demonstrated through numerous top-tier publications, media and news citations, and recognition in national and international policy documents. She has contributed to developing several global health policy recommendation publications, including a World Health Organisation review investigating the retention of the health workforce in rural and remote areas. Her contribution to this discipline is further substantiated by her peer-review activities and international and national collaborations with wide outreach and engagement initiatives.

Her collaborative networking qualities contribute to numerous roles in various research committees, including as a previous Chair of the Faculty of Medicine Early Career Researcher Committee. Her work has also resulted in increased research capacity building in regional and rural South East Queensland, supporting clinicians, medical students and educators, and other healthcare service providers conducting clinical and epidemiological research projects. She is also a research mentor and member of several national organisations. Her ongoing leadership, management, networking, and knowledge expertise, contribute to the progress of research practices with academics, experts, and clinical scientists.

Dr. Nasrallah is a neuroscientist with a background in magnetic resonance and interdisciplinary brain research. She graduated with a PhD in neurochemistry and NMR from the Neuroscience Research Australia Institute (NeurRA) at the University of New South Wales in 2009. In April 2009, She spent 3 years at the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (A*STAR) where she pioneered the use of magnetic resonance imaging as a tool in cognitive brain research in the rodent. In 2013, she was appointed as senior research fellow at the Clinical Imaging Research Center where she delved into the clinical realms of human imaging. In late 2015, she returned to Australia as a Motor Accident and Injury Commission fellow at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at the University of Queensland (UQ) where she independently heads her own group. Her research spans basic and clinical brain research with the the overall aim of understanding how the brain functions in health and injury, specifically, developing methods for early diagnosis of primary biomarkers following injury and translating these findings.

Joseph Robert Nastasi is a researcher originally from Far North Queensland, now based at The University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus. Growing up in a rural setting instilled in him a strong appreciation for the land, seasonal knowledge, and community values—principles that continue to guide his work with Traditional Custodians. This background has helped him build respectful, place-based relationships across cultural contexts.

Joseph’s research focuses on the characterisation and commercialisation of Australian native plants, particularly for applications in food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and sustainable material science. He is especially interested in the bioactive properties of polyphenols and other phytochemicals found in traditionally used species, and how these compounds can be validated and applied in modern health, wellbeing, and biomaterial applications.

Alongside his academic work, Joseph has collaborated with a range of industry partners across Australia and internationally, including companies in the cosmetics, personal care, and packaging sectors. His experience spans product development, extract standardisation, and the translation of scientific data into evidence-based formulation and design strategies. This applied perspective supports his ability to link laboratory findings with commercial and environmental relevance.

Joseph’s research integrates advanced analytical methods—such as mass spectrometry-based metabolomics—with stakeholder engagement and fieldwork. His work contributes to safety assessments, quality assurance, and the development of ethical, traceable supply chains. He is particularly committed to ensuring that Traditional Knowledge is recognised, protected, and appropriately integrated into industry frameworks.

For Joseph, the native plant sector offers a valuable opportunity to support Indigenous-led enterprise, improve product sustainability, and explore new directions in functional and biodegradable materials. Through science and collaboration, his work aims to contribute to a future where native Australian plants are used in ways that are safe, effective, and culturally respectful.

Dr. Marina Naval-Sanchez is a NHMRC Research Fellow at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at The University of Queensland (Australia). She pursued postdoctoral studies in 2019-2024 in the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland (Australia) and as an Office Chief Executive (OCE) Fellow in 2015-2019 at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) (Australia). She received her PhD in Molecular Biosciences in 2014 from KULeuven (Belgium). She received her MSc in Applied Bioinformatics in 2009 from Cranfield University (UK) and MSc in Agriculture Engineering in 2008 from the Universitat de Lleida (Spain).

Marina’s research program applies state-of-the-art bioinformatic, machine learning, and genetic and genomic tools to unearth the master regulators and enhancer grammar governing development and ageing across species (mouse and human) and to decipher the genomic (regulatory) impact of evolution, domestication and human selection in farm species (sheep, cattle, salmon). Her research outcomes have been published in high-impact journals such as Cell Metabolism, Nature Communications, Genome Biology, Nucleic Acids Research, Genome Research and Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Her research efforts have been supported by domestic and international fellowships and grants, including the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC, EL1 2024 Recipient), Advance Queensland, UQ Innovation Connections, CSIRO Scientific Investment Projects, CSIRO OCE Fellowships, and Flanders Wetesnchappelijk Onderzoek (FWO) PhD Fellowship.

Dr Kylie (Anderson) Navuku has extensive experience in academic teaching and research. At University of Queensland (UQ) Kylie teaches in Communications and Journalism courses (undergraduate and postgraduate). Her research interests are at the intersection of politics, communications, and media/journalism with a focus on oceans, island countries, and the region of Oceania.

As a communication specialist, Kylie has worked with non-government, government, and inter-governmental stakeholders contributing to campaigns/ initiatives with the purpose of raising awareness and furthering public education on various themes (including conservation and climate change). Her current research focus addresses ways in which journalism can contribute to this endeavour, focusing on the coverage of 'high level international events'. With experience in academic research and writing for scholarly publication, Kylie's communication practice has included writing for the media, visual arts, and creative writing. She is currently engaged in a creative-practice based project aimed at understanding how visual arts can assist in the dissemination of science and environmental messages.

In addition to a PhD from UQ, Kylie has a MA (IntRel)(Res) [Master of Arts (International Relations) by Research] and a BIntSt (Hons) [Bachelor of International Studies (Honours)] from Flinders University.

Other university employment includes the University of the South Pacific (USP) and Flinders University. At USP, Kylie was based at Laucala Campus in Fiji but her role also took her to the campuses and centres in Majuro (Marshall Islands), Honiara (Solomon Islands), Nuku'alofa (Tonga), Alafua (Apia, Samoa), and Rarotonga (Cook Islands). At Flinders, Kylie was based at the Bedford Park Campus in South Australia, while at UQ she is based at St Lucia campus in Queensland.

Dr. Pavlina Naydenova is a National Intelligence Postdoctoral Grant Research Fellow at the University of Queensland and an affiliate of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology. She investigates protein dynamics at the single molecule level using biomolecular optomechanics. Her research interests lie in the application of quantum tools to understand the behavior of single proteins and their dynamics on an individual level as well as the interactions between proteins in biomolecular condensates.

Dr Sasheva earned her PhD in pharmacognosy and phytochemistry from the Medical University of Sofia, Bulgaria, where she was recognized for her research on plant-derived small molecules for chemotherapy.

Andrew is Professor of Business and Organizational Psychology. Andrew leads a large program of applied research into human performance and safety in complex environments. This program has received more than $10 million in funding from the ARC, Federal and State Governments, and industry. A key focus of this program has been on end user impact, with the ultimate goal of improving the safety and effectiveness of critical national infrastructure.

Andrew's major scientific contributions have been in two areas:

1. Performance, safety and effectiveness of people at work. He has published a series of influential papers on safety climate and work role performance. For example, the paper by Griffin, Neal and Parker (2007), which has been highly cited, reports the development of a theory of work role performance that explains how different forms of behaviour, such as adaptivity and proactivity, contribute to the effectiveness of individuals, as well as the teams and organizations that they work in.
2. Workload, decision making, and self-regulation. Andrew's research has improved our understanding of how people manage task demands in complex systems, such as air traffic control and emergency response. These environments require people to make decisions under time pressure, and often require tradeoffs to be made amongst competing goals (eg safety vs productivity). He has developed computational models to simulate the way that people make decisions in these environment, and how they manage their workload. His research has clarified the mechanisms by which people make choices amongst competing goals, and regulate the amount of effort they apply.

A/Prof. Neely leads research projects on quantum turbulence in quasi-uniform 2D BEC superfluids, atomtronics, quantum sensing, and spinor condensates. He was an associate investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS) and is currently an associate investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Biotechnology (QUBIC).

His career has spanned three institutions, first the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, where he received his PhD in 2010 working with Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and quantum turbulence. Subsequently, he had a postdoctoral position at NIST (2010-2012), where he developed and advanced new techniques for midinfrared spectroscopy with pulsed lasers.

The Bose-Einstein condensation lab has openings for honours, PhD, and undergraduate projects. Please contact A/Prof. Neely (t.neely@uq.edu.au) regarding current opportunities.

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