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Dr Quan Nguyen is a Group Leader at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), The University of Queensland. He is leading the Genomics and Machine Learning (GML) lab to study neuroinflammation and cancer-immune cells at single-cell resolution and within spatial morphological tissue context. His research interest is about revealing gene and cell regulators that determine the states of the complex cancer and neuronal ecosystems. Particularly, he is interested in quantifying cellular diversity and the dynamics of cell-cell interactions within the tissues to find ways to improve cancer diagnosis or cell-type specific treatments or the immunoinflammation responses that cause neuronal disease.

Using machine learning and genomic approaches, his group are integrating single-cell spatiotemporal sequencing data with tissue imaging data to find causal links between cellular genotypes, tissue microenvironment, and disease phenotypes. GML lab is also developing experimental technologies that enable large-scale profiling of spatial gene and protein expression (spatial omics) in a range of cancer tissues (focusing on brain and skin cancer) and in mouse brain and spinal cord.

Dr Quan Nguyen completed a PhD in Bioengineering at the University of Queensland in 2013, postdoctoral training in Bioinformatics at RIKEN institute in Japan in 2015, a CSIRO Office of Chief Executive (OCE) Research Fellowship in 2016, an IMB Fellow in 2018, an Australian Research Council DECRA fellowship (2019-2021), and is currently a National Health and Medical Research Council leadership fellow (EL2). He has published in top-tier journals, including Cell, Cell Stem Cell, Nature Methods, Nature Protocols, Nature Communications, Genome Research, Genome Biology and a prize-winning paper in GigaScience. In the past three years, he has contributed to the development of x8 open-source software, x2 web applications, and x4 databases for analysis of single-cell data and spatial transcriptomics. He is looking for enthusiastic research students and research staff to join his group.

I am a Senior Lecturer in finance and the Program Convenor for the Commerce Programs at UQ Business School.

My research interests are in empirical corporate finance and climate finance. I have published in international peer-reviewed finance journals including Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Banking and Finance, Journal of Financial Markets, and Financial Management. I have so far received one Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery research grant and several AFAANZ research grants. I am currently an associate editor at International Review of Financial Analysis and was a guest editor for Pacific-Basin Finance Journal.

I am available for supervising research students. I am particularly proud that some of my former PhD students had their first placements at some UK and Australian universities. Also, all of my former honours students have so far received their first-class honours, some awarded the University Medals.

Dr. Nguyen’s research interests are in the areas of ocean energy converters and large floating structures. He has developed numerical methods for analysing the interaction between ocean waves and several marine structures (large floating platforms, wave energy converters and floating breakwaters). He is working on: (i) attaching perforated/porous elements (such as perforated plates) to floating structures for increased safety and cost-effectiveness; and (ii) developing floating platforms for farming seaweeds.

Dr Ngoc N. Nguyen is an associate lecturer and an ARC DECRA Fellow at School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. He was awarded an Australia Award Scholarship by the Australian Government for studying at UQ and attained a PhD in Chemical Engineering at UQ in 2018. After completing his PhD, he was awarded a renowned Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Fellowship by the AvH Foundation (the German Government) and worked as an AvH fellow at the Department of Physics at Interfaces, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Germany) for three years (2019-2021). Dr Nguyen used to work as a visiting scholar to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in USA and a lecturer at Hanoi University of Science and Technology in Vietnam. He recently secured a prestigious ARC DECRA (Discovery Early-Career Researcher Award) granted by the Australian Research Council (ARC). He is also an associate investigator within the ARC Centre of Excellence for Eco-enabling Beneficiation of Minerals.

His research strives for creating cutting-edge knowledge and innovations in three inter-related pillars of the low-carbon economy:

(1) sustainable energy,

(2) natural resources including critical metals,

(3) innovative approaches for tackling environmental issues such as CO2 emissions and mine waste.

He is working concurrently in these pillars. In particular, he is leading an ARC DECRA project about unconventional energy storage by locking fuel gases (e.g., hydrogen, methane) in the solid lattice of water, taking the intrinsic advantages of water as the cheapest, safest and most sustainable feedstock on Earth. Besides, he his working actively in eco-efficient extraction and separation of valuable resources from the Earth's crust toward a sustainable mineral processing industry for supplying sufficient commodities (e.g., metals) for the energy transition. In addition, Dr Nguyen has enduring interest in creating innovations for tackling the pressing environment problems such as CO2 emissions, with special interest in carbon capture and storage and utilisation, as well as addressing the mine waste in the mineral processing industry and the recylcing of critical metal-containing waste.

Dr Giang Nguyen-Thu is a Senior Lecturer and a DECRA Research Fellow at the School of Communication and Arts, University of Queensland. She is affiliated with the Center for Digital Cultures and Societies, UQ.

Dr Nguyen-Thu is currently working on her DECRA project “Too quick or too slow: Digital temporalities in networked Vietnam” (2024-2027). For this project, she explores the multiple, tangled, and contesting temporalities, or the lived experiences of time, on the ground of digital development in Vietnam. Through various case studies, she will investigate digital temporalities as plotted on the interstices of social habits, historical burdens, infrastructural layers, and human subjectivities to challenge the illusion of frictionless technological expansion.

Dr Nguyen-Thu’s interest in the cultural politics of digital time-making stems from her lasting curiosity about the interplay between media and the rapid process of economic development in Vietnam after the Reform (Đổi Mới) in 1986. Her first monograph, Television in Post-Reform Vietnam: Nation, Media, Market (Routledge 2019), explores how the advent of popular television reshapes the sense of national belonging in Vietnam. This monograph is the first scholarly book about contemporary Vietnamese media in the English language.

In addition to her independent research, Dr Nguyen-Thu serves as a chief investigator of the collaborative ARC Discover Project “Digital Transaction Platforms in Asia” (2022-2026), led by Assoc. Prof Adrian Athique. For this DP project, she investigates the gendered dimensions of digital transactions in Vietnam, focusing on the experiences of male delivery workers and female online retailers.

A/Prof Wayne Nicholls is a highly regarded paediatric oncologist who currently holds the position of Director of the Oncology Services Group at Queensland Children’s Hospital. Additionally, he serves as the Clinical Director of the Ian Frazer Centre for Children’s Immunotherapy Research (IFCCIR) at the University of Queensland. A/Prof Nicholls is committed to supporting the translation of research into clinical practice, with a particular emphasis on the treatment of paediatric, adolescent, and young adult (AYA) brain tumours and sarcomas.

He is a strong advocate for the advancement of immunotherapy research and treatment options for children with cancer. Under his leadership at the IFCCIR, efforts are focused on the development of novel and innovative immunotherapies that address the unique challenges associated with high-risk paediatric cancers and other immune-related diseases. His work is driven by a deep commitment to improving outcomes for young patients and their families.

Dr Mansoureh Nickbakht is a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland Centre for Hearing Research (CHEAR). She is a qualitative researcher and her research mainly focuses on improving hearing services. Currently, she is working on a NHMRC-funded project to improve access to the hearing services program for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia.

Daniel S. Nielsen is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland (UQ). As an academic early career researcher (ECR) and expert in the field of biomolecular drug discovery, he has received multiple academic awards, and holds a decorated publication record. He received his Ph.D. in 2016 from the Institute of Molecular Bioscience (IMB) at UQ and dedicated the following three years of his post graduate career to academic research as post doctoral researcher in David P. Fairlie's (IMB, UQ) and Morten Meldal's (Science, University of Copenhagen) laboratories before venturing into the biotech start-up industry. While holding a position as Head of Peptide Chemistry at San Francisco based start-up, SyntheX (www.synthexlabs.com), he managed pre-clinical cross-team collaborative drug discovery projects in the oncology space and helped secure over $750 million in funding. In 2024, he returned to academia with a focus to foster and drive mRNA drug discovery and development programs.

Mark joined the School of Psychology in 2002 as a UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellow after completing his PhD at La Trobe University. His research interests lie in a range of inter-related aspects of socio-cognitive development in young human children and non-human primates. His current research is primarily focused on charting the origins and development of human cultural cognition.

He is:

• a Senior Research Associate, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
• a member of: Association for Psychological Science; Society for Research in Child Development; Australasian Human Development Association
• an Associate Editor: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology; PLoS ONE
• an Editorial Consultant: Child Development; Developmental Science

Professor Lars Nielsen is leading the development of experimental and computational tools to analyse and design complex biological systems. His expertise in metabolic modelling and flux analysis is available nowhere else in Australia – and in few labs across the world. Professor Nielsen’s studies of biological systems as diverse as bacteria, baker's yeast, sugarcane, insects and mammals has attracted industrial partnerships with companies including Dow, Metabolix, Amyris, LanzaTech, Boeing, Virgin Australia and GE. These metabolic engineering partnerships have focussed on developing new ways of producing aviation fuel, various materials and bioactives (antibiotics, biopesticides, monoclonal antibodies). Professor Nielsen is also applying system analysis and design approaches to tissue engineering including novel strategies for generating microtissues for drug screening and using stem cells to produce red and white blood cells for transfusion.

International links

Professor Nielsen collaborates with some of the world’s pre-eminent metabolic engineers. A joint project with Prof Sang Yup Lee (KAIST, Korea) enabled several extended mutual visits to explore use of sugar for higher value products. A separate project focused on producing synthetic aviation fuel based on isoprenoids involves Professor Nielsen collaborating with global synthetic biotechnology company Amyris and leading isoprenoid metabolic engineer Professor Jay Keasling, from UC Berkeley. Professor Nielsen has secured $8million since 2006 from industry through research grants with US, European, Japanese, Korean, New Zealand and Australian companies.

Dr Timo Nieminen received his PhD from The University of Queensland in 1996.

Dr Nieminen's research interests are in the fields of:

• Light Scattering
• Optical Trapping and Micromanipulation
• Computational Electromagnetics
• Photonics
• Biological and Industrial Applications of Light Scattering and the Interaction of Light and Matter

His chief research projects are in the areas of:

• Full-Wave Electromagnetic Modelling of the Production of Optical Forces and Torques in Laser Trapping
• Optical Measurement of Microscopic Forces and Torques
• Extremely Asymmetrical Scattering in Bragg Gratings
• Micro-Opto-Mechanical Systems (MOMS)

I am a registered medical practitioner with a PhD from The University of Queensland. My doctoral work was in the field of population health, and focused on the use of N-of-1 trial methodology in clinical practice. I have two major research areas: N-of-1 trials/Single Case Experimental Designs (SCEDs), and whiplash and other musculoskeletal pain after Road Traffic Crashes.

I played a key role in setting up and sustaining UQ’s N-of-1 trials Unit since 1998, and am a key driver of its success, resulting in UQ becoming a world leader in N-of-1 trials since 2009. . Building on my 20 year clinical research career at UQ, I lead the research program at UQCCR in N-of-1 trials, and am a recognised leader in this field both in Australia and internationally. In addition, my skills include trial design and management more broadly.

I am also working at Recover Injury Research Centre in the field of recovery following Road Traffic injuries. Within the Designing Better Therapies research program, my main focus is on improving early management and reducing opioid prescribing for minor musculoskeletal injuries after Road Traffic Crashes. My other area of research is in applying Single Case Experimental Designs to work towards better therapies after injury, especially when caused by Road Traffic Crashes.

Dr. Thao Ninh obtained her PhD degree from School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland in 2021. Her research during her doctoral studies aimed to uncover the function of the Heterotrimeric G proteins in plants. By using gene editing technology CRISPR/Cas9 to knockout G alpha and G beta gene in tomato, Dr. Thao found that the phenotypes of tomato G alpha/beta-knockout mutants are very similar to those observed in monocots, but not in Arabidopsis. Her research results, therefore, raise important questions about whether some G protein functions/signaling have been lost in Arabidopsis during evolution. In 2023, Dr. Thao joined the Mitter group as postdoctoral researcher. Her current research focuses on using CRISPR/Ca9 technology in crop improvement including modulation in fruit appearance in strawberry, disease resistance in tomato, plant architecture in avocado and other preferred traits of various crops.

Dr. Mehwish Nisar is a medical doctor, academic, and public health researcher with a diverse background spanning clinical practice and higher education.

She is a mixed-methods researcher specialising in chronic disease and health behaviours, with a strong focus on diverse communities. As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, UQ, she leads projects that apply mixed-methods, co-design, and implementation science to improve health outcomes in underserved populations. Her contributions to migrant health have been internationally recognised through her inclusion in the United Nations Migration Health and Development Research Initiative (MHADRI) portal.

In her role as an MD Academic at UQ, Dr. Nisar draws on over a decade of teaching experience across medical schools and tertiary institutions in Australia and abroad. Her commitment to excellence in university teaching is reflected in her recognition as an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).

At the heart of her work is a dedication to advancing health equity through evidence-based and culturally responsive approaches. She brings expertise in research design, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, knowledge translation, and building meaningful partnerships with community organisations.

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Professor Nissen is Director, and Taylor Family Chair, of the Centre for the Business and Economics of Health (CBEH), Faculty of Business Economics and Law at The University of Queensland. She has been a prominent health practitioner leader, educator, researcher, and implementation scientist nationally and internationally for more than 25 years. A pharmacist by training, her research has driven major health system change, notably leading to the introduction of immunization services by pharmacists throughout Australia (Queensland Pharmacists Immunization Pilot (QPIP), (2014-15) and more recently the Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy Pilot – Queensland (UTIPP-Q, 2020-21), both Australian firsts. Before joining UQ, Lisa was previously Head of the School of Clinical Sciences at QUT (2012-22) overseeing the training for 2,500 students per year across seven clinical disciplines. In late 2022 she returned to UQ, taking on a new and innovative role as Director of the EvolveHealth Health Workforce Optimisation Program at CBEH. This program is part of the seven strategic Health Research Accelerator (HERA) initiatives announced by UQ in 2022, which will address some of the most pressing health and medical challenges of today.

Lisa has had career-long leadership and executive roles with national boards and state committees including the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia, Family Planning Queensland, and Hepatitis Queensland. Professor Nissen was a ministerial appointment to the Queensland Health Interim Pharmacy Round Table overseeing the implementation of a council to govern pharmacy ownership in Queensland. She is also a ministerial appointment to the Queensland Health Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board. She is on governance boards various other health organization groups including the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand Board, and the AHPRA scheduled medicines expert committee.

Professor Nissen focuses on strategic collaborations across the healthcare continuum with key partnerships in government, professional boards, associations, university, and other industry and consumer groups. These have led to the implementation of multiple complex practice change interventions. She has a proven record of bringing together these groups to focus on establishing multidisciplinary care teams to provide consumer-centric health care. This often means challenging currently held views of the scope of practice of health professionals, drawing on her high-level collaboration and negotiation skills.

Professor Nissen has supervised more than 80 higher degree research students and published over 180 peer-reviewed journal articles, and 200 professional publications. She has given more than 250 invited keynotes, plenary, and workshop presentations. In the past 5 years she has generated more than $9M in competitive research funding.