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Dr Anuj Sehgal completed his at the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh (UK) (2013-2017), where he developed a long-term research passion for investigating the development and function of the immune system. In 2018, Dr Sehgal joined the Mater Research Institute as a Research Officer. Some key highlights of Anuj's work has identified unique associations between macrophages and stem cell niches across the body, including intestinal stem cells (Sehgal et al., 2018, Nat. Comms) and HSC-niches in the bone marrow and peripheral lymphoid organs (Kaur*, Sehgal* et al. 2021 J. Hem. Onco). In 2022, Anuj diverted from academic research to contract clinical trials at the Wesley Research Institute. More recently, Anuj has rejoined UQ as a Flow Cytometry research fellow in the Chappell Lab under the ViceBio team, working on cell mediated immune responses in RSV preclinical and clinical trials.

Senior Research Fellow at IMB, University of Queensland in the field of novel antimicrobial discovery, mode of action studies and development. Studying the use of antibiotic-fluorescent probes for detetcing bacterial infections and resistance development.

Previously, a postdoctoral researcher at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University Oxford. Studying dynamics of bacterial cell death during plasmid loss and post segregational killing using single cell approach of microfluidics and fluorescence microscopy.

Strong research professional with a Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Microbiology from University of Delhi, India and a PhD in Biomedical science and Biochemistry from The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Skilled expertise in Microbiology, Biochemistry, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, and Bioinformatics.

Dr. Jaya Seneviratne is a Senior Lecturer in Periodontology affiliated to the School of Dentistry, University of Queensland, Australia. Currently he serves as the Director of Higher Degree Research. Dr. Seneviratne is an internationally recognized academic and a researcher in the field of dentistry. His track record encompasses over 100 publications in renowned international journals, including all top journals in dental research, 12 book chapters and an edited book “Microbial Biofilms: OMICS Biology, Antimicrobials and Clinical Implications” Taylor & Francis CRC Press, 2017. He has successfully secured over US$ 7.11 million from competitive grants for his research and development work. Dr. Seneviratne served as the Secretary of the IADR-Asia Pacific Region (APR) from 2019-2022. He was also the Chairman of the Session Committee for the 2023 IADR General Meeting in Bogota, Colombia. Previously, he held the key positions as the Chairman of the IADR Constitution Committee and a member of the IADR Fellowship and Membership Committees. Currently, he is an Editorial board member of the Journal of Dental Research and Critical Reviews in Microbiology. Dr. Seneviratne has supervised both undergraduate and postgraduate students, mentoring them excel in their research work. His research mentees have received numerous prestigious awards from the IADR. His primary research interests include oral microbiome, oral biofilms, oral-systemic link and infection control.

Dr Abbas Shafiee is leading a multidisciplinary program in Regenerative Dermatology and Biofabrication. His research integrates stem cell biology, organoid technology, and bioengineering to develop advanced human models and regenerative therapies for skin repair and disease.

Dr Shafiee completed his PhD in stem cell biology, discovering a previously unknown vascular stem cell population, termed the Meso-Endothelial Bipotent Progenitor, and mapping its molecular signatures (Stem Cell Reports 2018). This seminal discovery advanced the understanding of human vascular development and regeneration.

He subsequently joined Distinguished Professor Dietmar Hutmacher’s group, where he developed humanised tissue-engineered bone and tumour models that mimic cancer metastasis and tumor–stroma interactions. These models (International Journal of Cancer (2018), Biomaterials (2018, 2020), and Bone Research (2019), Acta Biomaterialia (2020), Bone (2022)) provided unprecedented insights into human-specific cancer biology and preclinical drug testing.

Dr Shafiee joined Metro North Health (MNH) in 2020 to lead a research program and develop, implement, and evaluate the applications of 3D printing, scanning, cell therapies, and biofabrication technologies in skin wound settings, and dermatology research. His team has developed vascularised and immune-integrated skin organoids and 3D-printed bioengineered grafts that accelerate wound closure with minimal scarring (Biomaterials 2021; Advanced Healthcare Materials (2022; 2025); Small 2024; Burns & Trauma 2025). These breakthroughs underpin new patient-specific skin therapies, disease models, and drug screening platforms. This work led to the establishment of the International Consortium for Organoid Research in Dermatology, to accelerate discovery and translation in skin biology, rare genetic skin diseases, and regenerative dermatology.

Dr Shafiee has supervised more than 10 PhD, Masters, honours students and actively contributes to multiple professional and editorial roles. He has authored 82+ peer-reviewed publications (>4,600 citations, h-index 37) and delivered more than 40 presentations worldwide. He serves on multiple professional and editorial boards, including Australian Wound & Tissue Repair Society (AWTRS), and Burns & Trauma. He is the 2025 Queensland Young Tall Poppy Science Award Winner for his pioneering contributions to regenerative medicine and science communication.

He actively engages with the media, schools, and community programs to inspire future scientists and raise public awareness of regenerative medicine and organoid technologies. His outreach has reached millions nationwide through major media coverage (e.g., The Australian, 7NEWS, ABC NEWS) .

Research areas:

• Human iPSC-derived skin organoids and skin-on-chip models
• Vascularization and immune integration in skin tissue engineering
• Rare genetic skin diseases and personalized regenerative therapies
• Translational biofabrication and wound healing technologies
• Organoid-based preclinical drug discovery platforms

Honours, Masters, and PhD opportunities are available for motivated students interested in regenerative dermatology, biofabrication, and organoid biology.

My group's research uses large-scale genomic data to address knowledge gaps in disease, with a particular focus on cardiovascular disease.

Research programme

1. Cardiovascular disease research using big-data and genomics: with the goal of improving prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. By focusing on underrepresented groups, including women, my research aims to also address inequity in cardiovascular outcomes. I am the lead of the South Asian Genes and Health in Australia (SAGHA) study, which aims to increase representation of Australian South Asians in cardiovascular and genomics research. See saghaus.org for further details.

2. Drug genomics: I'm interested in using genomic approaches to predict drug effects, including identification of drug repurposing opportunities as well as identifying unknown adverse effects of medication.

3. Liver transplant research: In this collaboration with the QLD Liver Transplant Unit, we are using genomics to understand the effect of normo-thermic perfusion (a new organ storage method) on liver function, with the long-term goal of improving our ability to predict transplant outcomes.

Career summary: I was awarded my PhD from University College London (UK) in cardiovascular genetics. I began my post-doctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Prof Peter Visscher at the Queensland Brain Institute in 2013. Between 2016-2018, I was the lead analyst for the International Heart Failure Genetics Consortium (HERMES). In 2018, I was awarded an NHMRC Early Career Researcher Fellowship to investigate the relationship between cardiovascular and brain-related disorders using large-scale genetic and genomic data, under the mentorship of Prof Naomi Wray. I currently hold a National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship.

Recognition:

2024 Australian Academy of Science Ruth Stephens Gani Medal for outstanding contribution to genetics research

2023 1 of 5 global finalists for the Nature Inspiring Women in Science (Scientific Achievement Award)

2023 Lifesciences QLD Rose-Anne Kelso Award

2023: Named in Australia's Top 25 Women in Science by Newscorp

2022 Queensland Young Tall Poppy Award

2022 UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award

2021/2022 Australian Superstar of STEM,

2020 Genetic Society of Australasia Early Career Award

2020 Women in Technology Rising Star Science Award

Dr Shapter's background was originally in Agricultural Science and higher education which evolved to the completion of her PhD in molecular genetics in 2008. Prior to her current appointments she was the senior researcher on ARC linkage, Australian Flora Foundation and RIRDC research grants looking at the genetic foundations of domestication and adaptation in Australian native grasses. She supervised two HDR students and has a strong publication record in this field. Her research interests centre on identifying and developing practical applications for gene sequencing. Fran is passionate about teaching and has worked as a facilitator commercially and trained early career researchers and PhD candidates in Project Management, IP and commercialisation and Leadership. She was a participant in the 2020 summit and was appointed to the federal advisory Rural R&D Council in 2009. Dr Shapter was also a sitting member of the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator's Ethics and Community Consultative Committee, 2016-2020.

Fran began tutoring at the UQ School of Veterinary Science in 2011, in large animal production, parasitology and microbiology. Since then she has held a variety of teaching, research and professional roles based around project management, curriculum design and blended learning design. She was the project manager for a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) grant which developed 40 vertically and horizontally integrated, online, adaptive tutorials for veterinary science students and was co-author on the manual developed by this project. She assisted with the development of a new flexible delivery laboratory animal science course in 2015 and delivers 5 weeks of online learning units into this course currently. She has been part of the SoTL research and evaluation associated with both these projects and has reported outcomes at University showcases annually since 2016.

In 2017 Fran became the new Student Clinical Skills Hub Coordinator, a purpose-built, state-of-the-art self-directed learning facility for students of veterinary science. Whilst undertaking this role student usage, resource availability and online support for the Hub has increased more than tenfold. Fran's aim is to provide a safe, authentic, self-directed learning environment where students can practice their clinical skills in accordance with individual competences, beyond the scheduled contact hours of their programs and further enhance their capacity for self-directed, lifelong learning whilst acknowledging the vast array of qualifications, previous training, life experience and cultural backgrounds each student brings with them to the Hub.In 2020 Fran recieved a UQ Teaching Excellence Award due to the demonstarted impact of the SVS Student Clinical Skills Hub.

In 2019 Fran was appointed as a Lecturer in Veterinary Science, while continuing her role as the Hub's coordinator. She continues to maintain her teaching roles into the veterinary program in animal handling, animal production, reproduction, microbiology, parasitology and plant identification. Fran has an additional role in the School with regard to asissting with the design, development and integration of blended learning resources, after working with the Science faculties blended learning design team in 2018. However her SoTL portfolio is best showcased by the development of the online learning community and training resources she has developed for the Student Clinical Skills Hub. As of June 2021, Fran has also taken on the role of the School of Veterinary Science Honours Program Coordinator.

Nicki is a marine conservation scientist in the Centre for Policy Futures and an Adjunt in the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, where she focuses on how conservation and biodiversity outcomes can be improved by interfacing science with policy using novel approaches and decision-support tools. Her expertise is in coastal and marine restoration planning and policy, conservation and impact mitigation at the land-sea interface, and marine biodiversity offsets and net gain policy. She is currently the Regulatory Lead for the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP), a partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), funded by the Commonwealth Reef Trust. She co-leads a National Environmental Science Program (NESP) on de-risking nature repair in Australia. She previously co-led another National Environmental Science Program (NESP) project on identifying and overcoming the legal barriers to marine and coastal restoration.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY AUTHORSHIP ALTERATIONS LISTING ME AS SIMPSON-FRASER BELOW ARE INCORRECT. ALL PUBLICATIONS ARE FIONA SIMPSON. MY PROFESSIONAL NAME IS FIONA SIMPSON.

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/the-tricky-business-of-cancer-research/9498246

Our laboratory is involved in cross-discipline research studying endocytosis, cancer, pharmacology and immunology to improve therapies used in cancer treatment.

Peter Simpson is a recognised expert in the molecular and pathological characterisation of breast and lung cancers. His research is based at the UQ Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR), where he is the Head of the Cancer Theme and is a Research Group Leader in Cancer Genomics. He has published >150 articles (>12,000 citations, H-index 52; Scopus, May2025) including in Nature, Nature Medicine, Annals of Oncology and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. He co-manages the Brisbane Breast Bank (BBB), a tissue bank created to facilitate clinical breast cancer research, and the Debutant lung cancer Program.

Pete also holds a teaching appointment in UQ, where he is passionate about the science and clinical applications of Pathology. He teaches into the UQ Medical Program (Year 1 and 2), as well as to undergraduates. He has co-authored a chapter ‘Breast Diseases’ in the latest edition (11th) of the internationally acclaimed Medical text book Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease.

Outside UQ, Pete is a Fellow of the Faculty of Science in the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (FFSc RCPA), a member of the kConFab Executive (https://www.kconfab.org/), a member of the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Scientific Advisory Board (https://lobularbreastcancer.org/), and a member of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (Breast Cancer group).

Pete enjoys supervising students at all levels in their careers and collaborating within multidisciplinary teams spanning clinical (e.g. pathology, oncology) and science teams (e.g. in ‘omics, bioinformatics and machine learning).

Dr Andrii Slonchak is a head of Systems Virology Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer. Andrii Slonchak obtained his PhD in Molecular Biology in 2010 from the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics (Kyiv, Ukraine). In 2013 he joined the University of Queensland, where he completed his postdoctoral training in the RNA Virology Laboratory under the mentorship of Prof. Alexander Khromykh. In 2023 he was awarded ARC Future Fellowship, and in 2025 appointed Team Head of the Systems Virology Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer.

The Systems Virology Laboratory investigates virus-host and virus-vector interactions at molecular, cellular and organism levels using a combination of advanced multi-omics techniques, bioinformatics, molecular virology and RNA structural biology. We utilise advanced model systems such as stem cell derived organoids to study viral pathogenesis and apply single-cell and spatial transcriptomics combined with computational modelling to map cellular responses to arboviruses and uncover viral strategies for immune evasion. We aim to identify regulatory pathways driving viral replication, transmission and pathogenesis that can be targeted for development of effective defence strategies against medically significant arboviruses like Dengue, Zika, West Nile and Japanese encephalitis viruses.

RESEARCH INTERESTS Fire Ecology, Restoration Ecology, Ecological Genomics, Wildlife Science, Conservation Biology, Invasive Plants

My research group studies fire ecology and conservation biology. Currently, we are working on:

• Using fire to benefit plant biodiversity and manage invasive plants
• Predicting effects of changing fire regimes on plant-animal interactions
• Native grassland restoration
• Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes

We have a special interest in plants and animals living in fire-prone areas because of the fascinating fact that these ecosystems are never static but continually re-shaped by cycles of fire and regeneration. While being grounded in fundamental biology and ecological theory, our research is always aimed at improving knowledge for biodiversity conservation. Our work has applications in fire management, biological invasion and threatened species conservation.

TECHNICAL APPROACHES: POPULATION GENETICS | SPATIAL LANDSCAPE GENETICS | DEMOGRAPHIC SIMULATION MODELLING | STATISTICAL MODELLING OF POPULATIONS & COMMUNITIES | BIOINFORMATICS | SPATIAL ANALYSIS IN R | We also know how to drop a hand-made 1 x 1 m polypipe quadrat on the ground and do good old-fashioned field work.

TEACHING: I teach ecology, wildlife science and environmental science at UQ. My teaching and coordination activities have included Elements of Ecology (AGRC1032), Wildlife Technology (ANIM3018) and People Fire & Environment (ENVM3215 / ENMV7530).

EDITORIAL I am Associate Editor for Wildlife Letters (2023–)

I was Associate Editor for Journal of Applied Ecology for four years (2018–2022).

CURRICULUM VITAE

• 2019 – current Lecturer, University of Queensland
• 2018 – 2022 Associate Editor, Journal of Applied Ecology
• 2018 – 2019 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow, Trinity College Dublin
• 2016 – 2017 Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Trinity College Dublin
• 2015 – 2016 Post-doctoral Research Assistant, University of Melbourne
• 2015 – 2016 Self-employed Consultant Ecologist, Canberra
• 2012 – 2014 Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Australian National University

EDUCATION

2012 PhD in Ecology, Australian National University

2006 BSc in Biodiversity Conservation Honours, Flinders University

2005 BSc in Biodiversity Conservation, Flinders University

Dr. Alex Smith is a Research Fellow in Glycotherapeutics at UQ's School of Chemical Engineering. His interests are in understanding structure: function relationships between complex carbohydrates (such as heparan sulphate) and proteins, and how these interactions can inform the development of glycotherapeutic agents to treat a wide variety of injuries and diseases.

Dr Millicent Smith is a Senior Lecturer in Crop Physiology at The University of Queensland. Her research is focused on understanding the physiological mechanisms that underpin yield stability and quality in grain legumes. Millicent works closely with breeders, both in Australia and overseas, to develop improved knowledge on abiotic stress adaptation and tools to accelerate genetic gain. Dr Smith leads a national research project funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation focused on deploying novel phenotyping and genomics approaches to fast-track the development of new chickpea varieties that display lower yield loss in response to high temperature. Millicent is passionate about training the next generation of plant scientists. She leads a growing research team of postdoctoral scientists, postgraduate and undergraduate research students and has been awarded for her innovative teaching approaches applied to large undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

My work focusses on activation of innate immune cells by pathogen products. Following my PhD at UQ on transcriptional regulation in macrophages I went in 1996 to the University of Cambridge on a CJ Martin Fellowship to work in a molecular parasitology laboratory. I returned to the the University of Queensland in where I focussed on immune cell responses to foreign DNA. I was awarded an ARC Future Fellowship in 2009 to move to the School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, where I also lecture in immunology.

Associate Professor Mitchell Stark is a molecular biologist and Group Leader (Principal Research Fellow) from the Dermatology Research Centre (DRC) based at the Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland (UQ; Brisbane, Australia). He leads the pre-melanoma genomics program at the Frazer Institute and his group has extensive experience in the use of next-generation sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, bioinformatics, and functional analysis for a variety of applications. The Stark Lab’s major research streams include: miRNA biomarkers for melanoma progression and the development a Genomics Atlas of pre-skin cancer lesions, which aim to provide to greater understand melanoma progression from naevi and early invasive melanoma, with a goal to discover novel predictive biomarkers that offer increased precision to the clinical management of patients.

He has been engaged in melanoma and nevus research for 25+ years (with 9-years post PhD) and over this time he has been working towards understanding the aetiology of melanoma, studying gene dysregulation during tumor progression along with predisposition to melanoma in families with high risk for melanoma development. Dr Stark has a total of 97 career publications including 1 book chapter, 83 journal articles, 12 reviews/perspectives and 1 patent (WO/2016/029260) which have been cited a total of 7,053/10,208 times (Scopus/Google; h-index: 38/42) and has published in respected journals such as Nature, Nature Genetics, Cancer Research, and Journal of Investigative Dermatology. He has been awarded a career total of ~$10M as an Investigator (PI/co-PI/co-Investigator) including a prestigious NHMRC Peter Doherty Early Career Research Fellowship (2016-2019) and a recent NHMRC Investigator award (2025-2029), along with several research grants as Principal Investigator (e.g., Advance QLD Innovation Partnership, Department of Defence CDMRP – Melanoma Research Program).

I completed my Bachelor of Pharmacy at Kings College London, followed by pre-registration and subsequent employment as a pharmacist with Boots the Chemists in Central London. With a PhD in plant biochemistry with Royal Holloway College, University of London, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, I moved first to Cornell University, USA and then The University of Western Australia for postdoctoral research. I moved to the School of Pharmacy at The University of Queensland in 2007.

Following a number of years in plant research, my current research interests generally link back to plants in some way. Many of my projects develop in response to requests for help from healthcare professionals, and so I have a strong focus on answering clinical questions using pharmaceutical science methods. See my research interests for more information.

I teach into the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) in the areas of pharmaceutics, compounding and complementary medicines. I also teach the clinical drug development course for our Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice. I am currently the Director of Teaching, Learning and Student Experience for the School of Pharmacy. I have supervised 28 PhD students to completion, and over 60 undergraduate and masters independent research project students.