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Professor Pankaj Sah is Director of the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at The University of Queensland (UQ). He is renowned for his work in understanding the neural circuitry of the amygdala, an area of the brain that plays a central role in learning and memory formation. Dysfunction of the amygdala leads to a host of anxiety-related disorders. His laboratory uses a combination of molecular tools, electrophysiology, anatomical reconstruction, calcium imaging and behavioural studies to examine the electrophysiological signatures of different brain regions and their impact on disease. Recently, his laboratory has been working with patients undergoing electrode implantation for deep brain stimulation, which is used to treat a variety of disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome and essential tremor. Professor Sah trained in medicine at The University of New South Wales and, after completing his internship, gained a PhD from the Australian National University. Following postdoctoral work at the University of California, San Francisco, and UQ, he established his own laboratory at the University of Newcastle in 1994. He then joined the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University as a group leader in 1997. He was recruited to QBI as a founding member in 2003, and has been Director since July 2015. Professor Sah has published over 110 papers in international peer-reviewed journals. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Nature Partner Journal npj Science of Learning, the first journal to bring together the findings of neuroscientists, psychologists, and education researchers to understand how the brain learns.

Dr Narottam Saha is an environmental geochemist and Senior Research Fellow at The University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute, where he develops field-deployable technologies for the sustainable rehabilitation of mine wastes. His research integrates biogeochemistry, environmental mineralogy and engineering approaches that harness natural soil- and rock-forming processes to address contamination and closure challenges in mine tailings, bauxite residue and sulfidic waste rock.

His research has two main streams. The first, Ecological Engineering, transforms mine tailings and mineral residues into functional technosols by harnessing the natural soil-forming processes that govern mineral weathering, rhizosphere interactions, trace element dynamics and hydrogeochemical stabilisation. The second, Engineered Mineral Stabilisation, develops technologies that cement and encapsulate alkaline and acid-forming mine wastes in situ, emulating natural lithification to form rock-like structures designed to limit contaminant release and the transport of oxygen and water, with long-term structural stability and durability.

His work combines field trials and laboratory experiments with advanced geochemical, mineralogical and materials characterisation, including synchrotron spectroscopy and imaging, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, solution chemistry, and leaching and mechanical performance testing. In partnership with industry, including Queensland Alumina Limited, Rio Tinto and Agnico Eagle, he translates mechanistic understanding into practical rehabilitation and mine closure solutions. He supervises higher degree by research (HDR) candidates in mine waste geochemistry, technosol development, mineral stabilisation, trace element biogeochemistry and environmental remediation, and welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD students.

Prof Tapan Saha was born in Bangladesh and immigrated to Australia in 1989. Tapan received his PhD from the University of Queensland in 1994. Previously, Tapan obtained a B. Sc in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka in 1982 and a Master of Technology in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi in 1985. He has been with the University of Queensland since 1996, where he has been a Professor of Electrical Engineering since 2005. Previously he was an Adjunct Professor of Xi'an Jiaotong University and Hunan University in China. Previously he worked in James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville for two and a half years and in BUET for three and a half years.

Tapan Saha is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the Institution of Engineers Australia. He is a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) of Engineers Australia and a Registered Professional Engineer of the State of Queensland (RPEQ). He is on the National Engineering Register (NER). Prof Saha is on the APEC Engineer Register and on the Register of International Professional Engineers.

His current research projects are in the fields of:

• Renewable energy integration to electricity grid
• Smart condition monitoring for transformers and other ageing assets

Prof Saha is actively involved with a number of organisations:

• Leader: Power, Energy and Control Engineering Discipline, School of EECS, UQ
• Editor-in-Chief IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery
• Leader: UQ Solar
• Founding Director: Australasian Transformer Innovation Centre
• Leader: Industry 4.0 UQ Energy TestLab
• Senior Editor, IEEE Access
• CIGRE Australian Panel A2 Member
• Faculty Adviser: IEEE HKN-MU Kappa Chapter (UQ)
• Student Counsellor: IEEE PES/DEIS UQ Student Branch

Past Activities:

• IEEE Power & Energy Society Distinguished Lecturer (2015-2025)
• ARC College of Expert Member (Jan 2020-April 2025)
• Editorial Board Member, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery (2020-2025)
• Editorial Board Member & Consulting Editor, IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy (2020-2024)
• Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation
• Electrical College Board (Engineers Australia) Member (2015-2020)
• IEEE Power & Energy Society Queensland Chapter: Chair (2021-2022)
• Member, Queensland Electrical Branch (Engineers Australia, till 2023)

A/Prof Saddichha Sahoo is a Consultant Psychiatrist experienced in assessment and management of patients with mental illness including depression, anxiety and mood disorders. He has special interest in substance dependence issues and medical liaison, and is accredited as Addiction Psychiatrist and Consultation- Liaison Psychiatrist by RANZCP. Additionally, he has a special interest in Indigenous Mental Health from his work in this population while working as a Consultant Psychiatrist with Vancouver Coastal Health, Canada.

A/Prof Sahoo currently serves as Consultant Psychiatrist at Ipswich Hospital and St Andrew’s Private Hospital. He is also an Associate Professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Queensland teaching Addiction Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology. Previously, he trained and worked in India, and has since held appointments in Canada as Consultant Psychiatrist at Vancouver Coast Health in the management and rehabilitation of dual diagnosis patients, and University of British Columbia where he completed a Fellowship of Addiction Psychiatry.

Additionally, A/Prof Sahoo serves on the Education Committee for the American College of Clinical Pharmacology, and the Young Scientists Committee of the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology. He has been elected to the RANZCP Committee for Evidence Based Practice, and is the recipient of several international academic awards and prizes. He has authored/reviewed numerous articles published in peer reviewed journals, and has also contributed to book chapters.

Leanne Sakzewski is the Professor of Allied Health Research, a conjoint position with the School of Health and Rehabilitation Science at The University of Queensland and Children's Health Queensland. Leanne completed her undergraduate training in the field of occupational therapy at the University of Queensland. Prior to entering research, she practiced as a senior occupational therapist for eighteen years in paediatric rehabilitation and child development. She completed her PhD in 2010 from The University of Queensland in the field of upper limb rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy, and achieved a Dean's Commendation for outstanding Research Higher Degree.

Research interests

Leanne's research interests are in the conduct of randomised clinical trials in the field of cerebral palsy and childhood onset acquired brain injuries. In particular, she has focused on randomised controlled trials of:

* upper limb training approaches for infants and children with unilateral cerebral palsy;

* intensive models of motor training to improve gross motor and manual abilities for children with bilateral cerebral palsy;

* participation-focused intervention to increase physically active leisure for children with cerebral palsy;

* social skills group-based program for adolescents with brain injuries.

Martin is an Associate Professor of Physiotherapy within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Science. He teaches into both the undergraduate and graduate entry masters programs. In addition, Martin coordinates the clinical placements across both programs.

Martin has a passion for supporting physiotherapy students throughout their journey, from preclinical studies to clinical placements. He has developed a series of strategies to help support the diverse cohort in thriving as student physiotherapists and gaining a sense of belonging to the profession. Martin has been involved in several curriculum reviews that have focussed on enhancing the student experience, and has initiated strategies that have proactively and reactively supported students (such as student mentoring, early observational placements and student-staff activities). He has a particular passion for supporting students from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.

In research, Martin leads a laboratory investigating neuroplasticity. The human nervous system is no longer thought of has hard-wired, and is in fact capable of rapid change throughout life. This plasticity is important for learning, memory and recovery from brain injury. Martin is interested in using emerging brain stimulation and imaging techniques to "artificially" induce plasticity in the human brain, to ultimately improve the treatment outcomes for various neurological conditions, particularly stroke. These stimulation techniques include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). A key current focus of Martin's research is investigating the link between sleep and neuroplasticity, and whether the beneficial aspects of sleep (for promoting neuroplasticity) can be artificially induced with brain stimulation.

He completed a BSc in 1994 and received a First Class Honours in Physiology in 1995 from the University of Adelaide. He then completed a Bachelor of Physiotherapy Degree at the University of South Australia. Returning to research in 2005, he undertook a PhD at the University of Adelaide, which he completed in 2009. He was named "Young Scientist of the Year" in 2007 as a result of his PhD research. He was awarded a University of Queensland Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2010, and then a NHMRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in 2011 to investigate more intensely how the brains of stroke patients rewire. He has been awarded ~$4M in funding, principally from the NHMRC and US Department of Defence.

Dr Salih Salih has been a Consultant Geriatrician at Princess Alexandra Hospital since 2006, and also consults at Redland Hospital. He supervises basic physician trainees and advanced trainees in geriatric and internal medicine at both PAH and Redland hospitals. In addition to his clinical commitments, Dr Salih is the inaugural Chair of the Bayside Health Research Advisory Group at Redland Hospital. Also a member of the Metro South Research Council, and regularly reviews grant applications submitted for the Metro South Research Support Scheme. Dr Salih has also reviewed grant applications as a member of the NHMRC review panel.

Dr Salih holds Academic Title of Associate professor for the Faculty of Medicine’s PA-Southside Clinical Unit where he has a long-standing conjoint appointment and is Academic Lead at the UQ Redland Hospital site. He has a leading role in the development of the geriatric curriculum and teaching activity, and is involved in education and teaching of medical students across their program from year 1 onward. He is also heavily involved in examining of medical students in their General Medicine and Medicine in Society terms at both Redland and PA Hospitals.

Supervision

Dr Salih supervises research projects for advanced trainees in geriatric medicine, and year 4 medical students completing research projects. He chairs the Research Higher Degree Committee for PhD and MPhil candidates and reviews MPhil research higher degree projects. Dr Salih also supervises and mentors Honours students completing their allied health degree.

Qualifications

Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP)

Master of Public Health, The University of Queensland (MPH)

Dr Steve Salisbury is an Associate Professor in the School of the Environment at The University of Queensland, where he is head of the UQ Dinosaur Lab and Director of Indigenous Engagement. He is also Research Associate at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Associate Editor for the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, and a Scientific Board member of the Jurassic Foundation. He currently Chairs the Faculty of Science Indigenising Curriculum Working, and is the Faculty of Science represenative on the Indigenous Learning Sub-Committee of CAPP.

Steve is of Dutch-Indonesian and English descent, but was born and grew up in the cool, misty mountains of Dharug and Gandangarra Country. He studied biology and geology at the University of Sydney, receiving the Edgeworth David Award for Palaeontology in 1993. He then moved to the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he completed his Honours thesis on fossil crocodilians from Murgon, south-eastern Queensland. Continuing at the UNSW, Steve travelled to Germany and the UK to complete a PhD on crocodilian locomotor evolution. He returned to Australia in 2000 to pursue a life-long dream of searching for Australian dinosaurs, and joined The University of Queensland in 2003 as a Postdoctoral Fellow. He currently lives in Tulmar (Ipswich) on Yagara/Ugarapul Country.

Steve's research focuses on the evolution of Gondwanan continental vertebrates, in particular dinosaurs and crocodilians. He is also interested in vertebrate biomechanics and using extant animals to better understand the anatomy, behaviour and evolution of extinct ones. His field-based research takes him to various parts of Queensland, the Kimberley, New Zealand and Antarctica.

For over 15 years, Steve has partnered with First Nations communities in the Saltwater Sundown Country of the West Kimberley to better understand the region’s natural and cultural heritage, in particular its dinosaur tracks. He is passionate about decolonising and transforming aspects of palaeontology and empowering First Nations voices in the natural sciences. He is now trying to use some of his experiences in palaeontology to help develop and implement teaching and research practices that are more respectful and understanding of First Nations sovereignty, perspectives and ways of knowing.

I am a passionate English literature teacher and researcher, with an education in English literature, linguistics, and language, as well as the humanities. I have completed my PhD in Postcolonial Studies and Other Literature in English from the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland, supported by the prestigious and highly competitive International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and the University of Queensland Centennial Scholarship. My international research focuses on aesthetics, ethics, politics, and the power of storytelling. I closely read and critically analyze English canonical literature and global anglophone literature, specifically the largely invisible branch of Bangladeshi literature in English, framed by the intersectional postcolonial, gender, humanist, and transcultural theories, and voicing equality, equity, non-asymmetry, human dignity, and social justice through the broader topics of literary marginalization and migration and diasporas and cultural contacts. My poems reflect my multidisciplinary academic and critical literary perspectives, and thus all my works have been gradually shaped by my life experiences as an emotional Bedouin.

Dr Amanda Salmon is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland. Her current work investigates how ageing, identity, emotional and motivational processes intersect with physical and social health, including roles in volunteerism and lived-experience supports for older adults.

Drawing on frameworks such as socioemotional selectivity theory, generativity, and stereotype embodiment theory, Dr Salmon explores two inter-linked domains:

• How older adults engage in prosocial behaviour (for example, older blood donors)

• The role of assistance animals in supporting wellbeing, independence and social inclusion for older adults and people with disabilities

Her broader research interests include:

• Psychology of ageing and life-span development

• Motivation, identity and wellbeing in later life

• Volunteerism, community contribution and older adult donors

• Assistance animal ownership, animal-human dyads, and aging-friendly housing/policy

She collaborates with organisations including Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and partners in aged-care, disability and animal-welfare sectors. Dr Salmon is passionate about translating psychological science into evidence-based policy and practice, supporting healthier, more connected ageing.

Keywords: ageing, older adults, motivation, identity, wellbeing, prosocial behaviour, blood donation, assistance animals, human-animal interaction, gerontology

I am Professor, NHMRC Investigator Fellow (EL2) and group leader (Exosome Biology Laboratory) at UQ Centre for Clinical Research. I am nationally and internationally (>20 invitations to international meetings in the last 5 years) acknowledged key opinion leader on Extracellular Vesicle (rated 3th worldwide (Top 0.015%) and 1st in Australia in expertise for “Extracellular Vesicles and Exosomes” on Expertscape) and biomarker discovery (140 publications, and >8000 citations in the last 7 year). I have made a major conceptual contribution to EV biology with diagnostic and therapeutic implications. In the last 8 years, my primary research and commercialisation activities have focused on the identification and validation of biomarkers, and development of In Vitro Multivariate Index Assays for clinically relevant complications (including ovarian cancers, and obstetrical syndromes) and their translation into clinical applications. In Academia, I have pursued these objectives through the development and leadership of clinical translation research teams and facilities, both in Australia and overseas. For example, I had a leadership role in established the Centre for Clinical Diagnostics (CCD). Within the UQCCR, I established an exosome research team to evaluate the clinical utility of extracellular vesicles as liquid biopsies, IVDs and therapeutics. Much of our effort in this field of endeavour has involved optimising isolation methods for extracellular vesicles and their analytical analysis - including the use of protein solution array (e.g. Luminex), mass spectrometry profiling (using MS/MS SWATH) and more recently miRNA analysis.

As a health information and digital health researcher, I am committed to leveraging technology to enhance healthcare delivery, optimize clinical workflows, and improve patient outcomes. My research explores the responsible, evidence-based, and impactful integration of digital health technologies into healthcare systems, focusing on electronic health records, health data analytics, and digital health interventions. With nearly 25 years of experience spanning academia, research, and senior leadership roles, I have contributed to advancing digital health through multidisciplinary collaborations and applied research. My research covers a wide range of topics within digital health such as health data, electronic health records, digital divide in health care, digital health, telehealth, ‎electronic prescription systems, online search behaviour, technology acceptance models, E-health ‎literacy, healthcare dashboard technologies, patient flow, access, and utilisation of health services.‎ I have led and collaborated on multidisciplinary projects, contributing to the development of health data analytics frameworks and AI-driven solutions for healthcare systems. My expertise extends to evaluating digital health interventions and assessing their impact on clinical workflows, patient outcomes, and healthcare efficiency. As a Senior Research Fellow at the Queensland Digital Health Centre (QDHeC), I lead and contribute to research projects that evaluate digital health innovations, assess their impact on health services, and develop frameworks for sustainable technology adoption. My prior role as Director of Research Development and Evaluation at Lorestan University of Medical Sciences further strengthened my ability to lead large-scale health research initiatives and influence policy-driven healthcare transformation. I have successfully secured competitive research funding and published extensively in high-impact journals. I currently supervise PhD and higher-degree students and serve as a peer reviewer for academic journals in digital health and health services research.

Hemamali Samaratunga MBBS (Hons) LRCP (London) MRCS (UK) FRCPA, FRCPath

• Specialist Anatomical Pathologist, Managing Director, Aquesta Specialised Uropathology
• Full Professor, University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine
• Visiting Medical Officer, Greenslopes Private Hospital

Hemamali graduated with honours from the University of Sri Lanka, Colombo Medical School and completed Pathology specialty training in Queensland. She held a number of consultant posts in both hospital and private practice. In 2008 she established Aquesta Uropathology which now provides diagnostic uropathology services to the majority of urologists in Queensland and Northern New South Wales. In addition to this she maintains a large second opinion consultation practice with requests obtained from throughout Australia and from overseas.

She is active in Genitourinary Pathology research with collaborators in Australia, USA, Canada, Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Wellington School of Medicine in New Zealand. She held the position of Secretary of the International Society of Urological Pathology from 2015 to 2019.

She was a contributor to the 2004, 2015 and 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) books on Classification of Tumours: Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of the Urinary and Male Reproductive System. She participated in the 2015 revision of the WHO Tumour Classification in Zurich, Switzerland (4th edition) as member, Prostate Tumour Panel. She was a representative of the Expert Groups formulating structured reporting protocols for the Royal College Pathologists of Australasia on kidney, testis and prostate cancer and is currently chairperson of the structured reporting protocols for Genitourinary cancer. She is also currently the Convener for the RCPA Uropathology Quality Assurance Program.

Qualifications

MBBS (HONS) LRCP (London) MRCS (UK) FRCPA FRCPath

Current UQ Appointments

Academic Title-Professor

Non-UQ Appointments

2008 - current: Specialist Anatomical Pathologist & Managing Director, Aquesta Specialized Uropathology

2015 - Current: Visiting Medical Officer, Greenslopes Private Hospital

2003 - 2021: Visiting Medical Officer, Princess Alexandra Hospital

June 2001 - Oct 2008: Specialist Anatomical Pathologist, Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Brisbane

1993 - 1997: Specialist Anatomical Pathologist, Royal Brisbane Hospital

1998 - 2001: Senior Anatomical Pathologist, North Brisbane Hospitals Board

Research Interests

• Granular tumour necrosis
• Diagnosis of limited adenocarcinoma on prostate needle biopsy
• Ductal adenocarcinoma of prostate
• Mucinous adenocarcinoma of prostate
• Radical prostatectomy handling and reporting
• Micropapillary urothelial cancer
• Mimics of bladder cancer

Awards and other Esteem Indicators

2017 Admitted to Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists, London (FRC Path) for sustained excellence in published works

2022 Awarded the Grawitz Medal of the International Society of Urological Pathology for distinguished service to the discipline of Urological Pathology

2023 Author of the publication Percentage grade 4 tumour predicts outcome for prostate adenocarcinoma in needle biopsies from patients with advanced disease: Ten year data from the TROG 03.04 RADAR Trial. Pathology 54: 49- 54, awarded the prize of

Article of the Year by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.

2024 Distinguished Fellowship Award of the Royal College Pathologists of Australasia

For distinguished service to the discipline of Urological Pathology

Keywords

Pathology, Genitourinary cancer, Prostate, Kidney, Urinary tract, Testis, Penis