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Dr Jim Schirmer is a Lecturer in the Master of Counselling Program and has taught into that program in a variety of roles since 2012. Over that time, Jim has developed a speciality in teaching integrated and applied theory, practical professional ethics, and supervision of new counsellors' first years in practice. He has published scholarship of teaching in all three of these areas and has co-authored the open-access textbook, The Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Coming from an academic background in the humanities (philosophy, ethics and theology), his research focuses on the expansion of therapeutic theory and practice through the integration of other intellectual disciplines. His doctoral project used the foundations of the philosophy and science of virtue to develop an operational theory of how counsellors and psychotherapists cultivate and express their 'way of being' with clients. The theory has the potential to further research into influential therapist variables and support training and supervision through understanding how these traits can be intentionally developed.

Jim remains closely tied to the world of practice where he has a particular focus in working with loss, grief and trauma among young people, refugees, and in prisons and detention centres. At UQ, Jim has led the establishment of two early-intervention counselling services - UQ With You and UQ Counsellor Connect - which concurrently deliver no-cost, easy access counselling options to UQ students and the wider community, as well as providing a high-quality learning environment to final year postgraduate students of counselling and psychology.

Andreas Schloenhardt is Professor of Criminal Law in the School of Law at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia and Honorary Professor for Foreign and International Criminal Law in the Faculty of Law, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology at the University of Vienna, Austria.

Professor Schloenhardt is the convenor of the Transnational Organised Crime programme (https://toc.jura.uni-koeln.de/), a research and learning network with academic staff and students from the University of Vienna (Austria), the University of Zurich (Switzerland), the University of Cologne (Germany), the University of Ferrara (Italy), and the University of Queensland (Australia). Professor Schloenhardt holds a PhD in Law from The University of Adelaide. Prior to his position at The University of Queensland, he was a lecturer at The University of Adelaide Law School.

Professor Schloenhardt’s principal areas of research include criminal law, organised crime, smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons, wildlife trafficking, narco-trafficking, terrorism, criminology, and immigration and refugee law. He is the author of many books and journal articles and his work is frequently cited by other scholars, in government reports, and judicial decisions, including the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of Austria.

Professor Schloenhardt has held adjunct appointments and visiting professorships at the University of Zurich, the University of St Gallen, the University of Ferrara, Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law , The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California. In 2011-2012, Professor Schloenhardt was a recipient of a Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Professor Schloenhardt is a member of the Austrian Society of Criminal Law and Criminology and he has worked extensively with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Council of Europe, the Global Initiative against Transnational Crime, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and a range of law enforcement agencies in Australia and Asia.

My research investigates the neural circuits and genetic mechanisms that drive complex social behaviours, with a focus on mating decisions in animal models.

What I study I use Drosophila melanogaster to understand how the brain evaluates social cues and translates them into behavioural decisions — particularly during courtship and mating. My work connects circuit-level neuroscience with whole-animal behaviour.

How I work My approach is highly interdisciplinary, combining:

• Behavioural experiments and quantitative analysis
• Deep learning-based animal tracking and pose estimation
• Analysis of connectome datasets to map neural circuit architecture
• Genetic and imaging tools to link neurons to behaviour

Collaborations and students I welcome collaborations and prospective students with backgrounds in neuroscience, computer vision, data science, or animal behaviour. If you are interested in how the brain controls social decisions — and in using modern computational tools to answer those questions — feel free to get in touch.

Lachlan Schomburgk is a Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Queensland Business School whose research examines consumer behaviour in financial and retail contexts, particularly how payment methods and transaction environments shape spending, judgement, and pro-social giving.

Positioned at the intersection of consumer behaviour, financial decision-making, and technology-enabled marketing, his work explores how changes in payment systems and digital environments influence real-world consumer outcomes.

His research has been published in leading journals including the Journal of Retailing and the European Journal of Marketing, and has attracted broad public attention through outlets including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 9News, and The Guardian.

Professor Kate Schroder heads the Inflammasome Laboratory and is Director of the Centre for Inflammation and Disease Research at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), University of Queensland, as an NHMRC Leadership Fellow. Kate’s graduate studies defined novel macrophage activation mechanisms and her subsequent postdoctoral research identified surprising inter-species divergence in the inflammatory programs of human versus mouse macrophages. As an NHMRC CJ Martin Fellow in Switzerland, Kate trained with the pioneer of inflammasome biology, Jürg Tschopp. The IMB Inflammasome Laboratory, which Kate heads, investigates the molecular mechanisms governing inflammasome activity and caspase activation, the cellular mediators of inflammasome-dependent inflammation, and mechanisms of inflammasome inhibition by cellular pathways and small molecule inhibitors.

Kate is a co-inventor on patents for small molecule inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome, currently under commercialisation by Inflazome Ltd. Inflazome Ltd was recently acquired by Roche in a landmark deal – one of the largest in Australian and Irish biotech history. The acquisition gives Roche full rights to Inflazome’s portfolio of inflammasome inhibitors. Two of the company’s drug candidates are in clinical trials for the treatment of debilitating conditions such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and motor neuron disease.

Kate has authored more than 140 publications, featuring in journals such as Science, Cell, Nature Genetics, Nature Medicine, Nature Chemical Biology, Journal of Experimental Medicine and PNAS USA, and her work has been cited more than 35,000 times. Kate is an Editorial Board Member for international journals including Science Signaling, Clinical and Translational Immunology and Cell Death Disease. She is the recipient of the 2022 Women in Technology Excellence in Science Award, 2020 Nancy Mills Award for Women in Science, 2019 ANZSCDB Emerging Leader Award, 2019 Merck Research Medal, 2014 Milstein Young Investigator Award, 2013 Tall Poppy Award, 2012 Gordon Ada Career Award, 2010 QLD Premier’s Postdoctoral Award, and the 2008 Society for Leukocyte Biology’s Dolph Adams Award.

INFLAMMASOME LABORATORY RESEARCH

During injury or infection, our body’s immune system protects us by launching inflammation. But uncontrolled inflammation drives diseases such as gout, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease and cancer. The Inflammasome Lab is defining the molecular and cellular processes of inflammation. We seek to unravel the secrets of inflammasomes – protein complexes at the heart of inflammation and disease – to allow for new therapies to fight human diseases.

The Inflammasome Laboratory integrates molecular and cell biology approaches with in vivo studies to gain a holistic understanding of inflammasome function during infection, and inflammasome dysfunction in human inflammatory disease. Current research interests include the molecular mechanisms governing inflammasome activity and caspase activation, the cellular mediators of inflammasome-dependent inflammation, and inflammasome suppression by autophagy and small molecule inhibitors.

Dr. Helena Schuch is a senior research fellow at the School of Dentistry, University of Queensland.

She is a dentist and an oral epidemiologist with special interest in social epidemiology. Helena is also interested in methods to estimate causal inference and on applying machine learning techniques to predict oral health outcomes.

She completed her PhD in Oral Epidemiology at the University of Adelaide (2018) and is currently in the Editorial Board of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.

Qualifications: BDS, MScDent, PhD

Research Interests: Oral health inequalities. Life course epidemiology. Causal inference methods. Machine learning applied to oral health.

Associate Professor Jessica Schults is a Principal Research Fellow with the The University of Queensland School of Nursing, Midwifery and Sociall Work and the Herston Infectious Diseases Institute, Metro North Health. She is an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow whose research focuses on reducing the burden of healthcare-associated infections. Jessica leads the NHMRC-funded REBUILD program, a national learning health system initiative designed to strengthen infection prevention and control across Australian healthcare services. She is Co-Principal Investigator of the MRFF-funded IVCare adaptive platform trial, and leads the first international living evidence synthesis for prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infection. A former paediatric intensive care nurse, Jessica has established a multidisciplinary research program spanning clinical trials, epidemiology, evidence synthesis, implementation science, consumer engagement, and policy translation. Her work is focused on generating evidence that is capable of delivering measurable improvements in patient outcomes and health system performance.

Jessica has strong national and international partnerships with healthcare consumers, clinicians, policymakers, professional organisations, and health services. She provides expert advice to government (ACSQHC technical advisor) and healthcare organisations on infection prevention and control and holds leadership roles across critical care and infection prevention societies, research networks and NGOs (board director ANZ Intensive Care Fouondation). She is committed to building research capacity and supporting the next generation of clinician-researchers.

Dr Tom Schultz is a molecular immunologist and early career researcher at the UQ Frazer Institute who studies the molecular and cellular biology of innate immune receptors. His research primarily focuses on molecular mechanisms of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling in the context of mycobacterial and Gram-negative bacterial infection of macrophages.

I graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering and Science in 2000 from The University of Queensland, after which I joined Proteome Systems, an Australian biotechnology company. In 2004 I moved to the ETH Zurich in Switzerland for my doctoral studies. I joined the School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences as a University of Queensland Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2008 and NHMRC Career Development Fellow in 2012. I am now Associate Professor in Biochemistry.

Martin Schweinberger uses big data and computational methods to explore the messy, fascinating reality of how people actually talk—including all the swear words, filler words, and informal expressions that traditional language education overlooks. As a Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at the University of Queensland, he bridges the gap between computer science and linguistics to understand how language evolves in our digital age.

Uncovering Hidden Language Patterns

Much of Martin's research focuses on the language phenomena that schools don't teach but that permeate everyday conversation. He analyzes massive datasets to study vulgarity and swearing patterns, as well as discourse markers—those ubiquitous filler words like "like," "you know," "well," and "I mean" that pepper our speech. By applying statistical methods to real-world language use, he reveals how these supposedly "incorrect" forms of expression actually follow sophisticated social and linguistic rules.

His work also tracks how language changes over time and varies between different social settings, using computational tools to identify patterns that would be impossible to detect through traditional research methods alone.

Building Australia's Language Data Future

As Director of the Language Technology and Data Analysis Laboratory (LADAL)—a free upskilling platform for language data science with hundreds of thousands of users worldwide—and a key figure in one of Australia's major research infrastructure projects, the Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA), Martin is helping build the digital infrastructure that will support language research across the country. LDaCA has received substantial funding to create accessible tools and resources that allow researchers to analyze text and speech data more effectively.

Championing Research Transparency

Beyond his linguistic research, Martin advocates for reproducibility and transparency in humanities and social science research. He provides guidance on how language researchers can adopt more rigorous, open research practices—addressing a growing concern about the reliability of academic findings across disciplines.

Martin's international visibility is reflected in his leadership roles: he serves as Vice-President Professional of the International Society for the Linguistics of English (ISLE) and sits on the board of The International Computer Archive of Modern and Medieval English (ICAME), one of the oldest and most reputable societies for corpus linguistics. These positions demonstrate his commitment to advancing computational language research on a global scale.

Potential topics for supervision

I would be particularly interested in supervising theses on the following topics:

Sociolinguistics / Language Variation and Change / World Englishes

• General extenders
• Terms-of-address and salutations
• Discourse particles and markers
• Vulgarity
• Adjective amplification

Learner Language / Applied Linguistics / Corpus Phonetics / Learner Corpus Research

• Vowel production among L1 speakers and learners of English
• Voice-onset-times among L1 speakers and learners of English
• Fluency and pauses in learner and L1 speech.
• Accent and intelligibility / comprehension.

Text Analytics / Digital Humanities / Corpus Linguistics

• Applied word embedding applications in the language sciences.
• Comparison of different association / keyness measures

I graduated from The University of Queensland Gatton Campus in 1994, taking my first position within the School of Veterinary Science in October 1994. I am an experienced Veterinary Technical Officer, qualified Veterinary Nurse and Workplace Trainer and Assessor. I have a strong background in animal husbandry and welfare, behaviour, applied animal ethics, and sustainable wellbeing with more than 30 years’ experience in varied animal and veterinary research paradigms.

Following 18 years as Manager of the Clinical Studies Centre (CSC) within the School of Veterinary Science, I moved into a Level A academic position and was appointed Academic Program Coordinator for the Bachelor of Veterinary Technology degree at UQ (2013 - 2019). Concurrently, I held the position of Director of the CSC from 2013 – 2018. I teach primarily into the BVetTech and BVSc programs but also contribute to several other animal-related programs at the UQ Gatton Campus.

My passion for teaching, and commitment to instil a desire in all students to embrace life-long learning underpins my teaching and mentoring philosophy.

I gained my PhD in 2017 and have expanded my areas of speciality research to include the psychology of human – animal relationships, animal behaviour and animal-related occupational trauma and healing. I am a Compassion Fatigue Specialist Therapist, and recieved my Graduate Diploma in Psychological Sciences in 2022. Having lived experience of occupational trauma and compassion fatigue, I present extensively in these subject areas as well as in psychological wellbeing and emotional intelligence. Further to presentations, I also provide interactive, thought-provoking seminars and workshops within all sectors of animal-related industries and occupations.

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the labs of Professor Daniel Watterson and Professor Keith Chappell, specialising in the structure-guided design of vaccines and therapeutics for emerging viral pathogens, with a particular emphasis on flaviviral diseases.

My research journey began with a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours) in Microbiology from The University of Queensland in 2018. I subsequently undertook a PhD (2019–2023) under the supervision of Professors Daniel Watterson, Keith Chappell, and Paul Young, during which I developed antibody discovery platforms for two innovative viral vaccine technologies; the Molecular Clamp and the ISVac chimeric virus system. Using these platforms, I generated therapeutic candidates for the treatment of dengue, which demonstrated efficacy in animal models of dengue virus infection.

Throughout my candidature, I also contributed to the development of The University of Queensland’s COVID-19 vaccine, which advanced to Phase I clinical trials, as well as to ongoing efforts to refine next-generation Molecular Clamp-stabilised vaccine technologies.

Since 2023, I have continued my work as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Professor Watterson, focusing on the structural characterisation of antibody–virus interactions and the development of broad-spectrum therapeutics for flaviviruses. My current research integrates molecular virology, antibody discovery, and cryogenic electron microscopy to elucidate key neutralising antibody epitopes on flaviviruses, and other emerging viruses, and apply these insights toward the rational design of cross-protective vaccines and antibody-based therapies.

Alongside my ongoing work in the Watterson Laboratory, in 2025 I began working with Professor Keith Chappell as an electron microscopy and antibody discovery expert on the Rapid Response Vaccine Platform project, which leverages The University of Queensland’s proprietary Molecular Clamp technology. In this role, I lead the structural biology component of antigen lead selection, using cryogenic electron microscopy to characterise antigen conformations and assess their suitability for vaccine development. Additionally, I oversee the discovery and characterisation of novel monoclonal antibodies that serve as key reagents for vaccine potency and functional assessments. Through this work, I contribute to advancing a robust and flexible vaccine design pipeline capable of rapidly responding to emerging viral threats.

Honorary Professor, Centre for the Government of Queensland, School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics.

Professional Activities:

Executive Director, T.J.Ryan Foundation (2013 onwards)

Project Director, "Queensland Speaks" Oral History web-site, (2009 onwards)

Board Member, Youth + Marlene Moore Flexi-learning Centre Network, Edmund Rice Education Australia (2013 onwards).

National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (since 1990).

Former editor of The Public Interest (Brisbane).

Former co-editor of the Australian Journal of Public Administration.

Former Review Editor for Politics (now AJPS).

Member/chair of several Quality Assessment Panels of the Queensland Office of Higher Education and formerly member of similar bodies operating in several states during the CAE era.

Member of several Federal Government committees of enquiry into education, including management education (Ralph Committee), aboriginal education (Yunipingu Committee) and university management (Linke Committee).

Former panel member of the Commonwealth Government Review Tribunal on Non-state Schooling.

Former consultant to international aid organizations, providing advice on public sector reform - Uganda, Kazakstan and Nepal.

Background:

1962-1965 : Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford; fieldwork for thesis on the development of trade unions in Uganda completed while Rockefeller Teaching Fellow at the University of East Africa, Kampala.

1965-1977 : Lecturing at University of Sydney, the Queen's University of Belfast, and the Canberra College of Advanced Education (Principal Lecturer in Politics in the School of Administrative Studies).

1977-1987: J.D.Story Professor of Public Administration, University of Queensland. President of the Academic Board, 1986-1987.

1987-1990: Principal of the Canberra CAE, Foundation Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra.

1990-1994 : Director General of Education, State Government of Queensland.

1994 : Visiting Professor, Graduate School of Management, Griffith University.

1994 - 2000: Dean of Arts, Queensland University of Technology.

2000 - 2002: Professor of Public Management, Faculty of Business, QUT.

2003 - 2011: Professor Emeritus and Teaching Fellow, School of Political Science and International Studies.

Research Interests:

• The practice of public policy in Queensland.
• Political history of Queensland.