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Dr Sowmya Shetty is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Teaching and Learning in the School of Dentistry at The University of Queensland. She has held a range of academic leadership roles, including Program Coordinator, Discipline Lead (Oral Biosciences) Course Coordinator, and Teaching and Learning Chair.

She has extensive experience in curriculum design, accreditation, and delivery of high-quality dental education across undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Dr Shetty has made significant contributions to interprofessional education (IPE), including leading facultywide curricula embedded across multiple health programs. She has coordinated large interdisciplinary courses and worked across disciplines to design learning experiences that prepare students for team-based, patient-centred care. Her teaching practice is grounded in student-centred, evidence-informed approaches, with a strong emphasis on authentic learning, simulation, and student-staff partnerships. She has led initiatives to develop open educational resources and custom-designed learning materials, supporting innovation in curriculum delivery and enhancing student engagement.

Dr Shetty’s research spans dental materials science and health professions education. Her early work focused on dental biomaterials and restorative dentistry, while her recent research examines interprofessional learning and the development of clinical and professional skills. She has published in peer-reviewed journals, contributed to educational texts, and presented at national and international conferences.

She has received recognition for excellence in teaching and innovation in clinical education at the Faculty and University level. Through her combined expertise in dental education, curriculum leadership, and interprofessional learning, Dr Shetty provides critical disciplinary and educational insight to research focused on strengthening oral health integration within healthcare systems.

Associate Professor Lynda Shevellar has over 20 years in tertiary education. She joined The University of Queensland in 2009. Based in the School of Social Science, Lynda is the winner of an Australian Award for University Teaching Excellence (AAUT) in Society and Culture (2025). Previously she has won an early career award for teaching excellence in 2011, a University of Queensland Award for Teaching Excellence in 2019, and an Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT) Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2019). She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, the Principal Practitioner - Participation and Engagement (Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation), and is one of the Deputy Associate Deans (Academic) - Students, for the HASS Faculty. Lynda has previously held roles in government and the community sector and is influenced by over thirty years of experience in community development, the disability sector, mental health, education, and psychology.

Lynda's research explores three closely aligned agendas: understanding the experience of people who live with heightened vulnerability; developing the awareness, agency and capacity of communities to respond to social disadvantage and inequality; and aligning community development theory and education to inform practice in working alongside people who live with heightened vulnerability. Lynda has a particular interest in the development of inclusive learning communities, through creative teaching practices, participative research strategies, and engaged citizenship.

Lynda currently coordinates the courses SOSC2288: Community Development - Local and International Practice; and SOCY1070: Inequality, Society and the Self.

Heather attained her Bachelor of Technology degree in food engineering from Massey University. She then spent 10 years in gelatine manufacture in various roles including quality assurance, production management and process improvement engineering. In 2015 she completed her PhD study into the rheology of biopolymer soft particle suspensions, supervised by Professor Jason Stokes at the University of Queensland. She has since continued at UQ in postdoctoral roles investigating the relationship between rheological properties, food structure and sensory perception of real food products and model soft particle suspensions with a focus on dairy protein systems. The key outcomes from the project have allowed our industry partner to move towards the rational design of food products.

With a strong foundation in food science, fermentation, analytical chemistry, and sustainable food systems, Jiahua’s work focuses on microbial transformation of natural food into high-value functional food products using advanced fermentation technologies, including food grade fermentation and solid-state fermentation. Her research helps address critical industry challenges such as food waste reduction, upcycling of processing residues, development of novel food ingredients, and improvement of nutritional profiles in food and beverage products. Another key focus of Jiahua’s role is developing innovative food products and conducting shelf life testing. She transforms novel ideas into market-ready products by carefully balancing functionality, nutrition, sensory quality, and commercial feasibility.

Jiahua has led and contributed to numerous nationally and internationally funded research projects, collaborating with food industry partners, government agencies, and research institutions across Australia, China, Singapore, and Denmark. Her translational research supports industry needs in product innovation, ingredient development, and sustainable processing. Since 2015, Jiahua has attracted 6 research grants (>1.2 million) as chief investigator (lead CI and/or co-CI).

Jiahua recently secured a $5.6 million research project in May 2025 as the Lead Chief Investigator for “Premium Oat Innovations: Developing High-Value Oat-Based Food Products for Emerging Markets.” This project aims to create innovative, oat-based solutions tailored to evolving global consumer needs, with a strong focus on nutrition, sensory quality, and market differentiation.

As Head of the School of Education at the University of Queensland, I have overall responsibility for leadership, strategy, and development of a leading center of educational research and teaching in Australia and beyond. The School plays an important role in educating pre-service teachers in Queensland, developing educational researchers through doctoral study, and engaging with educational professionals through our highly international master's program. We have a strong commitment to social justice and inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and peoples, which are key priorities in my work as head of School.

As an educational researcher, my research has focused on globalisation and education, in particular looking at innovative ways that data can be used to understand educational change at the global level. I am particularly interested in social network analysis and statistical modelling, and have investigated issues and questions such as:

* Changing patterns of migration of international students around the world * The impact of international higher education on climate change through air travel * Whether private schooling adds to students' learning in South Asia * Networks between donors and recipients in international aid

I have held grants from the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council, the European Commission, the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, and other funders. I have has also served as co-editor of the journal Comparative Education Review, the executive committee of the British Association for International Education, and undertaken consultancies for national and international NGOs and UNESCO. I undertook my doctoral studies at UCLA, and have held roles at the University of Bath and Bristol in the UK.

I am a committed teacher, and have taught diverse students at all levels of study. I am particularly interested in technological innovation in my teaching practice and experimenting with gamification and simulation-based learning. In recognition of this approach to my work, I received the University of Bristol’s Inspiring and Innovative Teaching Award in 2021 and served as the School Education Director. At the University of Bath, I directed the doctoral program in higher education management.

Dr Desalegn Markos Shifti (PhD, MSc, BSc) is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Child Health Research Centre (CHRC) at the University of Queensland. He is currently engaged in the comprehensive investigation of the prevalence, natural history, causes and consequences of allergic diseases.

Desalegn obtained his PhD in Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics from the University of Newcastle, Australia, in 2022. Before pursuing his PhD, Desalegn worked as an Assistant Professor, Lecturer, and Graduate Assistant at various universities in Ethiopia, where he held both academic and research roles.

Desalegn has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed research articles published in high-impact journals, such as the Lancet, JAMA Paediatrics, JAMA Oncology, and the International Journal of Public Health. He has expertise in several epidemiological and statistical skills, including generalised linear modelling, multilevel modelling, causal inferences for observational studies, mediation analysis, socio-economic assessment, geospatial analysis, big data analysis, systematic review, meta-analysis, and network meta-analysis.

Desalegn collaborates widely with public and clinical health researchers within Australia, low and middle-income countries, and internationally, across epidemiological studies. Key areas of interest and collaboration include allergies, maternal and child health, Indigenous health and well-being, reproductive health, health services research, chronic disease, and public health.

Dr Shim is a computational biologist who develops genomic and machine-learning approaches to understand the molecular mechanisms of complex disease and translate them into clinically relevant tools. He trained in bioinformatics (PhD and MBioinf, The University of Queensland), pharmacy (BPharm, UQ, a registered pharmacist since 2009) and biomedical science (BBiomed, University of Adelaide; biochemistry and immunology), bringing an interdisciplinary perspective across basic, translational and therapeutic research.

Dr Lucy Shinners is an Indigenous clinician‑researcher with 25 years of ICU nursing experience and a career deeply embedded in the health system. Her work is grounded in the realities of clinical practice and the experiences of patients, families and communities, shaping a research program that examines how emerging technologies can strengthen safe, high‑quality and culturally responsive care.

Using a sociotechnical lens, Dr Shners studies how artificial intelligence influences the health workforce, clinical decision‑making and the conditions required for safe adoption. Her internationally used SHAIP tool supports health services to understand workforce perceptions of AI and ensures that consumer perspectives remain central to technology design and implementation. She also works with Indigenous health organisations to co‑design technological solutions that reflect community priorities, and has contributed to establishing First Nations leaders’ priorities for AI, an expanding line of work shaping future governance and innovation.

Her research intersects with infection prevention and vascular access safety, where she investigates healthcare‑associated infections, device‑related harm and opportunities to improve surveillance, early detection and patient experience. Increasingly, these domains converge as she explores AI‑enabled approaches for infection risk prediction and monitoring, and evaluates how emerging technologies can enhance clinical governance and system performance.

Dr Shinners’ work provides health services, policymakers and industry with evidence‑based, culturally informed insights into AI, infection prevention and the future of safe care.

Emma Shipton is a Registered Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and academic employed by the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, UQ. Emma's teaching interest is in supporting students to support women across the pregnancy and postpartum continuum, and understand the importance of theoretical knowledge and therapeutic relationships. Emma's research focuses on midwifery breastfeeding education and support provided to women, specific through midwifery led continuity of care models. She is committed to providing individualised and holistic care to women and their families, to best support them to achieve their breastfeeding goals, through her academic and clinical work.

Dr. Denis Shishin,

• Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Chemistry from Moscow State University (Diploma with Honors)
• PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from University of Montreal, Canada
• 2014 - Current: Research Fellow in Pyrometallurgy Innovation Centre (PYROSEARCH) of the University of Queensland

Associate Professor Sally Shrapnel is an internationally recognised theoretical physicist whose research lies at the intersection of quantum physics, artificial intelligence, digital health and philosophy of science. Her work seeks to answer a single overarching question: how can we understand and model causation, from the quantum world to complex healthcare systems?

Originally trained as a medical practitioner, Sally worked clinically for more than twenty years in Australia and the United Kingdom before undertaking a PhD in quantum artificial intelligence at The University of Queensland. This unusual combination of clinical medicine, mathematics and theoretical physics now underpins an interdisciplinary research program that connects fundamental science with real-world applications.

Sally is internationally recognised for pioneering Quantum Causal Modelling, the first mathematical framework for representing and discovering causal relationships between quantum systems. Her work has helped establish quantum causality as an internationally active research field, with contributions spanning quantum foundations, quantum information theory and the philosophy of science. She is also developing new quantum algorithms for machine learning and causal inference, with the aim of enabling future quantum computers to solve problems beyond the reach of classical approaches.

Alongside her fundamental research, Sally leads a program developing Quantum Technologies for Digital Health at the Queensland Digital Health Centre. Working with Queensland Health, IBM Quantum and international collaborators, her group investigates how advances in quantum computing, optimisation and artificial intelligence can improve healthcare delivery, patient flow and clinical decision-making. This research reflects her long-standing commitment to translating fundamental discoveries into technologies that deliver public benefit.

Sally has held senior leadership roles across Australia's quantum ecosystem, including Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS), where she helped shape national research strategy, governance and researcher development. She also contributes to international policy, research governance and data stewardship through leadership roles spanning quantum technologies, artificial intelligence and global health.

Her research has been recognised through invited keynote lectures, highly cited publications, international collaborations and leadership of major interdisciplinary research initiatives. She is particularly interested in building intellectual bridges between disciplines and mentoring researchers who combine deep technical expertise with a willingness to tackle important real-world problems.

Beyond research, Sally is passionate about educating the next generation of scientists, engineers and healthcare professionals. She leads the development of AI and digital health education at UQ and is committed to ensuring that emerging technologies are adopted responsibly, ethically and for the public good.

My research interests focus on the neural and computational mechanisms of consciousness, with particular interests in predictive coding, predictive processing, sleep, attention, and brain state dynamics. I am particularly interested in understanding how the brain's structural and functional networks support predictive processing and conscious awareness, and in exploring the connectomics of predictive coding—how large-scale brain connectivity enables the generation, transmission, and updating of predictions that shape perception and experience. I am also interested in investigating how disruptions to these predictive and network processes may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, and how changes in brain connectivity affect cognition, perception, and awareness. Through this work, I hope to bridge brain connectivity, predictive computation, and conscious experience to better understand both healthy and diseased brain function.