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Dr Mark Vickers is an Advanced Trainee in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry with Children's Health Queensland and an Associate Lecturer at The University of Queensland. He is a PhD candidate with the Child Health Research Centre and is focusing on optimising treatment for young people with psychotic disorders. Dr Mark Vickers was awarded his Doctor of Medicine qualification from The University of Queensland. He was also awarded a Master of Philosophy in research from Queensland University of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern Queensland. He has worked at a number of hospitals in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria and he has a range of current research interests including psychosis, autism spectrum disorder, functional neurological disorders and eating disorders.

Dr Dianna Vidas is a multidisciplinary researcher with experience collaborating across psychology, audiology, music, human-computer interaction, and ageing. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, Dr Vidas explores innovative approaches to supporting wellbeing across the lifespan through music, emotion regulation, social connection, and technology.

A/Prof Andrea Viecelli is an academic nephrologist at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia and was awarded her PhD on strategies to improve vascular access outcomes in patients on haemodialysis in 2019 through the University of Queensland. As a clinical trialist of the Australasian Kidney Trials Network (AKTN) she plays a key role in designing and conducting international clinical trials in people with chronic kidney disease. As a Coordinating Committee member, Transplant Cardiovascular- and Haemodialysis Vascular Access Project Coordinator of the global SONG initiative, she is conducting clinical and qualitative research to establish standardised core outcome measures based on the shared priorities of >10000 patients, clinicians, researchers and policy makers from >100 countries to improve the relevance and reliability of kidney research to inform patient-centred care. As member of the International Society of Nephrology Young Nephrologists Committee (ISN YNC), chair of the ISN YNC capacity building Subcommittee, ISN Advancing Clinical Trials Committee, member of the ISN Advancing Clinical Trials committee and as ISN Global Kidney Health Atlas Project (GKHA) Fellow, she engages health professionals and consumers to promote equitable professional engagement, career development, trial conduct and participation and access to kidney care in Australia and internationally. She has received numerous local, national and international awards for her research, including the ANZSN Young Investigator Award (2017), Kidney Health Australia Clinical Research Award (2016), the ERA EDTA Young Investigator award (2017 and 2018) and the 2018 and 2022 Sylvan Green Award from the Society for Clinical Trials. As the recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Emerging Leadership Investigator Grant and a Queensland Advancing Clinical Research Fellowship she currently pursues a program of clinical and qualitative research to improve patient-important outcomes in haemodialysis.

Dwan is an environmental epidemiologist, with a particular interest in children's environmental health. Her current research explores the following:

• Environmentally persistent free radicals, air pollution, and children's lung outcomes
• Maternal exposure to green space, ambient temperature and air pollution and the association with neonatal and child outcomes
• The knowledge of GPs and naturopaths on environmental health issues for preconception care
• Exposures to phthalates and allergic disease

Dwan has a background in public health and nutrition. She is a founder and co-host of the R Peer Group at UQ/QIMR

Denys Villa Gomez holds a joint appointment at the University of Queensland as Senior Lecturer at the School of Civil Engineering and as a Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology. She obtained her PhD at the world-leading institute’s IHE-Delft/Wageningen University, The Netherlands in 2013. She applies advanced methodologies such as omics approaches and micro spectral tools to develop biotechnology processes that reduce carbon emissions and recover resources from mine waste and wastewater. She is the leader of the key area “Synbio Mining” within the recently created UQ Biosustainability Hub and chief investigator at the ARC Training Centre in Critical Resources for the Future. She has published over 40 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers cited more than 500 times, and has served as editor and reviewer for leading journals and advisory roles in industry and scientific committees (e.g. International Mine Water Association).

Teaching and Learning:

• Course coordinator and lecturer for Introduction to Environmental Engineering (CIVL2135)
• Course coordinator and lecturer for Environmental Phenomena (ENVE3160)
• Lecturer in Integrated Design for Environmental Management (CIVL4516)
• Lecturer in Sustainable Built Environment (CIVL4180)

Dr. Villacorta is an Honorary Fellow in the School of Mechanical & Mining Engineering and in the Centre for Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing (AMPAM) at the University of Queensland (Australia). He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Center for Graphene Research and Innovation at the University of Mississippi (USA).

He received his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University (United States of America), and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from José Simeón Cañas Central American University (El Salvador).

His research interests are on the fields of polymer formulation and processing, multifunctional composites, sustainable materials, and composites for extreme environments.

Human-centred design of interactive systems

Stephen Viller is a researcher and educator in human-centred design methods, particularly applied to designing social, domestic and mobile computing technologies, and understanding how people's interactions in everyday settings inform the design of such technologies. He has over 30 years of experience in Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), Interaction Design, and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research, where he has focused on bridging disciplines and diverse methodological perspectives. He has concentrated on qualitative methods, particularly observational fieldwork, contextual interviews, diary studies and field trips, but also increasingly on more ‘designerly’ approaches such as cultural probes, low-fidelity prototypes, speculative design.

Stephen is an Associate Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS), where he leads the Human-Centred Computing discipline. He is also UQ's Theme Leader for the Digital Worlds and Disruptive Technologies theme in the QUEX Institute, and national chair of CHISIG, the Computer-Human Interaction Special Interest Group of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia (HFESA). From 2016-2019 he was the EECS (ITEE at the time) Director of Coursework Studies (Chair of T&L committee) and from 2011-2016 he was Program Director of the Bachelor of Multimedia Design and Master of Interaction Design. His publications span various interdisciplinary journals and conferences in HCI/CSCW and technology design. He has a BSc (Hons) Computation (UMIST), MSc Cognitive Science (Manchester) and PhD Computing (Lancaster).

Dr Ricky Vinarao has over ten years of research experience in rice genomics, identification of genomic regions associated with key traits (biotic stress resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and aerobic adaptation traits), and phenotyping of elite and wide-cross derived introgression lines. He recently joined the University of Queensland's (UQ) Shool of Agriculture and Food Sustainability as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to improve cold tolerance and aerobic adaptation of rice grown in aerobic production systems. He holds a PhD in Agriculture from the University of Queensland and a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from University of the Philippines Los Baños. Before joining UQ, Ricky worked at the International Rice Research Institute and was involved in projects related with utilisation of wild rice species to improve cultivated varieties, molecular characterisation of introgression lines, and co-authored several journal articles and a patent.

Dr Bernardino Virdis is a Senior Researcher in Environmental Biotechnology at the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB), where he leads research in the areas of environmental biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, and environmental electrochemistry. He completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering in 2010 under the guidance of Prof. Jürg Keller, developing innovative technologies for energy recovery from wastewater.

Dr Virdis' research program focuses on developing sustainable, scalable solutions for waste treatment and resource recovery, with direct applications across municipal and industrial sectors. His work bridges fundamental science and practical implementation, delivering real-world impact in sustainable waste management.

Dr Virdis publishes in major outlets in environmental science and technology, including the prestigious ISME Journal, Energy and Environmental Science, ChemSusChem, Water Research, Environmental Science & Technology, and more.

I am a senior lecturer in mathematics education at the University of Queensland. My research centres around design and theorising of resources for teaching mathematics well. This includes development of classroom mathematical activities, in which students encounter significant mathematical ideas and joy of the experience; support of mathematics teachers’ work so that they can organise their classrooms for their students' meaningful engagement with mathematics; and inquiries into history of mathematics and education aimed at understanding of possibilities for change. I have served as an editor of the Australian Mathematics Education Journal and currently am the Vice President for Publications within Mathematics Eudctaion Research Group of Australasia (MERGA), and an IPC member for the International Symposium on Elementary Mathematics Teaching.

I completed a Magister degree in mathematics at Comenius University in Slovakia and a PhD in mathematics education at Vanderbilt University in the USA. Before taking my role at UQ, I have taught middle-years mathematics and lectured in mathematics and mathematics education at Comenius, Vanderbilt, and University of California, Santa Cruz. As part of my research, I regularly spend time in schools and classrooms.

Visscher joined the University of Queensland in 2011, where he is Professor of Quantitative Genetics. He is a Laureate Fellow of the Australian Research Council. Visscher was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2010, a Fellow of the Royal Society (London) in 2018 and a Foreign Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2018.

Visscher’s research is about genetic variation for complex traits (including quantitative traits and disease) in populations, with the broad aim to understand and quantify the causes and consequences of human trait variation.

Prof Peter Visscher, Prof Naomi Wray and Prof Jian Yang together comprise the Executive Team of the Program in Complex Trait Genomics (PCTG). PCTG comprises a critical mass of more than 30 post-doctoral researchers plus research assistants and students, all supported by external grant funding. Their skills lie in the ability to develop and apply statistical methods within the framework of quantitative, population and statistical genetics and to use theory to understand and predict results from data analyses. They play leading roles in the international research consortia. The focus of current research activities is in the detection and fine-mapping of loci underlying complex traits (including common disease), based upon theoretical studies and applications of methods to large datasets, in population genetics studies using theoretical approaches and high-density genetic marker data, and in systems genomics studies.

Dr Vlado Vivoda is a leading expert in critical minerals, energy security, and the geopolitical dimensions of resource management. His work focuses on the intersection of sustainable energy transitions and strategic mineral supply chains, offering insights into both global policy and industry practices.

With over two decades of experience across academia, research, and consultancy, Dr. Vivoda has contributed significantly to understanding the role of critical minerals in global energy transitions. His research addresses topics such as:

• Geopolitics of critical minerals
• Sustainable mining practices
• Energy policy and security
• Strategic responses to global supply chain vulnerabilities

Dr Vivoda has published extensively in top-tier academic journals, contributed to major international reports, and advised government and private sector organizations on critical minerals and energy strategies. His interdisciplinary approach bridges academia, industry, and policy, making him a trusted advisor in the fields of energy security and sustainable development.

Dr T. Thang Vo-Doan is a Lecturer of the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering at the University of Queensland. He was a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Biology I, University of Freiburg, Germany (2019-2023). He was also a Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore (2016-2018). He was awarded his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, NTU in 2016. He received his M.Eng. degree in Manufacturing Engineering and B.Eng. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Vietnam in 2010 and 2008 respectively. He was awarded the prestigious Human Frontier Science Program Cross-disciplinary Fellowship (2019-2022).

He directs the UQ Biorobotics lab after joining in the University of Queensland. Current research activities of the lab focus on insect-machine hybrid robots, bio-inspired robotics, insect structures and functions, biomechanics, fast lock-on tracking, and brain imaging in untethered insects.

Overview

Professor Waldemar Vollmer is a microbiologist working on the structure and biogenesis of the bacterial cell wall in various model bacteria and a range of pathogenic and environmental bacteria. He is particularly interested in how bacteria enlarge their cell wall when they grow and divide, and how antibiotics inhibit cell wall synthesis to kill bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem that is predicted to claim 10 million lives annually by the year 2050 if no new antibiotics are developed. Currently the pipeline of antibiotic development is almost empty and mostly limited to slightly modified versions to existing antibiotics. Professor Vollmer addresses the problem of AMR by generating tailored assays for the development of novel antibiotics that target AMR bacteria.

Collaborations: Professor Vollmer collaborates world-wide with more than 50 researchers at top national and international institutions on cell wall topics in over 30 different bacteria. These topics include: structure and composition of the cell wall and its role in maintaining cell morphology; molecular mechanisms of cell envelope biogenesis; role of new cell wall modifying enzymes in the interaction of pathogenic bacteria with components of the immune system; mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and targeting of cell wall biogenesis by new antibiotics.

Funding and Publications: Professor Vollmer has been awarded more than $15 million funding from research councils and charities in Germany, UK, Europe and USA. He has published more than 200 articles in international journals and has been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher in Microbiology.

Honours and Awards: Professor Vollmer has been elected to Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (2014) and European Academy of Microbiology (2018). He received the annual Academic Distinction Awards from the Vice Chancellor of Newcastle University (2014), has been awarded a Distinguished Scientist Visiting Scholarships at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel, 2012) and a Visiting Professorship at the University of Cagliari (Italy, 2015), and won a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award (2014). He has co-organised the 2018 Gordon Conference (GRC) "Bacterial Cell Surfaces" (Mt Snow, USA) and the 2016 EMBO Workshop "Bacterial Cell Division: Orchestrating the Ring Cycle" (Prague, Czech Republic).

Short Biography: Prof Waldemar Vollmer has studied chemistry at the University of Applied Sciences in Reutlingen (Germany) and University of Basel (Switzerland). In 1998 he obtained a PhD degree (Dr.rer.nat.) from the University of Tübingen (Germany) for his work on cell wall synthesis in the model bacterium Escherichia coli undertaken at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology. During his postdoctoral studies at the Rockefeller University (New York, USA) he discovered novel cell wall enzymes that are crucial for the virulence of the pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus pneumoiae. In 2003 he was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Tübingen and moved 2007 to the Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology at Newcastle University (UK), where he worked as Professor of Bacterial Biochemistry on various bacterial cell wall topics in a range of different bacteria. Since April 2023 he is Professorial Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Centre for Superbug Solutions, Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) at the University of Queensland.

Frederik is an Associate Professor in Strategy and Entrepreneurship and the Program Convenor of the Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UQ Business School. His research and teaching focus on how business opportunities emerge and how organizations from early-stage start-ups to mature enterprises can identify and seize such opportunities. A large share of Frederik’s current research investigates specifically how crises and digital technologies create opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation. He works closely with companies from small start-ups to large ASX listed enterprises and has successfully helped many of them with research-based evidence and innovation facilitation.

Prior to joining UQ Business School, Frederik was a Senior Research Fellow at QUT Business School and responsible for managing the collaborative research program with Woolworths Ltd. He received his PhD from City University of Hong Kong for his work on business accelerators and high-tech start-ups. Before joining City University, he was a business intelligence consultant at Hewlett-Packard and a customer relationship management specialist at IBM.

My research can be broadly defined as applied social psychology: the primary focus driving this research program is to test and extend important theories outside the laboratory. For example, an extensive literature in social psychology has demonstrated that stereotype threat, or the concern that one is the target of demeaning stereotypes, can lead to acute performance deficits. Despite the widely demonstrated performance decrements brought about by stereotype threat in the laboratory, there has been debate about the relevance and applicability of stereotype threat in everyday life. My work has examined some of the real world implications of stereotype threat, including what leads to experiences of stereotype threat for women working in male dominated professions, older employees, and men working in female dominated professions (such as child protection) and the consequences when employees experience stereotype threat at work.

I also conduct research on implicit attitudes amongst hard to reach populations, such as people who inject drugs, at-risk youth, and people with mental health problems. Similar to my research on stereotype threat, this research attempts to contribute to the literatures on stigma and implicit attitudes, while also providing empirical evidence of the applicability of implicit attitudes outside of the laboratory.