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Dr. Whitmire is a group leader at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) and a senior lecturer in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at The University of Queensland (UQ). She is a leading expert in understanding how sensory information is represented along the neuraxis from the neurons in the skin that sense external stimuli to the central representation in the thalamocortical circuit. She operates at the interface of neuroscience and engineering to generate novel insights into information representation in the brain. Her laboratory uses a combination of tools to record from populations of neurons, manipulate the activity of those neurons, and model the underlying neural circuitry. Dr. Whitmire trained as a Biomedical Engineer at North Carolina State University (B. S.) and Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory Universty (Ph.D.). Following postdoctoral work at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, she established her own laboratory at The University of Queensland in 2023.

Professor Andrew Whittaker is Senior Group Leader and founder member of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN). He directs research funded through more than $61.3 million in competitive grants since 2000 and $39.7M since 2010. Professor Whittaker’s work in synthesis and characterisation of polymeric materials has underpinned major development programs in several key areas.

His work in the field of materials for photolithography has been supported by funding from leading semiconductor companies Intel, Sematech, Dow Chemical Company and DuPont. Outcomes include novel high-index resists for 193 nm immersion lithography, new concepts for design of non-chemically amplified resists for EUV lithography, novel approaches to healing roughness in IC features and block copolymer self-assembly.

In the field of biomaterials science and nanomedicine, Professor Whittaker has established a network of international scientists under the theme “Bringing Materials to Life”. He is active in developing novel imaging agents for MRI, and has introduced a new class of 19F polymeric agents. He leads research into responsive polymers for nanomedicine and for device manufacture. His work on polymeric hydrogels including transport properties is highly cited.

Finally, Professor Whittaker is an expert in the fundamentals of diffusion process in complex solids and has an international reputation in the field of NMR and MRI of polymeric systems.

International links

Professor Whittaker is a member of numerous international committees of governing bodies in polymer science and technology, and is involved in organising major international conferences. He is currently president of the Pacific Polymer Federation. He actively collaborates with scientists at the University of California Santa Barbara, USA; Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali, India; Gebze Technical University, Turkey; Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan; Jilin University, Hubei University, the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST, CAS), SUSTech and Shanghai University, China; the University of Nottingham, UK; IMEC, DuPont Electronics and Imaging, USA. He has held visiting professor positions at NCNST, INSA Lyon and NIT, was DICE Chair at the University of Nottingham, and is currently visiting professor at Hubei University.

Dr Koa Whittingham is a clinical and educational/developmental psychologist with research interests across parenting, neurodevelopmental disabilities and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Koa began her career building key empirical support for the flagship UQ program Stepping Stones Triple P for specific neurodevelopmental disabilities including autism, acquired brain injury and cerebral palsy. She has since developed an international reputation as a leader in developing and testing novel acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) interventions to support parents, including using online/telehealth formats. Her contributions to the field of ACT-based parenting intervention were recognised by her election as a Fellow to the Assocaition for Contextual Beahvioural Science in 2023. Koa has a strong track record with over 100 papers and 6 book chapters and currently leads an MRFF testing her online intervention Parenting Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (PACT) with 300 families of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities or developmental delay. She has written a self-help book for the transition to motherhood, Becoming Mum, as well as the first clinical manual on applying ACT to parenting support, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy the Clinician's Guide for Supporting Parents.

I completed a BSc (Hons) and a PhD at the University of Melbourne before undertaking post-doctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. My research focused on marsupial and eutherian developmental biology. After 6 years in the US I returned to Australia to study Veterinary Science (BVSc) at the University of Queensland (UQ), going on to work in equine and small animal practice. A longing to get back into research lead to my current position as a Teaching & Research academic in the School of Veterinary Science, UQ. My lab has generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from dogs and horses that are being used to model diseases in vitro and as the basis for research into stem cell-based treatments for a variety of diseases. We have also produced iPSCs from the Tasmanian devil and the platypus, the first stem cells ever described from a marsupial and a monotreme, respectively, allowing us to pursue research directed at treating devil facial tumour disease, understanding marsupial and monotreme embryonic development, and the conservation of endangered species.

Education

• BSc (Hons), University of Melbourne (1990)
• PhD, University of Melbourne (1996)
• BVSc (Hons), University of Queensland (2006)

Employment

• Post-doctoral researcher, University of California, Berkeley, USA (1996-1997)
• Post-doctoral researcher, MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, Texas, USA (1997-2002)
• Veterinary Surgeon (2006-present)
• Lecturer, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (2010-2017)
• Affiliate Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland (2016-present)
• Senior Lecturer, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (2017-2022)
• Associate Professor, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (2023-present)

Dr Jocelyn Widagdo is a molecular neuroscientist at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), The University of Queensland. She received her PhD from the University of New South Wales and, after a short period of postdoctoral training at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Dr Widagdo returned to Australia in 2012 and joined the QBI, where she is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research. She leads a research team focused on uncovering the epitranscriptomic mechanisms that regulate brain function. Her work centres on how RNA modifications regulate synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. Beyond RNA, her research extends to chemical modifications of DNA and proteins, and explores how these highly dynamic molecular changes orchestrate neuronal activity and may contribute to brain disorders. Dr Widagdo’s research is supported by the Australian Research Council and was awarded a Discovery Early Career Researcher Fellowship. Through her research, she hopes to open new paths toward understanding molecular switches that support healthy brain aging.

Dr Felix Wiesner is an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia and an Honorary Fellow in the School of Civil Engineering at The University of Queensland and works as part of the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life. He was appointed at UQ as a Lecturer in Timber Engineering in 2019 to lead research projects focused on enhancing the fire performance of timber using treatments and modification techniques. His background is in structural fire engineering and the fire safety of timber structures, specifically engineered timber structures. His field of expertise are the critical evaluation of load bearing capacity of building elements in fire and the assessment of safety implications arising from the use of engineered timber as structural members in tall buildings or structures with extraordinary architectural features.

Dr Wiesner completed his Master of Engineering in Structural and Fire Safety Engineering at The University of Edinburgh from 2010 to 2015 before he completed his doctoral studies on the structural behaviour of cross-laminated timber in fire between 2015 and 2020. During his undergraduate and postgraduate work, he closely worked with Arup on multiple projects regarding the fire safety of timber buildings and the effect of localised fires in large open spaces. He actively participated in the European COST Action FP 1404 for the Fire Safe Use of Bio-Based Building Products between 2016 and 2019, representing the UK as a Management Committee member. He significantly contributed to the success of the Fires in Tall Timber Structures: Large-scale Tests in Support of Tall Timber Construction project at the BRE in the UK and also worked as a member of the global Fire Safe Use of Wood research collaboration.

Chamith completed his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Akron, Ohio, USA in 2014 and BSc (Hons) degree in Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering with first class honours at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka in 2007. His research interests and expertise include multidimensional signal processing, digital hardware architectures for signal processing, FPGA based system design, hardware accelerators for machine learning, and engineering education. Chamith has received a number of awards including the Outstanding Student Research Award at the University of Akron, Ohio, USA, in 2011 and he is one of the two recipients of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Pre-Doctoral Award in 2014. From 2015-2019 he was a lecturer at the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Dr Lahann Wijenayake is the Head of Orthopaedic Surgery at The University of Queensland. He is a Brisbane based orthopaedic surgeon having obtained his FRACS and FAorthA through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators. Dr Wijenayake is a surgeon at the Queensland Children's Hospital. He has a keen interest in medical student teaching as well as research in the field of paediatric orthopaedics, orthopaedics, and medical student education.

I completed my Bachelor of Biotechnology with First Class Honours at the Australian National University (ANU) during 2008. During my honours, I became interested in understanding ways to best harness the immune system in combating viral infections. Consequently, I embarked on a PhD project at The John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU during 2010 to understand ways to improve the efficacy of genetically modified and safe pox viral vaccines to target human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). I completed this project during 2014 and worked as a an Early Career Fellow (sponsored by The Hospital Research Foundation) at the University of Adelaide to develop safe and effective vaccines against HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Zika virus. I joined the The University of Queensland during May, 2019 to develop a 'Rapid Response Vaccine Pipeline' (sponsored by The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)) to target emerging/re-emerging viral infections using a prioprietary 'Molecular Clamp' vaccine technology. My career objective is to develop vaccines that can be effective in protective humans against viral infections.

Janet Wiles is a Professor in Human Centred Computing at the University of Queensland.

Her multidisciplinary team co-designs language technologies to support people living with dementia and their carers and social robots for applications in health, education, and neuroscience. She is currently developing a citizen science project which uses insights from neuroscience, AI and language technologies to explore the electrical characteristics of mycelial networks of symbiotic fungi in local ecosystems. She received her PhD in computer science from the University of Sydney and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in psychology. She has 30 years’ experience in research and teaching in machine learning, artificial intelligence, bio-inspired computation, complex systems, visualisation, language technologies and social robotics, leading teams that span engineering, humanities, social sciences and neuroscience. She currently teaches research methods for thesis and masters students, and is developing a new course in human-centred AI. Previous special interest courses include a cross disciplinary course ”Voyages in Language Technologies” that introduced computing students to the diversity of Indigenous and non-Indigenous languages, and state-of-the-art tools for deep learning and other analysis techniques for working with language data.

Featured projects

• Human-centred AI
• Florence communication technology
• For more on Human Centred Computing see the HCC projects page

Kim Wilkins is a humanities researcher and acclaimed creative writer who specialises in the intersection of creativity, technology, and cultural industries. Currently Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at UQ, she leads innovative research into the socio-material dimensions of creative industries and the application of creative thinking to complex technological challenges.

Her research portfolio spans popular fiction studies, publishing ecosystems, and technology foresight. Recent projects include pioneering work on speculative fiction storytelling for defence innovation, community publishing in regional Australia, and the application of "story thinking" to anticipate technological impacts. She serves as a member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts.

As a creative practitioner, Wilkins has published 30+ novels in 20+ languages, including bestselling historical fiction and fantasy series. Her dual expertise as both researcher and professional writer uniquely positions her to bridge academic inquiry with industry practice, particularly in areas of creativity research, reading and book culture, the future of publishing, and transdisciplinary innovation.

Shelley is an Associate Professor and Senior Principal Research Fellow in the School of Pharmacy, UQ as part of the RECARD project.

She is also a Project Officer - Research and Clinical Support in the Department of Obstetric Medicine, Mater Mothers Hospitals, Brisbane.

She is recognised as a leading Australian researcher in maternal health and in implementation science.

Shelley's main research interests include:

• Implementation Science and Translating Research into Practice
• Health service redesign through co-creation
• Nutrition and maternal health ('The first 1000 days')
• Digital technologies and platforms to facilitate behaviour change

Shelley is an Associate Editor for Dietitians Australia’s national journal, Nutrition and Dietetics. In 2010, Shelley received Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian status as recognition of her professional leadership and expertise. The high quality of her research has been recognised with six awards in the field of Evidence-Based Practice and Clinical Research.

With 41 peer reviewed publications in the past 5 years, she has an h-index of 23 and her Field-Weighted Citation Impact score (1.50) is above average for her discipline, particularly in the areas of Health Service Research (FWCI 2.35), Gestational Diabetes (FWCI 1.55), and Gut Microbiota (FWCI 2.10).

I am a physiotherapist with a clinical specialty in the management of individuals with neurological conditions and vestibular disorders. I have a keen interest in examining how the body's balance systems, including the inner ear (vestibular system), eyes (ocular system), and sensory modalities (touch, proprioception), interact with the brain to optimize movement control, functionality, physical activity, and participation outcomes for individuals affected by neurological and vestibular pathologies. This includes conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cerebellar dysfunction, traumatic brain injury, stroke, Parkinson's disease, myasthenia gravis, motor neuron disease, concussion, Meniere's disease, vestibular migraines, acoustic neuromas, and age-related vestibular dysfunction. Additionally, I am interested in the influence of lifestyle choices on vestibular system functioning and integration, particularly how factors such as physical activity, community integration, sleep, and overall wellness affect both neurological and vestibular conditions, including Meniere's disease, vestibular migraines, and age-related vestibular dysfunction.

Research into advanced computer architectures

John Williams, born in 1973, was awarded his Ph.D from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia, in 2001. He was previously awarded undergraduate degrees in Electronic Engineering, and

Information Technology, also from QUT, in 1995. He is currently employed in the School of ITEE at The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, where he holds the position of Research Fellow.

His research interests include reconfigurable computing and real-time embedded Systems, as well as 3D computer vision and imaging. He has authored 5 refereed journal publications, and more than 20 refereed conference publications, and recently edited the Proceedings of the 2004 IEEE International Conference on Field Programmable Technology. He has been a member of the IEEE for 8 years.