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Associate Professor Paul Dawson is the Mater Research Head of Education, MRI-UQ Director of Higher Degree Research, and a Mater Foundation Principal Research Fellow. Paul leads the Neurodevelopmental Research Group at Mater, which is focussed on cerebral palsy in preterm infants, non-syndromic intellectual disability and autism.

Paul’s research group collaborates very closely with neonatologists, maternal fetal medicine specialists, obstetricians, bioinformaticians and biochemical pathologists at Mater to investigate clinical, biochemical and genetic markers that predict adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. In particular, his research is focussed on the role of nutrient sulphate in brain development. Paul through his work has brought many collaborative groups together. Some of his notable collaborations are with the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH), UQ Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR), the University of Sydney and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

With over 80 research publications, Paul notes a career highlight as being one of the key investigators, and Autism Biobank member, in the Autism Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) which was awarded $31 million from the Australian government.

Paul is heavily involved in national and international peer review and is a strong advocate for health and medical research with executive roles (Past-President 2012, Chair Advisory Committee) for the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR).

‘My career in medical research happened for many reasons, including my interest and passion for understanding the genetics of disorders that impact on people’s health and well-being. In my early days, I was fortunate to work with a group of like-minded biomedical and clinician scientists which kicked off many discoveries in neurodevelopment, as well as the opportunity to develop and investigate pre-clinical models with the aim of implementing research outcomes to improve healthcare. Working at Mater provides a fantastic opportunity to investigate new approaches for reducing the risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants. I look forward to the coming years when the benefits of our Mater-led research will be realised and proven around the globe. It’s a privilege to contribute to Australian health and medical research.’

I am an endorsed Clinical and Health Psychologist, and my main area of research interest is in optimising non-pharmacological treatment options for chronic pain. My program of research is primarily focused on implementing randomised controlled trials designed to evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of cognitive-behavioural and mindfulness-based interventions for heterogeneous chronic pain conditions. My concurrent line of research aims to further our understanding of the experience of chronic pain via converging methodologies (including experimental pain paradigms and electroencephalogram), as well as advance our capacity to accurately assess its multidimensional nature. I have led the development, application, and evaluation of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for chronic pain, and I disseminated this treatment approach for research and clinical use via my sole-authored book, published by Wiley in 2017. My US-based collaborators and I have a number of on-going NIH and foundation funded treatment trials underway at the University of Washington, Seattle. I am also an Affiliate Associate Professor at the University of Washington.

Bruno is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Crop Science at QAAFI. He graduated with distinction in Agronomic Engineering in 2018 and earned a master's degree in Sustainable Energy Production in 2020 from São Paulo State University (Unesp). Subsequently, he completed a Ph.D. in Plant Production with a focus on Waste Science and Technology in 2023, also from Unesp.

Bruno's doctoral research concentrated on the conversion of agro-residual biomass into an environmentally friendly antioxidant for effective control and optimization of solid biofuel off-gassing. Throughout his academic journey, he has been extensively involved in researching functional (bio)materials for the processing, management, and valorization of (bio)waste, as well as renewable and sustainable (bio)energy generation, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), and environmental (bio)remediation.

During his academic formation, Bruno also participated in an international visiting program at the University of Georgia (UGA), where he worked on developing a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of on-farm management practices on cotton fiber quality. He has acquired expertise in high-performance statistical computing and modeling, employing multivariate data analytics for effective visualization and interpretation of complex datasets. Moreover, he possesses advanced proficiency in high-throughput analytical techniques, including EDXRF, FTIR, SEM, and TGA/DSC, which have enabled him to conduct in-depth analyses of various materials and compounds.

Equally important, Bruno believes in maintaining a well-rounded lifestyle and actively engages in outdoor activities, exercise, playing the acoustic guitar, and appreciating soothing music during his leisure time.

Dominique is an industry-funded Lives Lived Well Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the School of Psychology, University of Queensland. Dominique completed a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Psychology at University of Queensland in 2000. She went on to complete Honours in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University in 2002. In October 2011, she was awarded a PhD in Criminology from Griffith University. Her thesis focused on the physical, social and environmental factors related to alcohol-driven crime, violence and injuries in Surfers Paradise entertainment district. Dominique has over 15 years of research experience in government and academic roles, with a heavy focus on the drivers and outcomes of substance misuse and offending behaviour in high risk (typically young) populations, and high risk settings; and the development and evaluation of individual and community-based interventions. She has extensive experience working with justice and health data, linking agency datasets together to conduct comprehensive and sophisticated analyses that respond to pressing, criminal justice and public health policy–relevant issues. In her current role, Dominique is assisting Lives Lived Well staff in developing evidence-based best practice drug and alcohol treatment models in residential and correctional settings.

I am an early career researcher with <3 years post-PhD and estimated research time relative to opportunity of 20 months. Currently, I am a Research Fellow and Lecturer at The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Centre for Online Health (COH). I have years of study and work experience, including consumer and community involvement, in various healthcare settings in Brazil (2009-2019), the UK (2003-2008) and Australia (2019-present). I came to Australia in December 2019 for a 12-month PhD research placement at UQ after winning a highly competitive scholarship from the Brazilian Government. I have a Bachelor of Pharmacy, a Graduate Certificate in Project Management, a Master of Philosophy in Public Health, a Diploma of Higher Education in Youth and Community Studies and an OCN Level 3 Certificate in Community Development. I completed my PhD in Public Health in 2021.

I have a proven track record for delivering high-quality projects, with national significance, including policy change and integration into the national strategy in Brazil, and the implementation of a digital model of care developed in Australia. My track record demonstrates a rising career trajectory. My research interests are telehealth, virtual care and digital health, including digitally disrupted models of care for chronic conditions, trust and confidence in telehealth and digital health, digital health literacy, health services research, including implementation and evaluation strategies, mixed-methods, cross-sectional studies, co-design and qualitative inquiry, community and consumer involvement in research and service redesign.

Dr Joanne De Faveri is a Senior Research Fellow in Statistics with QAAFI at The University of Queensland. Dr De Faveri’s research is based on developing new improved statistical and hybrid (integrated statistical / machine learning) methods to deliver significant genetic gains for plant breeding and pre-breeding programs. Her primary interests lie in spatio-temporal modelling of longitudinal data and the integration of high throughput phenotyping (HTP) (from sensors, hyperspectral, aerial images), genomic and environmental information for improved variety predictions.

Prior to joining UQ Dr De Faveri worked with CSIRO as part of SAGI-North, the Statistics for the Australian Grains Industry project, where she researched and applied statistical methods to grains research projects, in particular focussing on methods for High Throughput Phenomics. She also has over 20 years’ experience as a Biometrician with the Department of Agriculture & Fisheries (DAF), researching and applying statistical methods and training staff across a wide range of agricultural research projects in field crops, horticulture, beef, dairy, fisheries, aquaculture, and in particular, horticulture breeding programs.

Dr De Faveri has been invited to speak at National and International conferences on statistical methods for incorporating HTP data in variety trials and has developed national and international collaborations with colleagues at CSIRO, University of Queensland, University of Adelaide, Dept Agriculture & Fisheries, Wageningen University and CIMMYT.

I am a molecular biologist and postdoctoral research fellow in Prof. Alexander Khromykh's laboratory. I specialise in non-coding RNA response to viral infections, virus genomics, RNA structure, and viral neuropathogenesis.

I began my journey with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology, graduating in 2012. I then completed a master’s degree where I conducted research under Prof. Keith Chappell in viral protein structure (2015). I then pursued my PhD (2016-2020) at UQ's School of Biology under Prof. Sassan Asgari, where I studied the role of miRNAs in Aedes aegypti biology and viral infection as well as the use of small RNAs to induce gene expression in insects.

From 2020 to 2023 I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Robert Harvey’s laboratory at the University of the Sunshine Coast. I conducted research into the genomics and molecular function of congenital neurodevelopmental disorders where our multi discipline team through the Centre for Research Excellence Neurocognitive Disorder identified and characterised new genes linked to developmental disorders.

Since 2023, I have been a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Alexander Khromykh's RNA Virology lab. Here, I have contributed to work focusing on the role of flavivirus sfRNA in interferon signalling inhibition, as well as using single-cell sequencing and human brain organoids to study the pathogenesis of encephalitic flaviviruses. I have also been working on mosquito single-cell projects and insect-specific viruses for their role in preventing the transmission of pathogenic flaviviruses with Dr. Andrii Slonchak. In late 2024 as a Chief investigator, my team was awarded an NHMRC ideas grant for $1.4mil over four years to study a new class of small RNAs called tRNA-half, for their role in flavivirus infection and their potential use for therapeutics.

Associate Professor Susan de Jersey is an Assistant Director within the Prevention Strategy Branch, Population Health Division at Queensland Health, where she leads and advises on the design, implementation, and evaluation of large-scale prevention initiatives focused on chronic disease prevention across the life course.

Trained as an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and Credentialled Diabetes Educator, her career has evolved from specialist clinical care into driving system-level change that embeds evidence-based prevention, early intervention and management of chronic disease into routine health services.

Her work has focused on women and children, with a particular interest in nutrition, physical activity, healthy weight gain, and gestational diabetes, recognising the early years as a critical window for long-term and intergenerational health impact.

Susan is nationally recognised for translating research into policy and practice using implementation science, co-design, and health-system partnerships, with an emphasis on scalability, workforce capability, and value-based care.

Susan maintains strong links to frontline services, ensuring policy and system reform remain grounded in real-world clinical contexts. She is a Board Director of the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society and is committed to strengthening prevention-focused health systems that improve equity, outcomes, and sustainability for women, families, and future generations.

Roland De Marco is an internationally recognized leader in the field of electrochemical sensors. His major strength is in the field of electrochemical surface and interface analysis, and he has a strong track record of using state-of-the-art electrochemical and surface analytical techniques in the micro- and nano-characterization of electrochemical devices. He has been recognized for his national and international leadership in neutron and synchrotron science through his past appointments on the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) Ltd. Board as well as member of the Australian Synchrotron Stakeholders Committee.

ResearcherID: http://www.researcherid.com/rid/F-7213-2011; ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1357-3727; Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI); Member of the American Chemical Society (MACS); Fellow of the Queensland Academy and Arts and Science (FQAAS); Member of the European Academy of Sciences (MEUAS).

Dr Sabrina de Souza is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Paediatric Nursing and Patient Safety group at The University of Queensland, dedicated to improving the safety and effectiveness of vascular access in neonatal and paediatric care. Drawing on her background in Paediatric and Neonatal intensive care nursing, she combines clinical insight with research innovation to develop and evaluate evidence-based solutions that prevent complications and enhance patient outcomes. Her work spans clinical trials, evidence synthesis, and international collaborations — advancing safer and more reliable vascular access for the youngest and most vulnerable patients.

James De Voss received a B. Sc (Hons) in Chemistry and a University Medal from the University of Queensland in 1984. He was a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 scholar at Cambridge University, where he worked on the biosynthesis of Vitamin B12 with Prof. Sir Alan Battersby. A postdoctoral fellowship, again from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, allowed him to work with Prof. Craig Townsend at Johns Hopkins University on the mechanism of DNA cleavage caused by the enediyne antibiotic calicheamicin. He was then introduced to the cytochromes P450 by Prof. Paul Ortiz de Montellano with whom he worked while at the University of California, San Francisco. Since returning to the University of Queensland to take up an academic appointment, initially as a Senior lecturer and subsequently as a Reader and then a Professor, he has continued his interest in problems at the interface of chemistry and biology and currently works with a range of bacterial, insect and mammalian P450s, as well as on the biogenesis of insect pheromones and phytochemistry of herbal medicines.