Dr Nicolas Eugster is a Senior Lecturer in Finance at UQ Business School. Prior to joining UQ, Nicolas was an Assistant Professor in Finance from 2018 to 2020 at IESEG School of Management (Lille, France) and a Teaching and Research Assistant at the Chair of Finance and Governance at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) from 2012 to 2017. In 2017, Nicolas was granted a research fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation (Doc.Mobility) to visit the Department of Finance of the Robert H. Smith School of Business (University of Maryland, USA).
Nicolas holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management (BA), a Master of Arts in Accounting and Finance (MA), and a PhD in Management (Finance) from the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). His PhD dissertation was awarded the 2018 Vigener Price for the best PhD thesis of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). In addition, he has enhanced his pedagogical skills by having completed a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) in Higher Education and Educational Technology.
Nicolas’ research interests focus on corporate finance, ownership structure, and family firms. His work has been published in leading academic journals, such as the Journal of Banking and Finance (A*) and the Journal of Corporate Finance (A*).
Pete is currently a Lecturer in Philosophy specialising in the philosophy of science, particularly the philosophy of physics. His research interests include time and causation in modern physics, especially quantum foundations, and the epistemology and methodology of science, especially analogue experimentation. He is currently Lead CI on an ARC Discovery Project, "The View From Somewhere: embodied agents and the quantum perspective", exploring the role that agency plays both in the physics of embodied learning as well as quantum theory. In 2023 he was a collaborator in the FQxI project "Information as fuel" based in the School of Mathematics and Physics. He completed in 2021 an ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award project, "A philosophical exploration of simulating and controlling the quantum world", which examines how a novel laboratory technique, analogue quantum simulation, illuminates the epistemology of analogue experimentation. Pete's philosophical research is informed by the latest experimental and theoretical results from the physical sciences.
Bonnie Evans is a Lecturer in Media Studies at the University of Queensland. Her research has addressed the intersections between feminist politics and screen media, particularly film and television, and she has published on true crime documentary. Her most recent journal article examines rape-revenge film in the context of the Me Too movement, specifically Corale Fargeat's 2017 film Revenge, and her forthcoming monograph The New Feminist Horror will be published by Edinburgh University Press in 2025. Her book will explore aesthetic and thematic links between contemporary feminisms, including the Me Too Movement and recent horror cinema, and the PhD thesis that forms the basis of the book received a UQ Dean's Award for Oustanding HDR Theses in 2022. Bonnie teaches across film and television studies, media studies and digital media and in 2025, she won the HASS Early Career Teaching Excellence Award for her innovations in teaching.
She is interested in supervising HDR research on the following broad topics:
Gender in film, television and media studies
Feminist media studies
Genre film, television and media, particularly horror
Embodied approaches to media studies (phenomenology, affect, feeling and emotion)
Documentary studies, true crime and reality television
Gender and sexual violence in film and television
Feminist movements in media (#MeToo, the fourth wave, second wave etc).
Centre Director of Centre for Population and Disease Genomics
Centre for Population and Disease Genomics
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
Professor of Frazer Institute
Frazer Institute
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Professorial Research Fellow and Director, Centre for Population and Disease Genomics
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
Affiliate of The Centre for Population and Disease Genomics
Centre for Population and Disease Genomics
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
David Evans is an NHMRC Leadership Fellow and Professor of Statistical Genetics at the University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience. He is a winner of the NHMRC Marshall and Warren Award.
He completed his PhD in Statistical Genetics at the University of Queensland in 2003, before undertaking a four-year post-doctoral fellowship at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford where he worked as part of the The International HapMap Consortium and co-led the analysis of four diseases within the first Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium. In 2007 he moved to take up a Senior Lecturer position at the University of Bristol where he led much of the genome-wide association studies work in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). In 2013 he returned to take up a chair at the University of Queensland whilst continuing to lead an MRC Programme in statistical genetics at the University of Bristol.
His research interests include the genetic mapping of complex traits and diseases (including birthweight and other perinatal traits, osteoporosis, ankylosing spondylitis, sepsis, laterality) and the development of statistical methodologies in genetic epidemiology including approaches for gene mapping, individual risk prediction, causal modelling and dissecting the genetic architecture of complex traits. He has a particular interest in Mendelian randomization and has used it and other causal methods to investigate the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)- the idea that adverse intrauterine exposures lead to increased risk of disease in later life.
He is Academic Codirector at the NIH funded International Workshop on Statistical Genetics Methods and is faculty on the European Programme in Educational Epidemiology.
He is Associate Editor at the International Journal of Epidemiology and Behavior Genetics journals.
Affiliate of W.H. Bryan Mining and Geology Research Centre
WH Bryan Mining Geology Research Centre
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Senior Research Fellow
Sustainable Minerals Institute
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Availability:
Available for supervision
Tom Evans is a geologist with over 20 years experience working in the minerals exploration sector, working on copper projects throughout Australia and in Mongolia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, and on gold projects in Türkiye and Australia. His research interests span a diverse range of topics from mineral systems analysis, exploration methodology, geometallurgical characterisation, and the interactions between mineral economics and legislation protecting the social and environmental impacts of mining. He has authored numerous chapters of the North East Queensland Mineral Deposit Atlas and has deep knowledge of the exploration and project development space in Queensland.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Dr Ewing leads the Translational Bioinformatics Group at the Mater Research Institute - UQ, located at the Translational Research Institute (TRI). His research interests follow a common theme of developing and applying computational methods to investigate genomic mutation in evolutionary and disease-related processes. Dr Ewing is a key collaborator on an array of projects spanning from basic research into clinical applications of Bioinformatics. In particular, his interests include the genomics and epigenomics of epithelial tumours including those arising in prostate, pancreatic, and breast cancer.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Honorary Professor
Queensland Brain Institute
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Prof Darryl Eyles is the head of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research Developmental Neurobiology laboratory. One of Darryl’s research directions is focused on how known risk-factors for schizophrenia change the way the brain develops. His group have established the biological plausibility of various epidemiological risk factors for this disease including developmental vitamin D deficiency, prenatal hypoxia and maternal immune activation. Strikingly all these exposures affect the early development and later differentiation of early dopamine neurons. A second major focus is on understanding the effects of increased dopamine release in selective circuits and how this may be causal in schizophrenia. A third major interest is in factors such as the gut microbiome, and how increased testosterone contribute to altered brain function related to autism.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
The first half of my academic career was focused on neuroscience research. My PhD looked at the modification of processing of painful information in the spinal cord by analgesics. Following my PhD, I investigated the electrical activity and properties of neurons in the amygdala, a brain region attributed with processing and mediating emotions and emotional memories. In addition I became interested in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region that is important for emotion regulation. I studied mechanisms involved in synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, with a focus on the role of potassium channels, including SK channels.
For the second half of my career I have moved into a more teaching-focused role. This was first as a casual academic in the School of Biomedical Sciences, from 2014-2020, and since 2021 as a teaching-focused lecturer, with my current research in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. My research interests are primarily now in looking at emotions, emotion regulation and motivation regulation during learning, and how these can be harnessed to improve student experiences and learning outcomes. I'm also extremely interested in the development of transferable skills in undergraduates, such as science communication, critical thinking, and cultural capability, in preparation for their future lives and careers.
Honours projects are currently available with myself and others in the SBMS Biomedical Education Research Group, looking at:
The use of motivation strategies to improve undergraduate student experiences and learning outcomes.
Effective emotion regulation strategies in first year undergraduate students.
Affiliate of Centre for Geoanalytical Mass Spectrometry
Centre for Geoanalytical Mass Spectrometry
Faculty of Science
Professor
School of Social Science
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
I research ancient agriculture, plant use and human environmental impact in Turkey, Italy (Pompeii) and Australasia via the analysis of archaeological plant remains (seeds, fruits leaves etc)
I started my archaeological career in 1988, working on the excavation of Blawearie Cairn in my native Northumberland (UK). I studies at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL (London) gaining BSc Archaeology (1991), MSc Bio and Geoarchaeology (1992) and PhD (2001), specialising in the study of plant macrofossil remains, such as seeds, fruits, leaves and wood, from archaeological sites to reconstruct past environments and economic practices. I also developed a large consulting portfolio, working as an environmental archaeologist for the Museum of London Archaeology Service (1993-1994) and UCL Geoarchaeology Unit (1992-1993) and as an independent contractor (1994-2001). From 1999-2001 I worked as a research assistant for the Catalhoyuk Research Project, based at Cambridge University and during that time moved to Australia. From 2001 - 2004 I worked at The Australian National University in Canberra as a research assistant to the Engendering Roman Spaces Project and then received a research fellowship at the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies. I moved to UQ in January 2006. My research interests are currently focused on the origins of agriculture in Central Anatolia (Turkey) and the later development of the region's state economies. I also work in Australasia where I have been developing plant macrofossil techniques to disentangle ancient tree-fruit use and the development of food production in Papua New Guinea.
Dr Fairley’s research focuses on three major streams: sport and event tourism, volunteerism, and the globalization of sport. Dr Fairley has conducted various research and consultancy projects in the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Recent projects she has been involved in include the globalization of Australian Rules Football in international markets, the sport tourism behaviours of friends and family of athletes who travel to the Olympic Games, and the legacy of Olympic volunteerism. Dr Fairley currently serves on the advisory board of the United States Australian Football League.
Affiliate of ARC COE for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science
ARC COE for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
Centre Director of Institute for Molecular Bioscience
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
NHMRC Leadership Fellow and Group Leader
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
Professor Fairlie is an NHMRC Research Investigator Fellow (Level 3) (2022-present), a Node Leader of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide Protein Science, one of four Centre Directors and former Head of the Division of Chemistry of Structural Biology at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (since 2009), and an Affiliate Professor of the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences. He was previously an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow (2012-2021), a Node Leader at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging (2014-2021), an ARC Federation Fellow (2006-2011), an ARC Professorial Fellow (2002-2006), and Scientific Director and Chief Scientific Officer of a startup company. He undertook postdoctoral studies at Stanford University and University of Toronto, postgraduate studies at Australian National University and University of New South Wales, and undergraduate studies at University of Adelaide.
His research group works across the disciplines of chemistry (synthesis, structure, reaction mechanisms), biochemistry (enzyme inhibitors, protein-protein interactions, GPCRs, transcription factors), immunology (innate immune cells in health and disease, mucosal T cells), and pharmacology (molecular pharmacology and human cell signalling, experimental pharmacology in rodent models of human diseases). He has published over 480 scientific journal articles in high impact chemistry journals (e.g. Chem Rev, Acc Chem Res, J Am Chem Soc, Angew Chem Int Edit, Chem Sci, J Med Chem, Org Lett, J Org Chem) and biology journals (e.g. Nature, Science, Nat Rev Endocrinol, Mol Cancer, Immunity, Nature Immunology, Science Immunology, Am J Resp Crit Care Med, J Hepatol, Trends Immunol, Mol Neurodegen, Adv Drug Deliv Rev, Nature Communications, Trends Pharmacol Sci, J Exp Med, J Clin Invest, Kidney Int, Arthritis & Rheum, Science Advances, Pharmacol Ther, Cancer Res, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, Dev Cell, Curr Biol, J Cell Biol, Cell Reports, PloS Biol, Br J Pharmacol, JCI Insight, Diabetes, Mucosal Immunol, etc). He has been a Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate Analytics), with over 37,000 citations and 113 publications with over 100 citations (Google Scholar), and has collaborated with many of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Doctor James Falconer has been an academic at the School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland since June 2015. Dr Falconer was an assistant lecturer, then research & teaching fellow at the School of Pharmacy, the University of Auckland from 2011 – 2015.
In 2007 he was awarded with the Technology for Industry Fellowship (TIF) from the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science & Technology (FRST) from the NZ Government with joint funding from Pharmaceutical Compounding New Zealand (PCNZ) to complete a PhD under A/Professor Jingyuan Wen and Professor Raid Alany from the University of Auckland, New Zealand for development of a supercritical fluid platform and transdermal delivery of poorly aqueous soluble steriods. As a post-doctoral researcher under A/Professor Zimei Wu and collaboration with Argenta Global in Auckland he worked to help stabilise a veterinary pour-on which resulted in international patents and registered product for cattle. He was then appointed as a lecturer in pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Prior to his academic career, he received a BSc in Genetics 1999 and a Masters in Health Sciences (Bioethics) in 2003 under A/Professor Neil Pickering on the anatomy of the GMO debate from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. In 2005, he completed a BPharm (Hons) from the University of Auckland and undertook an internship at Middlemore Hospital in 2006, then was employed from 2007 as a ward pharmacist in general surgery and the hospital dispensary and as a community pharmacist - including the 'graveyard' shifts at day/night pharmacies.
Doctor Falconer has established research in supercritical fluid applications for selective extraction as well as in engineering advanced nanoparticulate dosage forms based on lipid and polymeric systems. A backbone to this work is the search for green/er technology to replace organic solvent driven material manufacturing processes and the repurposing of carbon dioxide for good.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
Dr Jon Fanning is a dedicated clinician with 15 years’ experience in clinical medicine including specialist training in Anaesthesia, Intensive care, and Neurology. Passionate about advancing clinical research and advocating for clinician-researchers, Jon balances research leadership, teaching and mentoring alongside his own research and active medical practice. Jon’s career includes a diverse research portfolio with a strong focus on harm minimisation (especially neurological injury) in operative and critical care settings. He has undertaken dedicated training in clinical trials (University of Oxford Clinical Trials Unit, UK), and in epidemiology (Harvard University, USA). In 2022 Jon undertook a Visiting Fulbright Scholarship in Cardiac intensive care and ECMO (Cardiovascular Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Johns Hopkins Medicine, USA).
To facilitate innovative discovery and advances in the fields of perioperative medicine, clinical trials, and ECMO, Jon invests considerable effort in building research capacity through collaboration with national and international research institutions. Valuing the diverse perspectives of multidisciplinary colleagues at all stages of their career, Jon recruits and supervises senior scientists, clinician-researchers and top PhD and MPhil students and looks to repay the generosity he has received from supervisors and mentors.
Additionally, Jon fosters research networks and ensures research integrity through leadership positions such as current positions as co-chair of the Queensland Cardiovascular Research Network; and as Expert Panel Member and writing committee representative for Therapeutic Guidelines.