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Scott manages the radiation oncology medical physics research portfolio at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, including the supervision of higher degree research students. He joined the Cancer Care Services team in 2015, following a post-doctoral research fellowship and is registered as a qualified medical physics specialist with the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine. He is the clinical lead of the Cancer Care Services program at the Herston Biofabrication Institute. His research interests include applications of 3D printing in oncology, the quantitative assessment of radiotherapy treatment quality and complexity, and radiation dosimetry.

Tegan is an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow and Clinical Psychologist at the Australian National University, with an Honorary Senior Research Fellowship at the University of Queensland. Her research investigates how social relationships shape mental and physical health; work that is at the intersection of social, clinical and health psychology.

Up-to-date information about Dr Tegan Cruwys, including her recent work and best contact information, is available at her ANU webpage: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/cruwys-tl

Peter Csurhes is an immunologist with a strong research track record in multiple sclerosis (MS) research within UQ that has spanned 30 years.

Together with Emeritus Professor Michael Pender, Peter’s work in a number of preclinical research studies into the role that immunity to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) plays in MS disease pathogenesis has translated to clinical trials testing of potentially ground-breaking new T cell immunotherapeutic treatments for progressive MS. Collaborative links between QIMR Berghofer, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and commercial partners have been established and clinical trials are ongoing.

After the retirement of Professor Pender, Peter has taken on a chief investigator role, and in 2023 gained successful NHMRC MRFF funding to continue research into the biology of the Epstein-Barr virus and the role it plays in the multiple sclerosis disease process.

Peter has also been involved in studying the role of reactivity to autoantigens in MS and in diseases of the peripheral nervous system including Guillain-Barre syndrome and CIDP.

For several years he worked on the immunology of potential malaria vaccine candidates and also worked part-time for 18 months on research into EBV-related cancers within the QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute.

Dr Cuffe is a systems physiologist focused on understanding the complex changes to maternal physiology that occur during pregnancy and the impact of pregnancy dysfunction of programmed cardiovascular, metabolic and renal disease in offspring. Dr Cuffe has a particular focus on understanding the role of the placenta and its hormones in mediating both maternal and offspring disease. He is most recognised for his research investigating how maternal stress, thyroid dysfunction, hypoxia or altered nutrition affect placental development and program disease in the mother after pregnancy as well as her offspring. Dr Cuffe has an exceptional track record and is excited to take new honours and PhD students into his research laboratory.

Dr Carlie Cullen leads the Glial Neurobiology, Cognition and Behaviour Research Group at Mater Research and is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania. Her research vision is to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that drive healthy brain function, and what happens when the system goes awry, to inform the development of sustained and effective treatments for neurodevelopmental, neurological, and neuropsychiatric disorders. More specifically, Carlie and her team are working to demonstrate the importance of myelin formation during brain development and ongoing adaptability of myelin content in shaping the way information is processed in the brain, and subsequently how this impacts behavioural actions throughout life. By uncovering how myelination and myelin plasticity influences brain function and behaviour, Carlie hopes to determine whether these processes could be targeted to treat the pathological symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders, neuropsychiatric disease, and other neurological conditions.

Dr Cullen attained her PhD from The University of Queensland in 2014, under the supervision of Professor Karen Moritz, Associate Professor Nickolas Lavidis and Associate Professor Thomas Burne, where she used rodent models to demonstrate that chronic exposure to even a small amount of alcohol during gestation was associated with long-lasting anxiety-like behaviour in adult offspring. Carlie then joined the laboratory of Prof. Kaylene Young at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania where she developed a passion for understanding how glial cells influence healthy brain function, cognition and behaviour. In particular, her research focussed on understanding how cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage communicate with neurons; how this communication influences learning, memory and motor behaviour and whether this interaction could be targeted to promote brain repair in diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS).

Louise Cullen is a Pre-Eminent Staff Specialist in Emergency Medicine, a clinical trialist and outcomes researcher in acute diseases. She is enthusiastically involved in the translation of research by clinical redesign and innovation.

As an accomplished acute disease researcher, Prof Cullen has focused on the diagnosis and management of patients presenting with possible Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) in the Emergency Department (ED). She has been engaged in many international collaborations (including ASPECT and ADAPT studies) She has authored over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals including The Lancet, focussed on strategies to improve efficiency, whilst maintaining safety for patients with possible ACS, syncope, heart failure, shortness of breath and atrial fibrillation.

More recently Prof Cullen has focussed on Health Services research and investigating methods to use medications and other resources in the ED wisely. She led the CREDIT trail, aimed at reducing unnecessary peripheral intravenous cannulation in the ED.

Professor Cullen’s mantra is that “you do not do research for research sake” and as such, clinical redesign and translational research is a key part of her endeavours.

Pre-Eminent Staff Specialist, Department of Emergency Medicine

Prof, Queensland University of Technology

A/Prof, University of Queensland

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital

Brisbane, Queensland 4029, AUSTRALIA.

Tel: (+ 61 7) 3636 7901. Fax: (+ 61 7) 3636 1643.

Email: louise.cullen@health.qld.gov.au

Twitter: @louiseacullen

Qualifications: MBBS (Hon) FACEM PhD

Katherine Cullerton is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health. She joined the School in 2018 following postdoctoral research at the MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, UK, where her work explored the question of whether, and under what circumstances, it is appropriate for nutrition researchers to engage with the food industry. Katherine’s current research focuses on understanding why evidence does not consistently inform public policy. In particular, she examines the strategies employed by the corporate sector to influence policy and investigates how public health advocates can more effectively shape policy outcomes in Australia, with a special emphasis on the roles of framing and public opinion.

A/Prof Cullerton is also the academic lead for external engagement for the School of Public Health.

My research focuses on Action and Attention in the human brain, examining neural activity underlying the preparation for voluntary movement and the recognition of others' actions

I am a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the School of Psychology, University of Queensland. My major research interests include understanding the brain processes involved in attention and the preparation and readiness for voluntary action, the "mirror neuron" system and how we perceive and understand the actions of others.

Dr Andrew Dalley is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist within Dr Peter Simpson’s stream of the Molecular Pathology Research Programme at UQCCR. He is currently contributing to a clinician-lead research project that aims to validate diagnostic techniques for mediastinal lymph node dissemination of lung cancer.

Andrew is a practical molecular cell biologist with a strong focus towards clinically translatable research within the hospital setting. His academic experience spans adult and children’s burns research and adult cancer research. He has researched aberrant pharmacokinetics in burnt patients, post-burn hypertrophic scar development, cancer stem cell involvement in Head and Neck cancer development, and diagnostic techniques to define surgical borders for intra-oral cancer excision.

Andrew’s range of practical techniques includes: small molecule tissue sampling and analysis using microdialysis, HPLC and LC/MS; tissue imaging by fluorescence and confocal microscopy; cellular analysis by flow cytometry, live cell imaging, histology and real-time PCR; and patient sample molecular analysis by microarray and Next Generation Sequencing.

Andrew was recently Scientific Support Coordinator for the Cancer Programme at the Diamantina Institute, and prior to this he was Laboratory Studies Coordinator for Professor Camile Farah’s Oral Cancer Research Programme at UQCCR where he investigated the potential involvement of epithelial stem cells in pre-malignant oral dysplasia. Before this Andrew was part of the Burns Trauma & Critical Care Research Centre (BTCCRC) where he evaluated antibiotic distribution in extensively burned patients during surgery.

Formerly based in the UK, Andrew studied BSc Pharmacology and completed his PhD at The University of Sheffield under supervision from Professor Sheila MacNeil. Andrew’s PhD used 3-dimensional cultures to investigate regulation of normal and scar derived fibroblasts by dermal matrix and epithelial cells. Subsequently, he used in-vitro techniques to monitor the uptake of drugs across the gut mucosa and skin.

Andrew’s research interests include clinical diagnostic techniques, phenotypic and genotypic changes in pre-malignant dysplasia, extracellular matrix biology and its involvement in the pathophysiology of burn wound healing, epithelial / mesenchymal interaction across the basement membrane during the healing of cutaneous wounds, and drug distribution in critical patients.

Eminent Staff Specialist in Neonatology (Consultant Neonatologist) - Grantley Stable Neonatal Unit, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital

Associate Professor of Neonatology - Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Queensland

Mark Davies is a medical graduate of the University of Queensland (MB,BS 1985). He trained in Paediatrics at the Royal Children's Hospital (Brisbane), with time at the Worcester Royal Infirmary, Doncaster Royal Infirmary and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Glasgow) in the UK.

Mark sub-specialised in Neonatology training at the Royal Women's Hospital (Brisbane), the Rosie Maternity Hospital (Cambridge) and the Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital. His advanced training was conducted under the supervision of the Neonatal-Perinatal Specialist Advisory Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and he became a Fellow of the RACP in 1997. He completed a two year fellowship training programme in Neonatology and Neonatal Ultrasound at the Royal Women's Hospital (Melbourne) in January 1999.

In July 2000, Mark was appointed to the joint position of Staff Neonatologist at the Royal Women's Hospital, Brisbane and Senior Lecturer in Neonatology at the University of Queensland. He is now an Eminent Staff Specialist in Neonatology and an Associate Professor of Neonatology.

Mark Davies’ research focused on neonatal ventilation. He did his PhD studies on partial liquid ventilation. He supervises projects in neonatology and neonatal intensive care.

Mark prepares and maintains a number of Cochrane systematic reviews in neonatology and intensive care. From 2002 to 2006 he served on the Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group, and was Co-Chair of the steering group from 2005 to 2006. He was a Director of The Cochrane Collaboration Trading Company from 2013 to 2017.

My research concerns i) understanding causes and impacts of hearing impairment, particularly in the context of multimorbidity in older age, ii) prevention and treatment of hearing impairment, and iii) hearing service development and evaluation. My research involves epidemiological modelling with population data sets, clinical trials and hearing health policy. I have authored over130 publications in peer reviewed journals and books, and I frequently present invited and keynote addresses at international conferences. I have received the British Society of Audiology’s TS Littler prize for services to audiology and a prestigious US-UK Fulbright award.

I have been awarded 10 grants as principal investigator in the last 5 years totalling >AUD$14.5 million from competitive sources including the NHMRC, the NIHR, the Alzheimer’s Society UK, the European Commission, industry and charity funders. This funding includes an EU Horizon 2020 grant of €6.2 million (as joint PI for “Ears, Eyes and Mind: The “SENSE-Cog Project” to improve mental well-being for elderly Europeans with sensory impairment”), and two NHMRC Medical Research Future Fund awards ($1.2 million as CI for “SENSEcog aged care: Hearing and vision support to improve quality of life for people living with dementia in residential aged care”; AUD$1.3 million for "Home hearing and vision care to improve quality of life for people with dementia and carers"; and an AUD$0.9 million NHMRC targetted hearing research award (as CI for "Improving access to the hearing services program for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds"). I have strong links with hearing industry partners and have received research funding (total >AUD$500,000) from major hearing aid companies Starkey, Oticon, Phonak and the hearing industry research consortium. I have a position at the University of Manchester with on-going involvement (as CI and co-I) in projects funded by the NIHR, the ESRC, the Alzheimer’s Society and the RNID.

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.

As of 2021, I was elected the inaugural Chairperson of the Australian SHAPE Futures EMCR Network, which is in development with the support of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and the Australian Academy of the Social Sciences. The purpose of the Network is to ensure SHAPE disciplines (Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People and Environment) thrive and excel in Australia, by fostering an inclusive and diverse community that supports, empowers and promotes early and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) in Australia, within and beyond academia.

Associate Professor Judith Dean, a Registered Nurse/Midwife with over 25-years clinical and research experience in sexual and reproductive health (SRH), HIV and other BBV, is a Principal Research Fellow at the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health. The overall aim of her program of research is to address inequities of access to sexual and reproductive health and rights education and services through innovative models of care and workforce development using mixed methods and longitudinal qualitative community-based participatory approaches.

She is currently working on research evaluating 'Birthing in our Community' models of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their families, developing a program of preventative SRHR research including exploring access to culturally safe and responsive pregnancy options and abortion care and is working with community to develop a culturally safe and responsive 'Black and Proud' model of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQAI+ Sister Girls and Brother Boys. She is also the Higher Degree Research Program Advisor for UQ Poche.

Before joining UQ Poche Centre in 2023, she was a research fellow at the School of Public Health (2015-2022) and was leading projects exploring innovative models of HIV Self-testing dissemination, access to peer-led Molecular point-of-care STI testing, transgender care, syphilis in pregnancy and access to pregnancy options, abortion and contraception. From 2016 to 2019, she was the co-ordinating investigator on the Queensland PrEP Demonstration Monitoring and Evaluation study. Her other projects and areas of interest include exploring the experiences of newly diagnosed PLHIV including implementation of a Peer Navigation program, access to SRH care for gender and sexually diverse young people and the sexual health literacy of CALD youth in Queensland. She has a strong background working in partnership with refugee and migrant / culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, sex worker organisations, gender and sexually diverse young people, and the LGBTQAI+ community.

During her time at UQSPH, she also taught into the Bachelor of Health Science (PUBH3002 Health Policy in Practice, PUBH3010 Global Health and Infectious Diseases) and the Master of Public Health (PUBH7101 Communicable Diseases Management and Control).

From 2002 to 2013 Judith held a joint appointment between Griffith University School of Nursing and Midwifery where she held the title of Griffith Graduate Sexual Health Program Convenor and Queensland Health where in her role as State Nurse Educator for Queensland Sexual Health and HIV Services she was responsible for state-wide coordination and development of clinical practice standards, policy and professional development programs for specialist advanced practice nurses working in SRH and HIV. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy in 2014 titled Sexual health knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of Queensland Sudanese communities.

Judith has extensive educational and clinical expertise in SRH, HIV, women’s health and midwifery in a diverse range of national and international settings. Before moving into SRH and HIV education and research, she worked clinically as a midwife and SRH Nurse in a range of locations in Australia and overseas. This includes over 5 years working in the Northern Territory as a Midwife and remote area nurse along with two years with International Committee of Red Cross in settings such as South Sudan and Afghanistan developing midwifery training programs and models of care for women and their families experiencing conflict and displacement.

I am available to supervise PhD/MPhil students, Honours and Master of Public Health projects.

Lori is an experienced intersive care nurse who has worked in a range of Intensive Care environments, and with an interest in advance mechancial ventilation, ECMO and VAD management. She completed her PhD in 2023, which investigated sleep monitoring techniques and sleep distruabnce among ICU patients, and impact of the clinical environment. Lori is the program lead in nursing at the University of Queensland and has an interest in how emerging technologies can be leveraged in nursing education and clinical simulation to enhance nursing students knowledge and critical thinking skills. Her career has focussed on providing high quality patient care to the critically ill, and undertaking clinical research to optimise patient care and outcomes.

Paul Dennis leads an exciting research group that applies cutting-edge technologies to understand the roles of microorganisms and their responses to environmental change.

He is also a passionate educator and public speaker who advocates for the importance of biological diversity and evidence-based environmental awareness. He has talked about his research on ABC Radio and a range of other media outlets.

His teaching covers aspects of ecology, microbiology, plant and soil science, and climatology. He considers these topics to be of fundamental importance for the development of more sustainable societies and takes pride in helping others to obtain the knowledge and skills they need to build a better future.

Paul's research has taken him to Antarctica, the Amazon Rainforest, high mountains and oceans. The approaches used in his lab draw on a wide range of expertise in molecular biology, ecology, statistics, computer science, advanced imaging and soil science. He applies these skills to a wide-range of topics and systems including plant-microbe interactions, Antarctic marine and terrestrial ecology, biogeography, pollution and human health.

Dr Brooke Devlin is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian (AdvAPD), Advanced Sports Dietitian (AdvSD) and a Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics at the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland. Dr Devlin holds qualifications in exercise science (BExSci), nutrition and dietetics (MNutrDiet) and completed a PhD in Sports Nutrition at La Trobe University, Melbourne. Her current research interests include diet and exercise interventions to optimise blood glucose control and metabolic health including chrono-nutrition and time-restricted eating. In addition to this, Dr Devlin continues to have an interest and ongoing research in sports nutrition, focusing on nutrition knowledge and dietary behaviours of athletes.

Dr Tracey DiSipio is a teaching and research academic and cancer epidemiologist in the School of Public Health. Her program of research is broadly focused on women’s cancers and health equity by conducting epidemiological research and behavioural interventions that address survivorship issues. Her research has a strong emphasis on under-researched groups including women diagnosed with rare gynaecological cancers and advanced disease.