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Stephen is a physiologist with expertise in endocrinology. His research focuses on the regulation of metabolism, growth, appetite, and reproduction - exploring how hormones regulate physiological processes. He collaborates with animal nutritionists and veterinary clinicians, supported by industry partners such as Meat & Livestock Australia, to address critical issues in animal health and production.

Complementing his scientific work, Stephen is an educational leader with a strong record in shaping teaching strategy, curriculum renewal, and student success. As Director of Teaching and Learning in the School of Biomedical Sciences (2019–2024), he led his School’s teaching response to the COVID-19 pandemic, earning a UQ Service Excellence commendation and the Faculty of Medicine’s Academic Leader of the Year award. He also provides strategic leadership in the renewal of the UQ Bachelor of Biomedical Science, guiding the development of a future-focused program designed to enhance students’ sense of belonging, engagement, and graduate capabilities. The redesigned program launches in 2026.

Stephen has taught physiology to more than 40,000 students across biomedical, veterinary, health, and medical science programs. He has received multiple awards for teaching excellence and innovation, including a national ALTC Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. In scholarly educational work Stephen is currently investigating how students engage with complexity in developing a conceptual understanding in physiology.

Dr Elham Assadi Soumeh is a senior lecturer in Animal Science and Production within the School of Agriculture and Food Science. Her background is in monogastric animal nutrition -poultry and swine. Her PhD research was about branched-chain amino acids requirements and metabolism in pig post weaning and characterization of metabolic profile of high performing pigs when were fed with optimum dietary branched-chain amino acid levels. After conducting her PhD in Aarhus University in Denmark and prior to joining UQ, Dr Soumeh worked as a senior scientist in animal feed industry (Cargill BV, Netherlands) for 2 years, where she managed different customer-focused research portfolios within the area of monogastric animal nutrition and production e.g. nutrient requirements and metabolism, gut health, nutritional strategies and management. Dr Soumeh has completed a BSc in Animal Science, MSc in Animal Nutrition and a PhD in Animal Nutrition and Physiology. The scientific outcomes have been published in high-impact journals and/or presented in conferences and symposiums around the world.

Kieren McCosker has expertise in tropical beef production. Kieren completed an Agriculture Science - Animal Science degree (University of Queensland) and later a PhD (School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland) deteriming the factors associated with reproductive performance in northern Australia beef cows, otherwise known as the Cash Cow project while working in the Agriculture Division of the Northern Territory Government's Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade. In 2021, Kieren commenced working with the Centre of Animal Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture, Food and Innovation and comes with approximately 20 years of experience investigating production issues across many facets of the northern beef production system and south-east Asia. Some of his current projects examine the impact of shade and paddock infrastructure on calf mortality, and utilising remote technologies to remotely detect key production events, such as calving and associated maternal behaviours.

As a Senior Lecturer in Animal Science and Production, my research focuses on nutrition and gut microbiology. I completed my Ph.D. through the University of Sydney investigating the effects of various feed additives on performance, and meat quality of sheep. I then went on to complete a Post-doctoral Fellowship in Canada (The University of Alberta), investigating the effects of weaning age and strategy on the development of the ruminal microbiome in dairy calves. Developing this research theme, I was awarded a highly prestigious Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship for a 2-year project in France, to investigate the effects of additives on gut microbiome establishment and programming for lifelong effects in dairy calves to reduce methane emissions. In October 2017, I began my current position as a teaching and research academic at The University of Queensland focusing on feed efficiency, and environmentally sustainable ruminant production systems with a focus on manipulating the rumen for reduced methane emissions and enhanced production. I bring a multidisciplinary approach to my research to examine the effects of nutrition and age on microbiology, production performance and meat quality of an animal.