Find an expert

Dr Craig Bell is an Industry Fellow with the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, and the Centre for Advanced Imaging. Since obtaining his PhD in 2011, he has been the recipient of two international fellowships, a prestigious Newton International Fellowship (2013-2014) funded by the Royal Society, and the NHMRC CJ Martin Early Career Fellowship (2014-2018). He has contributed scientific articles to various leading journals in his field, and is the co-inventor on two patents. His current research focus is on the development of degradable polymer devices for imaging and tracking of disease and cellular processes by using a tool-kit of controlled polymerisation techniques along with polymer and molecular coupling methodologies. The incorporation of degradable moieties into these constructs not only allows for enzymatic and hydrolytic degradation for complete body clearance of these constructs but also allows for tracking of these devices in vivo upon degradation to help elucidate cellular processes. Dr Bell currently engages with Aegros, a membrane fabrication and human serum fractionation company based in Sydney.

Dr Anna Gemmell is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at The University of Queensland (UQ). She obtained her PhD in Polymer Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering from UQ in 2020 within the Centre for Advanced Imaging and Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology under the supervision of Professor Kristofer Thurecht for her work designing and investigating the in vivo application of next-generation polymeric cancer nanomedicines using an advanced molecular imaging approaches in pre-clinical models. Her work was recognised by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute Polymer Division with the Treloar Prize for outstanding oral presentation at the 37th Australasian Polymer Symposium in 2019.

Her expertise lies in the field of polymer chemistry and the design of 'smart' materials capable of responding to environmental cues to inform and improve performance in biomedical applications. Building on her first postdoctoral position where she worked on the development of sustainable, bio-degradable polymers for advancing the chemical and material properties of medical textiles funded through an Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship, Dr Gemmell is currently working on an industry-tied project to develop biomolecule separation membranes.

Dr. Gemmell also has a strong background in research administration and has gained valuable experience in the development and management of competitive research grant funding within the tertiary education sector. She has worked as a Research Administration Officer for over 12 months, where she developed her skills in project management, critial review of grantsmanship, elegibility and compliance, reporting processes, and gained an understanding of the funding landscape within Australia.

In addition to her research, Dr. Gemmell is dedicated to encouraging and enabling the next generation of STEM researchers from all walks of life. She is actively engaged in undergraduate teaching and has played a leadership role in numerous committees. As an early-career academic, she is deeply committed to advocating for positive change in the research environment for gender and cultural equity and diversity, and for improving mental health and well-being.

Professor Michael Monteiro has established an international reputation in the field of 'living' radical polymerization to create complex polymer architectures. He is now building designer polymers for various biomedical applications, including vaccines, drug delivery and stem cells. He is dedicated to translating research into commercial outcomes, with 7 PCT and provisional patents since 2005 and start-up company DendriMed Pty Ltd. He was awarded an ARC QEII Fellowship in 2004 and an ARC Future Fellowship in 2009. He has attracted ARC and NHMRC grants; and Queensland State Government funding in excess of $7 million.

International links

Professor Monteiro has built a strong collaboration with Professor Virgil Percec from the University of Pennsylvania to develop and understand the new SET-LRP. He has developed a collaboration with Professor Rachel O'Reilly from the University of Warwick to develop nanoreactors that mimic enzyme activity. In collaboration with Professor Eugenia Kumacheva from the University of Toronto, they developed temperature responsive micron-sized particles from encapsulation of cells.