SPEAKERS

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DR ALEX ZELINSKY he was awarded the Pearcey Medal, the CHIEF DEFENCE ICT industry’s premier prize for lifetime SCIENTIST achievement. In 2003, 2004 and 2005, the World Economic Forum selected Dr Dr Alex Zelinsky is Zelinsky as a Technology Pioneer. He is Australia’s Chief Defence a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Scientist. His scientific Electronics Engineers, the Australian career includes working as a computer Academy of Technology and Engineering, scientist, a systems engineer and a the Institute of Engineers Australia and the roboticist. His career spans innovation, Australian Institute of Company Directors. science and technology, research and development, commercial start-ups and education. As Chief Defence Scientist PROF PETER RATHJEN since March 2012, he leads the Defence Science and Technology program VICE CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF within the Department of Defence. ADELAIDE Prior to joining Defence, Dr Zelinsky Professor Peter was Group Executive for Information Rathjen commenced as the University Sciences at the CSIRO. Dr Zelinsky was of Adelaide’s 22nd Vice-Chancellor Chief Executive Officer and co-founder and President on 8 January 2018. of Seeing Machines, a high-technology company developing computer vision He is an Australian scientist and systems. The company is listed on the medical researcher internationally London Stock Exchange and was a start-up recognised in stem cell science. from the Australian National University Professor Rathjen is an alumnus of the in Canberra, Australia, where Dr Zelinsky University of Adelaide, as are all of the was Professor of Systems Engineering. members of his immediate family Dr Zelinsky has received numerous awards Professor Rathjen was appointed Dean of and recognition of his work. In 2017, he the Faculty of Science at the University was appointed an Officer in the Order of Melbourne in 2006; in 2008, he of Australia (AO) in the 2017 Queen’s became Dean of the Graduate School of Birthday honours. He has been included in Science, and from 2008 to 2011 he served Engineers Australia’s list of the 100 most as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research). influential engineers since 2009 and in In 2011, he took up the role of Vice- 2015, Engineers Australia awarded him the Chancellor of the University of Tasmania, prestigious M A Sargent Medal. In 2013, a role he held until October 2017.

3 BRIGADIER CRAIG DR MARK CORBETT SCHRAMM UNIVERSITY OF Brigadier Craig Schramm ADELAIDE was born in Brisbane Dr Corbett’s primary where he completed his research aim is to map secondary schooling the genetic landscape and tertiary education in medicine. He of neurological disorders, with a view joined the Army in August 1989 as an to understanding the basic biology of undergraduate Medical Officer allocated to cognition and to provide an in-road for the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps. therapies for these devastating disorders. During his military career, Craig has held a He has built his career in human genetics number of postings, particularly in Aviation by implicating a host of new genes in Medicine. He also spent 3 years as the intellectual disability, epilepsy and other Director of Future Health Capability for neurodevelopmental disorders. These the ADF and spent a number of years as individually rare but collectively common Specialist Medical Adviser – Airworthiness disorders affect about 3% of the population for the Australian Army. He has deployed on and have a huge social, financial and a number of occasions, including to Rwanda, welfare burden on those affected. East Timor, Banda Aceh, and Afghanistan. He completed Army pilot training in 2004. PROF CHRIS LOWRY Craig is a graduate of the University Christopher A. Lowry, Ph.D., of Queensland, Kings College London, is an Associate Professor Edith Cowan University and the Southern in the Department of California Safety Institute, and holds Integrative Physiology and post-graduate qualifications in Aviation Centre for Neuroscience Medicine, Occupational Medicine, at the University of Colorado Boulder, Workplace Health and Safety and with a secondary appointment in the Aircraft Accident Investigation. He holds Department of Physical Medicine and Fellowships of the Australasian College of Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Centre for Aerospace Medicine, the Royal Aeronautical Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Society, the Australasian College of Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), a Tropical Medicine, and the Faculty of Principal Investigator in the Department Travel Medicine, Associate Fellowship of Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado of the Aerospace Medical Association, Health Care System, VA Rocky Mountain and is a Member of the International Mental Illness Research, Education, & Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine. Clinical Centre (MIRECC), and director He is the Immediate Past President of the of the Behavioural Neuroendocrinology Australasian College of Aerospace Medicine. Laboratory at CU Boulder. He is Co-Director, with Dr. Lisa Brenner, of the Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE).

4 Dr. Lowry’s research program focuses on He gained his PhD from Maastricht understanding stress-related physiology University in 2011, having completed his and behaviour with an emphasis on the MD at the same institution in 2007. role of the microbiome-gut-brain axis in His current research interests include: stress resilience, health and disease. Pre-clinical PROF MARK - Non-invasive (Molecular) Imaging of HUTCHINSON Atherosclerosis, Myocardial infarction, Heart Failure (PET/SPECT, Optical, MRI, CT) Professor Hutchinson is the Director of the ARC - Intravascular Imaging of Atherosclerosis Centre of Excellence for (OCT, Hybrid Fluorescence/OCT Catheters) Nanoscale BioPhotonics Clinical (CT, MR) (CNBP) and a Professor within the School - Non-invasive imaging of of Medicine at the University of Adelaide. atherosclerotic disease (CT, MRI) Professor Hutchinson’s research explores - Non-invasive imaging of interstitial the “other brain” or the other 90% of cells changes after myocardial in the brain and spinal cord. These immune- infarction (SPECT/PET, MRI) like cells are termed glia. Mark’s research has implicated the brain immune-like cells - Population Imaging / Machine in the action of drugs of dependence and learning in Cardiovascular Disease the negative side effects of pain treatments. He has pioneered research which has led to DR ASHLEY the discovery of novel drug activity at innate CONNOLLY immune receptors. His work has enabled the FLINDERS UNIVERSITY translation of compounds at the lab bench to clinical agents used at the bedside. Dr Connolly graduated from the University of He has now added Director of the CNBP Adelaide with honours to his roles. Prof Hutchinson’s work degree in chemistry and a PhD in with the CNBP is to “Discover new immunology. He maintained a focus approaches to measure nano-scale dynamic on interdisciplinary research through phenomena in living systems” and allow appointments in the United Kingdom the first minimally invasive realtime (Oxford & Manchester) and Australia (ANU visualisations of the “other brain”. & UQ) and is currently a research scientist in the Centre for Nanoscale Science & DR JOHAN Technology at Flinders University. His VERJANS research is focussed on developing novel Dr John Verjans is a DNA nanotechnologies for rapid disease senior lecturer at the diagnosis. This research is documented University of Adelaide, in 18 publications and a book chapter with research interests in clinical innovation and E-Health.

5 DR ESMAEIL PROF EWA GOLDYS EBRAHIMIE Professor Ewa M. Goldys UNIVERSITY OF is Deputy Director of the ADELAIDE Australian Research Council Dr. Esmaeil Ebrahimie Centre of Excellence in is a high-achieving Nanoscale Biophotonics Bioinformatician at The University of (cnbp.org.au) and Professor at the Graduate Adelaide who has been innovative in School of Biomedical Engineering, the applying new data mining algorithms for University of New South Wales, integrative analysis of large datasets, Sydney, Australia. She is Fellow of the particularly from NGS (next generation Australian Academy of Technological sequencing). Knowledge discovery and Science and Engineering (ATSE), Society sequence-based prediction of pandemic for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), the influenza and developing novel approach Optical Society and winner of the 2016 for identification of influenza virus host Australian Museum Eureka Prize for range and zoonotic transmissible sequences ‘Innovative Use of Technology’. are examples of his research in application Her research spans the interface of of machine learning algorithms infection ultrasensitive optical characterization, diseases. Due to the advance in microbiome biotechnology, materials science and sequencing technique and outstanding photonics. A portfolio of her works features of metagenomics profiling, he is centred on the development and collaborates in unravelling microbiome understanding of luminescence emission in biosignature of various diseases as well doped nanocrystals where she developed as profiling the effects of new antibiotic advanced methods of synthesis and compounds, such as the third-generation characterisation of fluorescent nanoparticles veterinary fluoroquinolone, on microbiomes. for applications in fluorescence labelling. Microbiome based classification of Her expertise in ultrasensitive optical antibiotics and antimicrobial alternatives characterisation and nanotechnology led and developing an expert system for to the development of novel approaches prediction of the effective antimicrobials to biochemical and medical sensing based on microbiome profile is of his and diagnostics. Current projects focus research interests. Dr Ebrahimie has 88 on label-free non-invasive high content journal publications in the past 5 years cellular imaging and characterisation (since 2013), focusing on computational of cell subpopulations, on nanoparticle systems biology and biostatistics. He serves chemical sensors and theranostics. on the editorial boards of several well- known journals, such as Plos One, Electronic Journal of Biotechnology, and Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine.

6 DR LAURA Research (London) and completed a 3-year WEYRICH post-doctoral position with the late Dr. UNIVERSITY OF Rosa Beddington, who was a world-leader ADELAIDE in the field of developmental biology. In 1998, he returned to Australia with the Dr. Weyrich received a support of a NHMRC Florey Fellowship and PhD in Microbiology and established an independent research group Bioethics from Penn State, studying how at the Murdoch Institute in Melbourne. respiratory infections alter the microbiome. In 2006, he moved to the University In 2012, she moved to the University of of Adelaide and in 2008 was awarded Adelaide and established a research team at a prestigious Pfizer Australia Research The Australian Centre for Ancient DNA that Fellowship. In 2014 he was promoted uses calcified dental plaque to reconstruct to full Professor and established the SA ancient human oral microbiomes. Her team Genome Editing (SAGE) facility. In 2018, was the first to reconstruct the microbiome he relocated to the South Australian of an extinct species - Neandertals - and has Health and Medical Research Institute reassembled the oldest microbial genome where he directs the Developmental to date at 48,000 years old. Her team’s Genetics laboratory and SAGE facility. research has been featured by the BBC, NPR, Science, Nature, New Scientist, NY His research focuses on the genetics of Times, Smithsonian Magazine, National brain development in mice and humans and Geographic, and many others, and has in recent years has developed considerable even had a Buzz Feed quiz written about expertise in generation of mouse models it. Her team is now reconstructing the using CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing system. evolutionary history of the human oral He has published more than 80 scientific microbiome on six continents, obtaining articles. His research is supported by the insight into how the lifestyles and diets of USA Defense Advanced Research Projects our ancestors impact our health today. Agency (DARPA) and the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council. PROF PAUL THOMAS PROF ANNA UNIVERSITY OF MA-WYATT ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE Prof Paul Thomas is a biomedical researcher A/Prof Anna Ma-Wyatt and Director of the SA Genome holds a BA (Hons) from Editing Facility at the University of the University of Sydney and a PhD Adelaide and South Australian Health from Macquarie University. She was and Medical Research Institute. a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Western Australia, and Prof Thomas completed his Ph.D. at the then was awarded a Rachel C. Atkinson University of Adelaide in 1994. He then Fellowship at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye moved to the National Institute for Medical

7 Research Institute in San Francisco, USA. PROF GARY EGAN She then returned to Australia to take up an Gary Egan is a appointment at the University of Adelaide, Distinguished Professor where she is currently an Associate and Foundation Director Professor in the School of Psychology. of the Monash Biomedical A/Prof Ma-Wyatt is an international Imaging (MBI) research expert in human vision, eye movements facilities at , and Director and hand movements. Part of her current of the Australian Research Council Centre work is funded by the US Department of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function. of Defense in collaboration with DST The Centre’s research focus is to understand to work on the assessment of human the link between brain activity and human machine interfaces (HMIs) for control of behaviour by integrating research across autonomous vehicles. She is also working Australia’s leading brain researchers in the with BAE Systems on assessment of the fields of anatomy, physiology, neuroimaging, human machine interface for JORN. informatics, neural modelling and neuroengineering. For the past two PROF PAUL decades he has been one of Australia’s STODDART pioneering and internationally recognised neuroimaging and neuroscience SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY researchers, using PET and MRI in human and animal model neuroscience research, Paul Stoddart graduated as well as establishing the emerging with BSc (Honours) in field of neuroinformatics in Australia. physics and PhD in laser spectroscopy from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. After working on industry- DR ELIZABETH PHARO focused surface science and microanalysis problems in a national lab for three CSIRO years, he joined Swinburne University Elizabeth Pharo completed of Technology in 2001. He is currently her PhD in 2016 in the Director of Swinburne’s ARC Training Professor Marilyn Renfree’s Centre in Biodevices, which received the laboratory in the School of Biosciences Vice-Chancellor’s Engagement Award in at The . During 2014 and Vice-Chancellor’s Award for her PhD, she studied the endocrine and Research Excellence in 2017. As a Professor transcriptional regulation of milk protein of Biomedical Engineering at Swinburne, genes in an Australian marsupial, the his research interests include applied (Macropus eugenii) optics, biophotonics and medical devices, using mammary gland explants, primary with a particular focus in the areas of mammary epithelial cells, immortalised cell optical nerve stimulation and optical fiber lines and comparative genomics. In 2017, biosensors based on Raman spectroscopy. she commenced a Postdoctoral Fellowship at CSIRO Australian Animal Health

8 Laboratory, Geelong working on developing team developing highly miniaturised ex vivo organoid models with which to imaging probes, small enough to be investigate respiratory and vascular viruses encased within hypodermic needles. (Influenza, MERS, SARS, Ebola, etc.). After three years as a researcher at the University of Oxford, he spent five years in PROF MICHAEL the medical imaging industry, including as PARKER a Product Manager with Siemens Medical Professor Michael Parker Solutions. He was responsible for the is Director of the Bio21 development of three medical devices, Institute, University of two with FDA regulatory approval. Melbourne and Head of Returning to academia in 2007, he focused Structural Biology, St. Vincent’s Institute on the development of optical imaging of Medical Research in Melbourne. He is technologies, particularly optical coherence also an NHMRC Senior Principal Research tomography and fluorescence. He has been Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry awarded over $5M in research grants. and Molecular Biology at Bio21. In 2014, Robert was appointed as a After obtaining his D. Phil. in protein Councillor of the Australian Optical crystallography from Oxford University, Society. In 2016, he was appointed Chair of Michael returned to Australia to re- Biophotonics at the University of Adelaide. establish a protein crystallography laboratory at St. Vincent’s in 1991. He has published over 300 papers and his work has been recognised with numerous awards He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2010 and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2015. He is currently Chair of the National Committee of Crystallography under the auspices of the Australian Academy of Science.

PROF ROBERT MCLAUGHLIN UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE Robert McLaughlin is head of the Bioengineering Imaging Group at The University Adelaide. He currently leads a research

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