Peter Rickard serves as a Lecturer at the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies (CCES), Charles Sturt University, leveraging over two decades of operational experience within the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and its predecessor organizations including Revenue Canada - Customs and Excise and the Canada Customs & Revenue Agency. His expertise spans critical border security domains with primary focus on: Trade incentives program management Advance Passenger Information – Passenger Name Record (API-PNR) compliance systems International aviation data analysis for border operations Customs enforcement strategies Cross-border regulatory cooperation frameworks Prior to joining CCES, Rickard directed the CBSA's national API-PNR Compliance program where his team monitored international air carrier data flows for all Canadian-bound aircraft, conducted compliance analysis, and supported targeting operations through direct engagement with global airlines, aviation associations, and regulatory bodies to enhance understanding of Canadian border legislation. No scientific awards or student supervision activities were documented in the source material. His operational background in customs compliance and international aviation security forms the foundation of his academic contributions at CCES.
Clarisa Castanos is an Associate Researcher at the University of Western Australia (UWA), affiliated with the School of Molecular Sciences and the ARC Centre for Plant Energy Biology. Her work focuses on honey bee nutrition, entomology, and molecular sciences. She holds a PhD from UWA, where she contributed to Dr. Julia Grassl's Honey Bee Health Research Group. Her current project, funded by AgriFutures Australia, evaluates honey bee nutritional requirements to support colony health and productivity, aligning with global food security goals. Education: Bachelor's and Master's in Biological Sciences (UNAM, Mexico), PhD in Honey Bee Nutrition (UWA). Research Interests: Honey bee metabolism, lipidomics, entomological physiology, and sustainable agriculture. Her studies bridge biochemical techniques with ecological applications, addressing nutritional deficiencies in pollinators. Grants & Awards: Underwood PhD Completion Scholarship (2022), Industry PhD Fellowships Program (2019). Labs/Teams: Member of the Honey Bee Health Research Group (CRC for Honey Bee Products) and the ARC Centre for Plant Energy Biology.
Scientia Professor Ross Buckley is a leading academic at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), holding positions in the School of Law & Justice and the School of Private & Commercial Law. He serves as an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow (2020-2027) with a $3.7 million project exploring how Australia might regulate the rise of data and its analysis. Buckley also holds prestigious chairs including the King & Wood Mallesons Chair in International Finance Law (2013) and the KPMG Law - KWM Chair in Disruptive Innovation and Law (2018-2023). Professor Buckley's research focuses on the intersection of finance, technology, and regulation, with particular expertise in FinTech, RegTech, central bank digital currencies, and the Consumer Data Right. His work with Professors Doug Arner of HKU and Dirk Zetzsche of the University of Luxembourg on FinTech is currently downloaded from the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) more frequently than that of any other legal scholars globally. His research examines how the rise of data and its algorithmic analysis impacts society, financial systems, and regulatory frameworks. Buckley's extensive publication record demonstrates a clear evolution from traditional financial law toward the cutting edge of digital finance. His recent work shows increasing focus on central bank digital currencies, consumer data rights, and the regulatory challenges posed by BigTech's entry into financial services. The trajectory of his research reflects the rapid transformation of the financial sector, moving from foundational work on financial regulation to addressing the most pressing technological disruptions in finance today. Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow (2020-2027) King & Wood Mallesons Chair in International Finance Law (2013) KPMG Law - KWM Chair in Disruptive Innovation and Law (2018-2023) Member, Payments System Board, Reserve Bank of Australia Chair, Digital Finance Advisory Panel, ASIC Founding Series Editor, Global Trade Law Series, Kluwer Law International Professor Buckley has consulted for government departments in over 12 countries and three US government agencies (OCC, SEC, and Department of Justice). He has supervised 13 doctoral candidates to completion and is currently seeking two additional doctoral candidates and two post-doctoral research fellows for his Laureate Project starting in 2025. His prior research projects have supported numerous academic careers, with former fellows now serving as professors at institutions including Durham, Monash, Boston University, and the University of Hong Kong. With a background that includes nine years of practice in banking and finance law in Australia, Hong Kong, and on Wall Street with Davis Polk, Professor Buckley brings practical experience to his academic work. Since joining UNSW in 2007, he has established himself as a global authority on financial technology regulation, with research that directly informs policy development in Australia and internationally.
Dr Julia Grassl is a Research Fellow in the School of Molecular Sciences at The University of Western Australia. She leads the Honey Bee Health Research Group and serves as a Program Leader for the Cooperative Research Centre for Honey Bee Products. Her work focuses on the impacts of genetic diversity, disease, and nutrition on honey bee health, working closely with beekeepers to develop practical molecular solutions for improving colony health and productivity. The University of Western Australia, School of Molecular Sciences (Current) Cooperative Research Centre for Honey Bee Products, Program Leader (2017-2022) UCD Conway Institute, Postdoctoral Researcher (Previous) Dr Grassl's research integrates molecular biology with apiculture, developing innovative approaches to detect diseases like American Foulbrood and understand nutritional requirements for honey bees. Her work has advanced knowledge of disease resistance mechanisms and the effects of supplementary feeding on colony health, with direct applications for sustainable beekeeping practices. Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on lipidomics for assessing colony health, volatile biomarkers for non-invasive disease detection, and genetic factors influencing disease resistance. This research shows a clear trajectory toward developing practical diagnostic tools and evidence-based nutrition guidelines for beekeepers. School of Molecular Sciences Mid-Career Research Award (2022) UWA Faculty of Science - Rising Star Award (2018) Early Postdoctoral Fellow Travel Award to attend HUPO Congress (2010) Dissemination Grant for publication in PROTEOMICS (2008) Travel grants for proteomics conferences (2006-2008) Dr Grassl currently supervises graduate research and leads multiple funded projects including AgriFutures Australia initiatives on honey bee nutrition and American Foulbrood diagnostics. Her research has secured substantial funding from national research bodies and industry partners, demonstrating strong translational impact for the apiculture industry. As leader of the Honey Bee Health Research Group, she maintains extensive collaborations with beekeepers, industry stakeholders, and international researchers to address critical challenges facing honey bee populations globally. Her work directly contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to life on land and responsible consumption.
Chau Nguyen is a Lecturer at University of Wollongong's School of Computing and Information Technology. Her research focuses on cybersecurity in distributed systems, particularly software-defined networking (SDN), IoT security, and blockchain applications. Key research areas include: Blockchain-based quantum safety for medical data Software-defined IoT security frameworks Microservice architecture optimization Recent publications demonstrate innovation in automated service alignment and AI-driven microservice recommendations. Secured ARC funding for quantum-safe medical passport development. Teaches web security and supervises graduate researchers in container security and phishing mitigation.
Prof. Jean-Guy Schneider is a Professor and Associate Dean (Education) in the Faculty of IT at Monash University. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and has over 20 years of experience in higher education. His research focuses on reliable software technologies, including component-based systems, cloud/mobile computing, quantum software, and agile methodologies. He actively contributes to software engineering education and industry-relevant research. His key research areas include energy-efficient IoT architectures, machine learning model security (e.g., MLGuard project), and quantum computing abstractions. Recent work emphasizes optimizing workflows for energy/performance trade-offs and addressing challenges in open-source ML projects. Prof. Schneider has published extensively on topics like service virtualization, Docker container monitoring, and anomaly detection in cloud systems. He supervises PhD candidates in software engineering for machine learning and quantum computing.
Associate Professor Caroline Hauxwell holds a position in the School of Biology & Environmental Science at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Her research focuses on microbial applications in agriculture, particularly biopesticides and integrated pest management. She leads projects addressing sustainable food production through the development of microbial solutions for crop protection, including biopesticide formulations and mathematical modeling of pathogen dynamics. Education: PhD (Imperial College, London), BA (University of Oxford). Research Interests: Microorganisms in food production, microbial ecology, invertebrate pathology, and the commercialization of biopesticides. Her group collaborates with industries to reduce chemical insecticide use and establish sustainable pest management strategies. Recent work includes international registration of biopesticides and founding a manufacturing company. Experience: Over 25 years of leadership in tropical forestry, pest management, and biopesticide development across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Key roles include developing baculovirus and fungal biopesticides, adjuvants for microbial insecticides, and diagnostic programs for plant biosecurity. Grants & Projects: Leads Australian Competitive Grant-funded projects including 'New technology for stored grain pest management' and 'A new biopesticide for Diamondback Moth management in canola'. Collaborates with organizations like GRDC and Queensland Government. Labs & Teams: Heads the Invertebrate Microbiology group at QUT, fostering interdisciplinary research in microbial applications and sustainable agriculture.
Annabelle McIver is a Professor at the School of Computing, Macquarie University, and a member of the Data Horizons Research Centre, Future Communications Research Centre, and Frontier AI Research Centre. Her research focuses on program verification, quantitative information flow, and privacy-preserving technologies. She holds a DPhil in Mathematics from the University of Oxford and a BA from the University of Cambridge. McIver has held visiting positions at MIT, ETH Zurich, and INRIA, and was a Junior Research Fellow at St Hilda's College, Oxford. Her work has been recognized with awards including the 2015 Best Scientific Cybersecurity Paper and the 2023 Faculty of Science and Engineering Award for Inter-School Collaboration. She leads the Topete Research Group, exploring formal methods and their applications in security and privacy. Her research interests span formal verification, differential privacy, and the mathematical analysis of security flaws. Key projects include work on probabilistic programming, privacy in machine learning, and secure data pipelines. McIver has authored over 125 publications and contributed to initiatives like the Digital Finance CRC and the AIS-SHIELDS project securing health data. Her recent work emphasizes privacy-utility trade-offs in technologies like differential privacy and adversarial attacks. Education: PhD (DPhil) in Mathematics, University of Oxford (1990) BA (Double First) in Mathematics, University of Cambridge (1985) Awards: Best Scientific Cybersecurity Paper (2015) Distinguished Paper Award (2024) Platt Prize (1984) Unwin Prize (1985) McIver collaborates internationally on cybersecurity, privacy frameworks, and formal methods, with active projects in autonomous systems, healthcare data security, and AI ethics.
Hong Jin Kang is a Lecturer in the School of Computer Science at The University of Sydney. His research focuses on improving developer productivity through human-centric AI tools, particularly in Active Learning and AI-driven Software Engineering. Prior roles include postdoctoral fellowships at UCLA and a PhD at Singapore Management University (SMU), advised by Prof. David Lo. His work spans vulnerability detection, program transformation, and software supply chain security, with practical industry impact through CVE discoveries and deployed techniques. Education : PhD in Computer Science, Singapore Management University (2023) Postdoctoral Research, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Research Interests : Active Learning for code analysis and vulnerability management AI and ML integration into software development tools Cybersecurity in software supply chains Program transformation and legacy code modernization His publications address challenges in automated tool development, including vulnerability identification (e.g., CHRONOS), code model compression, and adversarial specification mining. Recent work emphasizes sustainability in AI and human-in-the-loop systems. Awards : Distinguished Reviewer Award for ICSE 2025 Advising & Grants : Actively mentoring PhD students in software engineering and AI, with a focus on curiosity-driven candidates. His research is supported by collaborations with industry and academic institutions. Labs/Teams : Pioneers tools like Coccinelle4J for Java program transformation and collaborates on projects such as VulCurator and HERMES for vulnerability analysis.
Professor Andrew Gunstone is the inaugural Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Reconciliation and Professor Indigenous Studies at Federation University, leading the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice established in 2023. His roles include advancing reconciliation through academic research, policy development, and community engagement. He holds a PhD from the University of Queensland and advanced degrees in public policy and indigenous studies from Deakin and University of South Australia. His research focuses on reconciliation frameworks, truth-telling mechanisms, and reparative justice. Key areas include Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs), systemic racism analysis, and Indigenous political representation. He has secured over $8 million in grants, including a landmark 2023-2028 Canadian SSHRC project on truth and reconciliation. Gunstone's 170+ publications include nine books and foundational texts like Unfinished Business: The Australian Formal Reconciliation Process . He co-chairs Reconciliation Victoria and edits the Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues . His recent book Reflections on the Voice analyzes the 2023 Referendum and its implications for Australia's reconciliation journey.
Dr. Rukshan Athauda is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle, affiliated with the School of Information and Physical Sciences (Computing and Information Technology). He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Florida International University and has over 15 years of academic and industry experience. His roles include leadership positions such as Program Convenor for multiple degree programs and RHD Coordinator. Research Expertise: His work spans Database Systems, Educational Technology, Cloud Computing, and IT Security. Notable projects include frameworks for collaborative music post-production, virtual labs in education, and trust models in digital ecosystems. He has co-authored 75+ publications and attracted $741K in grants. Teaching: Currently teaches Systems and Network Administration and Cloud Computing. Previously developed courses in databases and IT systems at the University of Moratuwa and SLIIT in Sri Lanka. Professional Activities: Editorial board member of the International Journal of Computer and Information Technology. Keynote speaker at multiple conferences and recipient of awards for collaboration and teaching innovation. Grants & Supervision: Lead 19 grants, including projects on transport scheduling and learning analytics. Supervised 10+ PhD/Masters projects on topics like cybersecurity, learning frameworks, and fog-cloud environments.
Dr. Abdun Mahmood is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and IT at La Trobe University, Australia. He holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and has held academic positions at institutions including RMIT University and UNSW Canberra. His research focuses on Machine Learning and Cybersecurity, particularly in Smart Grid Security, SCADA systems, and Malware Detection. He leads a research group addressing challenges like anomaly detection in big data, SCADA vulnerability analysis, and privacy-preserving techniques. Education: PhD in Computer Science, University of Melbourne (2008) MSc (Research) in Computer Science, University of Dhaka (1999) BSc in Applied Physics and Electronics, University of Dhaka (1997) Research Interests: Machine Learning applications in Cybersecurity Smart Grid Security (e.g., False Data Injection, SCADA vulnerabilities) Malware Detection (Windows, API analysis, memory forensics) Federated Learning for privacy-preserving systems Data analytics for anomaly detection in big data Funded Research: Secured over $1M in grants, including ARC Linkage Projects Recent project: 'Detection of data integrity cyber attacks in smart grid' (2020–2023) Availability: Supervision of Masters/PhD students, collaborative industry projects, and advisory roles. Labs/Teams: Leads a research team focusing on Machine Learning and Cybersecurity, with active projects in SCADA security, malware analysis, and federated learning frameworks.
Dr. Keshav Sood is a Senior Lecturer at Deakin University's School of Information Technology, where he leads research in cybersecurity, AI, and next-generation networks. His affiliations include roles as Graduate Research Coordinator and South Asia Country Coordinator. He completed his PhD at Deakin University and a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Newcastle. Research Interests: Dr. Sood focuses on securing distributed systems, with emphasis on: Federated learning for intrusion detection in IoT/5G networks Biometric privacy in immersive technologies (VR/AR) RF fingerprinting for IoT device authentication Quantum-resistant software-defined networks Adversarial robustness in voice authentication systems His publications consistently explore AI-driven security frameworks, with recent work addressing data sparsity in IoT sensors, cross-domain IIoT authentication, and phishing mitigation using large language models. Awards: Professor of IT Award (2016) IEEE TNSE Excellent Reviewer (2023) Deakin HDR Supervision Award (2023) Course Team Award for Industry Certification Alignment (2021) Supervision & Grants: Dr. Sood currently advises 8 graduate researchers and has secured $655,313 in competitive funding. Key projects include: Smart Farming Cyber Resilience (DFAT Maitri Grant) Secure Access for Critical Infrastructure (Cyber CRC) IoT Data Integrity for Defense Systems (Australian Defence) He leads the Deakin Cyber Research and Innovation Centre, focusing on scalable security solutions for industry partners.
