Professor Hongdong Li is a Tenured Professor at the School of Computing, Australian National University (ANU), within the College of Engineering and Computer Science. His research focuses on 3D Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and their applications in dynamic environments. He has held visiting roles at Carnegie Mellon University and has contributed to significant projects like the Australia Bionic Eyes initiative. Education: PhD (Electrical Engineering). Research Interests : 3D Computer Vision fundamentals and applied AI systems Learning-based 3D perception for plant sciences Robot navigation in unfamiliar environments Awards : Marr Prize Honourable Mention CVPR Best Paper Award Advising & Grants : Supervised 40+ PhD students, with funding from ARC, CSIRO, Microsoft, and firms like OPPO/Tencent. Active in projects such as bushfire detection via video analytics and sign language translation systems. Labs/Teams : Co-founder of the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision (ACRV). Collaborates globally on cross-view localization and autonomous systems.
Dr. Dmytro Matsypura is an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Business Analytics at the University of Sydney Business School. He holds a BA (Hons) from Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI), an MS (Hons) from KPI, and a PhD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on optimization methodologies, network science, and their applications in finance, transportation, ecology, and graph theory. He is a recipient of multiple teaching awards, including the Wayne Lonergan Outstanding Teaching Award (Early Career) in 2010. Education: PhD in Management Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2006) MS (Hons) in Information Systems, Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (2000) BA (Hons) in Business Administration, Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (1998) Research Interests: Dr. Matsypura’s work spans operations research and management science, with a focus on mathematical optimization and network science. His methodological contributions include developing efficient optimization algorithms, while his applied research addresses real-world challenges in finance, engineering, and ecology. Notable applications include wildfire fuel management, portfolio margining, and credit card fraud detection via graph-based models. Awards and Recognition: Teaching Excellence Award (2008, 2013, 2018) Wayne Lonergan Outstanding Teaching Award (Early Career) (2010) Grants and Projects: Current projects include Bushfire Analytics: Optimization of Fuel Reduction (2023, ARC Discovery Project). His research frequently integrates interdisciplinary collaborations, such as applying graph theory to biomedical problems and cybersecurity. Labs/Teams: Active in the Sydney Environment Institute, contributing to projects at the intersection of analytics and sustainability. Collaborates with industry on fraud detection and supply chain optimization.
Dr. Matthew Brookhouse is a Senior Lecturer at the Fenner School of Environment & Society, part of the Australian National University's Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions. With a PhD in Dendroclimatology from ANU, he specializes in using forest structural complexity and tree-ring analysis to understand climate interactions and ecological responses in Australian subalpine environments. Research Focus: Sub-alpine ecology, Dendrochronology, CO2 responsiveness in eucalypt species Teaching: First-year research methods with emphasis on statistical application, advanced modeling and field botany Projects: Leading collaborative snow-gum dieback research and dendrochronological monitoring initiatives His publications span 2006-2025 with recent emphasis on machine learning applications for forest monitoring, tropical tree-ring chronologies for climate change, and climate sensitivity in Australian alpine ecosystems. Key collaborations include institutions like Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and University of Canberra researchers. Current projects focus on snow-gum woodland dieback mechanisms, high-resolution dendrometric monitoring, and integrating dendrochronology with environmental policy frameworks. He maintains active supervision of research students and contributes to both undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum development.
Prof. Maureen Taylor is a Visiting Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), School of Communication, specializing in strategic communication and public relations. She holds a PhD from Purdue University and previously served as Director of the University of Tennessee’s School of Advertising and Public Relations and as the Gayford Family Chair at the University of Oklahoma. Her research focuses on public relations theory, dialogue, disaster resilience, and digital media impact. Taylor chairs the Public Relations Review journal and has authored over 70 articles and multiple books. She is a Pathfinder Award recipient (2010) and an ICA Fellow (2018). Supervision is available for Masters and PhD students in strategic communication. Education: PhD in Communication, Purdue University (1996). Research Interests: Nation building, civil society engagement, crisis communication, and media’s role in divided societies. Recent work includes frameworks for community disaster resilience and digital media’s cultural impact in post-Soviet regions. Funded Projects: Includes WHO-funded studies on health communication evaluation and Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC-funded community preparedness models. Grants focus on measurement of government communications and pandemic response strategies. Current projects explore dialogic engagement architectures in social media. Awards: Pathfinder Award (2010), ICA Fellowship (2018). Grants & Collaborations: Over 10 funded projects since 2018, including evaluations of NSW government advertising and WHO’s Western Pacific Region campaigns.
Kim A. Johnston is a Professor in the School of Advertising, Marketing & PR at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Her research focuses on public relations, community engagement, disaster management communication, and stakeholder relationships. She has authored over 90 publications, including the influential Handbook of Communication Engagement (2018). Her work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing resilience-building in vulnerable communities, social impact assessment, and organizational communication strategies. Education & Roles: Holds a PhD in Strategic Communication (QUT, 2011). Served as lead researcher in multiple projects funded by organizations like Natural Hazards Research Australia and Healthy Waterways. Research Highlights: Pioneered frameworks like the 'Authenticity Matrix for Community Engagement' (2019) and 'Co-orientation on Social Impact' (2025). Her work on disaster preparedness has informed policy through systematic reviews and toolkit development. Grants & Collaborations: Collaborated with institutions such as Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC and Murray-Darling Basin stakeholders. Projects include assessing stakeholder engagement in water governance and evaluating community flood experiences post-2022. Labs/Teams: Active in QUT's Business School research clusters on strategic communication and CSR. Leads interdisciplinary teams in disaster resilience and employee engagement studies.
Professor Hilary Bambrick is a distinguished environmental epidemiologist and anthropologist at the Australian National University (ANU), leading the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. She specializes in climate change and health, focusing on adaptation strategies, vector-borne diseases, and urban resilience. Her work bridges research, policy, and practice, with significant contributions to global health initiatives like the WHO and UNDP. Bambrick has over 180 publications and $11M in research funding, addressing climate impacts on vulnerable populations, including First Nations communities and Pacific Island nations. She serves on the Climate Council of Australia and the Australia Institute, advocating for evidence-based climate policies. Her research integrates epidemiology, anthropology, and environmental science to enhance health resilience in changing climates. Education: PhD (ANU, 2003), BA (Hons), BSc, Grad Cert Higher Ed. Key Research Focus: Climate change health impacts, adaptation strategies, vector-borne diseases, urban design, and health equity. She leads interdisciplinary projects on climate litigation, heatwaves, and infectious disease forecasting. Grants & Funding: Over $11 million in research grants, including projects on bushfire preparedness, dengue transmission modeling, and climate-sensitive disease surveillance. Labs/Teams: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (ANU), collaborating with global networks like the Lancet Countdown and MJA-Lancet Countdown.
Owen Price is an Associate Professor and Director in Bushfire Risk Management at the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences (SEALS), University of Wollongong. His roles include leading research on wildfire impacts on ecosystems, human health, and infrastructure. He holds a PhD from the Australian National University (1998), an MSc from the University of Strathclyde (1986), and a BSc (hons) from the University of York (1985). Director, Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfire (since 2020) Principal Fellow, SEALS (2019–2021) His research integrates fieldwork, GIS/remote sensing, and statistical modeling to address landscape-scale wildfire risks. Key interests include fire severity effects on biodiversity, smoke pollution impacts, and cost-effective fire management strategies. He supervises postgraduate students in topics like coastal wetland vulnerability and fire regime analysis. Recent grants include studies on coastal wetlands' fire resilience (2023–2026), Bayesian fire spread modeling (2023–2026), and evaluating aerial firefighting efficacy (2023). His work bridges ecological, social, and technical dimensions of wildfire risk. Notable awards and recognitions are not explicitly listed in the provided materials. His contributions to fire policy and community adaptation are highlighted through collaborative projects with government and environmental agencies.
Salman Durrani is a Professor and Associate Director Education at the School of Engineering, Australian National University. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Queensland and a BSc (First Class Honours) from the University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore, Pakistan. His research spans Internet of Things networks, satellite/UAV communications, machine learning applications in wireless systems, early wildfire detection, and backscatter communications. Current projects focus on terahertz communication security, UAV-assisted networks, and IoT-based environmental monitoring. His recent publications demonstrate strong emphasis on wireless security, terahertz technology optimization, UAV network design, and IoT applications for environmental protection. Technological innovations include novel beamforming techniques and lightweight authentication protocols. AI 2000 Internet of Things Most Influential Scholar (2020, 2022, 2023) IEEE ComSoc Asia Pacific Outstanding Paper Award (2016) Australian Council of Graduate Research Excellence Award (2019) ANU Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Supervision (2018) and Education (2012) He has supervised 15 PhD students to completion and secured $1.9M in research funding as chief investigator for six grants. Current projects include participation in the ANU Optus Bushfire Research Centre of Excellence.
Renate Egan is a Professor and Deputy Head of School (Engagement) at the School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering , University of New South Wales (UNSW). She leads UNSW's activities in the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics , a national research consortium involving multiple Australian institutions. Her research focuses on: Techno-economic analysis of photovoltaic technologies Energy data analytics for decentralized systems Electricity market restructuring Technology transfer and commercialization Recent work examines machine learning applications in energy demand forecasting, thermal storage optimization, and bushfire resilience. She collaborates extensively across academia, industry, and government sectors. Key affiliations include: Co-Founder of Solar Analytics (Australia's largest independent energy monitoring provider) Executive Committee member of the IEA PV Power Systems program
Professor Donna Green is an internationally recognized environmental scientist at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), affiliated with the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences. She holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley (2004) and leads multidisciplinary research at the intersection of climate change, energy policy, and air pollution. Her work focuses on balancing improvements in indoor air quality against outdoor pollution sources such as traffic, bushfires, and industry, while addressing increasingly recognized risks from indoor air contaminants including airborne diseases. PhD, University of California, Berkeley (2004) Professor Green's research spans environmental science, climate change impacts, air pollution health effects, renewable energy policy, and environmental justice. Her work demonstrates particular expertise in the health impacts of climate change, with emphasis on vulnerable populations including Indigenous communities. She investigates the synergistic impacts of urban air pollution compounding climate emergencies, and has published extensively on environmental injustice in resource-rich Aboriginal Australia. Her research often bridges scientific findings with practical policy solutions, working collaboratively with engineers, legal practitioners, and public health experts to design evidence-based approaches to environmental challenges. The most recent publications reveal a strong focus on wildfire smoke impacts on health, indoor air quality in educational settings, climate litigation trends, and the intersection of renewable energy development with Indigenous rights. Her work shows increasing attention to the health consequences of climate change, particularly through the MJA-Lancet Countdown reports which document Australia's preparedness (or lack thereof) for climate-related health challenges. There's also a clear trend toward interdisciplinary collaboration, with publications spanning environmental science, public health, engineering, and social justice perspectives. Clean Air Society Australia & New Zealand Innovation & Excellence in Air Quality Award for CleanAir Schools program Professor Green leads the CleanAir Schools program and is currently implementing Fresh Air Innovators in 100 NSW school classrooms. She has secured significant research funding through collaborations with multiple institutions and has supervised numerous students, though specific advisees aren't listed in the provided text. Her research has informed policy discussions on air quality standards, climate adaptation strategies, and environmental justice frameworks. Professor Green directs research teams investigating indoor air quality solutions, climate-health interactions, and renewable energy policy frameworks. Her CleanAir Schools initiative represents a major practical application of her research, translating scientific findings into classroom interventions that protect children from air pollution. She collaborates extensively with engineers, public health experts, and policy practitioners to develop evidence-based solutions to environmental challenges.
Associate Professor Fangbao Tian is a distinguished researcher and academic at UNSW Canberra's School of Engineering and Technology, where he also serves as Deputy Head of School for Research since July 2023. Previously, he held positions as Senior Lecturer (2017-2021) and Lecturer (2014-2017) at the same institution after completing postdoctoral research at Vanderbilt University. His academic journey began with a BSc (2006) and PhD (2011) in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and Engineering Mechanics from the University of Science and Technology of China. Dr. Tian's research focuses on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools for complex flows and fluid-structure interaction, with particular emphasis on bio-inspired applications. His work spans modeling laryngeal aerodynamics and vocal-fold vibration, fluid-structure interaction of plates in viscous fluid, fish swimming and insect flight, blood flow dynamics, and non-Newtonian flow phenomena. Recent work has expanded into Martian atmosphere aerodynamics, showing his research's growing interdisciplinary nature. His extensive publication record demonstrates consistent contributions across fluid dynamics, with recent trends showing increasing focus on compressible flows, bio-inspired flight systems, heat transfer applications, and computational methods like Lattice Boltzmann approaches. The research shows strong connections between fundamental fluid mechanics and practical applications in aerospace, biomedical engineering, and environmental systems. UNSW Canberra Goldstar Award 2022 IEEE Outstanding SMCS Chapter Award 2021 Outstanding Volunteer Award 2021 UNSW Canberra Silverstar Award 2018 UNSW Canberra Silverstar Award 2017 Journal of Fluids and Structures Highly Cited Research 2017 ARC DECRA 2016 Dr. Tian actively supervises PhD students across diverse topics including bushfire-enhanced wind loads, bio-inspired flight on Mars, flow control optimization, and fluid-structure interactions in compressible flows. He has secured over $5 million in external funding as Chief Investigator, including significant Australian Research Council projects examining Martian atmosphere aerodynamics, bio-inspired flapping wings, and cardiovascular flow modeling. His editorial roles include Associate Editor for Journal of Fluids and Structures and Scientific Reports, reflecting his standing in the fluid dynamics research community.
Lidia Morawska is a Distinguished Professor and Australian Laureate Fellow at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), leading the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health (ILAQH), a WHO Collaborating Centre. She specializes in air quality science and its health impacts, particularly particulate matter research. Her roles include Director of ILAQH, Co-Director of the Australia-China Centre for Air Quality Science and Management, and Adjunct Professorships at Jinan University and the University of Surrey. Education: PhD (Physics) and MSc from Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland. Early career included research in Canada and Poland before joining QUT in 1991, where she was promoted to Professor in 2003. Established the Environmental Aerosol Laboratory (now ILAQH) in 1992. Research interests focus on aerosol science, air pollution, and policy guidance for WHO guidelines since 1990. Awards include the 2023 L'Oréal-UNESCO International Award, 2022 AAAR Susanne V. Herring Award, and 2021 TIME100 recognition. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences. Grants and projects include leadership of the ARC Training Centre for Advanced Building Systems Against Airborne Infection Transmission (THRIVE). Collaborates globally on clean air initiatives and indoor/outdoor exposure risks. Active in policy advising, including co-chairing WHO guideline development.
Professor Javen Qinfeng Shi is a faculty member at the University of Adelaide, holding the position of Professor in the School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences under the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology. He serves as Founding Director of the Causal AI Group and as one of the directors at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), based at the North Terrace campus location. His research centers on causation, artificial intelligence, mind and metaphysics, with Google Scholar rankings placing him 4th globally in causation and 7th in probabilistic graphical models. Shi develops causal AI methods to identify root causes, discover latent variables, eliminate spurious correlations, enhance cross-domain generalization, model intervention consequences, and solve counterfactual queries. His work focuses on optimizing intervention sequences for desired outcomes under resource constraints, applied to material discovery, agriculture, mining, sports, manufacturing, bushfire prediction, healthcare, and education. Professor Shi's industry impact includes the NOBURN bushfire prediction app (released 2023 with 50+ media coverages), energy material discovery via AI catalysts, and smart manufacturing logistics solutions. His work with the Responsible AI Think Tank (2022-2024) and current AI Industry Forum panellist role (2024 onward) demonstrates active contribution to national and state AI ecosystem development. His scientific awards include: 1st place at Open Catalyst Challenge (NeurIPS AI for Science 2023) Winner of AUS/NZ Bushfire Data Quest 2020 Citizen Science Grant 2021 Finalist in SA Department of Energy and Mining Gawler Challenge 2020 (2k+ participants from 100+ countries), recognized for "The most innovative modelling" 2nd place in Explorer Challenge 2019 (1k+ entries from 62 countries) 1st place at SAIC Volkswagen Logistics Innovation Day 2019 Shi is eligible to supervise Masters and PhD students and has secured research funding including the Citizen Science Grant 2021. His industry collaborations span energy, agriculture, mining, and emergency management, translating theoretical causal AI into practical tools like NOBURN. He leads the Causal AI Group at the University of Adelaide and directs research teams at AIML, focusing on causal inference frameworks for distribution shift resilience and intervention optimization. Current projects emphasize bushfire prediction, material science applications, and AI ethics implementation through the AI Industry Forum.
Petra T. Buergelt is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Health. She holds affiliate roles at the UC Health Research Institute, HEAL Global Research Centre, and Joint Centre for Disaster Research (Massey University, NZ). A transdisciplinary scholar, her work bridges Indigenous knowledge systems with Western paradigms, focusing on disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and cultural revitalization. She has led over $10.32M in grants, including the NAIDOC award-winning Dharray Manymakkuŋ Energy Efficiency Project. Education: PhD (Massey University, 2011) Master (1st Class Honours, Massey University, 2004) Bachelor (Psychology, Massey University, 2001) Bachelor (Horticulture, Dresden-Pillnitz, 1993) Research Interests: Her research employs Indigenist participatory action research to explore resilience, disaster preparedness, and climate adaptation in remote Indigenous communities. Notable projects include the Waka Ngurrkanhayngu initiative with Yolŋu clan leaders in Australia and Taiwanese Indigenous communities. Teaching & Leadership: She leads the Psychology Indigenising Curriculum Team, redesigning curricula to incorporate Indigenous epistemologies. Her teaching spans Health Psychology, Qualitative Research, and Cross-cultural Competence workshops. Awards & Recognition: UC Faculty of Health Outstanding Early Career Researcher (2021) Indigenization of the Curriculum Award (2023) Sylff Fellow (Tokyo Foundation, 2011–present) Grants & Partnerships: $9.12M Manymak Energy Efficiency Project (2013–2016) $219,770 Waka Ngurrkanhayngu project (2021–2024) Collaborations with ANU, CDU, and international institutions Labs & Teams: Co-founder of the Group of Energy Efficient Researchers (GEER) Australia and leadership roles in the International Transformative Learning Association (ITLA).
Dr. Weihao Li is a Research Fellow at The Australian National University's School of Computing, specializing in computer vision and machine learning. His research focuses on object detection, image segmentation, open-set recognition, and point cloud segmentation. He holds a Dr. rer. nat. (PhD equivalent) and is registered to supervise research students. His research interests revolve around advancing techniques for dynamic instance segmentation, open-set learning, and 3D point cloud analysis. Notable projects include the ANU bushfire smoke dataset and contributions to generalized semantic segmentation and anomaly recognition. His work emphasizes data augmentation strategies and weakly-supervised learning methods. Key technical areas include synthetic dynamic instance copy-paste for video segmentation, curved geometric networks for anomaly detection, and cross-modal fusion in building facade analysis. He collaborates on computing-for-social-good initiatives, such as environmental monitoring via hyperspectral imaging. Dr. Li's publications span 2016–2024, with a focus on advancing computer vision through innovative architectures and methodologies. His recent work explores open-set recognition, few-shot learning with reinforced attention, and geometric prior-based segmentation techniques.
