Dr. Abby Haynes is a Research Fellow at the Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, affiliated with the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health and Faculty of Medicine and Health. Her work focuses on physical activity for healthy ageing and people with disability, employing qualitative research, systems thinking, and realist evaluation. Key research themes include: Healthy Ageing Disability and Physical Activity Implementation Science Knowledge Mobilisation Her recent publications analyze: Inclusive sports programs for children with disability Fall prevention in acute hospitals Telehealth physiotherapy for aged care Realist evaluations of yoga and dance interventions Systems thinking in public health policy These emphasize public health, gerontology, and health equity approaches. Grants include MRFF-funded projects on traumatic brain injury rehabilitation (2024), fall prevention (2023), and aged care mobility (2022).
Kwan-Wu Chin is a Professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering at the University of Wollongong, where he also serves as Head of Postgraduate Studies (HPS) and co-directs the Wireless Technologies Lab (WTL). His research focuses on resource allocation problems in Internet of Things (IoT) systems, maritime networks, edge computing platforms, and integrated sensing-communication systems. Chin leads an active research group currently supervising five PhD students working on UAV networks, edge computing, maritime systems, and metaverse resource allocation. He has graduated over 20 PhD students who now hold positions in academia and industry. Chin serves as editor for Elsevier Computer Communications and IEEE Internet of Things Journal. His work develops optimization techniques using graph theory, stochastic processes, and machine learning for next-generation wireless systems.
Professor Daniel Catchpoole serves as Deputy Head of School (Research) at the School of Computer Science, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), holding dual appointments at UTS and The Children's Hospital at Westmead. With over 20 years of research experience, he bridges computational sciences and pediatric cancer research through the Biomedical Data Science Lab in the Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute. His work integrates data analytics, artificial intelligence, and software development with molecular cancer biology to transform pediatric cancer treatment pathways. PhD in Cancer Cell Biology, University of New South Wales (1991-1995) Founding Fellow, Royal College of Pathologists Australasia (2010-present) Head, Children's Hospital at Westmead Tumour Bank (2001-present) Professor Catchpoole's research focuses on translational applications of genomics in childhood cancers, particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia and neuroblastoma. His work combines high-throughput genomic technologies with advanced computational analysis to develop systems biology approaches for cancer patient assessment. Recent projects explore virtual reality applications for complex genomic data visualization and copper chelation therapies to enhance neuroblastoma immunotherapy. His research has received significant funding from Cancer Institute NSW, Sony Foundation, ARC, and NHMRC. His publication record spans biomedical data science, cancer genomics, and virtual reality applications in oncology. Recent work demonstrates leadership in 3D latent diffusion models for tumor segmentation, biobank economics, and innovative immunotherapies. His research consistently addresses the critical need for actionable knowledge from complex multidimensional biomedical data. Editorial Board Member, Cancers (2023) Associate Editor, Innovations in Digital Health, Diagnostics and Biomarkers (2019) Founding member and first President, Australasian Biospecimens Network Association Professor Catchpoole has supervised 17 Honours students (including 6 First Class Honours), 3 MSc students, and 12 PhD candidates across multiple institutions, with 6 current PhD students. His collaborative research bridges UTS's Faculty of Engineering and IT with The Children's Cancer Research Unit at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. Significant research funding includes Cancer Institute NSW grants, Sony Foundation VR projects, and ARC Discovery Projects focused on genomic data analysis and clinical decision support systems. His leadership extends to building frameworks for translational research, managing biobanks and clinical data linkages, and navigating governance requirements for cancer research. The Tumour Bank at Kids Research, CCRU, represents his long-standing commitment to pediatric cancer infrastructure development.
Professor Yue Rong is a Full Professor at Curtin University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, within the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences. He holds editorial roles at IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing and IEEE Wireless Communications Letters. His research focuses on signal processing for communications, underwater acoustic systems, wireless networks, and healthcare IoT. Rong has authored over 140 journal and conference papers and received multiple awards, including the 2010 Young Researcher of the Year Award. Education: B.E. (Electrical Engineering), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (1999) M.Sc. (Electrical Engineering), University of Duisburg-Essen (2002) Ph.D. (Electrical Engineering), Darmstadt University of Technology (2005) Research Interests: Rong's work spans cooperative MIMO communications, underwater acoustic systems, OFDM modulation, radar-based healthcare monitoring, and secure wireless protocols. His innovations include adaptive modulation schemes for underwater environments and radar-based vital signs detection. Recent trends in his publications emphasize AI-driven signal processing for healthcare IoT and underwater optical communication systems. Awards: Best Paper Awards (WCSP 2011, APCOMM 2010) Chinese Government Award (2004) DAAD/ABB Fellowship (2001-2002) Grants & Labs: His research is supported by grants focusing on UAV-enabled data collection and underwater network optimization. He leads projects in the Distributed Data Fusion and Emerging Technologies (DDFE) lab, advancing radar-cardiography and wearable health monitoring systems.
Dr. Yanjun Zhang is an Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland. His research focuses on privacy-preserving technologies, federated learning, cybersecurity in IoT systems, and machine learning security. He holds a PhD in Privacy-Preserving Sharing for Genome-Wide Analysis from The University of Queensland (2021). Education: PhD in Information Technology, School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland (2021) Research Interests: Designing secure collaborative machine learning frameworks Defending against adversarial attacks in cyber-physical systems Privacy preservation in distributed genomic and medical data analysis Compliance and ethics in virtual personal assistant applications Key Contributions: Developed privacy-preserving federated learning frameworks (AgrAmplifier, PrivColl) Conducted foundational studies on evasion attacks in IoT systems Created datasets for analyzing malicious browser extensions and Alexa skills Labs/Teams: Active contributor to UQ Cyber initiatives, including the 2021-2022 Seed Funding project on federated deep learning for medical imaging.
Professor Mark Fitzgerald is a leading academic and clinician in trauma care, holding dual roles as Director of Trauma Services at The Alfred Hospital and Director of the National Trauma Research Institute. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Monash University’s Department of Surgery and Honorary Professor at Deakin University’s School of Information Technology. His work focuses on trauma systems improvement, reducing errors in resuscitation care, and standardizing life-saving protocols. Education: MBBS (University of Melbourne, 1981) Fellowship Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (1987) MD (Monash University, 2015) on Computer-Assisted Decision Support for Trauma Resuscitation Global Clinical Scholar in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Harvard Medical School, 2015) Grad. Cert. Internet Communications (Curtin University, 2019) Research Interests: Professor Fitzgerald’s research emphasizes trauma system development globally (e.g., China, India, Saudi Arabia), error reduction in critical care, and innovative resuscitation techniques. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly targeting reductions in preventable deaths and improved healthcare access. Awards: Ambulance Service Medal (2003) Foundation Medal, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (2003) Honorary Life Membership, Neurotrauma Society of India (2010) Gordon Trinca Medal for Trauma Services (2013) Grants & Funding: Secured over AUD$10m in research grants and AUD$16m in development funding for trauma initiatives. Active in multicenter trials, including the Advancing Care Through Injury Outcome Navigators (ACTION) Study and trials evaluating novel hemorrhage-control agents like BE1116. Labs & Teams: Leads the Trauma Reception & Resuscitation Project and collaborates internationally on trauma system optimization. His team develops digital tools for decision support and error mitigation in emergency settings.
Montserrat Ros is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Education) at the School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She has been with the university since 2006, initially joining as a Lecturer in Computer Engineering and progressing to her current senior academic and leadership roles. Her educational background includes: B.E.(Hons1)/B.Sc. double degree majoring in Computer Systems Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Queensland (2000) Ph.D. degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Queensland (2007) Professor Ros's research focuses on the intersection of embedded computing systems and practical engineering applications. Her work spans several key areas including embedded systems design, sensor network data fusion, cyber-physical systems development, and innovative approaches to engineering education. She has particular expertise in sensor-based localization techniques, computer architecture optimization, and code compression methodologies for resource-constrained environments. More recently, her research has expanded into machine learning applications for constrained systems and Internet of Things implementations. Analysis of her recent publication record reveals a strong emphasis on Internet of Things networks, UAV-based systems, and applications of artificial intelligence in both engineering education and manufacturing processes. Her work demonstrates a consistent pattern of bridging theoretical computer engineering concepts with practical real-world applications across diverse domains including healthcare, environmental monitoring, and industrial automation. Her significant contributions to academia have been recognized through numerous prestigious awards: 2019: AAUT Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning 2018: IEEE TALE 2018 Meritorious Service Award 2018: Featured in UOW Leadership in Education Booklet 2017: UOW Vice Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning 2016: UOW Women of Impact for inspiring young women in STEM 2015: UOW Vice Chancellor's Interdisciplinary Research Excellence Award 2012 & 2007: UOW Vice Chancellor's Awards for Teaching Excellence 2011: UOW Vice Chancellor's Award for Community Engagement Senior Fellow of WATTLE (Wollongong Academy for Tertiary Teaching & Learning Excellence) Professor Ros has secured substantial research funding across multiple projects spanning from 2006 to the present. Her grant portfolio demonstrates a consistent focus on engineering education innovation, sensor network development, and practical applications of embedded systems. Notable projects include "The AI Tutor: Enabling 24x7 student support across engineering" (2024), "AI/IoT-powered Airborne System for Monitoring Water Level and Tidal Floods" (2023), and "Smart Eye: Airborne and AI-Driven Assessment Solution of Sugarcane" (2022). She actively supervises HDR students and has completed multiple successful candidatures. Her leadership extends beyond research and teaching, as evidenced by her role as Associate Dean (Education) for the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences. She is also actively involved in community engagement through volunteering with the State Emergency Service (Wollongong SES) and Athletics Wollongong Club.
Iain Collings is a Professor in the School of Engineering at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia since 2014. He previously held roles as Head of Department and Deputy Dean of School. With a PhD in Systems Engineering from the Australian National University (1995), he spent nine years at CSIRO in leadership roles such as Deputy Chief of Division and Theme Leader, followed by academic positions at the Universities of Melbourne and Sydney. His research focuses on wireless communications, including MIMO systems, satellite communications, and millimeter-wave technologies. He has published over 350 papers and co-founded the Australian Communications Theory Workshop (AusCTW). Awards include the Engineers Australia Neville Thiele Award (2009), IEEE Stephen O. Rice Award (2011), and multiple teaching excellence awards. Education: PhD in Systems Engineering, Australian National University (1995) Previous academic and research roles at CSIRO, University of Melbourne, and University of Sydney Research Interests: Pioneering contributions to adaptive multiple-user and antenna systems in wireless communications, including MIMO, satellite networks, IoT, UAV communications, and RFID technologies. His work bridges fundamental research, prototype development, and education through channels with over 80,000 YouTube subscribers. Recent Projects: DP23: Enabling wide-area mm-wave mobile broadband networks (2023–2025) LP20: Scaling Up Satellite Communications for IoT (2021–2024) Advanced Satellite Communications for High-Rate Service Delivery (2020) Publications: Over 350 papers, with recent focuses on UAV-based IoT data collection, satellite IoT feasibility, and mm-wave beamforming. His YouTube channel provides educational content viewed over 7 million times. Awards and Roles: Fellow of IEEE Member of Australian Academy of Science's National Committee for Information and Communication Sciences Associate Editor for Sensors and IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications
Professor Nora Shields is a leading research physiotherapist and Research Director at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University. Her work focuses on enhancing physical activity and community participation for people with disabilities, particularly youth with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism. She is the founder of the evidence-based FitSkills program, which pairs young people with disabilities with student mentors in community gyms. PhD, Trinity College Dublin BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy, Trinity College Dublin Graduate Diploma in Statistics, Trinity College Dublin Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, La Trobe University Her research interests center on disability-inclusive physical activity, rehabilitation science, and implementation of community-based exercise programs. She employs both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to evaluate intervention effectiveness, accessibility, and participant experience. Her work bridges clinical practice, public health, and health policy, with strong emphasis on co-design and lived experience. The 15 most recent publications reflect a consistent focus on physical activity across diverse disability populations—autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and Prader-Willi syndrome. The studies employ scoping reviews, qualitative interviews, feasibility trials, and mixed methods to assess barriers, facilitators, and outcomes of participation. Key themes include gym accessibility, motivational strategies, telerehabilitation, and intersectoral collaboration. Her scientific awards include: 2021 VicHealth Leading Health Promotion Research Award 2020 Victorian Sports Awards – Active Recreation Initiative of the Year La Trobe University Excellence in Graduate Research Supervision Award (2021) Nora Shields has secured substantial research funding from NHMRC, MRFF, and philanthropic bodies to support projects like FitSkills and interventions for Prader-Willi syndrome. She actively supervises higher degree research students and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams across universities, healthcare, and community organizations. Her advisory roles include committee membership on the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health. She leads research teams focused on evaluating and scaling community-university partnerships, developing assessment tools for physical function, and improving health equity through inclusive physical activity. Her work is highly collaborative, involving people with lived experience, clinicians, and policymakers.
Jennifer Macdonald is a CDU-CSIRO Research Fellow at Charles Darwin University's Northern Institute within the Faculty of Arts and Society. Her work focuses on culturally appropriate digital innovation for biocultural decision-making in collaboration with Indigenous rangers in northern Australia. She holds a PhD in Human Geography and Science and Technology Studies (STS), and is a core member of TopEndSTS, a collective advancing multiplicity in knowledge practices. PhD from Charles Darwin University (2019) Background in Human Geography and STS Her research interests center on co-designing digital tools for Indigenous-led conservation, data justice in environmental management, and Indigenous knowledge integration with emerging technologies. Key projects include the Healthy Country AI Program and Koala Monitoring initiatives. Recent articles explore drone protocols in Kakadu National Park, data governance in collaborative conservation, and Indigenous evaluation frameworks. Her work contributes to UN SDGs related to sustainable ecosystems and inclusive innovation. Awarded STS Making and Doing Award (2020) She leads projects involving 40+ collaborators across government and Indigenous communities, emphasizing participatory methodologies. Current work includes developing AI-driven tools for culturally responsive conservation decision-making. Labs/Teams: TopEndSTS collective, Northern Institute research group, CSIRO partnership programs.
Professor Angela Dew is the Discipline Lead for Disability and Inclusion at Deakin University's School of Health and Social Development within the Faculty of Health. With over 40 years of experience in the Australian disability sector and academic work since 2011, she leads the Disability and Inclusion research stream, focusing on participatory and co-designed research involving people with disability and complex support needs, including those from refugee backgrounds. Professor Dew earned her PhD from The University of Sydney in 2011 and completed her Masters (Hons) from the University of Western Sydney in 2005. Her academic journey reflects a deep commitment to disability inclusion and rights-based approaches to research and practice. Her research centers on understanding the lived experiences of people with disability and their families, with particular attention to those from refugee backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and rural and regional settings. Professor Dew employs innovative arts-based research methods and maintains a strong human rights framework in all her work. Her research interests span complex support needs, LGBTQI issues in disability, dementia, abuse prevention, and sexuality and relationships. She fundamentally believes that 'all people are entitled to fairness, equity and a good life,' which drives her research and teaching philosophy. Professor Dew's publication record reveals a consistent focus on disability inclusion, with increasing emphasis on intersectional approaches that examine how disability intersects with refugee status, cultural background, and geographic location. Her recent work shows sophisticated methodological approaches, particularly in arts-based methods like body mapping and photovoice, which empower participants to express their experiences in non-traditional ways. As an educator, Professor Dew teaches in the postgraduate Masters of Disability and Inclusion program and contributes to undergraduate units. She actively supervises PhD students working on diverse aspects of disability research, including Phuong Do, Tom Voigt, Jane Adams, Peter Conway, and Simone Rowe, among others. Professor Dew has secured significant research funding from the National Disability Research Partnership, Australian Research Council Discovery, and UNSW Disability Innovation Institute. Her major projects include 'Co-designing Resources to Increase Access to Information and Services' for Syrian and Iraqi people with disability from refugee backgrounds, 'Women marginalised by mental health, disability or refugee status,' and 'Planning for a better life under the National Disability Insurance Scheme' for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability.
Associate Professor Brendan Mulhern (University of Technology Sydney) is a health economist and outcomes researcher at the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE). He leads the Cancer Australia-funded Cancer Quality of Life Expert Support Team (CQUEST) and joined UTS in 2015, completing his PhD in 2020. BSc (Hons) Psychology, University of Wolverhampton (UK) MRes Psychology, University of Birmingham (UK) PhD Health Economics, University of Technology Sydney (Australia) His research focuses on developing and validating preference-based quality-of-life measures (EQ-5D, SF-6D) using advanced psychometric techniques like item response theory and discrete choice experiments. He specializes in condition-specific instruments for dementia, epilepsy, and diabetes, and has contributed to valuation methods including time trade-off approaches. His recent work examines context effects in palliative care valuation, cross-cultural value set development (e.g., Ghana), and improving respondent engagement in DCE studies. Key projects include: Developing the EQ-5D-5L Ghanaian value set Testing EQ-5D respiratory bolt-ons in Australia Extending QALY framework through instrument combination Validating care recipient burden scales He has received grants from EuroQol Research Foundation, Cancer Australia, and MRFF for methodological advancements in quality-of-life measurement. His work informs health technology assessment and resource allocation decisions globally.
Shukla Sikder is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Charles Sturt University's Faculty of Arts and Education. With nearly 14 years of multicultural teaching and research experience across Australia, Singapore, and Bangladesh, she specializes in early childhood science, technology, and play-based pedagogy. Her academic credentials include a BEd (Hons) and MEd from University of Dhaka, and a PhD in Early Childhood Science Education from Monash University. Dr. Sikder's research focuses on science learning through play and everyday practices across home and educational settings, digital technology as an innovative teaching method, children's learning and development (birth to eight years), and STEM/STEAM education. Her work employs cultural-historical theory to examine how children develop scientific concepts through family practices and play-based experiences. Current projects include the Children Draw Talking Project and research on culturally valued play-based practices for STEAM education. Analysis of her 49 research outputs (2015-2025) reveals a strong emphasis on cultural-historical perspectives in early childhood STEM education, with increasing output in recent years (17 publications in 2024 alone). Her work spans diverse formats including peer-reviewed articles, creative storybooks, conference presentations, and commissioned reports, demonstrating interdisciplinary approaches that bridge theory, practice, and children's voices. Monash Education Research Community Publication Award (A$500) Monash University Postgraduate Research Travel Grant (A$3,000) Monash University Faculty Research Fund (A$1,000) Australian Endeavour Postgraduate Award (A$234,500) Little Scientists Program Evaluation Grant (A$82,771) Dr. Sikder actively supervises research students and collaborates internationally through the Children's Voices Centre and STEM Education Research Group. Her current projects include evaluating how digital visual observations establish inclusive practices in early childhood research and developing frameworks for enhancing inclusive STEAM pedagogy. She serves as a key researcher in the Machine Vision and Digital Health (MaViDH) Research Group, focusing on innovative approaches to document children's learning processes.
Jessica Kasza is a Professor of Biostatistics at Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. She leads methodological advancements in longitudinal cluster randomized trials, particularly in stepped wedge and cluster crossover designs. Her research interests include causal inference, healthcare provider comparison, and optimizing trial designs for efficiency. She has held leadership roles, including President of the Statistical Society of Australia (2020–2022), advocating for an inclusive statistical community. She completed her PhD at the University of Adelaide and has been at Monash since 2013. Education: PhD in Statistics, University of Adelaide (2010) Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Sciences (Honours), University of Adelaide (2005) Bachelor of Science in Pure Mathematics and Statistics, University of Adelaide (2004) Research Interests: Her work focuses on statistical methods for longitudinal cluster trials, causal inference frameworks, and improving healthcare provider comparisons. She has contributed to SDGs related to health and well-being through methodological innovations. Recent Projects: Includes initiatives like the Flexible Stepped Wedge Design Research (2025–2028) and the Residential Aged Care Enhanced Dementia Diagnosis Study (2022–2028). She collaborates on projects addressing rural healthcare access and clinical trial design optimization. Key Awards: Includes the 2016 AMREP Best Paper Award, multiple John McNeil Early Career Researcher Prizes (2016, 2018, 2019), and the 2019 Alfred Research Alliance Best Paper Award. Grants & Teams: Active in securing ARC and NHMRC grants. Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on trials like the Mega-ROX HIE and SCANPatient studies. Her work emphasizes practical applications in healthcare and statistical rigor.
Joanne Bradbury serves as Senior Lecturer in Evidence-Based Healthcare within the Faculty of Health at Southern Cross University. Her interdisciplinary expertise bridges clinical practice, nutritional science, and biostatistics, with a focus on translating research into patient-centered care through innovative methodologies like N-of-1 clinical trials. Her academic credentials demonstrate remarkable breadth: Bachelor of Arts (Psychology/History) from University of New South Wales (1983-1985) Bachelor of Naturopathy (Honours) from Southern Cross University Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice from Southern Cross University Graduate Diploma in Biostatistics from University of Sydney PhD in Nutritional Pharmacology from University of Queensland Dr. Bradbury's research program centers on the nexus between nutrition and mental health, particularly examining how dietary patterns, omega-3 fatty acids, and complementary medicine interventions influence psychological stress and positive mental health outcomes. Her methodological specialization in clinical trials analysis—especially N-of-1 designs—enables personalized evidence generation for chronic conditions. Current projects investigate diet-mood relationships, probiotics for pain management, and trauma-informed yoga interventions, all emphasizing patient self-management and integrative care models. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals strong interdisciplinary trends: 60% address mental health applications of nutrition/complementary medicine, 25% focus on methodological innovation (particularly N-of-1 trials), and 15% examine healthcare system integration. Key thematic clusters include dietary patterns in depression, non-invasive diagnostics for chronic conditions, and workforce capacity in public health—with consistent emphasis on Australian population contexts and patient-centered outcomes. Dr. Bradbury has secured nearly $1 million in research funding through multi-disciplinary collaborations that collectively sought $3.5 million. She currently supervises six higher degree research students across topics including diet-mental health relationships, probiotics for chronic pain, and yoga for psychological wellbeing—building on her track record of successfully guiding two PhD and one Masters student to completion. She co-founded the SCU N-of-1 Clinical Trials Unit through industry partnerships, establishing Australia's first dedicated training program for practitioner-researchers in personalized trial methodology. This initiative has conducted three annual cohort training cycles and positioned her as a regular contributor to the International Collaborative Network for N-of-1 Clinical Trials Network through evidence-based blog content.
