Our Team
Phenomics Australia Board
The Phenomics Australia Board provides oversight and strategic guidance for all Phenomics Australia activities and investments. The Board members provide extensive experience in scientific strategy, biomedical research, policy, governance, industry engagement and commercialisation.
Dr Carol Wicking BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD has over 30 years’ experience in academic research both in Australia and internationally. In addition to her role as member of the Board of Phenomics Australia, she a Chair of the Scientific and medical Advisory Committee and a non-executive Director of Australia’s peak organization for rare disease, Rare Voices Australia.
“Following a long career in medical research, I am a passionate advocate for the importance of research in generation of knowledge, wealth and positive health outcomes. I therefore understanding and appreciate the value of a coordinated and collaborative national research infrastructure platform of the highest caliber and, through my role on the Board, am committed to ensuring Phenomics Australia remains a crucial link in this infrastructure pipeline”
Dr Carol Wicking
Dr Liz Jazwinska PhD, MBA, GAICD, BSc Hons is experienced in R&D innovation, technology and business development and has held senior executive position in Academia, Industry and Government in Australia and Internationally. In addition to her role as Chair of the Board of Phenomics Australia, Liz assists several not-for-profit organisations in Australia and New Zealand to build strategy and deliver socio-economic benefit.
“Phenomics Australia plays a key role in driving economic growth through its support of excellence and innovation in the Australian research sector. As the current and inaugural chair of the Governance Board (2016-2019), I am delighted to continue to contribute through my membership of the Board to the ongoing strategic growth and development of this highly relevant and valuable national infrastructure facility.”
Dr Liz Jazwinska
Chair
Dr Susan Pond AM, FRSN FTSE FAHMS is an experienced leader in business & academia, recognized for her national & international contributions in science, technology and medicine.
Apart from her role as Board member of Phenomics Australia, Susan chairs the New South Wales Smart Sensing Network and is non-executive director of several listed, private and not-for-profit organisations.
“I was a member of the Australian Government’s National Research Infrastructure Review in 2015 and continue to promote the strong case for investing in excellent research infrastructure through my membership of the Phenomics Australia Board.”
Dr Susan Pond
Professor Graham Mann joined the John Curtin School of Medical Research as its Director in July 2019, bringing a national and international reputation in basic and translational cancer research.
After graduating in Medicine and training in medical oncology in Sydney he studied cell proliferation mechanisms as a graduate student at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Sydney Branch, and as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Umeå, Sweden. In 1990, having obtained his PhD and FRACP, he established himself at the Westmead campus of Sydney Medical School as a full-time researcher in cancer genetics in partnership with Rick Kefford, focussing on familial melanoma.
In a diverse team of clinical and translational research leaders in melanoma, associated with Melanoma Institute Australia, Graham has held NHMRC Program Grants since 2006, led a new NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Melanoma in 2017, and been supported by translational program grants of Cancer Institute NSW. His research has engaged in all aspects of melanoma control, from the genetics of melanoma risk and its environmental and psychological aspects to the use of molecular markers and targets to improve the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. From his base in the Westmead Institute he has initiated and co-led the Australian Melanoma Genome Project, the MelCOR Australian Clinical Outcomes Register project, and the ACRF Centre for Excellence in Melanoma Diagnosis (ACEMID) project, awarded the triennial $10m ACRF capital grant.
Prof. Graham Mann
Dr Michael Poidinger has over 20 years’ experience in the management and analysis of biological and biomedical data, and has worked in academic, government and commercial settings working on integrated core systems to enable biodiscovery in Australia, the UK, Singapore and the USA. He spent 10 years as a principal investigator in bioinformatics at the Singapore Immunology Network, and currently works as the Research Data Manger for the Murdoch Children’s Research institute.
“I have many years’ experience in seeing how powerful and important well set up core facilities are in advancing all aspects of modern biomedical research . The services and expertise that Phenomics Australia provides to the research community is invaluable and I am proud to be on the Board and help drive strategy and innovation for Phenomics Australia.”
Dr Michael Poidinger
Prof. Glenn Withers is an honorary professor in economics at ANU an and adjunct professor in cybersecurity at UNSW Canberra. He has been President of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and of the Australian Council of Learned Academies. He was the founding CEO of Universities Australia and, earlier, a Professor of Public Policy at ANU.
Glenn has a Harvard PhD in economics and business and has consulted for government, business, and community sectors, including chairing a Commonwealth Task Force on Infrastructure. He received an AO for the development of the Australian immigration points system and is Chair of the Global Development Learning Network.
“Having reviewed infrastructure strategy for Government and having long been an advocate for universities within that space, I am delighted to be able to join the Phenomics Australia Board and play a new direct role in a crucial foundation area for facilitating leading scientific research”
Prof. Glenn Withers
Phenomics Australia Scientific Directors
The Phenomics Australia Scientific Directors are responsible for the delivery of Phenomics Australia’s various services, while regularly providing highly informed scientific, technical, and strategic advice to the Board.
Prof Kaylene Simpson has a passion for technology development and application in biomedical research and extensive national and international connections with leading companies to ensure early access to new technologies .
She has led the Functional High Throughput Technologies Australia meeting for the past 10 years, bringing together the screening community to continue to raise the profile within the country .
“The VCFG enables researchers Australia-wide to perform unbiased discovery screens using CRISPR, RNAi and compounds together with quantitive cellular phenotyping using High content imaging in both 2D and 3D settings. An NCRIS lab for the past 11 years, the VCFG is a highly experienced team who actively engage with researchers to support their projects from assay development to analysis, training the next generation and providing critical infrastructure to the nation.”
Prof. Kaylene Simpson.
Head Of Victorian Centre For Functional Genomics (VCFG) at Peter Mac
Andrew completed his PhD at WEHI in 2012, gaining expertise in developmental epigenetics. With this background, he was recruited by WEHI in 2014 to establish the Melbourne Advance Gene Editing Centre (MAGEC). He led the transition of gene editing technologies within WEHI from traditional ES cell-based gene targeting approaches to the introduction of cutting-edge CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting platforms. By combining his expertise in embryonic development, genomics and molecular biology, he has propelled WEHI to the forefront of CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting and has generated more than 400 unique gene modified mice using CRISPR/Cas9.
Dr Andrew Kueh
Head Of The Melbourne Advanced Genome Editing Centre (MAGEC) at WEHI
Prof Paul Thomas' research focuses on the development of CRISPR genome editing technology for a range of applications including generation and analysis of mouse models for neurodevelopmental disorders, development of genetic therapies for eye and muscle diseases and synthetic gene drives for invasive pest suppression.
He has published more than 120 scientific articles with > 11,000 citations.
In 2014, he established the SAGE Facility at the University of Adelaide and in 2018, he relocated SAGE and his research laboratory to SAHMRI.
SAGE is one of four CRISPR mouse nodes supported by Phenomics Australia and his generated over 100 mouse models for researchers across Australia. Regular exchange of ideas and techniques between the nodes ensures that the latest technical advances are used to generate modified mice for the Australian research community.
“New genome editing tools such as CRISPR have been a game-changer for biomedical researchers, enabling rapid development of preclinical mouse models to investigate gene function and develop of new therapies. I am delighted that SAGE, through the support of Phenomics Australia, is able to offer a cost effective and efficient mouse production service to accelerate discovery science and facilitate development of better therapeutic approaches for a host of diseases.”
Prof. Paul Thomas
Head of the South Australian Genome Editing (SAGE) Facility at SAHMRI
Dr. Alexander Combes is Head of the Development and Disease laboratory at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute. His research investigates kidney formation and birth defects in animal models and applies developmental principles to engineer new stem cell models of human kidney disease.
At Phenomics Australia, Dr. Combes heads an expert team dedicated to generating new cellular and animal models of disease with CRISPR gene editing and traditional approaches. They also facilitate the import and use of mouse ES cells from international repositories and provide cryopreservation facilities mirroring those at the ANU, to safely store mouse lines.
“Our work at Phenomics Australia enables academic and industry bodies across the nation to investigate disease mechanisms and develop new therapies to address our national health priorities. We aim to provide equitable and economical access to the latest technologies to support Australia’s biomedical research community.”
Dr Alexander Combes
Head Of The Monash Genome Modification Platform (MGMP) at Monash University
Prof Janet Keast was recruited to the Chair of Anatomy and Neuroscience at the University of Melbourne in 2012, following her role as NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and Director and Director of Basic Research at the Pain Management Research Institute, the University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital.
Janet’s research is strongly based on functional anatomy and aims to understand at multiscale the connectivity and communication between neural networks and organ systems.
Her Research utilizes rodent models and clinical specimens and is currently focused on understanding the neural regulation of the urogenital system, and the impact of injury and disease on these circuits.
At Phenomics Australia, Janet leads a talented team of histopathologists who provides expert phenotyping services to researchers across Australia. These services include extensive, quality-controlled tissue preparation and histological processing, pathological analyses, and digital slide scanning for experimental mouse models.
We also partner internationally with PATHBIO, an EU Erasmus + Knowledge Program, to develop and promote training in precision pathology of disease models.
“Our team at Phenomics Australia has the expertise to perform detailed histopathology analyses across all of the organs of the body, providing researchers with fundamental insights into the biological processes underpinning disease. We have had the privilege of assisting with more than 500 projects across Australia since our inception in 2008 and look forward to continuing to build research outcomes in the future ”
Prof. Janet Keast
Head Of The Histopathology And Digital Slide Service Unit at The University Of Melbourne
Dr Louise Winteringham has an extensive background in cancer research focusing on the regulation of gene expression in normal and cancer cells and was a member of the FANTOM5 consortium, undertaking an extensive analysis of mammalian transcriptomes.
As head of the Translational Cancer Research Program, she has established a research pipeline to facilitate sample collection, processing, analysis, and biobanking with a focus on developing precision medicine for oncology patients.
“Phenomics Australia provides an extraordinary opportunity for researchers to access the latest expertise and technology in functional genomics to advance our scientific knowledge and drive better health outcomes.”
Dr Louise Winteringham
Head Of The Translational Cancer Research Program at Perkins Institute
A/Prof Amee George is a Fellow and Group Leader in the Genome Sciences and Cancer Division, and Manager of the ANU Centre for Therapeutic Discovery (ACTD), at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at The Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. She obtained her PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2007, and during her career, developed a keen interest in high-throughput screening and the use of functional genomics-based approaches to investigate the molecular basis of disease, as well as identifying small molecule therapies for the treatment of disease. Her postdoctoral appointments have included the examining how angiotensin receptor signalling hijacks growth factor receptor pathways and leads to aberrant cell growth, as well as investigating how perturbations in ribosome biogenesis lead to the activation of the nucleolar surveillance response, which is an important molecular mechanism underlying some diseases of the ribosome (ribosomopathies), in particular, the congenital bone marrow failure disorder Diamond Blackfan Anaemia (DBA) as well as cancer. She has received funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Captain Courageous Foundation, Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision and Cancer Council ACT. Dr George has over 14 years’ experience in designing high-throughput screening assays and conducting high-throughput screens and with her role in the ACTD, works collaboratively with researchers to execute projects.
A/Prof. Amee George
Manager of the ANU Centre for Therapeutic Discovery (ACTD) - Australian National University (ANU)
Dr Thierry Jarde is a Laboratory Head in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Monash University. He is a cancer cell biologist who has worked for the last 15 years with organoids and mouse models to study stem cell function in health and disease.
He completed his doctoral studies at the School of Pharmacy (Clermont-Ferrand) in France before conducting postdoctoral training under the supervision of Professor Trevor Dale at the School of Biosciences (Cardiff University, UK) and Professor Helen Abud at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute (Monash University) where he studied the role of WNT and NRG1 signalling in stem cell biology.
Thierry is also the Director of the Organoid program at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute. He collaborates with clinicians to grow organoids from human breast and gastrointestinal tissues. These organoids are currently being used for a variety of biological studies, including drug testing.
Dr Thierry Jarde
Director of the Monash Organoid Program - Monash University (Monash)
Prof. Alice Pébay obtained a PhD in Neurosciences from the University of Paris VI in 2001 and subsequently joined Professor Martin Pera at Monash University to undertake research on human pluripotent stem cells. She then continued her research in this area at the University of Melbourne where she commenced in 2007. Alice’s team aims to use patient specific pluripotent stem cells to model neurodegenerative diseases of the eye and brain. Alice has a proven track record in generating iPSCs and differentiating them into various cell types for disease modelling including those affecting the central nervous system and the eye. Alice and her collaborators have pioneered the use of automation for human pluripotent stem cell research in Australia, enabling the streamlining generation and maintenance of iPSC-derived cells from hundreds of patients. Alice was awarded a National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Career development Fellowship in 2012, subsequently an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship in 2014 and is now a NHMRC Senior Research Fellow. Alice is the primary inventor of three granted international patents related to stem cell technology.
Prof. Alice Pébay
Head of the Stem Cell Disease Modelling Laboratory - University of Melbourne (UMelb)
Dr. Sara Howden is a recognized leader in human reprogramming and genome engineering technologies. As a National Health and Medical Research Council postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin, working with Professor James Thomson, she established an improved episomal reprogramming system, enabling the efficient generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human fibroblasts using xeno-free conditions. She has extensive experience with genome engineering technologies and was the first to report targeted gene repair in patient-specific iPSCs. She has subsequently developed novel Cas9 variants for improved gene-editing outcomes and a one-step protocol that enables the rapid and efficient generation of gene-edited iPSC from human skin or blood. These methodologies have been adopted by many researchers in the international stem cell research community and are routinely applied within the MCRI Gene-editing Core Facility, which was established by Dr. Howden in 2017 and has generated hundreds of custom edited iPSC lines for researchers locally and internationally. Dr. Howden has also generated a large variety of lineage-specific reporter lines which has led to improved methods for the directed differentiation of iPSC-derived cell types and tissues. Many of these resources have been widely distributed and are publicly available through the facility.
Dr Sara Howden
Head of the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Derivation & CRISPR Gene Editing Facility - Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI)
Prof. Christine Wells is the Chair of Stem Cells Systems and former Director of the University of Melbourne Centre for Stem Cell Systems. She is a genome biologist with a focus on the differentiation and activation of mammalian cells and a particular interest in the intersection between innate immunity and stem cell biology in tissue injury and repair.
She is the architect of the Stemformatics collaboration resource that encourages collaboration between stem cell researchers and bioinformaticians, biostatisticians and computational biologists.
Professor Wells graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of New England in 1988. She gained experience in stem cell sciences, genetics and genomics at various positions in Australia and at the UK Medical Research Council, MRC Harwell before undertaking postgraduate studies at The University of Queensland. She gained a Doctor of Philosophy in 2004.
Over the past decade, she has worked at Griffith University, The University of Glasgow and The University of Queensland, developing a program of research in genomics and bioinformatics, and the application of these to better understanding of stem cell biology, tissue injury and repair.
She leads a program of research that encompasses three pillars of impact and output: (1) Method development in data integration and visualisation to create molecular atlases that provide a common reference for stem cell researchers (2) the development and direction of community-focused collaboration platforms to enable the adoption of complex, multidimensional data by clinicians and stem cell biologists, and (3) strategic application to projects that enable gene discovery and characterisation in both stem cell biology and innate immunity.
Her laboratory works to the principle of biological insight through data accessibility and reproducibility and a founding ethos of her laboratory is collaboration.
“Phenomics Australia facilities create essential resources for the study of gene function. By supporting the establishment of the Australian stem cell registry, they are also supporting stewardship of these resources. By providing mechanisms for researchers to find and share cell lines, and the data generated on those lines, Phenomics Australia is also supporting Australian researchers to make the most of these important resources.“
Prof. Christine Wells
Chair of Stem Cell Systems - University of Melbourne (UMelb)
A/Professor Joseph (Sefi) Rosenbluh is a Victoria Cancer Agency mid-career Fellow and Laboratory Head at the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department and the Cancer Program at the Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University.
His research program applies pooled genetic screens including CRISPR and gene editing techniques aimed at understanding how genes are regulated in normal and disease cells and how they could be used for the development of new strategies for diagnoses and treatment. Sefi has established the Monash Functional Genomics Platform which provides a wide range of technologies for perturbing genes and measuring phenotypes.
Through Phenomics Australia the platform provides CROPSeq services. In CROPSeq a pooled library of sgRNAs is used to transduce cells with single-cell RNA Sequencing (scRNASeq) as a readout. This enables high throughput studies of how genes regulate complex phenotypes.
“Phenomics Australia is one of the best resources for researchers in Australia. It enables high-quality studies of genes and phenotypes and how they are related to disease. The technologies offered by Phenomics Australia nodes give researchers in Australia access to some of the latest and most exciting technologies that will undoubtedly have a major impact”.
A/Prof. Sefi Rosenbluh
Head of the Monash Functional Genomics Platform (Monash)
Professor Ernst Wolvetang is a senior group leader at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland (Australia) where he leads a research team that employs human induced pluripotent stem cell derived brain organoids as in vitro disease models for monogenic and complex neurological diseases. Leveraging these “human brain in a dish” models he aims to understand how genetic mutations cause diseases that affect the brain during development and later in life, and to identify and test therapeutic approaches that can improve patient health outcomes.
Prof. Ernst Wolvetang
Head of the Stem Cell Engineering Laboratory, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology - University of Queensland (UQ)
Professor Sally Dunwoodie BSc PhD FAHMS is an internationally renowned biomedical researcher investigating the genetic and environmental causes of birth defects, and Deputy Director at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. She is Director of the VCCRI Innovation Centre which provides researchers with access to equipment and expertise in facilities that enable molecular, pre-clinical and clinical research.
“Collaboration and ready access to specialist platforms and expertise has a significant impact on the quality of research output, the speed with which it is generated, and the impact of the new information. Importantly it also provides crucial training opportunities across disciplines for researchers. Our partnering with Phenomics Australia to generate induced pluripotent stem cells will have many benefits for those engaged in medical research.”
Prof. Sally Dunwoodie
Stem Cell Production and Cell Function Screening Service - Deputy Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI), Director VCCRI Innovation Centre
Professor Kieran Harvey holds dual appointments at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where he leads the Organogenesis and Cancer Program, and Monash University, where he runs a laboratory in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology.
Kieran’s team studies organ size control during development, using Drosophila, and how signalling pathways that control organ size are deregulated in human cancer. In particular, his group focuses on the Hippo pathway, which he helped to discover in the early 2000’s.
Kieran performed Doctoral studies with Prof. Sharad Kumar (University of Adelaide) and postdoctoral studies with Prof. Iswar Hariharan (Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical Center and University of California, Berkeley). He holds an NHMRC Investigator grant and was awarded the Gottschalk Medal by the Australian Academy of Science in 2014, for outstanding research in the medical sciences. He is the current president of the Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology.
“Phenomics Australia provides essential support to Australian researchers by offering access to a broad range of cutting-edge technologies and expertise. These essential facilities drive innovation and allow Australian researchers to compete internationally. The establishment of the Australian Transgenic Drosophila Facility will allow any Australian scientist or clinician to embrace the power of Drosophila genetics to address their research questions.”
Prof. Kieran Harvey
Head of the Australian Transgenic Drosophila Facility at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Prof. Simon Barry
Head of the Functional Genomics South Australia (FGSA) at the University of Adelaide
Phenomics Australia Executive Team
The Executive Team is responsible for the day-to-day operation of Phenomics Australia.
Prof. Michael Dobbie has worked to establish and operate Phenomics Australia since its foundation in 2007, serving as CEO since 2013.
Prior to leading the development and implementation of these national research infrastructures, Michael was a biomedical research with a PhD in Neurochemistry from the University of London and gained over 20 Years’ experience at the bench in field including genetics, vascular biology, cancer angiogenesis, neuroscience, metabolism, developmental biology, malaria and oxidative stress.
“I am dedicated to ensuring that the NCRIS program achieves its ambition to catalyze the highest quality Australian research through partnerships and the provision of world-class research infrastructure. It is reward to work with the myriad of partnerships, including those within Phenomics Australia, other capabilities across the NCRIS program, and our national and international discovery partners.”
Prof. Michael Dobbie
Chief Executive Officer
Jim joined Phenomics Australia as Chief Operating Officer in 2017, having previously worked within the Operations Team running the University of Sydney's Core Research Facilities.
A chemist by training, Jim has held research positions with the CSIRO and the Australian National University in Canberra, and was an Editor for Nature Research in London for 4 years.
A/Prof. Jim Hennessy
Deputy CEO
Dr Marina Trigueros joined Phenomics Australia in 2020 as a Communications and Outreach Coordinator bringing an in-depth knowledge of science communication.
Prior to joining Phenomics Australia, she founded and led Cariboo Design, a science communication studio devoted to explaining Scientific topics to broad audiences through illustrations and 3D animations.
She has worked in various research roles for the CSIRO and Spanish National Centre for Biotechnology, with a focus on projects using gene editing technologies.
Marina holds a PhD in Plant Molecular Biology from the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology, a research center funded by both the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the Spanish Research Council in Valencia, Spain.
She is a Board member of the Association of Spanish Researchers in Australia-Pacific and member of the National Science Week Coordination Committee for the ACT.
“Phenomics Australia is a great example of impactful teamwork collaboration. It is fulfilling working with such a diverse team of experts with the same enthusiasm for science, willing to go the extra mile to boost Australian research excellence and ultimately improve health outcomes worldwide.”
Dr Marina Trigueros
Communications Manager
John has over 20 years’ experience in therapeutic R&D for pharmaceutical companies, biotechs, and world-leading medical research institutes. He is an experienced project manager deft at managing stakeholder relationships in key collaborations and who has succeeded in projects running from target validation via in vitro or in vivo models, to preclinical drug discovery and assay development for high-throughput screening, to lead identification and optimisation to develop drugs suitable for human clinical trials. He has a comprehensive understanding of the path to market for new drug entities. His involvement has been within drug development within multiple therapeutic disease areas encompassing cancer, respiratory, inflammatory, tropical diseases, and more recently, immunotherapeutic targets. He has a deep understanding of the pre-clinical to regulatory pathways to develop new therapies for approval by the TGA & FDA and will be managing the functional genomics portfolios of BPA/PA via a shared appointment.
Dr John
Parisot
Strategic Partnerships Advisor
Sarah joined the Phenomics Australia team in 2022 as the Executive Assistant supporting the Phenomics Australia Executive, Board, Scientific Leadership Committee, and Node staff. She is an experienced Executive Assistant, having worked in similar roles for a number of years in the Public Service. Prior to joining the Phenomics Australia Team, she worked as a Program Officer supporting the due diligence process for the Government’s Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
“As the Executive Assistant, I am delighted to be representing the Phenomics Australia team and providing high-level administrative and executive support. I hope via cultivating close working relationship amongst its many key contacts, I can assist in ensuring the NCRIS program achieve its high-impact healthcare outcomes in precision medicine.”
Ms Sarah
Dreese
Executive Assistant
Dr Twishi Gulati joined the Phenomics Australia team in the newly established National Service Coordinator (In Vitro) position. Since 2019, Twishi has been a Research Officer in the Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics (VCFG), a Phenomics Australia node at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. There she managed the CRISPR screening platform, supporting researchers from project design through to experimentation and analysis. More recently, she has been involved in the VCFG’s business development strategy and managing the iLAB instrument access and billing system. Twishi has a PhD in proteomics, molecular and cellular biology from The University of Melbourne.
“ I am excited to join the Phenomics Australia team to bring Australia-wide infrastructure and expertise together to work collaboratively across our in vitro capabilities to ultimately drive better healthcare outcomes.”
Dr Twishi
Gulati
National Service Coordinator
Bridget joined the Phenomics Australia team in 2024. After finishing her internship in 2023, Bridget stepped into the role of communications assistant, producing Phenomics Australia’s first podcast series “Phenomenal Science”. She is also a technical assistant with the Research School of Biology at the Australian National University, working on understanding the genetic component of Australian Eucalyptus dieback.
“Joining Phenomics Australia has opened a career in science I didn’t know existed. Working each day to further Australia’s understanding of precision medicine and communicating the impact of this research is incredibly rewarding. I am extremely lucky to be in a team of like-minded people striving for research excellence.”
Ms Bridget
Elliott-Rudder
Communications Assistant
Sarah has a nationally significant track record of delivering high-value digital research infrastructure to researchers in Australia. National digital research infrastructure platforms she has led include:
- Establishing Trust and Identity, a ~$10m NCRIS capability at the Australian Access Federation (AAF)
- The Australian BioCommons
- The Digital Humanities and Social Sciences Data Enhanced Virtual Lab (HASS DEVL),
- The implementation and ongoing operations of TANGO HPC & Cloud (South Australian Research Cloud), a specialised hardware cluster built using a combination of Dell EMC and VMWare, hardware and software technologies to deliver a powerful computational solution
- The implementation and ongoing operations of the local node of RDSI, a large-scale storage system providing over 3 Petabytes of storage capacity for South Australian researchers
- Implementation and ongoing operations of the South Australian node of Nectar, a 3000 core OpenStack cluster. This local node joined 8 other cloud Nodes across all states of Australia, providing a computing resource of almost 30,000 processing cores.
- “ I’m really excited to be brining my experience to the data challenge at Phenomics Australia. I look forward to working with the community to design a data infrastructure that is fit for purpose and works hard for researchers to enable them to make important disease discoveries. ”
Ms Sarah
Nisbet
Director, Digital Platfoms
Phenomenal People
Phenomics Australia is made possible by phenomenal people. Here we shine a spotlight on some of our staff members who go above and beyond for researchers; enabling high impact outcomes benefitting all Australians.