Speakers

INVITED SPEAKERS:

Dr. Sam Kovacevic

Manager, Graduate Research Supervisor & ECR Development, Monash University

Sam completed his doctoral studies into executive remuneration at Monash University and held lectureships in Management at Deakin University, UNSW and La Trobe University. In these appointments, he balanced research into corporate governance developments and board compositions with teaching in human resource management and organisational behaviour subjects.

Sam was appointed by Monash University at the end of 2015 to manage development programs for research supervisors and early career researchers.

Prof. Michael Fuhrer

Director, Monash Centre for Atomically Thin Materials, School of Physics & Astronomy, Monash University

Professor Michael Fuhrer’s research explores novel two-dimensional materials such as graphene, the two-dimensional surface state of three-dimensional topological insulators, and other two dimensional semiconductors, metals, and superconductors.

Michael has received numerous awards including the Alford Ward Chair of Semiconductor Physics at the University of Maryland, The Richard A. Ferrell Distinguished Faculty Fellowship, and a US NSF Graduate Fellowship.

Michael completed his PhD in 1998 at the University of California Berkeley. After a postdoctoral appointment at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, he joined the University of Maryland where he worked for 13 years. He came to Monash in 2013 as an ARC Laureate Fellow and is currently director of the Monash Centre for Atomically Thin Materials.

Dr. Meera Parish

Senior Lecturer, School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University

Meera Parish is a Senior Lecturer in theoretical physics at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Since obtaining her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in 2005, she has been a PCTS postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University; a Director of Studies at Clare College, Cambridge; and a Lecturer and EPSRC research fellow at University College London.

Her research focuses on strongly correlated phenomena at the interface between ultracold atomic gases and condensed matter. In 2012, she was awarded the IOP Maxwell medal and prize for her achievements.

A/Prof. Jacek Jasieniak

Director, Monash Energy Materials & Systems Institute, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Monash University

Jacek completed a Bachelor of Science in Nanotechnology with Honours from Flinders University in 2003. He then moved to the Melbourne University, where under the supervision of Prof. Paul Mulvaney he worked on developing nanocrystalline semiconductors and using them for lasing applications. For this work, he was awarded the Chancellor's prize.

In 2008 he started as an OCE postdoctoral fellow under Dr. Ezio Rizzardo and Dr. Scott Watkins within CSIRO, developing hybrid and inorganic thin film solar cells. In 2010 he became a Research Scientist at CSIRO and Team Leader of Solution-Processed Inorganic Optoelectronics. Between 2011-12, Jacek was a Fulbright fellow at the University of California Santa Barbara with Nobel Laureate Prof. Alan Heeger. There, he looked at photoconductivity of small-molecule thin films and bulk heterojunctions, as well as interfacial effects of bulk heterojunction solar cells. He returned to CSIRO, where he progressed to Senior Research Scientist in 2013 and Group Leader of Agile Manufacturing in 2014.

In June 2015, Jacek moved to Monash University as an Associate Professor to start an independent academic research career in the area of nanomaterials for next-generation technologies.

Dr. Matthew Nussio

Partnerships & Development Manager, Industry Partnerships, Monash University

As the Manager for Industry Partnerships at Monash University, Matthew Nussio works closely with industry, government and community partners to identify partnership and development opportunities with the University. These relationships enhance our research capabilities, build a shared knowledge base, and deliver outcomes.

Matthew has 11 years of experience in academia, industry and government, also completing a PhD in Nanotechnology. He has experience in organisations of global footprint and commercial excellence, where he has held positions at GE Healthcare, KPMG and PerkinElmer.

Matthew has a well-developed understanding of strategic markets and a high aptitude for delivering value to business stakeholders and establishing strategic partnerships of commercial importance.

Dr. Gill Lunniss

Project Officer Victoria, Scientists & Mathematicians in Schools, CSIRO Education & Outreach

Gill holds a BSc(hons) in chemistry from Aberdeen University and a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from Imperial College London.

Prior to becoming a Scientists and Mathematicians in Schools Project Officer at CSIRO in 2013, she worked in increasingly senior roles as a medicinal chemist for GlaxoSmithKline, UK and as a team and project leader at Cancer Therapeutics CRC, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Dr. Noel Dunlop

Chief Operating Officer, Victorian Centre for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing

Dr Noel Dunlop received his doctorate from The University of Melbourne in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Also has an MBA in international management. He has 20 years experience in translation of science and engineering products and processes both nationally and internationally. He has worked for multinationals and SME in Australia and internationally these include Orica, Rio Tinto and Kilfrost Group UK.

He has been responsible for a number of start-ups and advised numerous others. Has successfully run multi discipline research projects for businesses that have utilised research providers around the globe such as The University of Melbourne, Monash University, ANU, UQ, York UK, Oxford, Imperial UK, UCL UK, Chicago, Argon National Energy Research Laboratories US, CSIRO, Durham UK, to successfully develop products and processes to drive business outcomes.

Dr. Phei Lok

R & D Scientist, Innovia Security

Phei completed a PhD in Organic Chemistry at Monash University in 2003. After postdoctoral positions at The University of North Carolina (USA) and the ARC Special Centre for Green Chemistry, she was awarded an Office of the Chief Executive (OCE) Postdoctoral Fellowship at CSIRO (Clayton). Her current role is R&D Scientist and Project Manager at Innovia Security where she manages R&D projects and multidisciplinary teams to develop new technologies for polymer banknotes. She has diverse R&D experience, in the fields of medicinal chemistry/drug discovery, inorganic chemistry, printed electronics, nanostructures, chemistry, inks & coatings, industrial printing and anti-counterfeit technologies.

A co-author of 6 peer-reviewed journal articles, she is inventor/co-inventor of 17 patents and a recipient of 19 industry and academic awards/scholarships. Phei is also a PhD co-supervisor, managing a research collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering at Monash University and she holds a Grad. Dip. Management.

Dr. Geoff Rogers

Director & Co-founder, IntelliMedical Technologies

Geoff is an engineer and serial entrepreneur, who specialises in the development and commercialisation of next-generation technologies. He has successfully cofounded and led a number of companies, all of which were established to provide innovative high-tech solutions to long-standing problems. Geoff is widely known as the visionary behind IntelliMedical, which has developed a world-leading robotic technology to improve outcomes for patients with heart disease.

Geoff also helps other businesses and entrepreneurs navigate a wide range of challenges across all stages of business development, right from formation to exit. He has been acknowledged as an Australian thought leader in the areas of high-tech transfer, healthcare innovation, startups, new venture finance development.

Dr. Debra Yin Foo

Partner, Patents & Trademarks Attorney, Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick

Following her graduation majoring in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Debra completed an honours degree exploring the immunology of Onchocerciasis infections. She then joined the Departments of Virology and Nutrition in the Tropical Veterinary Science Department at James Cook University.

Debra completed her PhD in Biochemistry after working on oxygen radical generation in immune cells in the presence of organochlorine pesticides where she conducted research to identify the reactive cells and the mechanisms of oxygen radical generation in those cells. She completed a Post Doctoral Fellowship in 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerland at the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research focussing on molecular mechanisms in cancer cells and explored the use of antisense in cancer therapeutics.

Debra has over 25 years’ experience in patents and trade marks. Her current clients include universities, research institutes actively involved in cancer research and companies currently dealing in contentious areas of IP including embryonic stem cells.