Life Sciences Breakfast with Nasim Amiralian & Chunxia Zhao - AIBN Researchers and 2016 WiT Rising Star Award
Join us for our 3rd Life Sciences Breakfast for 2016 where we showcase senior women in Life Sciences. Gain great insight into a highly successful science career journey and make the most of this invaluable networking opportunity
Dr Nasim Amiralian is an early career researcher in the area of nanomaterials engineering. She currently holds the position of Advance Queensland Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland. The focus of Nasim’s research is processing and structure-property performance of novel materials, renewable-based polymers and nanocomposites. During her PhD, she discovered and patented a unique high quality cellulose nanofibre from spinifex, an Australian native arid grass, using simpler, cost effective, and more environmentally friendly methods. This patented spinifex-derived cellulose nanofibre technology is now at an early stage of commercialisation and validation for several commercial opportunities including ultra-thin and strong latex membrane for condom and glove applications, non-woven filtration media, and as a precursor for renewable carbon fibre.
Nasim’s research has also been instrumental in fostering linkages and delivering job opportunities for Indigenous Australians by developing remote harvesting production plants for the supply and primary processing of the spinifex grass-derived nanocellulose. While passionate about fundamental science and engineering, Nasim is strongly focused on pursuing commercial endeavours associated with spinifex-derived fibres. She is currently working with industry partners to advance and translate her technology into products that will benefit the economy and strengthen Australia’s position in the global nanocellulose technology market.
Dr Chun-Xia Zhao is an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow and Associate group leader at AIBN. She joined AIBN early 2008 as a Postdoc Fellow after obtaining her PhD at Zhejiang University.
In 2011, Dr Zhao was awarded an ARC Discovery project along with the Australian Postdoctoral Fellow as the sole investigator. In 2014, she was awarded the prestigious Australian Research Council Future Fellow and appointed as Associate Group Leader. Her research in bio-inspired nanotechnology and microfluidics has attracted more than $2M in research funding since 2011, including three Australian Research Council projects (two ARC discovery projects and one ARC Linkage project) as the lead investigator, two national prestigious fellowship (Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship and Australian Research Council Future Fellowship), UQ Early Career Award and UQ New Staff Start-Up grant. She was invited to visit Harvard University as Fellow of the School of Engineering and Applied Science (Oct - Dec, 2014).
Dr Zhao has contributed substantial high quality scientific papers in international top refereed journals such as Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Chemical Communications, Journal of Materials Chemistry, AIChE Journal, Biotechnology and Bioengineering & Vaccine. Dr Zhao has been focusing on innovative research and has been active in patent application to transfer her research into practical applications, as evidenced by her four patents.
Come along to our Life Sciences Breakfast Series event to hear Nasim talk about her career journey so far and her plans for her future career.
How to get to the AIBN
http://www.uq.edu.au/maps/?id=270
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