A panel discussion on translational science in academia, industry & start-ups
In this interactive panel session, you will hear from our panel of experts about their experiences and journeys in progression to translational, commercial and innovative science.
The goal of this event is to share information and advice about how the panel of experts have progressed during their career to get to research with translational outcomes. We will hear about very different career pathways and the resulting innovation that these scientists have produced. You will also hear from an expert investment specialist who will provide insights into how to build a company and get the support you need at each step of the way. Our panel will offer personal insights and practical advice to the audience, through questions that are moulded by attendees.
Our aim is to highlight differing paths in innovation through a panel session with experts that have successfully transferred their knowledge to diagnostic tools, novel therapeutics and therapeutic tools. They will share their experience, including insight on the skills which helped toward this success and how to leverage partnering opportunities.
The evening will begin with an initial 5-minute presentation from each of the panellists based on career history, main influences, and the challenges of pursuing commercial / clinical projects and research.
We invite you to send us your questions for our panellists prior to the event for a fun evening of discussion. A networking opportunity, with food and drinks provided will also take place before the event, from 5:30 to 6:00 pm.
The evening will be moderated by Ashley Baxter, founder of Monty Compost Co, a world-first innovation invention, a technology to transform the way we compost our organic waste.
Your facilitator
Ashley Baxter is a founder and CEO of a green-tech startup, Ashley has always been passionate about sustainability and action on climate change. Graduating from the University of Queensland in 2018 with dual degrees in Business Management and IT, alongside international experience both working with high-tech startups and volunteering with environmental groups and movements. It was then that Ashley saw the massive global issues surrounding food waste, the impact potential of recycling and the role that innovative technologies could play in creating solutions. She went on to found Monty Compost Co, a startup company that develops hardware and digital technologies to enable efficient and accessible composting for everyone, everywhere, to tackle the significant challenge of managing organic and food waste.
Your panel
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Dr. Stelle Shakti (formerly known as Dr Christelle Adolphe) completed her doctorate in molecular genetics and developmental biology at the University of Queensland. Soon after, she was awarded the prestigious Marie Curie Research Fellowship, which took her abroad to Switzerland. Throughout her academic career, Dr. Shakti has investigated how developmental signaling pathways of the skin, blood and brain contribute to cancer. She has made multiple pivotal discoveries in how particular transcription factors contribute to stem cell regulation and cancer growth using quantitative image-based technologies. After 25 years in cancer research, Dr. Shakti founded a start-up counselling service, Cultivate Courage. The major directive of her start-up is to provide personalised holistic counselling support unique to every patient, parent and family member affected by cancer.
Professor Chamindie Punyadeera is an innovator and an advocate for women in STEMM. She has had a hybrid research career working in industry as well as in academia. Chamindie leads the salivary diagnostics and liquid biopsy laboratory, focused on developing biomarkers (heart failure and cancer) from concept through to commercialisation, accelerating precision health. Precision health relies on validated biomarkers to better stratify patients based on their probable disease risk, prognosis and/or response to treatment. Chamindie has published over 50 research papers, 13 PCT patents and has reviewed papers for international journals and has delivered key note lectures.
Dr Lara Herrero is a Research Leader at the Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University with medical training (PhD/MD) and public health experience (MPH), Dr Herrero is uniquely positioned to integrate basic research with preclinical development to deliver tangible research outcomes. Her work on arboviruses such as Ross River and dengue fever significantly contributed to the development of treatments for infectious musculoskeletal diseases worldwide and novel primary cell-culture models for studying virus-induced arthritis. Funded by the NHMRC, Dr Herrero discovered a potential new treatment strategy for viral arthritis by repurposing the currently TGA/FDA approved glycotherapeutic Pentosan polysulfate. This research has resulted in a patent (Dr Herrero 90% inventor) and royalty-bearing commercialisation license agreement with Paradigm Biopharma (ASX: PAR). The work has completed successful phase II clinical trials and is now entering phase III trials.
Professor Glenn King is a researcher specialising in venom-derived peptides and translation into novel therapeutics and bioinsecticides. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and sole founder of Vestaron Corporation, an agricultural biotechnology company that released its first product (SPEAR-T®, a bioinsecticide derived from Australian funnel-web spider venom) in 2018. Prof King is an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and he co-leads the ‘Discover’ theme of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science (CIPPS). Glenn is also CSO of Infensa Bioscience, a Brisbane-based biotech company that he recently co-founded to develop drugs for the treatment of stroke and heart attack. Infensa’s leading drug candidate is based on a peptide discovered by his lab in the venom of the K’gari funnel-web spider.
Alezeia Brown is a deep tech investor with a background as a product builder & strategist. As an investor at Main Sequence - a $500m deeptech VC - Alezeia looks for early stage companies who combine science/tech discoveries with the worlds biggest challenges to build the next generation of global companies with an emerging focus on decarbonisation. Alezeia sits as a board observer for various deep tech companies such as Endua, Advanced Navigation and FiveCast, and is a member of Greenpeace Australian Pacific General Assembly. Before Main Sequence, Alezeia held a number of senior product roles, including Head of Product for CSIRO’s Data61 and Executive Manager for Retail Wealth Product for GBST.
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