Inspiring Women in STEM Panel

Your panel

The ON Innovation Program by CSIRO is a free initiative that supports Australia’s publicly funded researchers and SMEs to translate research breakthroughs into real-world impact.

It offers two pathways:

• ON Prime, for market validation and customer discovery
• ON Accelerate, for launching research-driven ventures

Through hands-on learning, mentorship, networking, and coaching, participants gain skills, access to industry, and funding pathways beyond academia. Since 2015, it has upskilled over 8,000 participants and helped alumni attract hundreds of millions in capital and grants. To learn more, visit: csiro.au/ON

Representing the ON Innovation Program:

Tennille Eyre is the Program Director of CSIRO’s ON Program, Australia’s national accelerator for publicly funded research. A people-first leader with a background in design, Tennille focuses on building inclusive programs and ecosystems that support researchers to explore pathways to impact. Her work spans capability-building, national collaboration and enabling connections across the research and innovation landscape. She is passionate about inclusive innovation and creating the conditions where people, purpose and possibility come together to drive meaningful change.

Associate Professor Sally Stephenson is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Kimaritec, a Brisbane-based biotechnology startup developing small molecule therapies targeting protein degradation in cancer. With over 25 years of research experience as Group Leader of the Protein Ablation Cancer Therapeutics Group at Queensland University of Technology, Sally is striving to translate cutting-edge laboratory findings into next-generation treatments. Together with her team, she completed the CSIRO ON Prime program in 2023, accelerating Kimaritec’s commercialisation journey and market validation. Sally hopes that her leadership and scientific vision will drive innovation and impact in the biotech sector.

QCase is the digital platform that transformed civil justice in Queensland for minor civil disputes and claims for the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) and the Queensland Magistrates Courts. It allows users 24/7 access to lodge documents, track cases, and access information securely and efficiently.

Built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and integrated with legacy systems, QCase replaces paper-based processes through automated workflows and offers real-time processing. It enhances transparency across court locations and simplifies access for judicial staff and self-represented litigants through guided digital experiences and automated notifications.

QCase is a landmark in public sector digital transformation, recognised with the Public Sector Excellence Award at the Women in Technology Awards. QCase was successfully rolled out across over 80 court locations, with a front-end portal for legal partners and the general public. The smooth implementation and adoption of QCase reflects collaborative leadership and effective teamwork, resulting in improved access to justice for all Queenslanders.

Representing the QCase Project and Transition Team: 

Lia Cragnolini is currently the Manager, Digital Workplace at Information and Technology Partners (DPI). Previously she was a key member of the QCase team, contributing to its award-winning delivery and user-centred innovation. Her leadership has helped shape QCase into a trusted tool for legal professionals and the public alike

Vivien Lau is an experienced project manager with extensive program governance and management expertise across a broad range of industries. With over ten years of experience working in technical teams, she has been instrumental in designing, developing, and maintaining core systems and applications. Vivien has a proven track record of collaborating with stakeholders to implement impactful changes, offering strategic insights and driving accessibility goals. Notably, she played a key role in supporting the successful rollout of QCase.

Founded in 2015 at Griffith University, our Clinical Trial Unit (CTU) is a community-focused, internationally recognised site advancing healthcare through Phase 1–4 trials. With expertise in chronic and rare diseases, vaccines, GMOs, devices, and complementary medicines, we’ve completed over 70 commercial trials—some leading to TGA approval and PBS listing. Our fast processes, academic rigor, and high participation rates drive impactful translational research. From start-up to multimillion-dollar enterprise, we’ve created jobs, trained students, and built a skilled clinical network. Our all-female team thrives through flexible work and professional development, strengthening Queensland’s biomedical industry and empowering over 5,000 trial volunteers.

Representing the Clinical Trial Unit:

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