ANZNMF23 Speakers

Plenary Speakers

Prof. Cather Simpson

Professor Cather Simpson’s research at the University of Auckland’s Physics and Chemistry departments focuses on the interaction of light with matter, particularly how materials can convert light into more useful forms of energy. She is also a Principal Investigator at the Dodd-Walls Centre and a Director at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. Her research led to the establishment of three companies, including two award-winning companies harnessing the power of microfluidics: Engender Technologies (a sex-sorting business to accelerate genetic gain and cost efficiencies in large animal reproduction) and Orbis Diagnostics (providing revolutionary in-line milking measurement for the dairy industry, using microfluidics technology for protein, fat, somatic cell and progesterone).

Prof. Jeremy Thompson

Professor Thompson is  Head of the Early Development Group at Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide. He is an expert in human reproductive health and livestock production and also the co-founder and chief scientific officer of Fertilis, an innovative start-up company that harness the power of microfluidics to improve IVF. 

Prof. Nam-Trung Nguyen

Professor Nguyen is the Director of the Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre.  His research is focused on microfluidics, nanofluidics, micro/nanomachining technologies, micro/nanoscale science, and instrumentation for biomedical applications. He has published over 500 journal papers and is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Senior Member of IEEE.

Prof. Nicole Pamme

Professor Pamme is a Professor in Analytical Chemistry at Stockholm University. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and serves as an Associate Editor for Analyst. Her research activities focus on lab-on-a-chip technology for environmental analysis on-site, for clinical diagnostics at the point-of-care and the synthesis of smart materials.

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Chun-Xia Zhao

Professor Chun-Xia Zhao is a NHMRC Leadership Fellow (2022-2026) in the School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials at the University of Adelaide, and a Honorary Professor at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland.

Prof. Majid Ebrahim Warkiani

Professor Majid Ebrahim Warkiani is a NHMRC-CD fellow at the  School of Biomedical Engineering at the UTS. He is also a group leader and co-director of the Australia-China Joint Research Centre for Point of Care Testing. He has been recognised for his research excellence by a number of awards including the Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2019), MIT Technology Review-Innovators under 35 Award (2016), and the Nanyang Young Alumni Award (2017).

Prof. Marta Krasowska

Professor Marta Krasowska is a Research Leader at the UniSA Future Industries Institute.  Her  research focuses on the interactions between soft and rigid interfaces as well as the physicochemical properties of such interfaces. She is a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals.

Prof. Nicolas Voelcker

Professor Nicolas Voelcker is the Director of the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, Professor at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University and a Science Leader at CSIRO. He was awarded an Australian Laureate Fellowship in 2022. His research interest lies in the fabrication and surface modification of porous semiconductor materials for applications in biosensors, biochips, biomaterials and drug delivery.

Prof. Rosanne Guijt 

Professor Rosanne Guijt research at  Deakin University focusses in microfluidic systems for chemical separation and analysis. She has pioneered the area of functionally integrated devices through the incorporation of electrodes and membranes.  She is especially interested in the development of portable and field deployable analytical instrumentation for early detection of threats, spoilage and disease.

Prof. Volker Hessel

Professor Volker Hessel is Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide. He has (co-)authored  > 600 peer-reviewed (h index 83) and received many accolades throughout his distinguished career. His research is centered in flow chemistry and micro process technology.

Prof. Yi-Chin Toh

Professor Yi-Chin Toh is the Interim Director at Centre for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology - championing organs-on-chip technology for sustainable drug testing. She leads the Micro Tissue Engineering Lab. Her major scientific contribution is in the advancement of microfluidic tissue models for applications in drug testing and experimental biology. 

A/Prof. Geoff Willmott

Associate Professor Geoff Willmott is Deputy Director in Commercialisation and Industry Engagement, and a Principal Investigator in the MacDiarmid Institute. His research focusses on developing novel tools for harnessing nanofluidic transport, with key research topics including tunable nanopores, capillarity and motion of phase boundaries, and drop splashes on water-repellent surfaces.

Invited Speakers

  • Prof. Yvonne Stokes, School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, University of Adelaide.
  • A/Prof. David Gallego Ortega, School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney.
  • A/Prof. Khashayar Khoshmanesh, School of Engineering, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
  • A/Prof. Sara Baratchi, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
  • A/Prof. Volker Nock, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury.
  • Dr. Anna Waterhouse, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney.
  • Dr. Baptiste Auguie, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria university of Wellington.
  • Dr. Reza Nosrati, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University.
  • Dr. Vipul Gupta, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterial Science and University of Tasmania.
  • Ms Samantha Gunasekera, Harry Butler Institute, College of Environmental and Life Sciences, Murdoch University.
  • A/Prof David Inglis, Macquarie University BioFocus Research Centre.
  • Dr. Tuncay Alan, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University.
  • Dr. David Collins, Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Melbourne.
  • Prof Yonggang Zhu, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen.
  • A/Prof Lana McClements, School of Live Sciences, UTS.
  • Dr Daniele Vigolo, School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Sydney.
  • Prof Pavel Bedrikovetsky, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide.
  • Dr Jun Zhang, Queensland Micro and Nantechnology Centre, Griffith University.
  • Dr Renee Goreham, School of Information and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle.
  • Dr Tuan-Khoa Nguyen, Queensland Micro and Nantechnology Centre, Griffith University.