Ben Hughes – Director of Strategic Development, National Biologics Facility at Therapeutic Innovation Australia

Ben Hughes is a Bioengineer with extensive hands-on and broad-spectrum experience that is unique in the Australian Biotech arena. He is the Director of Strategic Development, National Biologics Facility (NBF) at Therapeutic Innovation Australia, as well as the Interim Director of the NBF UQ Node. Ben brings 20+ years of experience in process development through to commercialising mammalian-based biologics (monoclonal antibodies and vaccines), and a proven track record of developing successful teams and implementing compliant systems for current good manufacturing practices (cGMP).   

Ben previously worked at Patheon by Thermo Fisher as Head of Manufacturing for FDA-approved commercial drug substance production facilities (Brisbane and St Louis, United States), developed and manufactured Phase II vaccines with Merck and Co, Inc., and in commercial plasma-derived products with CSL. Ben also has extensive cGMP experience in facility design including a $65 million facility from concept design, through to facility start-up and co-leading the successful TGA inspection and granting of the biologics manufacturing license.

Professor Simon Cool – Professor of Bioengineering and Director of the UQ Advanced Cell Therapy Manufacturing Initiative, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland

Professor Cool began his scientific career at the University of Queensland more than 20 years ago. He received his BSc (hons) and PhD degrees from the University of Queensland, where he subsequently held a faculty position in the School of Biomedical Sciences. His areas of studies have included age-related changes in the structure of bone and teeth and the extracellular matrix compartment of skeletal tissue that guide stem cell behaviour and wound repair. Professor Cool was invited to join the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), A*STAR, Singapore in 2003 as a Principal Investigator. He then joined A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) in 2008, shortly after its inception, to further his research in regenerative medicine, serving as Senior Principal Investigator of the Glycotherapeutics Group. In October 2020, Professor Cool re-joined the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) as a Research Director, Glycotherapeutics, where he focused on developing novel glycosaminoglycan biomolecules that enhance wound repair and control adult human mesenchymal stem cell activity.

Professor Cool has 117 patent applications across 26 families with 51 granted in the fields of glycosaminoglycan biochemistry, regenerative medicine and stem cell science. He has more than 150 publications and continues to foster strong strategic collaborations both nationally and internationally with academic and industry groups. He has a strong biomanufacturing and translational focus with experience in taking glycosaminoglycan-based devices through discovery RnD on to pre-clinical and clinical testing. Professor Cool also has an entrepreneurial and licensing background having successfully spun-off some of his technology to a US-based regenerative medicine start-up company, SMC Biotechnology Ltd. Professor Cool holds a Visiting Professor appointment at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), A*STAR, Singapore and an Adjunct Professor (Research) appointment in the Orthopaedic Department at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Prior to his move back to UQ, he previously held the position of Treasurer, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society, Asia Pacific Chapter (TERMIS-AP) and Treasurer, Stem Cell Society Singapore (SCSS). He also held senior leadership positions in several Singapore-based R&D programmes, notably as Director, Allogeneic Stem Cell Manufacturing (ASTEM) and Theme Leader in Advanced Manufacturing for Biological Materials (AMBM). Prof Cool currently serves on the Editorial Board of the journals Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, and is Asia-Pacific Regional Editor for Stem Cells and Development.

Professor Prasad Yarlagadda – Dean, Engineering at University of Southern Queensland

Prof. Prasad Yarlagadda worked in industry and university over 38 years in number of countries.  He is currently Dean, Engineering at University of Southern Queensland.  Prior to the current role, he was  Professor in Smart Systems and Director: Medical Devices Research in Centre for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.  He had number of distinguished appointments in various universities in India, China and Australia.  He received more than $18M funding for his research  from large number of bio-manufacturing industry in Australia, India, Korea and Singapore.   He has various national and international collaborators and he published more than 580 papers with number of key note speeches delivered across the world. In 2012 he received a Prestigious Great Honour Award for his outstanding and life time contribution to the discipline of manufacturing in world Arena from Materials Division of Polish Academy of Sciences.  In 2016 Professor Yarlagadda was awarded an Order of Australia Medal and included in the Queens Birthday Honours list in recognition of his outstanding service to the Engineering Profession and the Indian Community in Queensland, Australia.  He spent considerable amount of time and also undertaking groundwork to establish a STEM-based National Centre of Excellence in the broad areas of Digital Manufacturing  incorporating various aspects of Advanced Materials, Nano-technology processes and nano-castings, Biomaterials for Bio-manufacturing using Additive Manufacturing and 3-D Printing.  His current work on Advanced Manufacturing of Anti-Pathogenic surfaces (for various Bio-medical applications) in partnership with Metro-North Hospitals and Health Services, Brisbane, Indian Institute of Science and number of hospitals in Bangalore and Science and Engineering Research Council, Department of Science & Technology, India brought global attention.

Glenda Colburn – Acting Team Leader, Industry Engagement Manager, Translational Research Institute Australia (TRI)

Glenda Colburn is an accomplished professional with three decades of diverse experience spanning medicine, research, and healthcare. Her career has traversed various sectors, including not-for-profit, academia, corporate environments, and life sciences. Glenda’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science, a Diploma in Clinical Trials, and an Executive MBA. Her expertise centres around corporate strategy, risk management, and governance. Throughout her journey, Glenda has made significant contributions in several key roles:  

- QML: She collaborated on delivering diagnostic pathology solutions.
- Lung Foundation: As the national director for the lung cancer program, she played a pivotal role.
- Roche/Foundation Medicine: Glenda worked to introduce comprehensive genomic sequencing for pan cancers to    Australia.
- Sunshine Coast University Biotech Spin-off: She contributed to the development of diagnostics for commercial use.  - Translational Research Institute Australia (TRI): Currently serving as the Industry Engagement Manager, Glenda fosters connections and drives innovation in the healthcare sector. She also oversees operational and tenancy planning for the new manufacturing facility, TM@TRI.

Glenda’s commitment extends beyond her professional endeavours. She actively volunteers her time and expertise to various non-profit organizations, including the Rural Doctors Foundation. As a board member, she champions the foundation’s initiatives, advancing healthcare in rural communities across Australia.