The Rose-Anne Kelso Commemorative Award– Dr Nathalie Bock, Senior Research Fellow and Principal Investigator, School of Biomedical Sciences, QUT

‍With just eight years of postdoctoral experience, Dr Nathalie Bock is making pioneering contributions at the forefront of breast and prostate cancer research, creating original ways to find novel disease contributors by innovatively translating ‘Tissue Engineering’ principles into Cancer Biology. Dr Bock is concurrently Deputy Director of the first Max Planck Queensland Centre in Oceania, significantly contributing to raising Queensland’s Life Sciences profile and capabilities at the international scale.

Dr Bock’s passion has underpinned an early-mid research career well outside of typical scope, with an ability to holistically engage with various stakeholders, including academics, clinicians, patients and industry. She has authored more than 60 high-impact publications and has accumulated more than $20M in research funding, and her research is contributing significant recognition for Queensland, with a future vision that integrates basic and applied science together with cutting-edge biotechnologies, to deliver impactful, transformative research.

Dr Bock holds leadership positions as Engagement Lead for young academics at the Centre of Biomedical Technologies - QUT and Academic Lead for Postgraduate Research of the School ofBiomedical Sciences - QUT, demonstrating her commending identity as a Leader in the professional development of colleagues. Dr Bock is passionate about mentoring the next generation of STEM scientists, fostering their growth and resulting in award-winning success at major international conferences. Committed to broadening STEM access, Dr Bock actively promotes opportunities for disadvantaged and LGBTIQA+ communities. Beyond her professional achievements, she is also a mother of four, demonstrating her ability to balance a demanding career with family responsibilities, a strong inspiration for women considering a career in Life Science.

QIMR Woman of Influence Award – Professor Ranjeny Thomas, Arthritis Chair of Rheumatology, University of QueenslandFrazer Institute

‍Professor Ranjeny Thomas AM’s research explores mechanisms of immunity and dendritic cell function in autoimmune disease, developing and trialling treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 diabetes. Professor Thomas is also a consultant rheumatologist at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane and Arthritis Queensland Chair of Rheumatology with The University of Queensland (UQ). In2020 she was awarded Member of the Order of Australia.

Professor Thomas has founded two spinout companies from UQ: Dendright and Liperate Therapeutics. At Dendright she led the development of personalised immunotherapy and companion biomarkers to prevent and treat rheumatoid arthritis in partnership with Janssen BiotechInc. At Liperate Therapeutics, she has led the clinical development of immunotherapy for Type 1 diabetes, to commence in 2024. Professor Thomas has also collaborated with other industry partners including CSL and Merck.

Through her community engagement and outreach, Professor Thomas collaborates through educational seminars, consumer engagement in trial design, and has developed evidence-based healthy lifestyle advice for people with and at risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Professor Thomas is an innovator and a passionate advocate for the prevention and cure of autoimmune diseases. She is regarded as a world-leader in her field and regularly mentors early and mid-career scientists in commercial development.

MerckLife Science Rural and Regional Service Award – Professor Peter Timms, Deputy Director, Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast  

‍Peter Timms is a Professor of Microbiology at the University of the Sunshine Coast. He is a global authority on chlamydial infection and has dedicated his career to solving diseases in humans and animals. He is the world leader in chlamydial disease in koalas, and koala retrovirus, and a pioneer in developing vaccines for Chlamydia in koalas.

He has published more than 310 scientific papers, with more than 100 insightful works specifically on koalas, a significant measure of his in-depth expertise and impact. Professor Timms was recognised for his extraordinary scientific contribution to Queensland when awarded the Queensland Great Award in 2022.

Professor Timms has taken applied research through to real-world vaccine roll-out for one of Australia’s iconic and endangered animals, the koala. This involves working with wild koalas, via large wildlife hospitals (such as Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital) and field veterinary teams. He is currently partnering with 10 regional koala carer and rescue groups directly for a Phase III trial, the largest ever controlled koala data experiment that protects more than 1,000 koalas from Chlamydia. This program is unique in being the largest such “study”, but also the first-ever management option that has a sustainable scale for the koala population in Queensland and Australia.

Professor Timms’ koala work has wide applications outside the environmental science field. In 2020, Timms’ work appeared on the front cover of The New York Times. The focus of the article was how Timms’ work to develop a chlamydial vaccine for koalas could inform human Chlamydia vaccine development in the future.

McCullough Robertson Industry Excellence Award– Professor Mark Kendall, Founder and CEO, Wear Optimo 

‍Professor Mark Kendall is a globally respected biomedical engineer, scientist, entrepreneur and business builder and established Wear Optimo, a private health-tech company, in 2018. 

Based out of Brisbane, Queensland, WearOptimo is developing the next generation of wearable technology through its patented Microwearable sensor platform, a sticker-like device that provides real time monitoring of hydration and of heart failure biomarkers. Supported by funding from the Queensland Government, WearOptimo has established process development and manufacturing in Queensland – with the potential to make more than 30 million Microwearable sensors a year. 

Professor Mark Kendall also founded Vaxxas, another Queensland-based start-up that is developing and commercialising Nanopatches, a needle-free vaccine delivery technology. Overhis successful career, he has generated an estimated economic value of around $2 billion through the exploitation of more than 160 granted patents.

Mark is Co-Chair of the Australian Government’s Department of Health Stem Cell Therapies Mission and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI, USA), Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (RSA,UK) and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE, Australia). He has won more than 40 awards, including the CSL Young Florey Medal (2016), World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer (2015), Rolex Laureate Award (2012), The Australian Innovation Challenge winner (2011) and the Eureka Prize for Interdisciplinary Research (2011).

Mark has significantly contributed to raising Queensland’s profile and capabilities.His Nanopatches and Microwearables technologies are game-changing in helping address some of the biggest killers on the planet, including infectious disease, cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.Through Mark’s R&D activities and establishing WearOptimo’s manufacturing facility in Queensland, he has supported the creation of hundreds of jobs and has enabled mentoring of Queenslanders with ‘innovation apprenticeships’.

KE Select Emerging Innovator Award – Infensa Bioscience

‍Infensa Bioscience is a start-up company located at the Translational Research Institute in Brisbane and based on research from The University of Queensland’s Institute for MolecularBioscience (IMB). Infensa is developing game-changing therapies for two of the leading causes of death worldwide: stroke and heart attack, which together cause one-third of all deaths worldwide every year. In 2022, the company completed its initial investment round of $23 million, which was sourced entirely from Australian private investors.

Infensa employs 11 researchers & staff, making it a flagship for the translational research pipeline in south-east Queensland’s biomedical-ecosystem.

Infensa is conducting clinical trials of the drug candidate IB001, which uses a molecule found in the venom of the K’gari (Fraser Island) funnel web spider, and can potentially prevent damage caused by heart attacks and stroke. IB001 was developed by an IMB team -– Professor Glenn King, who won the 2023 Prime Minister’s Award for Innovation in part for his work with Infensa, and Associate Professor Nathan Palpant. In2021, they published research in the journal Circulation, the world’s leading cardiac journal, that this molecule can potentially prevent damage caused by heart attacks and stroke, and preserve donor hearts for transplantation. Their subsequent 2024 paper in Circulation outlined howI B001 had met critical benchmarks towards becoming a treatment after being put through a series of preclinical tests designed to mimic real-life treatment scenarios.

There are currently no drugs in clinical use that prevent this damage, making IB001 a first-in-class drug with an addressable market of more than 25 million patients each year globally.

Cytiva Company of the Year Award – UniSC Clinical Trials, University of the Sunshine Coast

‍UniSC Clinical Trials began in 2015on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and has grown into a significant clinical research network spanning five locations in Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, and Brisbane. It offers access to innovative therapeutics, including vaccines, medications for chronic diseases, cancer treatments, and medical devices.

Over the past year, more than 2,000 participants were enrolled in approximately 45 clinical trials. The company has earned a strong reputation locally and internationally for delivering safe, high-quality, patient-centric research. This success has attracted both local and global organisations, bringing more than $14 million in clinical trials toQueensland in the past year, with future projects potentially adding more than$20 million to the local economy.

Recent expansions include a new research facility on the Sunshine Coast and plans to relocate to larger premises in the Maroochydore Private Hospital in 2025, with additional facilities planned for Logan, expanding access to clinical trials to Queenslanders living outside of Brisbane. Collaborations with notable research organisations such as Doherty Clinical Trials, the University of Queensland, and QIMR broaden the reach and expertise of their trials. UniSC Clinical Trials has presented at various industry conferences, further establishing its leadership in clinical research. The company’s adherence to good clinical practice was evidenced by successful audits from the Therapeutic GoodsAdministration (TGA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

UniSC Clinical Trials now employs more than 130 professionals, with a strong emphasis on mentoring and training new talent through partnering with tertiary institutions. Technological advancements have enhanced patient care and oversight. The organisation’s success is driven by community participation and continuous feedback to ensure equitable access and innovation. UniSC Clinical Trials remains committed to advancing human health through cutting-edge research and sustainable practices.