SPEAKERS

Professor Seyedali (Ali) Mirjalili

Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research & Optimisation (AIRO),

Torrens University

Seyedali Mirjalili is a Professor at Torrens University Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Optimization and is internationally recognized for his advances in nature-inspired Artificial Intelligence techniques.

He is the author of more than 500 publications with over 70,000 citations and an H-index of 85. Since 2019, he has been on the list of 1% highly-cited researchers and named as one of the most influential researchers in the world by Web of Science.

In 2022 and 2023, The Australian newspaper named him the global leader in Artificial Intelligence and the nation leader in Evolutionary Computation and Fuzzy Systems fields. He is a senior member of IEEE and is serving as an editor of leading AI journals including Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Applied Soft Computing, Neurocomputing Advances in Engineering Software, Computers in Biology and Medicine, Healthcare Analytics, Applied Intelligence, and Decision Analytics.

Keynote Session - Wednesday, 6 September 2023
From Turing to Today: The Incredible Evolution of AI in Research Management

In this keynote speech, we will explore the fascinating history of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its rapid evolution in recent years, bringing us to ask the question: Why now? We will examine the current and potential applications of AI in research management, including the benefits and drawbacks of AI in the research industry. We will also delve into the impacts of AI on various aspects of research management, such as administration, publications, grant applications, data management, compliance, ethics, and governance. As we look to the future, we will consider how AI will shape the landscape of research offices and universities and its impact on high degree research programs, students, and supervisors.

Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles MNZM
2021 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year

Dr Siouxsie Wiles MNZM heads up the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland where she and her team are on the hunt for new antibiotics. Siouxsie is also a firm believer that research doesn’t end with a peer-reviewed publication. She has spent more than a decade learning how to communicate and demystify science, working with artists and animators as well as taking up blogging and tweeting. She has won many awards for her efforts and in 2019 was appointed a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to microbiology and science communication.

When COVID-19 arrived, Siouxsie joined forces with Spinoff cartoonist Toby Morris to make the science of the pandemic clear and understandable. Their award-winning graphics were translated into multiple languages and were even used by governments and organisations. Siouxsie was the Supreme Winner of the Stuff Westpac 2020 Women of Influence Award, named by the BBC as one of their 100 influential women of 2020, and the 2021 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.

*Siouxsie Wiles appears by arrangement with Johnson & Laird Management.

Keynote Session - Thursday 7 September 2023
From crowdfunding to communication: tales from a modern academic

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, Dr Siouxsie Wiles, an award-winning infectious diseases researcher and science communicator felt like she’d spent the last decade training for a marathon she never knew she was going to run. In her presentation, Siouxsie will talk about how she’s survived (so far!) as an unconventional pink-haired woman in academia, and reflect on the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Professor Bronwyn Fox
Chief Scientist, CSIRO

Professor Bronwyn Fox is Chief Scientist of CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency and innovation catalyst.

Professor Bronwyn Fox joined CSIRO in October 2021 and became CSIRO’s fourth female Chief Scientist. She is known globally as a leader in advanced manufacturing, materials science, and industry 4.0 technologies, and is passionate about bringing together multidisciplinary teams for collaborative research.

She was formerly Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) at Swinburne University of Technology and founding Director of Swinburne’s Manufacturing Futures Research Institute. During that time, she established of a world first Industry 4.0 Testlab for additive manufacturing of carbon fibre composites, in collaboration with CSIRO.

Keynote Session - Friday 8 September
Research collaboration: Co-designing for Australia's future

As invention and discovery rapidly change the world, Australia’s aspirations, ambitions, and potential in the future are closely tied to the quality of our innovation eco-system. Our scientists, researchers, innovators and educators are at the vanguard of the work underway to meet the challenges heading our way.

But to succeed we have to go beyond just brilliant science, beyond brilliant innovation and the work underway to improve how we commercialise it here in Australia, and beyond a brilliant higher education sector that delivers so many benefits to the nation, value beyond any individual qualification or job it creates. We also have to find new and better ways to span our organisational boundaries and barriers, to find common ground for mutual benefit and ensure we can work more seamlessly together to collectively deliver national benefit.

In this keynote Professor Bronwyn Fox will outline how CSIRO is working with partners to create entirely new solutions that bring together multiple organisations, disciplines, technologies and skills. She will also share the lessons learned from a focus on co-design, collaboration and partnering with the higher education sector on programs including iPhD and BIRC (Building Indigenous Research Capability).

Dr Willy-John Martin

Pou Pūtaiao/Director, Māori Research, Science and Innovation, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Dr Willy-John Martin is the inaugural Director Māori Research, Science and Innovation at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). His work is to ensure that the Research, Science and Innovation system in New Zealand is well positioned to deliver on the government’s responsibilities to Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi.

Willy-John’s interests bring together extensive science sector and Māori expertise. He has a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Bioscience and was a researcher of immune conditions of priority to Māori and Indigenous peoples at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in New Zealand, and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia.

He was the Manager Vision Mātauranga and Capacity Development at the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge, and the founding deputy chair of the Senior Māori Science Leaders group, Rauika Māngai.

A key leader in the New Zealand science sector reform, Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways, Willy-John’s work spans across broad areas including science policy, research investment mechanisms and monitoring, strategic relationship management at the interface of science and Te Ao Māori, Capacity Development and futures thinking.

Iwi: Ngātiwai, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Tamaterā.

Plenary Session - Wednesday, 6 September
Creating new pathways for indigenous knowledge and people in research

The New Zealand government is undertaking a significant re-set of its research system. One of the four major goals of the Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways reforms is to embed the aspirations of Māori - the indigenous people - into the research priorities and activities of its system. Ambitious as this is, New Zealand will not be starting from scratch. A corpus of prior experience, coupled with a number of reports from contemporary indigenous researchers point the way to a more thriving research system for all in New Zealand. This presentation describes the multiple tools and approaches being pursued to advance the research system’s capability to invest in indigenous research.

Anthony Ackroyd
CEO, Feel Betterer

Anthony Ackroyd is one of Australia’s most renowned comedians and an international speaker who is an expert on the many advantages of bringing more laughter into our lives. Anthony became a household name as a star of ABC TV’s legendary comedy series The Big Gig and has performed and written comedy for hundreds of TV shows, radio programmes, and feature films (he’s even been a question on Wheel Of Fortune!). He is currently the CEO (Chief Enjoyment Officer) of his company Feel Betterer which helps people learn how to use humour, laughter and positive energy states to transform their lives.

Plenary Session - Thursday, 7 September
Stress Less Laugh More : How to use humour and laughter to boost your happiness, energy and success!

Let’s just be honest - stress sucks! It sucks the joy out of life, depletes our energy, creates tension with other people and makes life miserable. But there is a solution! Laughter, humour, fun and positive energy help us stress less, enjoy more and get the results we want. Laughter helps us access vitality and creativity, improves our communication and connection with others, lets us express who we truly are and makes life a joyful experience. And here’s some really good news - you can learn the skills and strategies that will increase the levels of laughter, humour, play and positive energy you experience on a daily basis. In the Stress Less Laugh More workshop renowned comedian and laughter expert Anthony Ackroyd will guide you into a new life with less stress, anxiety and worry and more laughter, fun, happiness, energy, creativity and success.

Professor Marc Pellegrini
Centenary Institute

Professor Marc Pellegrini MB BS BSc FRACP PhD FAHMS is an infectious diseases physician, host-pathogen molecular biologist, and Executive Director at the Centenary Institute. An internationally renowned research scientist, Professor Pellegrini has over 20 years of experience working on chronic infections that include HIV, hepatitis B and tuberculosis.

Bridging the gap between basic science and translation into the clinic, Professor Pellegrini’s research is focused on the development of novel therapeutics and interventions for the management of infectious diseases that contribute significantly to global morbidity and mortality.

An expert on host-pathogen interactions, Professor Pellegrini is particularly interested in the targeting of host cell signalling pathways to promote clearance of infected cells to eradicate chronic infectious diseases. His work has resulted in 16 clinical trials, including that of interleukin-7 immunotherapy, which was approved for the treatment of a previously fatal disease (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy) caused by the JC virus. Professor Pellegrini and his team have been awarded a number of prizes including the Burnet Prize, the Bupa Health Researcher Award, the Frank Fenner Award, an NHMRC Excellence Award and two Eureka Prizes. He was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2018.

Plenary Session - Friday 8 September
Reflections on Health and Medical Research in Australia

More details to come

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