September 2023 Researcher Profiles
Marcus Giansiracusa
Marcus’s research looks at lanthanoid containing molecules for their magnetic properties, specifically targeting single-molecule magnets, MRI contrast agents or quantum bits. He completed his PhD under Prof Richard Winpenny and Prof Nicholas Chilton at the University of Manchester studying lanthanide interactions and single-ion magnets. Along with Prof Colette Boskovic at the University of Melbourne, Marcus has established the Melbourne Magnetometry Laboratory for the study of magnetic materials. The GCI Travel Support Scheme aided in his attendance of the International Conference on Biological Inorganic Chemistry in Adelaide, the International Conference on f-elements in Strasbourg and a lecture visit to the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz over the past 2 months. It gave Marcus the chance to present the breadth of his on-going research, utilising magnetometry to understand the fundamental electronic structure of lanthanoid complexes towards a range of applications.
Annie Qu
Annie’s research focuses on transition from resin to membrane/fiber chromatography in the pharmaceutical industry. Current downstream bioprocessing within the pharmaceutical industry is heavily driven by resin chromatography, which faces high stress of low productivity and high costs. Membrane/fiber chromatography has enhanced convective mass transfer and reduced diffusion mass transfer resistance. By using multiple subtypes of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as model proteins, the performance of affinity fiber chromatography is compared with resin chromatography. The cost analysis across multiple scales is also included to understand the strategy to implement membrane/fiber chromatography in an industrial practice.
Annie was invited by 2023 American Institute of Chemical Engineers International Annual Meeting to present this work. Meanwhile, she was also provided an opportunity to visit the world-leading Bioprocessing and Membrane Separations Lab led by Dr Andrew Zydney, to learn from overseas colleagues and discuss new projects for future fundings
Han Liu
Han (Hanna) Liu is a third year PhD student in Integrative Cartilage Research Group (ICRG) at Biomedical Engineering Department. She is working on a complex project to investigate the onset and progression of osteoarthritis using micro-computed tomography as part of a Science Discovery Project funded by the Belgian Science Foundation. Her work focuses on validating and implementing an advanced quantitative analysis method to investigate and quantify in vivo joint health and longitudinal progression of osteoarthritis in a preclinical mice model. She was awarded with Graeme Clark Institute (GCI) Travel Support. With this support, Hanna will deliver an oral presentation to present her research to the Australian and New Zealand Bone Mineral Society at their Annual Meeting in October.
Miguel Angel Berrocal Rubio
Miguel is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, interested in developmental biology and isoform switching in human myeloid cells. After discovering that some important growth factors present different isoforms of the same protein to perform diverse (sometimes opposite) functions, Miguel decided he needed to dig deeper and sought for more sensitive techniques to understand gene expression and alternative isoform usage. He contacted the FANTOM6 project, which are known for developing new methodology to annotate the functioning of the human genome in different cell types, as they are now working on their 6th iteration (FANTOM6). Miguel’s GCI travel grant will be used towards collaborating in the FANTOM6 consortium in Japan, using state-of-the-art techniques with much higher sensitivity that will allow him to better understand differential isoform use, its causes and functions, and ultimately how isoforms determine processes like tissue development or homeostasis in humans.
Engin Akinoglu
Engin is a Ph.D. student in the School of Chemistry under the supervision of Dr. James Hutchison. His research focuses on modifying light-matter interactions with nanoscale optical resonators which can strongly confine incoming light, boosting physical processes by magnitudes of orders. The cross sections for vibrational spectroscopy such as Infrared absorption or Raman spectroscopy are very low, requiring large quantities of molecules which is a problem if you are interested in the functional study of biomembranes. This is a pity because vibrational modes can give valuable information about the chemical nature but also allow us to probe structural and conformational changes of molecules. In collaboration with the International Academy of Optoelectronics at Zhaoqing, South China University Engin has developed a plasmonic sensor that operates in the infrared which can be also used as an electrode for spectro-electrochemical analysis. The GCI travel award will allow Engin to visit their lab and strengthen the collaboration with Melbourne University.
Arshiya Sangchooli
Arshiya obtained his MD from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences before pursuing a Master of Philosophy in the University of Melbourne, under the supervision of A/Prof Marta Garrido. His work involves investigating human brain development with neuroimaging, and broadly he is interested in normative and disordered neural development, neuroimaging methods, and computational modelling. The GCI Travel Grant allowed Arshiya to present his work at two major international conferences, participate in important professional development and networking events, and visit a neuroimaging laboratory in the University of Oxford.
Alice Ruiye Chen
Alice is a PhD candidate in the Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology) at the Centre for Eye Research Australia. Her research centres on the concept of retinal age, where she utilized cutting-edge deep learning techniques and retinal photography to create an innovative aging biomarker. She aims to leverage AI algorithms to pinpoint robust aging biomarkers capable of accurately determining an individual's biological age. This holds the potential to offer profound insights into the aging process and potential interventions. Alice extends her gratitude to the GCI for the invaluable support, enabling her to embark on a transformative journey. In October, she’ll be heading to Canada to participate in the 26th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention (MICCAI 2023). There, I'll share our retinal age calculation algorithm, which combines progressive Label Distribution Learning with temporal fundus images to significantly enhance age estimation for a diverse range of individuals.
Yi Wang
Dr Yi Wang is a Research Fellow, joined the Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical Engineering. Her work has focused on engineered biomaterials for delivering and supporting cells in cell transplantation, the delivery of molecules, proteins, or virions, and for direct applications for the treatment brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. She gained her PhD in Engineering at the Australian National University (ANU) in May 2019. She continued in a postdoc role at ANU until she relocated to the Graeme Clark Institute, University of Melbourne (UoM) in January 2022. At ANU, she worked in the Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, sitting between the chemistry and medical school. At UoM she has joined the Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical Engineering. She currently leads independent multidisciplinary research projects, where she established close collaborations with other groups in neuroscience and chemistry. With the GCI Travel Support Scheme, Yi will be attending the 2023 Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society – Asia Pacific (TERMIS-AP) conference on October 16-19, 2023 in Hong Kong.