2021 Alumni

Dr Liz Klein Distinguished Chair

Liz is an associate professor in the Ohio State University College of Public Health. She is a behavioral epidemiologist dedicated to tobacco control research. Her research centers around how the relationships between people and their environments can be used to find strategies to reduce tobacco use or promote quitting among youth and vulnerable adult populations. Liz has employed biobehavioral methods to better understand how to help current users quit.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Liz will be using eye-tracking technology to study the potential effectiveness of new stop-smoking images and messages designed for pregnant women and those of reproductive age. She hopes these results will help to build stronger messages and campaigns to promote smoking cessation among this vulnerable population, eventually improving the health of both women and their children.

Professor Jennifer Juhl Majersk MD MS Distinguished Chair

Jenny is a vascular neurologist and the Director of the University of Utah Comprehensive Stroke Center and 6-state Telestroke Network. She also manages a clinical trials network across 3 states. To better serve patients with stroke, she is passionate about improving stroke systems of care, particularly patients in rural areas without readily-available specialty services.

For her Fulbright Scholarship, she plans to learn from Australian telemedicine and stroke trials experts how to use existing telestroke networks to enroll rural patients into acute clinical trials. She also hopes to determine which long-term outcomes measures in stroke trials could be feasibly and accurately conducted over telemedicine platforms, to avoid patients needing to travel long distances for follow-up. Last, she hopes to learn how national policy can shape and improve the efficiency of clinical trials overall, with the ultimate goal to shape trial conduction back in the U.S.

Dr Cayelan Carey Senior Scholars

Cayelan is an Associate Professor of freshwater ecosystem science at Virginia Tech, where she leads a research lab that integrates ecology, engineering, and data science to study lake and reservoir water quality.

As a Fulbright Future Scholar, Cayelan will collaborate with the Aquatic EcoDynamics research group at the University of Western Australia to develop a water quality forecasting system for Australian reservoirs. Her research aims to improve drinking water management in Australia and the U.S. by providing water utilities with probabilistic forecasts of future water conditions, thereby enabling managers to anticipate and preempt impairment. Cayelan’s overarching goal is to create new forecasting tools that will increase freshwater ecosystem resilience and the security of the water supply in the face of increasingly variable environmental conditions.

Professor Bradley Carter Senior Scholars

Brad is Professor of Physics at the University of Southern Queensland, and Director of its Centre for Astrophysics in the Institute for Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences. His research interests include stellar astronomy and planetary systems as well as astronomical and space instrumentation.

For his Fulbright Future Scholarship, Brad will work with researchers at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute and the University of Louisville on using stellar activity surveys to advance understanding of the activity extremes of our local star, the Sun. In addition, Brad will collaborate with researchers at the University of Colorado on designing novel compact lightweight instrumentation for future space telescopes, and work with scientists at the University of California Berkeley on the translation of astronomical research techniques into improved space-based remote sensing for early panoramic detection of wildfires and bushfires.

Dr Amanda Denes Senior Scholars

Amanda is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut. She specializes in the study of interpersonal, sexual, and health communication, with a focus on communication processes related to maintaining successful relationships and the role of biology in understanding communication behavior. Taken together, her research aims to identify communication practices and processes in close relationships that contribute to people’s physical, psychological, and relational health.

As a Fulbright Scholar at the Translational Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University, Amanda will explore how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer (LGBTIQ+), and heterosexual couples, in which one partner is in treatment for cancer, communicate about the effects of cancer on their relationship. The goal of the project is to identify the specific forms of communication that contribute to individual and interpersonal well-being when managing the relational and sexual changes that accompany cancer and its treatment.

Professor Jolyon Ford Senior Scholars

Jolyon works on the regulation of responsible business and financial activity. Before re-joining the Australian National University law school in mid-2015, he worked in range of sectors including the federal public service, an intergovernmental organisation, academia, civil society, the private sector and a think-tank. He holds law degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), Cambridge, and the ANU. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, he became an Australian citizen in 2010.

Jolyon will use his Fulbright award to develop sustained research collaboration and networks with scholars and practitioners around the Centre for Responsible Business at the University of California, Berkeley. The focus of this work is comparative Australian-US perspectives on building effective models for regulating how corporations (and financial institutions) show transparently that they are managing the risk that their global supply chains may potentially contribute to patterns of forced labour and human trafficking (‘modern slavery’).

Associate Professor Donna Hancox Senior Scholars

Donna is part of the School of Creative Practice in the Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice Faculty at Queensland University of Technology. She is an international leader in creative community engagement and arts-led social change projects. Her research focuses on the potential for arts, culture and creativity to foster healthy and resilient communities, and the co-creation of innovative methods for under-represented groups to share their lived experiences and agitate for positive community-led change. Donna has led research projects collaborating with rural and remote communities, culturally and linguistically diverse groups and First Nations peoples. In 2013 Donna was a Leverhulme Visiting Fellow at Bath Spa University and a 2017 Smithsonian Research Fellow at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum.

Donna’s Fulbright Scholarship will explore large scale collaborations between universities, industry and community partners to progress the role of arts and culture in global public health.

Dr Mat Hardy Senior Scholars

Mat is a Senior Lecturer in Middle East Studies at Deakin University. As a means of building deeper student understanding of a very complex region of the world, Mat makes significant use of online role plays in his teaching.

With the COVID 19 pandemic having generated a seismic shift towards a greater reliance on digitally delivered higher education, Mat will use his Fulbright Scholarship to create pathways for capitalizing on this change. Building on over 10 years’ of his research into online simulations, Mat’s goal during his time in the U.S. is to create networks with other Political Science academics who utilize role plays in their teaching. This collaboration will develop best practice guidelines for designing and assessing these activities, with a specific focus on how to mitigate gender and other inherent biases in online role-plays and simulations.

Dr Paul Mcgreevy Senior Scholars

Paul McGreevy is a veterinarian and ethologist. With expertise in learning theory, animal training, animal welfare science, veterinary behavioural medicine and anthrozoology, he is a co-founder and honorary fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science, an academic group that promotes evidence-based equestrian practice to advance horse welfare and rider safety. Paul and his team recently launched Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ), an ongoing global database of domestic horse behaviour, designed to reveal how horses’ training and management interact with their behaviour. Beyond immediate and direct research outcomes, E-BARQ promises profound benefits to horse owners, riders and trainers.

Paul will use his time at Colorado State University to ensure that US horses and their humans obtain maximal benefit from the EBARQ initiative.

Dr Courtney Meyers Senior Scholars

Courtney, a professor in agricultural communications at Texas Tech University, is dedicated to improving communication efforts about agriculture. As a Fulbright Scholar, Courtney will research how agricultural issues are being communicated in Australia. Insights gained from her research will be used to create teaching case studies to help students develop critical thinking and communication skills. She will also collaborate with colleagues at Charles Sturt University to facilitate the curriculum development process for agricultural communications.

As a recipient of the inaugural Fulbright Scholar Award funded by the Regional Universities Network of Australia (RUN), Courtney will visit other universities in the RUN group to explore the potential for creating agricultural communications as a disciplinary concentration. Her goal is to provide the foundation and motivation to establish a new curricular focus that will serve to strengthen regional communities and the Australian agriculture industry.

Dr Helen Nahrung Senior Scholars

Helen is a Senior Research Fellow at USC’s Forest Research Institute, working in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. She holds an Advance Queensland Fellowship on forest insect invasions, is President of the Entomological Society of Queensland, and Deputy Chair of the national Forest Health and Biosecurity Sub-committee of the Australian Forest Products Association. Her research focuses on understanding insect invasion processes towards their prevention and management: invasive insects cause severe economic and environmental impacts globally, moving accidentally via trade and travel.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Helen will work with leading invasion biologist Dr Andrew Liebhold to examine insect establishments and interceptions between Australia and the United States – an unwanted reciprocal exchange. We hope to use our improved bilateral understanding of insect movement between our respective countries to identify strategies to reduce the likelihood of future damaging invasions.

Dr Adelle Sefton-Rowston Senior Scholars

Adelle is a senior lecturer in Literature and Creative Writing at Charles Darwin University. Her research project is entitled: Ywrite: a prison arts education program for the Northern Territory and aims to measure the emotional and psychological impacts of prison arts education, particularly the well-being and self-efficacy of incarcerated students. The creative and critical analysis of artwork and creative writing from within prison will assist her in better understanding issues related to mass incarceration, and how to impact prison transformation through the arts. Adelle will use her Fulbright scholarship to teach literature and creative writing across fifteen correctional centres in Alabama under the auspice of Kyes Stevens, who is director of the Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project at Auburn University. Her goal is to develop a state of the art prison education program that addresses literacy and voice poverty through an accessible and online rehabilitation program.

Dr Sandra Shefelbine Senior Scholars

Sandra is a professor at Northeastern University with appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering. Her research examines the mechanical properties of bone and the ability of bone to adapt to mechanical loads. She uses lab experiments, computer models, and clinical observation to understand how mechanical forces affect the musculoskeletal system in health and disease.

As a Fulbright Future Scholar, she will work with collaborators at University of Melbourne to assess human motion, specifically in athletes, to detect people at risk of developing a muscle injury or altered bone morphology. She will also explore novel methods for measuring the mechanical changes to cartilage in arthritis and understanding cartilage cell sensitivity to mechanical load. Understanding the fundamental basis for musculoskeletal problems, such as bone deformities, muscle injuries, or arthritis may lead to improved diagnosis and treatment.

Professor Millicent Sullivan Senior Scholars

Millie is the Alvin B. and Julie O. Stiles Professor in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, and Professor in Biomedical Engineering at University of Delaware. Her work has identified new biomaterials that deliver drug and gene therapies with increased efficacy, specificity, and control. She also investigates new synthetic cell design strategies as a principal investigator in the NSF ProteoCell Project, and she serves as Core Director in UD’s new NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE): the Delaware Center for Musculoskeletal Research.

For her Fulbright project, Millie will develop topical biomaterials that improve wound healing by delivering gene therapies. She will combine new strategies to create collagen-binding DNA nanoparticles, developed in her labs at University of Delaware, with new strategies to produce bioactive wound dressings, developed in collaborating labs at University of Melbourne. Combining these two strategies provides a route to create low-cost yet highly active biomaterials, with long-term potential to improve clinical outcomes

Professor Iain Suthers Senior Scholars

Iain is a biological oceanographer, examining how the ecology of plankton influences the survival of the early life stages of fish (i.e. their eggs and larvae). He is passionate about the sustainable use of the oceans and of our fisheries, as the oceans warm and the global population surges on past 7.6 billion people.

For his Fulbright, Iain will focus on the century-old problem in fisheries science of trying to forecast the annual supply of young fish to fisheries. He will use a 75-year archive of data obtained from the coastal ocean off southern California, to investigate the synergistic effects of growth and mortality of larval fish. He plans to visit those at the Chesapeake Biological Station (MD) who developed this modern view of larval ecology; and keen to learn how the U.S. has decommissioned oil and gas platforms to enhance fisheries production.

Professor Antonio Tricoli Senior Scholars

Antonio is Professor of Materials Science at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Sydney, where he leads the Nanotechnology Research Laboratory. His research focuses on understanding light-matter interactions over multi-scale interfaces for the design of innovative materials and devices with application in Personalized Medicine and Renewable Energy. He is a founding member and co-chair of the inaugural 2017 ANU Grand Challenge strategic research program “Our Health in Our Hands”, which brings together a large multidisciplinary team of scientists from HASS and STEM disciplines aiming at developing transformative technologies to better manage our health. He is author of more than 100 scientific publications, including book chapters and journal articles. He is recipient of the 2010 HILTI Prize for the most innovative PhD thesis of ETH Zurich, the 2012 Future Engineering Research Leadership Fellowship of the Australian National University, a 2015 Westpac Research Fellowships, a 2016 Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Award and a 2020 ARC Future Fellowship.

Antonio will spend his Fulbright Scholarship with the group of Prof Jennifer L. M. Rupp at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he will explore the use of neuromorphic design principles for the engineering of future miniaturized biomedical diagnostic technologies.

Professor Amanda Ullman Senior Scholars

Amanda is the inaugural Professor and Chair in Paediatric Nursing, conjoint between the University of Queensland and Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service. As a paediatric nurse and researcher, Amanda believes that children should be able to receive medical treatment in hospitals, without harm. Her program of research focusses on the most common invasive procedure in healthcare – the insertion of an intravenous (IV) catheter. Amanda spent many years working in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, supporting critically ill children and families at their most vulnerable. Her goal is to prevent IV associated harm, such as infections and blood clots, for critically ill children, globally.

Within her Fulbright program she will work U.S. experts based at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania to develop novel technologies, practices and tools to improve IV practices across all Australian Paediatric Intensive Care Units, and into the wider healthcare community.

Professor Andrew Walter Senior Scholars

Andrew’s research explores how politics influences the governance of capital flows at national and global levels. He has worked in international banking and previously held tenured academic positions at the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Recently, Andrew’s award-winning research has shown how the accumulation of household wealth over the past century has transformed the management and political consequences of financial crises. His current interdisciplinary research project, supported by the Australian Research Council, explores the nature, causes and consequences of the securitisation of foreign investment in politically sensitive sectors, critical infrastructure and data assets.

Andrew will use his time at SIS in Washington, D.C. to investigate foreign investment policy in the United States and to develop research and policy networks that will be invaluable resources for his research team.

Tim White OAM Senior Scholars

Tim is Head of Classical Music at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, where he also directs the percussion and orchestral programmes. Tim was Principal Percussionist of the WA Symphony Orchestra for 28 years, and is passionate about contemporary percussion performance practice and education – fields which have grown exponentially in size, imagination and creativity in recent years.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Tim will spend three months at the University of California at San Diego. He will collaborate with the leading international scholar/ practitioner Professor Steven Schick and with UCSD’s red fish blue fish percussion ensemble in an exploration of the roles of expressivity, gesture and theatricality in percussion performance. Tim’s goals are to create new percussion repertoire and performance practices, build links between the USA and Australia in the field of music, release a DVD of newly-commissioned works, and present an international percussion festival (co-directed with Schick) in Perth in 2023.

Professor Hala Zreiqat PhD AM FAHMS FIOR FTSE FAA Senior Scholars

Hala is a professor of biomedical engineering at The University of Sydney and Director of the Australian Research Centre for Innovative BioEngineering. Hala is a trailblazer in the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering. Her team invented new bioceramics implants with outstanding strength and biological properties, and developed innovative technologies for 3D-printing these ceramics enabling personalized approaches to the repair and regeneration of large bone defects under load.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Hala will spend time at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the laboratory of Professor Robert Langer, a globally recognized pioneer, leader and entrepreneur in the biomedical sciences. She will learn strategies for commercialising and translating medical research into life changing products. Learnings will inform the commercialisation of regenerative medicine research in Australia.

Hayley Channer Professional Scholars

Hayley works for an independent, strategic affairs think tank, the Perth USAsia Centre. She produces analysis on foreign and defence policy in the Indo- Pacific, with a particular focus on U.S. allies and partners. Her career goal is to support the Australian and U.S. governments to develop international policy that furthers our shared aspirations for the region. Hayley has led a diverse career across government, think tanks, and the not-for-profit sector. Previously, she served as a Ministerial adviser and has also worked for the Department of Defence, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and World Vision Australia.

Hayley’s Fulbright Scholarship will allow her to evaluate Australia-U.S. efforts to partner with the private sector to build critical infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific. Her research will lead to actionable recommendations for the Australian and U.S. governments to better engage industry, forge public-private infrastructure partnerships, and support regional development and economic growth.

Bridi Rice Professional Scholars

Bridi is currently a Director at the Australian Council for International Development and Co-Convenor of the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue.

Bridi will use her Fulbright Scholarship in Non-Profit Leadership to imagine and model foreign policy think tanks of the future. She will spend four months with a variety of Washington based think tanks, civil society organisations and media outlets exploring two questions: How do think tanks influence policy in the modern era? And, what can be kept from the past, and supplemented with dynamic new ideas for the future, such as artificial intelligence, app development, office-less transnational connections, globally diverse board arrangements and collectively influential big data aspirations? As a Fulbright awardee, Bridi aspires to establish new and diverse connections between the international development and foreign policy communities in Australia and the USA and to learn from the rich history of public policy debate in Washington.

Professor Susan Harris Rimmer Professional Scholars

As the Director of the Griffith University Policy Innovation Hub, Susan opens the front door to government, industry and community knowledge partnerships with academic talent. The Hub provides insights and analysis that help to shape the future of Queensland, Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Susan will use her Fulbright fellowship to explore how the Ambassadors for Gender Equality in the US and Australian foreign ministries can work together in the Indo-Pacific region to broaden and deepen the Alliance. This is especially in the promotion of the UN Security Council Women, Peace and Security agenda, and women’s economic empowerment within forums such as APEC, ASEAN and the G20.

Susan will use her research focus on diplomacy, international human rights law, strategic studies and public policy to build relationships with the Institute for Women, Peace and Security at Georgetown University and the Future of Diplomacy project in the Harvard Kennedy School.

Misha Zelinsky Professional Scholars

Misha Zelinsky is the Assistant National Secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union, Australia’s oldest blue-collar trade union. He is a director of Cbus Super, an industry superannuation pension fund with $60 billion under management. Misha is a lawyer, economist and public policy expert with a Master of Public Administration from the London School of Economics. He is the host of the foreign policy podcast ‘Diplomates – A Geopolitical Chinwag’ and regularly features in Australian print and electronic media. His book ‘The Write Stuff: Voices of Unity on Labor’s Future’ was released in late 2020.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Misha will research the insidious problem of political warfare conducted against democracies by hostile state actors; including political interference, misinformation, bribery, elite capture, coercive economic practices and even physical attacks with non-official military assets. The project will promote steps that allied democracies must take individually and collectively to safeguard their democratic and public institutions from political warfare – and fight back.

Dr Nathan Eva Postdoctoral Scholars

Nathan works within the Department of Management at the Monash Business School on Boon Wurrung Country. His research changes the conversation with respect to how people lead, challenging profit-first paradigms of leadership through demonstrating credible follower-first leadership approaches that deliver organisational performance combined with inclusive and supportive workplaces. In addition, he examines non-prototypical leadership development showing that all people can engage in leadership that has profound and lasting positive effects on followers, teams, and communities.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Nathan will collaborate with experts at the University of Illinois to analyse the asymmetrical pressures on and contrasting implications for women and men in engaging in follower-first leadership. Expected outcomes include an examination of the counterintuitive phenomenon where leaders sacrifice their own wellbeing and career progression by putting their followers first. The project should provide significant benefits including the organisational changes required to support leaders in developing the next generation.

Dr Jonathon P. Fanning Postdoctoral Scholars

Jonathon is a specialist anaesthetist, intensive care physician and cardiovascular/stroke researcher who is passionate about improving the quality of clinical care for vulnerable patients in operating theatres and intensive care units.

The Fulbright Scholarship will provide access to cutting-edge infrastructure, world-class expertise and rich datasets that will build on his previous research and allow refinement of brain monitoring strategies in unconscious patients. These strategies allow physiological changes to be detected before any injury occurs. The results generated will advance the development of novel non-invasive technology that will help to personalise and guide clinical care, thereby minimising complications and improving outcomes for patients. Jonathon also hopes to use this opportunity in the US to begin a formal and enduring collaborative partnership, which, in conjunction with current collaborators in the UK and Europe, will create a truly international network of leading experts in this field.

Dr Christine Grove Postdoctoral Scholars

Christine is an Educational and Developmental Psychologist, Senior Lecturer and Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists. She is dedicated to supporting child, youth and family mental health and wellbeing using co-designed, evidence-based approaches in her clinical practice, research and education.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Christine will collaborate with world-leading experts to seek innovative ways that address the critical challenges in child psychological care, to disrupt traditional approaches in behavioural health. Millions of youth experience mental health concerns, and the socio-economic burdens make prevention and effective intervention a worldwide priority. Christine’s vision for her Fulbright Visiting Scholars Program will seek to improve the primary prevention of mental health disorders with a focus to reduce health risks and illness, ultimately addressing stigma and improving resilience factors.

Samuel Hillman Postdoctoral Scholars

Sam is a fire and remote sensing practitioner committed to linking innovative scientific developments with forest firefighting operations. Sam recently submitted his PhD at RMIT University, where his research focused on using 3D remote sensing to observe the structure of forest fuel. Having always had a passion for the outdoors, Sam combined his PhD research with operational firefighting work at Forest Fire Management Victoria, the agency responsible for fire management in Victoria’s forests.

Sam will use his Fulbright Scholarship with the U.S. Forest Service to advance wildfire science. The collaborative project will utilise 3D remote sensing technology to enable a greater understanding of fire behaviour and accuracy of next-generation wildfire simulation models, through better representation of fuels. Given the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires globally, Sam is keen to collaborate with world experts and share knowledge to increase our understanding of fire behaviour and in turn improve community safety.

Kate Johnson Postdoctoral Scholars

Kate is a plant physiologist researching how drought kills trees through damage to the pipe-like cells that transport water in plants (called ‘xylem’). In drought conditions, rapid entry of air into the xylem results in air bubbles (embolisms) which block the flow of water leading to plant damage and death. Kate is particularly interested in how xylem arrangement and connectivity influence the way that air spreads through the water transport system and whether this is linked to the drought resistance/ vulnerability of trees.

As a Fulbright scholar Kate will use the latest techniques (which utilise x-rays and optical light) to visualise, map and model drought-induced air spread through the xylem of trees. In collaboration with experts in plant physiology, Kate will use this information to predict the timing of drought-induced death and damage in different tree species which will ultimately help to inform management of native and commercial forests in the face of increasing drought.

Dr Hayman Lui Postdoctoral Scholars

Hayman is a young doctor and scientist who is passionate about using regenerative medicine to revolutionise the way we tackle long-standing problems in orthopaedic surgery. As part of her doctoral thesis, she was awarded an Australian Government Endeavour Research Fellowship in 2016 and a BioMedTech Horizons Program Grant in 2018 to develop a scaffold for reconstructing a commonly torn wrist ligament using 3D-printing and stem cells.

As a Fulbright Scholar, she will build on this knowledge and work with top researchers and surgeons at Mayo Clinic, a world-leading hospital in translational medicine. She will investigate the use of tissue-engineering approaches to prevent and mitigate the formation of excessive scar tissue, as seen in debilitating diseases such as Dupuytren’s Disease. Hayman will learn more about Mayo Clinic’s healthcare model and aims to use this to guide her future pursuits in establishing a Centre of Excellence for hand surgery to make cutting-edge translational research accessible to more Australians.

Meg McFetridge Postdoctoral Scholars

Meg is a final year PhD candidate at Monash University creating stem cell environments to build healthy organs and tissues. After researching stem cell behaviour on hydrogel surfaces at the University of Western Australia, she moved to Victoria to pursue a PhD developing hydrogels to deliver stem cells as a potential treatment for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Understanding the relationship between stems cells and their physical environment is critical for developing new stem cell therapies for diseases like CKD.

As a Fulbright Scholar at Cornell University Meg will use state of the art mechano-microscopy to investigate what stem cells can sense in their surroundings. Her goal is to use this knowledge to design artificial environments that guide stem cells to rebuild healthy bodies. Ultimately, with her Fulbright Future Scholarship Meg plans to leverage fundamental stem cell biology to progress towards safe, effective and accessible stem cell therapies.

Dr Yee-Fui Ng Postdoctoral Scholars

Yee-Fui is a Senior Lecturer in Law and Deputy Director of the Australian Centre of Justice Innovation at Monash University. She researches at the intersection of public law and politics, focussing on executive accountability.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Yee-Fui will undertake research at New York University’s Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, focussing on the Digital Welfare State and Human Rights Project. She will investigate successful policies in the United States and identify optimal and rights-protective strategies for regulating automated government decisionmaking in Australia. Her project will contribute significantly to the accountability, efficiency and robustness of automated government decision making, which is integral to Australia’s system of administrative justice.

Dr Joseph Pegler Postdoctoral Scholars

Joseph is a Postdoctoral Scientist who aims to better understand molecular pathways in plants for development of higher yielding crops and climate change resilient crops. As high yielding crop varieties are reaching their yield limitation, increases in yield often stem from the long-standing and unsustainable practice of clearing biodiverse rich ecosystems for the cultivation of additional crops, largely contributing to the global carbon footprint. Therefore, increasing our current understanding of molecular pathways which underpin plant yield is critical for the development of higher yielding crops, an essential quantum leap required to achieve food security while reducing environmental damage.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Joseph will move toward a holistic understanding of how photosynthetically produced sugar is delivered to plant tissue incapable of photosynthesis, a fundamental process which is a key determinant of crop yield in both cereal crops and grain legumes.

Dr Aaron Pereira Postdoctoral Scholars

Aaron is a research fellow with the millimeter and terahertz research group at University of Adelaide. His research investigates emerging semiconductor technologies for space applications. He has been collaborating with researchers from US and Europe to develop high efficiency sensors and communications systems for use in hostile environments.

As a Fulbright scholar, Aaron will pursue research at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he will explore next generation of sensors to detect subsurface water on Moon, Mars, and other planetary bodies.

Dr Sara Morón Polanco Postdoctoral Scholars

Sara is an Earth-Scientist at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on understanding how and why rivers evolve through time and space. Decoding the dynamic evolution of rivers provides fundamental information to mitigate the risk of natural hazards and to sustainably manage water resources.

For her Fulbright program, Sara will work with Prof. Mike Gurnis at Caltech. She will use the Mississippi and Murray-Darling river systems as natural laboratories and cutting-edge software to unravel the controls and interactions that drive the dynamic evolution of river networks, which in turn will help reveal the deep structure and connectivity of ancient river deposits. The outcomes of her research will significantly advance our understanding of river network evolution, improve our management of groundwater resources and help us prepare for future environmental change.

Dr Fatemeh Salehi Postdoctoral Scholars

Fatemeh is currently a senior lecturer at the School of Engineering and Co-Director of Sustainable Energy Research Centre (SERC) at Macquarie University. Her research focuses on developing computational models for turbulent flows to advance clean energy technologies.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Fatemeh will spend four months at the world-class clean energy laboratory at the University of Michigan to create a new cost-effective computer tool for modelling spray flows in combustion devices. This will assist the design of engines with extremely low emissions. The significance of such accurate spray models will also benefit other applications, notably flame spray pyrolysis for nanoparticle synthesis and inhalers. Her aim is to take this opportunity for establishing a sustainable bilateral partnership between Macquarie University and the University of Michigan at the institutional level that will facilitate collaboration in the field of clean energy beyond the timeframe of this project.

Dr Annabel Sorby-Adams Postdoctoral Scholars

Annabel is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge with a keen interest in neuroscience. Following completion of her PhD at the University of Adelaide, Annabel’s research throughout her doctorate and in her current role is focused on the mechanisms underlying stroke – a devastating disease which affects more than 17 million people worldwide annually. To reduce death and disability, prompt diagnosis of stroke is imperative. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful modality for diagnosis, however, limitations to conventional systems exist, significantly reducing the number of people who are able to receive timely services.

As a Fulbright Future Scholar, Annabel seeks to advance and validate ‘low-field’ MRI, an innovative technology which endeavours to provide an inexpensive, mobile and safe system to enhance the timely diagnosis of stroke. Annabel hopes advancing this promising technology and establishing binational collaborations will help to expedite the diagnosis and treatment of stroke in Australia.

Dr Prasanna Sritharan Postdoctoral Scholars

Prasanna is a computational biomechanist and post-doctoral researcher at the La Trobe Sports and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, specialising in musculoskeletal modelling and the simulation of human movement. He works closely with clinical researchers, exercise physiologists and sports scientists on a diverse range of projects focussed on advancing our understanding of acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, by applying cutting-edge in silico techniques.

Prasanna will use his Fulbright Scholarship to spend four months at the Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratory at Stanford University, where he was a Visiting Scholar in 2019. There, he will undertake an ambitious and challenging collaborative project combining clinical research, musculoskeletal simulation and data science, which aims to improve the prediction of long-term outcomes for young athletes with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, a painful and debilitating hip condition associated with sports-related overloading of the developing musculoskeletal system that, without intervention, can lead to early-onset osteoarthritis and joint failure.

Joel Steele Postdoctoral Scholars

Joel is an expert in the field of proteomics; this field aims to study the proteins of cells to understand functional biology. His PhD focused on how environmental factors could be leading to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He has performed research collaborations across many institutions such as NSW Department of Primary Industries, the University of Sydney, and the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG).

Joel’s Fulbright Future Scholarship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Caltech) will be aimed at investigating microbes that can survive on cleanroom surfaces and survive interplanetary atmospheric entry. These extreme condition tolerant microbes have unique biology that needs to be understood. This project will bring together several research groups from Australia and the United States, building enduring relationships that will have an impact on the future of space exploration.

Dr Clare Stephens Postdoctoral Scholars

Clare is a postdoctoral researcher at the UNSW Water Research Centre. Her work focuses on the implications of climate change for water resources, specifically the complex interactions between landscape processes and climate that impact the hydrologic cycle.

She will use her Fulbright Scholarship to visit a leading ecohydrology group at the University of Virginia and learn how to better apply advanced modelling tools to simulate the Australian environment under change. This project aims to provide new insights into future shifts in vegetation growth, fire regimes and nutrient cycling across Australia’s unique landscapes, focussing on hydrologic impacts at the spatial scales most useful to water managers. Clare’s time at the University of Virginia will allow her to build valuable networks while enhancing her knowledge of important vegetation processes and adaptive strategies.

Kathryn Willis Postdoctoral Scholars

Kathryn is a marine socio-ecologist who is particularly interested in how communities can establish best practice conservation management strategies in marine systems, and in doing so, maximise their environmental and social impact. Kathryn recently completed a PhD at the University of Tasmania, where she studied how Australian local governments can effectively manage plastic pollution.

For her Fulbright Scholarship, Kathryn will spend 10 months working with Professor Julia Parrish at the University of Washington. Kathryn will compare how effective different waste management strategies are at reducing plastic pollution in both Australia and the United States. Kathryn’s goal is to then apply this knowledge to establish best-practice waste management strategies in communities around the world and reduce the harms of plastic pollution.

Yazan Arouri Postgraduate Students

Yazan is a current PhD candidate at the Australian School of Petroleum and Energy Resources in The University of Adelaide. He is passionate about improving human life through increasing access to affordable and sustainable energy resources. His research area focuses on developing and implementing optimization techniques for the sustainable and economical field development of natural resources, including oil and natural gas. Yazan’s research has garnered interest and enthusiasm from government and industry bodies, culminating in two prestigious scholarships.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Yazan aims at providing the technological innovations needed to shape the future of the Australian resource industry. Yazan will accomplish this by leveraging knowledge obtained through binational collaborations with world-class researchers in the area of field optimization at Stanford University. Yazan also hopes to forge new avenues for collaboration with his home and host institutions.

Kamel Awayda Postgraduate Students

Kamel Awayda is a graduate of the University of Rochester’s Undergraduate Program in Biology and Medicine, having received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. During his time at the University of Rochester, he became interested in RNA. Kamel’s research focuses on the ability of RNA molecules to be modified by the human protein THUMPD1, and the functional impacts of these modifications.

Kamel will work with Dr Thomas Preiss, a renowned expert in RNA biochemistry at the Australian National University, to better understand the significance of THUMPD1 in the modification of small RNAs. As THUMPD1 has been identified as a candidate gene for disease, he hopes to uncover the mechanism by which a loss of function of this protein leads to negative outcomes.

James Barrett Postgraduate Students

James is dedicated to the pursuit of justice, particularly as it affects young, socio-economically disadvantaged, and Indigenous Australians. James’s formative experiences in the law and social justice have included his time at the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory and as an Aurora Native Title Intern. He pursued his passion for legal theory and constitutional law as Senior Associate to Justice Edelman of the High Court of Australia. He also enjoys teaching, which runs in his family, and has taught law at the Australian National University.

As a Fulbright Scholar, James will pursue a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School. James believes that insights gained from his diverse, global classmates and teachers at Harvard University will enhance his ability to contribute to law reform and public life in Australia.

Dr Victoria (Tori) Berquist Postgraduate Students

Tori is a doctor and consultant passionate about reducing healthcare inequality in Australia. She has spent her early career exploring Australia’s health system from a range of perspectives, including as a clinician, director of a community health service, advisor to government and as a consultant to public and private hospital systems in Australia.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Tori will study a Master in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School with a specific focus on health policy and funding models. She aims to find and eventually implement ways to incentivise the healthcare system in Australia at a systems level to move towards more equitable, innovative, and connected models of care. Through doing so, Tori aims to help influence and improve health outcomes for all Australians, including our most vulnerable

Thomas Boak Postgraduate Students

Thomas is a Policy Officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), working to deliver Australia’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and ensure the federal government’s policy settings evolve with the rapidly changing regional environment. He has previously worked at a China think tank, as an election monitor in Timor-Leste, at and oil and gas company, in remote Indigenous communities, and in the Royal Australian Air Force. Before joining DFAT, Thomas was an Adviser at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with a focus on trade, national security and China policy.

While undertaking a Master of Public Administration at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Thomas will specialise in foreign policy and geo-economics. In particular, Thomas aims to develop a model for addressing narrow supply chains for critical minerals, such as rare earth elements.

Dr Edward Cliff Postgraduate Students

Edward is a medical registrar at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, with a passion for public health policy, particularly in nutrition, obesity and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. An aspiring physician scientist, Eddie completed his MBBS (Hons) at Monash University, and his Bachelor of Medical Science with first class honours at the University of Oxford, studying the physiology of neonatal diabetes. He has previously worked on policy locally, nationally and globally, including on the national executive of the Australian Medical Students’ Association and for NCDFREE, an NGO, in areas from mental health to primary care.

Eddie will undertake a Masters of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, to hone his technical public health and policy skills. Eddie hopes to combine this knowledge with his experience treating patients, to research and advocate for improved, evidence-based health policy, in order to better prevent and treat obesity, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.

Una Corbett Postgraduate Students

Una Corbett is a Fulbright Scholar at the Institute for Culture and Society and the Whitlam Institute. Her research at WSU has focused on women in higher education and Indigenous rights under the Whitlam government. Una graduated from Harvard University in 2020 with a B.A. in History and Literature. She developed an interest in gender history and policy in postcolonial states when she conducted a research project on gender, historical memory, and Irish culture as a study abroad student at Trinity College Dublin. After graduating, she worked on Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and then served as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Education.

Dr Jordan Cory Postgraduate Students

Jordan is a surgical doctor committed to ensuring greater health equity within our society, particularly for Indigenous Australians; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. As an Aboriginal woman, Jordan has a broad construct of health with experience in advocacy, policy, and governance in the not-for-profit sector. Beyond her clinical work in metropolitan Melbourne and in remote outreach, she is passionate about the intersection between surgery and public health; ensuring equitable access to emergency and essential surgical services across the globe. Locally, Jordan is completing research with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) in order to better define and ameliorate health inequities experienced by Indigenous Australians.

As a Fulbright scholar, Jordan hopes to translate academic research into effective health policy to improve the health outcomes of First Nations and underserved populations.

James Dingley Postgraduate Students

James is an engineer, entrepreneur, and educator passionate about Australia’s role in space exploration and sustainable commercialisation of the final frontier. He is especially excited about the colonisation of Mars but believes Australia’s shortterm focus should be on the utilisation of satellite technology through the design and launch of its own sovereign satellite constellation. James completed an Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering and Finance from the University of Western Australia where he co-founded and lead the UWA Aerospace rocketry team. He has worked closely with academics and industry to further develop Western Australia’s space capabilities. James’ research experience includes microgravity test platforms, supersonic jet noise reduction, satellite constellation design, and Martian laser communications. James is creator and host of the popular engineering YouTube channel ‘Atomic Frontier’.

James will use his Fulbright Scholarship to strengthen institutional and industrial relations between the Australian and American space sectors. He will continue to inspire the next generation of engineers required for the colonisation of Mars and beyond

Tristram Dodge Postgraduate Students

Tris is currently a biology PhD student at Stanford University. His research focuses on how hybridization impacts the evolution of species. He is particularly interested in using the latest genome sequencing techniques to understand how contemporary populations of plants and animals are adapting to human-driven environmental change. During his time in Sydney, Tris plans to explore hybridization as a strategy to introduce ancestral immune-gene diversity into endangered species.

As a Fulbright Future Scholar, Tris is excited to work with some of University of Sydney’s leading conservation researchers. His goal is to learn and apply new genomic techniques to help conserve biodiversity in Australia and beyond.

Alison Gill Postgraduate Students

Alison is passionate about sustainable agriculture and climate change. Alison’s PhD research focuses on the drought tolerance and water-use efficiency of industrial hemp. Research is desperately needed to establish whether hemp has a place in low wateruse cropping systems, such as those in southern Australia and California. While the Australian hemp industry is only just developing, the U.S. industry is far more established.

Through her Fulbright Scholarship, Alison hopes to gain valuable knowledge on hemp agronomy that can be used to guide the industry in Australia, as well as establish lasting collaborations between the University of Adelaide and the University of California, Berkeley. The research will assist in understanding implications of water availability on hemp production and will investigate how agroecology approaches can address future challenges. As hemp is notoriously under-researched, this research has the potential to be a game-changer for the Australian agricultural industry.

Anastazja Gorecki Postgraduate Students

Anastazja is a PhD candidate investigating how an altered gut environment may trigger Parkinson’s disease. She has a keen interest in the role that gut health and nutrition have in disease prevention, wellbeing and longevity. As a Fulbright Scholar, Anastazja will visit Assistant Professor Subhash Kulkarni and his team at Johns Hopkins University, experts on the gut and enteric nervous system, and will translate the skills she learns there to her research in Parkinson’s disease.

In the future, Anastazja hopes to utilise such research to shape individual attitudes and facilitate evidencebased health policy changes, and the knowledge, experience and new collaborations that she will gain through the Fulbright Scholarship will be an immense help as she moves towards these goals.

Myfanwy Graham Postgraduate Students

Myfanwy is the principal specialist medicines information pharmacist of the New South Wales Cannabis Medicines Advisory Service (CMAS), an innovative NSW Government-funded cannabis medicines advisory service for health professionals. She is also an affiliate researcher with the Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE). Myfanwy works with researchers, regulatory bodies and health professionals to facilitate the translation of research into clinical practice. She has collaboratively developed several medicinal cannabis research projects and contributed to a suite of NSW cannabis medicine prescribing guidance documents.

As a Fulbright scholar, Myfanwy will be based at the University of Southern California. Myfanwy’s Fulbright research will explore medicinal cannabis policy and patient outcomes in the United States of America and Australia, an area that is of interest to patients, health professionals, policymakers, and the broader community.

Kailin Graham Postgraduate Students

Kailin is passionate about combatting climate change through sustainable solutions in the energy sector. Graduating with 1st Class Honours from a Bachelor of Chemical & Environmental Engineering at the University of Queensland, Kailin aims to use his technical background to inform meaningful public policy, and currently works as a Policy Officer at the Association for Decentralised Energy in London, UK.

As a Fulbright Future Scholar, Kailin aims to develop the knowledge, network and leadership skills to drive change in Australia’s energy system and support ambitious Australian action on climate change. Kailin will study in MIT’s Technology and Policy Program, where his research will focus on using technical methods to address policy challenges in the energy and environment space.

Michael John Gvozdenovic Postgraduate Students

Michael is a lawyer with a particular interest in competition and antitrust law. These laws are designed to maintain Australia’s competitive markets and improve Australia’s welfare. After graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Economics from The University of Sydney, Michael worked as an Associate at the Federal Court of Australia and in various research positions. He is presently an Associate at an international law firm and a Sessional Academic at Sydney Law School. He has also published various articles, including a forthcoming two-volume edited collection on current issues in competition law.

Michael will use his Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a Master of Laws at Columbia Law School. He hopes that by understanding how the U.S. regulates, enforces, and adapts to developments in antitrust law, including specifically in relation to digital platforms (such as Google and Facebook), he can better contribute to this burgeoning area in Australia.

Marcella Hager Postgraduate Students

Marcella is an urban planner, who is passionate about the ability for urban planning mechanisms to better the world – environmentally, socially and economically. She is particularly interested in how environmental planning policy can improve the sustainability of urban food systems. Marcella’s previous research has investigated the relationship between cities and their food systems, and how planning policy can either inhibit or improve the sustainability of urban food systems.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Marcella will pursue a Master of Environmental Management. In doing so, Marcella will learn from experts how to responsibly manage the environmental systems that sustain our cities, and how to develop responsive public policy. Upon completion of her degree, Marcella hopes to establish a network where professionals engaged in the sustainable food system can collaborate with US and Australian counterparts.

William Harrington Postgraduate Students

William Harrington is a Food Agility PhD at James Cook University, and CEO of Wi-Sky Queensland, a business he founded to help solve connectivity problems in the bush.

William plans to travel to Ohio State University to learn more about cutting-edge technologies that bring better internet to the regions. His goal is to apply this knowledge to his own research with the aim of reducing the digital divide between rural and urban areas in Australia and other countries such as the U.S. and Canada, and to provide tools to help guide telecommunications and social policy.

Dr Dean Hayden Postgraduate Students

Dean is a resident doctor with a passion for neonatal, child and adolescent public health. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (Honours) and a Diploma of Liberal Arts from Monash University, as well as a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) undertaken at the University of Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. Over the past several years Dean has conducted research on the ethics of newborn resuscitation, specifically focusing on the question of how clinicians in resource-poor settings should triage and treat extremely preterm infants. Working with colleagues in the Philippines and the UK, Dean’s research has been incorporated into the development of the first National Consensus Guidelines on the resuscitation of preterm infants in the Philippines – the first guideline of its kind in any low or middle-income country.

As a Fulbright scholar, Dean will study a Master of Public Health at Harvard University, with the aim of further developing his public health and research skills. Upon finishing, Dean will return to Australia and focus his career on enacting systemic change to reduce healthcare inequities and improve outcomes for young and newborn Australians.

Danielle Hill Postgraduate Students

Danielle is passionate about improving our knowledge of the effects of pollution on aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Understanding the effects of waste from traditional (coal) and alternative (nuclear) power generation is essential to make sure water quality guidelines are suitable for all aquatic life. Danielle’s PhD focusses specifically on amphibians and aquatic insects that go through metamorphosis and may be particularly vulnerable to these contaminants.

In collaboration with researchers at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Danielle will investigate the effects of contaminants on frogs and insects in a field case study. The Savannah River Site provides a unique opportunity to study contamination from multiple sources and will help address critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of the effects these have on an organism throughout their life cycle. This research will help inform remediation practices and water quality guidelines in the United States and Australia to ensure our aquatic ecosystems thrive.

Dr Bethany Holt Postgraduate Students

Beth is a doctor who wants to contribute to health equity in Australia and the Asia Pacific by strengthening primary health care systems and improving the social determinants of health. Having graduated with the University Medal in Medicine, she continues to practice clinically in emergency departments across Australia whilst pursuing a public health career. Beth is currently working in philanthropic strategy at the Paul Ramsay Foundation, an organisation with a mission to break cycles of disadvantage and previously worked in public, healthcare and social sector strategy with McKinsey & Co. Her global health experience includes disaster program management with the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, research on health systems and childhood malnutrition in the Solomon Islands, and primary care delivery and health workforce capability building in Timor-Leste.

Beth will undertake an accelerated Masters of Public Health at Harvard, specialising in global health systems. She plans to use the valuable experiences and networks to make a difference to the health of the most vulnerable groups in our community.

Eric Huang Postgraduate Students

Eric majored in physics, mathematics and civil engineering at the University of Sydney. From his undergraduate research collaborations, he coauthored publications on atomic physics, quantum error correction, diamond nanostructures and granular mechanics. After graduating with the University Medal, he worked as an engineer and data scientist designing structures and developing innovative tools on railways such as Sydney Metro and Auckland CRL. He is finishing the PSI masters program at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, an intense one-year overview of modern theoretical physics with a research component.

Through the Fulbright Future Scholarship, he will pursue a PhD in physics at the University of Maryland. He hopes to help build and understand technologies that directly exploit the quantum nature of our universe, such as quantum computers. If such devices prove both scalable and error-resistant, they can outperform our fastest supercomputers in solving certain complex problems at scale, some of which will alleviate our most pressing challenges by yielding vast improvements in healthcare, agriculture and industry.

Oliver Johnson Postgraduate Students

Oliver is an electrical engineer with a deep interest in developing medical technology that can improve people’s lives. He completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Research and Development) / Bachelor of Science at the Australian National University with First Class Honours and the University Medal in 2018. He is currently working at Cochlear, where he contributes to the development of implantable electronics for future cochlear implants. He has previously completed a research internship in biomedical optics at Harvard Medical School.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Oliver will study a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. He will specialise in machine learning, supplementing his existing electronics and neural prosthetics experience. As medical devices show considerable promise to be transformed by machine learning methods, this further study will enable him to be a leader in this area, and to establish partnerships that facilitate the development of new medical devices

John Kuot Postgraduate Students

John is the Principal Project Engagement Advisor for Homes Victoria and is responsible for leading the Engagement Strategy across the Homes Victoria $5.3 Billion Public and Social Housing development. He also recently finished the Williamson Community Leadership Program (WCLP), a 9-month long program run by Leadership Victoria. John is a former refugee to Australia, co-founder of the youth-led charity organisation South Sudanese Australia Youth United (SSAYU).

As a Fulbright Scholar, John will study MPA in Economic Policy Management at Columbia School of International Affairs (SIPA). The program provides leading policymakers and professionals with the skills to effectively design and implement economic policy in market economies, emphasising the economic problems of developing countries. John hopes to apply this learning to understand the intersectionality of social and economic policy, which will help shape the future of Australian humanitarian policy. John hopes to improve humanitarian migration policy and the economic empowerment of multicultural communities through policy upon his return to Australia.

Dr Ned Latham Postgraduate Students

Ned is a medical doctor and public health researcher. He holds a first-class honours degree from Monash University for research conducted at the Burnet Institute evaluating rapid, point-of-care hepatitis C testing at needle syringe programs. Alongside full-time clinical practice, Ned has continued to conduct research at the Burnet Institute, where he is currently leading a review commissioned by the World Health Organization. An aspiring public health physician since medical school, Ned was the 2017 recipient of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine’s John Snow Prize. He is currently a Medical Lead within the Victorian Department of Health’s COVID-19 Intelligence, Case Contact and Outbreak Management Team.

Ned will use his two years at Columbia University to further develop technical expertise in epidemiology and public health leadership. He plans to commence public health speciality training upon his return to Australia and continue working on reducing barriers to healthcare for stigmatised populations.

Jadzia Livingston Postgraduate Students

Jadzia is a microbiologist interested in applying microbiological techniques and knowledge to large scale problems facing humanity, such as public health and climate change. For the past four years, she has worked in the Newman Lab at Caltech, developing fluorescence imaging methods to detect gene expression variation in bacterial pathogens in chronic infections. She has also worked at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, helping facilitate the Microbial Diversity course.

In her Fulbright project, Jadzia will work with Professor Madeleine van Oppen and Professor Linda Blackall to study coral algae that have been cultivated to survive at higher temperatures. Jadzia plans to study the associated microbiota of the algae to determine whether they are responsible for that increased heat tolerance. She will use her findings to contribute to novel strategies for reef preservation.

Michael Lucas Postgraduate Students

Michael is an anthropologist and engineer whose interests and passions has led to his work in remote areas of the Northern Territory and north-west Queensland on Indigenous development projects, including sacred site protection, land use agreements and traditional knowledge intellectual property protection. Michael completed his engineering and anthropology studies at the University of Queensland, where he also served as the President of the Student Union. Michael also completed a Master of Global Development at Griffith University in 2020.

Michael will use his Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a PhD in American Indian Studies focussing on comparative Indigenous social and economic policy. His work will involve researching natural resources agreements within Australia and the United States and designing best practice guidelines on what has worked for First Nations people – what will close the gap, yield true reconciliation, and make a lasting difference to their lives culturally and economically.

Beth Madsen Postgraduate Students

Beth is a Murri PhD Candidate from the University of Queensland. She is passionate about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education outcomes, and her current research is looking at funding as a form of policy enactment. After teaching in both rural and urban classrooms, Beth is also interested early career teacher training, and enjoys working with the pre-service teacher cohorts at UQ.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Beth will travel to Alaska to research their education policies, practices and outcomes for their First Alaskan peoples. She hopes to also learn how Alaskan Higher Education institutions ‘infuse’ their courses with First Alaskan knowledges, in order to better understand how this could be done in an Australian context with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges.

Dr Jamie Maraj Postgraduate Students

Jamie is a dentist who received his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Western Australia in 2020. Throughout his time in dental school, Jamie gained a unique insight into how dental care can relieve chronic pain, restore self-esteem and empower people to fully participate in their communities. During this time, he also witnessed how limited access to affordable dental care drives oral health inequality. This fostered a passion for public health and a desire to improve the way in which we deliver dental care in Australia.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Jamie plans to pursue a Master of Public Health, with a focus on health policy at Columbia University. He hopes to gain a greater understanding of the public policy challenges underpinning unequal access to dental care. He eventually aspires to affect large scale policy changes that produce more equitable oral health outcomes in Australia.

Pippa Mott Postgraduate Students

Pippa Mott is a curator and arts writer living in nipaluna/Hobart, Tasmania. Over the course of a seven-year career with the curatorial team at Mona (the Museum of Old and New Art), Pippa has utilised her skills in curation, exhibition planning, research, artwork production, arts writing and audience engagement to develop and present a range of museum exhibitions, festival projects and commissioned artworks. With an academic background in archaeology and prior experience in public programming and science communication, Pippa has a unique vantage point on material culture and visitor experience. Pippa enjoys creating scenarios where old and new, art and science coalesce, expanding perspectives and possibilities.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Pippa will commence a Master of Arts in Art History at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. A comprehensive knowledge of art history will enable Pippa to expand her curatorial practice and refine her research methodology, equipping her to produce exhibitions with greater depth and resonance for the benefit of Australian audiences. At the same time, she will examine curatorial theory and museology through the Marica and Jan Vilcek Curatorial Program. Pippa aims to gain a greater perspective on the ethical and socio-political dimensions of curatorship, particularly with regard to representation, accessibility, and sustainability.

Hannah Orban Postgraduate Students

Hannah is committed to improving the lives of people with disability in Australia and the United States. In particular, she is focussed on shaping public policy to overcome disabling attitudes and achieve the socioeconomic equality that people with disability are promised in modern, liberal democracies. After majoring in Philosophy, Italian Studies and Art History and receiving first class Honours in Philosophy at the University of Sydney, Hannah joined the NSW Government Graduate Program and currently works on initiatives for students with disability at the NSW Department of Education.

As a Fulbright scholar, Hannah is studying public policy at the University of Michigan. She is excited to use this opportunity to deepen her understanding of effective policy and legislative options to improve the socioeconomic outcomes of people with disability, and to establish networks with international colleagues. Through policy, Hannah’s goal is to progress towards a more egalitarian society for people with disability in Australia and the United States.

Sonya Palmer Postgraduate Students

Sonya is a PhD candidate of the Integrated and Photonics Application Centre (InPAC) in the School of Engineering at RMIT University. Sonya’s research is centred on the development of precision measurement tools, called quantum sensors, for industries such as health, space and mining. One important application of quantum sensors is atomic clocks for measuring time, but similar approaches can be used to measure magnetic fields, acceleration and gravity. Existing quantum sensors are bulky, complex and non-portable, so Sonya’s research focuses on how integrated photonics can make these systems more portable. Sonya will spend her time at the University of California Santa Barbara under the supervision of Professor John Bowers, a world leader in integrated photonic technology and its commercialisation.

As a Fulbright scholar, Sonya will develop a greater understanding of how to bring academic research through to the commercialisation stage, something she is looking forward to bringing back to Australia.

Himmat Panag Postgraduate Students

Himmat is an aerospace engineer who is passionate about space systems and how they can be used to solve global issues. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Aerospace) and a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) from UNSW Sydney. Since graduating Himmat has worked as a flight control engineer, designing autopilots for various aircraft.

As a Fulbright scholar, Himmat will undertake a Masters in Aerospace Engineering, specialising in control theory and astrodynamics, where he will design trajectories and control algorithms for future space missions. He aspires to conduct research in collaboration with NASA and partner with leading institutions in the US and to share this knowledge with fellow researchers on his return to Australia.

Dr Marlon Perera Postgraduate Students

Marlon is a urological surgeon accredited by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He completed his medical degree through The University of Melbourne and Urological training in Queensland. Marlon has an interest in uro-oncology and minimally invasive and robotic surgery. He actively participates in clinical research and has recently submitted a PhD (Urology) through the University of Melbourne. Marlon has published extensively in prostate cancer and several publications have been featured in the major authoritative guidelines, including the European Urologic Association (EUA) and the American Urologic Association (AUA) guidelines for the treatment of prostate cancer.

As a Fulbright scholar, Marlon will spend his time at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York to progress continuing research in imaging in prostate cancer. Marlon aims to further advance technologies of PSMA PET imaging in advanced prostate cancer.

Luis Quijano Postgraduate Students

Luis is a fashion designer and biotextile researcher embracing interdisciplinary research for a more, sustainable world. Currently, he is an active member of the International Textile & Apparel Association (ITAA) and Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion (UCRF).

As a Fulbright Future Scholarship recipient, Luis will pursue his PhD studies in Fashion and Biotechnology at the Queensland University of Technology. His current research explores bacterial cellulose as an alternative leather for the textile and apparel industry at the intersection of design and biotechnology. Utilizing experimental methods in synthetic biology and genetic engineering, as well as design methods such as creative-based practice, his thesis focuses on improving and modifying bacterial cellulose so that it can become a commercial, eco-friendly fabric that involves minimal waste in comparison to natural and synthetic fabrics. Luis’ goal is that biomaterials can be developed to create sustainable pathways not only in fashion, but in any industry.

Reuben Smith Postgraduate Students

Reuben is a mechanical engineer and Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) currently working at NRG Gladstone Power Station – Queensland’s largest power station. With specific interests in fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, Reuben’s experience working in the energy sector has given him an opportunity to witness the changes attributed to the gradual transition to both lowcarbon emission and renewable energy sources across the state.

By pursuing a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Reuben aims to use his Fulbright Scholarship to develop the specialised knowledge and professional connections required to enhance the pursuit and implementation of hydrogen-based energy practices here in Australia. In addition, he hopes to focus his studies on how to utilise existing infrastructure in heavy industry to safely dispose of chemical effluent that would otherwise end up as landfill or in permanent storage.

Tobin South Postgraduate Students

Tobin is a data scientist developing computational tools to understand complex systems using big data. Tobin has spent the last several years researching the flow of misinformation in social media news as part of a Master of Philosophy following his graduation as Valediction of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Adelaide. His techniques combine tools from machine learning and applied mathematics to robustly extract information about dynamics from large open data sources for use in real world decision making.

As a Fulbright Future Scholar, Tobin will be undertaking a PhD at MIT where he will develop the next generation of tools to analyse complex systems, applying these techniques to applications as diverse as information warfare, economic analysis and human mobility. Tobin will be championing an ongoing collaboration between the MIT Media Lab and the South Australian Government to add value to the state using local data.

Dr Louis Stevenson Postgraduate Students

Louis is an ophthalmology trainee at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital with an interest in public health. After completing his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Tasmania he studied a Master of Medicine (Ophthalmic Science) at the University of Sydney. Louis’ research interests include epidemiology and clinical ophthalmology and he has published significantly in these areas. Having worked across remote Western Australia with Lions Outback Vision, a mobile outreach ophthalmology service, he has seen the significant inequalities that exist in healthcare across Australia.

He will use his Fulbright Scholarship to study a Master of Public Health with a special focus on health economics. By incorporating these skills with his existing research interests, Louis will strive to optimise the delivery of health services in Australia to achieve a more equitable and sustainable system.

Patricia Sullivan Postgraduate Students

Patricia is a PhD candidate in Bioinformatics at the Children’s Cancer Institute and the University of New South Wales. Her research focuses on developing and applying tools to identify a hard-to-predict class of genetic variants: those that affect splicing. Patricia works with genomic data from patients with rare diseases and paediatric cancers to find the genetic cause behind their disease.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Patricia will be working with the Broad Institute’s Center for Mendelian Genomics to analyse genetic data from their global cohort of rare disease patients. This project aims to deliver a genetic diagnosis for the unsolved families affected by rare disease, providing answers about their disease and potentially enabling personalised treatment.

Andrew Su Postgraduate Students

Andrew is an MD/MPhil student at the University of Queensland. He is passionate about applying cutting-edge technological approaches to challenges in Medicine. His research uses machine learning to integrate novel spatial-omics (tissue-sequencing and protein imaging) data with clinical tissue images to study cancer, including colorectal cancer and Melanoma.

As a Fulbright Future Scholar, Andrew will work with A/Prof Hanlee Ji at Stanford University. He will analyse spatial-omics datasets of colorectal cancer to develop machine learning approaches for predicting cell types and estimating metastatic potential from standard clinical tissue images of tumours. These approaches aim to assist pathologists in the early and accurate diagnosis of colorectal cancer whilst adding new information useful for clinical decision making. Ultimately, Andrew plans to translate advances in technology towards the precision diagnosis and personalised treatment of cancer.

Srimayi Tenali Postgraduate Students

Srimayi earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2020, where she minored in Energy Studies. Srimayi’s work and interests have centered around sustainable development and the clean energy transition. Her experiences range from directing the annual MIT Energy Conference to developing curriculum for refugee education to sustainability advocacy work in her hometown. Most recently, she worked as a Solar Design Engineer at Nexamp, where she designed large-scale solar arrays and built energy models for grid-connected systems.

Through her Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholarship, Srimayi is pursuing the interdisciplinary Master of Sustainability degree at the University of Sydney. Srimayi is keen to combine her engineering experience with a broader approach to sustainability and hopes that the Fulbright experience will equip her to work on multinational transformations towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Tandee Wang Postgraduate Students

Tandee is committed to the critical study of race and ethnicity, particularly in relational, comparative and transnational modes. He graduated from the Australian National University with first class honours and the University Medal in 2020, where his thesis examined Chinese migration at the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Since 2019, Tandee has been a researcher at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), drawing on critical Indigenous scholarship to inform policymaking. His mission is to build the emergent field of Asian Australian Studies, believing that it holds radical potential to transform how we conceive of and address injustice and inequality in Australia and abroad.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Tandee will undertake an MA/PhD program in the History Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara, specialising in the comparative history of race and ethnicity, and working closely with the Department of Asian American Studies.

Natasha Wood Postgraduate Students

Natasha is a Provisional Psychologist and PhD candidate in the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, South Australia. Her PhD research uses epigenetics (biological mechanisms that modify gene expression without modifying the genetic code) to explore how kinds of childhood stress affect mental health.

As a Fulbright Future Scholar, Natasha will work with the Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She will investigate sensitive periods in epigenetic development and participate in an innovative study investigating the use of baby teeth as epigenetic biomarkers for early life. Her research will contribute to existing knowledge on the developmental origins of disease. Ultimately, she hopes that her research contributes to the development and implementation of both preventative and therapeutic measures, which could alter our approach to managing mental health across the lifespan.

Betty Xiong Postgraduate Students

Betty is a biomedical engineer with a focus on patient-generated data in medical devices, for more effective ways of diagnosing and treating conditions. She has conducted research at institutions such as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, The University of Tokyo, ETH Zurich and the University of Singapore. She has worked on wearable medical sensors at the start-up company WearOptimo, and has a keen interest in working at the interface of academia and industry to bring new data science technologies to the clinical setting.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Betty will study a Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics at Stanford University. She will develop professional connections within biomedical data science, and her goal is to be a leader in the medical innovation landscape in Australia.

Ivan Zelich Postgraduate Students

Ivan’s thirst for knowledge stems from a deep desire to understand the fundamental structures that underpin our world. This drives his passion for geometry, in which he published papers while still in high school. He graduated Valedictorian with a University Medal from the University of Queensland, and recently completed a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge. He is currently at Australian National University researching the interactions between geometry and numbers—a relationship seemingly resembling that of space and time.

With his Fulbright Future Scholarship, Ivan will complete a PhD at Columbia University where he will gain expertise in p-adic Hodge theory, which he aims to introduce into Australia’s research landscape. He will also be involved in mathematically modelling the geometry of neural networks to improve scientific study and treatment of neurological disorders. Research aside, Ivan’s vision is to inspire future generations to become creative thinkers.

Diana Zhang Postgraduate Students

Diana is completing a PhD in Chemistry under the supervision of one of Australia’s leading analytical chemists, A/Prof. Alex Donald. Her PhD is on developing more sensitive and accurate analytical methodologies and instrumentation for disease diagnosis, with a particular focus on Parkinson’s Disease. In essence, her research involves obtaining chemical ‘fingerprints’ produced from volatile (or ‘smelly’) chemicals found at the surface of skin.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Diana will spend 4 months with A/Prof. Vijaya Kolachalama, a renowned computer scientist and expert in developing machine learning algorithms for disease diagnosis. There, she will develop an advanced machine learning method that can diagnose Parkinson’s Disease from a chemical ‘fingerprint’. The outcome of this research could enable early diagnosis and provide hope and prosperity to the Parkinson’s community. Upon her return, she will continue to support bilateral research collaborations through exploring the integration of machine learning and analytical instrumentation in precision medicine.