School of Medical Sciences (SOMS)

Professor Abendroth graduated with a BSc (First Class Honours, ranked top of class) in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Adelaide and completed her PhD at the University of Adelaide/Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science as a Dawes Scholar. She undertook post-doctoral training at Stanford University, where she was awarded the Katherine McCormick Women in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Stanford School of Medicine Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellowship. Professor Abendroth returned to Australia and was awarded a Rold Edgar Lake Fellowship and established the Viral Immunology Research Laboratory at the University of Sydney. Professor Abendroth’s laboratory is based in the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney where she leads a multidisciplinary research program investigating how human herpesviruses interact and evade the host immune system. Professor Abendroth is teachs immunology and virology to undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as being course coordinator for IMMU3202/3903 (Immunology in Human Disease and Immunology in Human Disease (Advanced).

A/Professor Kimberley Alexanderis a biomedical scientist and Director of Brain Cancer Research at the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse. She co-leads the Sydney Brain Tumour Program and has dedicated 18 years to improving outcomes for people with cancer. She has established one of the most comprehensive brain cancer biobanks in Australia, the Sydney Brain Tumour Bank, creating a vital resource that connects patients, clinicians, and researchers.Backed by more than $9.8 million in competitive grant funding, her team is pioneering new ways to detect, diagnose and monitor brain cancers, including innovative "blood fingerprinting" and"liquid gold"urine tests.

A/Prof Alexander is a passionate advocate for women in STEM, mentoring young scientists and championing diversity in research. Kim has built an extensive network of national and international collaborations that unite science, engineering, medicine, and community.Recognised for translating complex data into real-world impact, she connects people and ideas to ensure brain cancer research is collaborative, inclusive, and transformative.

Dr. Collin Anderson, Ph.D. is a lecturer in the School of Medical Sciences, Neuroscience Theme, and an Affiliate of the School of Biomedical Engineering. As an academic involved in both research and teaching, Dr. Anderson leads a research team that seeks to better understand and treat neurological disorders that affect brain structures traditionally thought of as movement structures, specifically the cerebellum and basal ganglia. Dr. Anderson's team is particularly interested in degenerative cerebellar ataxic disorders, including Spinocerebellar Ataxias and Christianson syndrome, Tourette syndrome, Parkinsonism, and essential tremor. His team investigates these disorders using neural enginering (both deep brain stimulation and electrophysiological recording), computational, and molecular biological and genetic tools, carrying out research in each of theoretical, preclinical, and clinical contexts. On the teaching side of his career, Dr. Anderson focusses his teaching efforts within both neuroscience and biomedical engineering. Currently, Dr. Anderson coordinates two units that focus on genetic engineering and applied neuroscience, while contributing to a number of other units.

Prior to joining The University of Sydney in 2023, Dr. Anderson completed his bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University, followed by a Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Neural Interfaces Track, at The University of Utah, and postdoctoral training in Neurology at The University of Utah.

Dr Anneliese Ashhurst (née Tyne) is a research fellow with the laboratories of Professor Scott Byrne (School of Medical Sciences) and Professor Richard Payne (School of Chemistry). Dr Ashhurst is a research immunologist with a background in studying the host immune response to tuberculosis and common respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, with an interest in vaccines or drug therapies designed for pulmonary delivery. Her current research is directed towards developing therapies to control inappropriate inflammation, including for skin conditions such as psoriasis and dermatitis. Dr Ashhurst is a member of the Charles Perkins Centre, the Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation, and Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute (Sydney ID).

Associate Professor Paul Austin relocated to Sydney in 2008, completing postdoctoral training in chronic neuropathic pain at the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. He joined the University of Sydney in 2012 and is now an Associate Professor in the Neuroscience theme within the School of Medical Sciences.

He leads the Laboratory of Neuroimmunology and Behaviour at the Brain and Mind Centre, where his team investigates how the immune system contributes to chronic pain. His internationally recognised animal research helped establish neuropathic pain as a neuroimmune disorder, while his access to patient cohorts and advanced technologies has enabled world-first studies identifying immune cell activation in human chronic pain.

I have 25 years’ experience in studying molecular mechanisms of disease and cancer. I completed my PhD at the CRC for Biopharmaceutical Research, UNSW in developing new mammalian expression systems for biopharmaceutical production in 2001. I joined the Centenary Institute in 2001 as a postdoctoral research fellow studying amino acid transport in genetic disease, successfully describing the genetic basis of three inherited metabolic disorders. In 2020, I started the Cancer & Gene Laboratory at Centenary Institute where my research focuses on understanding mechanisms of genetic disease and cancer, with a focus on transcriptional regulation, alternative splicing and tumour suppressor gene function. Now as Head, Rare Diseases & Gene Therapy Centre, I’m leading the development of gene and cell therapies for rare diseases and cancer. Our landmark discovery published in Cell 2025 opens the door to providing safer and more effective gene therapies for patients with genetic diseases, which is funded by NHMRC Ideas Grants in 2025 and 2026 (as CIA). I’m a co-founder of AAVec Bio, funded by CUREator in 2023, which is developing targeted adeno-associated viral vectors for gene therapies in muscle.

Patrick Bertolino leads the Liver Immunology Group and has been a Faculty member at the Centenary Institute since 2011. He is considered one of the leading experts in Liver Immunology internationally, and is acknowledged as the leader in this field in Australia, where he drives the main group working in this new and expanding discipline.

Patrick Bertolino has worked in the same field for the last 20 years in excellent research institutes, and has been trained by first class immunologists (ENS-Lyon, France: Chantal Rabourdin-Combe; WEHI: Jacques Miller; Centenary Institute: Barbara Fazekas de St Groth). During this time, he has developed unique transgenic mouse models and has acquired a leading international reputation in liver immunology. This reputation derives from original landmark pioneering papers that have transformed the field, and are now part of current paradigms. These include the first demonstration of naïve CD8 T cell activation in the liver, the first evidence of direct interaction between circulating T cells and hepatocytes, the role of intrahepatic T cell activation in tolerance, and the discovery that liver-activated T cells are deleted in the lysosomes of hepatocytes.

Patrick Bertolino has had consistent success in obtaining major international and national project grants as CIA, demonstrating independence and leadership. He has held continuous NHMRC funding since 2000: 2 Program Grants (PI 2005-9, CI 2010-4), and 6 Project grants (5 CIA, 1 CIB). He has also obtained highly competitive international funding (Roche Solid Organ Transplantation Research Foundation).

Associate Professor Maté Biro received his PhD summa cum laude at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Germany in 2011. His doctoral work focused on the biophysics of cellular actin cortex assembly. He previously studied Physics (BSc) and then Bioinformatics and Systems Biology (MSc) at the Imperial College in London, UK, and did his Masters research at MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA. He has worked at a particle accelerator in Tsukuba, Japan and as a Research Associate for A*STAR in Singapore. In 2012, he moved to the Centenary Institute at the University of Sydney, working on T cell migration and antitumour functions. Associate Professor Biro worked as EMBL Australia group leader at the Single Molecule Science node at the University of New South Wales, Sydney from 2016 to 2024, and then at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research as Laboratory Head and Faculty until mid-2026, before joining the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Sydney. Associate Professor Biro is a founder and past president of the Australian Society for Mechanobiology. His research, highly multidisciplinary in nature, focuses on the migration of cytotoxic lymphocytes and tumour cells, and the signalling and mechanical interactions between them.

Dr Claire Boswell-Ruys (BSc, BAppSci (Physio) Hons I, PhD) has worked in the area of spinal cord injuries for over 20 years. She is a Senior Research Fellow at The Kolling Institute and School of Medical Sciences. Claire completed her PhD in 2010 which focused on developing tools to assess sitting ability and concern about falling in people with a spinal cord injury (SCI); this Falls Concern Scale (FCS) has been translated into 9 different languages (SCI-FCS). Claire continues to investigate the effect of specific rehabilitation assessments and techniques on sitting ability for people with SCI.

Filip is Academic Director of Sydney Microscopy & Microanalysis, Co-Director of the Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis and Sydney Node Director of Microscopy Australia all based at The University of Sydney. He also holds an academic position as Professor of Structural Cell Biology within the Molecular Biomedicine Research Theme in the School of Medical Sciences. His direct research interests cover the areas of structural cell biology, cancer biology, vascular biology, chemical biology and nanobiotechnology. He has 35 years of research experience as a cell biologist and histologist, specialising in the application and development of correlative microscopy methods and associated biomolecular labelling techniques to unravel structure-function relationships that cannot be addressed through conventional microscopy approaches. Through the use of these innovative approaches to bio-imaging, Filip has contributed significantly to the understanding of cancer cell motility and tumour drug-resistance, and unlocked various aspects of transendothelial transport mechanisms in liver, colon, kidney and pancreas.

Bachelor of Arts, Diploma of Education, Master of Humanities.

Martin is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Medical Science in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney.

He is an experienced educator with an established track record in theatre and film production. Before joining the University of Sydney, Martin served as Director of Award Courses at the Australian Film Television and Radio School. He is currently exploring communication skills for enrolled stdents and emerging and established health professionals.

Professor Tracy Bryan obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Macquarie University in Sydney. During her PhD studies with Roger Reddel at the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Sydney (1993 – 1997), she discovered a new mechanism for maintenance of the ends of chromosomes (telomeres) in human tumours, called ALT.

Dr. Bryan spent four years conducting postdoctoral research with Nobel Laureate Professor Tom Cech at the University of Colorado, USA, where she carried out biochemical studies on the enzyme telomerase, which adds DNA to telomeres. She returned to Australia to establish her own research programme at the CMRI in 2001. The research in Dr. Bryan’s laboratory, supported by funding from NHMRC, Viertel Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Cancer Institute NSW and Cancer Council NSW, continues to focus on the role of telomeres in cancer cells and in bone marrow failure syndromes, with an emphasis on understanding the cell biology and biochemistry of telomerase action.

Michael Buckland is a Senior Staff Specialist and the Head of the Department of Neuropathology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He is the founder and Director of the Australian Sports Brain Bank, Co-Director of theMultiple Sclerosis Australia Brain Bank, andHead of the Molecular Neuropathology Program at the Brain & Mind Centre. He is also a key partner in Brainstorm.

Professor Jane Butler (BSc, PhD) is a Senior Principal Research Fellow and SpinalCure Fellow at The Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Australia. She is internationally known for research on the neural control of respiration and on neurorehabilitation after spinal cord injury (SCI). She co-founded and leads the Spinal Cord Injury Research Collaborative (SCIRC), a team of researchers examining both fundamental and translational outcomes in the neural control of movement after SCI, with the aim to identify and develop novel clinical methods improve limb, trunk and respiratory motor function. She has more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and has successfully attracted more than $27million funding over her career for both basic neurophysiology studies and clinical trials.

Dr Elizabeth Ann Bye is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, specialising in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, neurostimulation, and clinical trials. She completed her PhD at the University of Sydney (2020), investigating strength training in partially paralysed muscles after spinal cord injury, following a Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy).

Elizabeth has more than a decade of clinical experience across major Sydney hospitals, including extensive work in the Spinal Injuries Unit at Prince of Wales Hospital, where she provided and coordinated physiotherapy services for people with acute and chronic spinal cord injury. Her clinical background strongly informs her research program.

Her work focuses on optimising neurostimulation therapies, improving walking and respiratory outcomes, and expanding access to physical activity for people with spinal cord injury. She has led and contributed to major national and international trials, including the eWALK study, and has published widely in leading journals. Her research has been supported by competitive funding from the Medical Research Future Fund, the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation, and Forward Ability Support.

Elizabeth also teaches across physiotherapy programs and contributes to national clinical practice guidelines and scientific peer review.

Jennifer Byrne has spent her scientific career analyzing childhood and adult cancers at a molecular level. She was awarded First Class Honours and the University Medal for her Bachelor of Science studies in physiology and neuroscience at the University of Queensland. During her PhD at the University of Queensland, she mapped loss of chromosome 11p15 loci in embryonal tumours of childhood, and she then identified a novel gene family during postdoctoral studies in France. Professor Byrne is Director of Biobanking- NSW Health, and Professor of Molecular Oncology in the School of Medical Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Health. She leads the PRIMeR group (Publication and Research Integrity in Medical Research) and is based at the NSW Health Statewide Biobank at Camperdown, NSW.

Jennifer Byrne was previously (Acting) Head of the Children's Cancer Research Unit at The Children's Hospital at Westmead from 2008-2019, and Deputy Director of the Kids Cancer Alliance from 2018-2019. She chaired the Biobanking Sub-committee of Australia and New Zealand Children’s Oncology Group from 2016-2020.

I am a Professor of Immunology, Director of Academic Career Development (acting) and Level 3 supervisor in the School of Medical Sciences at The University of Sydney. As a Group leader at the Charles Perkins Centre, my team and I are dedicated to understanding how targeting the immune system can be a powerful weapon to fight disease. 

Dr Campbell is committed to creating engaging, research-informed learning experiences in medical sciences education. He emphasises student-centred teaching and focuses on designing and continuously improving curricula that promote deep understanding, critical thinking, and real-world application. His academic interests include curriculum design, evidence-based pedagogy, and the scholarship of teaching and learning, with a particular focus on iterative course development and innovation. 

Additionally, Dr Campbell is actively involved in academic leadership, serving as chair for the AuPS 2025 symposium session titled “Designing and Building Courses, Then Rebuilding Them Again.” Known for his reflective and collaborative approach, he support emerging educators. His professional practice is driven by a passion for improving learning outcomes and contributing to a vibrant, forward-thinking academic community.

Dr Yue Cao is a biomedical data scientist at the University of Sydney. She obtained her PhD in bioinformatics in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Sydney. Her research focus is on computational analysis of high-dimensional omics data, particularly in single-cell multi-omics data and its application in precision medicine.

Professor Tony Cesare is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Head of the Genome Integrity Unit at the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Westmead, and holds an academic appointment in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. His laboratory investigates the fundamental mechanisms that safeguard the human genome, how failures in these systems drive cancer and ageing, and how these processes shape cancer treatment responses.

Professor Cesare completed his PhD with Jack Griffith at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by postdoctoral research with Roger Reddel at CMRI and Jan Karlseder at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, before establishing his independent research program at CMRI.