Meet Our Speakers
The AIMS 2026 National Scientific Meeting is pleased to welcome our Keynote & Invited Speakers.
As new speakers are confirmed they will be updated here, so check back soon.
Each speaker will bring a unique perspective, knowledge, and experience. So don’t miss the opportunity to hear from these leaders within their respective fields.
Keynote Speakers
Professor Allen Chan
Professor Allen Chan is the Associate Vice-President (Knowledge Transfer) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the Chairman of the Department of Chemical Pathology at the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK. He is a co-inventor of the non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) for Down syndrome, an innovation that has transformed prenatal care worldwide, with millions of tests performed annually.
Professor Chan has developed a number of NGS-based approaches for cancer detection. He led the first large-scale prospective study demonstrating the use of plasma DNA analysis (“liquid biopsy”) for early cancer screening. Using nasopharyngeal cancer as a model, his team showed that plasma DNA analysis is able to detect early asymptomatic cancers and improve survival. This study was featured as one of the top ten notable articles in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2017.
Professor Chan is a co-inventor of over 150 patent families. In 2020, he was named one of the “Top Twenty Translational Researchers” by Nature Biotechnology.
Associate Professor Mandy Ballinger
Associate Professor Mandy Ballinger is Deputy Director of the Centre for Molecular Oncology at the University of New South Wales and Head of Cohorts for Omico. Her clinical training is in Genetic Counselling. A/Prof Ballinger’s research focus is to define heritable cancer risk and inform future clinical risk management through large patient cohort studies. Her work in Li Fraumeni syndrome has impacted clinical practice internationally. A/Prof Ballinger has overseen patient recruitment to Omico’s programs, facilitating tumour comprehensive genomic profiling for >20,000 Australian cancer patients, and she is a member of the Omico national Molecular Oncology Board.
Invited Speakers
Elizabeth Byrnes
Liz Byrnes is a Medical Scientist in Charge of the Point of Care Department in Biochemistry at PathWest QEII Medical Centre in Perth. Her team manages and supports Statewide Point of Care Testing in the public health space. She also supervises Biochemistry QC and QAP for 22 PathWest regional labs and provides technical support for Biochemistry and Point of Care assays.
Liz has worked in public and private pathology in Core and Specialised Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Diagnostics over her 40-year career and has a strong interest in continuing education and teaching the next generation of Medical Scientists. She has a MAACB and Master of Laboratory Medicine from UWA, and a Graduate Diploma in Education (Adult Education) from Murdoch University.
Outside of work Liz loves being out in nature and doing multi-day walking holidays (but only with a comfortable bed and a glass of wine at the end of the day).
Penny Cooper
Penny Cooper is a Senior Forensic Scientist in the PathWest Forensic Biology Department with 25 years of experience in forensic DNA analysis. She has broad expertise across all areas of forensic DNA casework, including providing expert court testimony, as well as research and development. She is a current member of the ANZPAA NIFS Validation Professional Working Group, contributing to the development of national guidelines for validating forensic biology methods. Penny is also a PhD candidate in the University of Technology Sydney’s Industry Doctorate Program in partnership with PathWest, where her research focuses on improving DNA recovery from low-level samples by integrating modern molecular technologies with established PCR and post-PCR approaches.
Rebecca de Kraa
Rebecca de Kraa is the Medical Scientist in Charge of Cytogenetics at PathWest Fiona Stanley Hospital, specialising in Haematological Malignant Cytogenetics. She completed her Bachelor of Medical Science at Curtin University and attained a MHGSA certification in Cytogenetics with the Human Genomics Society of Australasia. With over 25 years of diagnostic malignant cytogenetics experience and prior haematology laboratory work, Rebecca is passionate about malignant cytogenetics with a special interest in the cytogenetics of paediatric B-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. She is involved in teaching the specialty to haematology fellows attaining Cytogenetics certification, and to Molecular Genetics/Medical Science students at Curtin University.
Olivia Foti
Olivia Foti is a Senior Medical Scientist in the Molecular Diagnostics, Serology and Typing Department of Clinical Microbiology, Fiona Stanley Hospital Network, PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA.
Grace Gilmore
I am a medical scientist. From 1985 to 2023 I worked in the Haematology department at RPH and FSH. In 2015 I joined the Perth Blood Institute as a Research Scientist at Murdoch University where I work Wed-Friday.
I am involved in the research of the looking at drugs currently used for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, bleeding disorders of unknown cause, TTP and teaching students.
I am a member of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis and The Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand
I enjoy reading, cooking and travel.
Becky Griffiths
Dr Becky Griffiths is a Senior Research Fellow at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood a Senior Research Fellow at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, leads a research team developing cellular therapies, including ex vivo red cell production.
Becky drives national efforts to establish clinical grade workflows and advance stem cell–derived red cell therapeutics for rare blood groups and neonatal patients. With prior roles including at NHS Blood & Transplant (UK), her work has shaped clinical trial pipelines, including foundational contributions to the first in human trial of allogeneic laboratory grown red cells.
Becky’s research focus at Lifeblood is understanding red cell biology with the overall aim to create a better, tailored red blood cell product for specific patients such as those with rare blood groups and neonates whose needs are outside of the norm.
Colby Hymus
Colby Hymus holds a Master of Forensic Science (Professional Practice) and is a Forensic Scientist within the Research and Development team of the PathWest Forensic Biology Department. In this role, Colby undertakes projects aiming to enhance the capability of routine DNA analysis workflows, as well as investigating novel approaches for generating information from forensic biology samples, which are often uniquely challenging. Colby is actively engaged within the forensic community, including serving as Secretary on the Executive Committee of the WA Branch of the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS), and numerous local and international presentations on forensic biology research.
Daniel Knight
Daniel is a microbiologist and bioinformatician with more than 20 years of experience in infectious disease epidemiology and pathogen genomics across industry, academia, and public health. He has published over 75 papers on pathogen genomics and infectious diseases, and has held national NHMRC and ARC research fellowships. His work has been recognised with major research awards, including the ASM Jim Pittard Early Career Award and the Raine Research Prize. In his current role at PathWest, the state public health laboratory in Western Australia, Daniel specialises in genomic and epidemiological analysis of notifiable and emerging pathogens to support public health surveillance and outbreak response.
Alina Miranda
Alina is a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director of Learning and Teaching in the School of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences (SoDATs) at Curtin University’s Bentley campus in Perth. She leads curriculum development and is instrumental in delivering the Anatomical Pathology combined Histo/Cyto major unit within the four-year BSc Laboratory Medicine undergraduate program. With over 30 years of experience as a medical scientist specialising in cytopathology across both private and public sectors, Alina also serves on the ASC Board of Examiners and the AIMS Scientific Committee. Her research focuses on expanding EBUS/ROSE simulation experiences for fourth-year Laboratory Medicine students and digitising histo/cyto cases via a custom virtual microscopy platform integrated with Curtin University’s learning management system (LMS). Alina collaborates with a multidisciplinary team to develop ‘Human VR Dissection (ProSection XR)’, an advanced virtual reality human dissection simulation designed for immersive, interactive healthcare education. She has been recognised for her contributions with a Curtin Medical School Teaching Excellence Award in 2023 and a Curtin Medical School Award for Contribution to Engagement in 2024. In October 2024, she was part of a project team honoured with the Faculty of Health ISOLT Research Impact Award for their work in 3D photogrammetry.
Todd Pryce
Dr Todd Pryce is a Senior Medical Scientist In Charge of Diagnostic Molecular Microbiology, Serology and Typing within the Department of Clinical Microbiology at PathWest, Fiona Stanley Hospital. He has 33 years’ experience across all disciplines of Clinical Microbiology, specialising in qualitative and quantitative molecular diagnostics of blood borne viruses, transplant associated virology, sexually transmitted infections, respiratory pathogens, molecular mycology, and rapid, multi marker approaches to infectious disease diagnostics. He also contributes as a Senior Lecturer at The University of Western Australia, a Course Advisory Board member at Murdoch University, a member of the National Neisseria Network, and a NATA Technical Assessor.
Cleo Robinson
Clinical Scientist, Molecular Anatomical Pathology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, WA
Fellow of Faculty of Science, Royal College Australasian Pathologists
Associate Professor (Adj), School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia
Dr Cleo Robinson is the clinical scientist in charge of Molecular Anatomical Pathology at PathWest. Since joining PathWest in 2014 she has worked on the expansion of the molecular pathology testing repertoire including the incorporation of several next generation sequencing cancer gene panels and the use of comprehensive genomic profiling to find treatment strategies for patients with advanced disease, have exhausted treatment options and to resolve diagnostic dilemmas.
Dr Robinson has over 25 years of cancer research experience, with her early career focusing on molecular and immunological aspects of mesothelioma development, treatment and prevention. At PathWest she has worked on a broader range of cancer types investigating the application of new biomarkers in the clinical setting for refining diagnosis, prognostication and direct precision therapeutics for patient management. Current interests include clinical implementation of whole genome sequencing, advanced methylation analysis and the utility of circulating tumour DNA to offer a non-invasive strategy for biomarker detection, monitoring response to treatment and early detection of recurrence.
Nicola Sawyer
Nicola is a Clinical Scientist in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, at Fiona Stanley and Royal Perth Hospitals and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA), Faculty of Science. Nicola is also a Research Associate with the Dobney Hypertension Centre, Royal Perth Hospital Research Foundation, and a PhD candidate at the University of Western Australia, Medical School, and her research and specialist interest is in primary aldosteronism.
Clair Stewart
Clair Stewart is Senior Medical Scientist in Microbiology at PathWest, based at Fiona Stanley Hospital. She has over 13 years of experience in clinical microbiology, with a specialised focus on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing.
Clair has a strong professional interest in emerging antimicrobial resistance and is particularly engaged in advancing laboratory detection methods to support timely and effective patient care.
At AIMS 2026, she will present ‘Rapid Detection and Characterisation of Carbapenemase Enzymes in the Clinical Laboratory’, sharing practical insights into improving the identification and management of these high-risk pathogens.
Gavin Turbett
Dr. Gavin TURBETT is the Head of the Forensic Biology Department at PathWest Laboratory Medicine Western Australia and has been in that role since 1999. He is the manager of the Western Australian DNA Database, which is the largest forensic DNA database in Australia.
He is the author / co-author of 41 scientific papers, and is an:
o Adjunct Professor at Murdoch University
o Adjunct Associate Professor at Curtin University
o Adjunct Associate Professor at The University of Western Australia
He lectures regularly to the WA Police, university students and others about forensic biology and DNA profiling
Rakesh Veedu
Professor Veedu is an internationally renowned expert in RNA/DNA therapeutic and diagnostic development including the design, screening, lead molecule identification, preclinical studies and manufacturing chemistries. He completed PhD from UQ in May 2006 after MSc from Griffith University. Later, he joined the Nucleic Acid Center at the University of Southern Denmark (2006-2010) as a Postdoctoral Fellow. In July 2010, he returned to UQ and established an independent research group. In 2015, he moved to Murdoch University as a Research Head of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Group within the through Perron Institute.
He has published >115 research articles in internationally reputed journals, published a book, and also an inventor on multiple patents/patent applications. He is the Founder, Director & CTO of ‘SynGenis Pty Ltd’ – Australia’s commercial oligonucleotide and diagnostic manufacturing company, and the Co-Founder & MD of ‘ProGenis Pharmaceuticals’.
Matthew Wright
Dr Matt Wright is a Consultant Haematologist at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, Western Australia. He has been an examiner for the RCPA since 2011, and since 2012 has run a laboratory Introduction Course for new Australian haematology trainees, together with colleagues from the University of Western Australia.
Dr Wright completed his training in Sydney, undertook a transplant fellowship in Vancouver in 2008, and a sabbatical in Cambridge in 2019.
Matt is a passionate advocate of a structure approach to morphology. The course he has produced with UWA “Blood Film Morphology: a structured approach” has now reached over 16,000 people worldwide