I joined CQUniversity in October, 2016. Having been born and raised in Rockhampton, it is wonderful to return home after over a decade away.

My research background is in cancer cell biology and genetics with a particular interest in the molecular basis for the pathogenesis of cancers. I am an early career researcher, having completed my PhD in 2008 with the University of Adelaide. Through funding from Cancer Australia, I established the Sarcoma Research Group and developed a research program to study potential new therapies to treat sarcomas (cancers of the bone or soft tissues). My research outputs include:

• Publication of 33 research articles

• H-index of 16 with a total of 916 citations (almost all within the last 5 years)

• Awarded over $1M in grant funding from NHMRC, Cancer Australia and other funding bodies.

• Successfully awarded an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship in 2014 (declined).

Upon moving to East Malaysia in 2014, I joined Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, an international branch campus of Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne). In this role I was involved in University management on both the Research and Teaching sectors. This involved serving on the Program Management Committee for the Biotechnology Program, establishing and leading an Institutional Biosafety Committee and serving as an Associate Director of Health Sciences for a Research Centre in the University. In January 2016, I was appointed as the Director of Graduate Studies. In this role, I was responsible for the training, development, research education and ethical compliance of over 100 higher-degree research students.