Griffith University Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics

31/08/2026

Join us as we open our doors for the Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics Student Meet and Greet!

Are you a student interested in research?

Do you want to contribute to a future free from cancer, neurological disease and infectious diseases like influenza, HIV and COVID-19?

Come along and hear about the exciting research and scholarship opportunities for undergraduate and future Honours and Masters students available at the Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics.

Our student meet-and-greet events include a tour of the institute facilities, during which you will be introduced to our groundbreaking research endeavours.

After the tour, you'll have the chance to engage with our researchers directly and discuss potential research projects - followed by FREE pizza and soft drinks!

Please register your interest for ONE of the events using the link below before 10 am, Friday 04 September 👉Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics Student Meet and Greet 2026 – Fill in form here: https://lnkd.in/gJQ96chi

We look forward to welcoming you as a potential future student of IBG!

28/08/2026

This Tuesday, IBG hosted a Head and Neck Cancer Research Showcase. Led by Professor Chamindie Punyadeera and her team, the event brought together clinicians, philanthropists, advocacy groups, researchers, students, and people with lived head and neck cancer experience to celebrate progress in head and neck cancer research and strengthen collaboration across the sector.

A highlight was hearing from Professor William Coman AM MD, who reflected on the evolution of the head and neck cancer research landscape over the decades. We were also privileged to hear powerful stories from courageous patients, reminding us of the impact of research on improving outcomes and lives.

The program featured updates from clinician collaborators and PhD students, showcasing innovative research and future directions in the field. The day concluded with reflections from our Executive Director, Professor Paul R Clarke followed by afternoon tea and lab tours that provided valuable opportunities for connection and knowledge sharing.

A sincere thank you to all speakers, participants, and attendees who made this event such a memorable and inspiring day.

27/08/2026

From the first day of candidature to the final thesis submission, earning a PhD is a journey marked by hard work, perseverance and discovery.

This month, we celebrated an important milestone as our students crossed the stage and accepted their Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Their achievements are the result of years of dedication to research, learning and innovation. We are proud to recognise their success and the valuable contributions they have made to their fields.

Congratulations to our new PhD graduates:

🎓 Dr Keely Fayd'herbe - Investigating the activity of a new potent and selective antigiardial compound series – A/Prof Tina Skinner-Adams
🎓 Dr Ellis Joch - Investigating the potential of robenidine analogues as antiplasmodial compounds – A/Prof Tina Skinner-Adams
🎓 Dr Kanchana Wijesekera – Anthelmintic Compounds from the Plant
Styrax suberifolius and the Marine Sponge Agelas axifera: Isolation and Semisynthetic Studies - A/Prof Rohan Davis
🎓 Dr Kelsey Ramage – Dereplication and Chemical Analysis of Australian Sea Sponges from the Family Dysideidae - A/Prof Rohan Davis
🎓 Dr Katharina Gabriela Spaniol - Self-assembly of engineered biopolymers and proteins toward functional materials – Prof Bernd Rehm and A/Prof Frank Sainsbury
🎓 Dr Tin Mak - Applications of Native and Affinity Mass Spectrometry in Drug Discovery Targeting Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases for Tuberculosis – Prof Emeritus Ronald Quinn and Dr Miaomiao Liu
🎓 Dr Tanvir Kabir - Development of innovative particulate vaccines for the prevention of infectious diseases – Prof Bernd Rehm and Dr Shuxiong Chen
🎓 Dr Victor Oti – Developing an intranasal multi-warheaded RNAi therapy
against emerging respiratory viruses - Prof Nigel McMillan
🎓 Dr Paniz Shirmast – Brain Targeting Using Novel Extracellular Vesicles - Prof Nigel McMillan
🎓 Dr Ashley Fraser - Characterisation of virulence factors to develop new therapies for human adapted bacterial pathogens – Dr John Atack and Prof Michael Jennings
🎓 Dr Plabon Das - Multi-omics analysis reveals major alterations in the host glycome, transcriptome, and proteome during human parainfluenza virus infection – Prof Mark von Itzstein
🎓 Dr Md. Mahbubur Rahman –Stimulation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells to Enhance Their Therapeutic Potential – Prof James St John
🎓 Dr. Sasha Hayes - Chemical Investigations of Marine Natural Products as Inhibitors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa - A/Prof Rohan Davis
🎓 Dr Erwan Bremaud – Unmasking HIV with calcium: story of phosphorylation switch, homeostasis disruption and computational illumination - Prof Johnson Mak
🎓 Dr Riccardo Cecchin - Exploration and Evaluation of RNA-Based Delivery Platforms for Gene Silencing – Prof Nigel McMillan
🎓 Dr Isaac Gargett – Finding selective inhibitors of PpiB in Burkholderia pseudomallei – Prof Sally-Ann Poulsen and Dr Louise Sternicki

We look forward to following their careers and applaud their dedication to contributing to their field of research.

27/08/2026

If you are interested in working in a highly interdisciplinary team ranging from Stem cell and Structure Biology, Analytical Glycobiology and blood rheology, check this out.

Advancing ex vivo erythropoiesis by understanding the of signalling. An exciting National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) supported project to advance our understanding of how red blood cells are being produced.

Join an exciting team around Dr Larissa Dirr, Dr Rebecca Griffiths, Prof Michael Simmonds and Prof Daniel Kolarich

24/08/2026

𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 – 𝐀𝐔

IBG is excited to be part of 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜'𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 event, bringing together researchers, clinicians and industry partners to explore how collaboration can accelerate discovery and translate research into real-world impact.

Join the event on 𝟐𝟓 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, as 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲-𝐀𝐧𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐧 presents:
Research Infrastructure and Translation at Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, Griffith University

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 25 August 2026
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 9:45am – 2:45pm
𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Translational Research Institute (TRI) TRI Auditorium, Princess Alexandra Hospital campus, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102
𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/gmVDMFiv

21/08/2026

SIP Week challenges everyone to drink all their beverages through a straw, just like those living with a high-level spinal cord injury. It’s a simple challenge with a powerful purpose: raising awareness and vital funds to help cure paralysis. From your morning flat white to your lunchtime sparkling water, we’re challenging you to SIP differently from 1–7 September.

13/08/2026

Today, we are celebrating a discovery from our own Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics that could reshape the future of Strep A vaccine development.

Led by Associate Professor Manisha Pandey, Professor Michael Good and their team, in collaboration with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), this landmark research reveals that mild, symptom-free exposure to Strep A can quietly activate the immune system and build limited but lasting protection.

Strep A causes painful tonsillitis and school sores in children and adolescents. If left untreated, these infections can progress to rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease and kidney disease, conditions that place a devastating burden on First Nations communities in Australia. With more than 250 distinct strains and no cross-protection between them, it has long remained unclear how some people develop lasting immunity despite no known history of Strep A infection.

This discovery brings us significantly closer to understanding that process. Importantly, it also demonstrates the limitations of naturally acquired immunity. With protection largely confined to the strains an individual has encountered, achieving broad protection against hundreds of Strep A strains through natural exposure is highly unlikely. This finding further supports the vaccine approach our team has been pursuing for years. It is a powerful example of the calibre of research taking place here at IBG, and we could not be prouder of the entire team behind it.

Exposure to a mild or symptom-free strain of Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) can trigger the body’s immune response and naturally build protection, potentially solving a nearly 100-year-old mystery of immunity.

12/08/2026

Meet the 2026 recipients of the IBG PhD Professional Development Awards, selected for the drive, curiosity, and ambition they bring to their research every day.

This award exists to back these outstanding candidates as they pursue the goals that matter most to them, with professional development opportunities shaped around relevant conferences, networking opportunities and growing their footprint in their chosen research field.

Congratulations to the following students, who received their award from our Executive Director, Professor Paul R Clarke earlier this week:

• Mr Henry Smith
• Ms Quynh Nguyen
• Ms Sanchia Marie Malapitan
• Ms Sreedevi Damodaran
• Ms Habeebah Owolabi
• Ms Nirosha Dissanayake Mudiyanselage
• Ms Ran Ran
• Ms Vidya Ranasinghe

10/08/2026

We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2026 IBG Research Excellence Awards, celebrating the calibre and excellence of research being undertaken at IBG.

𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭
The Spinal Injury Project team, led by Prof James St John
𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
A/Prof Rohan Davis
𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐝-𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫
Prof Thomas Ve
𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦
The IBG Vaccine Adjuvant Discovery Team, led by Prof Kathy Andrews, A/Prof Danielle Stanisic and A/Prof Rohan Davis
𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩
Prof Kathy Andrews
𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡
A/Prof Danielle Stanisic
𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫
Dr Louise Sternicki

All of our winners will now progress to represent IBG as nominees in the Vice Chancellor's Research Excellence Awards. We wish them all the best!

24/07/2026

Scholarship Opportunity at IBG for a PhD candidate to undertake research on the mode of action of marine Bacillus probiotics using advanced multi-omics approaches.

This project forms part of a larger collaborative research initiative between Griffith University, Bioproton Pty Ltd and the Marine Bioproducts Cooperative Research Centre (MBCRC).
Please find additional details about this scholarship via https://www.griffith.edu.au/research-study/scholarships/mode-of-action-studies-of-marine-bacillus-probiotics-using-multi-omics-approaches

Expression of Interest closes at 5pm AEST on Friday, 28 August 2026.