INVITED SPEAKERS
Our stellar list of speakers will be announced soon. Keep watching for the announcement of international and national speakers.
DR PAUL D. SIMONSON
WEIL CORNELL MEDCINE
Dr. Paul D. Simonson is a practicing hematopathologist and faculty member at Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University's medical school located in Manhattan, New York, associated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. He completed his medical and graduate school degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where his graduate research work under the direction of Drs. Enrico Gratton and Paul Selvin focused on single-molecule fluorescence analysis and biophysics. Following medical school, Dr. Simonson completed his residency in anatomic and clinical pathology and his hematopathology fellowship training at the University of Washington in Seattle, under the mentorship of Dr. Brent Wood, a world-renowned expert in clinical flow cytometry. During training, Dr. Simonson developed computational and machine learning approaches for interpretation of clinical flow cytometry data, which he continues to expand upon as a member of the hematopathology faculty at Weill Cornell. Dr. Simonson also serves as a member of the College of American Pathologists Artificial Intelligence Committee, a member of the AIDS Malignancy Consortium's Emerging Technologies Committee, and co-director of Weill Cornell Pathology's Multiparametric In Situ Imaging lab.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR PRAVIN HISSARIA
ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL
A/Prof Pravin Hissaria is a Senior Clinical Immunologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Immunopathologist at SA Pathology and Clinical Associate Professor in the Adelaide University Department of Medicine. Immunology Lab in SA pathology offers a comprehensive diagnostic Flow cytometry services to help diagnose Immunodeficiency, benign and malignant haematological conditions to all SA public hospitals. Dr Hissaria has a strong interest in all aspects of Clinical and Lab Immunology and is currently a member of the Royal College of Pathologists Australia Immunopathology Advisory committee and QAP committee. His main clinical interests are in setting up registries of rare autoimmune and auto-inflammatory diseases. He has received grants, authored 98 publications, and has given invited talks at national and international meetings.
PROFESSOR KAYLENE SIMPSON
VICTORIAN CENTRE FOR FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS
Professor Kaylene Simpson heads the Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne Australia and holds a joint appointment with the Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne. She completed her BSc (Hons) at Monash University in plant science (1992) and spent 3 years as a research assistant at Florigene Pty Ltd (blue rose company) before undertaking a PhD in lactation and mammary gland biology at the Victorian Institute of Animal Science (1998). Her first postdoc was a shared appointment with Prof Melissa Brown (Uni Melb) and Profs Jane Visvader and Geoff Lindeman (WEHI) where she studied BRCA1 dependent breast cancer and developed the methodology that led to the identification of mammary gland stem cells. In 2002 she moved to Boston as a senior postdoc and then Instructor in the Dept Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School in the lab of Prof Joan Brugge. Returning to Melbourne in 2008 to head the VCFG, she has built a team of highly skilled research assistants and postdocs who enable researchers to perform unbiased target discovery using high throughput approaches including CRISPR, RNAi and compound screening in both 2D and 3D underpinned by sophisticated cell phenotyping using high content imaging. The VCFG team customise analysis for each specific project. Kaylene is a strong advocate for alternate career paths and is a formal and informal mentor to many researchers.
TINA PHAM
ST VINCENT'S HOSPITAL MELBOURNE
Tina Pham is a Senior Scientist at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Australia, where she manages the Special Haematology laboratory which includes Flow Cytometry and Cellular Therapy. Her flow cytometry experience spans over 10 years. She is the Vic Branch chair of the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists (AIMS), board director of the Australian Council for Certification of Medical Scientific Workforce (CMLS) and guest lectures at RMIT. She is passionate about education for future medical scientists in flow and cell therapy.
DR MATTHEW BIEGLER
THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY
Dr. Matthew Biegler is a postdoctoral researcher at THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY in New York City, working in the Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language headed by Dr. Erich Jarvis. He received his PhD from the Department of Neurobiology at Duke University, developing molecular tools to enhance the study of vocal learning neurogenetics in the zebra finch song system. Dr. Biegler's current research focuses on enhancing reproductive stem cell culture methods and assisted reproductive technologies to facilitate biobanking, surrogacy, and genetic rescue efforts across avian species. With a particular focus on songbirds, representing nearly two-thirds of all avian species, his innovative approaches combine single cell sequencing of developing reproductive tissues with novel techniques in the isolation, culture, and reintroduction of primordial germ cells (PGCs). These endeavors have been advanced by the creative utilization of flow cytometry and cell sorting methodologies, bridging the gap between traditional practices and cutting-edge reproductive technology. Beyond his primary research focus, he has a broad interest in species conservation in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, particularly in how biomedical advances in cellular, molecular, and genomic biotechnologies can be translated into cataloguing and preserving the rich biodiversity of the planet’s species.
DR VANTA JAMESON
PETER DOHERTY INSTITUTE
Vanta is a cell biologist and cytometrist, managing the Peter Doherty Institute (PDI) cytometry SRL, the largest of four cytometry nodes at the University of Melbourne’s Cytometry Platform (MCP). She was granted her BSc (Hons) (1999) and PhD (2006) from the University of Melbourne (Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute) and continued her scientific career as a postdoctoral researcher (Monash University, 2007-2012). Vanta’s research spanning adult haemopoietic and then embryonic stem cell biology commenced in the early 2000's and pushed the limits of flow cytometry instrumentation and immunophenotyping. Her daily exposure to cytometry contributed to her deep appreciation of the crucial nature of sample and experimental optimisation and a deep curiosity for the technology. During her postdoctoral appointment, she became the resident educator of newcomers to cytometry. Her love of cytometry prompted a move into cytometry SRL management, where, starting in 2012 she oversaw the inception and growth of the University of Melbourne Brain Centre’s cytometry SRL for 10 years. She took on management of the PDI cytometry SRL in 2022 where she now oversees a team of cytometrist and technicians and 16 cell sorters/ analysers. With over a decade's first-hand experience as a medical research scientist and in her 13th year managing a SRL, she is passionate about cytometry and teaching to achieve robust, reproducible and publishable data.
PROFESSOR MARIE C BENE
NANTES UNIVERSITY
Initially a professor of Immunology in the French Nancy University Hospital Immunology Laboratory, I developed a deep interest in flow cytometry immunophenotyping when monoclonal antibodies developed as laboratory reagents. This led me to co-found the European Group for Immunophenotyping of Leukemias (EGIL) then become head of the European LeukmiaNet WP10 on morphological and cytometric diagnosis of leukemias. I then applied and was retained as head of the EHA (European Haematology Association) Scientific Working Group on Haematological Diagnosis. Meanwhile, from September 2012 to September 2022, I became head of Nantes University Hospital Haematology Laboratory (routine CBC and haemostasis assays, morphology, flow cytometry, cytogenetic and molecular analyses as well as cell-bank). More recently I developed interest in IA-assisted unsupervised FCM analyses.
DR D. ROBERT SUTHERLAND
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Expert in CD34+ cell enumeration and detection of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria by flow cytometry. Dr D. Robert Sutherland obtained a Master’s Degree in Biochemistry from the University of London England in 1975 while working at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (1973 – 1984). He moved to the Toronto General Hospital in 1984. He became an Assistant Professor in 1989 (Dept of Medicine, University of Toronto), Associate Professor in 1997, and Full Professor in 2009. As Technical Director of the UHN Clinical Flow Cytometry Laboratory at Toronto General Hospital, Dr Sutherland develops new Flow Cytometric assays for deployment in the clinical laboratory. They have developed assays for the detection of Glyco-phosphatidyl-inositol (GPI)-linked structures that are lacking in Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria and related disorders like Aplastic Anemia. He co-authored the recent ICCS Guidelines for the diagnosis of this PNH by flow cytometry. They have recently developed standardised highly sensitive flow assays to detect this disease on a variety of instrument types. As of 2018 Dr Sutherland published 100 peer-reviewed articles, 15 Reviews, and 15 Technical Monographs.
DR KIRSTIE BERTRAM
WESTMEAD INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
Dr Kirstie Bertram has specialised for over a decade in isolating immune cells from human tissue and interrogating them by high-parameter flow cytometry. In 2015, as a post-doctoral scientist, she optimised protocols for isolating myeloid cells (particularly dendritic cells and macrophages) from all human tissues physiologically relevant to HIV transmission, spanning skin, type I and type II mucosae (foreskin, labia, vagina, cervix, penile tissue, perineum, rectum). With the aim to keep them as immature and functionally intact as possible to investigate how they interact with HIV and HSV. Her work is located at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, part of the Westmead Health precinct, which is the largest health precinct in Australia enabling close ties between clinicians and scientists to access a vast array of human tissue. Now Dr Bertram has optimised two OMIPS to study Innate Lymphoid Cells, NK cells, MAIT cells and γδ T cells, as well as resident memory T cells from human mucosal tissue. She’s also involved in projects to study immune cells from a huge range of human tissue and diseases ranging across skin, type II mucosae, intestine, cornea, and lymph nodes, studying how these cells interact with HIV, Herpes Simplex virus, and inflammatory bowel disease and vaccine adjuvants. Her work in high-parameter flow cytometry is complemented by work with Prof Andrew Harmans lab working on high-parameter imaging mass cytometry and spatial transcriptomics to thoroughly interrogate the immune environment of human mucosal tissues.
DR EDWARD ABADIR
ROYAL PRINCE ALFRED HOSPITAL
Dr. Edward Abadir is a clinical and laboratory Haematologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He oversees the Royal Prince Alfred flow cytometry service. He has an interest in flow cytometry of rare events and minimal residual disease detection. His clinical duties include participating in the haematopoietic stem cell transplant and CAR T services.
LORIZA KHAN
ROYAL COLLEGE OF PATHOLOGISTS OF AUSTRALASIAN QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAMS
Loriza Khan is a Senior Scientist at the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs (RCPAQAP) and is the technical head of the Haematology and Transfusion Discipline. She has over 25 years of experience in various areas of haematology while working in Australia and New Zealand and has been with the RCPAQAP for 6 years. Her area of expertise is in external quality assessment programs.
JINMIAO CHEN
SINGAPORE IMMUNOLOGY NETWORK, A STAR
Jinmiao Chen got her Bachelor in Computer Science, PhD in machine learning and artificial neural networks. After her PhD, she joined the Bioinformatics service core of SIgN, A * STAR Singapore in 2009. She has worked closely with bench scientists from SIgN and other research institutes to analyze microarray, next generation sequencing and microbiome data. In 2014 when high-dimensional mass cytometry and single-cell RNA-sequencing become available in Singapore, she developed a series of new computational methodologies for analyzing high-dimensional single-cell data. Since 2014, she started her own research lab, single-cell computational/system immunology (SCCI) lab. Her lab currently focuses on integrated analysis of high-dimensional flow/mass cytometry and single-cell RNA-sequencing data, with the aim of studying cellular diversity, cell lineage, cell-cell interaction, cell movement and rare cell populations. Her lab carries out independent research to develop new data analysis methods, and meanwhile massively involves in data analysis through collaboration. In addition, the lab also initiates and runs biological research projects together with clinicians and biologists.
RUI GARDNER
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTRE
Rui Gardner, PhD, is currently Head of Flow Cytometry Core Facility at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.With a background in Biochemistry, Rui Gardner started his career in science as a mathematical biologist. In 2007, Rui became Head of the Flow Cytometry Core Facility at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. Serving more than 40 research groups in many diverse fields including Immunology, Inflammation, Stem-Cell Biology, Microbiology, Virology, Plant Biology, among others, has given Rui a comprehensive experience in many Flow Cytometry techniques. Passionate about Science and Technology, Rui’s background in Mathematics, Physics, and Biology allows bridging the gap between the operational and technical details in flow cytometry and the science within flow applications. Rui is a wonderful speaker and has lectured many courses on Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting, being continuously involved in organizing various workshops and meetings on Flow Cytometry and Core Management in Europe.
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the muwinina people, the traditional owners of the Land upon which we work, and we pay our respect to Aboriginal Elders; past and present. We respect all Tasmanian Aboriginal people, their culture and their rights as the first peoples of lutruwita.