Our team | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Our team

The Seaweed Research Group is renowned for its cross-disciplinary approach. The team has more than 30 academics, students, and technical staff. From marine biologists and chemists to social and business researchers, each member contributes unique expertise to unlock the secrets of seaweed resources.

Key members

Professor Nick Paul

Professor, Marine Science | School of Science, Technology and Engineering

npaul@usc.edu.au

Nick is a Professor of Marine Science and leads applied research and development on seaweed and algae for new product development, based upon a platform of sustainable production.

Alexandra Campbell
Dr Alexandra Campbell

Senior Lecturer, Bioscience | School of Health

acampbe1@usc.edu.au

Alex is a Senior Lecturer in BioScience and an award-winning marine ecologist who combines field ecology with environmental microbiology, natural products chemistry and environmental science.

Libby Swanepoel
Dr Libby Swanepoel

Senior Lecturer, Nutrition and Dietetics | School of Health

lswanepo@usc.edu.au

Libby is a Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics whose research sees her working across food systems for global development. Libby currently has projects across the Asia-Pacific region, including Kiribati, Samoa and Solomon Islands.

Scott Cummins
Professor Scott Cummins

Professor, Molecular Biology | Theme Leader, Aquaculture Biotechnology, Centre for Bioinnovation

scummins@usc.edu.au

Scott is a Professor of Molecular Biology and focuses his research on the molecular basis for natural product variation in seaweeds, with applications in the fields of ecology, aquaculture and health. Scott's multi-omics approach towards our research integrates genomics, transcriptomics, proteomic and metabolomics through the latest next-generation sequencing and mass spectrometry approaches.  

Min Zhao
Dr Min Zhao

UniSC Senior Research Fellow | Senior Lecturer, Genomics

mzhao@usc.edu.au

Min’s seaweed research focuses on bioinformatics and genomics with high-throughput integration of multiple dimensional data, focussing on the biosynthetic pathways of seaweed and industry-facing genomic browsers.

Saskia De Klerk
Dr Saskia de Klerk

Senior Lecturer, International Business | Discipline Lead, Marketing, International Business and Tourism | School of Business and Creative Industries

sdeklerk@usc.edu.au

Saskia is a Senior Lecturer in international business. Her areas of research include entreprenuership and innovative ecosystem development for seaweed, with an emphasis on cross-cultural management and capacity building.

Martina Jelocnik
Dr Martina Jelocnik

Lecturer in Microbiology | Member, Centre for Bioinnovation

mjelocni@usc.edu.au

Martina is an ARC DECRA Research Fellow. Her research on seaweed takes a One Health approach to veterinary microbiology through the control of infections in Australian livestock and aquaculture production.

Savindi Caldera
Dr Savindi Caldera

Lecturer in Environmental Management | School of Science, Technology and Engineering

scaldera@usc.edu.au

Savindi is a Lecturer in Environmental Management at the School of Science, Technology and Engineering, UniSC. She has over ten years of experience working with industry and government partners on trans-disciplinary projects transforming manufacturing practices through circular and resilient strategies.

Tianfang Wang
Dr Tianfang Wang

Senior Lecturer, Chemical Sciences | Member, Centre for Bioinnovation

twang@usc.edu.au

Andrew Eamens
Dr Andrew Eamens

Lecturer, Biomedical Sciences | School of Health

aeamens@usc.edu.au

Andrew is a molecular biologist with extensive experience in small RNA biology and the use of his research findings to develop gene expression manipulation technologies. Andrew aims to uncover the microRNA landscape of seaweed to control gene expression via an environmentally sustainable approach.

Professional staff

 

HDR students

Student

Thesis title

Asri Pratitis

Selecting Temperature-Tolerant Strains of Asparagopsis taxiformis: Exploring potential trade-offs in growth and natural products

Jessica Webb

Molecular analysis of bromoform biosynthesis in the red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis

Lachlan McKinnie

The red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis genome: An integrative genomics and comparative analysis of biosynthetic pathways

Mikaela Young

Seaweed as a Novel Ingredient in Fermented Food and Beverage Products

Shelby Schumacher

Restorative Aquaculture: The environmental and social benefits of seaweed farming

Silvia Blanco Gonzalez

Microbial influences on the culture and ecology of Asparagopsis taxiformis

Tomas Lang

Application of functional genomics to elucidate the principles of chemical communication in Asparagopsis taxiformis

 

HDR completions

HDR graduate Date completed Thesis title 
Valentin Thépot 2021 Seaweed as a functional ingredient in the diet of farmed fish
Ulusapeti Tiitii 2021 Edible seaweeds of Samoa: cultural values, consumer preferences and nutritional benefits
Zubaida (Rini) Patwary 2023 Multi-omics investigation across the life-history stages of the red seaweed, Asparagopsis taxiformis