I am a first year PhD student. I completed my Medical Bioscience Degree in 2020. I obtained my Masters in Biotechnology in 2024 and decided to continue my PhD. My research interests centre on elucidating the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs, particularly in clinical settings, with the aim of improving therapeutic precision and patient outcomes.

Kushal Paneliya is a clinical research coordinator working in Clinical trials. Kushal's main interest is clinical pharmacology and to improve clinical trials practices whilst broadening personal knowledge.

Jing Xin has recently completed her MPhil at the University of Sydney, where she conducted research on "The Impact of Medication Regimen Complexity on Patient-Centred Outcomes in Kidney Failure." Her passion for clinical pharmacy was ignited during her previous work experience in hospital and health clinic settings. Jing is dedicated to advancing the field of nephrology and improving the care of patients with renal diseases. She is eager to contribute her knowledge and skills to make a meaningful impact in this critical area of healthcare.

Mrs Deidree Somanader-Livera, a passionate and aspiring researcher/educator is a final year PhD Candidate who is a part of the Cardiovascular Disease program in the Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, under the supervision of Prof. Chrishan Samuel, Prof. Robert Widdop and Dr Elva Zhao. Her research currently focuses on deciphering the formation of physical heterodimers between the Relaxin Family Peptide Receptor 1 (RXFP1) and the Angiotensin-II type II receptor (AT2R) in the context of fibrosis, given that this receptor interaction has major ramifications for the clinical development of the anti-fibrotic hormone Relaxin. Deidree will be presenting some exciting data from the first 2 aims of her PhD where she has delved into providing some insight into the type and level of molecular interaction between RXFP1 and AT2R, thus solving a mystery in the minds of many cardiovascular researchers.

Yifan Wang is a PhD candidate at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Queensland. His research explores the design and evaluation of bivalent β-endorphin peptides targeting opioid receptors, with the goal of developing safer and more effective analgesics.

Junkai Zhang is a PhD candidate at The University of Queensland’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, specializing in molecular biology, drug discovery, and pharmaceutical formulation. He earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Jining Medical University, where he majored in chemistry and pharmacology, and later completed a Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice at The University of Queensland, gaining skills in drug development and regulatory affairs. His doctoral research focuses on developing innovative strategies to improve drug formulation, delivery, and quality assurance, with the aim of enhancing therapeutic efficacy and safety. Beyond his core research, Junkai actively engages in scientific communication, conference presentations, and collaborative projects, reflecting his dedication to advancing pharmaceutical sciences. He is committed to addressing key challenges in drug development and healthcare delivery, striving to bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical application to deliver meaningful improvements in patient outcomes.

Hyogyeong Hwang is a master's student in the Department of Health Sciences and Technology at Gachon University. Her research focuses on the development of mRNA-based vaccines and evaluation indicators of HPV vaccines.

Dr. Slade Matthews is a Senior Lecturer specializing in computational pharmacology and toxicology. His research focuses on predicting chemical properties and bioactivity using Python-based QSAR models and cheminformatic techniques such as molecular fingerprinting, quantum molecular calculations, clustering, and substructure analysis. He earned his PhD in 2007 on machine learning in biomedical data and has published 48 peer-reviewed papers (Scopus h-index: 18). In 2025 Slade published a state-of-the-art graph transformer-based QSAR model for Ames mutagenicity prediction. He serves on the TGA Medical and Scientific Evaluation Services Panel and the NSW Poisons Advisory Committee both since 2010. In 2024, he was elected to the ASCEPT Board and awarded Fellowship of ACTRA in 2025. Based at the University of Sydney, Slade collaborates with academic and regulatory partners to advance public safety through application of in silico toxicology and is passionate about mentoring students and interdisciplinary research bridging chemistry, biology, and data science.

Bikash Medhi MBBS, MD, MAMS, FIMSA Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India drbikashus@yahoo.com

I am a passionate and detail-oriented research scientist with a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I’ve spent over seven years immersed in life sciences research, and currently, I’m working as a Research Fellow at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University. My work focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of G Protein-Coupled Receptor, Neurokinin 1 Receptor (NK1R), particularly its roles in pain and inflammation. I use a combination of advanced techniques—including BRET biosensors and high-resolution imaging—to explore cellular signalling and receptor function. I thrive in interdisciplinary environments, collaborating with experts in molecular pharmacology, chemical biology, and imaging to uncover new insights into GPCR signalling and trafficking. Academically, I hold a PhD from Monash University, an MSc in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Copenhagen—where I majored in Molecular Pharmacology—and a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.

Dr. Elizabeth Vecchio is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellow in the Hypertension Research Lab with expertise in GPCR molecular pharmacology. She previously worked as a clinical pharmacist prior to completing her PhD at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science in 2017. Her PhD thesis explored the pharmacology of the adenosine A2B receptor with a focus on constitutive activity and signalling bias. When not in the lab, her time is spent being a mum to three kids, reading, walking and dreaming of her next holiday

Ramya is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney in the Faculty of Medicine and Health. With a Masters in Bio-Technology, her prior experience of working in the drug discovery and pharmacovigilance field has inculcated a passion for Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety. Her research utilises population-based health data to generate real-world evidence on medicine use and safety in the mental health space. She has further undergone training in Epidemiological methods and Health economic evaluations. Ramya’s PhD is focussed on the investigation of cardiometabolic adverse effects associated with antipsychotic treatments given at low doses in off-label disorders, using Australian administrative datasets. Her aim is to improve patient health and well-being through the quality use of medicines.

Grace is an Honours student in her final year of her Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney. As a student who is at the beginning of her research journey, Grace holds a keen interest in research, particularly in the field of pharmacoepidemiology, geriatrics and dementia. Her Honours projects involved the exploration of novel antidementia therapies and antipsychotic drug-drug interactions in people with dementia. With a growing passion for research, Grace aspires to develop her skills and knowledge, and is looking forward to learn from world class experts.

Mia Tesoriero is a 4th year Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) student at the University of Sydney. She was the recipient of the University of Sydney Academic Merit Prize for 2024, and in 2022 was awarded the Dean's List of Excellence in Academic Performance. She has extensive experience in community pharmacy, with particular interest in the field of deprescribing. In 2023, Mia began work as an undergraduate research assistant, and is a published academic author.

Mr. Felipe de Jesus Navarro Vela is a Master’s student in Biotechnology at Flinders University. His research, conducted at Flinders Health and Medical Research, employs a high-throughput approach to systematically analyze and characterize the functional effects of missense variants in the AGTR1 gene. This project aims to create an arrayed plasmid library of over 400 variants for downstream cell-based functional analyses. Felipe is developing expertise in molecular mutagenesis and variant analysis techniques. His work contributes to advancing precision medicine approaches in hypertension treatment by improving understanding of genetic influences on blood pressure regulation.

Ruby Soueid is a registered pharmacist and PhD student at The University of Sydney, specialising in the implementation of pharmacogenomics in clinical practice, with a particular focus on cardiovascular medicine. Her research examines how pharmacogenomic services can be integrated into routine healthcare to optimise prescribing, improve patient safety, and enhance treatment outcomes. With a foundation in pharmacy and patient care, Ruby is passionate about bridging the gap between emerging pharmacogenomic innovations and their practical application in everyday clinical settings. Ruby is committed to advancing precision medicine in Australia and contributing to its integration into healthcare systems, ensuring that patients benefit from personalised approaches to treatment.

A higher degree by research student at the University of Sydney under the supervision of A/Prof Sophie Stocker (School of Pharmacy). My work focuses on the implementation of pharmacogenomics into clinical practice.