Kat Vakavosaki is a lecturer in the School of Nursing at the University of Waikato and plays a key role in the final year of the Bachelor of Nursing programme as team leader. With an extensive clinical background and a focus on education that is practical, inclusive, and forward-thinking, she is passionate about empowering students to become confident, capable practitioners. Her work focuses on integrating innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration into undergraduate nursing education. Kat’s leadership in student-led innovation projects highlights her commitment to preparing nurses not only for today’s practice but for leading change in the healthcare systems of tomorrow.

Snow Li is a registered nurse and nursing lecturer with over 20 years of clinical and academic experience. She completed a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary and Adult Education in 2019 and a Master of Education in 2021. She is currently undertaking a PhD at Murdoch University, Australia, focusing on the use of immersive technologies to enhance end-of-life communication skills in nursing students. Snow has taught across various undergraduate nursing units and contributes to simulation-based education and curriculum design. In 2023, she received a Murdoch University Learning and Teaching Scholarship in recognition of her work as an early career academic. Her research aims to inform innovative teaching strategies to better prepare nursing students for real-world communication challenges in clinical practice. She has published a literature review in 2025 titled “Extended Reality for Enhancing Communication Skills in Nursing Education: A Scoping Review.”

Dr Golakani is experienced researcher and clinician with a passion for investigating the immune system's role in disease and injury. With a PhD in Medicine from UNSW, he has conducted research on the immunoregulatory role of MIC-1/GDF15 and MIS416 in spinal cord injury, as well as the immune system's role in maintaining central nervous system immune tolerance during his PhD and postdoctoral research at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research. Prior to his PhD, he obtained a Master of Philosophy in immunology, studying the gut-associated lymphoid tissue of juvenile Australian lungfish from Macquarie University. Dr Golakani is also a Registered Nurse with over 20 years of clinical experience in medical/surgical nursing. Currently, as a Lecturer at Western Sydney University, Dr Golakani continues to share his expertise in Nursing and Midwifery with the next generation of healthcare professionals, including the use of simulation in nursing education.

Associate Professor Melanie Barlow is a registered nurse, specialising in Intensive Care. She is the national academic lead for specialised learning environments and simulation across the Faculty of Health Sciences at Australian Catholic University. She also has a passion for communication-based research, particularly how healthcare professionals receive messages in the speaking up and feedback contexts and how this can be enhanced to improve interprofessional communication and patient safety.

Dr Colleen Ryan is a registered nurse and is the Head of Professional Practice for the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences at Central Queensland University. She is also currently the interim Director of the National Placement Evaluation Centre (NPEC). Colleen has a keen interest in working with groups, and individual clinicians, to develop meaningful professional development to support clinical teachers in managing and overcoming the challenges, tensions and rewards experienced in the role.