Professor Janice Aldrich-Wright is a Medicinal Bioinorganic Chemist and the Academic Lead for our Science in Australia Gender Equity initiative at Western Sydney University. Her PhD thesis was awarded the Conforth Medal for the best Chemistry PhD in Australia, and she now has a strong international research reputation in anticancer, antibacterial and bioinorganic research. She has been awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Excellence in Postgraduate research supervision three times. She has published over 120 papers, holds three patents, is a fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. She is an important mentor to our early career academics and a strong advocate for gender equity.
Professor Hugh Harris
University of Adelaide
Hugh Harris is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Adelaide, Australia. His research interest is in the broad field of metals and metalloids in biology with a focus on human diseases and their treatment. X-ray
absorption spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence imaging are key research tools in this area as they are able to provide information on intact tissue samples. His research has been recognised by the receipt of a number of awards including the SSRL WE
Spicer young investigator award and an Australian Research Council QEII fellowship. Hugh has previously served on the local organising committees for the 39th ICCC in Adelaide and the 12th International Conference on X-ray Microscopy in Melbourne in
2014.
Associate Professor Stephen Bell
University of Adelaide
Stephen Bell is an Associate Professor the Department of Chemistry at the University of Adelaide. His research interests include the isolation, characterisation and application of metalloproteins. His group has a particular focus on bacterial
cytochrome P450 monooxygenase enzymes and iron-sulphur cluster containing electron transfer proteins. He is a founding shareholder of the company Oxford Biotrans which utilises metalloenzymes as biocatalysts for the production of fine chemicals.
Emeritus Professor Richard Keene
University of Adelaide
Richard Keene was a member of the chemistry staff of James Cook University for 35 years, retiring in 2012 as a Distinguished Professor. His primary research interests centred on the stereochemistry of metallosupramolecular assemblies and its effects on their physical properties – in particular intramolecular electron transfer, but also their interactions with biological molecules and the efficacy of oligonuclear complexes as anticancer, antimicrobial and antiparasitic agents. Richard is the recipient of a number of awards for his research (including the Rennie Medal of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute) and he has been a Fulbright Scholar; he was awarded a DSc by the University of Adelaide in 1997, and was
conferred as an Emeritus Professor on his retirement from JCU. He is currently an
Honorary Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Chemistry at the University
of Adelaide.
Professor Christopher McDevitt
The University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Christopher McDevitt is a Group Leader and ARC Future Fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne. His main research focus is on how pathogenic bacteria scavenge essential metal ions
from the host environment during infection. His research uses a combination of molecular microbiology, structural biology, chemical biology and infection models. He was the President of the ASBMB (Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology) special interest group, the Adelaide Protein Group (2015-18), and has served on the organising committees for BacPath14 and numerous national meetings and workshops for the ASBMB and the Australian Society for Biophysics.
Katherine Morgan
University of Melbourne
Katherine Morgan is a final year PhD student in Paul Donnelly's lab at the University of Melbourne. She completed her BSc in 2016 and Master of Science in 2018, both majoring in chemistry. Her research focuses on designing new personalised molecular treatments for cancer using metallic radionuclides and the development of diagnostic imaging agents for Alzheimer’s Disease. Her research uses a combination of synthetic chemistry, nuclear/radiochemistry, biochemistry and cell biology.
Dr Sally Plush
University of South Australia
Dr Sally Plush is a Senior Lecturer in chemistry at the University of South Australia and a sector leader in the Mechanisms and Cell Biology of Disease research group. Her research is focused on the use of metal ions in cellular imaging
applications (fluorescence microscopy, PET and MRI) to further the understanding of the pathophysiology of major disease states and develop enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic agents. She has been on the local organising committee for the both the
39th ICCC Adelaide 2010 and the 15th International Conferences for Women Engineers and Scientists Adelaide 2011. She is a long-term member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and a member of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry.
Associate Professor Tara Pukala
University of Adelaide
Tara Pukala is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Adelaide. Her research interests are focused on developing analytical and bioorganic chemistry approaches, primarily utilising mass spectrometry, to provide new insight into the structure, function and interactions of macromolecules important in biology. She has been recognised with a number of awards including the Australian and New Zealand Society for Mass Spectrometry (ANZSMS) Bowie medal. Tara has served on organising committees for a number of international conferences, and most recently chaired the 26th ANZSMS conference in Adelaide.
Professor Ray Rodgers
University of Adelaide
Professor Ray Rodgers is Lloyd Cox Research Fellow and deputy director of the Robinson Research Institute at the University of Adelaide. His long-term research focus has been on female reproductive function, particularly ovary function, with a
recent interest in the roles of metals and metalloids in these areas. He has served on a number of organizing committees for international conferences including the 20th International Conference on Cytochrome P450, the 14th International Congress on
Hormonal Steroids and Hormones and Cancer, and the 11th International Congress of Endocrinology as chair of the publicity campaign and president of the associated society.
Professor Sue Berners-Price
Griffith University
Professor Sue Berners-Price is internationally recognised for her work in the field of medicinal inorganic chemistry, which involves the design and mechanism of action of gold and platinum-based anti-cancer agents. At Griffith University she is
Dean of the Griffith Graduate Research School and a Principal Research Leader in the Institute for Glycomics. She was Co- Chair of AsBIC7, which was held on the Gold Coast in Australia in 2014, and is a permanent member of the International
Organising Committee (IOC) of the ICBICs. She is is the current President of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry (2019-2020) and the recipient of the 2018 Asian Biological Inorganic Chemistry (AsBIC) Outstanding Achievement Award.
Professor Paul Bernhardt
University of Queensland
Professor Paul Bernhardt leads a research program in metalloenzyme electrochemistry which involves harnessing the selectivity and sensitivity of redox enzymes by integrating them with electrochemical electrodes. He is currently President of the
Royal Australian Chemical Institute and former Chair of the Inorganic Chemistry Division of RACI. He was Secretary of ICBIC 11 (2003 held in Cairns).
Professor Ashley Bush
University of Melbourne
Professor Ashley Bush is Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, Director of the Melbourne Dementia Research Centre at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, and Co-Director of Biomarker Development
for The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of Ageing (AIBL). He holds staff appointments in Psychiatry and Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, USA. He is the scientific founder of multiple biotechnology companies such as
Cogstate Ltd and Collaborative Medicinal Development. He has over 450 publications, >40,000 citations, a h-index of 102, and 29 patents. Prof Bush is rated in the top 1% of neuroscience researchers worldwide for high impact citations, and classed as
one of the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds by Clarivate Analytics.
Professor Paul Donnelly
University of Melbourne
Paul Donnelly is a Professor and ARC Future Fellow in the School of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne, and is a member of the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry. His research focuses on the application
of synthetic chemistry to biology and the study of metal ions in biology. Paul’s research has been recognised by the award of two of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute prizes for young chemists – the Rennie medal and the Sargeson award.
Professor Trevor Hambley
University of Sydney
Trevor Hambley is Professor Emeritus in the School of Chemistry at the University of Sydney. He has studied and worked at the Universities of Western Australia (BSc Hons(I)) and Adelaide (PhD), ANU, and The University of Sydney and has spent a
period of sabbatical leave at Birkbeck College, University of London. His research interests are in the area of medicinal inorganic chemistry with an emphasis on platinum anticancer drugs, hypoxia selective cobalt complexes, and drug penetration and
activation in solid tumours. Professor Hambley served as President of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry from 2008-10, the peak international body in his research area, and is an Editor of the Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry.
Dr Martin de Jonge
Australian Synchrotron
Martin de Jonge is the Lead Scientist on The X-Ray Nanoprobe beamline at the Australian Synchrotron. Due to commence operations in mid-2014, The Nanoprobe will enable visualisation of biometal distributions at sub-100-nm resolution and sub-µM
sensitivity. Martin has over a decade’s experience developing x-ray methods to interrogate the metallome, with key contributions in fluorescence tomography, differential phase contrast imaging, and XANES spectroscopic methods that can image the
distribution of metal bonding conformation within intact cells and tissues. Martin has co authored well over 100 articles in the field of x-ray microscopy and microanalysis by working closely with the biometals user communities to identify
high-priority challenges that can be addressed using x-ray microscopy methods.
Dr Megan Maher
La Trobe University
Megan Maher completed her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Melbourne in 1998, followed by independent fellowships at the University of Sydney. Dr Maher now holds the position of Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry and
Genetics, La Trobe University, where her research focuses on the structural and functional characterisation of proteins involved in cellular metal homeostasis, including integral membrane metal transport proteins. Dr Maher has chaired symposia at the
Lorne Conference for Protein Structure and Function (2011), AsBIC7 (2014) and acted as both co-ordinator for the ‘Proteins’ stream and organiser and chair for the “At and Across the Membrane” symposium at ComBio2014.
Professor Elizabeth (Liz) New
School of Chemistry of Sydney
Elizabeth (Liz) New is an Professor in the School of Chemistry of Sydney. She held an ARC DECRA from 2012-2014, and a Westpac Research Fellowship from 2016-2019. Her research focusses on the development of small molecule chemical sensors
for the study of oxidative stress and metal ions in biology. Her research awards include the Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year (2019).
Professor Michael Parker
University of Melbourne
Professor Michael Parker is Director of the Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne and Head of Structural Biology, St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. He is also an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow in the Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Bio21. Michael completed a Bachelor Science degree with a major in chemistry at ANU followed by a D. Phil. in protein crystallography from Oxford University, Michael returned to Australia to re-establish a
protein crystallography laboratory at St. Vincent’s in 1991. He has published over 300 papers and his work has been recognised with numerous awards including the 2011 Lemberg Medal of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the
2011 Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research, and the 2012 Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists Award for Research Excellence. He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2010 and a
Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2015.
Professor Anthony Wedd
University of Melbourne
Anthony Wedd is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne (2011-present) and was previously Professor of Chemistry there (1991-2011). He is a member of the International Organising Committee of the ICBIC conferences and was Co-Chair of
IBIC 11 in Australia in 2003. He was a plenary or invited lecturer at the ICBIC 7, 8, 10, 12-16 and at AsBIC 1-3, 5-7, the Asian spin-off of ICBIC. His current research interests centre on the uptake and distribution of the nutrient metal copper. He
is Series Editor, of the Metallobiology Series, Royal Society of Chemistry (2010-present) and Editor (with W. Maret) of the book “Binding, Transport and Storage of Metal Ions in Biological Systems” RSC, August, 2014.
Professor Rachel Codd
University of Sydney
Rachel Codd is the Professor of Bioinorganic and Medicinal Chemistry at The University of Sydney and leads the Chemical Biology in Drug Discovery group in the School of Medical Sciences. Her research blends the use of synthetic chemistry, microbiology and chemical biology to engineer metal-coordinating bacterial secondary metabolites for the development of new therapeutic and diagnostic agents. After completing her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at The University of Sydney, she undertook postdoctoral research at the University of NSW and the University of Arizona before returning to The University of Sydney. Rachel was awarded the Biota Medal in 2010, sat on the ARC College of Experts (2016–2018), and elected as a Fellow of the RACI in 2017. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry and on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry.
Professor Christopher Sumby
University of Adelaide
Chris is Professor of Chemistry at the University of Adelaide where he undertakes research into the synthesis and properties of porous nanomaterials to address energy, environmental and industrial challenges. Recent research has focussed on obtaining X-ray crystallographic ‘snapshots’ of catalysts in action, biomolecule protection in porous material-derived biocomposites, and the synthesis of novel porous materials. Prof. Sumby has been awarded various fellowships and awards, including a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science International Invitational Fellowship, and the Sandy Mathieson Award from SCANZ.
Key Dates
Call for Abstracts closes
3 April 2023
Notifications to authors
18 April 2023
Presenter registration deadline
21 April 2023
Standard registration rate
22 April 2023
ICBIC20
16 – 21 July 2023
Opening Ceremony
3:30pm, 16 July 2023
Closing Ceremony
Before lunch, 21 July 2023
Register for ICBIC20
Register your details to receive updates and information on the progress of
20th International Conference on Biological Inorganic Chemistryheld jointly with IC23
- the RACI Inorganic Division Meeting.