An internationally recognised RNA therapeutics scientist, I was an integral member of the group that pioneered therapeutic antisense oligomer development. We were the first to recognise the clinical potential of morpholino oligomers and designed Eteplirsen, the first FDA approved drug for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Golodirsen and Casimersen, ASOs designed to address other subsets of DMD mutations, were approved by the FDA in 2019 and 2021 respectively. In 2021, I was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medical research and neurological science.

I serve as the Chief Scientific Officer at To Cure A Rose (TCAR), leading scientific strategy and therapeutic development for children with rare monogenic diseases. I earned my Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Institute of Biosciences and Technology in 2008. I have led large scientific teams through the design, optimisation and advancement of RNA and gene-based therapies, with many programs now progressing through FDA and international clinical trials.

I am a senior scientist and biotech innovator with a passion for advancing RNA therapeutics and precision medicine to transform patient outcomes. My expertise spans RNA metabolism, DNA damage and repair, and RNA-based platform technologies, in particular oligonucleotide therapeutics, with a strong focus on translating cutting-edge research into impactful treatments. I led the preclinical development of a first-in-class RNA oligonucleotide therapy for cancer, taking it from discovery to a clinic-ready drug product.

Before joining To Cure A Rose (TCAR) as a senior scientist, I earned my Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University in 2015, completed my postdoctoral training at the University of Texas at Austin, and managed a biomedical engineering laboratory as a research associate. With over a decade of laboratory experience, I am deeply committed to advancing personalised therapies for children with rare genetic disorders. My passion lies in helping children and families access the promise of targeted, life-changing RNA therapies.

A distinguished molecular parasitologist with over 35 years of experience spanning both academic and industrial science, my research career has made significant contributions to global health and biotechnology, including immunological strategies for controlling seasonal and pandemic influenza. In September 2002, I was appointed the inaugural Director of the Institute for the Biotechnology of Infectious Diseases at University of Technology Sydney (UTS), with appointments at Rockefeller University in New York, Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem, and the University of Bern in Switzerland. In 2008, I established a Bio-Innovation course at UTS. In 2013, I was appointed the inaugural Director of the SPARK Sydney program, modelled on the successful initiative at Stanford University. My career is dedicated to improving human health through scientific innovation and global collaboration.