Alistair Forrest

Alistair is group leader at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research (Perth, Western Australia).  We collaborate to interpret the genetic architecture of neurodevelopmental disorders.  Particularly, Al led the development of a statistical tool to narrow down the responsible regions of our genomic DNA that provide instructions on how the nervous system, especially the brain, is assembled.  Alistair’s website is here.

Mark Agostino

Mark was research fellow at Curtin University and is currently engaged in research administration roles as well.  With expertise in molecular modelling, computer-aided drug design and structural biology. He achieved his PhD in structure-based drug design at Monash University (2011), and trained overseas from 2013-2017 as a CJ Martin Early Career Fellow (NHMRC). We are collaborating to develop molecular diagnostic maps to interpret pathogenic missense mutations to genes encoding DNA-binding proteins. Mark’s web profile is here.

Hamid Alinejad-Rokny

Hamid is a UNSW Scientia Fellow and a EMCR group leader, specialising in bioinformatics. Hamid attained his BSc in Computer Engineering and Masters in Computer Science from 2007-2010, and is currently completing his PhD in Systems Biology and BioInformatics (The University of New South Wales).  Hamid was previously a postdoc jointly supervised by Julian and by Professor Alistair Forrest (The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, Australia). We collaborate to investigate the genomic basis for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. Hamid’s website is here, and he has recently been awarded a prestigious and highly competitve DECRA award from the Australian Research Council.  Congratulations Hamid!

Michael Piper

Michael is group leader, ARC Future Fellow and Associate Professor at the University of Queensland.  Michael investigates the molecular mechanisms of neural stem cell quiescence.  We collaborate on the study of transcription factors which regulate the production of neurons in the central nervous system.  Michael’s website is here.

David Keays

David was group leader at the Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna. He recently accepted a professorship at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität-München.  Our collaboration centres on the genetic analysis of structural brain disorders in children.  David’s website is here.