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By collaborating with universities, research institutes and hospitals, our senior researchers supervise students undertaking original research. There aren't many things we love more than hearing their fresh ideas!
2023-2024 projects
Students who are supported by scholarships are shown with an asterisk, and Lifeblood supervisors are shown in bold.
| Student name | Project title | Degree | Institution | Supervisors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francesco Amico* | Association between blood donor demographics and post-injury multiple organ failure after polytrauma, a state-wide analysis | PhD | The University of Newcastle | Dr Rena Hirani, Prof Zsolt Balogh |
| Anne-Marie Christensen | Extracellular traps and TRALI: more than just neutrophils | PhD | Queensland University of Technology | Prof Robert Flower, A/Prof John-Paul Tung, Dr Melinda Dean, Prof Damien Harkin |
| Sophiya Dulal (Completed)* | Improving children’s growth and development through community-based approaches in rural Nepal | PhD | Western Sydney University | Dr Surendra Karki, Prof Dafna Merom |
| Abigail Edwards* | A psychological ownership and identity approach to motivation in blood donation | PhD | The University of Queensland | Prof Barbara Masser, Dr Rachel Thorpe, A/Prof Fiona Barlow |
| Katie Gould | Red blood cell alloimmunisation of pregnant women in Queensland and surrounds | PhD | University of the Sunshine Coast | Dr Genghis Lopez, Prof Catherine Hyland, Dr Anna Kuballa, Ms Kylie Fitch, Dr Anne Houghton, A/Prof Lin Fung |
| Ji Hui Hwang* | Investigating the role of extracellular vesicles in blood components and their impact on coagulation | PhD | Queensland University of Technology | A/Prof John-Paul Tung, Prof Robert Flower, Dr Natalie Pechiniuk, Prof Damien Harkin |
| Christine Knauth | Implications and applications clinical immunohaematology practice in the age of genomics | PhD | Queensland University of Technology | Prof Robert Flower, Prof Catherine Hyland, Dr Natalie Pecheniuk |
| Lauren Litchfield* | Platelet concentrates and cryopreservation as an alternative storage method: Potential impact on transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) | PhD | University of the Sunshine Coast | A/Prof John-Paul Tung, Dr Sara Chiaretti, Dr Sarah Bajan, A/Prof Lin Fung |
| Elissa Milford | Effects of commonly used and emerging resuscitation fluids on end organ function in severe trauma | PhD | The University of Queensland | A/Prof John-Paul Tung, Prof Michael Reade |
| Yasmin Mowat* | A population-based survey examining knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of blood donation eligibility in Australia | PhD | The University of New South Wales | Prof Barbara Masser, Dr Bridget Haire, Prof John Kaldor, Dr Skye McGregor |
| Astrid Nausa Galeano* | Bioengineering a Bone Marrow Mimicry for Cell Therapy Manufacturing | PhD | University of Queensland | Dr Becky Griffiths, Dr Rose Ann Franco, Dr Ashley Murphy, Dr Mark Allenby, Prof Mia Woodruff, Prof Justin Cooper-White |
| Wei Qian (Completed)* | Comparison of epidemiological models for predicting Ross River virus disease in Queensland, Australia | PhD | The University of Queensland | Dr Elvina Viennet, A/Prof David Harley, Prof Katie Glass, A/Prof Cameron Hurst |
| Md Morshadur Rahman (Completed)* | Healthy Donor Effect- improving analytical methods | PhD | University of Technology Sydney | Dr Surendra Karki, Prof Andrew Hayen |
| Rosemary Rasmussen | Australian blood donors: Looking back in preparation for the future | PhD | University of the Sunshine Coast | Prof Barbara Masser, Dr Rachel Thorpe, Dr Helen Faddy, Dr Lin Fung |
| Laura Marcela Rey Gomez* | Developing a novel point of care test for blood analysis | PhD | Macquarie University | Dr Rena Hirani, Prof Yuling Wang, Dr Andrew Care, A/Prof David Inglis |
| Michelle Roets* | Intraoperative cell salvage as an alternative to allogeneic (donated) blood transfusion: An evaluation of the immune response profile | PhD | The University of Queensland | Dr Melinda Dean, A/Prof David Sturgess, A/Prof Louisa Gordon, A/Prof Kerstin Wyssusek, Prof Andre Van Zundert, A/Prof John-Paul Tung |
| Robert Smith* | Blood donation and time preferences: Unravelling altruistic choices and temporal decision-making | PhD | University of Nottingham | Prof Eamonn Ferguson, Prof Chris Stamer, Prof Barbara Masser, Prof Liam Delaney |
| Ivy Tan* | Closed Veins: Understanding the Experiences and Psychosocial Impact of Permanent Deferral in Older Donors | PhD | The University of Queensland | Dr Theresa Scott, Prof Barbara Masser, Dr Rachel Thorpe |
| Stella Tan* | Mechanisms to encourage word of mouth | PhD | The University of Queensland | Dr Kathleen Chell, Prof Barbara Masser†, Dr Faiza El-Higzi |
| Amanda Thijsen | Strengthening the use of research in blood donor management | PhD | The University of Sydney | Prof Barbara Masser, A/Prof Tanya Davison, Dr Anna Williamson |
| Flavia Torres-Vasconcelos* | Pandemic threat and natural disasters in Australia: impact on blood supply and potential optimization of a regional strategy to address blood supply restriction | PhD | University of The Sunshine Coast
| Dr Elvina Viennet, Dr Helen Faddy, Dr Melinda Dean, Dr Katharina Merollini, |
| Ben Winskel-Wood (Completed)* | Examination of the impact of refrigeration and cryopreservation on the non-haemostatic functions of stored platelets | PhD | University of Technology Sydney | Dr Lacey Johnson, Dr Matthew Padula |
| Timothy An* | Occult Hepatitis C infection: is there a risk to transfusion safety? | MPhil | The University of Queensland | Prof Robert Flower, Dr Helen Faddy, Dr Melinda Dean |
| Pushti Darbar (Completed) | Next Generation Sequencing for genotyping Blood Group systems | MSc | The University of Queensland | Dr Filip Radenkovic, Dr Luccia Zacch, Prof Robert Flower, Dr Eileen Roulis |
| Pauline Dizon | Understanding the impact of Stem Cell Factor glycosylation on cell signalling and stem cell differentiation | MMedRes | Griffith University | Dr Becky Griffiths, A/Prof Daniel Kolarich |
| Max Gin (Completed) | Evaluation of ethnic ancestry question | MPH | The University of Melbourne | Kyle Jensen, Dr Rachel Thorpe, Sue Durham |
| Arne Hellhund (Completed)* | Systems biology of in-vitro erythropoiesis | MSc | University of Queensland | Dr Becky Griffiths, Prof Lars Nielsen |
| Thomas Hueneburg (Completed) | Crosstalk between platelets and cancer cells: do cancer cells interact with transfused platelets? | MPhil | The University of Sydney | Dr Dianne van der Wal, A/Prof Denese Marks, Prof Chris Ward |
| Yang Kang (Completed) | Bloody good communications experience (group project) | MSc (Comms) | University of Melbourne | Dr Alison Gould, Dr Graham Phillips |
| Harsh Katiyar (Completed) | Effect of air quality on number of blood donations | MSc | Monash University | Dr Elvina Viennet, A/Prof Damjan Vukcevic |
| Anastazia Keegan | Viscoelastic properties of cold-stored platelets using novel viscoelastic haemostatic assays and clinical implications for bleeding patients | MSc (Research) | University of Technology, Sydney | Dr Lacey Johnson, A/Prof Matthew Padula |
| Madison Kolotsos (Completed) | Bloody good communications experience (group project) | MSc (Comms) | University of Melbourne | Dr Alison Gould, Dr Graham Phillips |
| Isabelle Lightbody* | Improving the monocyte monolayer assay (MMA) | MSc | University of the Sunshine Coast | A/Prof John-Paul Tung, Dr Melinda Dean, Dr Helen Faddy |
| Ching Li (Crystal) Lim | Extended metagenomic analysis of bacterial contamination screening pooled platelets. | MPhil | Queensland University of Technology | Dr Eileen Roulis, Prof Robert Flower, Dr Alison Carey |
| Wil Losereewanich* | A bioengineered device for pretransfusion diagnostics of blood units | MEng | Macquarie University | Dr Rena Hirani, A/Prof David Inglis, Prof Yuling Wang |
| Stacie O’Brien | Blood group genomics of the Norfolk Islander population | MSc | Queensland University of Technology | Dr Shivashankar H Nagaraj Prof Robert Flower, |
| Priya Singh (Completed) | Bloody good communications experience (group project) | MSc (Comms) | University of Melbourne | Dr Alison Gould, Dr Graham Phillips |
| Amelia Taylor* | Changes in the healthy human blood donor virome over three time points during the COVID-19 pandemic | MPhil | Queensland University of Technology | Prof KirstenSpann, Prof Robert Flower, Dr Eileen Roulis, |
| Abigail van der Zwan (Completed) | Bloody good communications experience (group project) | MSc (Comms) | University of Melbourne | Dr Alison Gould, Dr Graham Phillips |
| Wendy Walker* | Investigating human neutrophil and human platelet antigen variants within different populations groups | MPhil | Queensland University of Technology | Prof Robert Flower, Dr Eileen Roulis, A/Prof Tony Parker |
| Shen Zhao (Completed) | Development of expression system for Rh protein variants | MSc | The University of Queensland | Dr Filip Radenkovic, Dr Luccia Zacchi |
| Tamera Kent | Characterisation of extracellular vesicles in intraoperative cell salvaged blood | BSc (Hons) | University of the Sunshine Coast | A/Prof John-Paul Tung, Dr Rebecca Wellburn, Dr Helen Faddy, Dr Melinda Dean |
| Catherine Lindsay (Completed) | Prospective Donors: Who are they? | BPsych (Hons) | The University of Queensland | Elizabeth Knight, Dr Kathleen Chell, Adheesha Ratnayake |
| Lottie Lynch | Motivations for genetics research participation and blood donation in ethnic minority communities in Australia | BSc (Hons) | University of Melbourne | Dr Rachel Thorpe, Dr Danya Vears, Dr Samantha Croy |
| Janhavi Mahajan | Exploration of the factors influencing the balance between haemostasis and fibrinolysis in cold-stored platelets | BSc (Hons) | University of Technology, Sydney | Dr Lacey Johnson, A/Prof Matthew Padula |
| Maya Pinn | Motivations for genetics research participation and blood donation in ethnic minority communities in Australia | BSc (Hons)
| University of Melbourne | Dr Rachel Thorpe, Dr Danya Vears, Dr Samantha Croy |
| Xian Sheng Teoh (Completed) | Investigating the Barriers of Blood Donation in Current Donors as Well as Perceptions of a Rideshare Voucher as an Incentive | BPsych (Hons) | The University of Queensland | Dr Kathleen Chell, Adheesha Ratnayake |
| Anthea Walker | Investigating the utility of monoclonal anti-D antibodies as a quality control standard in monocyte monolayer assays | BSc (Hons) | University of the Sunshine Coast | Dr Alexis Perros, Dr Sandra Sowah, Prof Robert Flower, Dr Melinda Dean, Dr Helen Faddy |
| Felicia Jing Yi Wong (Completed) | Investigating the Barriers of Blood Donation in Current Donors as Well as Perceptions of a Rideshare Voucher as an Incentive | BPsych (Hons) | The University of Queensland | Dr Kathleen Chell, Adheesha Ratnayake |
| Simon Beuse | Young Blood Donation: Engaging 18-29 Year Olds (group project) | Global Change Scholars Program | The University of Queensland | Dr Rachel Thorpe, Dr Skye Doherty |
| Elouise Comber | Young Blood Donation: Engaging 18-29 Year Olds (group project) | Global Change Scholars Program
| The University of Queensland | Dr Rachel Thorpe, Dr Skye Doherty |
| Amelia Czerniawski (Completed) | Antimicrobial resistance genes in bacterial contamination screened platelets | Work Integrated Learning placement | Queensland University of Technology | Dr Eileen Roulis |
| Navid Teimouri | Young Blood Donation: Engaging 18-29 Year Olds (group project) | Global Change Scholars Program | The University of Queensland | Dr Rachel Thorpe, Dr Skye Doherty |
| Tuan Anh Tran | Young Blood Donation: Engaging 18-29 Year Olds (group project) | Global Change Scholars Program | The University of Queensland | Dr Rachel Thorpe, Dr Skye Doherty |
| Mason Knowles (Completed) | NSAID-Implicated Allergic Acute Transfusion Reactions: A Retrospective Study | Special Research Project | University of the Sunshine Coast | Dr Elvina Viennet, Dr Robert Harley, Dr Helen Faddy, Dr Melinda Dean |
| Professional and Community Engagement Unit (all students participated, around 15 in all-competed) | Lifeblood 1: Marketing approaches for 18–30-year-olds | BMedSc | Macquarie University | Dr Alison Gould, Dr Kathleen Chell, Jeremy Weiss, Dr Marijke Welvaert, Prof Michelle Power |
| Professional and Community Engagement Unit (all students participated, around 100 in all-competed) | Lifeblood 2: Communicating extended phenotypes to donors | BMedSc | Macquarie University | Dr Alison Gould, Tanya Powley, Prof Michelle Power |
Student researchers
Part of helping Australians means planning for a bright future.
When it comes to training the next generation of researchers, our Research team is eager to play their part. With our decades of experience in a range of things from blood to microbiota, it only makes sense to pass that knowledge on to the next generation (along with some tips and tricks of the trade).
Some of our senior staff act as mentors for students who are studying science, technology, engineering and maths (often known as STEM), and to international students.
Research Director Prof David O. Irving says it best, “We are trying to encourage some of the brightest emerging researchers to train in research relevant to the blood sector. It helps to strengthen our collaborations with universities, ultimately makes us more competitive, but most of all it’s a great pleasure to see these bright young scientists join our team.”
Ashish Shrestha
One of our research students, Ashish Shrestha, came to us from Nepal while he was working on his PhD supported by the University of Queensland International Scholarship.
During his final year of research, he was picked for I TRY IT, a global training program developed by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Transfusion-Transmitted Infectious Disease (TTID) Working Party. The aim is to teach young researchers to develop, review and report on research projects in transfusion-transmitted infectious diseases. Ashish was enthusiastic about his experience.
“We had an opportunity to learn from experts from the US, Germany and South Africa. The program included webinars and face to face meetings at ISBT regional conferences in London and Bali.”
“I believe I chose the right place to get involved in research. Lifeblood is an amazing place to explore ideas. With the availability of experts, and friendly and co-operative staff, it’s certainly an ideal place to learn and develop your ideas and skills.”
Htet Htet Aung and Ben Wood
After a year of practical training at Lifeblood to complete their university degrees, Htet Htet Aung and Ben Wood stepped up and joined the team as full-time employees.
“In my country the education system is not really advanced, and I realised that in Australia I could have more opportunities and be quickly independent,” she said.
After arriving in Australia from Myanmar, Htet Htet completed a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) at Queensland University of Technology. In her final year, she honed her research skills with Dr John Paul Tung in Lifeblood’s Queensland laboratories. Htet Htet’s research project examined how the storage of red blood cells can lead to changes in their clot-forming ability.
“I like that [Lifeblood] is supportive, collaborative and a really nice environment”.
After completing her honours degree, Htet Htet applied for a Research Assistant role in Sydney. She was successful, and has been a key part of the Sydney research team ever since. She now works with Dr Joanna Tan investigating the properties of red cells under various storage conditions.
Ben Wood spent 2015 completing the practical side of his degree with Dr Lacey Johnson in Sydney, exploring changes in platelets as a result of cold storage, finishing his Master of Science (Honours) from the University of Technology, Sydney. He explains his choice to pursue research at Lifeblood, “The work we do here has a direct application. It’s good to have that goal right there in front of you.”
After several years as a research assistant with Lifeblood, Ben started (and completed!) his PhD within our Sydney research team. He recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as Lifeblood team member, and his culinary talents continue to be an unexpected asset to the Sydney team!
Post graduates
Interested in pursuing post graduate studies with us? Tell us about yourself and your interests.
