Our People

Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe is the QSBC Scientific Director. He leads the Clinical-oMx Lab at the Frazer Institute, University of Queensland. Arutha has pioneered spatial transcriptomics using digital spatial profiling approaches in the Asia-Pacific region, contributing to world-first studies for lung cancer, head and neck cancer and COVID-19. His research aims to understand the underlying pathobiology by using an integrative multi-omics approach. Arutha is supported by the NHMRC, Australian Academy of Sciences, US DOD, Cancer Australia, Cure Cancer, MRFF and numerous philanthropic and hospital foundations. 

Dr Meg Donovan is a Research Officer at the Queensland Spatial Biology Centre (QSBC). Meg completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science with Class I Honours at the University of Queensland (UQ) specialising in immunology and infectious diseases. She went on to complete her PhD at the UQ Frazer Institute, studying the host-pathogen interactions that occur during infection. In this time, Meg became interested in employing spatial biology technologies to answer biological questions about health and disease. At the QSBC, Meg is working on discovery and translational research projects using cutting-edge tissue profiling technologies to assess a multitude of biomarkers across every cell within cancer, heart, and lung disease. 

Naomi Berrell is a Research Assistant at the Queensland Spatial Biology Centre. She graduated with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science First Class Honours from the Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland. Naomi has extensive experience applying spatial biology approaches across a number of solid malignancies to identify predictive tissue-based signatures for the development of predictive biomarkers. She has presented her findings at national and spatial user group meetings across Australia.

Prof John Fraser is the Queensland Spatial Biology (QSBC) Clinical Director, Founder and Director of the Critical Care Research Group, Director of the Intensive Care Unit at St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of De Motu Cordis Pty Ltd and Immediate Past President of the Asia Pacific ELSO Chapter. John has five professorships across major Australian universities, has published over 580 peer-reviewed publications; and has received more than $41 million in competitive grants. In 2018, John was awarded the Australian Society of Medical Research Clinical Research Award.

Dr Aaron Kilgallon is a Data Scientist at the Queensland Spatial Biology Centre (QSBC) at the Wesley Research Institute. Aaron has research backgrounds in particle physics and in the application of data science techniques in biophysics and neuroscience. His doctoral research at the University of Oregon was on the application of machine learning techniques to search for undiscovered and novel signatures of dark matter produced at the Large Hadron Collider. He then gained further research experience as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Queensland Brain Institute, where he worked on applying machine learning and data science techniques to understand the motion of GABA neuroreceptors near neuronal synapses when affected by epilepsy-associated mutations.

Aaron brings many technical skills to his role at the QSBC, including machine learning, the development of image analysis algorithms, mathematical modelling, and data science. He is passionate about research in data-driven techniques to revolutionise medicine and improve treatment outcomes for patients, particularly those with degenerative diseases, and believes that next-generation medicine will rely on these methods to address the complexity of modern healthcare.

Dr Aaron Kilgallon is supported by the Harding Family Scholarship.