Executive Team

Sherman is Head of Research Operations at Wesley Research Institute and is responsible for the strategic planning and operation of the Clinical Trials Centre, Biobank, Research Office and Research Programs.

Sherman holds a Bachelor of Science with first-class honours and a University Medal, and a PhD in translational research. He has held roles at Microba Life Sciences a Brisbane-based ASX-listed biotech, and was part of the leadership team at Nucleus Network – an early-stage clinical trials site for some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. He is trained in Good Clinical Practice, is a certified PRINCE2 Practitioner, and has a track record in driving tangible change for research organisations, helping to improve their culture and performance.

He contributes his spare time to the greater good through being a Board Director of the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance (ACTA), Co-Chair to the Clinical and Consumer Advisory Group of the $75m Australian Teletrials Program, Co-Chair to the Clinical Trials Advocacy Working Group of the Queensland Clinical Trials Consortium (QCTC), former member of the Metro North Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), and Editorial Board for ‘Trials’ – a journal promoting all aspects of trials including methods, processes and non-significant outcomes for transparency in the field.

Josh is the Research Manager at Wesley Research Institute, and his portfolio includes supporting investigator-led research projects as well as providing strategic and administrative support for the Institute. 

With 7 years of experience in the research sector, Josh is responsible for supporting Wesley Research Institute researchers, as well as UnitingCare clinical researchers, to deliver exceptional research outcomes. This includes support with grant applications, contractual requirements and navigating various policies and procedures such as ethics and governance. Josh also plays a key role in administering internally and externally funded projects.  

Emma is the Senior Grants and Compliance Specialist at Wesley Research Institute, and her portfolio includes supporting investigator-led research projects and sponsored clinical trials.

With over 10 years’ experience in the research sector, Emma is responsible for ensuring that all research studies conducted at Wesley Research Institute meet rigorous quality standards and adhere to strict ethical guidelines. Emma plays a critical role in supporting the development of research proposals and applications to both internal and external funding bodies. In addition, she is also responsible for managing all aspects of clinical trial start-up activity and ongoing monitoring.

Professor Robert Ware is a biostatistician and clinical epidemiologist. Robert has more than 20-years experience working as an academic biostatistician. He has extensive experience working with clinical colleagues on both randomised trials and cohort studies. His research expertise centres on the design and analysis of longitudinal studies, with a methodological focus on developing statistical methods to deal with the impact attrition, missing data and non-compliance have on effect estimators. As a consequence of his research program and his collaborative work with clinicians, he has developed an extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of the design, conduct and analysis of both observational and experimental studies. 

Robert has recently been appointed at Wesley Research institute as the Director of Clinical and Academic Research Collaborative, where he is a key member of the ADVANTAGE Partnership. This initiative is aimed at enhancing clinical research and academic integration between Griffith University and Wesley Research Institute across the medical, nursing and allied health disciplines against the backdrop of the UnitingCare Health hospitals. As part of his role at WRI, Robert applies advanced statistical modelling techniques to address complex research problems in both investigator led projects at WRI, as well as studies within the Clinical Trials Centre.  

Dr Eliot Peyster is the Director of Cardiovascular Translational Medicine at the Wesley Research Institute and an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Queensland. He is a cardiologist and transplant physician whose research integrates spatial biology, advanced computational methods, and novel human tissue models to drive precision medicine breakthroughs in cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and organ transplantation. 

Dr Peyster has led pioneering studies applying machine learning and computer vision to improve diagnosis and prediction in diseases of both the native and transplanted hearts, earning national research awards, multiple patents, and international recognition. Building on this expertise, his group is now establishing real-world workflows for AI and computer-vision-based clinical decision support.  In pursuit of further real-world impact, his group is now developing living human heart tissue platforms for ex-vivo therapeutic trials — enabling direct testing of new drugs and interventions in real human myocardium before they reach patients. 

Current research focuses on uncovering human-specific mechanisms and biomarkers in cardiac sarcoidosis, coronary artery disease, transplant rejection, and heart failure, while developing new translational pipelines that accelerate therapies from the lab to the clinic. 

Paula is working as a Research Administration Assistant at Wesley Research Institute. She has a background in the Fast Moving Consumable Goods (FMCG) industry and the Health and Fitness industry. Paula has completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) and a Bachelor of Business (Marketing). Paula has played an important role in supporting the Ataxia-Telangiectasia research team.