Our People

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. 

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.

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.

Venita is a registered nurse who works as a Clinical Trials Coordinator at the Wesley Research Institute. She has a Bachelor of Nursing from QUT. She has worked in clinical trials over the last 10 years in various therapeutic areas including rare diseases, immunology and coeliac disease. She enjoys being part of a team that endeavours to promote a positive experience to study participants engaged in clinical trials.

Dr John Feenstra is a Thoracic and Pulmonary Hypertension Physician.  He is the Director of the Wesley Pulmonary Hypertension Unit and the lead physician for pulmonary hypertension in the Queensland Lung Transplant Service at the Prince Charles Hospital.  He is the current president of the Pulmonary Hypertension Society of Australia and New Zealand.  Dr Feenstra holds the titles of Senior Lecturer with the University of Queensland and Honorary Fellow of the Wesley Research Institute.  Dr Feenstra is actively involved in research, teaching and clinical trials in pulmonary hypertension. He is the Clinical Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Research Program at the Wesley Research Institute.

Chris is of a nursing background and has a number of years’ experience across an array of clinical areas within The Wesley Hospital, including Neuroscience, acute stroke and surgical Urology. He has joined Wesley Research Institute as a Clinical Trial Coordinator.

With 25 years of experience, Marie-Louise began her career in South Africa as a registered nurse and clinical trials coordinator, working in various hospitals. She later relocated to Australia, where she continued her nursing practice and earned a Graduate Certificate in Nursing (General). Her return to clinical research has been a highly rewarding step, with joining the pulmonary hypertension group standing out as a key professional milestone. Dedicated to enhancing patient experience, Marie-Louise is a strong advocate for patients, ensuring their journey with the research center is as positive and supportive as possible, all while contributing to the advancement of care in a developing field. 

Jessica is an experienced Clinical Trial Coordinator and Registered Nurse with over 16 years of nursing and 8 years of clinical trials experience specialising in Oncology, Haematology and Stem Cell Transplant and Immunology/Immunotherapy.  She has experience working in Brisbane, Melbourne, and the UK, in both the public and private health sectors.  She has a Bachelor of Nursing from the Queensland University of Technology.  She is passionate about providing compassionate patient centred care and contributing toward enhanced treatment options and symptom management for patients.  Her current focus is on early phase trials for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and Coeliac disease.    

Merin is a dedicated Clinical Research Coordinator with over 13 years of experience as a Registered Nurse across hospitals in New Zealand and Australia. She earned her Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Auckland and has since worked in multiple clinical research organisations, contributing to trials across various therapeutic areas. Now part of the Coeliac Research program, Merin is passionate about bridging cutting-edge research with compassionate patient care, ensuring patients receive the best possible support and guidance.

Haofan has joined the Biobank team and Clinical Trials Centre, where she works with biological samples to support clinical trials, ensuring their proper handling and collection, and assisting in incorporating samples into trial protocols to advance research. She holds a Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice from the University of Queensland and has been working in clinical trials since 2021, specialising in optimising patient care and research outcomes. As a Clinical Research Assistant at Wesley Research Institute, she plays a pivotal role in supporting clinical trials and laboratory operations, ensuring precision and quality at every stage. 

Kelly commenced her PhD at Charles Darwin University within the Health Services Research Team at Wesley Research Institute in 2025, combining her biomedical and health services research experience to examine factors which lead to hard-to-heal or chronic wounds. Her proposed research aims to investigate the microbiology of delayed wound healing, the disparate health outcomes for people with chronic wounds living in rural and remote areas, and explore opportunities to make effective changes to chronic wound care, thereby improving treatment, outcomes and quality of life for those affected.

Kelly McGrath is a health services and biomedical researcher with a background in tertiary education and over 25 years of experience in the health sector. In 2021, Kelly was appointed to implement and evaluate a new model of mental health care in the rural and remote Isaac region of Central Queensland and has contributed to Wesley Research Institute’s Virtual Hospital and Healthcare Research Program. Currently focusing on health services and implementation research, Kelly’s previous research focused on discovery biology. Her research has directly impacted private virtual hospital design, access to mental health services, mental health service operations, and development of new knowledge regarding the etiology of Parkinson’s Disease and several types of cancer.

The Catalano Family Foundation supports Kelly McGrath’s PhD scholarship, and we are grateful to the Catalano family for their generosity.

Holly is a Registered Nurse who works as a Clinical Trials Coordinator at Wesley Research Institute. She has a Bachelor of Nursing from QUT and has a background in cardiothoracic intensive care and clinical trials, primarily in respiratory trials.

She is currently focusing on pulmonary artery hypertension trials and is passionate about providing compassionate, patient-centred care and contributing to the improvement of the quality of life and health outcomes for patients.

Emma Thiele is a registered nurse with 17 years of experience working predominantly in respiratory health and clinical education. She is new to the pulmonary hypertension clinical trials team and is loving the change in career direction. Her favourite part of the job remains the patients.

Jill is a Registered Nurse with experience across a range of healthcare areas, including the cardiac catheterisation lab and clinical research. She completed her Bachelor of Nursing at Deakin University in Melbourne. Jill is currently focused on pulmonary hypertension clinical trials and is passionate about creating a supportive, caring environment for participants. She’s especially interested in improving her patients’ quality of life and contributing to new and better treatment options through research.

Yena has joined the Clinical Trials Centre as a Clinical Research Assistant. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Oregon State University and a Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice from the University of Queensland. Yena brings several years of pharmacy experience and a strong interest in advancing clinical research and patient outcomes.