Brett Kensett-Smith is a Registered Australian & New Zealand Patent and Trade Marks Attorney who for nearly 30 years has been working as a commercialisation adviser, a patent attorney (both in private practice and inhouse) and as a practising research scientist. Brett helps clients to evaluate and enhance their Intangible Asset and IP portfolio, though auditing and advising on the best practice for protecting their assets, dependent on his client's business goals. Brand strategy is also a strength, where Brett provides practical advice on strong vs weak Brands. Other duties include providing preliminary patentability advice and IP strategic planning; commercialising new IP; Intangible Asset due diligence for investors; inbound and outbound licensing advice; and facilitating innovation brainstorming sessions and workshops. 

Christelle Damiens is an award-winning author, speaker, and the owner of Exportia. She works with CEOs around the world who are strategic about their business succeeding in Europe. 

Dr Daniel Timms, a biomedical engineer, is the founder and technological driving force behind the groundbreaking BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart. His journey began in Brisbane, Aust, where he spent countless hours alongside his plumber father, tinkering with water pumps and constructing imaginative devices. A personal tragedy ignited Dr Timms’ unwavering commitment to revolutionize cardiovascular care.

He is a graduate of the Queensland University of Technology. Collaborating with Germany’s Helmholtz Institute—one of Europe’s foremost cardiovascular engineering research centers—and The Texas Heart Institute, he contributed to groundbreaking work in TAH design & development. In 2023, he received a nomination for Queensland’s “Australian of the Year” Award.

Dr Timms continues to collaborate with global experts to develop cutting-edge cardiovascular medical devices. His unwavering dedication underscores his pivotal role in advancing cardiac care and saving lives.

Dr. Yagiz Aksoy has over 15 years of experience in the translation and commercialisation of research. His strong background as a synthetic biologist, coupled with his expertise in CRISPR/Cas9, genome editing and gene therapy, has led him to develop novel genome engineering technologies and their commercial translation. A sought-after speaker, Dr. Aksoy was invited to present his technology over 50 institutes globally, including the US Department of Defence, US Office of  Naval Research, Australian Defence Science Institute. Dr Aksoy  has extensive experience in regulatory affairs, having researched and evaluated multiple health and medical research policy directives and programs to assess their impact on ethics and governance initiatives, and Ministry and Government objectives.

Elizabeth leads the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AUSCEP), an industry-leading innovation program designed to advance clinician-led transformation across Australia's healthcare workforce.

Joining MTPConnect in 2016, Elizabeth worked with MTPConnect’s Chair to manage establishment of MTPConnect as an Industry Growth Centre and went on to manage the $15.6M Growth Centre Project Fund program delivering funding to 40 collaborative projects. In 2020 she was appointed Director for the $45M BioMedTech Horizons accelerator program, Corporate Reporting and Risk Management.

She holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University.

Team Manager, Ambulance Victoria

Founder, Pulsatile Innovations.

Pulse Tile is a single use pulse sensing device applied to patients in suspected cardiac arrest. It provides feedback to the rescuer regarding the need for CPR in order to reduce delays associated with difficult manual pulse palpation as well as the subjective nature of assessing 'breathing' in DRSABCD.

Jeff Gibbs is a Director at Hyman Phelps and McNamara – the largest law firm specialising in FDA issues, based in Washington DC. With four decades of FDA expertise he delivers crucial insights for medical technology companies aiming to crack the US market. 

Geoffrey is a professor of Neurology at The University of Melbourne, co-chair of the Melbourne Mobile Stroke Unit program, and a former Director of The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. He is the co-lead of the Australian Stroke Alliance and the Frontiers MRFF grant. His research interest is clinical stroke management.  He was co-founder, with Professor Stephen Davis, of the Australian Stroke Trials Network.  He is the co-chair of the EXTEND group of trials, including the recently published EXTEND IA trial of thrombectomy in acute ischaemic stroke.  He was Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Stroke and is Past President of the World Stroke Organization.

Jason Kovacic is the Director and CEO of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Chair and Professor of Medicine at University of NSW, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia. He graduated from The University of Melbourne Medical School in 1994, and then undertook residency and cardiology specialty training in interventional cardiology at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, becoming a Fellow of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2003. Prof Kovacic then completed a PhD in cardiovascular medicine at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.

CEO of Medical Alley.

Stuart is MTPConnect’s Chief Executive Officer, joining in 2018 to play an integral role in building the organisation and developing successful accelerator funding programs to drive growth in Australia’s life sciences sector. 

An accomplished corporate executive with experience across operations, finance, policy in the public and private sectors, and communications, Stuart has held a number of senior positions with CPA Australia, and the Queensland Government including as Queensland Deputy Trade & Investment Commissioner for the Americas. He has worked as a ABC Radio broadcaster and a government media and policy advisor, and created MTPConnect’s popular podcast series, one of the first to showcase the people and issues shaping the life sciences sector in Australia and globally.

Sue Papadoulis is the founder of Profile Media and The Good News Movement.

She is a former News Editor in charge of radio newsrooms in Perth and London who then went on to become a Corporate Communications and Media Advisor in the WA State Government.

She has run her own successful national public relations agency since 2007, employing result-driven former journalists who love the ‘thrill of the chase’ – and now use this skill to great extraordinary results for our clients.

Sue has a Master of Arts and has co-authored three business books.