May 2022 Research Group
Left to right: Zoe Gardner, Xuan Luo, Clarence Chuah, Safira Barros, Aghill Igder, Colin Raston, Matt Jellicoe.
Absent: Adele Mastroyannis, Amjad Alotaibi, Badriah Alotaibi, Caroline Andersson, Fayed Alrashaidi, Gemedi Wako, Kasturi Vimalanathan, Khamaael Samer.
Kasturi Vimalanathan completed a BSc (Chemistry) at Curtin University of Technology and thereafter a MSc (Chemistry) at the University of Western Australia under the supervision of Professor Colin Raston. Upon achievement of a privately funded scholarship (2013), she is currently completing a PhD (Chemistry) under the guidance of Professor Colin Raston at Flinders University. Her PhD focuses on the fabrication and self-assembly of novel carbon materials and their applications.
Area of research: Materials Chemistry, Ph.D.
Hobbies: Tennis, Badminton and Yoga
Favourite TV Program: Game Of Thrones
Quote: "Plan your work and work your plan"
Dr. Kasturi Vimalanathan
Mrs. Safira Moura Barros received a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil in 2016. During this period, she was an exchange research student for one year at University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK in 2014. Following on from this, she worked in the private sector on Process Safety and then Business Innovation. Now undertaking her PhD under the supervision of Professor Colin Raston and Youhong Tang, her field of research is organic/inorganic chemical reaction and catalysis under continuous flow for the biofuel industry.
Area of research: Sustainable biofuel production, Ph.D.
Hobbies: Volleyball, hiking, any outdoors activity.
Favourite TV Program: Friends.
Quote: “Not all those who wonder are lost” - J.R.R. Tolkien.
Food: Any Vegetarian food.
Email: safira.barros@flinders.edu.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/safirabarros
Ms. Safira Moura Barros
Adele Mastroyannis received a Bachelor of Marine Biology in 2011 at Flinders University. She then pursued a master’s in biotechnology, followed by a Masters in Secondary School teaching, with a focus on science, maths and home economics to middle school students. Adele is currently completing a PhD in Marine Biotechnology with Prof. Colin Raston, Assoc. Prof. Kirsten Heimann and Prof. Catherine Abbott. The project is titled, ‘Biorefinery of South Australian Brown Seaweed Polyphenols and their applications in skin health’. Current collaborations are with Wonderful Capital Biotechnology Group, and the ARC ITTC Green Chemistry in Manufacturing.
Area of research: Marine Biotechnology; bioprocessing and bioproducts.
Hobbies: Sport and being around animals.
Favourite TV Program:
Quote: Don’t give up
Food: Lasagne, nachos, and wine.
Email: mast0080@flinders.edu.au
Ms. Adele Mastroyannis
Dr. Xuan Luo
Ms. Zoe Gardner
Ms Xuan Luo is a biotechnologist who achieved Bachelor of Human Nutrition and Master of Biotechnology studies at the Flinders University of South Australia. During this time, she was awarded the Membership of Golden Key International Honour Society 2011, Flinders University Master of Biotechnology assistantship 2013, the BioSA Prize 2013, Chancellor’s Letter of Commendation 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013. In 2013 and 2014, she worked as laboratory research assistant in the department of medical biotechnology and the department of clinical pharmacology in Flinders University. She conducted her master research with Prof. Wei Zhang and Dr. Robyn Meech and is now continuing her PhD studies under Prof. Wei Zhang and Prof. Colin Raston. She was awarded Australia Postgraduate Award for her PhD studies and her PhD focuses on the development of advanced clean technologies for the extraction of functional food products from microalgae biomass.
Area of research: Development of advanced clean technologies for bio-manufacturing of new functional food products from microalgae biomass.MSci
Hobby: Badminton
Favourite TV Program: Big Bang Theory
Quote: "So many books, so little time"
Food: Sushi
Email: luo0033@flinders.edu.au
Miss Zoe Gardner received a Bachelor of Science (Clean Technology) from Flinders University in 2019, during which she received a New Columbo Plan scholarship to research at the Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone research in Shandong, China. She was awarded a university medal for her outstanding academic results through her undergraduate degree. In 2020 she completed her Honours degree under the supervision of Professor Colin Raston, researching into Indium and Gallium Nanomaterials processing under high shear for which she achieved a first-class honours degree. Now undertaking her PhD, her field of research is in small molecular synthesis under flow and understanding the fluid flow at sub-micron dimensions.
Area of Research: Small molecular chemistry under flow, nanomaterial synthesis.
Hobbies: Running, Hiking, Yoga, Guitar and Painting.
Favourite TV Program: Game of Thrones (Read all the books too)
Quote: "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Food: Anything vegan!
Email: zoe.gardner@flinders.edu.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoegardner/?originalSubdomain=au
Mr. Spencer Petticrew recently completed a Bachelor of Science from Flinders University in 2017. He is currently undertaking his Honours research under the supervision of Professor Colin Raston focusing on the fabrication of Tellurium materials under shear stress.
Area of Research: Materials Chemistry, Hons.
Hobbies: Ice & Inline Hockey
Favourite TV Program: The Mighty Boosh
Quote: It’s not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren’t doing it – Terry Pratchett
Email: pett0102@flinders.edu.au
Mr. Spencer Petticrew
Clarence obtained his BEng Honours degree in Biomedical Engineering at Flinders University in 2015. His current research area and research interest for his PhD with Professor Youhong Tang and Professor Colin Raston are on the amalgamation of AIEgens with the vortex fluidic device microfluidic platform for biomedical applications.
Area of Research: AIEgens with VFD, PhD
Hobby: Racket sports
Favourite TV Program: Planet Earth
Quote: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
Food: Pasta, meat and rice
Mr. Clarence Chuah
Previous group photos
Recent Members
Matt Jellicoe
Left in 2022
Emily Crawley
Left in 2022
Ahmed Thaar
Left in 2021
David Harvey
Left in 2021
Nikita Joseph
Left in 2021
Jessica Phillips
Left in 2020
Scott Pye
Left in 2020
Daniel Mangos
Left in 2020
Timothy Solheim
Left in 2019
Muneer Ahamed
Left in 2018
Joshua Britton
Left in 2016
Marissa Melvin
Left in 2015
Chee Ling Tong
Left in 2015
Sam Chen
Left in 2015
Haniff Wohed
Left in 2015
Collaborators