Management team

Dr Justin Coombs
Dr Justin Coombs Chief Executive Officer
Justin is a biotech industry leader. By background, he is a PhD-trained scientist and a biotech specialist patent attorney. His areas of expertise are in R&D program development, intellectual property, technology transfer and commercial strategy across a broad range of technology-focused organisations.

Before joining MBCRC, Justin held a number of senior biotechnology industry roles including General Manager of the Cell Therapy Manufacturing CRC and Founder and CEO of immunotherapy start-up, Carina Biotech.

Ms Belinda Wade
Ms Belinda WadeOperations Manager
Belinda is a business development specialist with an honours degree in biotechnology. As Business Development Coordinator (Strategic Partnerships) for Flinders University, she was instrumental in bringing together the key elements that saw Marine Bioproducts progress from a working concept through to a fully-fledged (and fully funded) Cooperative Research Centre.

Belinda is also a graduate of the SA Enterprise Workshop, having been admitted to the highly competitive Entrepreneur Program in 2014.

Ms Jane Keane
Ms Jane KeaneExecutive Assistant
Jane has been with Marine Bioproducts CRC since January 2022, overseeing office administration and providing support to the MBCRC management team. Before her appointment, she served as Executive Assistant to the Director, Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development at Flinders University for 10 years.

As an organised and skilled administrative professional with many years experience supporting senior management in finance, accounting, local government and education sectors, Jane is motivated to help the organisation’s administration processes run smoothly.

Please direct any administrative enquiries you have her way and she’ll be happy to help.

Dr Gretta Koch
Dr Gretta KochCommunications Consultant
With over 25 years of experience in writing, editing, teaching and research, Gretta has worked on a wide variety of marketing and communications materials and activities across different sectors – most recently in biodiversity conservation.

Gretta has an Honours degree in Professional Writing & Communication and a PhD in Cultural Studies. She has a creative approach and enjoys connecting with a wide range of people to produce high quality communications that make a difference.

Research team

Dr Mike Patane
Dr Mike PataneResearch Director
Mike holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Western Sydney University and is equipped with over 20 years of involvement in developing and commercialising science for food, health, and nutrition ingredients, including creating 12+ patented technologies that have been licensed in the global marketplace.

A dynamic, results-driven, and commercially focused executive, Mike is responsible for guiding and advancing the organisation’s research strategy and initiatives and driving innovation in the marine bioproducts industry. He will work with our partners to develop and commercialise an exciting array of technologies that will help our environment, various industries and the community.

Professor Wei Zhang
Professor Wei ZhangChief Science Advisor
Wei has worked as a bioprocess engineer and marine biotechnologist since 1989. He is recognised internationally for his leadership and expertise in translational research and technology commercialisation in marine bioproducts engineering, industrial and pharmaceutical biotechnology. He has driven national and international partnerships across governments, universities, industries, professional societies and communities.

In 1994 he completed his PhD in biochemical engineering at Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He did his postdocs at University of Tokyo, Adelaide University and Cambridge University. In 2000, he joined Flinders University and became the Head of Plant Cell Culture Laboratory in the CRC for Bioproducts and obtained his Professorship in 2010.

Professor Catriona Macleod
Professor Catriona MacleodResearch Program Leader
Catriona has a PhD in Aquaculture from the University of Tasmania. Her research focus is on sustainable development in marine and coastal systems, and science-based management and decision-making, with specific expertise in environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

With more than 20 years’ experience in leadership and management of collaborative applied research, Catriona has been a key investigator on 30 industry/government collaboration projects, a research leader in three CRCs (Aquaculture, Aquafin and Seafood) and is involved in numerous industry and government advisory groups. She currently leads nine multidisciplinary industry and government partnership projects worth more than $4 million.

Professor Colin Barrow
Professor Colin BarrowResearch Program Leader
Colin is an Alfred Deakin Professor in Biotechnology and Deputy Director of the ARC funded ITTC for Green Chemistry in Manufacturing. His research interests are in omega-3 biotechnology, bioprocessing, lipases as catalysts, amyloid fibres and nanomaterials. His PhD is in marine natural products chemistry and much of his research remains within the area of marine bioproducts.

In his time at Deakin University, Colin has graduated more than 30 PhD students and been the primary supervisor of 12 post-doctoral fellows, mostly working in research aspects of marine biotechnology and bionanomaterials for food and agriculture applications.

Professor Rob Capon
Professor Rob CaponResearch Program Leader
Rob leads an internationally renowned lab specialising in the discovery of biologically active molecules (natural products) from Australian marine invertebrates, algae and microbes. Together with his team, he has leveraged the chemical and biological properties of many thousands of natural products to inspire innovative solutions for scientific, commercial, and societal challenges – including new human and animal health products, and new crop and environmental protection agents.

Rob has discovered natural products spanning all biosynthetic classes, many of them rare or new to science with valuable properties.

Dr Kirsten Heimann
Dr Kirsten HeimannEducation and Training Manager
Kirsten was Principal Research Scientist at the Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development, Flinders University and she was also the Research Director of the China-Australia joint laboratory for Native Bioresource Industry Innovation (CANBI2). She is Course Coordinator of the Mastering Biotechnology topic at Flinders University.

As a recognised leader in Environmental, Industrial and Medical Biotechnology, Kirsten’s research focuses on closed system approaches using high-yield microbes in environmental, aqua- and agricultural and commercial applications for developing renewable products and sustainable industries.

In addition to her current role as Course Coordinator in Biotechnology, Kirsten has held several roles in education and training including the Associate Dean Teaching and Learning, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University in 2014.

Connect, Educate and Train (CET) program. Click to see the members of the CET Advisory Panel.

Dr Simon Odell
Dr Simon OdellResearch Program Manager
Simon has an Honours Degree in Biotechnology, a PhD in Soil Science, and a Graduate Diploma in Oenology. Having worked for over 20 years across the Environmental, Wine, and Brewing industries in a mixture of technical, management and consulting roles, Simon brings to the team a wide, commercially-focused skill set.

Being a creative, people and outcome-oriented person, Simon enjoys drawing upon his diverse technical, industrial process, safety, training, auditing and structured problem solving skills to manage a wide variety of projects.

Adele Mastroyannis
Adele MastroyannisResearch Programs Assistant
Adele is currently completing an MBCRC internship as a programs assistant. She is also completing an ARC ITTC Green Chemistry in Manufacturing PhD in ‘Extraction of brown seaweed polyphenols for skin health products’, with knowledge in bioprocessing, purification and characterisation, and nanoparticle delivery systems.

Adele has been awarded an MBCRC top-up scholarship to develop 3D skin models for cosmetic testing. She has a passion for leadership and education and is very driven to pursue entrepreneurship. Her aim is to drive sustainable and ‘green’ products for healthier outcomes in the skin care industry and connect with like-minded MBCRC industries.

Board of Directors

John Gunn
John GunnChair
John has conducted, led, translated and communicated science focused on the sustainable use of marine ecosystems and resources for over 35 years. Senior positions have included Chief Executive of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Chief Scientist of the Australian Antarctic Program, and Deputy Chief of CSIRO’s Marine and Atmospheric Research Division.

He has been a trusted advisor to Australian and State ministers and governments for more than 20 years and has worked at the interface between R&D and industry throughout his career.

Heather Kent
Heather KentDirector
With extensive experience in the not for profit sector, Heather has held executive level roles for almost three decades and is currently CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society of Tasmania. For the past five years, she has also been a member of the Legal Profession Board of Tasmania as a lay representative.

Heather’s numerous professional awards include: Telstra Business woman of the Year Awards Tasmania Winner/National Finalist – Community and Government, and Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Awarded Business Leader of the Year – SME Sector.

Dr Kathy Ophel Keller
Dr Kathy Ophel KellerDirector
Kathy has led and undertaken research in primary industries for over 30 years. She has led national programs in plant biosecurity and molecular detection of soil microbes, including commercialisation of technologies. She had held senior management positions in SARDI, the research division of PIRSA, with a focus on applied research in partnership with industry.

Kathy’s research background is in plant biosecurity and molecular detection of plant pathogens, with a strong track record in developing and leading national research programs, with industry co-investment. She has held and continues to hold numerous Board and Committee positions.

Kathy chairs the MBCRC Research Committee.

Dr Meera Verma
Dr Meera VermaDirector
Meera is a professional executive with expertise spanning the global healthcare, product development and biotechnology delivery industries. She is Director of Headland Vision, a strategic product development advisory and consultancy company, and previously served as Site Director for the Adelaide-based R&D and manufacturing facility of Hospira Incorporation, a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication company.

Meera is a Fellow of both the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She holds a Doctoral Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Adelaide and is a Non-Executive Director of Ausbiotech Ltd. and Biosensis Pty Ltd.

Hon Niall Blair
Hon Niall BlairDirector
The Hon. Niall Blair is a highly skilled professional with more than twenty years’ experience in Government and key private sectors, including risk management and agribusiness.

A strategic, innovative thinker and adopter of new technology and production systems, the Hon. Niall Blair is an accomplished Chairperson and negotiator, public spokesperson and diplomat with strong domestic and international trade connections, commercially focused.

He also has financial accountability and corporate governance experience with a strong background in risk management and safety, quality and environmental management system development and auditing.

Dr Tony Peacock
Dr Tony Peacock Director
Tony is one of Australia’s most experienced innovation managers. He has managed the Pig Research and Development Corporation, the Pest Animal Control Cooperative Research Centre, the Invasive Animals CRC and most recently the Cooperative Research Centres Association (2010- 2020).

He is a Fellow of the Academy of Technology and Engineering and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In 2014, he was Monash University Churchill Fellow on the relationship between business and research in the USA, the UK, Germany and Singapore. He has consulted to the Governments of Taiwan and Vietnam on innovation models and has represented Australian innovation in Europe and the Asia Pacific.

Dr Leah Talbot
Dr Leah TalbotDirector
Dr Leah Talbot is an Eastern Kuku Yalanji woman from far north Queensland and an Indigenous researcher with the Northern Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance LTD (NAILSMA). Previously she worked as an Indigenous Social Ecological Researcher with CSIRO.

Leah’s PhD research explored how Indigenous governance systems recognise and support the application of Indigenous knowledge in protected areas. She has a deep understanding of the role of Aboriginal people in contemporary environmental management.