Meet Our Scientists
As a team of dedicated and diverse medical scientists, we put collaboration and inclusivity at the heart of our work. Our team members bring unique perspectives and expertise which continues to push the boudaries in the field of medical research.
The Team
Associate Professor Gianina Ravenscroft
Gina is an Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia who lead the Rare Disease Genetics and Functional Genomics group at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research.
Her research team focuses on identifying the genetics underlying rare diseases, in particular neuromuscular diseases, improving diagnostics, understanding disease mechanisms and developing treatments. The team is recognised nationally and internationally as a Centre of Excellence for Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Diseases.
Gina is passionate about women in STEM and gender equity and is a member of the Women in Health Sciences Committee of the NHMRC. She is also a fierce advocate for greater investment in biomedical research and early-/mid-career researchers and is the currentPresident of the National Association of Research Fellows.
Our Scientists
Emeritus Professor
Nigel Laing AO
Mentor Gina has labelled me mentor on her Group’s website. It is a position that is a pleasure to occupy. I first met Gianina Ravenscroft in 2004, when she was researching which research groups in Western Australia, she might be able to do her PhD in. (Gina has always been a great strategic thinker.) Gina came and interviewed my then right-hand person Dr Kristen Nowak and I about whether our Group was the right group for her. When Gina left the room after interviewing us, Kristen and I looked at each other and said, “What was that?” “Hope she chooses us!” Gina did choose us, and 20 years later we are still working together, with currently just over 100 joint publications. As well as being a mentor to Gina, I have the pleasure of mentoring the younger generations in the Group including the students if requested and if helpful. It is sometimes useful to have a long corporate memory from an Elder in the Group. Only once in my nearly 50-year career in research, has a senior figure in the hierarchy asked me what my succession plan was. This, to me, indicates how little thought goes into succession planning in the research community. However, the Perth Neurogenetic Biobank contains samples from hundreds of patients who do not have a molecular diagnosis. With each new disease gene discovery by us, or others, a cohort of these patients receive a diagnosis. However other patients without a diagnosis from the diagnostic labs are added. Similarly, most neurogenetic patients do not have an effective treatment. We have a responsibility to those patients who do not have a diagnosis and/or do not have a treatment. The decades it takes to find the answers requires a succession plan. Gina has picked up the baton and taken disease gene discovery, functional genomics and the search for clinically applicable therapies for these patients forward by leveraging new technologies and tools and through her dedicated Group of researchers. Although Gina has me written into the position of mentor in the Group, in the last few years, Gina has been reverse mentoring me as much as I have mentored her. Reverse mentoring should be given more respect and more weight than it is. Mentoring is always a delicate balance; but can be extremely rewarding. Two-way mentoring even more so.
Dr Jennifer Burchell
Program Manager Rare Disease Collective
Dr Harmony Clayton
Medical Scientist PathWest
Dr Wayne Yau
Neurologist, Perron Institute
Dr Macarena
Cabrera-Serrano
Visiting Clinician - Researcher
Jeremy Garcia
Research Assistant
Students
Chiara Folland
PhD Student Chiara Folland from the Rare Disease Genetics and Functional Genomics team is soon to transition from RA in the group to PhD student. Chiara was a highly ranked PhD student applicant in the Medical School and as such has been awarded multiple generous top-up scholarships. Chiara's funding awards include the Jean Rogerson HDR Scholarship – Stipend Scholarship which is awarded to highly ranked applicants in the main application round. These scholarships provide a stipend of $43,000 per annum. As well as the Jock and Marjorie Hetherington HDR Top-Up Scholarship which provides a living allowance stipend of $7,000 per annum in 2024 for students enrolled in full-time study. As well as the Australian Government Research Training Program Domestic Fees Offset Scholarship and The University Club of WA Research Travel Scholarship. Woah. Chiara's proposed PhD project is entitled “Exploring new bioinformatic approaches to identify hidden genetic variation underlying rare neurogenetic diseases” and aims to identify the genetic causes of neurogenetic diseases in a patient cohort through re-analysis of existing short-read genomic data. One of Chiara's co-supervisors is A/Prof Mark Cowley, who leads the Computational Biology Team at the Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI, Sydney). Chiara recently visited Cowley’s Team in mid-October 2023 to foster this collaboration and was given a tour of their informatic platforms that holistically integrate multi-omics data, which will invariably assist Chiara in this project.
Ash Singh
Masters Student
Jevin Pamar
PhD Student I am a 3rd Year PhD Student within the Rare Disease Genetics and Functional Genomics Group. My research focus is the genetics of inherited peripheral neuropathies, a rare group of disorders that affect the voluntary movement of individuals through dysfunction or degeneration of the peripheral nervous system. I am also the Co-Chair of the Perkins Student Committee and EMBL-Australia Postgraduate Symposium 2024 Committee, and Training and Events Officer for COMBINE Australia. In my spare time, I enjoy playing ultimate frisbee, hiking, cooking, reading, and people watching. I also have two cats who I absolutely adore, even if all they do is the bare minimum.
Connor McPhan
Masters Student
Alumni
Isabella Suleski
Honours Student
Dr Roger Vidiella
Neurology Trainer
Hospital Sant Pau
Barcelona
Dr Sarah Beecroft
PhD Student
Lifescience Application Specialist
Pawsey HPC
Dr Hayley Goulee
PhD Student
Jordan Crane
Masters Student
Elina Brajkovich
Honours Student
Christina Vo
Research Assistant
Karrison Driver
Honours Student
Aasta Kelly
Genetic Counsellor
Georgina Allan
Honours Student
Research Assistant
Sohail Kharrazi
Honours Student
James Taylor
Research Assistant
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Tara Catchpool
Masters Student
Medical Scienctist
PathWest