Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) and Life Sciences Queensland (LSQ) have awarded the inaugural BCEC LSQ Bio Innovation Bursary to University of Queensland researcher Dr Chris McMillan, recognising his potential to strengthen industry collaboration and accelerate research translation within the life sciences sector.
Managed by Legends Global, BCEC established the bursary as part of its 30-year legacy initiatives, working alongside LSQ during its 15th anniversary year to support the next generation of Queensland life sciences researchers. The bursary provides funding of up to $25,000 to support early to mid-career researchers undertaking activities that enhance industry engagement, commercialisation and research impact.
Dr McMillan is a virologist and vaccinologist in UQ’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences. His research spans pathogens of global health importance, including seasonal and pandemic influenza, flaviviruses, poliovirus, SARS-CoV-2 and emerging viral threats, with a focus on innovative vaccine platforms and advanced delivery technologies.
His winning proposal, Full Circle: LNP-free microarray patch RNA vaccines, will support collaboration with Queensland biotechnology company Vaxxas to advance RNA vaccine delivery using needle-free high density microarray technology, reflecting the bursary’s purpose to connect Queensland research capability with industry expertise to help promising science progress towards real-world application.
Dr McMillan was selected from a field of five finalists whose proposals demonstrated the breadth and calibre of Queensland’s emerging life sciences talent. The finalists included QIMR Berghofer senior research officer Dr Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, working with Qscan to co-design an AI brain report for early Alzheimer’s detection; QUT postdoctoral research fellow Dr Zhenling Cui, developing AI-guided protein biosensors for portable electrochemical diagnostics with Zimmer & Peacock; UQ postdoctoral research fellow Dr Henry de Malmanche, focused on biotechnology start-up leadership and industry engagement through MIT Sloan; and QIMR Berghofer bioinformatics research officer Dr Bonnie Wong, working with genomiQa to build clinical-grade cancer biomarker capability in Queensland.
A judging panel comprising nine science and industry leaders, including members of BCEC’s Convention Advocates Partnership, reviewed submissions and undertook extensive deliberations before selecting five finalists and ultimately the inaugural bursary recipient.
LSQ Chair Professor Frank Gannon said, “The quality of applications exceeded our expectations and highlighted the extraordinary talent emerging from Queensland’s research community and represents exactly what this bursary was designed to support, an outstanding researcher with the potential to strengthen industry connections and accelerate the impact of their work.”
BCEC General Manager Kym Guesdon said the calibre of applications reinforced the strength of Queensland’s life sciences sector and demonstrated why Brisbane continues to attract major national and international scientific conferences.
“The quality of the finalists is a reminder that Queensland is home to some of Australia’s most promising researchers and innovators. Their expertise, alongside the leadership of our research institutions and industry partners, plays an important role in attracting major conferences to Brisbane and creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, collaboration and investment that benefit the state long after an event concludes.”
Receiving the inaugural BCEC LSQ Bio Innovation Bursary, Dr McMillan said, “This bursary creates an opportunity to bring together UQ’s vaccine research capability and Vaxxas’ expertise in microarray platform technology. I’m excited to explore what that combination could mean for the future development and delivery of RNA vaccines.”
Vaxxas warmly congratulates Dr McMillan on this well-deserved recognition and thanks the BCEC LSQ Bio Innovation Bursary for its important role in helping great science translate to human health impacts,” said Melanie Farris, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Vaxxas. “We believe HD-MAP has the potential to help bridge the gap between vaccine availability and vaccine access in underserved and hard-to-reach communities around the world, and we are proud to support this collaboration.”
The bursary was developed through BCEC’s Convention Advocates Partnership, a network of leading researchers, academics and industry professionals who help attract major national and international conferences to Brisbane. Since its inception in 2010, the program has secured 163 conferences for the city, generating $358 million in economic impact while strengthening Brisbane’s reputation as a centre for innovation and knowledge exchange.
The BCEC LSQ Bio Innovation Bursary builds on that legacy by creating a direct investment in the people and ideas that will help drive the future of Queensland’s life sciences sector.
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