The South Australian Genomics Centre
The South Australian Genomics Centre (SAGC) was established in July 2020 as a State-wide genomics facility to support research in South Australia, as well as nationally and internationally.
- Our Goal
- SAGC Nodes
The SAGC aims to provide best-in-class genomics to meet our clients' needs across a wide range of research areas, including animal, plant, environmental, microbial, and human.
The SAGC central hub is located in the iconic SAHMRI building in the heart of Adelaide's Biomed City and has additional nodes on the Waite Campus and at Flinders University.
Our Team
Our dedicated team of experienced staff come from a wide variety of research backgrounds and have a wealth of knowledge in all areas of genomic and bioinformatic research including animal, plant, environmental, microbial, ancient DNA and human genomics.
- All
- Management
- Genomics
- Bioinformatics
Prof. David Lynn is Director, SAHMRI Computational & Systems Biology Program; Professor, Flinders University College of Medicine & Public Health; and Director of the SA Genomics Centre. He leads a multidisciplinary team of computational and experimental researchers who employ systems immunology and biology approaches to investigate the regulation of complex systems, with a particular focus on the immune system and cancer. His group spans from in silico research in bioinformatics and network modelling to in vitro and in vivo preclinical models, to clinical trials and cohort studies. In the last 10 years, Prof. Lynn was CI on projects worth >$20 million including from The NHMRC (3 CIA; 1 CID), European Commission, MRFF, and Cancer Australia. In his honorary role of SAGC Scientific Director, Professor Lynn will provide high-level scientific leadership to the centre and support the establishment of SAGC-business relationships, in alignment with the centre’s strategic plan.
TOUCH
Professor David Lynn
SAGC Scientific DirectorImmunology, Microbiome, Omics Approaches, Bioinformatics, Vaccines and CancerPublications
Full Bio
Professor David Lynn
SAGC Scientific Director
Sen has more than 15 years of experience harnessing NGS technologies with an in-depth understanding of its applications in the research, clinical and translational fields. With the goal of enabling cutting-edge and cost-effective genomics and bioinformatics support for the community, he focused on building a multi-disciplinary team capable of delivering a broad range of high-quality services, such as single-cell genomics, spatial transcriptomics, multi-omics, whole genome sequencing (WGS), ATAC-seq and methylome-sequencing. He has a proven record of driving business growth, leading the success of >$6 million in grant funding and an average of >30% year-on-year revenue growth since the facility’s inception. He also led multiple National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditations over the years.
Joel has more than 15 years industry experience in biopharmaceuticals across organisations including Genzyme/Sanofi, InterMune/Roche, LEO Pharma, Intercept Pharmaceuticals and Advanz Pharma. His areas of focus have been personalised genetic healthcare and rare diseases. He completed his Master of Biotechnology at the University of Toronto in Canada and has recently moved to Adelaide from Toronto. He brings to the Partnerships Manager role a breadth of experience in marketing, strategy, and stakeholder engagement.
Cara’s research experience focused on vaccines, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy, with a common theme on how therapies can work together for better outcomes. The next progression in Cara’s career was working with the team at SAHMRI’s Preclinical Imaging and Research Laboratories (PIRL) as Preclinical Studies Manager. In this role Cara managed a diverse range of projects, including international collaborations capitalising on the unique facilities at PIRL. Cara has a broad range of expertise in research, working under various types of accreditations (OGTR, QAP, GLP, radiation), across finance, and administration.
TOUCH
Dr Cara Fraser
Project OfficerVaccines, Immunology, Cancer, Marketing, Visual DesignPublications
Full Bio
Dr Cara Fraser
Project Officer
Renee has 13 years of experience working with sequencing technologies including managing the Flinders Genomics Facility for the past 8 years which has processed many cancer related samples utilising Illumina sequencing and OpenArray platforms. She has extensive experience in microbiome studies, having undertaken microbial research on a diverse range of samples including groundwater, soil, marine, insects, ochre, and various human samples.
Marlie Frank (PhD) is a Kaurna/Yorta Yorta woman, who has lived, studied and worked in Adelaide for most of her life. She joins the Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics (ALIGN) with a background in genetics and molecular biology focusing on human health and development. She worked on cerebral palsy, stillbirth and miscarriage projects in Adelaide and spent time researching the interplay between genomics and environment on brain development during her PhD in London. Marlie is based at SAHMRI and works closely with the South Australia Genomics Centre.
Daniel is an experienced computational biologist passionate about applying genomic technology for research and new diagnostic applications. He has a PhD from Adelaide University (2015) and has held postdoctoral positions at the Garvan Institute, SA Pathology and Flinders University. More recently, Daniel was the primary bioinformatician for two NATA applications for new diagnostic genomic applications. This included NGS panels for cancer diagnostics while working as the clinical bioinformatics lead at Monash Pathology and a polygenic risk score for Glaucoma working at an biotech start-up SeonixBio. With proven versatility and experience spanning cancer research, molecular pathology and start-up biotech, Daniel has a diverse expertise in genomics and bioinformatics.
TOUCH
Dr. Daniel Thomson
Senior BioinformaticianBioinformatics, genomic technologies, transcriptomics, clinical genomics, non-coding RNA, RNA biology, mobile DNA, pipeline development, polygenic risk scores, personalised medicine and cancer biology.
Full Bio
Dr. Daniel Thomson
Senior Bioinformatician
Cathal is a Bioinformatician who specialises in single-cell and spatial transcriptomics analyses. He completed a Master's Degree in Computational Genomics from the University of Galway in Ireland and has worked on several research projects analysing and interpreting modern high-throughput omics experiments. He also has prior experience in science education and with a sequencing biotech company.
Dr. Paul Wang has recently been appointed as the Ramsay Bioinformatics Fellow. This appointment was made possible through the generous support of the James and Diana Ramsay Foundation.
Paul is a highly experienced bioinformatician who has specialized knowledge in various next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and platforms. With a background in Physics and Mathematics, Paul earned his PhD from the University of Sydney. During his postdoctoral research, he focused on evolutionary biology and comparative genomics at the University of Chicago, as well as NGS analysis of chronic myeloid leukemia at the Centre for Cancer Biology/SA Pathology.
Prior to joining SAGC, Paul worked at the ACRF Cancer Genome Facility (CCB/SA Pathology). In this role, he collaborated with research groups from diverse biomedical research areas and contributed to the development of pipelines and software for the sequencing facility, with a particular emphasis on cancer genomics and structural variations.
Paul is a highly experienced bioinformatician who has specialized knowledge in various next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and platforms. With a background in Physics and Mathematics, Paul earned his PhD from the University of Sydney. During his postdoctoral research, he focused on evolutionary biology and comparative genomics at the University of Chicago, as well as NGS analysis of chronic myeloid leukemia at the Centre for Cancer Biology/SA Pathology.
Prior to joining SAGC, Paul worked at the ACRF Cancer Genome Facility (CCB/SA Pathology). In this role, he collaborated with research groups from diverse biomedical research areas and contributed to the development of pipelines and software for the sequencing facility, with a particular emphasis on cancer genomics and structural variations.
As next generation sequencing scientist, Phuong has six years of experience working with sequencing technologies in both research and diagnostic laboratory. She is experienced in molecular biology techniques, high throughput sample processing, library preparation and the operation of Oxford Nanopore and Illumina platforms.
Munir Iqbal holds a PhD in Plant Molecular Biology from the University of Western Australia. With over 6 years of post-PhD technical experience in various roles in NGS core laboratories, Munir is dedicated professional with a solid foundation in next generation sequencing and a keen understanding of evolving laboratory procedures in Genomics.
His expertise encompasses a range of techniques, including next-generation sequencing (NGS) using various platforms where he played pivotal roles in establishing and optimizing library preparation workflows such as whole-genome, whole-transcriptome, whole-exome, single-cell, spatial transcriptomics and Hifi SMRTbells and supporting researchers in both short-read and long-read sequencing.
Munir’s commitment to excellence extends to mentoring junior team members, developing and implementing innovative technologies in single cell and spatial transcriptomics, and fostering collaborative partnerships within the scientific community.
John is a computational biologist with interests in data visualisation, network biology, and software development. His PhD from Flinders University was awarded in 2022, and concerned network modelling of tumour heterogeneity. He has also developed software for the visualisation and analysis of spatial transcriptomics data. During his recent postdoctoral position at the Flinders University Brain and Cognition Laboratory, John gained an interest in human-computer interfaces, developing software for research applications including experiments in virtual reality.
Ben is a molecular biologist and bioinformatician with experience in biomedical, agriculture, and environmental sciences. Prior to joining SAGC, Ben researched genomic and epigenetic biomarkers for life history traits in wildlife management such as lifespan and age. Ben is now the Senior Genomics Research Coordinator for the Flinders Node of SAGC and is based at the Health and Medical Research Building at Flinders University.
Caitlin has four years of experience working with diagnostic infectious disease and molecular biology technologies and completed her Honours degree in Laboratory Medicine from the University of South Australia. As a next generation sequencing specialist, she is experienced in performing high throughput sample processing and library preparation using both Illumina and Oxford Nanopore sequencing platforms.
Prof. David Lynn is Director, SAHMRI Computational & Systems Biology Program; Professor, Flinders University College of Medicine & Public Health; and Director of the SA Genomics Centre. He leads a multidisciplinary team of computational and experimental researchers who employ systems immunology and biology approaches to investigate the regulation of complex systems, with a particular focus on the immune system and cancer. His group spans from in silico research in bioinformatics and network modelling to in vitro and in vivo preclinical models, to clinical trials and cohort studies. In the last 10 years, Prof. Lynn was CI on projects worth >$20 million including from The NHMRC (3 CIA; 1 CID), European Commission, MRFF, and Cancer Australia. In his honorary role of SAGC Scientific Director, Professor Lynn will provide high-level scientific leadership to the centre and support the establishment of SAGC-business relationships, in alignment with the centre’s strategic plan.
TOUCH
Professor David Lynn
SAGC Scientific DirectorImmunology, Microbiome, Omics Approaches, Bioinformatics, Vaccines and CancerPublications
Full Bio
Professor David Lynn
SAGC Scientific Director
Sen has more than 15 years of experience harnessing NGS technologies with an in-depth understanding of its applications in the research, clinical and translational fields. With the goal of enabling cutting-edge and cost-effective genomics and bioinformatics support for the community, he focused on building a multi-disciplinary team capable of delivering a broad range of high-quality services, such as single-cell genomics, spatial transcriptomics, multi-omics, whole genome sequencing (WGS), ATAC-seq and methylome-sequencing. He has a proven record of driving business growth, leading the success of >$6 million in grant funding and an average of >30% year-on-year revenue growth since the facility’s inception. He also led multiple National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditations over the years.
Joel has more than 15 years industry experience in biopharmaceuticals across organisations including Genzyme/Sanofi, InterMune/Roche, LEO Pharma, Intercept Pharmaceuticals and Advanz Pharma. His areas of focus have been personalised genetic healthcare and rare diseases. He completed his Master of Biotechnology at the University of Toronto in Canada and has recently moved to Adelaide from Toronto. He brings to the Partnerships Manager role a breadth of experience in marketing, strategy, and stakeholder engagement.
Cara’s research experience focused on vaccines, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy, with a common theme on how therapies can work together for better outcomes. The next progression in Cara’s career was working with the team at SAHMRI’s Preclinical Imaging and Research Laboratories (PIRL) as Preclinical Studies Manager. In this role Cara managed a diverse range of projects, including international collaborations capitalising on the unique facilities at PIRL. Cara has a broad range of expertise in research, working under various types of accreditations (OGTR, QAP, GLP, radiation), across finance, and administration.
TOUCH
Dr Cara Fraser
Project OfficerVaccines, Immunology, Cancer, Marketing, Visual DesignPublications
Full Bio
Dr Cara Fraser
Project Officer
Renee has 13 years of experience working with sequencing technologies including managing the Flinders Genomics Facility for the past 8 years which has processed many cancer related samples utilising Illumina sequencing and OpenArray platforms. She has extensive experience in microbiome studies, having undertaken microbial research on a diverse range of samples including groundwater, soil, marine, insects, ochre, and various human samples.
Marlie Frank (PhD) is a Kaurna/Yorta Yorta woman, who has lived, studied and worked in Adelaide for most of her life. She joins the Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics (ALIGN) with a background in genetics and molecular biology focusing on human health and development. She worked on cerebral palsy, stillbirth and miscarriage projects in Adelaide and spent time researching the interplay between genomics and environment on brain development during her PhD in London. Marlie is based at SAHMRI and works closely with the South Australia Genomics Centre.
As next generation sequencing scientist, Phuong has six years of experience working with sequencing technologies in both research and diagnostic laboratory. She is experienced in molecular biology techniques, high throughput sample processing, library preparation and the operation of Oxford Nanopore and Illumina platforms.
Munir Iqbal holds a PhD in Plant Molecular Biology from the University of Western Australia. With over 6 years of post-PhD technical experience in various roles in NGS core laboratories, Munir is dedicated professional with a solid foundation in next generation sequencing and a keen understanding of evolving laboratory procedures in Genomics.
His expertise encompasses a range of techniques, including next-generation sequencing (NGS) using various platforms where he played pivotal roles in establishing and optimizing library preparation workflows such as whole-genome, whole-transcriptome, whole-exome, single-cell, spatial transcriptomics and Hifi SMRTbells and supporting researchers in both short-read and long-read sequencing.
Munir’s commitment to excellence extends to mentoring junior team members, developing and implementing innovative technologies in single cell and spatial transcriptomics, and fostering collaborative partnerships within the scientific community.
Ben is a molecular biologist and bioinformatician with experience in biomedical, agriculture, and environmental sciences. Prior to joining SAGC, Ben researched genomic and epigenetic biomarkers for life history traits in wildlife management such as lifespan and age. Ben is now the Senior Genomics Research Coordinator for the Flinders Node of SAGC and is based at the Health and Medical Research Building at Flinders University.
Caitlin has four years of experience working with diagnostic infectious disease and molecular biology technologies and completed her Honours degree in Laboratory Medicine from the University of South Australia. As a next generation sequencing specialist, she is experienced in performing high throughput sample processing and library preparation using both Illumina and Oxford Nanopore sequencing platforms.
Daniel is an experienced computational biologist passionate about applying genomic technology for research and new diagnostic applications. He has a PhD from Adelaide University (2015) and has held postdoctoral positions at the Garvan Institute, SA Pathology and Flinders University. More recently, Daniel was the primary bioinformatician for two NATA applications for new diagnostic genomic applications. This included NGS panels for cancer diagnostics while working as the clinical bioinformatics lead at Monash Pathology and a polygenic risk score for Glaucoma working at an biotech start-up SeonixBio. With proven versatility and experience spanning cancer research, molecular pathology and start-up biotech, Daniel has a diverse expertise in genomics and bioinformatics.
TOUCH
Dr. Daniel Thomson
Senior BioinformaticianBioinformatics, genomic technologies, transcriptomics, clinical genomics, non-coding RNA, RNA biology, mobile DNA, pipeline development, polygenic risk scores, personalised medicine and cancer biology.
Full Bio
Dr. Daniel Thomson
Senior Bioinformatician
Cathal is a Bioinformatician who specialises in single-cell and spatial transcriptomics analyses. He completed a Master's Degree in Computational Genomics from the University of Galway in Ireland and has worked on several research projects analysing and interpreting modern high-throughput omics experiments. He also has prior experience in science education and with a sequencing biotech company.
Dr. Paul Wang has recently been appointed as the Ramsay Bioinformatics Fellow. This appointment was made possible through the generous support of the James and Diana Ramsay Foundation.
Paul is a highly experienced bioinformatician who has specialized knowledge in various next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and platforms. With a background in Physics and Mathematics, Paul earned his PhD from the University of Sydney. During his postdoctoral research, he focused on evolutionary biology and comparative genomics at the University of Chicago, as well as NGS analysis of chronic myeloid leukemia at the Centre for Cancer Biology/SA Pathology.
Prior to joining SAGC, Paul worked at the ACRF Cancer Genome Facility (CCB/SA Pathology). In this role, he collaborated with research groups from diverse biomedical research areas and contributed to the development of pipelines and software for the sequencing facility, with a particular emphasis on cancer genomics and structural variations.
Paul is a highly experienced bioinformatician who has specialized knowledge in various next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and platforms. With a background in Physics and Mathematics, Paul earned his PhD from the University of Sydney. During his postdoctoral research, he focused on evolutionary biology and comparative genomics at the University of Chicago, as well as NGS analysis of chronic myeloid leukemia at the Centre for Cancer Biology/SA Pathology.
Prior to joining SAGC, Paul worked at the ACRF Cancer Genome Facility (CCB/SA Pathology). In this role, he collaborated with research groups from diverse biomedical research areas and contributed to the development of pipelines and software for the sequencing facility, with a particular emphasis on cancer genomics and structural variations.
John is a computational biologist with interests in data visualisation, network biology, and software development. His PhD from Flinders University was awarded in 2022, and concerned network modelling of tumour heterogeneity. He has also developed software for the visualisation and analysis of spatial transcriptomics data. During his recent postdoctoral position at the Flinders University Brain and Cognition Laboratory, John gained an interest in human-computer interfaces, developing software for research applications including experiments in virtual reality.