Research Team

A/Prof. Julie Sharp
Co-founder, Director & CEO

Associate Professor Julie Sharp (Director) has led a variety of research groups, in both academic and industry arenas, affording her considerable experience in leadership roles.  She has partnered with industry and developed an understanding of the complex relationship between industry, innovation and research. She is an internationally recognized molecular and cellular biologist with 25 years’ experience in mammary gland biology. She has worked extensively in bioactive discovery in milk and in vitro lactation models utilising numerous animal models including platypus, echidna, wallaby, fur seal, cow, mice, and humans to study the comparative genomics of milk and mammary gland function. These models allow a unique insight into the function and evolution of the mammary gland that can be translated to humans. She is passionate about milk production and how it can be used to improve infant health. Julie has contributed to research by maintaining a consistent publication record in high impact journals with 76 publications and over 2,000 citations and leads a research group at Deakin University. She has a PhD in Genetics from the University of Melbourne.

Prof. Kevin Nicholas
Co-Founder, Director & CSO

Professor Kevin Nicholas (Director and CSO) completed his PhD degree in mammary gland biology and milk science in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Western Australia.

In the subsequent years he has published extensively and broadly in comparative mammary gland biology and milk bioactivity, and particularly in human breast development and function. He has graduated more than 35 PhD students and attracted significant research funds from industry, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other agencies. Kevin has held positions at the National Institutes of Health in the US, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, Melbourne University, Deakin University and is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.

Kevin has 200+ publications with over 3500 citations. Most recently his interests have focused on understanding the changing role of milk during the evolution of reproduction in mammals. This approach can better identify the function and delivery of human milk bioactives that have the potential to support improved immunity, protection from infection and development of the neonate. Kevin and his colleagues have developed an integrated research platform of comparative genomics and bioinformatics that provides a unique insight into the regulation of milk synthesis and delivery of bioactives. This platform has been central in exploiting a range of species to identify bioactive molecules in human colostrum and milk that that are essential for development of healthy neonates.

Kevin provides the scientific leadership for the company and has a vast array of national and international connections and collaborations. He has extensive experience in management and leadership of large research teams in the CSIRO, Agriculture Victoria, Australian Collaborative Research Centres and a number of universities. He has been a member of advisory boards for international biotechnology companies.

A/Prof. Christophe Lefevre
Co-Founder & Director

Associate Professor Christophe Lefevre (Director) is a specialist in Bioinformatics and computational biology with experience in the Biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. He has worked in the fields of milk genomics and evolutionary biology for over 20 years in America, Asia, Europe and Australia. Christophe has experience in undertaking and managing software development or drug discovery research projects. He has developed software products and algorithms for the analysis of molecular sequence evolution and the visualization of cognate protein structures in academic and industrial environments, contributing to the implementation of software tools and biological database infrastructure for biological and pharmaceutical research. He has also developed databases and tools for system biology approaches to study the bioactivity of milk from a number of animal models, in particular marsupials and other Australian native species. Christophe specializes in integrating biological data from numerous sources including molecular sequences, gene expression, biological pathways, literature and biological activity measurements. He has 185 publications and over 3,000 citations.

Dr. Ashalyn Watt
Co-Founder & Director

Ashalyn completed her PhD at Deakin University in 2015 where her research focused on mammary gland biology and lactation, most particularly in developing 3D organoid culture models to study the regulation of mammary gland development and function. Other studies focused on the use of organoid models to test bioactivity of milk derived signalling molecules. Ashalyn’s subsequent postdoctoral research in multiple industry funded projects has developed her expertise in stem cell biology focusing on the expansion and scale-up manufacturing of cell based products.

Science Advisory Panel

Prof. Bruce German

Professor Bruce German is a Distinguished Professor and Chemist at the University of California, Davis and Director of its Foods for Health Institute located in the Robert Mondavi Institute. He has had a long and highly distinguished career focused on understanding the role of food and certain food ingredients in delivering improved health. His research investigates how to improve foods and their ability to facilitate improved health. His lab group seeks to discover physical, functional, and nutritional components of human milk. Dr. German’s particular expertise is the nutrient delivery between mothers and infants in the first few months of life. A co-founder of Infinant Health, he has received numerous awards in recognition of his discoveries and has served as an expert advisor to the world’s leading food and nutrition companies and organisations.

Prof. Ben Boyd
Co-Founder

Professor Ben Boyd is a colloid and physical chemist with PhD from the University of Melbourne. After industry experience in the explosives and pharmaceutical industries, he commenced an academic position at Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) at Monash University in Australia. He was recently awarded a Novo Nordisk Laureate Research Fellowship, based primarily at the University of Copenhagen. His research focuses on colloidal and structural aspects of lipids, lipid self-assembly and their impact on food, nutrition and pharmaceutical systems. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles attracting over 15000 citations, and he has won numerous awards including the AAPS Outstanding Research in Lipid-based Drug Delivery Award in 2011, and the Australian Synchrotron Lifetime Contribution Award in 2022. His research funding totals over $20 M including a major grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Novel Paediatric Formulations. He has held leadership positions across a range of international scientific societies including as President of the Controlled Release Society and President of the Australasian Colloid and Interface Society.

Dr. Gillian Opie

Dr Gillian Opie is a full time Neonatal Paediatrician at the Mercy Hospital for Women and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant for over 20 years. In 2011 she was instrumental in establishing the Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank. Dr Opie has an active interest in clinical research, particularly the microbiome, probiotics and human breastmilk. She is a member of the Victorian Infant Collaborative Study group, regularly contributes to Lactation Consultant education and is an editorial board member of the International Breastfeeding Journal.