iSRS 2025 Keynote Speakers

Prof Ben Davis

Ben Davis got his B.A. (1993) and D.Phil. (1996) from the University of Oxford. During this time, he learned the beauty of carbohydrate chemistry under the supervision of Professor George Fleet. He then spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor Bryan Jones at the University of Toronto, exploring protein chemistry and biocatalysis. In 1998, he returned to the U.K. to take up a lectureship at the University of Durham. In 2001, he moved to the Dyson Perrins Laboratory, University of Oxford, and received a fellowship at Pembroke College, Oxford. He was promoted to Full Professor in 2005.

His group’s research centers on the chemical understanding and exploitation of biomolecular function (Synthetic Biology, Chemical Biology, and Chemical Medicine), with an emphasis on carbohydrates and proteins. In particular, the group’s interests encompass synthesis and methodology; target biomolecule synthesis; inhibitor/probe/substrate design; biocatalysis; enzyme & biomolecule mechanism; biosynthetic pathway determination; protein engineering; drug delivery; molecular biology; structural biology; cell biology; glycobiology; molecular imaging and in vivo biology.

Ben was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2015, and the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2019. Ben is the Science Director of the Next Generation Chemistry theme and became the Interim Director for the Franklin in November 2023.

Cathy Sue Cutler, PhD

Cathy Sue Cutler, PhD, FSNMMI, is chair of the Isotope Research and Production Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory and serves as president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) for 2024-25. She holds a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and a PhD in inorganic chemistry from the University of Cincinnati, where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in analytical chemistry.

Cathy spent 17 years at the Missouri University Research Reactor, where she served as a research scientist and professor at the Nuclear Sciences and Engineering Institute. Throughout her career, she has been deeply involved with SNMMI, serving in leadership roles such as president-elect, vice president-elect, secretary/treasurer, and president of the SNMMI Center for Molecular Imaging Innovation and Translation. She has also chaired several key committees, including the Advocacy Domain, Government Relations, and Radiopharmaceuticals Committees.

A distinguished leader in the field of nuclear medicine, Cathy has received many awards, including the Department of Energy Secretarial Honors Award in 2024 and Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Pinnacle Award in Science and Technology in 2022. She holds 12 patents, has published 95 peer-reviewed articles, and contributed to eight book chapters. Cathy is also an active member of organizations like the European Association of Nuclear Medicine and the Society of Radiopharmaceutical Sciences.

Cathy remains dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, advocating for improved patient access to innovative imaging technologies, and addressing workforce shortages in the field. She is also focused on enhancing education and training opportunities to ensure the continued growth of nuclear medicine professionals.

Prof Maria Kavallaris

Maria Kavallaris is Professor and Founding Director of the Australian Centre for NanoMedicine at UNSW Sydney, and Head of Translational Cancer NanoMedicine Theme at the Children’s Cancer Institute, Australia. Working at the interface of medicine, science and engineering, their innovation in driving interdisciplinary research in cancer nanomedicine has led to industry and clinical linkages for the development of cancer therapeutics and devices. Contributions to innovation are recognised through awards including the 2017 Premiers Science and Engineering Award for Leadership in Innovation in NSW, 2019 Lemberg Medal, and 2021 ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative use of Technology. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and the Royal Society of New South Wales. In 2019, Maria was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia. In 2020, was named the NSW Woman of the Year, in 2022 received the Presidential Medal for Outstanding Contributions from the Republic of Cyprus, and in 2023 won the Royal Society of NSW Walter Burfitt Prize.

Prof Mikako Ogawa

Mikako Ogawa is a professor of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University since 2015. After graduate from Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan in 2000, she was working for National Institute for Longevity Sciences, National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, and Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan.

She received PhD in 2007 from Kyoto University. She was also worked as a visiting fellow in Molecular Imaging Program NCI/NIH, USA from 2007-2009.

Her research interest are “theranostics”, combination of molecular imaging and targeted therapy, especially for nuclear and optical imaging technologies.