Group Leads
Prof. David Edwards
Professor David Edwards is a leading bioinformatician specializing in plant genomics and bioinformatics.
He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge (2000) and a BSc (Hons) from the University of Nottingham (1989). Since 2015, he has served as a Winthrop Professor at the University of Western Australia (UWA), where he leads the Centre for Applied Bioinformatics.
His research focuses on the application of bioinformatics in crop genomics, including genome sequencing, transcriptomics, and the use of machine learning in plant biology. Professor Edwards has held academic positions at institutions such as the University of Queensland and McGill University, and …
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Miss. Tessa MacNish
I completed my dissertation project for UWA’s Master of Bioinformatics with the applied bioinformatics group in 2023. My project aimed to construct and visualise a multi-species Brassica graph pangenome.
I started my PhD within the group in 2024. My PhD project is focused on improving trait prediction and trait association methods through the use of haplotypes and machine learning. As part of my PhD I have developed an R package called HaploVar, which is designed to be used as part of a GWAS or genomic selection pipelines.
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Miss. Shameela Mohamedikbal
I joined the group in 2023 for my Master's dissertation and completed a project on identifying genetic variation associated with flowering time in soybean.
Since starting my PhD in 2024, I have been studying disease resistance in legumes using cross-population haplotype studies and computational simulations. I plan to integrate machine learning approaches in my next projects.
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Miss. Shriprabha Upadhyaya
I joined the Applied Bioinformatics Group in 2020 as part of my master’s dissertation. My project aimed to improve gene annotations by classifying potential low confidence gene models using machine learning. I started my PhD with the group in 2022, and my thesis focuses on improving trait association and prediction approaches using machine learning.
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Dr. Mitchell Bestry
I am a Research Associate in the Applied Bioinformatics Group, where I am currently working on various projects since commencing the role in mid-2024. I previously completed my PhD in clinical epigenetics at the Telethon Kids Institute (now The Kids Institute), while enrolled at The University of Western Australia. Prior to that, I completed a Master of Biotechnology and a Bachelor of Science majoring in Genetics at The University of Western Australia.
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Research Assistants
Mr. Jack Bruton
I moved from the UK to Perth in late 2024 and joined the group in April 2025. I have a Masters degree in Biomedical sciences and 3 years professional experience as a bioinformatician split across both academic and clinical research.
Some of my past projects have involved analysis of RNA-seq data relating to Drosophila cancer models and developing scientific software for global measles virus surveillance, in collabration with the World Health Organisation.
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