A world leading microbiome team on a mission
Our team has published seminal papers in Nature, Nature Biotechnology and JAMA reporting breakthroughs in the field of microbiome research. We also have a management team with a strong track record in drug discovery and development as well as experience with successful IND enabling applications with the FDA.
The discovery and development of innovative microbiome-based therapies is further bolstered by BiomeBank’s partnership with world-leading biomedical research organisations and hospitals. This includes RMIT University, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, St Vincents Hospital and Central Adelaide Local Health Network.
“At BiomeBank we take an ecosystem wide view of the microbiome. Like other thriving ecosystems found in nature, diversity is crucial for a healthy gut.
Our mission is to restore health by helping restore the gut microbial ecosystem.”
– Dr Sam Costello
Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder
Directors
Dr Costello previously worked as a consultant physician and researcher at leading centres in Australia and for microbiome therapeutics companies in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Read his research papers here.
Dr Rob Bryant is a consultant gastroenterologist and leading expert in clinical trials in inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr Bryant has published over 80 research papers with a clinical and research focus on microbiome-based and dietary therapies for inflammatory bowel disease. He is head of IBD service at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and co-founded BiomeBank in 2018.
Read his research papers here.
Investment manager with over 30 years of experience. Held senior portfolio management and business leadership roles in Asia and Australia with Blackrock Asset Management, Ellerston Capital., Goldman Sachs JB Were, and Argo Investments.
He currently, holds several board positions including, Chair of Perks Private Wealth Investment Committee, and Non-Executive Director of Funds SA.
Ms. Briefs is a visionary leader and accomplished executive with a distinguished career spanning over four decades. As a serial CEO and Independent Board Member, she has been at the forefront of driving innovation, improving patient outcomes, and shaping the future of numerous life science companies.
She is a former chair of the board of MDMA (Medical Device & Manufacturing Association), an Ernest & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and a National Judge for life sciences. She is a mentor at the MassLifeScienceCenter, NextGen Program, and a founding board member of Med Exec Women, an esteemed network of exceptional leaders. Ms. Briefs earned a BSB in Business, a BA in Psychology from Emporia State University, and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Golden Gate University. She was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Business School at Emporia State University in 2022 for her global contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship.
She is a co-founder and CEO of AltrixBio, a late-stage preclinical pharmaceutical company that has developed an oral therapy that can replicate the metabolic success of gastric bypass surgery in a pill. Additionally, she is an angel investor and a Venture Partner at StageNext Ventures.
Founder, Director and manager of a number of successful medical devices and life sciences companies including director of Austofix, StratifEYE, Icsion.
He also serves as Trustee of a Charitable foundation.
Paul is an experienced, innovative, and entrepreneurial Board Director and Chief Executive who has earned a stellar reputation for impact during a distinguished career in both the Finance and Not-for Profit sector.
Paul has been acknowledged for his contribution to the Banking and Investment Industry by being awarded a Senior Fellowship of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia. Paul has also been recognised for his contribution to industry by being awarded the Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year in South Australia/Northern Territory, and has also been awarded the Equity Trustees Australian Not-for-Profit CEO Award for Innovation. Paul has been acknowledged and awarded as an Honorary Fellow of the University of South Australia.
Paul is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and currently holds positions as a Non-Executive Director at BiomeBank Pty Ltd, Director of Military and Emergency Services Health Australia, and Governor of Pulteney Grammar School.
He is the Chief Executive Officer of The Hospital Research Foundation Group and its Australian affiliates: Military and Emergency Services Health Australia; Australian Breast Cancer Research; Kidney, Transplant and Diabetes Research Australia; Australian Prostate Cancer Society Ltd; The Centre for Creative Health; THRF Group – Stroke; THRF Group- Parkinson’s; Parkinson’s ACT Inc; THRF Group Palliative Care; Arthritis Foundation SA; and Australian Heart Research.
Stephanie is an Investment Manager at Artesian and the South Australian Venture Capital Fund. She has extensive experience in commercialising deep tech, especially in the health and medical sectors. Prior to joining Artesian, Stephanie worked as Director of Innovation and translation at MTPConnect and spent over five years at Imperial College London as Director of Industry Partnerships and commercialisation in medicine, later as an independent expert consultant.
Jarek Kopias is a Chartered Secretary and Certified Practising Accountant with over 25 years of governance and finance experience across a broad range of industries in ASX listed and private companies.
Jarek is currently Company Secretary and CFO of a number of ASX listed companies and advises on strategic governance and finance matters.
The Management Team
Justin Green is a Chartered Accountant with over 15 years of finance experience across a broad range of industries in private and both small-cap and ASX100 listed companies.
Justin has previously performed the role of Company Secretary for an ASX listed company and is passionate about good corporate governance and the role it plays in building successful and sustainable businesses.
Jo Close brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the biotech and medical technology sectors. With a Bachelor of Biotechnology (Honours) and completion of the Company Directors’ Course, Jo has a strong foundation in both scientific expertise and governance. Her career highlights include leading the establishment of MTPConnect’s Adelaide Intermediary Program, which attracted over $25 million in funding to South Australia, and supporting innovative startups like QuantX Labs and Aucentra Therapeutics through key phases of growth and development.
With a passion for empowering teams and fostering innovation, Jo plays a critical role in aligning BiomeBank’s strategic initiatives with its mission to develop groundbreaking microbiome-based therapies. Her extensive experience in strategy, research management, and stakeholder engagement positions BiomeBank at the forefront of biotech advancements, driving tangible outcomes in the treatment of chronic diseases.
Corey Whittle is a quality manager with more than 20 years’ experience in GMP pharmaceutical quality systems and manufacturing in both the TGA and FDA environments, including over 10 years in leadership positions.
He has passion for creating and leading high performing teams and continuous improvement of quality systems.
Raymir is a pharmacist with over 10 years of experience in Production, Quality Assurance, and Continuous Improvement within the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. Working in GMP environments, she focuses on optimizing processes, implementing practical solutions, and supporting safety and compliance. She has successfully led teams through change and improvement initiatives, with a strong emphasis on project implementation, problem-solving, and achieving consistent, high-quality operational outcomes.
Kevin Willacy brings over 32 years of experience across diverse roles and therapeutic areas, with the past 8 years dedicated to gastroenterology and inflammatory bowel disease. During this time, Kevin has built enduring relationships with key opinion leaders (KOLs) across Australia, solidifying his reputation as a trusted leader in the field. A collaborative team player with a passion for tackling challenges, Kevin is driven to deliver patient-focused solutions that improve outcomes. His wealth of expertise and proven ability to foster meaningful partnerships make him an integral part of BiomeBank’s mission to advance microbiome-based therapies and transform care for patients with chronic diseases.
Megan Polidano is Head of Global Regulatory Affairs at BiomeBank, bringing extensive expertise in regulatory and clinical affairs. With a strong track record in securing global approvals for therapeutic products, Megan collaborates with authorities and stakeholders to advance BiomeBank’s strategic objectives. Based in Queensland, she plays a critical role in driving innovation and delivering transformative microbiome therapies.
Sarah is a PhD scientist with over 5 years experience designing and coordinating clinical trials in North America and Australia.
She has experience with FDA and TGA governed clinical trials and co-ordinating hospital sites on large multicentre studies.
Andrew is a biotherapeutic and medical device product development professional with over 30 years’ experience in industry.
Andrew has played a key role in the development and registration of biotherapeutic products and in-vitro diagnostic devices into the key regulated markets. His role at BiomeBank focuses on development of robust processes for cultured therapy product manufacture, and product realization for investigational use and registration. Andrew has a PhD in biochemistry and immunology.
Kerrilee Fowler is a HR and WHS Manager with over 30 years’ experience in change management, HR strategy, recruitment, Injury management, mentoring, performance management, and professional development.
As a registered nurse and with her HR experience she has a passion for health and people. She has held HR roles at Barossa Fine Foods, Orthopaedics SA and Klein Tools prior to joining BiomeBank.
Clinical Advisory Board
Dr Vipul Jairath is a Clinician-Scientist who holds dual appointments as a Professor in the Departments of Medicine (Division of Gastroenterology) and is cross-appointed to Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
He is a practicing clinician in the Division of Gastroenterology and a Supervisor in the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. He is a holder of the John and Susan McDonald Endowed Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Research and leads the IBD research and clinical program at Western. He is also the Director of the Advanced Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fellowship Program, a Scientist in the Program of Experimental Medicine and a Lawson Scientist.
Dr Vipul Jairath’s previous training includes a BSc. in pharmacology, an MBChB from the University of Leeds (UK), a postgraduate diploma in Clinical Trials from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a PhD (DPhil) from the University of Oxford.
His primary research interest focuses on clinical therapeutics for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), where he has made major contributions to index development and outcome measure for clinical trials. He has also made substantial contributions to clinical practice and guidelines for his secondary research interest, gastrointestinal bleeding. His research work streams are broadly centered around: (a) design, conduct and execution of investigator initiated clinical trials; (b) outcome measure and index development and validation for use in clinical trials; (c) prediction modeling for outcomes and response to therapy; and (d) methodological research in the design and analysis of clinical trials. He is a principal investigator for numerous clinical trials and serves on several clinical trial data monitoring committees and scientific advisory boards.
Dr. Jessica Allegretti currently serves as the Medical Director of the Crohn’s and Colitis Center at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
In addition, she developed and leads the hospital’s Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Program and has grown to become and international expert on the topic. Dr. Allegretti cares for patients with inflammatory bowel disease as well as Clostridioides difficile (c.diff) infection. Her research focuses on the intestinal microbiome and the consequences of its derangement, with the goal of understanding the role dysbiosis plays in microbial-associated diseases. In addition, her lab focuses on novel therapeutic agents for IBD, and she is leading multiple sponsored and investigator-initiated drug trials.
Associate Professor Craig Haifer is a specialist Gastroenterologist with clinical and academic appointments at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and the University of New South Wales. His academic pursuits focus on clinical and translational research in the fields of gastroenterology, the gut microbiome and microbial manipulation therapy.
He completed his undergraduate medical degree at Monash University and then underwent gastroenterology-focused physician training across tertiary and regional hospitals in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. After gaining his specialist registration, he completed a Doctorate of Philosophy through the University of Sydney with the thesis entitled “Faecal Microbiota Transplantation: It’s regulation and use in Clostridioides difficile infection
and ulcerative colitis in Australia”.
Associate Professor Craig Haifer is a permanent Staff Specialist in the department of Gastroenterology at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney which is a combined clinical and academic role where he leads the investigator-initiated research within the inflammatory bowel disease service. He has also continued his academic work at the University of New South Wales which is funded through a NSW Health early to mid-career research grant awarded in 2023.
He has active research collaborations with local and international research organisations and biotechnological companies and is coordinating investigator initiated and pharmaceutical sponsored clinical trails, as well as developing next generation microbial based therapies.
As an early career researcher his research has attracted over $2million in research grants and he has presented my research at large international conferences in Australia, USA and Europe as well as gaining first author publications in highly ranked journals including Gut and Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology and MJA.