The 2025 Australian Society for Parasitology Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday July 2, 2025 at 5:00pm (AEST) at Melbourne Connect 700 Swanston St, Carlton VIC 3053 and online by Zoom. The agenda, minutes and reports for ASP meetings will be available on WildApricot / members / resources section. To access them please login to your Wildapricot account and check the members resources or email the Secretary (secretary@parasite.org.au).
The following business will be conducted at the Annual General Meeting of the Society:
• receiving the Society’s financial statement, and audit report, for the last reportable financial year;
• presenting the financial statement and audit report to the meeting for adoption;
• electing members of the Council (see details below);
• appointing an auditor or an accountant for the present financial year;
• announcement of ASP Awards and Prizes;
• receipt of reports from Editors, Convenors, Archivists, Secretariat and subcommittees; and
• review and debate other actions or decisions by the Council.
Every year the Australian Society for Parasitology (ASP) seeks nominations for positions on the ASP Council. To nominate someone you must be a member of the ASP. To be a member of the ASP Council you must be an eligible (under section 61A of the Act) adult and a member of the ASP. Check whether you are a financial member on the ASP membership site (https://asp.wildapricot.org/ ).
The ASP is an inclusive organisation. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people with disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, parasitologists of all ages and career stages and LGBQTIA+ people.
The Society is also committed to achieving gender equality across all its Committees including, but not limited to, the ASP Council. The Society recognises and values the wealth of talent, creativity and discoveries achieved by women in parasitology. We acknowledge that women continue to be under-represented in the field, particularly at senior levels. The Society is, therefore, committed to gender equality in our discipline and in the Society. (Read about Gender Equality within the ASP Principles, By-Laws and Guidelines https://www.parasite.org.au/the-society/constitution/).
ASP Council Positions
ASP President
The ASP President is a position of great responsibility. It is anticipated that you would devote 700 volunteer hours of your time to this position for the ASP across a four year period.
The President-Elect shall be elected for a period of one term at the second Annual General Meeting in the term of the preceding President. At the conclusion of this term, the President-Elect will become President, serving two terms as President. At the conclusion of those two terms, the President will become Vice President and serve one term as Vice President.
Here is the position description for the ASP President
ASP Treasurer
Working closely with the ASP Executive and ASP Secretary, the ASP Treasurer is also a position of great responsibility. It is anticipated that you would devote 400 volunteer hours of your time to this position for the ASP across a two year period.
The Treasurer shall be elected for a period of two terms at every second Annual General Meeting.
Position description for the ASP Treasurer
ASP Executive Secretary
Working closely with the ASP Executive and ASP Secretary, the ASP Executive Secretary is also a position of great responsibility. It is anticipated that you would devote 400 volunteer hours of your time to this position for the ASP across a two year period.
The ASP Executive Secretary shall be elected for a period of two terms at every second Annual General Meeting.
Position description for the ASP Executive Secretary
State and Territory representatives, the representative from the Society’s Fellowship and Student representative
State and Territory representatives, the Fellows representative and the Student representative make up the ASP Council, along with the ASP Executive team and vote on decisions that affect the ASP. These are also positions of great responsibility. It is anticipated that you would devote a minimum of 50 volunteer hours of your time per year to this position for the ASP for a 1-3 year period, depending on how many terms you serve.
The State and Territory representatives, the representative from the Society’s Fellowship and Student representative will be elected for a single term and may not serve more than three consecutive terms.
A term is defined by the period elapsing between the termination of one Annual General Meeting and the termination of the next Annual General Meeting.
Position description for the ASP State and Territory Representatives
Position description for the ASP Fellows Representative
Position description for the ASP Student Representative
Rules
A member of the Council must be a member of the Society.
A member of the Society may be appointed to a casual vacancy on the Council under rule 20 “Vacancies on the Council” of the ASP Constitution 2019.
Electing the Council
How do I elect a member of the Council?
Any two members of the Society may nominate another member (the candidate) to serve as a member of the Council;
The nomination must be:
(i) in writing; and
(ii) agreed and endorsed by the candidate and the members who nominated him or her; and
(iii) submitted to the Secretary (secretary@parasite.org.au) at least one month before the Annual General Meeting at which the election is to be held;
How will we vote for the ASP Council positions?
Each member of the Society present and eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting may vote for one candidate for each vacant position on the Council.
What is there are no candidates nominated for a Council position at the AGM?
If, at the start of the meeting, there are not enough candidates nominated, nominations may be taken from the floor of the meeting.
Who can be a candidate?
An adult who is not ineligible to be elected as a member under section 61A of the Queensland (QLD) Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/inforce/current/act-1981-074 ).
Remember that a member of the Council must be a member of the Society.
How and when will we know who the candidates are?
A list of the candidate’s names in alphabetical order, with the names of the members who nominated each candidate, will be posted on the ASP website (https://www.parasite.org.au/the-society/ ) at least one week immediately preceding the Annual General Meeting.
What responsibility do the ASP Council Executive have?
The Council Executive must ensure that, before a candidate is elected as a member of the Council, the candidate is advised:
(a) whether or not the Society has public liability insurance; and
(b) if the Society has public liability insurance—the amount of the insurance.
See ASP Constitution 2019 for more detailed information about ASP Council https://www.parasite.org.au/the-society/constitution/
Positions currently vacant
The following nominations for Council representatives will be voted upon at the ASP AGM on Wednesday July 2, 2025, 5:00pm-7:00pm (AEST) in Melbourne, Australia and online via zoom. If, at the start of the meeting, there are not enough candidates nominated for an ASP Council position, nominations may be taken from the floor of the meeting.
President, 2025
Aaron Jex, WEHI/University of Melbourne, has been elected into the position of President. He was elected into the position of President-Elect 28 August 2024, nominated by ASP members Clare Anstead and Robin Gasser.
Vice President
Danny Wilson, Adelaide University, will become the Vice President at the 2025 ASP AGM. Danny Wilson is the outgoing ASP President.
Treasurer, 2025
Samantha Emery-Corbin, Monash University, has been nominated for the position of Treasurer, 2025. She was nominated by ASP members Aaron Jex and Clare Anstead.
Executive Secretary, 2025
Jake Baum, UNSW, has been nominated for the position of Executive Secretary, 2025. He was nominated by ASP members Aaron Jex and Clare Anstead.
Victorian State Representative, 2025
Patsy Zendejas, University of Melbourne, has been nominated for the position of Victorian State Representative, 2025. She was nominated by ASP members Lucas Huggins and Clare Anstead.
New South Wales State Representative, 2025
Claire Sayers, UNSW, has been has been nominated for the position of New South Wales State Representative, 2025. She was nominated by ASP Members Michelle Power and Danny Wilson.
Queensland State Representative, 2025
There have been three nominations for Queensland State Representative, 2025
Deepani Fernando, QIMR Berghofer MRI, has been has been nominated by ASP members Swaid Abdullah and Malcolm Jones.
Deepani Fernando is a senior post-doctoral fellow at QIMR Berghofer working on the molecular aspects of the scabies parasite, towards the development of therapeutics and diagnostics for scabies. She is a Veterinarian, having completed her training at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She completed her PhD in molecular parasitology at QIMR Berghofer and the University of Queensland, Australia. She was a Lecturer and then a Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Parasitology at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka before she joined QIMR Berghofer as a postdoctoral researcher in the Scabies laboratory . She is also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Queensland University of Technology. Her expertise includes, medical and veterinary infectious diseases, molecular biology, enzyme engineering and pre-clinical drug testing. Deepani is the first to establish the RNAi technology in scabies mites, Sarcoptes scabiei. She characterised a group of mite proteins that interfere with host coagulation system which was later discovered as a potential diagnostic target for scabies. The scabies group at QIMR Berghofer, headed by A/Prof Katja Fischer, is one of the few research groups working towards solutions to alleviate scabies and associated sequelae and has provided substantial knowledge in biological, molecular and clinical aspects. She successfully acquired research funding from Dioraphte Foundation (Euro 850K, CIB), NHMRC Ideas Grants (AUD 1.3 Million, CIC) and QIMR Berghofer small grant funding (AUD 10K as PI) to continue her research. Deepani is currently working towards development of a highly sensitive, specific and affordable point-of-care diagnostics for scabies, characterising scabies itch and proposing itch targeted therapies to prevent scabies associated life-threatening sequelae and improve patients’ quality of life, and investigating the pharmaceutical potential of novel drug candidates for scabies.
Jacinta Macdonald, Griffith University, has been has been nominated by ASP members Katherine Andrews and Tina Skinner-Adams.
Jacinta Macdonald graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2017 where she discovered her love for infectious disease and subsequently joined Professor Katherine Andrews Tropical Parasitology research group for an honours project. Since then, she has remained in the group at the Institute for Biomedical Science, completing her PhD in malaria drug discovery in 2023. Jacinta enjoys working to identify novel antimalarial hit compounds, as well as target identification and genomic validation strategies. She has a particular interest in natural product compounds and their potential to continue providing new biologically active drug leads. A member of the ASP for the last few years, Jacinta has been awarded with two Student Travel Grants to attend the annual ASP conferences and would love the opportunity to return the support she has received from the society by contributing as the Queensland state representative.
Vignesh Ambothi Rathinasamy, James Cook University, has been nominated by ASP members Brian Cooke and Alex Loukas.
Vignesh A. Rathinasamy is a research fellow at the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University. He completed a Ph.D in Agriculture from La Trobe University (2017) with Prof. Terry Spithill and his PhD research focused on characterising surface proteins of liver fluke parasites (Fasciola hepatica) and developing surface proteins as protein-based vaccines to control liver fluke infections in cattle. He started his post-doctoral research at Monash University (2018) with Prof. Brian Cooke to work on understanding molecular pathogenesis of Babesia bovis parasites and use such knowledge to develop protein-based vaccines to control B. bovis infections in cattle. He is continuing his research in bovine babesiosis with Prof. Cooke at AITHM, JCU and he has developed strong expertise in molecular parasitology and early-phase vaccine development (production, characterization and formulation of protein-based vaccines, obtaining regulatory approvals and in vivo testing in laboratory animals and cattle). He has a passion for developing new and effective tools to control infectious diseases and he continues to work with national and international research collaborators to understand and control parasites.
Northern Territory Representative, 2025
Kamil Braima has been nominated for the position of Northern Territory Representative, 2025. He was nominated by ASP members Lucas Huggins and Brian Cooke.
Tasmanian State Representative, 2025
Kate Hutson has been nominated for the position of Tasmanian State Representative, 2025. She was nominated by ASP members Claire Sayers and Haylee Weaver.
Australian Capital Territory State Representative, 2025
Brendan McMorran has been nominated for the position of ACT State Representative, 2025. He was nominated by ASP members Giel van Dooren and Nick Smith.
South Australia State Representative, 2025
There have been three nominations for South Australia State Representative, 2025
Sonja Frölich has been nominated for the position of South Australia State Representative, 2025. She was nominated by ASP Members Melanie Rug and Tania De Koning-Ward.
Sonja Frölich is a Lecturer at the University of Adelaide whose research sits at the intersection of molecular parasitology, advanced microscopy, proteomics, and AI-driven image analysis. She specialises in the developmental biology of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and her goal is to identify actionable drug and vaccine targets through reproducible, quantitative mapping of the infection process. Sonja’s work provides new insights into host-pathogen interactions across parasitic, bacterial, and viral infections, using innovative, high-throughput strategies that span from fundamental biology to translational applications. She has partnered with leading institutions including Zeiss Pty Ltd, Phibro Animal Health Corporation, SA Pathology and the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, to develop highthroughput screening platforms for rapid, automated detection of pathogens relevant to both human and animal health. Beyond the lab, Sonja serves on the steering committee of the Women in Malaria Initiative, where she advocates for equity and representation of women and marginalised genders in parasitology and STEM. Sonja participates in public engagement and science outreach and would be honoured to serve as State Representative and respectfully seeks your endorsement to help shape a vibrant, connected, and forward-looking future for parasitology.
Maria Gancheva has been nominated for the position of South Australia State Representative, 2025. She was nominated by ASP Members Ryan O’Handley and Lee Yeoh.
Maria is a post-doctoral researcher at The University of Adelaide in Associate Professor Danny Wilson’s Malaria and Toxoplasma Research Group. She undertook her undergraduate and postgraduate studies at The University of Adelaide, before joining Danny’s group in 2020. She leads the drug development studies against Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii parasites, with a focus on identifying and developing compounds with novel mechanisms of action. She is also a post-doctoral fellow with the ARC Training Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance, which encompasses her work on T. gondii and its relevance to livestock. She has been/is involved in local committees that foster scientific collaboration, share knowledge, and support professional development. Maria would be honoured to serve as the SA State Representative, engaging with and advocating for the parasitology community, and promoting parasitology research and education.
Melanie Ridgway has been nominated for the position of South Australia State Representative, 2025. She was nominated by ASP Members Gerrut Norval and Jill Chmielewski.
Melanie recently joined the University of Adelaide as a Lecturer in Parasitology. As a postdoc at the University of Dundee in Scotland, she established high throughput genetic screens to study the cell biology and mechanisms of drug resistance in Trypanosoma brucei parasites. Her PhD at the Australian National University was awarded the ASP Sprent Prize for the investigation of lipid metabolism during Plasmodium falciparum gametocytogenesis. She was a founding committee member of the Scottish Parasitology Partnership in Research Innovation and Training (SPPIRIT, a national network for early career parasitology researchers), and is a member of both the British and Australian Societies for Parasitology. As SA state representative Melanie would engage with the local parasitology community to foster a collegiate network with strong interstate and international connections.
Western Australia State Representative, 2025
Breanna Knight has been nominated for the position of Western Australia State Representative, 2025. She was nominated by ASP Members Danny Wilson and Michelle Power.
ASP Student Representative, 2025
Grace Peters, PhD candidate at UNSW, has been nominated for the position of ASP Student Representative, 2025 she was nominated by ASP members Alex Loukas and Danny Wilson.
ASP Fellows Representative, 2025
Robin Gasser, University of Melbourne, has been nominated for the position of ASP Fellows Representative, 2025. He was nominated by ASP members Kate Hutson and Aaron Jex.
Timeline for next ASP Council Elections
6 months before the 2025 ASP AGM, February 5, 2025 – Open Applications
1 month before the 2025 ASP AGM, June 4, 2025 – Close Applications
1 week before the 2025 ASP AGM, June 25, 2025 – ASP members will be emailed list of nominees for ASP Council positions
2025 ASP AGM, July 2, 2025 – Elections and announcement of ASP Council
