Victoria's biomanufacturing capabilities
This seminar will explore Victoria’s biomanufacturing capabilities and the role of industry in driving innovation and translation, featuring Dr Felicia Pradera and Dr Brenton Hamdorf.
Victoria's biomanufacturing capabilities
This seminar will explore Victoria’s biomanufacturing capabilities and the role of industry in driving innovation and translation, featuring Dr Felicia Pradera and Brenton Hamdorf.
Dr Pradera will focus on Moderna’s role as a sovereign capability partner in Australia, including the establishment of end-to-end mRNA manufacturing in Victoria and the development of a broader ecosystem spanning research, workforce, and supply chain.
She will highlight how this partnership is contributing to national pandemic preparedness and positioning Australia as a regional hub for mRNA innovation, while also exploring the importance of coordinated, cross-sector collaboration to translate this capability into real-world resilience.
Date
Tuesday 5 May 2026
Time
6:30 PM - 9:00 PMImportant information
6:30pm – 7:30pm AEST - Presentation (In-person and Online) - free
7:30pm – 9:00pm AEST - Optional paid dinner - $38
Dr Felicia Pradera
Director, Moderna’s Regional Research Centre and Strategic Alliances
Director, Moderna’s Regional Research Centre and Strategic Alliances
Felicia is Director of Moderna’s Regional Research Centre and Strategic Alliances in Melbourne, where she leads R&D strategy, partnerships, and ecosystem development across Australia and the Indo Pacific.
She is responsible for strengthening Australia’s role in the global mRNA innovation system, advancing translational science, and building cross sector collaborations that accelerate the development and deployment of next generation medicines.
With over 20 years’ experience across government, industry, and research, she has made significant contributions to Australia’s health security and technological capability in medical countermeasures. At the Defence Science and Technology Group, she established Australia’s national MCM program and led advanced development initiatives bridging research and deployment. During this time, she was seconded to DMTC Limited, where she led Health Security Systems Australia, advancing industry integration and sovereign capability. She later chaired the Quadrilateral MCM Consortium, bringing together Defence and Health departments across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia to strengthen international collaboration.
She has advised national and international governments on pandemic preparedness and response, including briefing the US National Security Council, and served on the Prime Minister’s Science and Industry Technical Advisory Group during COVID 19. Her work sits at the intersection of biotechnology innovation, policy, and industrial capability, with a focus on translating scientific advances into scalable public benefit.
She holds a doctorate in Biotechnology, a Master of Intellectual Property Law, and a Bachelor of Science with Honours, and is a non-executive director of M:MBio and ThirtyFiveBio.
She is responsible for strengthening Australia’s role in the global mRNA innovation system, advancing translational science, and building cross sector collaborations that accelerate the development and deployment of next generation medicines.
With over 20 years’ experience across government, industry, and research, she has made significant contributions to Australia’s health security and technological capability in medical countermeasures. At the Defence Science and Technology Group, she established Australia’s national MCM program and led advanced development initiatives bridging research and deployment. During this time, she was seconded to DMTC Limited, where she led Health Security Systems Australia, advancing industry integration and sovereign capability. She later chaired the Quadrilateral MCM Consortium, bringing together Defence and Health departments across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia to strengthen international collaboration.
She has advised national and international governments on pandemic preparedness and response, including briefing the US National Security Council, and served on the Prime Minister’s Science and Industry Technical Advisory Group during COVID 19. Her work sits at the intersection of biotechnology innovation, policy, and industrial capability, with a focus on translating scientific advances into scalable public benefit.
She holds a doctorate in Biotechnology, a Master of Intellectual Property Law, and a Bachelor of Science with Honours, and is a non-executive director of M:MBio and ThirtyFiveBio.
Dr Brenton Hamdorf
Precinct Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Precinct Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Dr Hamdorf has extensive experience in technology commercialisation, research strategy and partnership development in both universities & private sector research organisations.
Dr Hamdorf trained as a research scientist (microbiology / molecular biology) before working and completing a PhD (in Biochemistry). He subsequently worked on an industry funded medical research project (control of breast cancer metastasis).
In 2000, he completed an MBA in entrepreneurship (with minors in marketing & finance) and established BlueSky Partners, preparing strategic and business plans for technology based companies looking to raise investment.
Dr Hamdorf then spent 5 years in technology transfer (USYD) and was primarily involved in the establishment and management of spin-off companies across diverse technology areas - from tissue engineering to mining safety products; and from cancer diagnostics to material sensing (rheology). Following this, Dr Hamdorf spent 7 years with the Environmental Biotechnology CRC as their IP and Commercialisation Manager and a subsequent 3.5 years commercialising medical and industrial biotechnology opportunities, including the establishment of the Biologics Innovation Facility at UTS.
Most recently Dr Hamdorf has spent 7 years in various roles at Macquarie University. This included facilitating industry engagement in the Faculty of Medicine, driving strategic initiatives across the broader university and establishing and managing a genetic medicine company - Celosia Therapeutics.
Dr Hamdorf trained as a research scientist (microbiology / molecular biology) before working and completing a PhD (in Biochemistry). He subsequently worked on an industry funded medical research project (control of breast cancer metastasis).
In 2000, he completed an MBA in entrepreneurship (with minors in marketing & finance) and established BlueSky Partners, preparing strategic and business plans for technology based companies looking to raise investment.
Dr Hamdorf then spent 5 years in technology transfer (USYD) and was primarily involved in the establishment and management of spin-off companies across diverse technology areas - from tissue engineering to mining safety products; and from cancer diagnostics to material sensing (rheology). Following this, Dr Hamdorf spent 7 years with the Environmental Biotechnology CRC as their IP and Commercialisation Manager and a subsequent 3.5 years commercialising medical and industrial biotechnology opportunities, including the establishment of the Biologics Innovation Facility at UTS.
Most recently Dr Hamdorf has spent 7 years in various roles at Macquarie University. This included facilitating industry engagement in the Faculty of Medicine, driving strategic initiatives across the broader university and establishing and managing a genetic medicine company - Celosia Therapeutics.
