ANFF – Australian National Fabrication Facility – is one of Australia’s research infrastructure providers established under the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). ANFF currently operates 8 Nodes across 21 sites to provide access to state-of-the-art micro fabrication and nano fabrication facilities for both academic and industry researchers.  

Before her various roles within ANFF at the Node level and now with the National office, Jane previously held positions within academia, the MedTech start-up space and industry focused research entities, as well as Board positions for Women in Technology. 

Dr Fitzpatrick led ANFF’s Queensland node for a number of years, joined the HQ team as its Chief Operating Officer, and has been the CEO since 2021. As the CEO, her responsibilities include ensuring the network performs as a cohesive and collaborative community, and maximising ANFF’s ability to support projects from academia and industry. 

Jane holds a PhD in Applied Immunology and a degree in Biotechnology, and she has added technical expertise in many areas, including micro and nanofabrication, throughout her career. 

Dr. Erika Hamden is a tenured professor of astrophysics at Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona. As a leader in the field of space astrophysics, she has created programs to teach early career scientists how to develop their own space missions (NASA’s PI Launchpad). She is the PI of Hyperion, a MIDEX Mission Concept, and the PI of Eos, a SMEX mission Concept to be proposed in 2026. She is the deputy principal investigator of Aspera, a NASA Pioneers SmallSat telescope in development for launch in 2026. She is also the Institutional PI of FIREBall-2, a UV multi-object spectrograph Balloon mission. 

Dr. Hamden was awarded a Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship for her detector work in 2016. She received a PECASE award in 2019 and has received numerous other awards from NASA. She is a TED Fellow, a AAAS If/then Ambassador, an aspiring astronaut, and a social media influencer. 

Prof. Brandt is a nationally recognised leader in advanced manufacturing, with more than three decades of experience spanning research, industrial collaboration, and technology translation. His career is distinguished by his ability to bridge research and industry, leading large-scale collaborative programs that accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies. He has played a central role in shaping Australia’s capability in additive manufacturing, materials processing and laser-based manufacturing technologies, working closely with industry partners across defence, aerospace, medical technologies and advanced manufacturing sectors.