Our Office
Graham Jenkin
Professor Graham Jenkin was appointed as Cartherics’ Education Officer in 2018. In this role he is responsible for the recruitment, oversight and wellbeing of Higher Degree students involved in the Cartherics Cooperative Research Centres Project Grant.
Graham brings with him an extensive academic, research and translation career, beginning with a PhD at the University of Cambridge and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Oxford University. He currently holds a Personal Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University. Along with his role at Cartherics, Graham currently leads The Ritchie Centre’s Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Group at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research which focuses on fetal and neonatal wellbeing. Recognising that successful biomedical research requires strong collaborative links, Graham established the Victorian Consortium for Cell-based Therapies, an association of over 20 public, commercial and private organisations. He is passionate about translating his research findings into clinical practice for the benefit of the whole community.
Dr Aleta Pupovac
Dr Aleta Pupovac is a cell biologist and immunologist with a passion for translational science. She obtained her PhD at the University of Wollongong in 2015, and after completing several years of postdoctoral research at Swinburne University of Technology, CSIRO and Monash University, she possesses diverse scientific knowledge in the fields of immunology and tissue engineering.
In her role as a Publications Officer at Cartherics, Aleta liaises with the science team to ensure the effective translation of experimental data into formats suitable for publication in high-impact scientific journals and a variety of other mediums. Aleta utilises her passion for language, reading and writing to provide documentary support required for the science team to effectively develop products for cancer therapy.
Telma Mantas
Telma Mantas is Cartherics’ IP Manager. She joined the team in 2019 and is responsible for the management and prosecution of the Patents and Trade Marks portfolio, the IP assessments (including Freedom to Operate, Patentability studies, Landscape assessments) and for building efficiencies into the IP costs.
Telma is a physics engineer with a Master’s degree in Intellectual Property, with over 13 years of experience in IP and Innovation. In the past, she has held roles as a Consultant, a Patent Examiner, Patent Engineer, and Patent Manager in various organisations worldwide (including CERN in Geneva, as part of the Knowledge Transfer Group).
Noam Amitay
Noam Amitay is an IP Analyst who joined Cartherics in 2021. Noam has over 10 years experience working in the field of Intellectual Property, and joined the team to help further strengthen Cartherics’ IP position. He is excited to be part of this innovative and promising cancer research company. Noam is specifically experienced in undertaking all kinds of IP related searches, including Freedom-To-Operate, Patentability and Landscape searches, as well as performing IP assessments and manufacturing the relevant reports.
Noam holds a Masters Degree in Technology Management from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He previously worked as an IP Analyst for FB Rice, a well-known Australian IP firm, and was also a private IP Advisor as well as Senior Patent Examiner in the Pharmaceutical team of the Israeli Patent Office.
Karen Loudon
Karen is originally from the North of England, spent many years in South Africa and is now a proud Australian. She has two wonderful adult sons and enjoys travel adventures with her husband, particularly in the mountains.
Most of her working life in Australia has been spent in the corporate world (primarily in the automotive field) until joining the Cartherics team where she gets to use her strengths in organising and administration, both of which she really enjoys. She says ‘the fact that I am now part of something that is making a difference in the world makes me feel good and special. Most of my work life I was surrounded by people that thought they were smart, now I am surrounded by people that genuinely are smart’.
Serina Hawkins
Serina Hawkins joined the Cartherics team in June 2022 as the inaugural Human Resources Manager. With 20 years of experience, Serina has worked in HR roles across a range of industries including Superannuation, Education, Non-for-profit and Government (Federal and Local).
One thing these industries have in common is that they all work to the betterment of people’s quality of life. Now adding biotech to her industry experience, Serina is excited to build great working relationships and develop a valuable strategy for all things HR!