The new faces of QCIF

Claire Herne – Skills Development Coordinator

Claire brings over 15 years of experience in technical administrative roles—ranging from laboratory administration to property tax depreciation. After relocating to Brisbane for work in 2021, she decided it was time for a significant career change and enrolled in a biotechnology program at UQ.

“I’m delighted to have this opportunity with QCIF, as it allows me to apply the administrative skills I’ve developed throughout my career, while working in a field closely aligned with bioinformatics.”

Nauman Khattak – Full Stack Software Developer

Before joining QCIF, Nauman held key roles in startups and tech companies, where he developed intelligent systems, CRM platforms, and integrated infrastructure solutions. He has co-founded multiple products, worked in multicultural teams, and driven innovation through agile methodologies and user-centred design.

“I bring a passion for automation, intelligent systems, and creating seamless user experiences to support environmental research outcomes.”

Muhammad Yasir – Software Developer

Muhammad specialises in full-stack software development, with a strong focus on designing scalable REST APIs, building responsive front-end applications, and optimising backend systems for seamless service integration. He brings hands-on experience with technologies such as Flutter, Python, SQL, and database performance optimisation, along with implementing efficient ETL pipelines.

“I’m looking forward to collaborating with talented researchers and developers at QCIF to build impactful, scalable tools that foster innovation and drive real-world research outcomes.”

Renuka Sharma – Data Scientist

Renuka completed her PhD in Computer Vision within the field of Artificial Intelligence. During her early research career at CSIRO, she worked on multi-modal behaviour recognition projects.

In her new role at QCIF, she will contribute as a Data Scientist at the intersection of Computer Vision and Ecology, working on the EcoCommons and WildObs projects.

“I’m excited to apply my Computer Vision expertise in the Ecology domain and contribute to real-world impact through my work with QCIF.”