Leadership & Strategic Governance
Our Team
DefenSight is governed by an Advisory Board that bridges the gap between laboratory innovation and national security requirements. Our advisors provide the strategic oversight necessary to ensure our AI-driven analytics remain scientifically rigorous, operationally relevant, and aligned with Australia’s Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities (SICP).
Our Advisory Pillars:
- National Biosecurity Strategy: Ensuring alignment with Defence and health preparedness frameworks.
- Defence Innovation & Procurement: Navigating the TRL-advancement pipeline and defence contracting standards.
- Advanced AI & Pathogen Kinetics: Maintaining the global standard in interpretable ML and high-content imaging.
- Operational CBRN-B Readiness: Validating that our digital outputs meet the "Speed-to-Decision" needs of field-forward units.
LEADERSHIP
Sonja Frölich (PhD) | Founder & Chief Scientist (AI & Pathogen Kinetics)
Dr. Frölich is an internationally published subject matter expert in high-content imaging and the architect of DefenSight’s Interpretable Machine Learning (IML) framework. With over 15 years of experience in infectious-disease research, high-resolution imaging and computational biology, she bridges the gap between complex biological signatures and Secure Software Architecture.
She leads DefenSight’s commitment to Workflow Stabilisation and QC Frameworks, ensuring that every AI-generated insight is governed by documented QC gates and version-controlled methods. Her mission is to elevate microscopy from a research-grade platform (TRL3) to a trusted, auditable evidence source for CBRN threat assessment and countermeasure development.
She has contributed national advisory work to NPAAC, authoring reports on the risks and governance considerations of AI in digital pathology to support Australia’s diagnostic and regulatory readiness. She also serves as a Guest Topic Editor for prestigious microbiology journals, leading international research topics on AI‑enabled systems, microbiology and imaging analytics.
Nicholas Eyre (PhD) | Scientific Advisor (Virology & Viral Kinetics)
Provides the technical rigor for Viral Threat Characterisation. Dr. Eyre ensures automated triage is grounded in the "ground truth" of viral replication kinetics.
Bart Eijkelkamp (PhD) | Scientific Advisor (Bacterial Pathogens & Metabolism)
Directs the strategy for Bacterial Threat Assessment, focusing on metabolic stress signatures caused by bacterial agents in CBRN-aligned contexts.
Prof Michael Wallach | Scientific & Translational Research Advisor
Advises on the Technology Translation Roadmap, ensuring R&D successfully navigates the transition from fundamental research to deployable, fit-for-purpose scalable technologies.
Anne-Marie Perret | Strategic & Defence Innovation Advisor
Advises on Sovereign Alignment and Strategic Governance. Ms. Perret ensures DefenSight is synchronised with National Biosecurity Priorities and Australian Industry Capability (AIC) standards.
Build for Rigor, Scaled for Missions
DefenSight operates as a Research-Led Sovereign Enterprise. We bridge the "Valley of Death" by applying the same rigor driving academic discovery to real-world biosecurity challenges.
- Founder-Led Science with Advisory Oversight: A unique blend of deep-tech development and strategic Defence governance.
- Forensic Defensibility: We operate with documented QC gates, version-controlled methods, and defined acceptance criteria to ensure data is audit-ready.
- Agnostic Threat Detection: Our dual-focus on pathogen and host-cell stress fingerprinting allows us to detect engineered or unknown pathogens and cellular injury that standard molecular assays miss.
- Sovereign Commitment: 100% Australian-owned IP, supporting Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities (SICP) and domestic data residency.