Committee

Leila Vatandoust serves as the Chair of KOALA 2026 and is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, working in the field of silicon photonic integrated circuits. Her research focuses on the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of Arrayed Waveguide Gratings (AWGs) for high-capacity optical communication and emerging space-based applications. She collaborates with leading international fabrication facilities, including imec and the Korea National NanoFab Center (NNFC), on advanced silicon photonics platforms. With a strong background in micro- and nanofabrication, photonic design, and optical systems, Leila is actively engaged in advancing integrated photonics and supporting the global optics and photonics community through student-led initiatives and international collaborations.

Fiona is PhD student in photonics research at the University of Sydney, specialising in photonic lanterns, multimode waveguide systems, and spatial mode control in optical fibres. Her research focuses on the design, characterisation, and optimisation of photonic lantern devices for applications in astronomical instrumentation, wavefront sensing, and mode-selective photonic systems. Her current work involves investigating mode evolution and mode-dependent behaviour in multicore-fibre photonic lanterns, including higher-order mode suppression, modal transformation fidelity, and digital holographic characterisation techniques. She is particularly interested in how photonic lantern architectures can be engineered to improve modal purity, reduce crosstalk, and enhance coupling efficiency in multimode optical systems.

In addition to research, She is involved in the broader optics and photonics community through student-led academic initiatives and conference organisation, including activities associated with KOALA 2026 and the SPIE/OPTICA student chapter network.

Miguel Yee Bacaoco is a PhD candidate at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), where his research focuses on nonlinear and quantum optics. His work explores integrated photonic systems such as metasurfaces and waveguides, with particular interest in multi-photon quantum states and their applications in emerging quantum technologies.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Miguel gained experience in photonics and semiconductor optoelectronics, including roles in product and test development for optical devices, failure analysis, and cross-functional team engagement. This blend of academic and industry experience shapes his approach to work, bridging deep technical insight with a pragmatic, solutions-oriented mindset.

Beyond his research, Miguel is actively involved in the optics and quantum community, contributing to the organisation of scientific events such as KOALA 2026, building on extensive science outreach experience from his Bachelor’s studies.

Ryan Russell is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney (USYD) and serves as Workshop Chair for KOALA 2026. His research focuses on integrated microwave photonics, with special interest in nonlinear optics. For example, he developed a novel method which scales the performance of on-chip optomechanical laser sources. More broadly, his interests are in translating photonics technologies into solutions for challenging problems that we face today e.g. wideband on-chip signal processing for communications, radar, and sensing systems.

Mahya Mohammadi is a PhD researcher in optics and quantum photonics at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Her work focuses on quantum spectroscopy, nonlinear optics, and photonic technologies for biomedical and sensing applications. With a background spanning theoretical physics, astrophysics, and experimental optics, she is passionate about combining fundamental science with practical and emerging technologies.

Beyond research, Mahya is actively involved in science communication, mentoring, and community engagement across the quantum ecosystem. She is particularly interested in translational communication and building stronger connections between academia and industry to help accelerate the impact of quantum and photonic technologies in real-world applications. As Industry Chair for KOALA 2026, Mahya leads industry partnerships and sponsorship engagement, while coordinating Industry Night to strengthen connections between academia and the quantum and photonics industry.

Elijah Cruz is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney and a member of the 2026 KOALA organising committee. He works in the fields of integrated photonics and nonlinear optics, with a particular focus on optical memory systems based on photon–phonon interactions. His research focuses on nonlinear pulse dynamics and the interaction of light and acoustic waves in photonic waveguides for on-chip optical storage.

Mrigendra Yadav is a member of the organizing committee for KOALA 2026 and a PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales. His research lies in the field of silicon and silicon carbide–based nanophotonic devices, with a particular focus on the packaging and experimental characterization of nanophotonic cavities and waveguides. He investigates device performance across a wide temperature range, from room temperature down to ultra-low temperatures (~50 mK), aiming to enable strong light–matter interactions and achieve high-fidelity single-photon generation for quantum technologies.

Wenhao Liu serves as Treasurer for KOALA 2026 and is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. His research is in nonlinear photonics, focusing on the experimental development of a fibre-based resonator platform for the generation and control of temporal cavity solitons and optical frequency combs. Through cavity design, dispersion engineering, and phase-sensitive characterisation, he investigates novel nonlinear cavity dynamics in this controllable fibre testbed, generating insights that inform the development of next-generation microresonator combs for spectroscopy, ranging, and emerging photonic technologies.

Lachlan Anderson is a PhD candidate and president of the Optica student chapter at Macquarie University. His research is in femtosecond laser inscribed photonic integrated circuits. This work focuses on fabricating devices for high capacity optical network infrastructure. Current work is on designing new devices to support the integration of space-division multiplexed multicore fibres into the fibre network for high speed transmission. His work supports engagement with international research communities for advanced photonic devices.