About Us

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Paul previously held senior roles at ASX100 listed companies, TABCORP, NAB & ANZ and has founded multiple successful companies.

He is a committed advocate for sustainability and animal welfare and believes that by working together, we can create a more ethical and sustainable food system for all.

Paul holds a Bachelor of Economics from Monash University and a Graduate Certificate in Science from Swinburne University.

In his spare time, Paul enjoys working out, watching Aussie Rules football and exploring Melbourne’s amazing food scene. 

Prior to joining Magic Valley, Andrew was a Research Leader with the CSIRO, where he led a pluripotent stem cell biology research team for over 12 years. Other previous appointments include Senior Scientist and Group Leader at the Australian Stem Cell Centre, Board member and Director of the Australian Society for Medical Research and Senior Research Fellow at the Monash Institute of Medical Research.

Andrew is internationally recognised for his research and commercialisation activities using pluripotent stem cells and strongly believes that by making meat products without harming animals we will reduce reliance on land for livestock and be a positive force in the fight against climate change.

He obtained his BSc (Hons) and PhD from Monash University prior to undertaking postdoctoral positions in Hong Kong, China and Philadelphia, USA. Andrew is also an Adjunct Professor with the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute at Monash University.

In his spare time,  Andrew enjoys scuba diving, dancing, coaching and watching basketball and searching for the perfect espresso coffee.

Jacob has more than 15 years of cell biology experience, primarily having worked in drug discovery and development for cancer and using pluripotent stem cells to create better disease models for research.

He completed a BSci(Hons) with dual majors of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Physiology at James Cook University before finalising his PhD at Griffith University. He then took up Postdoctoral positions at the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the CSIRO in Australia.

Jacob comes from a multi-generational farming family and has seen firsthand the negative impacts that current farming practices have on the environment and this is his major driving factor in pursuing cultivated meat production.

In his spare time Jacob enjoys his hi-tech planted aquariums and has an interest in home scale manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, CNC machines, lasers and electronics. 

Wendy has worked in the biomedical research industry for 20 years, gaining experience in cell culture, molecular biology, and laboratory management. 

She started her early career at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore and went on to pursue Honours at the University of New South Wales before gaining more research experience at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute Embryonic Stem Cell Facility.

While being a scientist is her full-time job Wendy has a keen interest in cooking and completed a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery and has done stage at Oscillate Wildly in Sydney. At Magic Valley, Wendy combines her research skill set with her love for food to create nutritious tasty cultivated meat dishes.

In her spare time Wendy enjoys cooking, squash and judo and checking out the Melbourne culinary scene.

Ella is a passionate and experienced writer, communicator, and science educator. She is particularly interested in the importance of transparency and openness in fostering public trust in science, and the role this plays in sparking interest and excitement about the future of biotechnology.

Prior to working at Magic Valley, Ella was a VCE Biology and English tutor and resource creator with a dedication to approaching education in a holistic and engaging way. She is experienced in taking a multifaceted, creative approach to delivering information in a way that effectively communicates complicated topics in science.

Ella holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne and is interested in ethical, sustainable applications of biotechnology, as well as humanitarian bioengineering.

In her spare time, she enjoys live music, painting, drawing, photography, running, and seeing the latest exhibitions in Melbourne’s many art galleries.