Operational Team

Staffan is the Director of Singapore National Biofilm Consortium. He is an Emeritus Distinguished University Professor at the Nanyang Technological University, Professor at School of Biological Sciences, NTU and is also the Advisor and Research Director (Microbial Biofilms) of SCELSE. Staffan’s research interests include bacterial biofilm biology, chemically mediated interactions used by bacteria and higher organisms, and harnessing/controlling biofilms for engineering and public health applications. Staffan employs a multidisciplinary approach for advancements in microbial ecology, as well as for the merger of the previously disparate fields of environmental microbiology, eukaryote ecology and environmental engineering. His work on bacterial adaptive responses and biofilm biology has provided insights into the predominant modes of life of bacteria in the environment. Discoveries of interactions at different scales, ranging from within the biofilm, between biofilms and their surrounding environment, to those with higher organisms, have contributed to ecological theory and biofilm control outcomes.

Sheela is actively involved in the day-to-day activities of SNBC, fostering collaborations between academia and industry. She has experience working on several projects in various fields such as water microbiome, rhizosphere microbiome and microbial growth on various surfaces. Her research interest includes understanding biofilm structure in urban waterways, changes in rhizosphere microbiome due to environmental conditions such as drought and biofilm growth on surfaces.  She enjoys working in integrated platforms across different disciplines from various institutions and Industry. In her previous appointments, she was an enabler for biological research activities in NUS and served as the Vice President of the Biorisk Association of Singapore from Jun 2022 to Jun 2023.  She has more than 14 years of research experience with several peer-reviewed publications. Sheela holds PhD in Biological Sciences (National University of Singapore), Professional certifications in biosafety, a Certificate in Biostatistics (University of California San Diego Extension) and a Certificate in project management (George Washington University-ESI).

Wensley is the industry development manager for SNBC. Together with Sheela, he manages the day-to-day activities at SNBC, including curating workshops, symposiums, and building partnerships between academia and industry. Wensley started his scientific career as an industry biologist with AkzoNobel in 2013, working on controlling marine biofilms and biofouling. He then developed in-house methodologies in characterising and quantifying biofilms and explored novel marine biofilm control methodologies. In 2022, he managed technology portfolios across several biomedical research institutes in A*STAR, evaluating new technologies arising from these RIs as well as maintaining relevant IP portfolios arising from such technologies. Wensley holds a BSc (Hons) in Life Sciences and a PhD in Biological Sciences from the National University of Singapore.