Dr Claretta DSouza

Dr Claretta DSouza has worked in the Victorian research commercialisation and industry partnerships space since 2017.

She is a neuroimmunologist who previously worked as a medical researcher in neurodegenerative diseases at La Trobe University. More recently, Claretta also completed an MBA at Melbourne Business School.  

As a Business Development Manager at Burnet from 2020 onwards she has worked across almost every major program at Burnet. She is responsible for the identification and commercialisation of internal innovations and capabilities through internal and external stakeholder engagement, and horizon scanning for funding, growth and partnership opportunities.

During a project-based secondment from 2022 to 2024, Claretta had operational responsibility for a $4 million mRNA-vaccines development program funded by mRNA Victoria and in partnership with Moderna and Monash University. She supported 3 vaccine development streams, facilitating the development of commercial partnerships, review and execution of contracts, management of the vaccine IP portfolio, and the identification and development of collaborations both internally and externally. 

Before Burnet, Claretta was National Projects Manager at AusBiotech, Australia’s industry body for the life sciences sector, and before that was Project Officer at AUScelerate (formerly MTPConnect). 

Claretta is also a passionate advocate for equal representation in science and serves on the Burnet Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Committee, as well as the LGBTQIA+ and SAGE sub‐committees.

Claretta also has a special interest in career development for early researchers beyond academia, and is the staff advisor for the student-run Burnet Institute Student Mentoring Program (BISMP). She is also a prolific public speaker in the career advancement space and has been an invited speaker at universities and medical research institutes across Australia. 

View Claretta’s publications

• Foundations of Directorship, Australian Institute for Company Directors 
• Master of Business Administration, Melbourne Business School, Australia
• Doctor of Philosophy–Biological Sciences, La Trobe University, Australia
• Master of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, La Trobe University, Australia
• Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology, Manipal University, India