Meet the 2022 MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholars

‘This story originally appeared on MedTech Actuator.’  The MedTech Actuator and Menzies Foundation are delighted to announce the 2022 MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholars. Each year, MedTech Actuator and the Menzies Foundation award 10 high-potential researchers and clinicians a MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholarship to aid their commercialisation journey. This scholarship supports participants’ pathway to impact-driven careers that fuse science, research, and entrepreneurship. Scholars are pursuing post-graduate degrees at Australian universities across Australia and undertaking research projects in human health. Through the MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholarship program, the cohort will learn about commercialisation and research translation, as well as Australia’s health, medical and biotechnology startup ecosystem. “This cohort is filled with extraordinary, diverse, and high-potential Scholars ready to accelerate their research and begin the commercialisation journey in Australia and across the world,” – Liz Gillies, CEO, of the Menzies Foundation.

Introducing the 2022 MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholars

The MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholars 2022 are passionate about developing healthcare innovations that will improve and save lives. Their expertise spans orthopedics, neurology, genomics, immunology, mental health, biomechanical engineering, tropical diseases and more.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Scholarship recipients include:

• Dr Andrew Lewis Foster, PhD Student, Queensland University of Technology, Research Fellow, Jamieson Trauma Institute, and Orthopaedic Principal House Officer, Redcliffe Hospital Project: Developing an antibiotic hydrogel for locally applied treatment of surgical infection

• Angus Weekes, PhD Student and Sessional Academic, Centre for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology Project: Off-the-shelf vasculature: Biofabrication of non-immunogenic decellularised human vascular grafts

• Helen Elizabeth King, PhD Student, Garvan Institute Project: Revolutionising the accuracy of the CRISPR-Cas system through guide design.

• Ishara Paranawithana, PhD Candidate, Bionics Institute and Monash University Project: Exploring language development in infants by measuring brain connectivity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy

• Muhammad Nouman, PhD Candidate, Deakin University Project: An AI-aided mental health prediction platform

• Nina Langer, PhD Student, Monash University Project: Developing a heart-assist pump to improve the quality of life of patients with heart failure

• Oyime Poise Aula, PhD Student, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and the University of Queensland Project: Developing molecular point-of-care tests for neglected tropical diseases

• Shiva Pedram, Research Fellow, the University of Wollongong Project: Developing remote mental healthcare support using Virtual Reality

• Urwah Nawaz, PhD Candidate, the University of Adelaide and University of New South Wales Junior Computational Scientist, Pending AI Project: Developing a low-cost lateral rotation mattress that has the capacity to adjust patient positions

• Zachary Rochecouste, Bachelor Student, and Researcher, Mending Broken Hearts Program, the University of New South Wales Project: Creating a total artificial heart

The MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholarship Experience

The MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholarship encourages the next generation of health leaders to build strong foundations in entrepreneurship, technology translation and commercialisation. This program supports the scientific community’s capacity to bring innovation to the market by facilitating knowledge transfer from industry to scientists and researchers. Recipients embark on a four-month scholarship, gaining knowledge from leading industry experts, working alongside Australia’s emerging healthcare entrepreneurs and receiving mentorship from MedTech Actuator.  They will be immersed in the health ecosystem learning about pathways to market, business models, navigating Australia’s healthcare ecosystem, idea validation, intellectual property, pitching, professional development, and funding for early-stage ventures. Stay up to date with their progress  The MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholars 2021 benefited greatly from this scholarship and have accelerated their commercialization journey through our programs, including MedTech Actuator Accelerator and MedTech Actuator Origin. Sign up for our newsletter below and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to follow the journey of Scholars.  The MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholarship is supported by the Menzies Foundation as part of their Entrepreneurship in Science mission.