Month: December 2021

Women in STEMM Australia appoints two exceptional leaders, Professor Madhu Bhaskaran and Sarah Chapman, to replace outgoing co-chair and cofounder, Michelle Gallaher, who has now completed her term.

Professor Bhaskaran is a globally recognised engineer and applied research leader, co-leading the Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group at RMIT University. Ms Chapman is a science educator and Head of Science at Townsville State High School. They will serve in leadership alongside the current co-chair, Dr Marguerite Evans-Galea AM, who will complete her term next June.

Together, the new leadership team wants to create a broader, more inclusive network for a diverse range of underrepresented students and professionals in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health and medicine across all professional sectors.

Women in STEMM Australia was founded in 2014 and uses its large digital footprint to share wide-ranging information relevant to women and underrepresented groups in STEMM, amplify STEMM associations and social enterprises whose values and goals are aligned, and shine a light on the gaps in sector, including in policy and best practice.

Professor Bhaskaran and Ms Chapman are both long-standing, highly committed advocates of diversity, inclusion and allyship in STEMM and have each served for years on the Women in STEMM Australia board.

Bhaskaran has received numerous awards for her innovative research, industry collaborations and leadership, such as the Batterham Medal from the Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering, the Frederick White Prize from the Australian Academy of Science, and the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher.

Women in STEMM Australia Media release

Scientia Professor Justin Gooding and Hub Theme Leader, Physical & Chemical sensors has been awarded the 2021 Applied Research Award from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI).

The Applied Research Award is given to a member of the RACI who has contributed significantly towards the development of, or innovation through, applied research or in industrial fields. It is one of only a handful of national awards granted by the RACI.

The award is in recognition of Prof. Gooding’s work with startup companies, developing commercial diagnostic devices such as a glucose meter and a 3D bioprinter which creates 3D cell cultures. The award also recognises the student and post-doc led startup companies which originated from within the group.

“For me, the award is recognition for the whole group and the hard work by many of the bench (lab) researchers that came through the group. As a collective we are delighted to win such an important award,” Prof. Gooding said.

“It’s also an award for a culture of trying to make a difference by trying to make the world better.”

Prof. Gooding has been part of the commercialisation teams for an Australian-based 3D bioprinting company and a glucose biosensor that is sold worldwide. He leads a research team of over 30 researchers interested in surface modification and nanotechnology for biosensors, biomaterials, electron transfer and medical applications.

He said he believes it’s important to validate an entrepreneurial approach to university research.

“Both fundamental and applied research are important and all types of approaches to research warrant recognition. The running of all research groups requires entrepreneurial skills, even if the work is focused on important questions with little to no apparent technological outcomes,” Prof. Gooding said.

“The modern academic really needs to have a way of disseminating their important research to a broader audience than their peers. Commercialisation is just one way of doing this.”

Read more at the UNSW Newsroom

Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Research Program grants for 2021, UNSW topping the nation for the largest share of funding.

In a media release, Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge announced the federal government is investing $74 million to open 16 new research hubs and training centres around the country, as part of the commitment to commercialising Australian research.

Professor Chun Wang, Head of the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at UNSW Engineering, will lead a hub awarded $5 million to co-design, verify, and certify sensors that industry partners will deploy to global health markets.

The hub aims to position Australia at the forefront of connected health by integrating sensor science with data analytics, regulatory approval and certified manufacturing capabilities.

“The health sensors will be able to monitor biophysical and biochemical markers to aid rehabilitation and chronic disease management, and support frail, ageing and at-risk populations. By bringing together 30 industry partners and seven universities, the hub aims to build a national end-to-end ecosystem for the design, manufacturing, and commercialisation of clinical-grade sensors and predictive analytics tools,” Prof. Wang said.