In Case You Missed It: Here’s What The MTPConnect Team Has Been Up To in August

08 September 2021

MTPConnect Awarded New MRFF Program to Drive Medical Device Commercialisation

This month, the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Hon. Greg Hunt MP, announced that MTPConnect has been awarded a $19.75 million Early Stage Translation and Commercialisation Support Grant by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to support early clinical development of medical devices with commercial potential. The new program will identify and nurture the development of high-quality medical device projects.

REDI Fellowships Awarded to Researchers in NSW

Minister Hunt also announced two new fellowships awarded through the REDI program. Associate Professor Ewan Millar, a Senior Staff Specialist Pathologist from NSW Health Pathology, will undertake a project with Paige.AI Inc., a New York-based global leader in AI-based diagnostic software to focus on breast cancer biomarker development. Dr Cindy Chia-Fan Shu, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from Kolling Institute, will undertake a project with Sydney-based Regeneus Ltd focusing on translation of potential osteoarthritis treatments. We wish them all the best.

Apply to our REDI Fellowship Program

Our REDI Fellowship Program provides companies up to $250,000 to select a fellow – a researcher, academic, clinician or technology transfer professional - to work on priority discovery, translation and commercialisation projects. The next submission deadline is 1 November and businesses should consider applying.

Podcast Visits Vaccines and Virtual Reality

The MTPConnect Podcast celebrated more than 30,000 downloads in August. New episodes of our popular podcast this month cover Australia’s global quest for a Strep A Vaccine with ASAVI and we met Australian startup Vantari VR to find out how their virtual reality medical training platform is saving lives and attracting international attention.

WA Spotlights Sector Growth

MTPConnect’s Director Stakeholder Engagement WA Dr Tracey Wilkinson was joined by Dr Simon Graindorge, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, IP Group Australia & Chief Operating Officer, OncoRes Medical and Colin La Galia, CEO & Managing Director, Epichem for the first August Spotlight event. They discussed future opportunities for growing the WA MTP sector and how entrepreneurship and an international focus can help get us there.

WA Spotlight on Lawley Pharmaceuticals

The MTPConnect WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub shone the spotlight on Lawley Pharmaceuticals and its Founder, CEO and Medical Director Michael Buckley. Lawley Pharmaceuticals, established in 1995, is a Perth-based privately owned company specialising in advancing the clinical research and development of transdermal testosterone and progesterone creams for men and women.

WA Future Jobs Roadshow

MTPConnect’s Director Stakeholder Engagement WA Dr Tracey Wilkinson spoke on a “Future Industries” professional panel about job/career opportunities in Life Sciences for young women in Western Australia.

REDI Case Study: Mastering Commercial Success for Digital Health Start-Ups

MTPConnect’s Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative is supporting ANDHealth to deliver a Masterclass training program that propels digital health companies, such as uPaged, towards commercial success. Read more in the case study.

Regenerative Medicine Catalyst Roadmap Feedback

A draft strategic roadmap for the new regenerative medicine Catalyst was released to the sector for feedback. The Roadmap has been developed as a key part of the RM Catalyst Project which is supported by a consortium led by AusBiotech, with matched funding through MTPConnect’s Growth Centre Project Fund Program.  

Antimicrobial Resistance in Australia

MTPConnect’s Director Stakeholder Engagement Queensland and co-Chair of the Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Network Andrew Bowskill joined Australian Society for Antimicrobials (ASA) ‘Antimicrobials Online’ education session for a virtual panel discussion hosted by MSD titled ‘Solving AMR – Whose Job is It? Clinicians, Politicians, Researchers or Industry’.

New Team Member for AAMRNet

MTPConnect is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Meghana Kulkarni as project manager with our Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Network, AAMRNet.  Meghana will be based in Melbourne, working closely with AAMRNet co-Chair Andrew Bowskill who is our Director of Stakeholder Engagement for Queensland.