Industry Fellowships Awarded to Push Australian Pharma and MedTech Research Towards Commercialisation
14 July 2022
Twenty pharmaceutical and MedTech researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators from around Australia have been awarded industry-based fellowships to boost skills and advance their research or technology towards commercialisation.
The Bridge and BridgeTech Industry Fellowships, facilitated by QUT and funded by MTPConnect’s Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative for the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund, provide up to $10,000 to support the placement of participants and alumni of the Bridge Program and BridgeTech Program within industry.
Successful applicants were chosen based on their suitability in relation to potential placement partners, stage of career, development possibilities and commercial potential of their research or technology.
The fellowship recipients from the Bridge Program are:
- Mehak Bhola, Exopharm Ltd
- Erin Brazel, The University of Adelaide
- Preethi Eldi, University of South Australia
- Yi Sing Gee, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- David Hilko, Griffith University
- Darren Riddy, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Rebecca Seneviratna, Peter Doherty Institute
- Shayli Varasteh Moradi, Queensland University of Technology
- Jin Yan Yap, The Australian National University
- Hon Yan Kelvin Yip, Monash University.
The fellowship recipients from the BridgeTech Program are:
- Siavash Ahmadi-Noorbakhsh, Independent biomedical research consultant
- Kara Burns, University of Melbourne
- Parthasarathi Kalaiselvan, University of New South Wales
- Nataliya Perevoshchikova, Griffith University
- Chris Richards, Cenofex
- Sriganesh Srihari, QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Sinduja Suresh, Queensland University of Technology
- Richard Tan, The Australian National University
- Lex van Loon, University of New South Wales
- Muhammad Yasir, University of New South Wales.
QUT’s Distinguished Professor Lyn Griffiths, Director of the Bridge and BridgeTech Programs, said the fellowships are an industry-enhanced extension of the programs.
“The fellowships help our program participants to translate the commercialisation training they’ve undertaken into something tangible, by spending time and working with a relevant industry partner,” she said.
“We look forward to seeing how each of this year’s fellows and partner organisations will use the time collaborate, connect academia with industry, and have an impact on the sector more broadly” she said.
The potential impact on the sector from the proposed projects is promising. For example, BridgeTech Program fellowship recipient, Dr Sinduja Suresh, plans to work with her fellowship industry partner on innovative solutions to improve orthopaedic trauma care through rapid additive manufacturing.
“Coming from a research background in biodegradable orthopaedic implants, I’m keen to learn about the intricacies of medical device development and the logistics of the industrial supply chain,” Dr Suresh said. “The project is set in the emerging research space of Point of Care 3D printing and we aim to investigate the design principles and feasibility of manufacturing medical device components in high-performance polymers,” she added.
Director of MTPConnect’s REDI initiative, Jarrod Belcher, emphasised the importance of gaining hands-on, industry experience and making connections to successfully advance commercialisation of new research ideas.
“MTPConnect continues to support this program because it’s so important to boost this sector’s commercialisation skills,” Mr Belcher said.
“We can put people through training courses, but even more can be learnt by experiencing the real-world environment within industry. The Bridge and BridgeTech industry-based fellowships offer the ideal platform for achieving this,” he added.
The recently announced round of fellowships will commence before the end of this year and will support a range of activities agreed on between fellows and partners. Activities range widely from training and mentorship to in-house project work, through to regulatory training, IP protection strategies, prototyping and market research.
For more information: The Bridge and BridgeTech Industry Fellowships Program .