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

06 October 2022

Pictured: Pathology Technology Australia CEO Dean Whiting, COO Lisa Dubé, Chair Sue MacLeman and Dr Dharmica Mistry at Parliament House, Canberra for the Pathology Technology Australia Innovation Day.

REDI-backed Clinical Entrepreneur Program Launches
The Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AUSCEP) – a pilot project funded by MTPConnect’s $32 million Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative, made possible by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) – was launched simultaneously in Melbourne and Sydney, and Perth. Co-designed by clinicians for clinicians, the AUSCEP pilot will help equip healthcare professionals with the skills to translate and commercialise their ideas and innovation into impactful solutions.

Upcoming Australian Delegation to The MedTech Conference in USA
With the 2022 Medtech Conference kicking off in Boston USA in late October, we are preparing to lead a mission of 18 companies in Australia’s delegation to the US - showcasing Australia’s outstanding innovative medical technologies and unique capabilities and building valuable connections into international markets. A top-level visit program for the Australian delegation will include site visits to multinational and industry organisations, insight keynotes and networking events.

ADAPT Team at Pathology Technology Australia Innovation Day
Our ADAPT team and our Chair Sue MacLeman were at Parliament House Canberra for Pathology Technology Australia’s Innovation Day with MTPConnect’s Dr Dharmica Mistry chairing the panel, “Barriers to Pathology Technology Adoption in Australia”, with CSIRO 's Dr Rob Grenfell, Siemens Healthineers’ Jenny Carson, SpeeDx CEO’s Colin Denver & Mater's Associate Professor Paul Griffin. ADAPT are also travelling around the country engaging with stakeholders in the diagnostics sector to capture insights for the National Diagnostics Action Plan.

Nanoparticles TTRA Research Project Underway at University of Sydney
Director of Stakeholder Engagement (NSW & ACT) Dr Duncan Macinnis tagged along with the TTRA team to talk nanoparticles with Associate Professor Steve Wise at his lab at the University of Sydney. A/Prof Wise is leading a TTRA Round 1 Research Project on the nanoparticle therapy to treat peripheral arterial disease. TTRA Partner from UniQuest, Leigh Ford, also joined the visit.

ARC Scientific and Industry Advisory Board
Our COO Lisa Dub contributed to the Scientific and Industry Advisory Board Committee’s first review of the ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins. The ARC CCeMMP is advancing Australian biotechnological capacity and improved linkages with major pharmaceutical partners and training industry-ready highly skilled graduates

Podcast Features Stories from the BTB Finale
Podcast hosts Caroline Duell and Dr Duncan Macinnis catch up with Biomedical Translation Bridge (BTB) program awardees, venture partners, MTPConnect Chair Sue MacLeman and NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Science, Innovation and Technology Robyn Preston MP for a special two-part episode recorded live at the BTB Finale event in Sydney. Listen in to hear about the progress and commercialisation of BTB innovations developed by MycRX, Starpharma and the Medihood McMonty team and how they were supported by MDPP, Uniquest, Biocurate and UQ’s Bridge and BridgeTech Programs.

SA Insight Series Highlights CareApp
The Adelaide Intermediary Program hosted its SA Insights Series in September with MTPConnect’s Dana Bell in conversation with CareApp CEO and founder Allison Nikula about creating their award--winning online platform connecting aged care providers, residents, carers and families – and changing the narrative in aged care.

WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub Spotlight with Singular Health
WA’s monthly Spotlight event held at Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Perth featured medical technology company Singular Health’s COO James Hill, who spoke with Dr Tracey Wilkinson about developing personalised surgical planning solutions to drive better health outcomes, and their platform that leverages existing 2D radiological images to generate fully immersive patient-specific 3D/VR models. They also discussed recruitment, regulation and diversification strategies.

Minister Dawson Opens BioMedTech Horizons WA Showcase
We celebrated seven of WA’s outstanding medtech organisations at MTPConnect's WA BMTH Showcase at Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. The event featured an opening address by the Hon. Stephen Dawson MLC, WA’s Minister for Innovation, ICT and Medical Research. It was a great opportunity to hear from WA-based companies awarded BMTH funding as they develop and commercialise their medtech innovations - Advanced Genetic Diagnostics, Artrya, Ear Science Institute of Australia, Cortical Dynamics, Proteomics International, VitalTrace and OncoRes Medical. The BMTH team also made site visits spending time with the seven companies.

Stryker Medtech R&D Lab Opens in Queensland
MTPConnect’s Chair Sue MacLeman attended the opening of the new Australian research and development (R&D) lab for innovative medical technology by IMCRC partner Stryker. . Established with the support of the Queensland Government, the University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and Metro North Hospital and Health Service, the Lab at Brisbane’s Herston Health Precinct will work to accelerate the translation of research within Australia’s medical technology ecosystem.

BTB Case Study: Modernising Pain Management with 3D Drug Discovery Technology
Our September case study highlighted Brisbane-based BTB awardee Vast Bioscience, a biotechnology company using a proprietary technology platform called VAST (Versatile Assembly on Stable Templates) to develop three-dimensional (3D) small molecule sodium channel inhibitors. VAST technology provides a turnkey chemistry solution to access a diverse world of complex 3D drug-like molecules for the systematic discovery of 3D drugs, which deliver superior specificity, selectivity and potency when compared to two dimensional (2D) molecules, and hence a higher chance of safety in the clinic.

New Team Members Join MTPConnect
We welcomed two new team members to MTPConnect in September. Dean Nedelkos - Manager Stakeholder Engagement Western Australia, joined the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub, working closely with Dr Tracey Wilkinson, Director Stakeholder Engagement Western Australia and Rebekah Craggs, Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator. We also welcomed Dr Ashwin Dhanasekaran - Project Manager, Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative who will be based in Adelaide. He will work with REDI Program Director Jarrod Belcher and REDI Associate Project Manager Tori Mynard who are based in Melbourne.