June - August 2016
The haptics conundrum Dr Heba Khamis has her finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest advances in haptics research.
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A screwless, rodless spine GSBmE scientists and spine surgeons have invented a transformative new spinal fusion device that stabilises the spine, reduces chronic back pain and promotes fusion without screws or rods.
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Producing safer blood thinners In a world first, UNSW Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering scientists have bioengineered the common blood-thinning medication heparin using human cells in the laboratory.
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In profile Meet members of our team in this new series of profiles of our staff and students
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Special 40th birthday edition
Welcome by Head of School Professor John Whitelock Welcome to the inaugural newsletter of the UNSW Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering in this very special 40th year of the life of the school. We are a highly focused and incredibly driven school, offering high-quality, sought-after education programs and Biomedical engineering research contributions that continue to change the lives of people around the world. It is an exciting time at the School with world class research being conducted in areas including the Bionic Eye project, advanced biomaterials, stem cells, biomimetic scaffolds, regenerative medicine and modelling of a range of physiological systems. The vision of the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering is to provide the best research and teaching outcomes relevant to the development of applications in the human health sector to help in the diagnosis, treatment and quality of life of Australians with lifethreatening or debilitating diseases and conditions. As the oldest biomedical engineering school in Australia, we have built a reputation to produce well-rounded graduates because of our unique degree structure. Our teaching activities concentrate on the Master of Biomedical Engineering program and the School’s dual degree in biomedical engineering (Bachelor of Engineering / Master of Biomedical Engineering) also continues to grow in reputation as an innovative and high quality educational program allowing undergraduate students to study Biomedical Engineering at a high level.
Prof. John Whitelock, Head of School
Please enjoy our first newsletter, where we highlight some of our most exciting research from the School.
QUICK FACTS
40 YEARS
WE ARE THE OLDEST BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING SCHOOL IN AUSTRALIA
450
STUDENTS IN OUR DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM
TWO
DEGREES IN FIVE YEARS WITH OUR DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM
600+
STUDENTS ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED
THREE
OF OUR ACADEMICS HAVE WON TALL POPPY AWARDS
SEMINAR
AN INSPIRING JOURNEY 25 AUGUST 2016, 5:30PM UNSW AGSM, JOHN B REID THEATRE Come and hear about Dr Chris Roberts’ inspiring 40 year journey in the medical devices industry, from his early days in clinical research, when he was enthralled by basic chemical engineering principles keeping people in renal failure alive, through his years of experience in renal (dialysis), orthopaedics (electrical bone growth stimulation), cardiology (pacemakers), respiratory and sleep medicine (CPAP and ventilation) and otology (cochlear implants and acoustic implants). Drinks and food provided.
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The Midas touch Dr Heba Khamis has her finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest advances in haptics research. A big challenge on this front concerns friction – “No one really understands how humans sense friction. When we pick something up it doesn’t really matter how rough or smooth it is, what really matters is how slippery it is, and that’s how humans know how to adjust their grip”. Along with her collaborators Dr Stephen Redmond of the Graduate School of
Dr Heba Khamis of the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering has her finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest advances in haptics research. Humans have an incredibly sophisticated sense of touch and are particularly good at picking things up without damaging or dropping them, because either the grip is too tight or not tight enough. The receptors in the finger pads signal all the information that makes this possible, however it is still unknown how this information is conveyed and the underlying biomechanical mechanisms that facilitate this dexterity.
make our sense of friction possible”. Dr Khamis and her collaborators have made some advances in this field with a recent paper beating 35 other presentations to win Best Paper Award (Oral Presentation) at EuroHaptics 2014, and a publication in the Journal of Neurophysiology (doi:10.1152/ jn.00040.2015) on reconstructing stimulus forces from touch sensor nerve cell signals – “We’ve only just scratched the surface of
“To understand how we sense friction is likely to be the most beneficial application of all because once you know that then you can grip anything.” Biomedical Engineering and Dr Ingvars Birznieks of the School of Medical Sciences, Dr Khamis investigates the neural response to stimuli at the fingertips. While stimulating the fingerpad, they insert tiny microelectrodes directly into the median nerve to record the neural signal from a single sensory nerve cell carrying information from touch receptors in the fingerpad to the brain – “by analysing the nerve signals and high speed video of the fingerpad simultaneously, we hope to understand the underlying mechanisms that
tactile sensation, but everyday a new piece of the puzzle is revealed”.
Seeing (and not seeing) the light The holy grail of bionic eye research as a means of treating blindness is the capacity to exactly reproduce the same neural signals that travel between the eye and the brain of normal vision. GSBmE researchers have made a significant step towards obtaining this goal. Much of what we see of the world around us involves edges - the frame of a door, the fine features of a face, the contrast between the black characters on the white background of this text, and just about everything else that enters into our consciousness through our eyes. The visual system 'sees' these edges by way of sending signals to the brain that indicate transitions from 'light on to light off' and from 'light off to light on' wherever an edge exists. When someone goes blind through diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, they lose the neural connections that make this process possible. GSBmE researchers aim to restore vision through nerve stimulation via the so-called 'bionic eye'. Until recently, the bionic eye could only deliver stimulation that simultaneously stimulated both the 'on to off' and 'off to on' cells, sending a confusing signal to the brain for interpretation. Recently, we have found ways to select which neural pathway we stimulate so that it may now be possible to restore the capacity to detect the same, natural 'on to off' and 'off to on' capabilities in blind people. This may deliver more natural vision through a bionic eye, and enable the blind to regain even more of their vision after the progression of retinal disorders. Professor Gregg Suaning and Scientia Professor Nigel Lovell and team.
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Our Students Meet Industry night Our annual Industry Night is always a big hit but 2016 was the best yet! 2016 marks the Fortieth Anniversary of the foundation of the school. ATP Innovations is an award-winning startup business hub, so naturally the crowd was vibrant, but this year we also had the pleasure of hosting some extra special guests from CSIRO, who were participating in a program that links innovation with industry. In addition we had our annual Research Posters competition where some of our brightest and best budding biomedical engineers got to show off their research. Andy Li was the judges' clear winner, presenting his research on postknee-reconstruction patient satisfaction and the impact on techniques, especially with reference to the angle of the patella (knee cap) to the femur. A very accessible and well presented piece of research. Congratulations, Andy.
This year also marks the first year of Petra Andren's post as the CEO of ATP Innovations. Petra welcomed us with open arms and we look forward to perhaps even a combined universities event in the future. And of course, plenty of research and industry collaboration. It is not an easy thing as a student to approach a potential employer and begin a conversation, but the main tip is to simply say hello and ask them about their work. Another great tip is to make sure you have your LinkedIn profile updated and looking good, so that you can ask them after meeting them if you can follow them on LinkedIn. It's a bit less confronting than asking for their phone number!
To all our alumni and industry partners: Thank you for your support and encouragement throughout the past 40 years! We look forward to seeing you at our next event which is the Chris Roberts Seminar on the 25 August. Look out for the official invitation, coming soon.
A huge range of biomedical engineering companies were there, including ResMed, Device Technologies, Saluda, Glaxo Smith Kline, Johnson & Johnson, Garvan, Cochlear
Shaun Boey and Zack Artist, biomedical engineers in the making
The research posters impressed the judges
Winner, Andy Li and Associate Dean, Ian Gibson
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and Medtronic. We are so delighted to host these evenings with our industry friends with the goal of improving health outcomes through innovation.
The Winners Podium
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
A screwless, rodless spine UNSW Biomedical Engineers and spine surgeons have invented a transformative new spinal fusion device that stabilises the spine, reduces chronic back pain and promotes fusion without screws or rods.
its way right across the vertebrae and it can take up to a year to find out if the surgery has been a success.” The innovativeness of the Thru-Fuze device lies in its ability to stabilise the spine without the need for a bone graft. UNSW surgeons hope that the Thru-Fuze device, following human clinical studies and regulatory approvals, will transform spinal fusion surgery for the treatment of degenerative disc disease.
Called the Thru-Fuze device, its inventors hope that it can someday replace more invasive and expensive methods of treating degenerative disc disease (DDD) surgically. The current standard of surgical intervention for DDD requires a system of screws, rods or cage systems as well as drilling into the spine and a bone graft harvest. Professor Bill Walsh, one of the inventors of Thru-Fuze and Director of UNSW’s Surgical and Orthopaedic Laboratories, said that the device will allow faster, simpler surgery with minimal radiation exposure compared to current methods. “Existing methods of spinal fusion use rod or cage systems that require screws to be drilled into the spine and a painful bone graft harvested, which is the material used to form the bridge and obtain the fusion between the vertebrae in the spine,” he said. “These systems are very costly, difficult and time consuming to implant and they also have variable rates of fusion success. Existing methods rely on the bone to make
2016. They have been made possible through $1.59 million in funding from the NSW Government’s Medical Device Fund. Patents for the technology have been filed in Australia, Europe, China and the United States.
This article was adapted from the original published in Orthopedics This Week. READ FULL STORY
“I have a fairly old-school view of what a lab should be and deliberately set it up so my surgeon friends, university colleagues and industry partners can come to me and say, ‘Bill, this is the problem that we have to solve – can you help?” Walsh’s team has shown that bone will fuse on and through their invention when it is placed between vertebrae, resulting in rapid ‘biomechanical’ fixation.
Professor Bill Walsh
“Over time, the device then acts as a bridge between the adjacent vertebrae for additional bone to grow across, fusing the adjacent vertebrae together, bone to bone,” Walsh said. Human trials are expected to begin at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney in late
video highlights
CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL VIDEO SELECTION
Thru-Fuze TV report
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
Dr Andrew Botros: GSBmE Alumnus, Technology leader at Cochlear Limited, and Young Engineer of the Year music acoustics, machine intelligence and the engineering community. His prior work in flute acoustics at UNSW won him the Siemens Prize for Innovation and the Australian Acoustical Society’s Excellence in Acoustics Award (http://flute.fingerings. info).
Dr Andrew Botros is one of The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering’s most successful and innovative alumni. Andrew completed our Dual Degree in 2002 as a University Medallist, with a Masters in Biomedical Engineering and a Bachelors in Computer Engineering. In 2005 Andrew created and co-led Cochlear’s AutoNRT™ project, a system that automatically analyses auditory nerve responses. It was the cochlear implant industry’s first artificial intelligence system. A year later, Andrew was Engineers Australia’s Young Engineer of the Year for his contributions to cochlear implants,
After AutoNRT, Andrew played a leading role in creating Cochlear’s next generation suite of clinical software , enabling patient self-care for the first time with Remote Assistant Fitting and the Intraoperative Remote Assistant. This work earned him his PhD at UNSW in 2010, and in 2013, the resulting products were awarded Australian Good Design Awards®, the Powerhouse Museum Design Award, and silver winner at the Medical Design Excellence Awards. When Andrew started at Cochlear in 2002, all software was for experts only, and quite labour-intensive. Now, surgical diagnostics, for example, have gone from experts taking up to an hour, to a single button press taking a minute.
Andrew is currently the Director of Expressive Engineering, his communication and analytics consultancy, and holds a senior management role at the Commonwealth Bank. In the past year he has travelled well beyond engineering, consulting to the National Disability Insurance Scheme for IBM, and publishing his work on digital government and open innovation in the Australian Journal of Public Administration For all budding biomedical engineers out there, look no further than Dr Andrew Botros for incredible inspiration for where it can take you. Congratulations, Andrew, we are so proud of your achievements. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE INCLUDED ON OUR ALUMNI HONOUR WALL? IF SO WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! PLEASE EMAIL THE SCHOOL HERE AND WE’LL BE IN TOUCH!
Great news for microfluidic devices UNSW Biomedical engineer, Dr Robert Nordon has been awarded 2 Linkage grants as the lead investigator
Three-dimensional printing has been hailed a disruptive technology because it enables direct manufacture from 3D CAD drawings. However it is still too slow and expensive for manufacture of disposable medical devices. Dr Nordon and his colleagues, Dr Zahra Faraji Rad and Professor Graham Davies have developed a novel soft embossing process, enabling rapid replication of high fidelity microstructures such as microneedle patches and microfluidic circuits. Cost-effective manufacture of microdevices is expected to tap into the large medical devices industry, establishing new businesses in the point-of-care and drug delivery markets. Dr Nordon is advancing this high volume manufacturing technology with Romar Engineering Pty Ltd, an Australian Medical Devices Plastics manufacturer. The partnership with Romar was recently awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant. Dr Nordon was awarded a second ARC Linkage Grant with Calimmune Pty Ltd, an Australian and US based gene therapy start-up, to scale microfluidic devices for cell manufacture and therapy. Cellular therapy is where cellular material is infused into the patient to regenerate tissue, or to fight life threatening infections or cancer. For example blood stem Dr Robert Nordon is part of the team cells are infused into patients who have had high dose therapy of here at UNSW Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering cancer, to restore normal production of blood and immune cells. Largescale cell manufacturing processes which include cell selection, genetic modifications and culture expansion are expensive, multistep and labour-intensive processes. Therefore clinical translation of promising cellular therapies has been stymied by the cost of cell manufacture. This research is expected to make cell therapies cheap enough to become standard treatment, which would benefit patients with diseases that are incurable by surgery or drug treatments. It should also benefit the Australian advanced manufacturing sector, particularly biopharmaceutical and cell therapy industries. Figure right: Soft embossing process of a microneedle patch developed by Dr Nordon, Dr Faraji Rad and Professor Graham Davies
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
UNSW biomedical engineers find a safer way to make common blood thinner heparin In a world first, UNSW Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering researchers have bioengineered the common blood-thinning medication heparin using human cells in the laboratory. the common blood-thinning drug, heparin, using human cells in a bioreactor. Currently heparin is derived from animal sources, particularly pig intestines, through a process that is susceptible to contamination. This process is unlikely to keep up with the growing demand for heparin, with the industry forecast to double to US$14 billion within 10 years. Heparin is routinely used to prevent blood clotting during surgery and dialysis treatment
UNSW Biomedical Engineers, Dr Megan Lord, Dr Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina and Professor John Whitelock, collaborate on a bioengineering research program to make new biomolecules, such as heparin and immunotherapies, either as standalone drugs or for incorporation into tissue engineering scaffolds. In a world first, the team have bioengineered
The team has looked at the way our cells naturally make heparin, taken the gene, and expressed it in human cells. The difficulty in producing heparin from human cells stems from the fact that heparin is a carbohydrate, whereas most drugs produced from cells are proteins, which are quite different in terms of structure and the production control mechanisms. The team’s next steps are to refine the bioreactor conditions to increase the amount and potency of the heparin they produce with the aim of this form of heparin being on the market within 10 years.
In a similar approach the team has bioengineered molecules present in the blood vessel wall that have the potential to support blood vessel regeneration. The team is currently exploring the application of these molecules to cardiovascular medical devices, such as vascular grafts and stents, and to tissue engineered constructs that are currently limited in size due to a lack of blood supply. Incorporation of these molecules into current vascular grafts had promising results in sheep with a significant improvement in blood vessel regeneration. The team will perform more animal studies later in the year now that they have refined the production of the bioengineered molecules.
Modelling the Beating Heart Over the past 12 months, the GSBmE cardiac modelling group led by A/Prof Socrates Dokos have been developing highly detailed computational models of the contracting heart, connecting electrical activation with mechanical contraction, blood flow dynamics, and heart valve movements. This multiphysics modelling approach provides a greater understanding of cardiac function, and will even allow the development of bespoke heart models, aiding cardiologists to make more informed clinical decisions. The heart models allow simulation of ventricular shortening, twist and wall-thickening for the efficient expulsion of blood at each beat. The models also include simple electrical analogue circuits of the blood circulation, allowing the loading conditions on the heart to be altered. This model of the heart also allows the investigation of important interventricular interaction phenomena. Such interactions play a pivotal role in pathological conditions such as bundle-branch block, pulmonary hypertension, and myocardial infarct. Furthermore, the effect of medical implants such as artificial valves and left ventricular assist devices could also be studied with such a model.
Biventricular computational model of the heart developed by GSBmE PhD student Azam Bakir. Arrows show blood velocity during contraction
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The GSBmE Cardiac Modelling team includes A/Prof S Dokos, Sci Prof N Lovell, Dr A Al Abed, Dr M Stevens, along with PhD students A Bakir, Y Alharbi and C N Leong. Collaborators include Dr James Otton (Victor Chang Heart Research Institute), Dr Stuart Grieve (Charles Perkins Centre), and Dr Einly Lim (University of Malaya).
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Engineering World Health (EWH)
Here at UNSW we are very proud to have formed the first Engineering World Health (EWH) university chapter in Australia. EWH is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to inspire, educate and empower the biomedical engineering community to improve healthcare delivery in the developing world. Our chapter, started in 2014, is structured across three broad areas: Design, Education, and Summer Institute. Below is a summary of our activity over the past year. We have been busy! The Design team was awarded an impressive third place in the 2015 Global EWH Design Competition for their project entitled “Multi-Coloured LED Otoscope”. This device, manufactured for less than onethird of the price of commercially available otoscopes, has the added benefits of using multiple colours, which have proved useful in diagnosing different conditions of the ear. The Design team has submitted two entries to the 2016 Global EWH Design Competition: “Novel Design Modular Solar Still” and “Uninterruptible Surgical Lamp”. We eagerly await the results later in the year. The Education team has also been active, authoring two textbooks (Mathematics and Physics) for use in training Biomedical Engineering Technicians in Cambodia (and other countries in which EWH operates). These textbooks are unique in that all their
examples are provided in the context of biomedical engineering. The Mathematics textbook has been translated to Khmer and is already in use by students at the University of Puthisastra (Phnom Penh). The second textbook is currently undergoing its final edit and should be in print in the coming months. As well as writing textbooks, the Education team is also set to launch an exciting and innovative STEM outreach program later this year at local high schools in Sydney. In addition to our on-campus activities, we also developed and launched our inaugural EWH Summer Institute in the summer of 2015/16. Seventeen of our students embarked on a twelve-week program, spending eight weeks in Cambodia learning Khmer, participating in local university activities, and repairing over 150 pieces of medical equipment across six regional and rural hospitals throughout the country. Students described this experience as: eye-opening, enlightening, challenging, humbling, rewarding, transformative, inspirational, and amazing.
This device, manufactured for less than one-third of the price of commercially available otoscopes, has the added benefits of using multiple colours, which have proved useful in diagnosing different conditions of the ear.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE OR GET INVOLVED, PLEASE CONTACT DR LAUREN KARK
Chris Sedgewick and Nathan Isaacson and the EWH Team’s Multi-coloured LED otoscope
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Next generation materials and devices We live in a mechanobiological world, where our every breath and step are influenced not only by gravity but also by internal forces intrinsic to stuff that makes us (tissues) and the cells that manufacture our tissues. Our cells produce collagen and elastin, which give our tissues resilience and flexibility, as well as water imbibing molecules such as aggrecan that make our cartilage frictionless. The MechBio team wants to crack the code of how our "brainless cells" respond to stimuli to create such exquisitely engineered, smart tissues and organs. Once we understand the basic principles used by the cells, we use these ourselves to engineer and manufacture next generation materials and devices. So how does one go about cracking the cell's code? The MechBio Team, led by inaugural Paul Trainor Chair Melissa Knothe Tate and collaborators including Professor Peter Gunning, Professor Edna Hardeman, Professor Qing Li, and Dr Renee Whan, using cutting edge imaging and novel experimental mechanics and computational mechanics approaches to peer into the world of the cells, carrying out mechanical tests on live stem cells to determine which mechanical stimuli drive formation of tissue templates conducive to target fates. These then are applied to engineer new implants and devices that deliver biologics such as cells and drugs while also 'shaping fate'. Some of next generation materials and devices are manufactured using a patent pending disruptive manufacturing method that scales up the cell's own weaving algorithms to weave biomaterials and implants using a computer controlled jacquard loom.
Prof Knothe Tate and the MechBio team’s computer controlled jacquard loom used to weave biomaterials and implants
Similarly, in collaboration with Zeiss Microsystems, GE Healthcare, and Professors Lynne Bilston (UNSW), Sharon Kilbreath (U Syd) and Stan Rockson (Stanford) the MechBio Team is using cutting edge multibeam scanning electron microscopy and MRI protocols to understand epidemiology of disease in cell populations within individual patients as well as changes in mechanical properties of tissues that relate to incipient and or full-fledged disease states (navigate the working model of the human hip and its cellular inhabitants at mechbio.org). The Team hopes to use this information to understand, predict and turn back disease at its earliest stage.
Wearable Devices: Can an app improve the rehab experience? The road to recovery after a heart attack or other cardiac event starts with attending a rehabilitation program twice per week for six weeks. Unfortunately, only about 25% of all people requiring cardiac rehabilitation will attend the program at all, and of this 25% who do attend, only 3 out of 5 people will complete the program. In this study, PhD candidate Michael Del Rosario aims to study if smartphone technology can improve the rehabilitation experience, so that all who start the program will complete it. The smartphone app recognises when the patient is sedentary, walking on flat terrain, or walking up/down stairs or hills. The app periodically asks the patient to complete a questionnaire about their mood. The app also captures blood pressure and body weight. It is hoped that enabling patient to self-monitor their rehabilitation progress will encourage them to complete all six weeks of the program. This pilot study will be completed later in 2016. The next steps will be to extend the study to the 75% of patients who never attend the rehabilitation program, so that their rehabilitation can be done without ever visiting the hospital. A sophisticated website designed by engineers at AIT will also be made available to the clinical team so they can monitor the progress of their remote patients and give them advice and encouragement. The software app collects data about movement, mood, blood pressure and weight
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
Women in Biomedical engineering Alumna Leanne Etherington Leanne Etherington graduated from the GSBmE dual degree (Bachelor of Chemical Engineering/Masters of Biomedical Engineering) in 2006 and now leads the regulatory affairs team at Device Technologies, Australia’s largest privately owned medical device distributor. In the 10 years Leanne has been at the company she has moved through a number of roles in the RA team, commencing as a fresh graduate to her current role as RA Manager. Over these years Leanne has registered thousands of devices with the TGA and Medsafe, ranging from low risk surgical instruments and equipment, to high risk cardiac implantables and robotics. Leanne and her team of 12 manage compliance and registration of new and existing portfolios, actioning recalls as well as monitoring device performance through complaints and incidents investigation. Leanne’s links to the university sector remain strong. She initiated the Regulatory Affairs Trainee program at Device Technologies, which has placed seven Biomedical Engineering students within the company in the last three summers, five of whom are currently engaged as permanent employees.
“My links with UNSW allow me to bring wonderful new talent into our business”
NEED AN INTERN OVER SUMMER? CONTACT US NOW!
In this Q&A, Leanne gives us her insights into the biomedical industry and how navigating a career as a young graduate. Which skills from your double degree at UNSW have helped you in your career as a technology executive? Did your degree prepare you for business management/ team leadership? Regarding skills, many but Left to Right: Leanne Etherington, Martin Impelido, Gokulan Yogeswaran, most importantly analytical Gabby Tolentino, Ben Rose, Lachlan Hay and Kevin Ryan, Managing skills, analysis of complex Director of Device Technologies concepts, problem solving skills, ability to research what you’re doing and that it really means complex areas independently and to something to you. determine the possible pathways forward meeting the needs of the business. How do you see the impact of research on Team leadership is all about industry? How important is it in your role to understanding different perspectives maintain links with university? and getting different people to work collaboratively together, something that is New ideas for new technologies come a common theme at universities, and you from both research and people working get a lot of exposure to. closely with current technologies. The Do you have any advice for young graduates trying to navigate a career in the tech business sector? Keep your eyes and mind open to the possibilities – at the end of university you only know about the tip of the industry iceberg – there is a lot to learn about below the surface so get as much exposure as possible and learn about many different areas as you can. Most likely you’ll find they will be unexpectedly complimentary and lead you in directions you never knew were possible. A career is more than just a job – it’s a goal or vocation you’ll spend your life working towards – so make sure you enjoy
best results come from a joining of the best business and best research minds. One cannot achieve great results without the other.
My links with UNSW allow me to bring wonderful new talent into our business. Fresh minds, perspectives and attitudes are just as important as decades of experience and knowledge.
“We have placed seven Biomedical Engineering students in the company”
Women in Engineering Camp
This year’s WIE Camp group visited Qantas, climbed the Harbour Bridge and visited Google!
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Are you a young woman currently in Year 10 or 11 and want a career where you can be at the forefront of positive change for society? Do you enjoy using lateral thinking, creativity and design? Or do you love problem solving, working in teams or have an aptitude for maths and science? Join us for a four day ‘camp’ and find out about the exciting careers available to professional engineers. Applications opened 1 July 2016. CLICK HERE for more information. 10
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
In profile: PhD candidate Alex Patton Alex’s story is slightly different to the majority if PhD candidates in that he has worked in industry for almost two years prior to commencing his post-graduate research studies. “I graduated in Mechanical Engineering and worked at Energetics. I worked during my internship with the Australian government on industrial pumping systems and from that I sprung into waste water treatment, consulting to Sydney Water, Rio Tinto, Stockland and Qantas.”
“I’ve always been drawn to research because that’s where the innovative stuff happens” “It was a good job and I saved some cash but I’ve always been drawn to research” says Alex, “because that’s where the innovative stuff happens.” Alex has always been drawn to research. As part of the Biosynthetic Polymers group within GSBmE (working with Professor Laura PooleWarren and Dr Rylie Green), his research project investigates novel regeneration strategies for myocardial infarction, specifically the development of a conducting polymer cardiac patch to assist cell growth and function. The aim of this is to improve peoples ability to pump blood around their bodies following an infarction. Amid stiff competition, Alex won best student presentation at the 2015 Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering conference. Alex’s enthusiasm for his research and the school is a great asset and he is often called upon to give tours and help out at open days to encourage students to consider a career in biomedical engineering. Following his PhD, Alex hopes to re-enter industry and work on medical device design. And his tip to future students: research online and find someone who best matches what you want to do in a PhD in and then call them. Other than that the PhD coordinators in each school are really helpful!
Shaping the next generation of STEM leaders
Biomedical engineering PhD candidate Joanna Ng says there’s never been a more exciting time for Australian research. Joanna had long been fascinated by 3D printing. “My project is to create a 3D weave that is reflective of the biology, architecture and mechanical properties of the periosteum, that can be used inside the body to effectively regenerate bone,” she says. Mechanobiology looks at how mechanical forces interact with the body and how the body adapts to this mechanical environment – structurally, biologically and chemically – from the level of the single cell through to tissue and system scale. “What’s exciting is we’re doing something that hasn’t really been done before, and we have the technology to make it happen.”
A passionate science communicator and advocate for women in STEM, Ng says there is a real buzz around science and innovation at the moment which, if harnessed, could have real benefits – inspiring a new generation of thinkers and stemming the ‘brain drain’ of our brightest researchers offshore. “Australia is on the cusp of a STEM innovation revolution – already, the Prime Minister has announced a $100 million joint research and science precinct at UNSW under China’s Torch program,” she says. “Hopefully this is an indication of what’s to come.” Now halfway through her candidature, Ng is in the process of making her first prototype for mechanical testing. Once proven, the next step will be to commercialise the weave. READ MORE (This article was original published in the UNSW Newsroom)
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
In profile: Dr Lilach Bareket Earlier this year we welcomed research fellow Dr Lilach Bareket to our School as part of an ARC Linkage project in collaboration with Cochlear Limited, conducting research on implantable bionic devices. Dr Bareket received her PhD in Electrical Engineering (2015) from Tel Aviv University in the field of neuroelectrodes. During her time in Tel Aviv, Dr Bareket was part of the Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology working with the Brain-Stimulation-MonitoringToolbox consortium.
“We are working on implementing new designs and materials into bionic electrically active devices, to result with an interface that is more compatible with the biological tissue.”
Dr Bareket’s research expertise includes fundamental and applied aspects of connecting engineered artificial systems and humans, in the fields of medical diagnostics, monitoring, and rehabilitation through prosthetic devices. This includes brain-machine interface, medical sensors and biosensors and neuro-engineering. In particular, the application of a biomimetic approach to forming biological-electronic hybrid interfaces, exploiting technologies in the fields of electrochemistry, plasma polymerization, bio-conjugation and nanobiomaterials. “We are working on implementing new designs and materials into bionic electrically active devices, to result with an interface that is more compatible with the biological tissue. In particular we are focusing on application in cochlear implants. The goal of our work is to improve efficiency and accessibility, towards fully implanted conformal devices.”
applied to wire free optical stimulation of blind chick retinas. This is the first report showing retina activation achieved through optical stimulation of nanomaterials and was published in Nano Letters; 2014. In recent research, she has developed a temporary-tattoo electrode array for epidermal biopotential measurements. This system was demonstrated for recording of facial expressions and finger movements (Bareket, L. et al, Scientific Reports; 2016).
In her still young career, she has been involved with a number of research highlights, namely the development of an artificial retina, a quantum rod-carbon nanotube flexible 3D multi electrode array
QUICK FACTS TWO
OF OUR ACADEMICS HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE BMES CLASS OF FELLOWS
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ONE
OF OUR PHD CANDIDATES IS WORKING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SPORT ON THE WORLD’S FASTEST SPRINT PROSTHESES
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46%
OF OUR ACADEMIC STAFF ARE FEMALE
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
Sydney wins IEEE EMBC for 2023 The School is excited to be involved in the winning bid to host the 2023 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC) in Sydney. The bid was led by our very own Scientia Professor Nigel Lovell and Geoff Armistead (from ResMed). IEEE EMBC is the most attended and well-known biomed conference in the world and the 2023 event will be chaired by Scientia Professor Nigel Lovell, who is the President Elect. We are so proud of Nigel’s election as IEEE EMBC President. We look forward to welcoming biomedical engineers from all over the world in 2023!
NIGEL LOVELL PRESIDENT ELECT Scientia Professor Nigel Lovell is the President Elect of the (IEEE) Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), which is the world's largest member-based biomedical engineering professional organisation. He is a Fellow of five learned academies throughout the world and has been awarded over $76 million in research, consultancy and infrastructure funding throughout his career.
Join us as we celebrate 40 years BOOK YOUR TICKET NOW
EVENT A CELEBRATION The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering is turning 40 and we will be celebrating this important milestone as Australia’s oldest Biomedical Engineering School. 29 November 2016 (6:30-11:00pm)
Look out for your invitation coming via email soon
Imagine the school in 1976, with only 12 students. Now we have approximately 600. We have multi-million dollar labs and we are the oldest and most respected biomedical engineering school in the country, with a unique and coveted dual degree. This is an opportunity to celebrate the innovations over the last 40 years in the biomedical engineering space in Australia. Think pacemaker, cochlear implant, hip and knee replacements. Absolutely life-saving and life-perpetuating. From being in permanent pain to being active in advanced age. Think breast ultrasound and advances in drug delivery and disease diagnoses. Do join us in celebrating the past 40 years. And lets look forward to the next 40 years of improving and saving lives.
Why not take this opportunity to catch up with your cohort and organise a group of 10? Everyone in the Biomed industry and community is invited to officially celebrate the inception of the school in 1976 and the great strides Biomedical Engineering has made during that time.
Come and help celebrate this wonderful milestone - the 40th birthday of the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering! Alumni and industry are invited, as are staff and students past. Why not use this as an opportunity to get together with your cohort and organise a table of ten? You never know, you might bump into a previous supervisor/lecturer.
There will be drinks and canapes on arrival, followed by a three course dinner, and rounded off with French teas and coffee and petit fours! All at the stunning Doltone House on the water at Pyrmont. ANY ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT THE SCHOOL
gsmbe.unsw.edu.au
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
LAB IN PROFILE Our multi-million dollar implantable bionics research lab opened in 2011. The Lower Ground Floor of the Samuels Building here at GSBmE has been specifically developed for work on the Bionic Eye Implant, and includes our clean room as well as mini-lathes, picosecond lasers, microscopes and specialist equipment of the highest order.
CONTACT Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering UNSW Australia Samuels Building (F25) Sydney NSW 2052 AUSTRALIA
STUDY
p: (+ 612) 9385 3911 f: (+ 612) 9663 2108 e:
[email protected] w: gsbme.unsw.edu.au
UNSW Engineering UNSW Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering Subscribe to our Newsletter
OUR DUAL DEGREE Founded 40 years ago, we are the oldest biomedical engineering school in Australia and offer the unique opportunity to study a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master of Biomedical Engineering within five years. Choose between nine different engineering types: Bioinformatics, Chemical, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronic, Software or Telecommunications OR even with a Materials Science degree. “I love the idea of being able to apply my interest in biology and medicine to the engineering and technology fields’ – Jess Drummond, 5th Year biomed student, Student Ambassador, BESS President and Nura Gili representative.
STUDY WITH US gsmbe.unsw.edu.au
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
