Med Tech Talks Podcast

In this episode of Med Tech Talks, Robert Klupacs CEO of the Bionics Institute, a world leader in the development of medical devices, talks to leading neurologist Professor Mark Cook AO on his innovations to help predict and monitor seizures in patients with epilepsy. 

Professor Cook has been profoundly inspired to undertake a career in neurology through witnessing his father's struggles with epilepsy.

Through his internationally renowned research and the foundations of two MedTech companies, Seer Medical and Epi-Minder, Professor Cook has made a tremendous impact in the treatment of epilepsy. 

In this episode you will hear about:

• Professor Cook's research and innovations to better treat epilepsy
• The founding and mission of Seer Medical and Epi-Minder
• Mark's thoughts on building Australia from innovation

More information:
Read Mark Cook's biography : Professor Mark Cook

Take a look at the Epi-Minder website: Epi-Minder

Visit the Seer Medical website: Seer Medical

To find out more about commercialisation of research through medical device spin-off companies at the Bionics Institute, go to: Our Impact  

Updated version 05/08/22

In this episode of Med Tech Talks, Robert Klupacs CEO of the Bionics Institute, a world leader in the development of medical devices, talks to Professor David Grayden, Clifford Chair of Neural Engineering in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Melbourne 

Professor Grayden is a highly respected academic whose career has seen him work on flagship projects, including the cochlear implant in the bionic eye, epileptic seizure prediction, electrical stimulation devices and systems to prevent seizures and vagus nerve stimulation to control inflammatory bowel disease. 

More recently, Professor Grayden has pioneered the BioDesign Innovation program, a course offered by the University of Melbourne where teams of MBA and Master of Engineering students work together to explore, invent and commercialise medtech innovations.

In this episode you will hear about:

• David's journey to becoming  Clifford Chair of Neural Engineering in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at University of Melbourne
• The creation and importance of the BioDesign program to inspire future innovators
• David's thoughts on building Australia from innovation

More information:
Take a look at the BioDesign Innovation Melbourne website: BioDesign Innovation Melbourne

Take a look at Professor David Grayden's University of Melbourne Profile: Professor David Grayden

To find out more about commercialisation of research through medical device spin-off companies at the Bionics Institute, go to: Our Impact  

Updated version 05/08/22

In this episode of Med Tech Talks, Robert Klupacs CEO of the Bionics Institute, a world leader in the development of medical devices, talks to CEO of Synchron about the persistence and perspiration needed to build an innovative idea into a thriving med tech start-up, and gives advice to fellow entrepreneurs.

This series is dedicated to understanding what drives successful and impactful innovation in medical technology, and you would be hard-pressed to find someone as fitting for us to have as a guest on this podcast than Associate Professor Tom Oxley, who kindly joined us from New York. 

As well as being a renowned interventional neurologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, Tom is the founder and CEO of Synchron, a company that specialises in neural interface technology.  Synchron was born from Tom’s great innovation, the Stentrode, an implantable medical device that can translate brain thought signals from the inside of a blood vessel.  

Thoughts captured from users of the stentrode are translated wirelessly digital devices designed to stimulate thought-controlled movement, which could transform the lives of people who are paralysed or have severely restricted movement. 

In this episode you will hear about:

• The story of Synchron
• Sourcing start-up funding and tips for people in med tech
• Tom's thoughts on building Australia from innovation 

More information
Take a look at the Synchron website: www.synchron.com

 To find out more about commercialisation of research through medical device spin-off companies at the Bionics Institute, go to: Our Impact  

Updated version 05/08/22

In this episode of Med Tech Talks, Robert Klupacs CEO of the Bionics Institute, a world leader in the development of medical devices, talks to his colleague Dr Erol Harvey about his amazing journey from cutting diamonds with lasers, modifying the Hubble telescope and founding the incredibly successful company MiniFAB.

Erol Harvey is CEO of the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD) that will soon be home to the Bionics Institute, alongside many other leading research organisations on the St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne campus, and he talks about the importance of collaboration.

We find out about Erol's amazing career in Europe before he returned to Australia to start a company, and his thoughts on what is needed to support innovation. 

In this episode you will hear about:

• Erol's work with huge lasers and the Hubble telescope
• What it takes to build a med tech company
• Erol's advice for developing the med tech ecosystem.

More information
Read about ACMD here: www.acmd.org.au

Take a look at the MiniFAB website here: www.schott-minifab.com

Take a look at the Bionics Institute website to find out more about our research into autoimmune and chronic conditions, and conditions affecting the brain, hearing and vision: Our Research | Bionics Institute

 To find out more about commercialisation of research through medical device spin-off companies at the Bionics Institute, go to: Our Impact  

Updated version 05/08/22

In this episode of Med Tech Talks, Robert Klupacs CEO of the Bionics Institute, a world leader in the development of medical devices, talks to his colleague Professor James Fallon about exciting innovations at the Bionics institute that build on the knowledge gained during development of the cochlear implant. 

As Chief Technology Officer and Head of Research Operations, James leads a broad range of research, including development of an innovative device that stimulates the vagus nerve to improve the lives of people with type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. 

We find out about James' path from PhD student at the Bionics Institute to becoming a leading professor in bioengineering, and what he believes Australia can do to build greater innovation. 

In this episode you will hear about:

• How to always do what you love in your career and have fun along the way
• How the technology developed for the cochlear has given rise to new devices
• James' thoughts on building Australia from innovation.

More information
Take a look at the Bionics Institute website to find out more about our research into autoimmune and chronic conditions, and conditions affecting the brain, hearing and vision: Our Research | Bionics Institute

 To find out more about commercialisation of research through medical device spin-off companies at the Bionics Institute, go to: Our Impact  

Updated version 05/08/22