NEO-BIONICA - Key Persons
Previously holding various Regulatory and Quality roles at MAXONIQ and Lincoln Consulting, Edward is in charge of Neo-Bionica's Quality Management System. He has a Master of Engineering (Biomedical with Business) from the University of Melbourne.
Gareth brings a wealth of experience in product development of medical devices across the full product life-cycle. His background is in electronics & systems for respiratory high-flow devices, before shifting focus to the development of neurotechnology with Neo-Bionica . His broad skill-set encompasses product development, electronics, system design, firmware and project management. Together these skills and Gareth's broad track record enable him in the delivery of successful projects with complex systems.
Outside of work, you'll find Gareth watching or playing sport (you name it, he's played it), or at a gig enjoying some live music.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- COMPANY SECRETARY
Hamish is a Chartered Accountant and has extensive experience in providing financial advice, company secretarial and CFO services to life science businesses ranging from ASX listed entities to Not-for-Profit organisations.
A technology commercialisation expert with a track record of securing large-scale grant funding, Heather has a deep understanding of medical innovation and the global medical device market. In addition to founding the Monash Institute of Medical Engineering to tackle significant unmet clinical needs, Heather created a seed fund to establish a pipeline of medtech products. She also has first-hand experience commercialising a novel biomaterial that has been used in millions of life-sustaining devices, including establishing ISO 13485 quality management systems and supporting progression through US FDA approvals. She is now Director of Research Enterprise and Development at the University of Melbourne.
When not working, Heather likes spending time in wild places - by a creek in the bush, in among the native plants in her garden, and at live music venues.
Current CTO of the Bionics Institute, James has two decades of internationally recognized experience with in vivo electrical stimulation and recording, His research has generated 10+ patent applications/families and has led to the development of technologies in several clinical trials including for cochlear implants, bionic eyes, deep brain stimulation and inflammatory bowel disease.
With over two decades of experience, Jason brings a wealth of expertise across the entire product lifecycle. His extensive skill set encompasses project management, product design, operations, and quality assurance. Additionally, Jason has a strong background in medical technologies, having worked with devices from class 1 to class 3 in the fields of Ophthalmics, IVDs, and surgical devices.
Outside of work, Jason loves spending time with his kids, including coaching his son's basketball team.
Job Titles:
- ELECTRODE FABRICATION LEAD
As a technician responsible for prototype design and fabrication, Jenny has worked on the trickiest of projects, from the 4-channel electrode in the mouse cochlear implant to the 44-channel electrode in the bionic eye. She also built Epi-Minder's prototype for monitoring epileptic seizures, which is now in first-in-human trials.
Away from the lab, Jenny enjoys baking and cooking - and even running classes for her friends on making dumplings, bread and cakes. She also nurtures a garden, where she grows plants and vegetables.
As a business leader, Ludovic has over 20 years' experience in the medical device and technology industry in Europe, the USA and Asia Pacific with a range of global companies including Fortive, Danaher, Siemens, Tektronix and Invetech. He has a record of proven success in bringing innovations to market to generate profitable growth in global hi-tech and medical devices markets - in roles ranging from product ideation to go-to-market strategy.
Ludovic and his family share a passion for the ocean and sailing. He enjoys dinghy racing, on his own or with his wife - they competed together in the 2015 Tasar World Championships.
Lusia is a medtech entrepreneur with over 35 years in the pharmaceutical and bioscience industries. She has extensive experience in forming companies, raising capital, developing products and bringing them to market. Lusia founded LBT Innovations to bring advanced technologies to the medical industry - and listed the company on the Australian stock exchange. She also led the company's development of an automated plate assessment system for microbiologists, which was the first artificial intelligence diagnostic medical device to achieve US FDA class II approval.
When she's not skimming journals, Lusia has a stack of books to read. She also has a keen interest in collecting and tasting whiskies, and is writing the history of her Polish family's escape from Europe after World War 2.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR MECHANICAL ENGINEER
- Systems Engineer
Owen is a systems engineer responsible for coordinating the engineering team throughout each project. He is an expert in biomechanical design for medical devices. Owen was the lead design engineer for the vagus nerve stimulation device developed to treat Crohn's disease, which is due to start first-in-human trials soon.
Owen also led the project to design Neo-Bionica's purpose-built facility - while renovating his own house. In his down time, he enjoys trail running, cycling and anything involving a mountain.
An experienced financial professional with 20+ years in commercial finance, specialising in forecasting, budgeting, compliance, and project support. Paula has a proven track record of achieving results in diverse roles, excelling in teamwork and individual tasks. A highly organised, multitasking expert with excellent communication skills, Paula collaborates effectively with stakeholders, including operational teams, executives, board members, auditors, and advisors.
Outside of work, Paula enjoys spending time with her 7-year-old.
Job Titles:
- NON - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
- Chairman of BioAutism
With more than 30 years of international corporate experience in technology development, Robert has an extensive network in the global medtech sector. Currently the CEO of the Bionics Institute, Robert was a founder of Epi-Minder and a driving force behind the launch of Neo-Bionica. He also helped Bionic Vision Technologies raise US$18 million to fund clinical studies of the bionic eye. A registered patent attorney, Robert has deep knowledge of intellectual property and research commercialisation. He has also worked with international companies to set up special-purpose entities in Australia to take advantage of the local regulatory landscape.
In his spare time, Robert is chair of BioAutism, a charity supporting autism research. He started running to take part in fundraising events, and has now completed five half-marathons. He's also a cyclist and a triathlete.
Thibaut brings 10 years of experience in micro/nano-fabrication, surface chemistry and systems engineering. He graduated from Monash University with a PhD in materials engineering and carried his research at the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, CSIRO and the Leibniz Institute of New Materials (Germany). His expertise led him to the development of biomedical devices at Planet Innovation as a systems engineer.
Outside of work, Thibaut loves recreating dishes from the countries he has visited and lived in. If he is not in the kitchen or playing with his 2 girls, he loves surfing in the Victorian Surf Coast Shire.
Job Titles:
- ENGINEERING MANAGER
- Mechanical Engineer
Tom is an experienced mechanical engineer with 12 years of dedicated service in the medical device industry, in areas of in-vitro diagnostics, high-speed centrifuges, and medical device consumables.
Uli brings over 17 years of experience in class II and III medical device development. His background includes global technical leadership at Siemens and Advanced Bionics across Europe, Asia and the US. His expertise covers the full product lifecycle, including design and development, regulatory clearance, launch and ongoing support of products on the market.