As part of the Medical Device Research Institute, Kieran Bennett is developing new technologies to reduce the cost of training new surgeons. We recently caught up with Kieran to discuss how a childhood dream of space travel turned into a career developing cutting edge medical research.
What is your role and what does your work focus on?
I’m a postdoctoral researcher in the Medical Device Research Institute (MDRI), working in computational biomechanics as part of an Australian Government Global Innovation Linkage Program Grant.
My work currently focuses on using computational models to reproduce human anatomy and complex human joint motion for manufacturing surgical training models (for example, knee models for training total knee arthroplasty). By using manufactured models instead of cadavers, the cost of training surgeons on new equipment can be reduced. Being manufactured, we can produce sets of identical joints to provide fair assessments for students as each student operates on the same joint with the same pathology.
Can you briefly describe the journey that took you to this point in your career?
With a dream of becoming an astronaut, I studied an honours in mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Adelaide. I saw that a significant amount of research conducted in space was related to the human body, so I figured I should get some experience. This led to a PhD in biomechanics, also at the University of Adelaide, developing computational modelling tools and conducting experiments to investigate postoperative maintenance of tibial plateau fractures.
When the role I am currently in was advertised, I jumped at the opportunity to work with, and learn from, the fantastic biomedical researchers in the MDRI.
What is something you love most about your work?
I love the challenges which come every day in understanding and modelling how our bodies move. One of my favourite parts of academic work is being able to share my knowledge with, and learn from, local, national, and global communities.
What is something you are most proud of?
We recently trialled our first manufactured joint – a knee model – at a surgical workshop with some of the leadership team of DePuy Synthes, the Orthopaedics Company of Johnson & Johnson – and it worked! It was incredibly rewarding to see the model we have been developing operated on and receiving positive feedback.
What does a normal day look like for you?
Like most people at the University, no two days are the same. Most days include some kind of modelling, reading, and writing, but some days they let me into the labs to get my hands dirty. One constant, however, is having lunch every day at the same time with the postdocs and PhD students in the MDRI.
How do you like to relax or spend your spare time?
I love trying new things, whether that’s a new recipe or experience – my latest new experience is learning salsa. I enjoy going to art galleries, orchestral performances, new restaurants, and theatre performances.