MTPConnect today announced Associate Professor Belinda Lange, Research Lead for Technology from the Caring Futures Institute, has secured a sought-after industry placement under the REDI (Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry) Fellowship program alongside 16 highly skilled Australian researchers, clinicians and professionals from the medical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector.
Associate Professor Lange will undertake a 12-month project with Penumbra Inc., a California-based global healthcare company focused on innovative therapies, where she will be embedded in the immersive healthcare team to gain hands-on skills and experience in the design and development lifecycle of the REAL System, a comprehensive virtual reality-based healthcare platform.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to work closely with and learn from the different teams across the stages of design and development of the REAL System. I have been working with virtual reality applications in health since 2003 and have extensive experience working with different virtual reality systems and collaborating closely with health professionals and different consumer groups to explore ways that we can leverage the benefits of this technology to support care,” says Associate Professor Lange
“I’m excited to apply this knowledge in an industry setting and contribute to the development of the REAL System, with a focus on brain injury rehabilitation. I am also looking forward to exploring opportunities to collaborate with clinical sites here in Australia to evaluate and adapt the REAL System to meet the context and needs of our healthcare system.”
The new fellows selected from the July 2022 round are from New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia, and will be working for up to 13 months with SMEs and international companies based in Australia, the US, UK and Europe.
The REDI Fellowship program provides financial support to Australian and/or multinational medtech and pharmaceutical companies to bring the best Australian talent in-house to work on priority research projects.
MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam says connecting researchers, clinicians and sector professionals with industry is critical for the growth of Australia’s medical products sector.
“Our congratulations to these 16 new fellows who are doing crucial work in our sector for patients – and to the companies at home and abroad who are sponsoring them,” says Mr Dignam.
“The fellowships are industry focused, providing research intensive companies with the opportunity to access academics and clinicians for distinct projects involving discovery, translation and commercialisation and, in doing so, driving greater collaboration between industry and research.
“With these new fellows selected, the REDI Fellowship program has seen total funding of $8.15 million awarded to 47 Fellows, exceeding our expectations – a fantastic and game-changing result for the MTP sector in Australia.
“To add to this, the focus on gender diversity means 54 per cent of the total REDI fellowships have been secured by women.”
About the REDI Program
MTPConnect deploys the $32 million Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative, supported by the Medical Research Future Fund. The four-year program is delivering system-wide improvements to skills development and training programs for the medical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector workforce.
About REDI Fellowship Program
The REDI Fellowship Program provides up to $250,000 per fellow, per annum. It offers the flexibility of full and part-time fellowships over a six-month to two-year period and can support domestic and international fellowships. This opportunity is made possible under the Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative supported by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), along with a significant contribution of $1 million from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and support from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR).