Dr Chris Carty is using personalised models to simulate and plan orthopaedic surgeries, simulate outcomes, and design and 3D print surgical instrumentation for children with cerebral palsy and other lower limb impairment.
Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct
Transform with us
Meet our experts
The Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct is building a reputation for cutting-edge research and innovation, from world-leading biomedical research in Glycomics, including vaccine development for diseases of global impact, to leading-edge micro and nanoscience for medical, environmental and industrial applications. Precinct experts lead the way and are open to commercial investment and partnerships.
Meet some of our experts.
Professor Mark von Itzstein AO
Director and Founder, Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, co-inventor of the world's first anti-flu drug Relenza
“The Gold Coast is now establishing itself as a biomedical research hub and all of the translational facilities are in place. Within the next 10 years I have no doubt that the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct will be seen as a world-leading research precinct.”
Professor Michael Good AO
Research Leader, Laboratory of Vaccines for the Developing World, Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University
Professor Good leads a groundbreaking team responsible for vaccine development of both a broad spectrum malaria vaccine, PlasProtecT™ (currently in full human clinical trials) and a nasal-delivery vaccine for the deadly Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) bacteria, entering human clinical trials in partnership with Chinese company Olymvax Biopharmaceuticals Inc.
Professor Good is past Chairman of the National Health and Medical Research Council, Director of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and President of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes and is on the National COVID-19 Health and Research Advisory Committee, chaired by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
Dr Hal Rice and Dr Laetitia de Villiers
Interventional Neurovascular Radiologists, School of Medicine, Griffith University and Gold Coast University Hospital
“At the Gold Coast University Hospital, we perform internationally recognised, minimally invasive endovascular treatments of severe life threatening brain aneurysms, vascular malformations and strokes every week.”
“We utilise the latest medical imaging technology and software guidance systems to safely navigate within each patient’s brain to successfully repair and reconstruct bleeding blood vessels or restore blood supply and flow to blocked blood vessels in patients with severe stroke.”
“The Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct provides our team with unprecedented access to world class onsite research facilities and exceptional partnership opportunities to support our globally recognised excellence in Interventional Neurovascular expertise.”
Professor Huijun Zhao, BSc, MSc, PhD
Professor, Director Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, Deputy Director, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University
“The amazing thing about the Gold Coast is the opportunity to work on internationally recognised programs in a city known for its natural beauty and biodiversity. We are introducing solutions that resolve some of the most challenging issues of our generation – clean energy, environment and water.”
“The Centre for Clean Environment and Energy focuses on innovative chemical, microbiological and nano-technological approaches to develop enabling technologies for water treatment, environmental remediation and new sources of renewable energy, contributing to a clean, resilient and sustainable future.”
Professor Nam-trung Nguyen Dipl. Ing, Dr. Ing., Dr. Ing. habil.
Director Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Fellow ASME, Member IIEE
“The Griffith Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Institute (ADaPT) will be an exciting new industry focused facility to provide a nexus for innovative digitally enabled design, new material development and usage, prototype development and foster skills growth in 3D printing and advanced manufacturing.
“We have developed world-class capabilities in micro and nano technologies. The inclusion of this world-leading work within the proposed ADaPT facility will enable direct and transferable technologies for health care such as a three-dimensional cell culture platform for bio printing and implants. We recently developed a unique bioreactor that opens a new avenue to advance a therapy to repair the paralysed spinal cord.”
Professor Bernd Rehm
Director Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery
“At the Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers, our mission is to research and develop innovative functional materials and technologies that can provide solutions for global health and environmental challenges.
Our aim is to harness the capacity of biological systems to synthesise and assemble biologically active materials by applying bioengineering, synthetic biology and biotechnological approaches.”
Professor Rehm is author and coauthor of over 200 scientific publications, which have been cited over 10,000 times. He is also an inventor or co-inventor on 58 patent applications, 25 of which are granted patents.
Professor Sonya Marshall Gradisnik and Professor Don Staines
Co-directors, National Centre of Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED), Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, world leading research into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)
“The Queensland Government has funded NCNED continuously since 2008, totalling about $1.6 million all up, enabling the research centre to be a world leader in chronic fatigue research. This is the largest direct contribution of any government anywhere in the world to chronic fatigue syndrome research,” says Professor Marshall-Gradisnik.
The NCNED has also received a $4 million grant from the Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation – the largest grant ever provided for CFS/ME research.
“This is a huge boost to our research effort, enabling us to really look at how we can overcome this debilitating illness,” Professor Staines says.
Associate Professor Julia Crilly, OAM
Emergency Care Research, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University and Gold Coast University Hospital
“People come to the Gold Coast for its reputation – the natural beauty of its beaches and hinterland and the array of health and lifestyle activities available. People stay for the opportunities – to work with some of the brightest minds on world-leading research. The Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct is making this a reality.”
“Our collaborative research with Gold Coast University Hospital’s emergency department focuses on innovative ways health care can be delivered for patients in a safe, timely and cost-effective manner.”
Professor Crilley has independently and jointly been involved in gaining more than $6 million in grants to fund research projects that enable clinicians and students to be mentored in emergency medicine and has a special interest in improving emergency care for vulnerable groups. She was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Professor David Lloyd
Director, Gold Coast Orthopaedic Research and Education Alliance (GCORE), Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University
“We are creating personalised digital humans by integrating sophisticated motion capture with different types of medical imaging. These digital models are helping to optimise treatment of paediatric movement disorders and musculoskeletal conditions. The digital humans are being integrated with smart wearable devices to provide people with sensory augmentation to prevent and rehabilitate injuries to the musculoskeletal system.”
Professor Randy Bindra
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Gold Coast University Hospital, Professor Griffith University & GCORE, Queensland Clinical Educator of the Year 2016
“We’re getting more advanced at planning and customising procedures through complex modelling and 3D printing”
“What’s really exciting is combining this with regenerative medicine for much more effective repair of wrist ligaments, better and faster patient recovery and reduced health costs, with less risk of patients developing arthritis down the track.”
Associate Professor James St John
Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, Menzies Health Institute Queensland and Griffith Research Institute for Drug Discovery
“Our team is very much focused on the needs and expectations of the people living with spinal cord injury.
While we believe this approach will be successful, we must be very careful to ensure we get the best outcomes so there is still a long road to go.
What is most encouraging is that we have assembled a highly motivated team with diverse skills and we have outstanding facilities and support here at Griffith University.”
Professor Nigel McMillan
Program Director, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University
Professor Nigel McMillan is a cancer biologist whose research focuses on the infectious causes of cancer and to develop novel treatments involving gene editing and silencing.
Nearly ⅓ of all cancers are caused by viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms.
Professor Ming Cheung
Director, Griffith Centre for Design and Innovation Research
Professor and Founding Director of the Griffith Centre for Design and Innovation Research (CDAIR), fostering excellence in research and innovation, learning and teaching as well as entrepreneurship and partnerships in Asia Pacific and beyond. CDAIR is an interdisciplinary centre and a global initiative. It aims to foster economic, socio-cultural and technological advancement and to promote sustainability and wellbeing through experience design innovations. (source LinkedIN)
Dr Sam Canning
Senior Lecturer, Industrial & 3D Digital Design
Luke Haseler and Brent Richards
Critical Care Research Group, Griffith University and Gold Coast University Hospital and Intelli-HQ
“We have a laboratory space in the intensive care unit – Griffith University’s first laboratory in the Hospital – aimed at researching point-of-care interventions in traumatic coagulopathy, health rate variability in patients and mechanical assist devices and patient-device interaction.”
Dr Brent Richards, Clinical Director of Innovation at Gold Coast Health, also co-leads the Intelli-HQ project exploring artificial intelligence and machine learning in healthcare.