People of the Precinct - Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct

Congratulations and farewell Professor Mario Pinto

Professor Mario Pinto

The partners in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct extend their congratulations to Director of the Precinct, Professor Mario Pinto. Professor Pinto steps down as Director today, and will commence as Vice-President (Research and International) at the University of Manitoba in his native Canada in October.

Professor Pinto is an internationally renowned chemical biologist, academic, and the former President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, who served as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) at Griffith University from early 2020. From July 2021, Mario was Director of the Precinct Office, leading an active team and working with Precinct partners to drive company, developer and partnership attraction.

The Precinct welcomes international company representatives in August 2021

During his time in the Precinct Office, Mario has had an extraordinary impact in working to accelerate the recruitment of high-technology companies to the Precinct, including ASX-listed blockchain software developer Tymlez; US-headquartered MedTech BiVACOR, which is developing a world-first rotary artificial heart; and Silicon Valley-based Precise Light Surgical. His model of providing a ‘soft landing pad’ to global companies has been instrumental in assembling an array of exciting partnerships, leveraging Precinct strategic capabilities. He also saw the development and approval of the Precinct Strategic Plan (2022-2027), which will be released shortly, expanded efforts to link student interns to Precinct companies, and has cemented the strong relationship with City of Gold Coast elected representatives.

With Hon Di Farmer MP, Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development (left) and Ms Camilla Jansen, Managing Director, Business News Australia, at a recent industry leaders’ event

Mario’s departure comes at a time when the Precinct has achieved many of its initial aims, a point emphasized in the Queensland Innovation Places Discussion paper, which identified the GCHKP as one of the state’s leading precincts. Subsequently, he was invited to be a member of the Innovation Places Stakeholder Reference Group, for the Queensland Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport, providing strategic input into the corresponding 10-year-strategy. Now with its imminent release, the Precinct partners can take the opportunity to address the ongoing role and shape of the Precinct Office, a process that will be launched over the next month. Mr Craig Rowsell will continue as Manager of the Precinct Office while this process is undertaken.

The Precinct Office and the Precinct Partners thank Professor Pinto for his contribution to the success of the Precinct, and wish him well in his new role at the University of Manitoba.

Filed Under: People of the Precinct

Women leading the way in the Precinct

Some of the women making a differene in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct

The Precinct’s women leaders and a new generation of female researchers, scientists, clinicians and entrepreneurs are moving innovation, education and healthcare forward, while weighing in on the issues and opportunities that are key to driving change to #BreakTheBias this International Women’s Day #IWD2022. We profile just some of our talent.

New General Manager of Economic Development Queensland, Debbie McNamara, a specialist executive leader across the public and private sector within an infrastructure environment, has joined our Precinct Partnership Group, which includes Griffith University Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans.

Having held Chief Executive and non-Executive Director roles in public and private organisations in Glasgow, and also an Adjunct Professor, Debbie recently led the development and opening of the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) for Metro North Hospital and Health Service, from inception to being an operational, specialist public health facility.

Other leaders include General Manager of Gold Coast Private Hospital Kimberley Pearce; longtime Principal of the Precinct’s selective state college, the Queensland Academy of Health Sciences Vanessa Rebgetz; and Professor Liz Burd, who joined Griffith’s leadership team in early 2021 and has recently been appointed University Provost. A software engineer, Professor Burd has served on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Education Board for five years, and has been a Director for the IEEE Board for the last two years.

New Professors in the Precinct

We welcome some recent additions to our Precinct talent pool:

Professor Carolyn Mountford is a Principal Research Leader at the Institute for Glycomics and a world leader in the development of magnetic resonance (MR) technology addressing unmet needs. In the neuro field she focuses on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), injury from blast and impact, and pain. Her cancer research focuses on ovarian and breast cancer. Professor Mountford joined Griffith University in 2020.

Professor Chamindie Punyadeera is an inventor and a leader in women in Science Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM). She has had a hybrid research career working in industry and academia and is a globally acknowledged pioneer in salivary diagnostics. Professor Punyadeera joined Griffith in late 2021 as a joint appointment in Sciences and Health.

With a PhD from the University of Cambridge and qualifications from the US and Germany, Professor Stefanie Feih is a materials science expert who has led large industrial research projects in aircraft repair, design for additive manufacturing and polymer composite materials, and led the Polymer Processing Group at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) – she joined Griffith in late 2021.

“Over the past four months I have been exposed to a wide range of fantastic initiatives and projects at Griffith University,” Stefanie says.

“Most excitingly, I have become involved in several multi-disciplinary research projects linking engineering sciences to Medtech applications via our Advanced Design and Prototyping Institute (ADaPT), in collaboration with colleagues from Griffith Health.

My research on realistic numerical simulation approaches is transferable and beneficial to guide the simulation and design of advanced implants and prosthetics.

Work-life balance for women in science with families and children will always be a challenge, as our work never really stops. However, sharing my research problems and insights is also a great part of the day. My 10-year-old son recently wrote in a school assignment that “my Mum tells me interesting facts every day”.”

Women in Science giving back

Early career researcher and biomedical engineer Dr Laura Diamond has some compelling statistics to offer that explain her passion for encouraging women into STEM careers.

“STEM fields (in particular, engineering) are primarily underrepresented by women due to drop-out at two time points,” Laura says.

In high school, there is a 1:1 ratio of year 10 girls and boys in science, but by year 12 the ratio is 1:2 (girls:boys), leaving less girls pursuing STEM fields at university. Additionally, 40% of early career female engineers (post-PhD) transition into different career paths within 3-5 years of completing their PhD.”

“This reduces the number of women in engineering, and the number of women that continue to senior leadership and decision-making positions.”

The new Mum and 2021 Young Tall Poppy Science Award winner’s research integrates a unique blend of skills in STEM and clinical sciences to identify and modify movement adaptations that are risk factors for musculoskeletal and orthopaedic conditions, including developing a ‘smart’ wearable device to retrain people with hip osteoarthritis.

“I’m part of an exciting nation-wide women in STEM initiative which aims to engage and empower schoolgirls and early career mentors in the field of biomechanics. We initiated a 100-day Biomechanics Research & Innovation Challenge which will give 100 Australian schoolgirls the opportunity to work hands-on with 25 female biomechanists,” Laura says.

“I have been exceptionally fortunate to have many great mentors (both men and women) who have given me the confidence to pursue a career in STEM. My advice to girls and women considering a career in STEM is to be curious!”

For Professor Kate Seib, Research Leader & Associate Director (Research) at Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics, empowering women is about normalising opportunities.

“The idea of equity, diversity and inclusion needs to be incorporated into people’s everyday lives – from organising small-scale activities to appointing industry CEOs,” Kate says.

“Women have made exceptional contributions to science, yet they are still underrepresented in leadership roles in many areas. This is a loss for everyone – great ideas aren’t coming to light, and the next generation of female scientists don’t have role models to inspire them.

But the newly-minted professor, whose microbiology research focuses on vaccine development and antibiotic resistance, including a gonococcal vaccine, is also optimistic and is actively part of the solution.

“I’ve been involved in organising ‘Soapbox Science’ over the last few years to showcase female scientists and their research to the public,” she says.

“I’ve met so many exceptional women who are making ground-breaking discoveries in science. On top of that, there’s nothing better than seeing children’s reactions to these great women talking about their work.”

Associate Professor Jenny Ekberg is a neuroscientist at Griffith University’s Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research with more than two decades of experience, and a strong focus on clinical impact.

“To be successful in science these days, we need to focus on the impact and how we can translate our research into clinical products, ” Jenny says.

I spend a lot of time engaging with clinicians, the community and other researchers so that together we can direct our research at the most important questions.”

The Centre, where Jenny is one of two chief investigators alongside Professor James St John, has three main interrelated projects: Spinal Injury Repair, Peripheral Nerve Injury Repair and Neurodegeneration. Jenny’s team have already determined how bacteria can invade the brain via nerves within the nose, and then set off a cascade of events that lead to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and are now discovering drug treatments that can reverse or slow the pathologies.

“The biggest challenge for women is that while we have many women in academic and research positions, they tend to be in the lower levels. While this is changing over time with many positive approaches, it does impose at least the perception that the career path for women is less certain.”

It’s something Jenny strives to change in her dual role as Deputy Head of School (Research) at the School of Pharmacy and Medical Science.

Making medical history

Dr de Villiers performs the pioneering robotic-assisted procedure (left) and shows trainee specialist fellows how to undertake the complex procedures

Late last year interventional neuroradiologist Dr Laetitia de Villiers became the first woman in the world to perform a robotic-assisted neurovascular aneurysm coil procedure – complex and delicate brain surgery, that is performed as a minimally-invasive procedure.

As one half of a dynamic duo with Director of Interventional Radiology and Gold Coast University Hospital, Dr Hal Rice, she is used to pioneering the way in her specialty, which like many fields of medicine, tends to be male-dominated. Their service is now regarded as one of the premier sites in Australia for the endovascular treatment of life-threatening brain aneurysms and acute ischaemic stroke. Laetitia also has an additional interest in and practices in general and Hepatobiliary Interventional Radiology.

Dr de Villiers (MBChB, FRANZCR) completed her specialist training in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane and an advanced specialist fellowship in Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology at the Mt Sinai Medical Center in New York City in 2007 and 2008, after undertaking her initial medical degree and residency in South Africa.

Laetitia is also an accomplished speaker and Associate Professor at Bond University and Senior Lecturer at Griffith University in their respective medical schools.

Filed Under: People of the Precinct, PROJECTS

Social enterprise and sustainability a focus for the Precinct

Intergenerational Care can transform aged and childcare models

With our vision to be a Precinct of ‘people transforming lives’, our mission goes beyond simply doing ‘great technology and good business’ – we’re committed to ‘doing good’.

Intergenerational care uniting young and old

ABC television’s “Old People’s Home for 4-Year-Olds”, brought smiles to faces young, old and in between, as it demonstrated how rich and beneficial the connections between generations can be.

Emeritus Professor Anneke Fitzgerald, a health management research expert, oversaw Griffith University’s five-year Intergenerational Care Project and was involved in both pre and post-production for the popular docuseries.

With a small team of volunteers, she’s now established the not-for-profit Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice (AIIP), based at Cohort Innovation Space in the Precinct, to address the gaps between the identified benefits of intergenerational care and current practices in aged, child and community care.

“Through AIIP we seek to educate, train and support care providers to formalise the beneficial intergenerational activities that occur in families and communities within care settings, using evidence-based practices, which are guided by research,” says Professor Fitzgerald.

“By learning with and from each other, these activities generate inclusive, age-friendly communities for children, teenagers, older adults, the workforce, volunteers and the wider community.”

Intergenerational program activities include gardening, cooking, arts and crafts and other play and learning opportunities

With an ageing population – the number of people in home care has tripled in the last decade, while numbers in permanent residential aged care increased by 13%, according to GEN Aged Care data (2019-20) – there is a significant focus on improving the wellbeing of older people, particularly in light of major issues spotlighted in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and ongoing concerns during the pandemic.

Purposeful intergenerational activities have been proven to give older people a sense of purpose and improved mood; reduce or delay cognitive and physical decline, including dementia; reduce social isolation; enhance dignity and encourage older people to remain living at home for longer.”

Of course, the benefits run both ways, with children improving pro-social behaviours of sharing, helping and cooperating while gaining increased confidence and communication skills and evidence showing a decreased likelihood of juvenile delinquency later in life.

AIIP Interim CEO Emma Woods (left) with Emeritus Professor Anneke Fitzgerald

AIIP Interim CEO Emma Woods believes the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct provides a unique opportunity, through co-location of a new aged care facility, including a training centre, close to the innovative early learning and child development ‘living lab’, being established in the Proxima development.

“The co-location, together with opportunities to have input into the design of both facilities, will hopefully enable us to be able to demonstrate best-practice in intergenerational care,” Ms Woods says.

“To be able to work closely with paediatric researchers and early childhood educators in Proxima, together with being involved in training of the next-generation aged care workforce, will enable us to easily translate research and pilot programs that can then be expanded across Australia.

Our vision is to benefit the whole community by reducing ageism and the care burden in society, while improving satisfaction for care workers and volunteers.”

Disrupting the charity sector with micro-philanthropy

The Little Phil team

In 2017, Little Phil’s CEO and Co-founder, Josh Murchie, saw the dire need for a better way to support charities after returning home from a volunteering mission in Peru.

With the simple mission at inception, “charitable giving is broken, we’re going to fix it”, Little Phil was born.

“Charities and not-for-profits are failing to keep up and engage younger generations, albeit the most socially in touch,” says Josh.

I set out to create the platform I wanted to use. The main difference with our platform is trust and transparency, alternative fundraising streams, and a central focus on donors rather than just charities.”

Little Phil eliminates the issue of third-party fundraisers taking a big share of donations, rigorously vets charities to ensure that only genuine causes can raise funds via the platform, and then provides access to their donor base, corporate fundraising and new web3.0 fundraising streams and opportunities such as crypto and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

According to Josh, who was a founder of Griffith University’s Entrepreneur’s Club as an undergraduate and then Masters student, almost all crowdfunding platforms are transactionally focused, without nurturing the donor experience for a lifetime impact continuum.

“The Little Phil platform provides our charity partners with the tools to engage and build long-lasting relationships with their supporters and puts donors at the heart of what we do.”

The last quarter of 2021 saw the team move into Cohort and launch the Beta version of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative ‘Company Giving’, an alternative to outdated and under-subscribed workplace giving programs.

They say 3.3 million workers are employed in companies with workplace giving programs, yet only five percent choose to give in this way. At the same time, competition to attract and retain skilled workers is tight, with many potential employees, along with customers and corporate partners, looking to a company’s social impact as a key factor in decision-making.

“We’ve created a plug and play ecosystem that lets companies individually empower their employees whilst displaying their social goodwill to the world,” says co-founder Craig Gillam.

“Rather than giving a lump corporate donation once a year, we enable companies to diversify this donation amongst team members while retaining relevant tax benefits and displaying goodwill to customers and investors, and while their team members give to what they care about.”

Telco amaysim (Optus), Australia’s fourth largest mobile services provider, has partnered on the launch.

Another big focus will be on what they believe is their world-first move into utilising NFTs to fundraise for multiple causes. An NFT is a digital asset representing real-world objects like art, music, in-game items, and videos bought and sold online mainly using cryptocurrency and mostly encoded with the same underlying software as many cryptos.

Little Phil’s first project saw it partner with Korean music-star DJ Soda, along with NFT digital trading platform Xillion, to deliver to the market a digital art piece valued at AUD$2.8 million with 12.5 percent (an estimated AUD$350,000) of this total to be allocated to charitable causes.

Surrounded by innovators in the Precinct, the Little Phil team, many of whom are Griffith alumni, feel right at home.

“Being a part of the GCHKP and Cohort community allows us to be amongst other peers solving complex problems and pulling off remarkable goals of their own,” says Craig.

Tymlez drives Cohort sustainability through blockchain technology

ASX-listed Tymlez is on a mission to transform data into sustainability by enabling transparent, auditable, and verifiable decarbonisation – and it’s thinking global while acting local to create the city’s first energy community.

TYMLEZ CEO Daniel O’Holloran speaks to media to announce the company move to the Precinct in August 2021

Having moved its Australian HQ into the Precinct in mid-2021, it’s moving its mission forward by recently joining the Australian Hydrogen Council (AHC) to offer a solution to guarantee the origin of green hydrogen and further support organisations to meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets, while also focusing on sustainability at its homebase at Cohort.

Utilising Behind-The-Meter energy monitoring devices capturing site-wide energy usage, the TYMLEZ Smart Energy Data Solution is being deployed across Cohort’s buildings as part of a pilot with the Queensland Government, allowing access to real-time consumption data, powered by blockchain technology.