iPREP Biodesign

Connecting PhD Researchers to Industry

Currently available to PhD students enrolled through The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Macquarie University, CQUniversity Australia, University of Wollongong Australia and Western Sydney University.

Students and representatives of other universities please enquire.

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Building

innovation

capacity

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Harnessing research
excellence

High calibre
PhD candidates

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Growing
Australia's
economy

Progressive industry
leaders

Our Program

The iPREP Biodesign program provides PhD candidates with an industry engagement opportunity and training on design thinking, and industry with access to research expertise to stimulate growth and innovation. The program networks across the Graduate Research Schools of The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Macquarie University, CQUniversity Australia, University of Wollongong Australia and Western Sydney University.

iPREP Biodesign is the only established program in Australia with the unique attributes of using multidisciplinary teams of PhD students to work on industry-defined problems with clear benefits to universities, students and industry. Coupled with specialised training on Biodesign methodology, the program attracts high calibre PhD candidates with a vision to grow Australia's industry sector through the translation of research.

Our Mission

To improve the sustainability and competitiveness of Australian industries

To give PhD students a competitive advantage across a broad range of future career paths in industry

Help bridge the 'industry-research divide' by linking the abilities of PhD students to the development needs of industries

Our Process

Spanning across all sectors and disciplines, teams of PhD students are connected to industry through the following process.

Mentoring & Support

Student teams receive weekly support from course faculty during the placement. Mentoring is tailored towards each project and provides students with assistance towards project management, team dynamics and ensuring project deliverables are met.

Biodesign Training

Student teams receive weekly training in Biodesign methodology, which is based upon Stanford University's prescriptive Biodesign innovation process. This methodology follows three key phases; identify unmet needs; invent solutions that address these needs; and create implementation strategies. Generalised to accommodate all industry sectors, the training is advantageous for broadly-scoped projects.

Professional Development Training

Student teams receive weekly training that fosters essential and transferrable professional skills including conflict management, teamwork, public speaking and intentional networking. Delivered by a variety of external subject specialists, this additional support improves delivery of project outcomes, aids in soft skill development and compliments research expertise.

Our Process

Our Team

Dr Sandra Medic

iPREP Program

Manager

Sandra is the Biomedical and Health Innovation Program Manager at The University of Western Australia, responsible for managing the iPREP program. Sandra is an experienced biomedical scientist and researcher, obtaining her PhD at Edith Cowan University in 2011. She has spent over 15 years in the Higher Education sector, working in undergraduate and postgraduate environments as a lecturer and academic program coordinator.

Sandra was the PhD Course Coordinator at Edith Cowan University, where she was providing strategic support and operational management of key education and training programs for Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) students. She led the development and delivery of cross-disciplinary research training to meet student, industry and sector needs, implementing education delivery advances and research training innovations to improve training quality, and support learning and teaching goals and outcomes. With extensive experience in Western Australian Higher Education, Sandra joined the Perth Biodesign team in a quest to bring industry, academia and research together. Working closely with doctoral students across various disciplines, she is committed to fostering PhD researcher development and passionate about creating industry engagement opportunities for PhD students to forge their future career paths.

Chloe Goodred

Program Delivery Lead and

Perth Biodesign Course Director

Chloe is an innovative and effective healthcare leader who is passionate about improving the way we design and deliver care to improve outcomes for patients, staff and the broader community. Chloe began her career as a physiotherapist and worked across a range of clinical settings before pivoting into clinical service design and project management. Her curiosity and passions for problem solving, diverse collaborations and systems thinking led her into the innovation and entrepreneurship space, co-founding a digital health startup and acting as a boundary spanner to bring public and private sector innovators together.

Most recently Chloe led the Kaartdijin Innovation Centre at South Metropolitan Health Service, including establishment in 2019 – the first innovation hub for WA public health services. She has engaged, connected and empowered clinicians, technicians, corporate staff and external partners to dream big and innovate to solve problems. Chloe also has a keen interest in Aboriginal health, wellbeing and justice including volunteer work for Enterprise Partnerships WA, a not-for-profit partnering with remote First Nations communities to facilitate entrepreneurship and activate community-led enterprises that foster health and well-being. In particular, Chloe is working with Oliver Bazzani to deliver the Perth Biodesign course and with Sandra Medic to deliver the Biodesign content for iPREP Biodesign.

Professor
Kevin Pfleger

Chair of Perth Biodesign

and Biodesign Australia

Kevin is Director Biomedical and Health Innovation at The University of Western Australia and WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub. He is also Deputy Director of the Australian Research Council Centre for Personalised Therapeutics Technologies, Immediate Past President of the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists, founding Co-Director of the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program and Chief Scientific Advisor to Dimerix.

Ruth Seeber

Senior Project Officer

Ruth Seeber is a molecular pharmacologist with over 20 years of experience working at The University of Western Australia and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. She is an assay technology co-inventor and has extensive experience in managing projects at the academic-industry interface. Ruth therefore brings key insights into how researchers can work effectively on this boundary.

Ruth provides administrative and operational support to the Course Directors and Program Coordinator, and helps co-ordinate between the various Perth Biodesign courses.

“iPREP Biodesign can provide an effective and low-risk pathway for bringing new employees into the organisation, where we get to see how a particular student functions within our working environment prior to potentially recruiting them as an employee”

- Dr Michael Garrett, Head of Research and Innovation, Cinglevue International

"iPREP Biodesign has offered me not only the privilege to engage, challenge myself, and learn from an incredibly talented team of industry professionals, but also to connect with like-minded peers while receiving continuous training and support to build my career in innovation"

- Martina Mariano

Round 1 2021 Graduate