Research Team
The NEOPEC research team is drawn from the two leading Victorian R&D institutions – the University of Melbourne and the O’Brien Institute.
Prof Wayne Morrison MBBS MD OA FRACS Director, O'Brien Institute Professor Wayne Morrison is the Director of the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery and Executive Director of the Microsurgery Foundation. He is Professor of Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne and Head of Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He is the Hugh Devine Professor and Head of The University of Melbourne Department of Surgery at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne and most recently awarded the B.K. Rank Professorship for the Australian Society Plastic Surgery and the Prince Henry’s Medal (Royal Australian College of Surgeons). Professor Morrison was awarded an AO in 2000. In 1982 he became the Deputy Director of the Microsurgery Research Centre and upon the death of Mr Bernard O'Brien became Director of the centre when it was renamed the Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery in 1992. As Director of BOBIM, Professor Morrison oversees a research and training institution that has an international reputation for excellence. He is actively involved in the training of Research Fellows who come to Australia for periods of one or more years.
Prof Morrison is leading the overall research effort for NEOPEC and is co-inventor of the chamber technology on which NEOPEC is based.
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Dr Keren Abberton BSc PhD Senior Scientist, O’Brien Institute Dr Abberton leads the team studying matrix materials for promotion of fat growth. In 2008 Dr Abberton was awarded the Allan MacLeod Memorial Award for her active leadership and support within the O’Brien Institute as well as her accomplishments in adipose tissue engineering research. She did her undergraduate degree at Monash University, majoring in Zoology. She then became interested in angiogenesis and microcirculation during a Masters degree, producing a thesis looking at angiogenic signals in the endometrium of rats and humans. She worked with Dr Peter Rogers as a research assistant on endometrial angiogenesis and arteriogenesis in perimenopausal women for five years followed by a PhD thesis. During her PhD, she received a Young Investigator award at the Australian and New Zealand Microcirculation Society congress (1997).Keren spent three years doing postdoctoral research at the University of Rochester in New York in the department of Physiology and Pathology. Keren returned to Australia in 2002 to take up a position at the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery. |
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Associate Professor Andrea O'Connor BE (Chemical), PhD (University of Melbourne), MIChemE Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne. Assoc Prof Andrea O’Connor's expertise is in biomaterials, tissue engineering, nanoporous materials and downstream processing for biotechnology. She obtained her PhD from The University of Melbourne in 1995, followed by a 1-year Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She leads the Tissue Engineering and Nanoporous Materials Research Groups in the Department of Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering at the University of Melbourne. Her research and teaching are focused in cross disciplinary applications of engineering involving biological systems, including tissue engineering. She has active collaborations with several medical research institutes and medical device companies in Australia and has worked in the chemical industry in Australia and overseas. She has authored over 50 peer-reviewed research papers, is an Australian Research Council ARC Expert Assessor of International Standing and is an Associate Editor of the new international peer reviewed journal: Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering. She supervises the engineering aspects of the Neopec project at the University of Melbourne and collaborates with the consortium members on a range of tissue engineering research activities.
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Professor Geoff Stevens BE (Chemical), PhD (University of Melbourne),FTSE, FIChemE, FAusIMM, CEng, CPMet Director, Particulate Fluids Processing Centre, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Associate Dean, Engagement, Melbourne School of Engineering. University of Melbourne Geoff leads an internationally recognised separations group in the Department and is the Director of the Particulate Fluids Processing ARC Special Research Centre and a Project Leader for the CRC for Greenhouse Gas Remediation. His work over the past 30 years has been on understanding interfacial phenomena and how molecules act in the interfacial region. This has lead to applications in materials development and biocompatibility and in transfer of molecules through interfaces such as in solvent extraction. He is on the Editorial Board of a range of key journals in the area and was named by Engineers Australia as one of the Australia’s Top 100 Most Influential Engineering in 2010, 2008 and 2007. He provides supervision on the engineering aspects of the NEOPEC project at the University of Melbourne |
Dr Katharina Ladewig M.Sc. (Chemistry), PhD Research Fellow, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne Having completed her PhD in late 2009, CI Ladewig is at an early stage of her research career. Despite this she has already made significant contributions to the knowledge base of chemistry, material science, nanotechnology, and bio- and tissue engineering. During her PhD, CI Ladewig authored and co-authored a number of publications in the field of gene and drug delivery, amongst which are a single-author book discussing the fundamental principles of gene and drug delivery using inorganic nanoparticles, liposomes and polyplexes, and a highly popular review article. Ladewig's excellence in research has been recognised with a number of awards/prizes and small grants awarded to her. Examples include the UQ Deans' Award for Outstanding Research Higher Degree Theses (2009), the UoM Early Career Researcher Award (2009, $20,000), and the 2006 Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) Young Nanotechnology Ambassador Award.She is responsible for performing the engineering development aspects of the Neopec project at the University of Melbourne in collaboration with the other team members. |
Mr Andrew Batty BSC MComm CEO, Anatomics Pty Ltd Andrew Batty has been the Chief Executive Officer at Anatomics since 2005. Andrew was formerly the Managing Director of the ASX listed medical device company, IM Medical and has worked in the Healthcare sector for 18 years commercialising medical devices, novel biotechnology and prescription medicines. Prior to joining Anatomics, Andrew held management roles with four Biotech companies and the pharmaceutical multinationals, GSK and Roche. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Commerce Degree with special interests in contract law and new product development. |
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Mr Robert Thompson DipAppSci(Rad) BInfoTech MBus Production Manager, Anatomics Pty Ltd Robert Thompson is a diagnostic radiographer with a Bachelor of Information Technology and a Master of Business. Robert is a medical imaging specialist with over 20 years experience managing research, commercial and hospital projects in the areas of 3D CT imaging and nuclear imaging, DICOM image processing and the manufacture of patient specific surgical products. Robert was a founding member of Anatomics in 1996. He has co-authored numerous scientific publications on the application of rapid prototyping technology for patient specific surgical products. Robert has co-authored a recent book chapter and has presented at numerous international conferences. Robert is 41 years old. |
Dr Gian Lorenzetto BCM PhD IT and Software Manager, Anatomics Pty Ltd Dr Gian Lorenzetto joined Anatomics in 2004 and developed a suite of integrated, proprietary software products including an ordering portal that utilises latest technology and web functionality to transmit patient imaging data and a powerful 3D medical image processing software product. Gian has developed software for the medical technology, geology, multi-media and government sectors. Gian holds a PhD in Computational Geometry and Computer Graphics as well as a Bachelor of Computer and Mathematical Sciences. |
