Entrepreneurship skills put to the test at the MDHS Health Foundry

A team of graduate and early-career researchers have been awarded a cash prize for their innovative pitch to improve chronic disease screening, as part of an immersive program focusing on health innovation and impact.

Supported by the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences’ (MDHS) Innovation Fund, the two-day intensive Health Foundry program tasked five teams to develop and present a pitch for an innovative health enterprise linked to one of their current research projects.

Caption: Associate Professor Mark Merolli and Professor Lauren Ayton AM (second and third from left)
with the winning team (L-R) Dr Lachlan Knight, Natnael Assefa, Leo Li, and Catherine Jan.

The winning team’s pitch, presented by Catherine Jan, proposed a health screening device and software package that can detect and predict the risk of several common conditions such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, and kidney disease using a photo of the back of the eye.

The program connected each team with mentors to help them refine their pitch, while also providing participants with practical advice through engaging panel sessions on the realities of start-up life, trends in healthcare, and different research translation pathways.

“Translating research into real-world impact can feel daunting for many health researchers, and it’s often unclear where to begin,” said Catherine.

“Being able to experience and understand how research translation works with the support of mentors who have been through this process themselves was something I found really valuable.”

Teams pitched their ideas to an audience of health and industry experts, with proposals ranging from a personalised app to help women navigate perimenopause, to a 3D scanning technology that can help develop custom footwear to reduce sporting injuries.

“We should always be thinking about how research can be applied to create high-impact commercial and social ventures that can deliver new processes, products or treatments for patients,” said Professor Lauren Ayton AM, Associate Dean Innovation and Enterprise, MDHS.

“This program builds entrepreneurial skills and connects our early-career and graduate researchers to resources available across the university so they can embark on their research translation journey with confidence.”