News and Blogs Our seminars Biomedical Seminars - back in 2022 Held on the first Friday of each month, our public seminars are an opportunity to hear about our research projects and learn from local and international biomedical thought leaders. You don't need to be a researcher or academic to come along, all members of the public are welcome to join our seminars. June seminar: Bionic limbs and neurorehabilitation of pain Date: Tuesday, 21 June 2022 Time: 4:00-5:00pm Speaker: Professor Max Ortiz Catalán (PhD) To register: This event will be delivered as a hybrid event (both virtual and in person in Melbourne at the Bionics Institute). Please email [email protected] to register your interest, indicating if you'd like to attend in person or receive the webinar link. About the seminar Prof. Ortiz Catalán will lecture on novel but clinically viable technologies to restore quality of life to patients with limb loss. Using direct skeletal attachment via osseointegration, neuromuscular interfaces, and machine learning, his work resulted in the first artificial arm integrated directly into the patient’s bone, nerves, and muscles. In addition to direct skeletal attachment, this technology provides the unique opportunity to chronically record and stimulate the neuromuscular system in freely behaving humans, thus allowing to investigate complex limb motions and somatosensory perception. Prof. Ortiz Catalán will also discuss how motor decoding technology in combination with augmented reality can be used to treat phantom limb pain, along with a novel theoretical framework for the condition and its treatment. About Professor Max Ortiz Catalán Prof. Max Ortiz Catalán, Ph.D., is the Founder and Director of the Center for Bionics and Pain Research and the Professor of Bionics at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, where he also heads the Bionics Research Unit at the Department of Electrical Engineering. He has received several honors for his work, notably the 'Swedish Embedded Award' by the Swedish Electronic Association in 2018, the 'Brian & Joyce Blatchford Award' by ISPO in 2017, the 'Delsys Prize' by Delsys in 2016, and the 'European Youth Award' by the European Council in 2014. His research includes bioelectric signals acquisition electronics (analog and digital); bioelectric signal processing and machine learning algorithms for decoding motor volition and control; neuromuscular interfaces; neurostimulation for sensory feedback; bone-anchored prostheses and osseointegration; and virtual and augmented reality for neuromuscular rehabilitation and the treatment of phantom limb pain. Upcoming seminar: Friday 1 July 2022 Accidental Entrepreneur: My journey from the laboratory to the boardroom Speaker: Lusia Guthrie Time: 4.00-5.00pm (AEST) With over 35 years in the pharmaceutical and life science industries, Lusia is an experienced company Director, former CEO, technology developer and medtech entrepreneur, with strong leadership skills and international industry networks. She started her career as a Medical Laboratory Scientist before joining the Manufacturing Division of pharmaceutical company FH Faulding & Co (now Mayne Pharma). Lusia then went on to found medical technology innovation company LBT Innovations Limited (ASX: LBT) where she was Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director until 2016. Lusia is the immediate past Chair of BioMelbourne Network. She currently serves as: Chair of Neo-Bionica; Non-Executive Director at WearOptimo; and Chair of ALHI (Australian Lung Health Initiative), a wholly owned subsidiary of 4D Medical (ASX: 4DX). Lusia also serves on several industry advisory committees: AMCC (Australian Medtech Manufacturing Centre, DJPR); AIML (Australian Institute for Machine Learning, University of Adelaide); and ARMI (Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University). She is also a member of Victoria’s Medical Research Workforce Project – Expert Working Group. Registration available soon.