The SPARK Co-Lab Design Course ran with great success in 2016 and again in 2017 with support from Accelerating Australia, Wrays and EY, bringing together the best and brightest from across medicine, science, engineering and the world of business. The 2018 Perth Biodesign course is run as a partnership between Accelerating Australia and SPARK Co-Lab.
Perth Biodesign is a 6 month course, running from June until November annually, in which multidisciplinary teams identify unmet clinical needs and work towards providing a solution, whilst learning about the medical device development process.
Matthew Oldakowski
Matt is a biomedical engineering researcher and medical device entrepreneur with a mechanical engineering degree from The University of Western Australia. In his PhD studies at Curtin University he co-developed an expandable orthopaedic screw which spun-out into REX Ortho. He is also a co-inventor and co-founder of Cervical ChinUp.
Matt is currently at Stanford University as a Global Faculty in Training Fellow at the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, as well as being an Endeavour Executive Fellow. Later this year, he will work across Curtin University and St John of God Hospital to establish bioengineering capability, in addition to being Perth Biodesign’s co-Course Director.
Intan Oldakowska
Intan is a biomedical engineer and entrepreneur focused on developing medical devices. A graduate of the University of Western Australia in Mechanical Engineering and Commerce, she is a Research Associate at Curtin University where her PhD studies have focused on developing a novel expandable orthopaedic screw, which has spun-out into REX Ortho. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Cervical ChinUp.
A SPARK Co-Lab Design Course 2016 alumnus, Intan is currently at Stanford University, helping at Otoinnovation Lab and observing the Stanford Biodesign Innovation classes, before returning to be Perth Biodesign's co-Course Director.
Jane Harries
Maud Eijkenboom
Maud is the Executive Officer for Accelerating Australia, a national, cohesive one stop shop for biomedical innovation and entrepreneurship. Dr Eijkenboom is an R&D and commercialisation executive with 20 years multinational, ASX-listed, private, start-up, incubator, spin-out and consulting experience in the life sciences industry. She has invented and/or developed a wide range of technologies, including drugs, devices, biologics, veterinary, complementary medicines, cosmetics, nutraceuticals and agrochemicals. She was Chief Scientific Officer for ASX-Listed entities and R&D executive for Bayer HealthCare in Germany. Maud is passionate about creating flow between universities, the healthcare system, industry and the community to improve quality of life. Maud has scientific qualifications in preclinical neuropsychology and neurobiology. She is an Expert in the Commercialisation Australia Expert Network and previously an advisor to the Innovation Centre of WA.
Kristen Houston
Kristen Houston received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology from the University of Western Australia. She has a diverse range of experience across a number of industries and most recently worked for John Beech and The Executive Connection where she created the website for consulting company Guided Innovation. Kristen is involved in the general coordination and support of the Perth Biodesign course as well as the marketing, communications and general support of Accelerating Australia
Applications for Perth Biodesign 2018 are now closed. Use the form below to make an enquiry or to submit an expression of interest for the 2019 course!
Thank you to the generous supporters of the Perth Biodesign course
