Dr Deborah Munro (pictured centre) won the HealthTech Award for Best Translational Research at the awards dinner last night. Here she is pictured with Grace Elliot (left) and Ella Guy (right) who previously worked with Dr Deborah Munro on engineering solutions to improve global health.
MedTech Centre of Research Excellence, Callaghan Innovation, and Medical Technology Association New Zealand (MTANZ) presented awards to the winners at a gala dinner last night (Tuesday, 22 June).
UC Engineering academic Dr Debbie Munro won the HealthTech Award for Best Translational Research for her project titled: Diagnostic Implantable Sensor System for Spinal Fusion. Dr Munro is a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, who has developed ‘smart’ implant sensor technology to help detect changes in patients who’ve had spinal fusion surgery.
This award recognises the translational research capability in New Zealand where a new technology solution has been created to solve an unmet clinical need with a potential commercial opportunity.
All three award-winners in this category are researchers from the University of Canterbury
- Winner: UC Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Senior Lecturer Dr Debbie Munro: Diagnostic, Implantable Sensor System for Spinal Fusion
- 1st Runner Up: UC Professor in Psychology, Speech and Hearing and head of UC’s Rose Centre for Stroke Recovery and Research, Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee: BiSSkApp – Seeing the way to rehabilitation of swallowing impairment
- 2nd Runner Up: UC Mechanical Engineering PhD student Jake Campbell: Non-invasive glucose monitoring in the neonatal ICU.
