Inventing Things in Public Health: Well, What Do You Know?

This week, Dr Stephen Palmer, Industry & Innovation Lead for the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct shared his knowledge and experience supporting health technology innovation and industry engagement at the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Research Forum. 

Health technology innovation is an essential part of improving outcomes for patients and reducing the ever-increasing cost burden. An inspiring idea built on experience and expertise can often lead health workers to invent solutions for a new device or treatment that might transform an aspect of healthcare. Whilst turning imagined solutions into reality might become one of the most rewarding things you’ve ever done, as everybody knows, it’s a long and daunting road to get there.

The aim of this presentation was to demystify the fundamentals of invention, innovation, intellectual property ownership and commercialisation in the context of public health organisations and research institutions. We also look at some of the health innovation support mechanisms, including those within the RHIP, that are designed to help people along their innovation journey. Equipped with such knowledge, it is hoped that more people might be encouraged to give their imagined solution a go.

View the presentation recording

About the Speaker

After completing his PhD at University College London, Dr Stephen Palmer spent over twenty-five years in academic medical research in both the UK and Australia before joining the Australian biotech company, Kazia Therapeutics, then two years leading the Life Science team at the UNSW Technology Transfer Office before taking up his current role.

Originally trained in molecular genetics, developmental biology and the use of genetically modified animals and cells to understand and model human disease, he has acquired skills in commercial health technology R&D, intellectual property management and business development.