Shining a light on women in the healthtech industry

Do you know a woman who is making inroads to the healthtech industry?  

Nominations for the BioMelbourne Network Women in Leadership Awards are now open and closing soon. 

These awards  recognise and champion women, at different stages of their careers, who have made outstanding contributions to advancing the biotechnology, medical technology, and pharmaceutical sector, and inspire more women to pursue leadership roles. 

If you know or work alongside an incredible woman who works in or supports the health industry – including biotechnology, medical technology, pharmaceuticals and other health innovation areas – as an executive, manager, R&D practitioner, supplier, or service provider, why not consider nominating her? 

Awardees will be profiled on the BioMelbourne Network website and through other promotional activities associated with the Awards. In addition to boosting the profile of women in leadership roles in our sector, awardees will also be offered speaking opportunities at BioMelbourne Network events. 

Nominations for the 2023 Awards close on 15 February and will be presented in April/May 2023. Find out more here >>

Victorian digital health changemakers recognised in 2022

Dr Emma Ball
2022 Distinguished Leadership Award

Dr Emma Ball is Head of Illumina for Startups Australia, a local expansion of the global company creation and growth engine of US genomics company, Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN). Emma is responsible for supporting founders and building the ecosystem of entrepreneurs and investors to create, launch and grow genomics and omics start-ups in Australia.

As part of the role, Emma is Entrepreneur in Residence for The Advanced Genomics Collaboration (TAGC), a partnership between Illumina and the University of Melbourne. The TAGC aims to improve patient outcomes by increasing genomics innovation and its translation and adoption into the health system.

Prior to joining Illumina, Emma was at biotherapeutics and vaccines company, CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) for 15 years, most recently as Global Head of Search & Evaluation and Director Strategy & Business Development. Previous roles at CSL include corporate strategy, commercial development, R&D program management and alliance management. Before CSL, Emma worked in project management in small biotech businesses, both ASX-listed (Prima Biomed, now Immutep) and private (Prostate Diagnostics).

Beyond her role at Illumina, Emma is Non-Executive Director at Startup Shakeup Ltd. She is a mentor for Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS) and a member of Springboard Enterprises (SBE) Australia’s Life Sciences Council, the AusBiotech Victorian state committee, and several angel investor groups.

Emma trained as a molecular biologist and gained her PhD in medicine (research) from the University of Melbourne, followed by postdoctoral studies in oncology and endocrinology at Monash University. She holds an MBA from RMIT University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and the Wade Institute’s Venture Capital Catalyst program.

George Kenley
2022 Inspiring Leadership Award

George Kenley studied at the University of Melbourne and completed degrees in Geomatic Engineering, Planning and Design, and Property and Construction. She then joined top tier construction company, Lend Lease, and spent 10 years working across iconic projects including the Royal Children’s Hospital in Parkville, the new Bendigo Hospital, and the new Monash Children’s Hospital.

Shifting her focus from the construction of hospitals and large-scale healthcare infrastructure, George co-founded Seer in 2017. Seer is reimagining how and where people undergo long-term brain, heart, and respiratory monitoring for faster paths to diagnoses and better patient outcomes.

Seer’s solutions include an at-home epilepsy monitoring system and wearable medical devices, mobile apps for tracking and forecasting seizures, and cloud technology that translates big data into useful medical insights.

George has a deep understanding of the constraints in the health sector and was eager to influence transformative change. Her organisational and project management expertise contributed to Seer’s successful launch and rapid growth.

As Chief Operations Officer, George is responsible for maintaining Seer’s execution and alignment with its overall business strategy. She has played a key role in expanding the number of Seer Medical clinics around Australia and contributed to Seer gaining regulatory approval for its award-winning, patented technology.

Associate Professor Lauren Ayton
2022 Emerging Leadership Award

Associate Professor Lauren Ayton has been passionate about vision loss since her older brother lost his sight due to a brain injury when she was a child. Lauren trained as an optometrist and has worked in a range of clinical environments, including Africa and Sri Lanka. She completed her PhD in 2009 in paediatric optometry, followed by postdoctoral research on traumatic brain injury.

In 2010, Lauren joined the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), where she became Clinical Team Leader of the Bionic Vision Australia program, a large consortium developing a vision prosthesis, or ‘bionic eye’, to help restore useful vision in people living with blindness.

A research collaboration with Harvard University led to a 2017 offer to become Director of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at Bionic Eye Technologies, a New York-based start-up. This experience increased Lauren’s interest in research translation, innovation, and commercialisation. She forged strong relationships with US partners

In 2019, a Driving Research Momentum Fellowship saw Lauren return to the University of Melbourne. She now holds a joint position between the Departments of Surgery (Ophthalmology) and Optometry and Vision Sciences, and CERA, which is based at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.

Lauren’s research focuses on the progression of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), the most common cause of legal blindness in working-aged Australians. She runs projects across a wide spectrum, including imaging and functional studies of people with IRDs, clinical trials of emerging treatments and low vision devices, and qualitative studies investigating the quality of life of people with IRDs.

Lauren also leads the SPARK Melbourne research accelerator and is active in Victoria’s innovation ecosystem. She is a passionate science communicator, and can be heard on 3RRR’s Sunday science show, Einstein A Go-Go.

Discover more leaders on the Women in Leadership Awards Honour Roll.

BioMelbourne Network is the peak body in the Victorian healthtech industry, driving engagement and growth in research, innovation, commercialisation and manufacturing through local and international networks. Since 2001, they have been actively fostering and growing an innovative, globally competitive sector and transforming their Network as well as the broader Victorian ecosystem.

To connect with BioMelbourne Network and the Victorian ecosystem, sign up to your free account at www.wilam.com