3 YEARS IN, PROGRAM BUILDS ON CAPABILITY AND CONNECTIVITY FOR EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS IN ENT MEDICAL DEVICES Beyond Science gives in theatre opportunities, networking with stakeholders and support from mentors
With
Professor Payal Mukherjee, Adult and Paediatric ENT Surgeon
Otologist, Cochlear Implant and Skull Base Surgeon &
Clinical Professor, Macquarie University &
TGA Advisory Committee for Medical Devices &
Clinical Associate Professor, University of Sydney &
Surgical Innovation Lead, RPA Institute of Academic Surgery &
Head of Department ENT, Sydney Adventist Hospital &
Co-Founder & Co-Director, Beyond Science
Distinguished Professor Gordon Wallace AO,
Director, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute,
University of Wollongong &
Co-Founder & Co-Director, Beyond Science
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH JOURNAL SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney & Wollongong | August 2025
Surgeon-scientists and surgeon-innovators have an important role in the entire medical technology translational cycle; not only from discovery to commercialisation, but in ensuring that health technologies are implemented in value-based manner.
This includes defining safety and regulatory standards, balancing patient outcomes against health care costs, and working with policy makers to ensure that funding is both sustainable and promotes equitable access to technology.
Despite a rich history of biomedical innovation in Australia, there are limited training opportunities for surgeons to develop these skills. Within NSW, there are no formal surgeon-scientist training pathways in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
In 2022, Distinguished Professor Gordon Wallace AO and Professor Mukherjee jointly established Beyond Science as a clinician led, academically supported and clinician run Australian-first medical technology translation program.
The program is aimed at early career researchers and clinician-scientists working in medical device research specifically in otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat), head and neck surgery.
Its core mission is to build capability and foster connections between researchers and key stakeholders such as industry, government, universities, and health systems.
This is through helping researchers understand health system priorities and translation pathways from research to real-world impact. Uniquely, this includes opportunity to enter surgical environments for observation and tissue collection.
Australian Health Journal spoke to its founders about how it supports academic mentorship and creates networking opportunities to help early career stage medical device researchers connect with clinicians, policymakers, industry leaders, and funding bodies.
Beyond Science is funded by Passe & Williams Foundation & the Sydney Local Health District
Source: Adapted from Beyond Science, RACS and University of Wollongong websites
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Keeping elderly out of hospital
Pioneer in health care, Geriatrician Professor Susan Kurrle, Curran Professor in Health Care of Older People at the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney AO spoke after receiving the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association 2022 Sidney Sax medal award.
The Sidney Sax medal is awarded for outstanding contributions to the development and improvement of Australia’s healthcare system.
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Improving access to osteopathic services and integrated care models
The Chief Executive Officer of Osteopathy Australia, Antony Nicholas spoke with Australian Health Journal about:
– Involvement in the Strengthening Medicare Task Force
– The unique skills osteopaths have that can address the chronic disease burden
– Current workforce issues around osteopaths and if enough are coming through via student placements
– How uploading data to My Health Record by osteopaths could assist team-based care of patients
– How the value of osteopaths in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) could be better understood and better access for residents
– The recommendations around aged care access to allied health services, including osteopathy
– The recommendations around consumer access to osteopaths and GP referrals
– Other osteopathy recommendations in the upcoming Federal BudgetIn the lead up to the Australian Federal Budget in May 2023, Australian Health Journal reached out to peak health industry bodies to hear about their priorities, either noted in pre-budget submissions lodged with Federal Government in January 2023 or in recent forums such as the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce.
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Detection and prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
Professor Vicky Vass serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer’s Research Australia, which is based in Perth, Western Australia. Australian Health Journal met with Professor Vass to hear of the organisation’s mission to solve the mysteries surrounding Alzheimer’s disease, and focus on detection as the key to their efforts.
