New ARC Training Centre to drive sensing technologies for health impact
Researchers and industry partners are set to advance health sensing technologies (HST) – such as wearable sensors and smart implants – to improve health outcomes, train a new generation of entrepreneurial researchers and boost Australia’s Medtech industry.
The University of Melbourne will lead the new $5 million Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Transformative Health Sensing Technologies, an ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) announced last week. Queensland University of Technology and Adelaide University will collaborate on the Centre.
ITTCs drive partnerships between university researchers and industry and provide Higher Degree by Research and postdoctoral training for industries vital to Australia's future.
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Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT), Professor Thas Nirmalathas, said the University is ideally placed to lead the Centre.
“We have strong partnerships and MedTech expertise to build on, such as our ARC Training Centre for Medical Implant Technologies and the Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical Engineering,” Professor Nirmalathas said.
“We are excited by the potential healthcare benefits this will have for the public, as well as new opportunities for our students and industry partners.”
The Centre will be led by University of Melbourne Professor Peter Lee, who is based in FEIT.
“Health sensing technologies have huge potential to transform healthcare as we know it,” Professor Lee said.
“This field has a large and growing global market and potential to extend into all health-related areas such as aged care, sports, defence and workplace safety. It will provide many economic and social benefits to Australia.”
The Centre aims to transform HSTs – which collect continuous, real-time monitoring of vital signs and biomarkers – into trusted, validated and data-compatible, medical-grade devices that provide a measurement-based understanding of individual health. They can lead to proactive health management, early detection of complications, and personalised care.
“Our vision is to create an intelligent human digital twin that simulates a person’s health status and behaviour, using real-time data captured by HST. This digital twin will continuously interact with, learn from, and adapt to real-world experiences, supporting individuals’ ongoing health and well-being,” Professor Lee said.
“For example, older adults could use their digital twin to practice fall prevention, while first responders, soldiers or athletes could simulate their performance in high-stress environments, improving preparation and resilience for emergencies, missions or competitions.”
The Centre will bring together 21 partners, including Japan’s Hokkaido University; University of Salford, UK; St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne; Australian Sports Commission; Medical Technology Association of Australia; and companies such as ANDhealth, Samsung Electronics Australia, Fortifyedge, MAXONIQ and many more.
Learn more about the Industrial Transformation Research Program here