Prof Robert Briggs Otolaryngologist (MBBS, FRACS, FACS) Expand Prof Robert Briggs is an Otolaryngologist whose current appointments are Clinical Professor in the University of Melbourne Departments of Surgery and Otolaryngology, and Head of Otology and Medical Director of the Cochlear Implant Clinic at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Prof Briggs’ major role is involvement in, and supervision of, the provision of Otology and Cochlear Implant clinical services. This includes responsibility for the ongoing clinical research in the Cochlear Implant Clinic and introduction of new clinical guidelines, surgical techniques and devices. Research project Tinnitus
Mr Kristian Bullus Neurologist (MBBS, FRACS, PhD) Expand Mr Kristian Bullus is a consultant neurosurgeon at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, and manages all neurosurgical conditions with a special interest in deep brain stimulation. He also works as a neurosurgeon at other major hospitals across Melbourne, and is a fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons. Mr Bullus is actively involved in teaching medical students and neurosurgical residents/registrars and is involved in a number of research projects in deep brain stimulation, peripheral nerve repair and minimal invasive spinal surgery. Research projects Pre-clinical validation (ERNA signal)Improved positioning for DBS (ADEPT device)Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation Device (ASTUTE system)
Prof Mark Cook Neurologist (MBBS, MD) Expand Currently Chair of Medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Professor Cook specialises in the treatment of epilepsy – his previous role was at St Vincent’s as Professor and Director of Neurology. He is recognised internationally for his expertise in epilepsy management, particularly imaging and surgical planning. After completing specialist training in Melbourne, Professor Cook undertook an MD thesis while working as Brain Research Fellow at Queen Square, London. He returned to St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne to continue his interest in neuroimaging in epilepsy. Under his directorship, both the research and clinical components of the Neurology Department at St Vincent’s have been significantly enlarged. Currently one of the largest units in Australia for the surgical treatment of epilepsy, this was a direct extension of work he began in London, where he developed techniques for the accurate measurement of hippocampal volumes, and established their position in non-invasive assessment of surgical candidates. More recently his interests have included experimental models of epilepsy and seizure prediction. Research project Epilepsy “Working with the research team at the Bionics Institute has been a life changing experience for me. Having the opportunity to collaborate with specialists in their respective fields, outside of biological science with expertise in medical technologies and materials, has been pivotal in the development of electric medicine. The Institute is leading the way in medical bionics research in Australia, in fact the entire world, and has been in this space since the very start. The perspective that the team at the Institute provides is incredibly insightful and radically different. It makes me think about how I look at things in a totally different way. As collaborators we have developed radical new therapies for complex neurological illnesses. For a long time the institute has focussed on hearing, but now its reach has extended to many areas of human health, particularly in the area of brain disease. This is the most exciting period of development that I have come across or that I have lived through - it’s the start of a brand new era in medicine.” - Prof Mark Cook Further information Click here to read Prof Cook's story.
A/Prof Peter De Cruz Gastroenterologist (MBBS, PhD, FRACP) Expand A/Prof Peter De Cruz is one of Australia’s leading inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialists; he is the Director of the IBD service at the Austin Hospital and a Senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne. A/Prof De Cruz has been highly impressed by the depth and breadth of talent within the Bionics Institute and is excited about the prospect of turning dreams into reality. Research project Crohn's Disease “I feel incredibly privileged to be part of such a fantastic team that has taken a proof-of-concept from pre-clinical research, to a world first-in-human clinical trial to assist Crohn’s disease patients. The Bionics Institute is a unique medical research institute that promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration involving engineers, bench-side researchers and clinicians to help solve very complex clinical problems. The Institute attracts some of the very best and brightest in their respective fields and has provided an open forum to enable its group of clinicians and multi-disciplinary researchers to work together to address questions of unmet need. The environment has been nurtured and developed to propel the academy of health, science and medical research forward to the limits of the imagination.” – A/Prof Peter De Cruz Further information Click here to read A/Prof De Cruz's story.
A/Prof Wendyl D’Souza Neurologist (MBChB, MPH, FRACP, PhD) Expand A/Prof Wendyl D'Souza is a neurologist and epileptologist with over 15 years of clinical experience in researching new and emerging treatments for common neurological and epileptic disorders. He is an Associate Professor in Neuroepidemiology & Health Services Research in the Department of Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital. Over his longstanding career, A/Prof D’Souza has won a number of prestigious awards and fellowships recognizing his pioneering work in epilepsy and other neurological disorders. Research project Epilepsy
Prof Richard MacIsaac Endocrinologist (BSc (Hons), PhD, MBBS, FRACP) Expand Prof Richard MacIsaac is the Professor and Director of Endocrinology, Department of Endocrinology & Diabetes, St Vincent’s Health, Professorial Fellow, The University of Melbourne and Senior Principal Research Associate, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria. Prof MacIsaac is a leader in the area of diabetes treatment and research. His main research interest is diabetes and its complications, especially those related to cardiovascular and kidney disease. Research project Diabetes
Dr Peter McNeill Neurologist (MBBS, FRACS, LLB) Expand Dr Peter McNeill is a is a consulting neurosurgeon at St Vincent’s Hospital , with expertise in a number of sub-specialty areas in neurosurgery in particular the surgical management of pituitary region tumours including craniopharyngioma and meningiomas causing visual pathway compression. Another area of specialist expertise has been functional neurosurgery, which deals with various movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. Research projects Neurological Conditions
A/Prof Michael Murphy Neurologist (MBBS, MD, Dip.Anat, FRACS) Expand A/Prof Michael Murphy is a Melbourne neurosurgeon who is an Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and the former Director of Neurosurgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he is currently a Consultant Neurosurgeon. A/Prof Murphy specialises in brain tumours, vascular lesions, epilepsy surgery, management of spinal conditions, and peripheral nerve surgery. Research project Epilepsy
Prof Stephen O’Leary Otolaryngologist (MBBS, PhD, FRACS, FAHMS) Expand Prof Stephen O’Leary is an Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon who holds the William Gibson Chair of Otolaryngology at the University of Melbourne, and is a Senior Specialist in the Otology and Cochlear Implant Clinics at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. In the laboratory, Professor O’Leary is internationally recognised for his work on hearing protection during cochlear implant surgery, especially through pharmacological treatments. Research projects Restoring Hearing Optogenetics
A/Prof Evange Romas Rheumatologist (MBBS, FRACP, PhD) Expand A/Prof Romas, an Honorary Fellow at the Bionics Institute, is a rheumatologist with a full clinical workload and over 25 years’ experience as an educator and clinical researcher in the field. As the Director of Rheumatology at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, A/Prof Romas brings substantial clinical experience and expertise to the team. With a personal cohort of 1000 private patients with rheumatoid arthritis, A/Prof Romas will ensure that our bionic therapy is clinically relevant and useful to patients. A/Prof Romas also holds the appointment of Associate Professor and Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Research Projects Arthritis
Dr Wesley Thevathasan Lions International Neurobionics Research Fellow/Neurologist (MBBS Melb FRACP DPhil Oxf) Expand I am a clinical and academic neurologist specialising in Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). After initial neurology training in Melbourne, I completed fellowships in movement disorders/DBS at Oxford and Queen Square. I then worked as consultant neurologist to the DBS service at Oxford and completed a PhD investigating the mechanisms of DBS in Parkinson’s disease. Since returning to Melbourne, I have worked closely with Neurosurgeon Kristian Bulluss, running a busy DBS practice which spans University of Melbourne affiliated public hospitals and private practice. My research is based at the Bionics Institute, aiming to optimise subthalamic nucleus DBS for Parkinson’s disease. This led to the important discovery of “Evoked Resonance Neural Activity” (ERNA), a new biomarker with potential to deliver automated DBS programming and to trigger feedback ‘adaptive’ control. This research has been made possible by 5 NHMRC project/development grants and generous support from the Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation, Brain foundation, Lions International and the Colonial Foundation. Research Projects Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation Device (ASTUTE system) Improved positioning for DBS (ADEPT device) Pre-clinical validation (ERNA signal) Recent publications Ramirez-Zamora, A., J. Giordano, A. Gunduz, J. Alcantara, N.J. Cagle, S. Cernera, P. Difuntorum, S. Eisinger, J. Gomez, S. Long, B. Parks, J.K. Wong, S. Chiu, B. Patel, W.M. Grill, H.C. Walker, S.J. Little, R. Gilron, G. Tinkhauser, W. Thevathasan, N. C. Sinclair, A. M. Lozano, T. Foltynie, A. Fasano, S. A. Sheth, K. Scangos, T. D. Sanger, J. Miller, A. C. Brumback, P. Rajasethupathy, C. McIntyre, L. Schlachter, N. Suthana, C. Kubu, L. R. Sankary, K. Herrera-Ferrá, S. Goetz, B. Cheeran, G. K. Steinke, C. Hess, L. Almeida, W. Deeb, K.D. Foote, and S.O. Michael. 2020. Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Deep Brain Stimulation Think Tank: Advances in Neurophysiology, Adaptive DBS, Virtual Reality, Neuroethics and Technology, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14(54). Thevathasan, Wesley, Nicholas C. Sinclair, Kristian J. Bulluss, and Hugh J. McDermott. 2020. Tailoring Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease Using Evoked Resonant Neural Activity, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14(71): doi: 3389/fnhum.2020.00071 Warren, A. E. L., L. J. Dalic, W. Thevathasan, A. Roten, K. J. Bulluss, and J. Archer. 2020. Targeting the centromedian thalamic nucleus for deep brain stimulation, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry: [epub ahead of print]. Sinclair, Nicholas Campbell, James B Fallon, Kristian Bulluss, Wesley Thevathasan, and Hugh J McDermott. 2019. On the neural basis of deep brain stimulation evoked resonant activity, Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express, 5: 057001. Sinclair, N. C., H. J. McDermott, J. B. Fallon, T. Perera, P. Brown, K. J. Bulluss, and W. Thevathasan. 2019. Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease modulates high-frequency evoked and spontaneous neural activity, Neurobiology of disease, 130: 104522. Tan, J., W. Thevathasan, J. McGinley, P. Brown, and T. Perera. 2019. An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE(146): e59309. doi: 3791/59309. Sinclair, N. C., H. J. McDermott, J. B. Fallon, T. Perera, P. Brown, K. J. Bulluss, and W. Thevathasan. 2019. Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease modulates high- frequency evoked and spontaneous neural activity. Neurobiology of disease. 130: 104522. doi: 1016/j.nbd.2019.104522. Sinclair, N. C., J. B. Fallon, K. Bulluss, W. Thevathasan, and H. J. McDermott. 2019. On the neural basis of deep brain stimulation evoked resonant activity. Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express. 5: 057001. doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/2057-1976/ab366e. Thevathasan, W., and E. Moro. 2018. What is the therapeutic mechanism of pedunculopontine nucleus stimulation in Parkinson’s disease? Neurobiology of disease: [epub ahead of print]. doi: 1016/j.nbd.2018.06.014. Tan, J. L., T. Perera, J. L. McGinley, S. A. C. Yohanandan, P. Brown, and W. Thevathasan. 2018. Neurophysiological analysis of the clinical pull test. Journal of Neurophysiology: [epub ahead of print]. doi: 1152/jn.00789.2017. Further information Click here to read Dr Thevathasan's story.
Dr Sherryl Wagstaff Otolaryngologist (MBBS, FRACS, MBA, MBS, GAICD) Expand Dr Wagstaff is an Otolaryngologist – Head and Neck Surgeon subspecialising in Otology. In 2020, Dr Wagstaff joined the board of the Bionics Institute. In the past, Dr Wagstaff has told her patients that the idea of a drug that could assist with hearing loss would never happen in their lifetime. After collaborating with the Institute, she is now filled with a sense of confidence that one day soon she will have a hearing loss treatment to offer her patients that will provide life-changing benefits. This has provided Dr Wagstaff with a great deal of inspiration for both herself and her patients. She has a sense of satisfaction that the collaboration with the Institute has been instrumental in an incredible advancement in hearing impairment research. Research project Restoring Hearing “I have felt that my interactions with the Institute’s scientists are mutually beneficial. I don’t think that one can live without the other anymore. Australia has both world-class scientists and world-class clinicians. It is time that we recognize that the interaction between the two groups is the only way to progress science at a speed that makes it relevant to patients. Success is no longer about journal articles and citations; it is about touching patients to enhance their lives forever.”- Dr Sherryl Wagstaff Further information Click here to read Dr Wagstaff's story.
A/Prof Glenn Ward Endocrinologist (B.Sc, MBBS., D.Phil(oxon), FRACP, FRCPATH) Expand A/Prof Ward holds several appointments at St. Vincent's Hospital including Clinical Consultant in Clinical Biochemistry, the Head of the Diabetes Services at St. Vincent's Hospital, Deputy Director of the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes and Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne's Department of Pathology. A/Prof Ward has over 20 years of experience in laboratory based Endocrinology research; including 7 years full time laboratory based research on the biochemical and physiological aspects of insulin action. Research project Diabetes