The Victorian Lions Foundation
Thanks to the generous and ongoing support received from trusts and foundations, such as the Victorian Lions Foundation, our researchers continue to progress their life-changing work.
The Victorian Lions Foundation’s longstanding commitment to the funding of Bionics Institute researchers helps provide the long-term security they need to advance their research and further the Bionics Institute’s mission: to address the unmet needs of patients living with challenging conditions.
Victorian Lions Foundation secretary John Mitchell said: ‘We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Bionics Institute since the Lions supported Professor Graeme Clark’s early work to invent a multiple channel cochlear implant.
Since that time, we have been continuous supporters of the Bionics Institute. We are more than proud to be able to stand up and say that Lions Clubs of Victoria and Southern New South Wales play a vital role in contributing to the Bionics Institute’s projects.’
Associate Professor Wesley Thevathasan joined the Bionics Institute in 2015 as the first Lions International Neurobionics Fellow, working as a clinical collaborator to develop and evaluate improved deep brain stimulation systems.
In 2018, the team discovered a unique brain signal (ERNA) that could be used to guide and improve the accuracy of how electrodes are implanted. Use of this brain signal also enables surgery to be performed under full anaesthetic, avoiding the need for patients to be awake, which can be a daunting prospect for those who could benefit from this treatment.
This brain signal discovery will transform the way neurosurgeons perform the deep brain stimulation procedure, and also underpins an advanced and adaptive system that can respond to patients’ changing symptoms.
In 2021, funding from the Victorian Lions Foundation supported Associate Professor Gérard Loquet, who joined the Institute as a leading member of the translational hearing research group, and Professor Colette McKay, group lead and long standing recipient of Victorian Lions Foundation support.
This cross-disciplinary team, comprising audiologists, engineers and scientists, focuses on the translation of hearing instrument innovation and clinical management into commercial or clinical use. The aim of the team is to make a tangible and positive impact on the quality of lives of people of all ages who are living with hearing loss.
The Bionics Institute would like to thank the Victorian Lions Foundation for their generosity. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing support.
We are more than proud to be able to stand up and say that Lions Clubs of Victoria and Southern New South Wales play a vital role in contributing to the Bionics Institute’s projects.
