I am excited to share our latest research updates and successes that continue to drive innovation at the Bionics Institute, all thanks to generous people like you.
Our recent Bionics Institute Celebration Event, which marked 46 years of groundbreaking advancements in medical research, was a huge success. The celebration brought together many of our wonderful supporters that represent the community and dedication behind the continuous progress of Bionics Institute research.
Advancements such as the upcoming clinical trial of a device that could revolutionise the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Reaching this research milestone just would not have been possible without the help of you and our wonderful community of generous supporters. Thank you so much.
Of course, there are so many other important ways people contribute to our work, such as those who take part in clinical trials. It got me thinking about the legacy they leave behind and how they will be remembered by future generations.
Take Anthony Becker, for example. The Melbourne father might never be famous. His name might not be known around the world. But to the 80,000 Australians who live with the debilitating symptoms of Crohn’s disease, his impact will be felt forever.
As the first person in the world to be implanted with a vagus nerve device, which our researchers designed to suppress damaging inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease, Anthony will always be remembered as a person who did something incredible to help make life better for others.
If successful, the device could be life-changing for people living with the disease by helping preventthe recurrence of Crohn’s disease for the rest of the patient’s life.
Turning promising ideas and innovations into lifechanging treatments takes many years of dedication, patience and hard work. Your kind generosity is driving significant advancements and transforming lives. Robert Klupacs
When you look back on your life, what do you want to be remembered for?
As a person who believed in the power of science to improve lives?
As someone who cared deeply about the wellbeing and health of other people?
As a generous, compassionate and community-minded person?
I know you are all those things and more. I know it because of the incredible support you have already shown our work. Thank you so much again.
That’s why I want to talk to you about taking your support to the next level and leaving a gift in your Will to the Bionics Institute.
Your choice could ensure that our engineers and scientists can continue their pioneering research and drastically improve the lives of people living with debilitating illnesses for generations to come.
I’ve seen firsthand how powerful such a gift can be — how it can accelerate research towards a clinical trial, leading to medical breakthroughs just like our vagus nerve device.
I truly believe that medical devices like these are the future of healthcare. They have no known side effects and give hope to people who are not responding to traditional medicines.
Supporting these important medical developments is a legacy I am incredibly proud to be a part of. Not just as a CEO of this great organisation, but as a supporter — you see, I have also chosen to leave a gift in my Will to the Bionics Institute.
Of course, I will always put my family first when it comes to preparing my Will.
But it’s so important to me to leave behind a legacy that is in line with the values that have defined my life: a belief in science, a passion for helping people and a commitment to innovation.
This is the legacy I can leave, and I’d be honoured if you similarly chose to leave a legacy that helps generations to come have access to life-changing medical devices that are giving hope to people with Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, hearing loss and much more.
To find out how you can help, please download our legacy pack from the QR code below or contact my colleague Lucy Hooper on 03 9667 7503 or at [email protected] for a confidential chat.
Not everyone can have statues dedicated to them. But we can still make an incredible difference to the lives of others and be remembered for the values that defined our life.
I would be so grateful to you for considering making such a contribution
With my warmest thanks,
Robert Klupacs
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A 2022 ATO Ruling, unique to the Bionics Institute, allows PAFs to invest in medical device research and utililse a number of repayment options.
Impact investment in medtech research at the Bionics Institute via a private or public ancillary fund (PAF/PuAF) was the focus of an AICD Company Director Magazine article on 1 September 2024, titled: Bionics Institute leverages ATO ruling to appeal to new philanthropists.
Bionics Institute CEO Robert Klupcas and Board Member, Micheal Coleman were interviewed about a 2022 ATO tax ruling, unique to the Bionics Institute.
The article describes how the ruling allows PAFs and PuAFs to make a concessionary loan towards research at the Bionics Institute that can be repaid in cash or other consideration, such as equity in a spin off company.
Medical device research at the Bionics Institute often leads to commercialisation to ensure life-changing tests and treatments get into the clinic as soon as possible to benefit patients.
The Bionics Institute has set up several spin-off companies in the past six years, including DBS Tech for Parkinson’s; Epiminder for epilepsy, Neo-Bionica for medical device prototyping, and NirGenie for infant hearing.
There are more spin-offs in the pipeline for conditions including: Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, tinnitus and Alzheimer’s disease.
The ruling also allows for the foregone interest, calculated as the differential between zero percent and market rate at the time of the loan agreement, to be deemed as part of a PAF’s annual mandated distributions.
There is also the added benefit that should the loan be written off, in full or in part, that amount will be also deemed a PAF distribution.
In the article, Robert Klupacs says the Bionics Institute is well-placed to appeal to entrepreneurial donors, and that many universities and institutes are focused on discovery and knowledge generation, which can take a long time to translate into a clinical product – or event into a clinical concept.
“Where we’re different is that we’re very focused on taking these product concepts and moving them as fast as we can into the clinic to see whether they have the potential to work and be commercialisable,” says Klupacs. “Because in the end, we have a very strong philosophy that the reason we do what we do is because we want patients to benefit.”
He continues in the article: “A lot of them, because they’re entrepreneurial, love to invest directly in early-stage companies. But they know they’re very high-risk. Our model allows the charitable structure to donate to an area of work that could be translatable, which could lead to something that’s investable.”
Michael Coleman FAICDLife is featured in the article saying: “This is a very innovative structure,” he says. “I don’t know that anybody else has used it [as convertible donations]. Unless you’re anticipating an outcome — something that is commercialisable — then it’s probably just a convenient source of longer-term funding and perhaps a way of encouraging your donors to have a longer vision when they’re putting the money into your charity.”
Register your expression of interest in learning more about this unique impact investment opportunity below.
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Our innovative vagus nerve stimulation device is a step closer to a first-in-human trial for rheumatoid arthritis thanks to a funding boost from the Victorian Government.
Dr Sophie Payne, Professor James Fallon and their team of engineers, researchers and clinical collaborators have been awarded a $500,000 grant through the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund (VMRAF).
The grant will help launch a clinical trial in late 2024 of our vagus nerve device, which uses electricity to dampen the body’s overactive immune response and prevent long-term damage.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic and debilitating autoimmune condition that affects over 20 million people worldwide, including almost 500,000 Australians.
Dr Sophie Payne says she hopes that the device will bring relief to those suffering from joint inflammation, pain and disability.
“Rheumatoid arthritis can have such a profound impact on quality of life for those with the condition, as well as their loved ones,” Sophie said.
Our tiny device stimulates the vagus nerve with electricity to reboot the body’s built in healing system, with the aim of providing long-term relief for those no longer responding to rheumatoid arthritis drug therapies. Dr Sophie Payne, Senior Research Fellow
As the rheumatoid arthritis device uses a similar therapeutic stimulation strategy, Bionics Institute CEO Robert Klupacs says that the VMRAF grant is pivotal to fast-tracking the development of the device.
“This funding from the Victorian Government will help our researchers set up a comprehensive clinical trial of our revolutionary medical device for rheumatoid arthritis.
“Our aim is to help sufferers and their loved ones by getting the technology into doctor’s clinics as soon as possible,” Robert said.
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Joe and Dot Hernandez are proud supporters of the Bionics Institute’s vision to solve medical challenges with innovation.
Through Precision Electronic Technologies, it is our pleasure to be able to make meaningful contributions to the Bionics Institute’s groundbreaking research. Joe and Dot Hernandez, Precision Electronic Technologies
Precision Electronic Technologies is renowned for excellence in electronic manufacturing and has a legacy of innovation – being one of the first Australian companies to manufacture printed circuit boards in the 1950’s. Today, Precision Electronic Technologies services customers from Australia and around the world, some of which are med tech companies.
Joe and Dot have chosen to support the Bionics Institute’s work via regular corporate giving, joining a growing number of companies focused on giving back to the community through charities.
The Hernandez’s encourage other businesses to consider making charitable contributions as they’ve seen many positives from taking part in corporate giving.
“We feel that it is very important for companies to give to charitable causes such as the Bionics Institute.”
“The positive outcomes for companies, such as team building, employee morale and goodwill makes supporting the Bionics Institute all the more worthwhile,” Joe and Dot added.
The Hernandez’s comments reflect the findings of recent studies which suggest that supporting charitable causes helped with employee satisfaction, engagement and retention (1.) This includes a Harvard Business School study which reported that 90% of employees working at companies with a connection to a social purpose indicated they felt more motivated, loyal and inspired as a result.
There are multiple ways to take part in corporate giving, including corporate partnerships through cash and in-kind sponsorship, donation matching to multiply your impact, or companies can support employees through workplace giving.
To learn more, visit our corporate giving page.
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The Bionics Institute Celebration Event held at Government House marked 46 years since the first cochlear implant surgery performed by Laureate Professor Graeme Clark AC, one of Australia’s greatest medical breakthroughs.
The Bionics Institute was proud to present two distinguished awards, presented by Her Excellency, Professor, the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC:
• Laureate Professor Graeme Clark AC, who received the Bionics Institute Visionary Award in recognition of his immense contribution to science and society.
• Neville and Di Bertalli, for their continued commitment to supporting the advancement of medical research.
We thank all those who have supported the Bionics Institute for your generous support. Your kindness helps us continue to grow and expand research and innovate cutting-edge medical devices to solve medical challenges and transform even more lives.
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Laureate Professor Graeme Clark AC was presented with the Bionics Institute Visionary Award at a Government House Victoria celebration of his first bionic ear implant in recognition of his immense contribution to society.
Her Excellency, Professor, the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria, kindly hosted a celebration of the 46th anniversary of the successful implantation of the first multi-channel cochlear implant on 2 July, and personally thanked Professor Clark for transforming the lives of people with hearing loss.
One of Australia’s greatest medical research breakthroughs, the cochlear implant was invented and developed by Professor Clark’s team at the University of Melbourne, and first implanted in Rod Saunders at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in 1978.
“The invention of the cochlear implant has enriched the lives of countless people and is an early example of Victoria’s contribution as a global leader in medical research.” Her Excellency, Professor, the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria
Professor Clark was inspired to help severely deaf people hear at an early age because he had a deaf father and always knew he “wanted to fix ears”, which led to him becoming an ear, nose and throat surgeon.
Professor Clark knew the cochlear implant operation on Rod Saunders was a success when his team developed a speech code for electrical stimulation of his brain that enabled him to recognise some words without any help from lipreading. He says he was so overcome with emotion he went quietly into the next-door lab and cried tears of joy.
The cochlear implant not only changed the way hearing loss is treated forever, but also led to Professor Graeme Clark founding the Bionics Institute in 1986 to continue development of the cochlear implant.
The improvements his team made to the implant in the years following the first successful implant were making a smarter speech code and using implants in each ear to make it easier to localise sound and hear in noise.
Professor Clark’s team worked closely with Cochlear Limited to ensure the device was smaller, safer and more reliable, and also worked with Cochlear to show how it should be used on young deaf children to allow them to achieve normal spoken language.
The Bionics Institute has remained at the forefront of hearing research since then, while also expanding into the development of medical devices to treat some of the world’s most challenging conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s.
“I feel very honoured to receive the Bionic Institute’s Visionary Award, presented by Her Excellency, Professor, the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, and am pleased the Bionics Institute is expanding our work to other areas.” Laureate Professor Graeme Clark AC
Professor Clark continued: “I am also excited the University of Melbourne has created the Graeme Clark Institute of Biomedical Engineering to integrate our research across disciplines to help those with disabilities, and it is good the Graeme Clark Foundation is raising funds to help poor and disadvantaged people in Australia and overseas.”
At the celebration event, Robert Klupacs, Bionics Institute CEO gave a warm welcome to Professor Clark and his wife, Margaret, members of the original research team, representatives from the University of Melbourne, the Eye and Ear Hospital and Cochlear Ltd.
“The Bionics Institute’s journey began with development of the cochlear implant that positively impacted the lives of so many people. Thank you, Professor Clark, you are an inspiration. We are honoured to recognise your support with the Bionics Institute Visionary Award.” Robert Klupacs, Bionics Institute CEO
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Neville and Di Bertalli were recognised for their commitment to medical research through support of the Bionics Institute at a Government House Victoria celebration of the first bionic ear implant on 2 July.
The Bionics Institute Catalyst Award was presented to former Bionics Institute Board Member, Neville Bertalli and his wife, Di Bertalli to acknowledge their dedicated support since 2005.
Her Excellency, Professor, the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria, kindly hosted a celebration of the 46th anniversary of the successful implantation of the first multi-channel cochlear implant and personally thanked inventor, Laureate Professor Graeme Clark AC for transforming the lives of people with hearing loss.
One of Australia’s greatest breakthroughs, the cochlear implant was invented and developed by Professor Clark’s team at the University of Melbourne, first implanted at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, and led to Australia’s leading medical device company, Cochlear Ltd.
“It was a pleasure to host an event to celebrate the vision of the Bionics Institute and recognise the contributions of those who make its work possible.” Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria
The cochlear implant not only changed the way hearing loss is treated forever, but also led to Professor Graeme Clark founding the Bionics Institute in 1986 to continue development of the cochlear implant.
The Bionics Institute has remained at the forefront of hearing research since then, while also expanding into the development of medical devices to treat some of the world’s most challenging conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s.
Robert Klupacs, Bionics Institute CEO says that innovative medical breakthroughs would not be possible without collaboration between researchers, engineers and healthcare professionals combined with the vital support of Board Members, volunteers and our caring supporters.
He said: “From all of us at the Bionics Institute, we want to say thank you to everyone for making our groundbreaking research possible. We truly could not have done it, or continue, to do it, without you.”
Acknowledging two of the Bionics Institute’s most longstanding supporters, he said:
“Neville and Di Bertalli’s inspiring commitment to medical research through support of the Bionics Institute has had a major impact on society that will last for years to come. We are honoured to recognise your support with the Bionics Institute Catalyst Award.”
“Di and I have seen the world benefit from the many leaps forward in medical treatments over our lifetime, like the cochlear implant. We and our family are passionate about supporting medical research and inspiring the next generation of brilliant minds to transform lives. Neville Bertalli
“We have been delighted to support Professor James Fallon’s research into neuro-stimulation. His research has led the Bionics Institute to find new treatments for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.”
Chair of the Bionics Institute Board of Directors John Stanhope AM said: “It is wonderful to celebrate the proud history of the Bionics Institute. Our goal remains to provide a better quality of life for people who are suffering from difficult to manage medical issues. For those of you who have supported us on the journey, I thank you.”
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Results of the first clinical trial of Australia’s ‘second generation’ bionic eye have demonstrated ‘substantial improvement’ in four participants’ functional vision, daily activities and quality of life over a period of more than two and a half years.
Detailed outcomes from the trial, led by the Centre for Eye Research Australia, Bionics Institute, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, were published in May in Ophthalmology Science.
The findings add to interim results which showed that the second-generation bionic eye developed by Australian company Bionic Vision Technologies provided rapid improvements for four patients with blindness caused by the genetic eye condition retinitis pigmentosa.
Hear from Professor James Fallon and a bionic eye recipient
This research featured on Ch9 News Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin and Perth.
Hear from Professor James Fallon, Associate Professor Penny Allen from CERA and a patient talking about the results of the clinical trial and next steps, plus the impact of vision enabling technology.
Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited retinal disease which affects about two million people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of vision loss in working-age people.
The bionic eye comprises an electrode array, designed by the Bionics Institute and the Centre for Eye Research Australia, that is surgically implanted behind the eye. The electrode receives signals from a video camera mounted on glasses, which stimulate the patient’s retina.
“The camera converts images into electrical pulses delivered by the electrode array that activate retinal cells and create flashes of light called phosphenes to help patients detect edges, shapes and movement,” said Professor James Fallon, Head of Research at the Bionics Institute.
The new study tracked the patients from the time they received the implant surgery in 2018 to 2021.
Its findings demonstrate the device is stable and durable over the longer term– staying in place behind the retina without complication and still having 97 per cent of electrodes functioning 2.7 years after first implant.
Principal Investigator and vitreo-retinal surgeon Associate Professor Penny Allen said patients showed significant improvement in their navigation, mobility and ability to detect objects – in clinical tests, at home and in the community.
“The bionic eye enabled blind patients to locate doorways, avoid obstacles and find items on table-tops,’’ she said. “They reported greater confidence in navigation, were more likely to explore new environments and had reduced need for assistance when travelling to the local shops.’’
Associate Professor Allen said participants reported that the bionic eye supplemented long cane and guide dog use, provided safe navigation around people and obstacles, and allowed them to detect waypoints such as trees and lamp posts along navigational routes.
“Patients were also able to locate their spouse in a café and detect people moving at a train station – things they could not do without using their bionic eye.’’
Bionic Vision Technologies’ team is continuing to refine the vision processing capabilities, usability, as well as the wearables of the bionic eye system.
Dr Ash Attia, CEO of Bionic Vision Technologies said “ We are encouraged by the excellent results of the generation 2 Bionic eye trial. We are looking forward to finalize the development of the Generation 3 bionic eye and enter the worldwide pivotal trial and ultimately gain regulatory approval”. “Regulatory approval will allow us to make this important technology available to RP patients which will positively impact their lives” Dr Attia said.
Patient information
The bionic eye team is not currently recruiting but there are opportunities to take part in other inherited retinal disease studies. To learn more, visit: https://ceruleaclinicaltrials.org.au/take-part-in-research/
“The camera converts images into electrical pulses delivered by the electrode array that activate retinal cells and create flashes of light called phosphenes to help patients detect edges, shapes and movement.” Professor James Fallon
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Building medical device prototypes is a way of life for Senior Research Engineer, Owen Burns. Over the past 13 years, his expertise in bio-mechanical engineering has been integral to the design of electrodes to treat Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, blindness, and now tinnitus.
Owen and his team in the Bionics Institute Experimental Device Engineering Hub are working closely with lead researcher Dr Mehrnaz Shoushtarian to develop a new prototype to test tinnitus using a brain imaging technology that monitors oxygen levels in the brain called functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
Tinnitus, hearing sounds not present externally like hissing or buzzing, affects 15% of the population and can severely impact quality of life. Currently there are no reliable treatments for tinnitus, and also no objective test to determine if potential treatments are working.
Dr Shoushtarian says: “We have developed an objective test of tinnitus using fNIRS and machine learning to detect tinnitus-related changes in the brain, which is an important step in developing reliable treatments”.
Using a general-purpose fNIRS system, Dr Shoushtarian and her research team have established a technique that detects tinnitus with 87% accuracy. However, to meet clinical usability requirements, a specialised prototype is under development.
Supported by a generous donation from Hearts and Minds Investments as nominated by Cooper Investors, the engineering team will produce five prototypes in 2024 for use in a multi-site clinical trial.
Hearts and Minds is an Australian listed investment company that has donated $48.9M to leading medical research organisations since its inception with support from its suite of fund managers, including Cooper Investors, who provide their highest conviction investment ideas pro bono.
Peter Cooper founded Cooper Investors in 2001 and combines his role of Chief Investment Officer with advocating for more and better philanthropy in Australia.
He says that tinnitus is a very challenging condition, and when he heard about the research being conducted at the Bionics Institute, he was keen to give his support.
“Medical research provides an excellent return on investment, and I look forward to seeing the progress of this research program towards new treatments for tinnitus” Peter Cooper
To find out more about this tinnitus research and how you can participate in the clinical trial here.
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Support Us
Tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs could start with you today.
Donate nowWe’re researching tests and treatments to improve the lives of people like Sara. All gifts over $2 are tax deductible.
Sara’s story
Living with Crohn’s disease is a constant struggle for Sara.
“Some days the pain is so bad I can’t even get out of bed,” she says. “I can’t even have a shower without being doubled over in agony.”
Sara’s condition causes her body to attack its own tissues and the debilitating symptoms of Crohn’s disease can include severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition. At its worst, the condition can be life-threatening.
There is currently no cure and while drug therapies can provide some temporary relief, most living with the condition end up needing invasive surgery.
At the Bionics Institute a new medical device is being developed with the potential to prevent the debilitating symptoms and bring relief to people like Sara.
Our innovative device for Crohn’s features on Channel 7 news
Help fund pioneering research
There is an urgent need to find better ways to provide much needed relief from the effects of Crohn’s disease and other debilitating conditions.
Researchers at the Bionics Institute are working on cutting-edge devices and treatments for a range of conditions including Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, hearing loss, Alzheimer’s disease and chronic pain.
Will you help turn cutting edge research into the lifechanging treatments and therapies of the future?
Your donation can help speed up research from the lab to those needing treatment, as is the case with our electrical stimulation device to treat Crohn’s disease being implanted in a patient at the Austin Hospital.
Help us fast-track treatments to fight chronic conditions
The use of electricity to alter the activity of nerves has given rise to a broad range of promising new treatments for autoimmune diseases and chronic conditions that are poorly controlled by drugs.
You can help make a positive change in the lives of people with painful and debilitating conditions.
“The Bionics Institute’s research into innovative new treatments give people like me hope of a better future.” – Sara
About the research
Our world-class scientists, engineers and clinicians work together to create and develop medical devices and transform the lives of people around the world. Our research focuses on developing new therapies and diagnostic tools in six main areas.
Autoimmune & chronic conditions
Brain research
Bionic limb research
Chronic pain research
Hearing & vision research
Incubator research
The success of our research is marked by the creation of spin-off companies that ensure our research is translated into clinical outcomes. Investment in these companies will fund future research at the Bionics Institute.
Want to support the future of research like this?
Early-stage research for life-changing devices & treatments like this is made possible by donations from our supporters.
Your support today could turn the seed of an idea into a new treatment in the future.
Find out how you can support research innovation here.
