- Game-changing prosthetic eardrum being developed in WA
- Medical innovators share $1 million from WA Innovation Fellowships Program
- State's Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund helps medical innovators
In a world first, Western Australian innovators are developing the first prosthetic device for the repair of chronic ruptured eardrums.
Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson said the pioneering project was one of eight successful WA Innovation Fellowships winning a share of $1 million from the Cook Government's groundbreaking Future Health Research and Innovation Fund.
Ear Science Institute Australia's Dr Filippo Valente was awarded more than $140,000 to further develop ClearDrum, a prosthetic eardrum implant.
This cutting-edge innovation represents a major advancement in the treatment of chronic ear conditions, with the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes.
Dr Valente has led the research and development of ClearDrum since 2020. The WA Innovation Fellowships grant will assist in further preparations for manufacturing of ClearDrum devices.
Other funding recipients include pioneering AI-powered eye screening to identify heart disease and developing an innovative treatment to increase muscle mass and reduce fat via a subcutaneous injection.
The Cook Government established the FHRI Fund in 2020, which is backed by the State's almost $1.8 billion sovereign wealth fund. This has resulted in nearly $250 million being available over the next four years to support health and medical research and innovation in Western Australia.
More details on this year's successful WA Innovation Fellowships Program recipients are available on the FHRI Fund website .
As stated by Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
"WA's incredible innovators continue to produce groundbreaking and life-changing technology, such as this amazing collection of work being carried out by this year's successful Innovation Fellowship recipients.
"On behalf of the Cook Government I congratulate all the recipients. We proudly support the work these incredible innovators are undertaking here in WA which contributes to improving the health outcomes of Western Australians.
"Innovative projects like these are life changing for people who suffer from debilitating medical conditions and diseases."
Eight Fellowships have been awarded as outlined in the table below.
Innovation Fellow |
Responsible entity |
Activity title |
Funding awarded |
Dr Filippo Valente |
Ear Science Institute Australia |
Preparations for manufacturing and clinical trials of ClearDrum: Pioneering the first tympanic membrane prosthetic device |
$143,316 |
Dr Christofer Bester |
Ear Science Institute Australia |
Precision diagnostics in cochlear implant recipients - understanding the healing process |
$137,872 |
Dr Vanessa Fear |
The Kids Research Institute Australia |
Unravelling the functional significance of novel genetic variants identified in the clinical setting |
$131,033 |
Dr Mariana Lizeth Orozco Morales |
The Kids Research InstituteAustralia on behalf of the University of Western Australia |
Boosting the immune system to eliminate cancer cells: A new therapeutic approach |
$115,339 |
Dr Ianthe Pitout |
Murdoch University |
Initial studies of how well a potential new drug for treating motor neuron disease gets to where it needs to act in a living system, and to learn how this distribution affects safety and effectiveness |
$145,451 |
Dr Hadi Afsharan |
The University of Western Australia |
Screen for heart disease using AI technology to screen a person's eyes |
$122,892 |
Dr Tao Wang |
The Kids Research Institute Australia on behalf of the University of Western Australia |
Developing RNA-based immune adjuvants for efficient cancer immunotherapy |
$117,684 |
Dr Bu Yeap |
The University of Western Australia |
Developing a new treatment for obesity, diabetes and frailty |
$150,000 |
