The guest for this episode of the Inspiring STEM Podcast is Professor Mark Hutchinson.
Mark is the Director of the Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics in Adelaide. The Centre is a AU$50M Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence that brings together researchers from around the world to create light-based sensing technologies to create 'windows into the body'. These advances will enable scientific breakthroughs and advance the health outcomes of tomorrow.
Under his leadership, the centre has translated fundamental science discoveries from the lab bench into economic value in the boardroom, forging 30 industry partnerships and creating 15 start-ups and spinoffs.
Mark is also President of Science and Technology Australia, the peak body representing more than 90,000 scientists and technologists and serving as an influential voice for evidence and expertise in public policy.
We discuss a range of topics including the hands and minds connection in and around experimental science and his work with the world leaders of Professors Linda Watkins and Steve Mayer at the University of Colorado Boulder. Mark explains just what 'nanoscale biophotonics' is and, how fundamental science discovery at the lab bench can be taken through to the boardroom, generating venture capital investment and to then actually deploy applications and create new jobs.