Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 2022 Awards

Three University of Melbourne innovators have received Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) 2022 Awards.

Dr George Chen from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology received the ICM Agrifood Award for his breakthrough techniques for dairy manufacturers to reduce waste and energy use. Dr Chen’s award recognises his outstanding dairy industry sustainability achievements. Australia manufactures over 220,000 tonnes of milk powder annually for chocolate, ice cream and infant milk. In one of his innovations, Dr Chen found a way to reduce the energy cost of milk concentration prior to drying, using salty whey generated from cheese-making, substantially reducing energy use.

Professor Jason Monty, also from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, and his research partner Dr Forbes McGain received the Clunies Ross Knowledge Commercialisation award. Professor Monty, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Dr McGain, Western Health, received their award for the McMonty Medihood, which creates a safer working environment for healthcare workers and patients, protecting them from the risk of COVID-19. The multi-award-winning Medihood is being used in over 145 Australian hospitals and been adopted internationally. Covering the top half of a hospital bed, its small fan and filter reduce the risk of infection transmission.

Associate Professor Laura Downie, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, received the David and Valerie Solomon Award.   Associate Professor Downie has co-invented a device to diagnose dry eye disease - a common eye condition in developed countries, affecting about 20% of adults. Accurate, early diagnosis is a major clinical challenge because many current tests are invasive, time-consuming and inaccurate. The Acoustically-Driven Microfluidic Extensional Rheometry (ADMiER) device enables practitioners to take a patient’s tear droplet and test it immediately for dry eye disease and subtype.

From more information about the  Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Awards, please visit the website.