On Monday 24 October a group of QAHS students had the great privilege of being shown around various Griffith University laboratories and research spaces by QAHS Alumnus Antony McNamee (Class of 2011). The excursion took place in honour of TOKtober Innovation Month, with the aim of exhibiting the cutting edge research and innovative design taking place just across the bridge from us!
The day began in the BioSpine project space, where researchers from a range of fields, including industrial design, physiotherapy, engineering and game design, are creatively working together to develop personalised rehabilitation programs and innovative technologies for people with neurological conditions such as brain or spinal cord degeneration. Our students learnt about the importance of empathy in medical design, and were interested to listen to an account of the many varied career pathways of the researchers involved in the project.
Next the group was shown through the Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Institute (ADaPT): a space where a large team of multidisciplinary expertise is collaborating with leading industry partners to custom design and rapid prototype new materials, using micro and nanoscience, complex imaging, 3D digital scanning, 3D functional modelling, bioengineering, industrial design, big data analytics, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing processes. The students were able to view some of the key research and design (R&D) equipment, handle a number of the prototypes produced and hear about some of the projects the institute is currently engaging with.
Following lunch, the afternoon was jam-packed with a seminar on
Advanced
Technologies through Design, and a tour of the
Griffith University Mechanobiology Laboratory, showcasing total artificial hearts, cardiovascular artificial organs and orthopaedic research design elements. Amongst the wealth of information and fascinating demonstrations, the session highlighted the role of creativity in R&D fields as well as the usefulness of networking, seeking opportunities and remaining flexible when pursuing a career in innovation.
Kahlia Baker
Chemistry Teacher
Student Leadership Coordinator