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Technology and Longevity – how far can we go?

23 March 2023
6.00pm – 8.00pm AEDT
Leighton Hall, Scientia Building, UNSW Sydney
This event has ended
Image of robot holding artificial heart

From getting an x-ray to having an artificial heart, biomedical technology advancements have undoubtedly improved our quality of life, creating opportunities for us to connect and be part of a more inclusive living environment.

But with rapid growth comes medical, financial, and ethical challenges. With the desire for a longer, healthier life continually at the forefront of human ambition, what role does technology play in shaping this future?

Led by Julie Robotham, join us for a panel discussion and live Q&A where experts delve into the impact and challenges of biomedical technology advancements.

Panel speakers:

  • Associate Professor Beena Ahmed, UNSW Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications
  • Dr. Sze-Yuan Ooi, Prince of Wales Hospital
  • Eugene Salole PhD MPH, Value-Based Access Pty Ltd
  • Professor Jackie Leach Scully, UNSW Disability Innovation Institute

Event timings:

  • 5.30pm Registration opens
  • 6.00pm Event begins
  • 7.00pm Networking reception


TICKETS

 

 



LIVE EVENT & VENUE

Leighton Hall is located in the Scientia Building at UNSW Sydney's Kensington Campus (map ref: G19). This event will also be available for on-demand viewing. Please register for an 'on demand' ticket to receive a link to the recording.
 


 
VISITOR SAFETY INFORMATION

The health and safety of our patrons is our top priority. This event will abide by the Public Health Order prevailing at the time. Please follow our conditions of entry and check back here for updated information prior to the event.  

  • Do not attend the event if you feel unwell, have recently experienced any cold or flu-like symptoms or are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.

  • Face masks are recommended.



ACCESS

Wheelchair Access
Leighton Hall is located at UNSW Sydney's Kensington campus (map ref: H19). The closest accessible drop off point to the the Scientia Building is at Gate 11, High Street.

Assisted Listening
Leighton Hall has a hearing loop. Please see staff for assisted listening seats, and please turn your hearing aid to T for reception.

To discuss access requirements and book selected services, please email engineering.events@unsw.edu.au.



PUBLIC TRANSPORT & PARKING

UNSW Sydney is easily accessible via public transport. Call the Transport Infoline on 131 500 or visit transportnsw.info.

The closest parking station is the Botany Street Parking Station (map ref: H24). Paid casual and visitor parking is offered via the CellOPark App and ‘pay by plate meters’. For more information head here
 



CONTACT 

For all enquiries, please email engineering.events@unsw.edu.au

Speakers
Headshot of Julie Robotham

Julie Robotham

Julie Robotham is an independent specialist in strategic communications, public engagement and policy, focusing on health and human services. She works with organisations including Mindgardens Neuroscience Network, at the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct, and the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention at the University of Western Australia.

As a Director of the NSW Mental Health Commission from 2013 to 2018, Julie led its successful advocacy for a strong consumer and carer voice in the reform of the state mental health system, through the delivery of impactful publications, campaigns and events.

Julie has a media background and was previously Health Editor at the Sydney Morning Herald. She was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, and is a graduate of Oxford University. 

Headshot of Beena Ahmed

Beena Ahmed

Associate Professor in Signal Processing, School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, UNSW Sydney

Dr. Beena Ahmed is an Associate Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at UNSW Sydney. Her research is applied in nature, integrating cross-disciplinary principles from healthcare, speech processing and computer science using collaborations across all fields.

She has led the application of novel machine learning techniques to clinical domains with severely unbalanced and limited size datasets of signals such as disordered speech, electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG).

She has pioneered the use of machine learning to detect errors in disordered speech and predict the risk of dementia from speech. She has also worked on developing novel algorithms to quantify the complexity of the sleep electroencephalogram and detect the presence of sleep disorders such as insomnia to assist clinicians in the diagnosis process. She has also worked on using machine learning to predict mental stress levels using wearable signals from wearable sensors to help users self-regulate their stress levels.

She is also the founder of Say66, where she has translated her research to provide an automated speech therapy system for children with speech disorders. She is a recipient of the Telstra Brilliant Connected Women in Digital Health and Women in AI awards.

Headshot of Sze-Yuan Ooi

Sze-Yuan Ooi

Senior Staff Specialist and Director of the Coronary Care Unit, Department of Cardiology, Prince of Wales Hospital. Conjoint Associate Professor, School of Clinical Medicine UNSW.

Sze-Yuan is a clinician researcher with clinical experience and expertise in the fields of coronary intervention and cardiac device implantation, including novel implantable cardiac device and remote monitoring technologies.

He is a Senior Staff Specialist at the Prince of Wales Hospital and Director of the Coronary Care Unit. Sze-Yuan holds a Conjoint Associate Professor position with UNSW and is the Clinical Lead for Connected Health, Institute for Health Engineering UNSW Sydney.

His research interests include the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis and the role of inflammation, coronary physiology, novel assessments of and modulation of the coronary microcirculation and novel digital technologies. He has been awarded over $15M in research funding over the last 5 years. He is well-recognized for his advocacy of eHealth and mHealth solutions in CV health and sits on the NSW Health Virtual Care Clinical Advisory Group.

A/Prof Ooi has co-led the development of a smartphone application-centric remote monitoring system, TeleClinical Care and is the lead clinician and data custodian for the Cardiac Analytics and Innovation (CardiacAI) project – a retrospective and nightly prospective EMR data extract for all cardiovascular patients across two Health Districts aimed at developing AI-driven tools to support clinical decisions and healthcare delivery.

Headshot of Eugene Salole

Eugene Salole

Principal, Value-Based Access Pty Ltd

Eugene Salole is the principal at Value-Based Access Pty Ltd (VBA), a Sydney consultancy specialising in value-based healthcare – in particular the acquisition of reimbursement/funding (‘market access’) for innovative device technologies, by communicating their value to healthcare payers and providers.

Prior to founding VBA in 2013, Eugene held senior Market Access positions in global medical device and pharmaceutical companies, with responsibility for the major markets in Asia-Pacific. His other professional experience includes pro bono work for the CSIRO and NSW Health Medical Device Commercialisation Training Program, and capability-building consultancy to Health Canada and the World Health Organization’s Essential Drugs Programme in sub-Saharan Africa.

Eugene also has the privilege of serving as Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney.

Headshot of Jackie Leach Scully

Jackie Leach Scully

Professor of Bioethics, UNSW Sydney

Jackie Leach Scully is Professor of Bioethics and Director of the Disability Innovation Institute, UNSW Sydney. She has a background in biomedical science and worked for some years in the molecular biology of cancer before moving to bioethics. Her research has investigated a range of issues in the ethics of reproductive medicine, genetic testing, assistive technologies and prosthetics, disaster victim identification, and most recently artificial intelligence and automated decision making. These projects have focused on the implications of innovation for marginalized communities, including people with disability.

She is the author of Disability Bioethics: Moral Bodies, Moral Difference, co-editor of the Routledge Handbook of Feminist Bioethics, and co-editor of the International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (UK), Royal Society of the Arts (UK), and Royal Society of New South Wales.