atoms abstract
Research_

NanoHealth Network

Transformational solutions for global health issues

NanoHealth enables efficient, innovative solutions to health problems, opening the dialogue between multi-disciplinary researchers, partner organisations, and end-users by bridging expertise and capabilities across the University.

From round-table discussions to the lab, the NanoHealth network connects research expertise and capabilities across the University, transforming how nanotechnology is used in areas of medicine and health.

NanoHealth aims to address real-world global health challenges, such as the World Health Organisation's top health priorities for the next decade; the Sustainable Development Goals 3, 9 and 12; and locally, the Australian Medical Research and Innovation priorities

Co-sponsored by Sydney Nano Director, Professor Stephen Bartlett and Deputy Executive Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Health, Professor Mark Rees, the network works in partnership with Faculties and Schools. 

Focusing not only on fostering opportunities for multi-disciplinary researchers, we welcome partner organisations and end-users' collaboration to find better solutions, together.

Our research priorities enable human-centred innovation, efficiently evolving in real-time alongside rapidly evolving health issues. These priorities are addressed in our six clusters, supported by dedicated teams of diverse researchers. 

Our six inaugural NanoHealth clusters are:

Conceptual Nano Particles Pharma

Nano-Pharma

Co-Chaired by Dr Nicholas Hunt & Dr Pegah Varamini, Nano-Pharma seeks to develop next-generation nanotherapeutics to enable precision clinical treatments. The team engineers nanomaterials, enabling an active and passive targeted delivery of proteins, peptides, bioactive and drug molecules to cells and organs. This seeks to enhance the efficacy of clinical treatments, and limit off-target side effects.

Atoms conceptual

Nano Bioengineering

Co-Chaired by Dr Yogambha Ramaswamy and Dr Steven Wise, Nano Bioengineering engineers biomaterials at the nanoscale to improve functionality and biological performance. This process including coatings, nanocrystals, nanofiber and nano catalyst through the use of nanofabrication, nanolithography, nanopatterning and nano-3D-priniting.

Conceptual quantum

Computational Nano-Medicine

Computational Nano-Medicine is the key to mobilizing the next generation of health technology. The cluster, Co-Chaired by Dr Svetlana Postnova and Dr Omid Kavehei, aims to advance our understanding of the mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases by using modelling, machine learning, and quantum simulation connecting data across multiple spatial and temporal scales.

Nano Imaging conceptual

Sensors and Diagnostics

Co-Chaired by Dr David Martinez Martin and Prof. Corinne Caillaud, the cluster collaborates with clinicians to enhance patient’s monitoring and to guide clinical decisions for better treatment outcomes. Using and creating nanoscale sensors to detect pathogens, cellular responses, molecules of interest and vital signs, our cluster develops new generation of sensors and identifies new biomarkers, enabling more accurate disease diagnosis and improving the advancement of treatments.

Cells on a chip

Lab/Organ On-Chip

Developing chip-based devices for nanoscale processes including sensing, molecular assembly, chemical synthesis, interfaces, and microfluidics, allows the team to develop models that mimic human physiology and disease. Significantly, this allows for high throughout testing of drugs, modelling human disease and studying tissue repair. The team is Co-Chaired by Dr Daniele Vigolo and A/Prof. Stefano Palomba.

Artificial cells conceptual

Multifunctional Nanoparticles

The team, co-chaired by Dr Anna Waterhouse and Prof. Wojtek Chrzanowski, works to develop new generation multifunctional nanoparticles for a more healthy and sustainable future. This may include up-conversion nanoparticles, nanorobots, nanomachines, extracellular vesicles and Janus nanoparticles. This work enables earlier, more precise and sensitive disease detection, diagnosis, and targeted therapies.