News from the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator

2026 | Edition 1 

We are delighted to welcome Professor Victoria Cogger, who commenced this week as the founding Executive Director of the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator (SBA).

An internationally recognised leader in ageing liver research and targeted drug delivery, with a strong track record in research commercialisation, Professor Cogger joins the SBA from her role as Director of the ANZAC Research Institute at Concord Hospital.

Victoria, with her research group, brings firsthand experience of achieving the very goal the SBA is tasked to deliver at scale—the accelerated translation of biomedical research into real-world healthcare solutions.

She co-founded spinout Endo Axiom to lead the development of nanomedicines for clinical use and has seen its lead product, nanotechnology-based insulin for diabetes treatment, progress through to Stage 1 clinical trials. 

This role is a joint appointment of the University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District, and we are thrilled to have Victoria’s expertise, leadership, and translational focus guiding the next chapter of the SBA. Read more 

SBA collaboration on 2026 PERIscope Commercialisation Award 

The SBA is sponsoring three exciting teams in the 2026 PERIscope Commercialisation Award.

Sight Lens: Professor Stephanie Watson and Dr Mojdeh Abasi 
Brain on a chip: Dr Ann-Na Cho and Henry Howard 
A pharmaceutical to treat binge eating disorder: Dr Morgan James and Dr Hannah Bowrey 

Delivered by the Sydney Knowledge Hub (SKH), the award supports research translation by providing SKH residency to validate commercial opportunities and licensing pathways. Teams engage in 100+ industry conversations supported by targeted workshops and expert sessions. 

The SBA has also co-designed program content, including a dedicated ‘Track Bio’ stream to deliver specialised frameworks and skills for biotech, medtech, pharmaceutical and health focused innovation. Read more 

Imche Veiga, Emma Charters, Sean Harris and Professsor Sean Lal presenting at Navigating the Health System, a Track Bio workshop.

Construction update

Left: The Visual Mock-Up, Right: Aerial view of the SBA construction site in March

The SBA team recently visited the subcontractor’s factory to see a full-size section of the building’s stunning façade brought to life. The Visual Mock-Up (VMU) lets the project team check materials, colours, and construction techniques, and even walk inside to get a feel for how the façade will look and feel from inside the building.  

“The largescale VMU really shows off what the building will look like - the custom porcelain tiles with the sandstone print, the junctions where the windows meet the planter boxes, and the smoke green fins, each individually shaped and finished,” said University Infrastructure Senior Design Manager Heidi Sinclair.  

The VMU will now be shipped to Sydney to be reassembled and refined as the building takes shape. 

In other important milestones, we’ve now finished all piling foundations. All three cores are coming out of the ground at the same time, with in-ground services advancing to support upcoming concrete works. The basement slab pour was successfully completed this week.

News from the biomedical research community

CTE expert Michael Buckland on The Solutionists

Professor Michael Buckland, Head of Neuropathology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Director of the Australian Sports Brain Bank, sat down with Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Scott to share his expertise on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) on The Solutionists podcast. Michael is doing vital work, shining a light on a degenerative disease caused by repeated head impacts and exploring what we can do to protect athletes and reduce risk. 
Listen to the conversation

Left: Professor Michael Buckland recording on The Solutionists 

Vaxosome secures NSW RNA Pipeline grant for tuberculosis vaccine

A new biotechnology company emerging from the University of Sydney is set to accelerate the development of next-generation vaccines with support from the NSW Government’s RNA Pipeline Grant program. Vaxosome Pty Ltd was co‑founded by Professor Jamie Triccas and Associate Professor Megan Steain from the University, together with Dr Claudio Counoupas from the Centenary Institute. The company is developing a multiplexed mRNA vaccine platform designed to target tuberculosis (TB), one of the world’s leading infectious disease killers. The technology packages multiple TB antigens into a single lipid nanoparticle, enabling the immune system to recognise several components of the pathogen simultaneously. Read more

Vaxosome co-founders A/Prof Megan Steain, Prof Jamie Triccas and Dr Claudio Counoupas

Upcoming events and opportunities  

Perspectives of Endometriosis Care Panel Discussion and Networking – 14 April 
This forward-looking panel will explore what the future of endometriosis care could and should look like in Australia and beyond. Rather than focusing only on where we are today, the conversation will centre on what must change over the next decade to dramatically improve diagnosis, treatment, care integration, and lived experience. The event is sponsored by the SBA and Proto Axiom. Find out more  

NSW Health Commercialisation Training Program – Specialisations  
Medtech is a broad discipline with many types of healthcare and medical solutions, from physical devices to software and diagnostic testing. These three-day courses drill into what it takes to build a business in key sectors such as medical devices, diagnostics, and pharmaceutical and therapeutics. Participants will walk away with crucial knowledge of their sector, connections to industry experts, and gain feedback from mentors on their product and business. Read more 

Artist's impression of the building exterior and the Visual Mock-Up of the smoke fins visited by the project team. 

Did you know?

The green smoke fins that will feature on the building perimeter are individually shaped and vary in depth to mimic the pattern of smoke, which in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture represents health and healing. The fins will also play an important role in limiting the impact of morning and afternoon sunlight in the external-facing labs to ensure safety and compliance.

The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator is a visionary partnership between the University of Sydney, Sydney Local Health District and the NSW Government bringing together clinicians, researchers, academics and industry to solve the most complex health problems of today, tomorrow and the future.

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