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Research for What?

Research for What?

Written by: Rom Bouveret
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About this listen

Hello and welcome to Research for What? The podcast that discusses scientific research, its purpose and impact. I am your host Rom Bouveret.

Each week I will interview recognised thought leaders who share the same passion for science and research and invest their energy, time or money!!

We will talk about the challenges and opportunities for research. I am also very keen to find out how experts define impact and what methods are used to measure impact. Every week, I will ask the question: Research for what?



Photo by Shalaka Gamage on Unsplash

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Rom Bouveret Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Science
Episodes
  • Culturing a woolly mammoth meatball on a Petri dish

    Culturing a woolly mammoth meatball on a Petri dish
    May 10 2023

    In this episode of Research for What?, I am very privileged to discuss with George Peppou, CEO and Founder of VOW, one of Australia’s most innovative food tech start-up.

    VOW’s mission is clear and simple – to ‘make ridiculously good meat’. It does this by culturing animal cells from traditional and new species. In fact, VOW’s aim is to bring any animal on the menu and recently made headlines for producing a woolly mammoth meatball. Last year, VOW raised ~US$50M in Series A funding.


    In this episode, I asked George how he went from developing an idea built on academic research to opening the largest cultivated meat facility in the southern hemisphere. Research and Development are key to VOW’s growth and innovation. They have hired or trained an incredible team of entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, innovators, engineers, artists, and chefs!

    Listen to this episode where George also talks about the attitude, culture and skills required to lead a successful start-up built on science, technology and research.

    For direct access to your preferred platform, go to Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    34 mins
  • Cochlear - smart research and commercialisation

    Cochlear - smart research and commercialisation
    Apr 16 2023

    In this new episode of Research for What?, I am very privileged to discuss with Dig Howitt, CEO and President of Cochlear Limited, one of Australia’s most celebrated advanced manufacturing success stories.


    Cochlear Limited was established in 1983 as a subsidiary of Nucleus, to commercialise the cochlear implant, also known as the bionic ear, an innovative technology developed by Professor Graeme Clark at the University of Melbourne. After more than 40 years of innovative research and sustainable commercialisation, cochlear implants have made significant strides in improving hearing outcomes for individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss. To date, Cochlear Limited has provided more than 720,000 people with cochlear implants and has a global market share of more than 60%. Their commitment to advancing technology and improving patient outcomes has led to numerous breakthroughs in cochlear implant technology. In this episode, Dig Howitt explains why excellent research and development combined with smart commercialisation, are key elements of Cochlear’s innovation and success. A must listen!!


    For direct access to your preferred platform, go to Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spotify or Google Podcasts.


    Note: this episode was recorded before the last federal election so any reference to the current government actually applies to the former Government.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    21 mins
  • Bringing art and research together to bring down barriers for people with disabilities

    Bringing art and research together to bring down barriers for people with disabilities
    Sep 2 2021
    TRANSCRIPTIn this week’s episode of Research for What?, I learn about the work of legally-blind artist and researcher Dr Erica Tandori. Erica creates artwork to exhibit science to people with vision or hearing impairment, who traditionally don’t have access to research. Erica has spent the last couple of years in the Rossjohn Lab at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University to understand, articulate and exhibit research and science using multiple senses like vision, touch, sound and smell.Here, Erica describes the similarities and parallels between art and research. She explains how bringing both together, in harmony, can be relatively easy and immensely rewarding. Erica’s mission and unique approach to making knowledge accessible to everyone are impressive and inspiring.In this episode, we are also joined by audio-designer and composer Stuart Favilla from the School of Design at Swinburne University. Erica and Stu produce extraordinary pieces, which not only touch artists and members of the public who are not familiar with research and its practice, but also speak to scientists and clinicians. They help researchers, who have been studying fundamental mechanisms and diseases for years, to see their work differently, as artists, turning structural biology models into sculptures. Erica and Stu recently launched a multisensory book titled ‘My Goodness’ (preview here). My Goodness is a series of 10 interactive ‘books’, combining tactile artworks, audio sonifications, braille-inspired protein molecules, large print, audio narration and braille supplements, which allow low-vision, blind, hearing-impaired and general audiences alike, to explore research on gut health, nutrition and immunity. It even comes with a pop song that can be heard at the end of this episode!Find more examples of Erica’s and Stu’s artwork including:Erica’s websiteThe Monash Sensory Science initiative (video of the 2019 Sensory Scientific exhibition here)Covers of scientific journals that Erica created (here)The HIV data projection project (video here) and the HIV CousCous Project (video here)For direct access to your preferred platform, go to Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spotify or Google Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    31 mins
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