2023 Michael Hirshorn Medical Research Commercialisation Fund

The research team at Western Precinct, Department of Surgery led by Professor Justin Yeung and Professor Paul Baird has been awarded the 2023 Michael Hirshorn Medical Research Commercialisation grant.

This fund is the result of a generous donation from Dr Janice Hirshorn and Dr George Jacobs in recognition of Dr Michael Hirshorn OAM, who was a graduate of the University of Melbourne and passionate about the commercialisation of biomedical inventions. Dr Hirshorn was also a co-founder and Chief Executive of the company behind the “bionic ear”, Cochlear, and a founding director of the sleep disorders company Resmed.

The PredicTx Colon concept devised from the Western Precinct team is helping to translate an AI solution for toxicities experienced by colorectal cancer patients, which can affect over 50% of patients treated by chemotherapy.