Trajan Scientific and Medical (Trajan) and the University of Tasmania (UTAS) have announced the appointment of three top scientists to oversee innovative research programs at ASTech, the ARC Training Centre for Portable Analytical Separation Technologies, which is supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC).
ASTech has announced a collaboration between Trajan and UTAS combining industry knowledge and research with the goal of innovating in product design, development and manufacturing techniques.
ASTech Training Centre Director, Professor Emily Hilder, said she is looking forward to working closely with the three new Postdoctoral Fellows who were selected from a pool of applicants from around the world.
Dr Greg Barbante has a PhD in Electroanalytical/Synthetic Chemistry and an Honours in the development of sensors based on immobilised microcrystals, and has recent experience in the food industry, including HPLC and GC method development, and project management.
Dr Masoomeh Tehrani Rokh completed her PhD in Engineering in the field of Bio-MicroElectroMechanical Systems (BioMEMS) and microfluidics, a Master of Science in Microengineering and Nanoelectronics, and has extensive experience in microfabrication processes and facilities.
“Dr Barbante and Dr Tehrani Rokh have started at the School of Physical Sciences facilities where I am based at University of Tasmania’s Sandy Bay Campus in Hobart,” said Professor Hilder.
All Postdoctoral Fellows and PhD students will spend one of their three years within industry at Trajan and/or Trajan's partner organisations around the world.
According to Trajan's CEO, Stephen Tomisich, “We are thrilled to have recruited these high calibre researchers for ASTech. Each has unique expertise that will complement R&D at Trajan, and this month we have welcomed Dr Lapierre at Trajan’s global headquarters in Melbourne to commence his industry placement.”
Dr Florian Lapierre has a PhD in Micro and Nanotechnology in the field of sophisticated microfluidic device design, also a Master of Science and Technology in microfluidic systems and a Master of Engineering in scientific measurement and applied business. Florian has worked as an engineer consultant in biomaterial development and designing digital microsystems for pathogen detection.
Mr Tomisich said the development of new micro-materials could play a critical role in next generation portable analytical devices.
“As Trajan make up half of the ASTech Steering Committee, we are pleased to provide an industry perspective, and additional support to ensure we could appoint the best candidates for these senior positions,” he said .