Biomedical and Health Innovation

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Biomedical and Health Innovation

Biomedical and Health Innovation

The burden of chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer is escalating across the globe, while endemic and emerging infectious diseases are overwhelming health systems in under-resourced countries.

More effective drugs, vaccines, health monitoring and community-level intervention programs are needed to safeguard human lives and community wellbeing. This Platform brings together hundreds of highly respected, cross-disciplinary experts who are passionately committed to addressing innovatively the rising health challenges in our society.

Magdalena Plebanski

Our Vision

Distinguished Professor Magdalena Plebanski, RMIT Biomedical and Health Innovation ECP

We will harness the multidisciplinary excellence at RMIT and work with our industry partners to address areas of medical need and deliver interventions for healthy living

Creating impact in the community

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) research
RMIT is partnering with two Melbourne hospitals to create a world-first aerosol pharmaceutical intervention to treat babies born after fetal growth restriction (FGR). FGR is a global health problem and babies born after FGR often suffer brain damage and lifelong disability for which there is no treatment. Also, there are no treatments that improve placental function, and clinicians have limited options for treating outcomes of an FGR pregnancy. The project aims to develop a patent-ready, portable, low-cost, easy-to-use device to deliver DITPA non-invasively as an aerosol into the airways or nasal passages of FGR infants.
Microbeam radiotherapy cancer research
A collaborative partnership has been established between leading Australian and international researchers who specialise in microbeam radiotherapy and immunotherapy. This innovative partnership is developing protocols for potentially revolutionary new cancer treatments. Synchrotron Microbeam Radiotherapy (MRT) is an experimental form of radiotherapy that is fundamentally different to conventional radiotherapy (CRT). MRT uses small beam sizes and extreme dose rates.
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ECP Post-COVID-19 Restart Initiatives

Along with harnessing existing research networks and projects to respond to COVID-19, RMIT’s Enabling Capability Platforms (ECPs) launched five cross-platform initiatives in June 2020 to address various key areas for post COVID-19 recovery. 

Find out more about our restart initiatives
Bioinformatics Network

Bioinformatics Network

This is a new initiative to support researchers at RMIT University to design, conduct and produce results in the area of Bioinformatics. 

Find out more
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Key application areas

Personalised or precision medicine
Integrated healthcare
Medical practice, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment
Public healthcare, disease prevention and control
Pharmaceutical and vaccine innovation
Government and public policy
Health sustaining living environments
Remote monitoring

Research and innovation priorities

Ageing population

Our partnerships will pursue fundamental and applied research in ageing, developing:

  • new understanding of ageing biology
  • innovative therapies, diagnostics and monitoring tools for diseases in the elderly: cancers, musculoskeletal, inflammatory, cognitive
  • improvements and leap innovations in areas of need in existing health care models, and
  • optimised, practical and comprehensive community interventions such as vaccinations, drugs and lifestyle changes

Population growth and urbanisation

We will drive understanding of how urbanisation impacts human health by researching:

  • respiratory health and pollution
  • working and living in stressful environments
  • public health and abnormal behaviour, and
  • the prevention, early detection, treatment and amelioration of urban diseases

4.0 revolution and personalised medicine

We will focus on the opportunities arising from:

  • the omics revolution: to provide individually tailored health interventions
  • the digital revolution: to empower remote health monitoring and communication across patients and healthcare providers
  • the 4D printing and nanomaterials revolution

Regional and global citizenship

We will focus on:

  • Indigenous and regional health in Australia
  • global disease, epidemics and pandemics
  • endemic and emerging infectious diseases, and
  • biosecurity and biodiversity

Want to find out more about the Biomedical and Health Innovation ECP?

Contact Biomedical and Health Innovation ECP

Professor Magdalena Plebanski
ECP Director
Tel: +61 3 9925 7263


Michelle Nicolo
Coordinator
Tel: +61 3 9925 6606

Contact Research Capability at RMIT

Connect with RMIT Research

If you're not sure how you can best work with us, our team can explain what's possible and put you in touch with the right person. 

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Acknowledgement of country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

More information
aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

More information