Research and Development Hub
The Healthia R&D Hub was established to support Healthia’s vision of providing world-class health services through excellence and innovation in health care and service delivery. The Healthia R&D Hub brings together industry partners, researchers and clinicians to challenge current thinking and traditional models of care. As Australia’s largest allied health company, Healthia is in a unique position to positively influence healthcare and health service delivery in primary care.
Objectives
To guide our R&D activities, the Healthia Hub has developed key clinical, research and commercial objectives:
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Clinical
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Ensure all R&D activities have a ‘so what’? i.e., clear and meaningful clinical application(s)
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Foster the development of clinician-researchers and encourage a culture of innovative practice
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Move to true personalised health care
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Promote and foster health prevention activities
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Attract and engage undergraduate and post-graduate students
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Commercial
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Drive disruptive entrepreneurship that align with our objectives
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Be self-sustaining through government and non-government funding
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Improve cost-effectiveness and efficiency of health service delivery
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Attract, retain and engage staff by offering diversity in practice and career pathways
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Attract like-minded organisations
Research
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Develop innovative and clinically meaningful programs of research
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Undertake research that seeks to challenge the status quo
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Utilise technology to ensure equity and optimal health care for all
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Partner with like-minded industry partners, institutions and organisations
Significance and Innovation
As Australia’s leading allied health organisation, Healthia has the expertise and capacity to impact the way healthcare is delivered in primary care. The Healthia R&D Hub provides the research and technological expertise and links with government and non-government partners to help support Healthia’s clinicians deliver transformative healthcare.
Meet Healthia's PhD Students
Komal Chikara
Komal is pursuing her PhD at Queensland University of Technology. Her research includes finding reliability and accuracy of 3D surface scanning techniques to capture diabetic foot for the purpose of orthotic fitting in rural Australia. Her educational background specializes in Prosthetics and Orthotics and previously, she has worked on building 3D printed orthotics for diabetic patients in India. She has also worked on several funded grants as Principal investigator and co-investigator. She is building her skillset to gain expertise in various CAD and 3D software.
Chongguang Wang
Chongguang is a PhD candidate at The University of Queensland (UQ). Chongguang’s research focuses on designing and implementing devices to remotely monitor foot disease, especially diabetic foot ulcer. By studying the nuances of gait patterns, pressure distributions, temperature and using innovative technologies and analysis methods, including artificial intelligence, Chongguang is on a quest to help provide early warnings for people with diabetes and other lower limb conditions. Chongguang is working closely with clinicians and other researchers to ensure his research is clinically meaningful for both patients and clinicians.
Sheng Lin
Sheng is from Quanzhou, Fujian China, the capital of sports footwear production and design in China. Since Sheng completed his undergraduate studies in China, he came to Australia to study a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Sheng had the opportunity to intern at iOrthotics during his postgraduate studies working on manufacturing and design of customised insoles. Sheng is currently completing his PhD degree at the University of Queensland in the Biomedical and Biomechanical field of research, where he is researching the locomotion expression of the foot and foot health by using smart sensors.