Dr Marnie Winter, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia
Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia |
Research Fellow
Dr Marnie Winter has masterminded a cohesive and ambitious research program that addresses the major challenges facing prenatal care. By engaging in broad discussions with clinicians, bioengineers and placental/vascular biologists in the last 12 months, she was able to launch a project that specifically aims to confront the devastating global problem of preeclampsia with cutting-edge nanotechnology, material science and bioengineering concepts. Her innovate and significant research had received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Explorations. The translational significance of Winter’s research is that it gave birth to the successful development of a cell-based, non-invasive prenatal testing technology. In 2019, the technology lay the foundation for NIPDx, a spin-off company that recently received a 2020 National Health and Medical Research Development Grant. Winter is also an excellent science communicator and actively supports outreach activities. For instance, she gets regularly invited to speak to clinical scientists and other potential end-users of her research and organises highly successful events during National Science Week.